THE BATTLE OF MATAMORA--COLONEL TRUMBULL'S OFFICIAL
REPORT--GENERAL HURLBUT'S PARTING REVIEW--HIS PARTING
ORDERS--HOW THEY WERE RECEIVED--CONGRATULATORY ORDERS
OF GENERAL GRANT--TELEGRAM FROM THE PRESIDENT.
The following is Colonel Trumbull's official report of the part
taken by the 3d Iowa in the battle of Matamora. I give it as it was
furnished me from regimental head quarters. With all due deference
to the Colonel, who commanded us so bravely, and who had a better
opportunity of knowing our situation during the battle than any one
man among us, I think all will agree with me that in some statements
he has made slight mistakes. It was not so much the enemy's fire,
though that was severe, that threw us into confusion beyond the
bridge, as it was the attempt to form us in line to the right of the
road, on the narrow space already crowded by broken troops. We were
first ordered to charge, and then, by General Lauman, I believe, _to
file to the right_, the general not wishing to advance us into the
fire of our own troops, who in the tumult could not hear the order to
cease firing. The Colonel does not mention that, before any attempt
to re-form the regiment was successful, the enemy had ceased firing
and retired from the crest of the hill. This was due to the manner
in which General Hurlbut had disposed on the left his yet available
troops. The promptness with which the regiment again formed was due
to the Colonel as much as to the men. When once all could hear and
understand the voice of the commander, who through the trying storm
they had seen behaving so bravely, nothing more was needed to bring
them to their places in ranks:
HEAD QUARTERS, 3D IOWA INFANTRY CAMP,}
NEAR BOLIVAR, TENN., Oct. 8, 1862. }
CAPT. H. SCHOFIELD, A. A. G.--_Sir_: I have the honor
to report the part taken by the 3d Iowa Infantry in the
battle of the 5th of October. The 3d Iowa, 300 strong,
was on the right of the 1st Brigade, (Gen. Lauman),
and formed part of the reserve. When the reserve was
ordered into action the 3d Iowa led, crossing the
bridge at a cheer, and at a double quick, under so
severe a fire that about ---- men were shot down in a
few minutes, including over half of the commissioned
officers present. This necessarily threw the regiment
into some confusion, especially as the road was narrow
and encumbered with a good deal of underbrush, and
the men pressing forward got entangled with the men
of other regiments. I saw no way to extricate the
regiment, but by planting the colors in the middle of
the road, and ordering the men to rally to them. This
was promptly done, nearly every man springing instantly
to his place. The regiment then moved forward up the
hill in company with other regiments which had adopted
the same plan, the enemy retiring as we advanced. On
reaching the summit, the 3d Iowa was stationed in the
open plain to the left of the road, and toward the
close of the engagement was moved to the right of the
road near the bend of the river to support the gallant
28th Illinois, (Col. Johnson). The battle was now about
over.
I have to regret the loss of 1st Lieut. W. P. Dodd,
commanding Company H., who was struck by a shell and
instantly killed, just before we crossed the bridge.
He was a brave and faithful officer, and his loss
will fall heavily upon the regiment. I have also to
regret the permanent disability of Capt. E. J. Weiser,
of Company D, and acting 2d Lieut. D. W. Foote, of
Company I, two noble and gallant officers, both of
whom have been wounded in battle before. Capt. C.
Kostman, commanding Company C, and Lieut. W. B. Hamil,
commanding Company K, were both severely wounded
while gallantly pressing forward in the front of
their respective companies. 2d Lieut. C. E. Anderson,
commanding Company G, who had done his whole duty
through the engagement, was severely wounded just at
the close of the battle. 1st Lieut. J. G. Scoby was
especially prominent in rallying the men to the colors.
Lieut. Geary, Company H, deserves especial mention, for
staying in command of his company after the death of
the 1st Lieutenant, all through the battle, and until
we reached Bolivar, though suffering from a painful,
but not a severe wound. Lieutenants McMurtry and
Burdick, of Company D, Lakin and Abernethy, of Company
F, and Moe, of Company C, did their duty bravely and
well. Company A. was not engaged. 2d Lieutenant G. H.
Cushman, acting adjutant, and Sergeant Major, A. W.
Montague, both displayed great coolness and courage,
and rendered me valuable assistance on the field.
The conduct of the rank and file in crossing the
bridge, under the terrific fire of the enemy's
batteries, and in rallying to the flag as promptly as
they did, deserves the highest praise. Several cases
of individual bravery among the men, I shall bring to
the notice of the General commanding the Brigade, as
soon as I have fully investigated the circumstances.
I take pleasure in noticing here the gallantry of
Corporal Anderson Edwards, the color bearer. This is
the third fight in which he has carried the colors of
the regiment, and he deserves the notice of the General
commanding. I am ashamed to say that a few--a very few
cases of misconduct in the presence of the enemy have
been reported to me, which on further investigation I
shall submit to the General commanding the Brigade,
with a request that they may be submitted to a general
court martial.
I herewith enclose a list of the killed and wounded of
the Iowa Third in the action of the 5th. The number
of the killed is very small, considering the terrible
character of the wounds received.
I have the honor to be, sir,
With great respect,
Your obedient servant,
M. M. TRUMBULL,
Captain Commanding 3d Iowa Infantry.
No one can deny the justness and impartiality with which this report
reviews the conduct of the officers and men. It is to be regretted,
however, that more instances of gallant conduct on the part of the
latter, of which there were many, could not have been brought to
light in this document.
Nothing more can be said of the conduct of General Hurlbut, than that
his praise was again upon the lips of every man of the 4th Division.
It received at the hands of the Government the prompt recognition
it deserved. He was appointed to be a Major General and assigned to
the command of the District of Jackson. He took a parting review
of the decimated regiments which had marched so long and fought so
well under his command. It was not like Napoleon taking leave of his
officers at Fontainebleu, nor Washington's farewell to the army at
New York; but it was a parting, where, on both sides, there were far
more regrets than would seem. As the thinned battalions marched past
him, their battered flags saluting, with so many brave, familiar
faces absent, the General gazed upon his men, and the men turned
their eyes toward their general, with an affection which it does not
seem possible could have grown up between soldier and commander in
the short space of seven months. On turning over the command of the
Division to General Lauman, General Hurlbut issued the following
farewell address:
HEAD QUARTERS FOURTH DIVISION, }
DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE, }
BOLIVAR, Tenn., Oct. 8, 1862. }
GENERAL ORDERS, }
NO. 112. }
_Officers and Soldiers of the Fourth
Division_:--Comrades in battle, partakers of the weary
march and the long watches! By your discipline and
courage the victory has been won, and the title of the
"Fighting Fourth," earned at Shiloh, has been burnished
with additional splendor on the Hatchie.
We were ordered on a forlorn hope to the aid of our
beleaguered brothers in arms at Corinth. The march was
arduous, the undertaking desperate. My orders were to
reach Rosecrans at all hazards, and relieve him or
perish.
By the blessing of the God of our fathers and our
country, the forces which assailed that indomitable
garrison were scattered and broken by their invincible
courage before our turn came. But there was yet work
for the "Old Fourth."
The heavy mass of the enemy were retreating by the
State Line road, when, after crossing the Muddy, we met
them. Each arm of this division gallantly co-operating
with the other--cavalry, infantry and artillery, over
a rough and dangerous country--over hill and through
ravines, forest and thicket--a desperate enemy made no
breach in the serried ranks of this command. Aided by
your brave comrades of the 68th Ohio and 12th Michigan,
from General Ross' command, field after field was
swept, position after position seized and occupied,
until the crowning struggle of the day came for the
occupation of the high grounds east of the Hatchie. The
bridge across that stream was carried at a charging
step; the work of the artillery was done--that of the
infantry commenced in deadly earnest. Major General
Ord, a stranger to you, but to whom the division, by
its well won reputation, was no stranger, and who had
hitherto led the advance, was struck at the bridge
and disabled; the command then devolved upon your old
commander.
By misapprehension of the nature of the country across
the Hatchie, a large portion of the division had been
massed on impracticable ground to the right of the
road, and exposed to a terrific fire of canister at
short range. That you bore it without the possibility
of active return speaks well for your discipline.
Knowing the ground, I immediately determined to throw
out the main force to the left, crown the hill side,
and flank the enemy; and it is among the proudest
moments of my life, when I remember how promptly the
several regiments disengaged themselves from their
temporary confusion and extended to the left; and
with what a will they bent themselves to conquer the
hill. In twenty minutes all was over--the crest was
gained and held, the artillery rapidly in place, and
the field of Matamora was won. The broken fragments
of the Confederate army recoiled before your solid
advance; their main line of retreat was cut off, and
their troops forced over the broken ground east of the
Hatchie.
Our duty was accomplished. Our wounded, the bloody
witnesses to the desperation of the fight, were to be
cared for. Already the victorious column of Rosecrans
was thundering in their rear. It was my duty to bring
in the forces that remained to me.
You have returned to camp. No colors lost; not a man or
a gun missing. It is a triumph; and you, and I for you,
have a right to be proud.
With you in this achievement were associated the
Sixty-eighth Ohio and the Twelfth Michigan regiments.
They were worthy to be with you, and their conduct
receives the praise of their commanding officer.
And now the necessities of the service remove me
from the immediate command of the Fourth Division. A
promotion won by your courage and discipline removes me
to a larger command.
I wish you to understand from these, my parting orders,
that I know full well that no regiment in my old
division desired to be under my command when we met at
Donelson. The reason why, I know well, but care not
to tell now. Your respect I conquered at Shiloh; your
regard I hope to have acquired since.
Give to the officer who may succeed me the same prompt
obedience, the same steady devotion to duty, and
you will make me, wherever I am, proud of the high
reputation of the Fourth Division.
Remember, every man and officer, that I here again
publicly acknowledge, that whatever I may have of
military reputation has been won by you; and that
I wear it only as coming from you; and that any
misconduct or want of discipline on your part, will
grieve your old commander. Remember that I place my
honor as well as your own in your hands, and that if I
find a difficult place that must be held, I shall call
for the Fourth. I have no fears how you will answer.
Our dead--our glorious dead! The joy of victory is
dimmed when we think of them. But they have died as
they would wish--died in defense of the Union and the
Laws--died bravely on the red field of battle, with
their unconquered banner over them. Their comrades will
avenge them.
And when at last our victorious flag shall float over
the national domain, reconquered and united, and the
weary soldier shall forget his toils in the endearments
of home, around your firesides and among your children
and neighbors, you shall recite as a part of your
glorious history, how you swept the rebel hosts, with
every advantage of position, across the Hatchie, and
around the opposing hill, with a wall of fire and steel
that repelled the chosen troops of Van Dorn and Price.
Infantry, artillery and cavalry of the Fourth Division,
and your well-deserving companions of the 68th Ohio and
12th Michigan, you have done your duty, each in his
place, and each at the right time. You have satisfied
your General; and the country in due time shall know
what is due to each of you. I bid you, for a while,
farewell.
Officers and men, continue to deserve your lofty
reputation; and then, as heretofore you will continue
to receive the approbation of your General and
strengthen his hands in the performance of his duties.
S. A. HURLBUT, Major General.
This address was eagerly sought for, and read with the greatest
pride and delight by all the soldiers of the Division. Every copy
that could be supplied was taken and preserved as a choice memento,
or sent home to friends. The boys read and re-read it so often that
some even had it committed to memory. Neither in it nor in its author
could any one see a blemish. Well, who could blame us for rejoicing
in our splendid victory, and in our idol and ideal general? If our
comrades of other corps could not see it as we did, surely they
should have been willing to allow us to believe that there was no
division like the "Fighting Fourth," and no general like "Old Steve."
To them the order may have seemed too eloquent--too boastful, and we,
in the excess of our delight over it, making a ridiculous display of
vain conceit. But was not the theme an eloquent one?--and who had a
better right to boast than _our_ general, and who to be proud than
_we_?
General Grant viewed these battles at a distance, though he
controlled the general movements. His order of thanks was more
temperate, and perhaps more appropriate. It read as follows:
HEAD QUARTERS, DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE, }
JACKSON, Tenn., October 7th, 1862. }
GENERAL ORDERS, }
NO. 88. }
It is with heartfelt gratitude that the General
commanding congratulates the armies of the West for
another great victory won by them on the 3d, 4th, and
5th instant over the combined forces of Van Dorn and
Lovell.
The enemy chose his own time and place of making the
attack, and knowing the troops of the West as he
does, never would have made the attack, except with
a superior force, numerically. But for the undaunted
bravery of officers and soldiers, who have yet to
learn defeat, the efforts of the enemy would have been
successful.
Whilst one division of the army under Major General
Rosecrans was resisting and repelling the onslaught of
the enemy at Corinth, another from Bolivar under Major
General Hurlbut, was marching upon the enemy's rear,
driving in his pickets and cavalry, and attracting the
attention of a large force of infantry and artillery.
On the following day, under Major General Ord, these
forces advanced with unsurpassed gallantry, driving
the enemy back across the Hatchie, over ground where
it is almost incredible that a superior force should
be driven by an inferior, capturing two batteries
(eight guns), many hundred small arms, and several
hundred prisoners. To these two divisions of the army
all praise is due, and will be awarded by a grateful
country.
Between them there should be, and I trust there is, the
warmest bonds of brotherhood. Each was risking his life
in the same cause, and on this occasion risking it to
save and assist the other. No troops could do more than
these separated armies. Each did all possible for it to
do in the place assigned it.
As in all great battles, so in this, it becomes our
fate to mourn the loss of many brave and faithful
officers and soldiers, who have given up their lives a
sacrifice for a great principle. The nation mourns for
them.
By command of Major General Grant,
JOHN A. RAWLINS, A. A. G.
I must not omit the President's congratulatory letter, written in his
characteristic way, which General Grant published in the following
order:
HEAD QUARTERS, DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE, }
JACKSON, Tenn., October 17, 1862. }
GENERAL ORDERS, }
NO. 89. }
The following dispatch from the President of the United
States of America, has been officially received, and is
published to the armies in this District.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 8, 1862.
MAJOR GENERAL GRANT; I congratulate you and all
concerned in your recent battles and victories. How
does it all sum up? I especially regret the death of
General Hackleman, and am very anxious to know the
condition of General Oglesby, who is a personal and
intimate friend. A. LINCOLN.
By command of Major General Grant,
JOHN A. RAWLINS, A. A. G.