Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/491

 Creek. Early the next morning the army crossed the swollen stream, the cavalry was ordered forward, the First Iowa taking the lead. At ten o’clock the advance came upon two regiments of Confederate cavalry at Dripping Springs eight miles north of Van Buren. The First Cavalry promptly charge upon them supported by the remaining mounted troops of the army and by four mountain howitzers, keeping up a running fight into the town. After a few shots form the howitzers the cavalry made a dash into Van Buren, galloping down the hill at a great speed. Some rode to the landing to prevent the escape of the Rebel cavalry, while others descended the bank of the river to capture steamboats which were making off. The boats were captured and brought back to the landing. The enemy now opened on our cavalry with artillery from the south side of the town but the guns were soon silenced by Blunt’s howitzers. Before four o’clock in the afternoon our army was in complete possession of the town and had captured a large amount of property consisting of wagons, commissary stores, four steamboats, a ferry boat, camp equipage, mules, a large quantity of ammunition and about one hundred prisoners. The total loss to the Confederate cause from this foray was estimated at about $300,000. Blunt’s army returned to Prairie Grove. The early months of 1863 found the First Cavalry in Arkansas and Missouri scouting over a great extent of country, dispersing guerrilla bands and capturing many prisoners. On the 26th of April a night attack was planned on the advance guard of a Confederate force near Jackson and the charge was intrusted to the First Iowa Cavalry under Major Caldwell. At midnight Lieutenant Hursh with a platoon of eight men and a howitzer loaded with musket balls steadily approached to within thirty yards of the unsuspecting foe and, discharging howitzer and carbines simultaneously, effected great slaughter among the enemy. A moment later the First Iowa Cavalry charged and not a man of the entire force