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Subject: [IA-CIVIL-WAR] Second Iowa at Fort Donelson
Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 21:06:35 EST

Sometimes battles over honors continued long after the war ended in 1865.
The article on the Second Iowa Infantry at Fort Donelson is timely in that
the battle occurred in mid-February 1862 -- just over 140 years ago.

The Vinton Eagle
Vinton, Benton Co., Iowa

December 19, 1884 (yes, 1884!):


The Second Iowa at Fort Donelson.
Gen. Lew. Wallace's article in the December Century, on the battle of Fort
Donelson, has called out a good deal of criticism, and especially from
members of the Second Iowa, which regiment was the first to go over the
works, and which is not mentioned by Gen. Wallace. The color sergeant of the
regiment was H. B. Doolittle [Harry B. Doolittle, Co. C], now of Davenport,
who was three times wounded in the charge. The Davenport Gazette relates a
recent interview with Captain Doolittle as follows:
'At 2 p.m. a team came up with some salt port, but before our hard
bread arrived we were called to "attention," Gen. Smith, commanding our
division and Col. Lauman [Col. Jacob G. Lauman of the Seventh Iowa Infantry],
our brigade, passing on horseback; Lauman saying as he passed the colors,
"Harry, I want to see that flag on the fort at 4 p.m." Our left wing was
then ordered to charge, and the colors on the right of the wing were ordered
to advance with the left. Col. Tuttle [Col. James M. Tuttle of the Second
Iowa Infantry] led us, and his shrill voice commanding, "steady, boys," as we
moved over and down the hill, across the ravine and up the next hill, kept
many a man at his post.
We had almost reached the Confederate fortifications; yet not a shot or
sign of any one. "Have they gone?" "We are three hundred strong!" "Did
they run away?" were the thoughts expressed. We had no sooner given
utterance to the thoughts, than a line of guns flashed under the fallen logs,
laid along the top of their breastworks; and the seven volleys they gave us
from their repeating rifles, soon convinced us they had not gone. Many of
our bravest and truest gave up their lives there, and passed beyond the reach
of the deathly missiles that flew around us thick as bees around a hive. But
there was no stop for us. That band of men; in they went and the rifle pits
were ours. But what a terrible loss! The color sergeant and all the guard
were wounded, with one exception, and that was Capt. Twombly (recently
elected Treasurer of State for Iowa) [Voltaire P. Twombly] who carried the
colors into the fort. The sergeant (Capt. Doolittle) was struck three times,
and then he gave the colors to Corporal Paige [Solomon Garfield Page], who
was instantly shot through the head, and fell beside the sergeant. Capt.
Slaymaker [Jonathan S. Slaymaker] was killed, and Lieut. Holmes [probably
Truman D. Holmes, Co. K], Major Chipman [probably Norton P. Chipman, Co. H]
and Sergt. Hall [possibly Sgt. Geo. F. Hall, Co. C] wounded.


Continued....

Sue Trout Reisdorph

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