Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/512

 Noble was appointed Chief of Cavalry on the staff of General Davidson. On the 1st of January, 1864, more than six hundred men of the Third Iowa Cavalry reënlisted as veteran volunteers and on the 6th were granted furloughs of thirty days to visit their homes. About this time Colonel Bussey was promoted to Brigadier-General, H. C. Caldwell to colonel, John W. Noble lieutenant-colonel, Captain Mudgett and McCrary were promoted to majors. Colonel Caldwell was soon appointed Judge of the United States District Court of Arkansas and resigned his military commission. Noble was thereupon promoted to colonel and Major Duffield became lieutenant-colonel.

The Third Iowa Cavalry was in the disastrous march to Guntown under command of General Sturgis and lost sixty-seven men. On the 24th of June the regiment joined the command of General A. J. Smith in the Tupelo campaign which was successful. It was in several severe engagements and was distinguished for skill and bravery, losing nineteen men during the campaign. On the 2d of September the regiment under Major Jones marched to Brownsville, Arkansas, there joined the army under General Mower and, with the Fourth Iowa and Tenth Missouri, formed a brigade commanded by Colonel Winslow. On the 22d it joined the army under General Pleasanton near Independence where a battle was in progress. The men at once dismounted, deployed into line and fought until late in the afternoon. In this engagement Lieutenant James H. Watts, acting adjutant, was mortally wounded. The enemy was driven across the Big Blue River where he took a strong position. Colonel Winslow formed his brigade for a change and moving forward drove the enemy in confusion, but with heavy loss. Colonel Winslow was severely wounded in this engagement and the Third Iowa had thirteen men wounded. Winslow’s Brigade pursued the enemy in his rapid retreat over the prairies for a long distance until he turned and made a