We've all heard of the WWI American vet who recently died, Mr. Buckles. Well, after Will's account below I'm including an LA Times obit of the last WWI combat vet to die, Mr. Claude Choules.
Chap 5 Battle Liberty
Close to the Enemy
89
It rained a little the after part of the night. I did not sleep much, being very tired; this is my first march.
At we took up a line of march to Waynesville, 10 miles distance where we took dinner. After dinner we resumed our march south to Centerville [present-day Kearney Clay County
from page 89
Tonight we are within 10 miles of the enemy. We received information that 4000 of them had stopped at Liberty
We expected to cut off their retreat, but they are a little too fast. The Illinois Ohio St. Louis St. Louis
I think perhaps we will march upon them tonight. They have two field pieces. We want to capture them, if possible, for that is all we have to fear. For their small arms, which we don’t fear in the least, are nothing but shotguns and common rifles.
Apples and peaches are plenty along the road so we live fine having all we can eat and cook, which are very nice.
TUESDAY 17
Liberty, Clay Co.
This morning we were aroused at ; took up a line of march to Liberty Liberty
From page 89
Here we stopped and took breakfast; rested till The scouts returned [they] reported that the enemy were [sic] entrenched, 4 miles distance, and that the scouts had four men killed and wounded by the rebel pickets. They all killed several of the rebels.
Our column, consisting of 600 Iowa
In a heavy body of timber, we marched upon them. Our company was deploying as skirmishers at the head and on the right of the column.
We captured one rifle, one double-barrel shotgun & several hats, which the rebels had lost, and captured a heavy pistol & a hat where one had been shot.
Soon after, our company was called in and another company was sent out in our place. We were then in front of the column.
We had but marched over half a mile when we suddenly came upon the enemy in a heavy body of timber lying in ambush with strong fortifications. We were close upon them before we knew they were there.
Bullets as Thick as Hail
They opened a fire upon us with three cannons and small arms. They had their cannons planted so as to command the road where our column was marching. On our right was an open marsh; on our left was a heavy body of timber. Here we were, in this position, no chance to flank them, for they were on our right and on our left.
We turned our cannons upon them as they were flanking. The first shot mowed them down like a hurricane. Our artillerymen only succeeded in giving them three shots with the cannon when they were all killed and wounded but three, and that silenced the gun. During this time we kept up a volley of musketry.
Company G (our co) [and] I were in the front of the battle and suffered more than any company. I was in the front of the column. Men and horses fell on all sides of me, bullets whistling around me as thick as hail. A cannon ball struck a tree about a rod [16.5 feet] from me, and cut it square off. Yet, I escaped unharmed. Three, of our company, are wounded, not dangerously.
This Wednesday morning, five of our co are yet missing. Whether killed, wounded, or taken prisoner I do not know. Among the missing is my friend, McClaughy; I hope he is unharmed. The last time I saw him, he was very tired and almost unable to walk. In fact, we were all very much fatigued.
We kept up a constant firing for one hour & a half. Still in the heat of the battle, [Lt.] Colonel [John] Scott, seeing our position was a critical one, and, that the enemy had the advantage and we none, he ordered a retreat.
The artillery horses were most all killed, so we run [sic] the cannon off the field by hand, but had to leave the artillery wagon with ammunition. We succeeded in swinging the cannon.
We retreated back to Liberty
After we had retreated about 3 miles, we were reinforced by the Ill. Illinois Ohio
After the first fire the enemy cheered very loud. After the second fire we cheered and kept cheering all the while after the order to retreat. The enemy started to follow us. We rallied; gave them a charge. Oh, how they ran; they broke back to the breastworks as fast as possible.
A Visit to the Battlefield
WEDNESDAY 18
This morning I arose from my slumber after the great battle of yesterday. Very sore, I was very sore & tired last night, so much so, that I couldn’t sleep.
Today we are resting in camp and living off the fruit of the land. This is the greatest fruit country I ever saw, apples & peaches in abundance.
Scouts are out all through the county. A number of the missing returned to camp through the day, giving various accounts of things. See page 148.
From page 89
The enemy, as soon as they found we were reinforced, commenced to retreat across the river, as fast as possible. They were crossing all night, as fast as possible, with one steamer ferry and two flat boats. They were all night crossing and part of this forenoon.
They had nine of our wounded men. They took them across the river; left them at a warehouse. After they had left they sent back word that if we would send a wagon and four or five unarmed men, we could have them. This we did, and from them [the wounded] we got a good deal of information.
They could not tell how many were killed or wounded, for the citizens came in with wagons from the county, and hauled them away in good number. Their loss must have been great. All of our company has returned to camp, but three. One of the missing is McClaughy; I hope to see him.
90
This morning I visited the battlefield. I had been deceived about the position of the enemy. They occupied at a position behind a natural bank, forming a complete breastwork. And their ground was covered with heavy timber, large logs lying upon the bank, forming a complete breastwork. To look at the position of the enemy & our position, it is almost a miracle that we killed any of them, and that we were not half killed. But it was a providential act that we did as well as we did. See page 149.
The ferryman told Col. Scott the next day that he ferried over the river 200 killed & wounded, besides what the citizens took away to their houses.
We found where three of our men had been buried. We raised them to find out who they were, and then dug new graves and buried them again.
We returned back to camp where we found the column ready to move northwest. So we took up a line of march to Centreville [sic], a distance of 10 miles.
When we arrived at , all very tired, we soon found ourselves wrapped in our blankets for rest and slumber. But, before the morning, we were aroused by a drenching rain.
The report of the killed and wounded are 13 killed and 84 wounded, all totaled, rebels over 200. Terrible Battle
No comments:
Post a Comment