Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/534

 Joseph H. Cobb, both gallant young officers who fell at the head of the column. Colonel Dorr and many others were wounded. On the next day the Battle of Newman was fought with a largely superior force of the enemy. As the head of our column entered Newman it encountered Rhoddy’s dismounted cavalry, which was soon after reënforced by Wheeler and a fierce battle ensued. Croxton’s Brigade, in which was the Eighth Iowa, at once made a gallant charge on the enemy’s lines, forcing them to give way but the rest of the division failed to come up in time so that the Confederates rallied and held their position. The fight was continued for some time by the First Brigade alone, now commanded by Dorr. This enabled most of the command to reach the main army in safety while Colonel Dorr with his regiment was captured by the enemy. They had made a most gallant fight against vastly superior numbers and only surrendered when further resistance was hopeless. Of the three hundred and sixteen officers and men who started on the raid but twenty ever regained the Union lines. After some months’ imprisonment Colonel Dorr and a portion of his men were exchanged and rejoined the army then resisting Hood’s invasion. The cavalry fell back slowly before the enemy skirmishing continually and harassing his advance. The Eighth took part in the Battle of Nashville but was not heavily engaged, joining in the pursuit it captured a number of prisoners. The winter was spent at Waterloo, Alabama, where it remained until the Wilson raid.

In this expedition the Eighth Cavalry was in the First Brigade commanded by General Croxton. After moving with the main army to Elyton, on the 1st of March, it was detached and moved toward Tuscaloosa for the purpose of drawing a portion of Forrest’s force away from Wilson’s front. General Croxton captured that city, destroyed the military school, iron works, factories and other property, recrossed the river, burned the bridge and moved toward Columbus. Turning toward Taladega,