Chapter I: Preface

At the solicitation of some of my comrades, the pages of this book were for the most part compiled from a diary which I kept during most of the two years I served with them, and which was written amid the scenes it attempts to describe. To furnish them a faithful account of the principal scenes through which they passed during this period, including sketches of the operations in which they were engaged, and of which our Regiment formed a part; a record of what they saw, and did, and suffered, such as I thought they would like to read in future days, has been my object in presenting it in this shape. As it was written for my comrades, to them I dedicate it; and in giving it to the public, I have only to say that if it suits them, it suits me. With regard to facts which have since become history, to which I have had occasion to refer, I may have committed some errors and inaccuracies; my book was not written in the library of the historian, but in the tent of the soldier, and with few exceptions without other information than such as observation and report could supply. In speaking of prominent officers under whom we served, I have not forgotten that some of them are still my superior officers, and that it in nowise comports with my duties as a soldier to assume to be their historian or critic. But the time has come when the conduct of those who have passed into civil life may be criticized by those who were their inferiors in the military service. Of such I have endeavored to speak honestly but _plainly_, remembering that they dealt plainly with us.

I am under obligations to Col. Scott, 32d Iowa, Lieut. Chas. P. Brown, A. A. Q. M., Fort Pickering, W. B. Lakin, Esq., College Hill, Ohio, for valuable favors and assistance. I trust that time will afford me opportunities of paying them in a better manner than by this public acknowledgment.

And now I give these pages to the public, with the single regret that the deeds of men who have so many titles to honor and gratitude could not have been better recorded and by a more worthy hand.

S. D. THOMPSON,
FORT PICKERING, Memphis, Tenn., March, 1864.

CONTENTS.

Page.
Preface 3

CHAPTER I.

The "uprising" in Iowa--Patriotism of the people--The
Third Regiment--Its character and composition--Spirit and
ideas of its members--Our colonel--Our visit to Camp Ellsworth
and the First Iowa--The Second and First Iowa advance into
Missouri--Our quarters--Our ideas of our treatment--Poor
fare, and what some of us "did about it"--Our duties--Complaints
about pay--Our arms--We go into camp--Our first
camp experience--We chafe exceedingly under the yoke of
discipline--Marching orders 13

CHAPTER II.

We break up camp at Keokuk--The parting occasion--The
last lingering look--A pleasant steamboat ride--Two nights
and a day at Hannibal--We advance by rail into the interior
of Missouri--Dangers attending the movement--We halt at
Chillicothe, Grand River bridge and Utica--Leaving the cars
and camping for the night--Condition of the country--Our
first night alarm--How we celebrated the Fourth of July--Our
uniform--Our rations--Our discipline--Colonel Williams
arrives and assumes command--Colonel Smith visits
and consults with him--Another false alarm 29

CHAPTER III.

Operations of the rebel general Harris--Three companies
of our regiment detailed to join an expedition against him--We
are allowed ten minutes for preparation--We join a portion
of the Sixteenth Illinois at Palmyra, and with them
return to Monroe--The movement delayed by a storm--Consultation
of officers--The column moves--Skirmish of Hager's
Woods--We delay and finally camp for the night--And in the
morning begin to retreat--Our train burned and the enemy
in our rear--A threatened skirmish--He cuts off our communications
and surrounds in large force--Cool conduct of Colonel
Smith--We begin to fortify--A night of expectation--Details
of our situation--The enemy opens with artillery--And
begins to draw in his lines--We lie in our trenches and
reserve our fire--Aid in the right time--The enemy quits the
field in panic--An accident--Col. Williams arrives with a
portion of the Third Iowa 43

CHAPTER IV.

We prepare to march from Monroe--Arrival of Governor
Wood with cavalry and artillery; and of the Fourteenth
Illinois--How Mr. Dugan speaks of this in his book--A change
of counsels--The Third Iowa moves west on a train--Circumstances
of the ride--Failure of an attempt to burn the Chariton
River bridge--A few details--How young soldiers originate
false alarms--Our camp at Chillicothe--General Hurlbut
assumes command of the troops on the Hannibal and St. Joseph
Railroad--We draw our accoutrements at last--We leave
Chillicothe and go into camp at Brookfield 61

CHAPTER V.

Activity of the rebels--Colonel Martin Green--We are
ordered against him--Details and incidents of the march
from Mason City to Kirksville--Character of the Home
Guards--Condition of the country--Our situation at
Kirksville--Details of our occupation of that place--Arrival
of reinforcements under Gen. Hurlbut--Our complaints and
expectations 73