Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/262

 Bentonsville. It had furnished the service Major-General Herron, Brigadier-General Herron, Brigadier-General Vandever and Judge Advocate Coyle.

TENTH IOWA VOLUNTEERS

This regiment was made up of companies raised in the counties of Polk, Boone, Warren, Tama, Madison, Greene, Jasper, Poweshiek and Washington. It numbered nine hundred and thirteen men, who went into camp at Iowa City and were mustered into service in September and October, 1861. After which, at Cape Girardeau, the men were drilled. The first field and staff officers were: Nicholas Purczel, colonel; W. E. Small, lieutenant-colonel; J. C. Bennett, major; W. P. Davis, surgeon; T. W. Jackson, adjutant; John Truesdale, quartermaster; D. W. Tolford, chaplain. On the 13th of December the regiment went into winter quarters at Bird’s Point. On the 8th of January, 1862, Colonel Purczel was sent with his regiment to capture a body of Rebels reported to be at Charleston, twelve miles distant. The night was dark, the rain falling in torrents and the line of march led through swamps, where the roads were nearly impassable. While slowly feeling their way in storm and darkness, the men were suddenly fired upon by an enemy in ambush and thrown into confusion. Quickly rallying, the regiment returned fire in the direction of the concealed foe, the strength of which was unknown. The enemy was soon dislodged and scattered and the regiment marched on beyond Charleston. The Tenth lost in this first fight, eight men killed and sixteen wounded. In February the regiment joined General Pope’s New Madrid expedition. That place was defended by five regiments of infantry and several companies of artillery, and strongly fortified by earthworks, upon which were mounted twenty-one heavy guns. Six gunboats, carrying from four to six heavy guns each, were anchored along the shore between the upper and lower redoubts. Thus the approaches to