Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/300

 The Iowa Brigade in General Smith’s Division was warmly engaged. General Smith speaks as follows of the battle in that quarter:

“Another and still more desperate assault was now made from the east side in the rear of Colonel Hall’s brigade. The men sprung over the works and the most desperate fight of the day now took place. The enemy under cover of the woods could approach within twenty yards of our works without discovery. The Confederates would frequently occupy one side of the works and our men the other. Many individual acts of heroism here occurred. Men were bayoneted across the works and officers with swords fought hand-to-hand with men with bayonets. Colonel Belknap, of the Fifteenth Iowa, took prisoner Colonel Lampley of the Forty-fifth Alabama, by pulling him over the works by his coat collar, being several times fired at by men at his side. The colors of his regiment were captured at the same time. This combat lasted three-quarters of an hour, when the enemy slowly retired. The battle lasted seven hours with few pauses. The fury of the charges has seldom been equaled during the war. Again and again the Confederate regiments were hurled against our lines with reckless fury, only to meet a wall of fire which swept them down by the hundreds.”

There were thirteen Iowa regiments in this great battle. The Second and Seventh in General Dodge’s command fought with their usual valor; the remnant of the Third was almost annihilated. The Fourth, Ninth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth and Thirtieth, in General Wood’s Division, fought bravely. The Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth of the Iowa Brigade were among the bravest. The Fifteenth lost one hundred thirty-two men, of whom ten were killed, forty wounded and eighty-two captured. Lieutenant-Colonel Hedrick was severely wounded. On the 28th another severe battle was fought in which the Fifteenth participated. Soon after Colonel Belknap was promoted to Brigadier-General. As Colonel Hedrick was permanently disabled by his wounds Major Pomutz, who was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, took command of the regiment. After the evacuation of Atlanta the Fifteenth went into camp at Eastport. In October it joined in pursuit of Hood’s army and was in the march to