Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/463

 Receiving word from the cavalry in advance, Lieutenant-Colonel Drake immediately dispatched another body of cavalry to the rear, fearing the enemy might come in from the south on the Princeton road. The rest of the troops remained at the west side of the bottom till two-thirds of the train had passed, when they moved forward taking the sides of the road not to discommode the train and to occupy a position on the eastern side of the lowlands. Hardly had the advance reached this point when a courier rushed to the front and announced that the enemy was in force two miles ahead. The Thirty-sixth marched on double-quick to the field and hastily but coolly formed the line of battle on the right of the artillery, the cavalry now reënforced by about one hundred fifty horse and one howitzer from Pin Bluff, under command of Major Spellman, taking position on the left. The other troops were being hurried up as rapidly as possible. The troops in line were posted in a small narrow clearing with skirmishers thrown out about one hundred yards in advance. The country was rough, covered for the most part with dense woods and almost impenetrable undergrowth. No less than 5,000 Confederates under command of General Fagan had here concealed themselves from the view of our cavalry scouts and were now confronting our little army of 1,000 men. The Forty-third Indiana held the skirmish line and fought manfully till overpowered and driven back by superior numbers, when it retired through the thick underbrush in some confusion with each man, however, fighting bravely on his own account. The enemy now came on in heavy force against the main line and the action became general. Our troops kept up a constant fire for more than two hours without giving ground. The battery, having been deserted by its own men, two companies of the Thirty-sixth Iowa manned the guns with great effect during the rest of the fight. The Confederates now extended their lines and surrounded our small force. Having lost about twenty killed and nearly one hundred wounded and being hemmed