Iowa Old Press
Keosauqua Republican
Keosauqua, Van Buren co. Iowa
March 7, 1862
We had a call on Monday from Sergeant Parker of company F, 2nd
Iowa, who returned from Fort Donelson last week in charge of a
number of wounded Iowa soldiers. He says the Col. Went into the
charge smoking a pipe, exhorting the boys to keep cool; and the
sergeant says they did keep cool. He says the charge was steady
and firm – that the lines were never broken by any
irregularity on the part of the men, and as fast as one fell
another took his place, and so the column moved on undaunted by
the destruction around them – no man quailed or faltered for
a moment – but all breasted the hail of bullets that were
flying thickly around them, with a firm grasp of their muskets,
determined to accomplish their purpose. No gun was fired until
they mounted the breastwork, when the rebels immediately fled and
they poured a volley into their rear.
The Col. While leading his men on , had his sword knocked out of
his hand by a ball which struck the hilt of it, which rendered
his arm useless during the rest of the engagement. The Col. also
suffered a slight injury in his back by being compelled to take
an involuntary somersault. Whilst standing on a log, beckoning
for another regiment to come up, a cannonball struck the log,
knocking it from under him, giving him a hard fall on his back.
He has scarcely been able to straighten himself since.
Iowa 14th on the Battlefield
FORT DONELSON, TENN. Feb. 19, 1862
[transcription note, left side first column is missing]
About two o'clock in the afternoon , Col. Tuttle, of the Iowa
2nd, made a desperate charge upon the left of the Fort, and with
all the boldness of mortal man, succeeded in driving the rebels
from the breastworks, though at the point of the bayonet. The
Iowa 14th, under the command of Col. Shaw, followed quickly, but
could do little execution, for fear of shooting into Col.
Tuttle's regiment. The rebels always shot too high, thus exposing
us to their fire without us having a chance to fire back.
The 2nd Iowa fell back to the fortification, and Gen. Grant said,
“If you hold this position until morning I'll take the Fort
at all hazards.” The Iowa 2nd, 7th and 14th, stood behind
the walls all night and kept the rebels back; in the morning the
General had his troops all ready to march in, but just at the
time he was going to make the attack, we beheld the white flags
hoisted in various places through the Fort, and the general cry
was. “They have surrendered.” You can better imagine
the applause and cheering on the part of the troops than I can
express it. We had gained a great victory and it seemed to create
new life in the tired and worn out soldiers of the 14th Iowa, men
who couldn't walk in making charges on the enemy, could now run
all over the Fort. We had our Sergeant Major killed in the last
attack and a goodly number wounded.
LETTER FROM CAPT. WILKIN, CO. F, 2ND IOWA REGIMENT FORT
DONELSON, TENN.
Sir: I presume ere this you have heard of the great
battle and victory of Fort Donelson, and the part that the 2nd
Iowa acted in the engagement. But knowing that the citizens of
Van Buren county feel a deep interest in the welfare of my
company, I thought through your column I would give them an
account of their action during the engagement.
My company, with the colors and color guard, were on the right of
the left wing of our regiment – which led the attack –
commanded by our gallant Colonel – which marched up a steep
hill in line of battle in the face of a heavy and destructive
fire from the enemies guns, and mounted their breastworks and
drove them from their entrenchments, pouring a deadly fire in
their rear as they retreated. They retreated to another
entrenchment and poured volley after volley into us with sad
effect.. We remained upon the field until it was so dark that we
could not see the enemy, and then withdrew to rest our wearied
men. And next morning the white flag was flying over the enemies
camp and our regiment marched into their camp on the right of our
Brigade.
Lieut. W. C. Harper was one of the first to fall. He fell as we
were ascending the hill, shot through the heart. Fourth Sergeant
Geo. W. Morse; Privates Wilson S. Crooks; Franklin G. Metz; Geo.
B. Shriver; Wesley W. Vinson; John S. Vandorn were all killed on
the field. The wounded were Corporal Samuel Huffman, severely;
Corporal James Schrauger, severely; Privates Figley M. Armstrong,
severely; Alonzo Bradford, severely; Chas. S. Coger, severely; J.
H. Duffield, severely; H. D. Duffield, severely; Ed. Goddard,
severely; H. C. Houk, mortally; Andrew Shriver, mortally;
Franklin B. Wilson, severely; James Carr, slightly; John S.
Mainote, slightly; John Morrow, slightly; Geo. Smith, slightly;
William W. Walker, slightly. Sergeant Major Branner, formerly of
my company, was slightly wounded.
Henry C. Houk and Andrew J. Shriver have since died from their
wounds. The remainder are doing well and I have no doubt will
soon be able and willing to take the field again. Our regimental
report shows thirty-seven killed and fifty-seven wounded.
From the Chicago Tribune,
reprinted Keosauqua Republican
Mar. 7th, 1862
The flag of the gallant Iowa 2nd, the first which was
planted on the enemies works at Donelson, arrived yesterday en
route to Iowa. Three of the color bearers were killed and three
were wounded. It is to hang over the Speaker's Chair in the Iowa
House of Representatives and after the adjournment of the
Legislature will be deposited in the Archives of the Historical
Society. The flag bears the marks of the terrible conflict at
Donelson, having no less than sixteen bullet holes through it.
[transcribed by M.O., April 2017]
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Keosauqua Republican
Keosauqua, Van Buren co. Iowa
March 14, 1862
The flag of the Iowa Second passed up the railroad on Monday to
the Capital. It was cheered every where along the road. It bears
the proof of the desperate conflict at Donelson. It was pierced
by no less than seventeen rebel bullets and the staff was nearly
shot in two. Honor to the brave ones who bore it aloft amid the
thunder and hail that was belched at them from the ramparts of
the enemy.
[transcribed by M.O., April 2017]
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Keosauqua Republican
Keosauqua, Van Buren co. Iowa
March 21, 1862
FROM THE TENNESSEE RIVER. Savannah, Tenn March 12th
The expedition up the river has pretty much arrived here
and the fleet is now on the point of proceeding on up the river.
The expedition is under the command of Gen. C. F. Smith, with
Generals Sherman, McClernand, Hurlburt and Wallace in command of
divisions under him. The force is a large one, fully able to whip
any army which the rebels will be able to bring to bear against
it.
The fleet of steamboats is a most formidable one, comprising more
vessels than were ever before congregated for military purposes
on this continent. General Grant remains in headquarters at Fort
Henry.
Our information of the enemy is very indefinite, so much so in
fact as to render any statement in regard to the force as hardly
worth of consideration. There appear to be various small forces
scattered about the towns to the south of us, and in northern
Alabama and Mississippi, the aggregate of which is estimated all
the way from thirty thousand to to one hundred thousand.
The gunboat Tylor this morning woke up a battery of four
guns at Eastport, Miss., thirty miles above here and exchanged
some fifty shots. None of the shots hit the Tylor –
the effects of the gunboat shots is not known.
There was no interruption of consequence to the progress of the
fleet between Fort Henry and this point. Only one shot was fired
from the shore, wounding one man on the steamer Argyle.
Gen. Lew Wallace's division sets out this evening upon an
expedition into the interior.
LATER – Savannah, March 14th - Gen. Lew Wallace's division
yesterday proceeded to Purdy, in McNairy county, and burned a
bridge and took up the track of the railroad leading from
Hamboldt to Corinth, Miss. The bridge had hardly been burnt when
a trainload of troops arrived. The expedition returned safely
about midnight yesterday.
St. Louis, March 13 – Gen. Halleck forwarded to headquarters
today the following:
Hon. E. M. Stanton, Sec'y of War:
Our artillery and cavalry yesterday attacked the enemy's
works, one and a half miles west of Paris, Tenn. The enemy was
driven out with a loss of 100 killed, wounded and prisoners. Our
loss is Capt. Bullis of the artillery and four men killed and
five wounded. A cavalry force sent out from Lebanon, Mo. Attacked
one of Price's guerrilla parties, killed 13, wounded 5 and
captured over 20 prisoners, among them was Gen. E. Campbell, the
commander.
[transcribed by M.O., April 2017]