Camp near Bolivar, Tennessee
Thursday, 2nd Oct., 1862
Had a
good sleep last night. Aroused this morn by drops of heavy rain falling upon
our tent, which continued the greater portion of the day. I spent the day in
writing letters, one to Miss Phebe J.
Newlon. The first I ever wrote to her.
We
had an alarm this morning. Made preparations to resist an attack, but no enemy
has as yet made his appearance, maybe false alarm.
The sky is dark and still threatens rain.
My health moderate &c &c W.C.Newlon
Camp near Bolivar
Friday, 3rd Oct., 1862
Fine
cool morning, company drill from 9 to 10 A.M. battalion drill from 3 to 4 P.M.
Have
orders to march at [with] three
days’ rations tomorrow morning with three days’ cooked rations [sic].
No one but the powers that be can tell where we are going. In for a fight, I
presume. Am ready.
WCNewlon
Dec. 31st, 1862
It was at the hour of midnight on the 4th
of Oct., 1862 that the 3rd
Iowa Infantry and her associates in division were aroused from slumber
for the purpose of preparing for a hard and wearisome march to attack the enemy
or to the aid of our Brother Soldiers who were besieged at Corinth.
By three o’clock A.M., breakfast was over;
tents struck; baggage and all loaded in the wagons and we were on our march,
through the darkness of the morning.
The
morning was beautiful, very calm, cool and pleasant. The stars in the heavens
appeared musing sublime. Yet there was no moon to light us on our way that long
to be remembered morning. The music from the bands appeared more melodious than
common.
The
songs of mirth arising from the ranks of the old Fourth echoed and re-echoed
through the [hallowed?]
hills and valleys of old Tennessee
After
halting a few moments for rest, we continued our march in a southeast
direction, over a very rough and desolate county. We marched with great
rapidity until within four miles of Pocahontas,
twenty-five miles from Bolivar
where our advance met the advance of the enemy. Here we camped for the night in
the face of the enemy.
Deadly
Wall of Steel
The
two armies camped for the night on separate plantations with but a narrow skirt
of timber between the two hostile armies.
Scarcely
had we halted, when a large body of Rebel Cavalry came dashing in the direction
of our encampment. General Lauman
first decried the charging foe. Quick as thought he mounted his noble steed
and, dashing in the direction of our line, cried in a deep low voice that
signalized his earnest.
“3rd
Iowa
We
were laying [sic] on the ground taking a soldier’s rest, after
a march of 25 miles. Scarcely had the sound of our commander’s voice died away
in the distance when every man was in ranks, and in an instant, a deadly wall
of steel was presented to the advancing foe. Finding us prepared for their
reception, they quietly [perhaps Will meant quickly] fell back to their
former position. Again, all was quiet.
Taking
from our haversacks a portion of the food prepared the day previous for the
journey, we ate our evening meal. And let me say here that none but a weary
soldier can enjoy such a meal. How delicious to our taste was that hard bread
and rusty bacon after that day of fasting and hard marching.
Our
cold and scanty meal being devoured, we lay ourselves upon Mother Earth for night’s
repose with nothing to cover us but the high Heavens and its guardian Angel to
protect us.
Already
had dark clouds begun to gather in the distant west. Soon the lightning began
to flash. And the peals of thunder became louder and louder. Presently the
surging billows tossed with fury in the dark Heavens, threatening the Earth and
its inhabitants with utter and immediate destruction. Heavy drops of rain began
to fall carelessly to the Earth, soon to be followed by torrents of rain. Yet
all this failed to disturb the quiet and pleasant slumbers of many weary
soldiers.
Morning
dawned and found us awaiting its arrival not to assume another long and
wearisome journey but to enter into a deadly strife with a formidable foe. The
morning meal was soon dispatched. All were ready, artillery, infantry and
cavalry were in position.
The
attack was made by the 2nd
Brigade driving in the enemy’s advance. Soon the fighting commenced in
earnest, we presented a wall of fire and steel to our daring foe. The chosen troops
of Price and Van Dorn could not stand the deadly
fire of our advancing columns. Position after position was swept and held by
the serious advance of Hurlbut's
Command.
Bridge
Across the Hatchie
The
foe gradually fell back until he came to the Bridge across the Hatchie River
Just
at this stage of the action General [Edward O.] Ord (who had arrived a few hours previous and took
command, he being the senior officer) was wounded and the command again
devolved upon our old commander General
Hurlbut. A change was made, we were ordered to charge the bridge across
the Hatchie .
The command was given –
“Charge
Bayonets, Forward, Double Quick, March!”
Such a sight I never before witnessed. The
deadly messenger shot through the air like demands. The sky was darkened with
shot and shell. The Earth trembled as though it would be sent in twain with the
“roar of musketry and the booming of cannon”.[3] The branches of trees were severed from the
body by cannon balls. The wounded, dead and dying covered the ground; yet not a
murmur was heard.
“Onward,
Charge, over the bodies of your dead Comrades”
was the cry
of our brave generals. We did charge and pressed the foe until he fled from
before our advance. And our “Unconquered Banner” proudly waved over his strong
position, over his dead and wounded.
We had already captured eleven pieces of
artillery, 500 prisoners & 1,000 stands of small arms. Also, a great amount
of baggage and stores.
My “Fatal” Shot
It was not until we were charging upon the
enemy’s last battery that I received my fatal shot. The man by my side was instantly
killed a second before me, and I fell upon him.
I
thought for an instant that it might be possible that the Rebels might drive us
back across the river knowing their force to be 20,000 and ours only 4,500.
This conclusion arrived to; I crawled to the bank of the river (some six rods) fell
in; swam across and floated down some 200 yards. By this time the battle was
over. And I was taken out of the river by Corporal [John] Van Hyning & [James] Matt Boyd.[4]
This was about 3 o’clock P.M. on the 5th
of October. We lay upon the field until the next evening Oct 6th. At
which time, we were put in ambulances and wagons, and conveyed to Bolivar thirty-five miles distant.
On the evening of the eighth, my leg was
amputated[5] by Surgeon
Carle of the 41st Illinois
I have lived through all and expect to live many more days if I
don’t die sooner.
Will C. Newlon
Marker at Davis Bridge Site
[1] This battle is referred to
as: Battle of Metamora, Battle of
Hatchie Bridge, Battle of Hatchie River, Battle of Davis Bridge, and the third
day of the battle of Corinth Bloomington ,
IN
[2] Jackson Hospital
– The second largest city in West Tennessee
stands on land acquired by treaty from the Chickasaws on 19 October 1818. The
town of Alexandria was designated as the county
seat, and in 1822 the name was changed to Jackson
In 1844 West
Tennessee College
Hospital records, in general, have not been located
and very little has been written on the subject according to Jack D. Wood,
Tennessee Room Librarian, Jackson-Madison County Library.
[3] Twain: two: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Ed (2003), s. v. “twain”.
[4] John Van Hyning, age 23, residence
of Indianola, Iowa, né New York, enlisted 21 May 1861, mustered 8 June 1861, promoted
Third Corporal 22 May 1861, fourth Sergeant 4 May 1863, re-enlisted and
re-mustered 4 Jan 1864. See Company G, 3rd Infantry Consolidated
Battalion. James M. Boyd, age
20, residence Palmyra, Missouri, né Ohio, enlisted 21 May 1861, mustered 8 June
1861, mustered out 18 June 1864, Davenport, Iowa, expiration of term of
service. See Company G, 3rd Infantry
Consolidated Battalion. http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/regiment/infantry/03rd/co-go.htm
[5] “Amputation was most
effective if performed immediately after a wound occurred. Mortality rate for
soldiers who received an amputation within twenty-four hours of being wounded
was 25 percent, a rate that doubled to 50 percent for soldiers who received an
amputation more than a day after being wounded.” Michael J. Varhola, Everyday
Life During the Civil War. (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1999),
174-175.
[6] Charles
Carle, Surgeon, residence Tamaroa ,
Ill Illinois
[7] Benjamin F. Keables, age 29,
residence Pella, né New York, appointed
Assistant Surgeon 8 April 1862, promoted Surgeon 5 Sept 1862, mustered out 17
June 1864, Davenport, Iowa, expiration of term of service. George H. Blakely, age 23, residence Winterset, Iowa, né
Massachusetts, enlisted 21 May 1861, mustered 8 June 1861, re-enlisted and
re-mustered 4 Jan 1864. See Company B, 3rd
Infantry Consolidated Battalion. http://iagenweb.org/ civilwar/regiment/infantry/03rd/co-go.htm
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