Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/498

 from their guns. But the Confederate infantry assailed them in overwhelming numbers driving them back. The charge however had served its purpose as the army had time to cross the creek.

When the Second regained its position the battle was ended. The charge had been a desperate one but had saved the army from great disaster and during the brief time, fifty of the brave men had fallen killed or wounded. Among the wounded were Captains Henry Egbert and William Lundy and Lieutenant Benjamin Owen, the latter being captured. Not a member of the regiment flinched from the desperate and hopeless encounter; every man was a hero. It was one of the sudden emergencies liable to come, when a sacrifice is demanded. While Halleck’s army was lying before Corinth, Colonel Elliott was sent with the Second Iowa Cavalry and the Second Michigan to destroy the railroad at Boonville as well as such property of the enemy as might be found. Starting at midnight on the 28th, by forced marches he reached the Mobile and Ohio Railroad at Boonville on the 30th. He proceeded at once to destroy several miles of the railroad blowing up a culvert, burning a depot, a locomotive and a train of twenty-six cars loaded with supplies. He also destroyed 10,000 stands of arms, three pieces of artillery, a great quantity of clothing and ammunition and paroled 2,000 prisoners. The loss of the Second Iowa on this expedition was but two killed and six captured. For his success in this affair Colonel Elliott was promoted to Brigadier-General. Hatch was soon after made colonel of the regiment, Major Hepburn succeeded him as lieutenant-colonel and Captain F. A. Kendrick was promoted major. About this time the Second Michigan Cavalry received a new commander in Colonel Philip H. Sheridan who developed into one of the greatest generals of the Union army. In the latter part of June Sheridan was in command of a brigade made up of the Second Iowa and Second Michigan Cavalry. On the 1st of July while at