Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/328

 mark for the storm of bullets poured into the ranks. Overwhelmed by superior numbers the gallant brigade was finally driven back with heavy loss. The enemy followed, charging en masse on our artillery which met them with a terrific fire, but on they came with reckless daring to within one hundred yards of the guns when they received a fire so terrible that they were hurled back, shattered, broken and dismayed. The batteries that did such heroic service and saved the day were those of Backof, Foust and Boeries. Another gallant charge was now made by the Twenty-sixth Indiana and the Thirty-seventh Illinois, led by Colonel Houston, which captured a battery, but was finally driven back with heavy loss. While the little Union army was still holding its ground by magnificent charges against vastly superior numbers, and was anxiously listening and watching for the coming of General Blunt, at three o’clock came the joyful sound in the distance of the roar of cannon on the extreme right as his advance batteries hastily unlimbered and opened on the enemy.

Early on the morning of the 7th General Blunt discovered that a large portion of the Confederate army had disappeared from the field, and surmising that it had gone to intercept Herron’s approach, he instantly put his army in motion for the battle-field. Hurrying forward by forced march in a few hours he heard the distant roar of cannon which told the story of Herron’s peril. On double-quick his army made the last five miles in an hour, and with loud cheers appeared on the enemy’s left. His artillery soon opened on the right to the great relief of Herron’s sorely pressed regiments. The battle was now waged with great fury all along the line. Colonel Dye of Iowa, commanding a brigade of the Second Division, in which was the Twentieth Iowa, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Leake, made a vigorous charge on the enemy’s lines. *  Charges and counter-charges were continued, while the destructive fire of

* The loss of the regiment in this charge was forty-seven men. Major Thompson was among the wounded.