Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/200

Sixteenth Illinois. When he reached there on the morning of the 17th, Smith had not arrived. A courier was dispatched to him as a large force, under General Atchison with four pieces of artillery, was reported to be at Blue Mills Landing. Firing was heard at the Landing, where some Union troops were resisting the advance of Atchison. Hearing nothing from Smith, Scott finally started his small force in the direction of the firing. He was obliged to march through a dense wood penetrated by a narrow road. When about half way to the river, a road crossed at right angles his line of march. Here was a farm, making a small clearing in the woods. Skirmishers had been thrown out in advance and word came from them that the Rebel army was nearing in strong force. A few minutes later the column was enveloped by a sudden blaze of musketry, and found it had marched straight into an ambush, and men were falling along the whole line. The officers and men, however, retained their presence of mind and deployed as well as possible, while a cannon was brought into position and opened on the enemy with canister. Another volley from the enemy killed and drove off the gunners, and Colonel Scott ordered a retreat. Of the sixteen officers ten had fallen, killed or wounded. The little band fell slowly back, dragging the cannon by hand and keeping up a steady fire. The Rebels fell on the flank, but, meeting with stubborn resistance, were driven back with loss, and the retreat continued. The engagement lasted about an hour; our little army fought as it retreated, bringing off most of the wounded. Reaching Liberty just after dark, the loss was found to be one hundred and eighteen men killed and wounded, out of about six hundred. The loss of the Third Iowa was ninety-four. Although ambushed, taken by surprise and greatly outnumbered, Scott’s command fought bravely and retired in good order. Captain Trumbull and Lieutenant Crosley brought off the cannon by hand under a hot fire. The Third spent the winter along the line of the North Missouri Railroad, with head-