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by Joseph Anderson
This is a transcription from the book History of Co. 4.19th ~ by George W. Sommerville, recording the events before during, and after the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Normally the Holmes Brigade portrays the 19th at Prairie Grove and it might be nice to know what they had to say about the battle
On the 4th of Dec., we marched 28 miles to Cassville, Dec. 5 marched 25 miles to Pea Ridge, Ark., and on Dec. 6 we marched beyond Mud Town and stopped for supper. When supper was over we were ordered into line, thence into a hollow square,and Lieut. Col. McFarland made a short address to the men, he said in that address, that in all probability, we would meet the enemy in a very short time and would be engaged in our first battle, and he cautioned us particularly to shoot low down and often. He talked to us as no other man could talk, and that was the last time that he ever addressed us. We marched on to Fayetteville 34 miles, rested a few hours in a grave yard. Little did we think in the midst of joking and laughing that some of us would find a resting place within 24 hours at Fayetteville, Ark., and on that beautiful Sabbath day, Dec. 7,1862, long to be remembered, about daylight we struck out towards Illinois creek, and after five or six miles, we met a portion of the 1st Arkansas cavalry making for the rear, having been surprised by the rebels, while in the advance. The 19th Iowa was halted and ordered to load, and then advanced on a double quick, for two or three miles, then were drawn up in line of battle, in a corn field. They gave us some whiskey, very poor, or the boys' appetites were not good. We remained so for a short time, then we were ordered forward, heard the guns of the enemy shelling our advance, double quick again, and reached Illinois creek, our artillery returned the fire of the rebels, silencing their guns. The 19th Iowa and 20th Wisconsin were ordered to cross the creek and then fell back, under the cover of the bank of the creek, in a very short time we were ordered out again, and company s A, B and C, of the 19th regiment, were thrown out as skirmishers, and we were again ordered forward in line of battle, with the 20th Wisconsin on our right, and the 94th Illinois regiment on our left. The 20th Wisconsin made a charge on our right, supported by the 19th Iowa, and captured a rebel battery, but were opposed by greatly superior numbers. The 94th III. failed to do anything on our left, which left us open to a crossfire, and the 19th and 2Oth were compelled to fall back. Our regiment and the 20th Wisconsin lost heavily; the 94th Illinois lost none. The loss of company H, was 10 killed, including our orderly sergeant and 14 wounded. Our Capt. was taken prisoner, and the 20th Wisconsin, 220 killed and wounded.
We managed to hold them at bay by the pluck and energy of the batteries. Capt. Murphy, Battery F, 1st Missouri Light Artillery, and Lieuts. Foust and Bowies and Capt. Backoff's batteries, done some splendid work. Until 4 p.m., things looked desperate, but as good luck would have it, Gen.Blount's forces advanced on our right, and went into the fight with a will. It was a fearful sight to witness, with the roar of our artillery and the addition of Gen.Blount's infantry and artillery forces, it fairly shook the earth, and the smoke obscured the sun on the beautiful Sabbath day. Such a sight no man would want to witness more than once.
The battle was kept up until darkness ended the bloody conflict, and on the night of the 7th day of December, 1862, what was left of the regiment crossed the creek and went into camp for the night. It was the most horrible night that Company H ever put in. The camp lay alongside the road leading to our hospital on the Fayettville road, where our wounded were being carried, and sleep was out of the question. Before we went into battle, we were ordered to pile up our surplus baggage, overcoats, etc., leaving no guards to protect them, and when we had a chance to get our overcoats, some gentleman had stolen all of them, and it was a terrible cold night to do without them-I hope the Lord will forgive the gentleman that got them, for we came near freezing to death. It was hard to tell who was dead or who was alive, we were badly scattered.
Morning came at last, the 8th day of Dec., and what was left of us were drawn up in line of battle, and we advanced across the creek, and out on to the battlefield. (If they had all felt like your humble servant did, they would have taken the other end of the road,) and come to a halt, waiting for what-run or fight
As luck would have it them was nobody there that wanted to fight and we had possession of the battleground. We stacked arms and took a stroll over the battle field.
My God! what a sight to see the dead of both sides strewn over that bloody orchard, -our boys dying for God, and their country's flag.
We witnessed a sight that day that I was never want to see again. Every man and boy that was able to handle a shotgun, and that lived in that immediate neighborhood was in the battle; and all the women and children of that section of country were there hunting up their dead fathers, brothers and friends; and whenever they found one of their kindred such a cry of anguish and sorrow never was heard before; nor do we want to hear it again. Gathering up loads of their dead they hauled them home for burial. How much better was it at our homes when the news reached Iowa. I will never forget it.
Well on the 8th day of December, 1862, we went into camp on the battle field, known as Camp Prairie Grove, Arkansas, where we put in the time burying the dead, caring for the wounded, and recruiting up our demoralized ranks.
It was here that comrade Silas Langford, of Company H, showed his liberality with his Kinnikinick; he gave lots of the boys a square smoke. He said that he was white, and always divided the good things of life with the boys. And in the language of our lamented Tackaberry "in divine life, it was splendid." Poor John has passed in his checks and gone to his long home. Peace to his ashes...
(The account of Co. H, Nineteenth Iowa Infantry is a fascinating book. There are many after action reports by regimental commanders1 etc. about Prairie Grove. There are muster sheets and sick call reports of the company. In addition there are numerous hilarious anecdotes such as this, just a while before Prairie Grove: ...We stopped and had a good camp and plenty of peaches. It was here that comrade Nagle lost his peaches. Our boys went out into the country and brought in loads of them, and cooked them and dished them out to each man on a tin platter; and as they would cool off there would be a white froth on the peaches. The comrade did not know what it meant, and his first exclamation was, "Who in the hell blowed his nose in my peaches?" Everybody laughed, but nobody answered, and his next speech was, "Who in the damnation blowed their nose in my peaches?" and he says to himself, "nobody I guess." At that time the drums beat to fall in, and the comrade not having drank his coffee, picked up the tin cup and then his haversack, and in putting the haversack over his head, he threw the coffee down his back, he swore a streak and much to the amusement of the boys, left his peaches Ed.)