Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

About five o'clock of the morning of the third instant, the brigade formed; two regiments, the Eleventh and Thirteenth Iowa volunteers, in line of battle facing to the west; the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa volunteers in close column by division in rear of the line. The regiments remained in that position, with skirmishers deployed in front, receiving an occasional cannon-shot, until about three o'clock, when the division on the right having fallen back, a change of front was ordered; the Fifteenth and Sixteenth were then formed in line of battle perpendicular to the first line, and the Eleventh and Thirteenth in close column by division in the rear. In this position the brigade remained until about four o'clock P. M., when orders were again received to again change front so as to connect the right of the brigade with the left of Gen. Davies's division, its left to rest in direction of battery E. After the execution of this order had been commenced,, notice was received from Gen. McKean that the division was to move back inside the inner fortifications, and an order received that the Eleventh and Thirteenth regiments form in line of battle, a quarter of a mile in the rear of the line formed by the Fifteenth and Sixteenth, in front of and parallel to the road over which the artillery of the division must pass, the brigade to protect the movements of the rest of the division and the artillery.

The execution of the order to move back had just commenced, when the enemy in greatly superior force attacked the front line, (the Fifteenth and Sixteenth.) The officers and men of these regiments, acting with signal determination and bravery, not only held the enemy in check, but drove him back and held their position until notice was received that the artillery had passed safely to the rear, when they were ordered to fall back and form in line of battle on the right of the second line, which they did in good order, the enemy declining to follow. This engagement lasted three quarters of an hour; the firing was incessant, and the regiments, especially the Fifteenth, suffered severely. I deem it my especial duty to particularly mention Lieut.-Col. Belknap, who commanded the Fifteenth regiment. This regiment was under the hottest fire, and Colonel Belknap was every where along the line, mounted, with sword in hand, encouraging, by voice and gesture, his men to stand their ground. Lieut.-Colonel Add. Sanders, who commanded the Sixteenth, is entitled to great praise. He rode along the line of his regiment amid the storm of bullets, encouraging his brave boys, who had so lately suffered at Iuka, to remember their duty, and, although severely wounded, remained with his regiment until it marched off the field.

Majors Cunningham, of the Fifteenth, and Purcell, of the Sixteenth, did their whole duty and conducted themselves with great bravery. Two companies of the Thirteenth Iowa, company A, in command of Capt. Kennedy, and company G, in command of Capt. Walker, had before the engagement commenced been deployed as skirmishers. The advance of the enemy drove them in. They were ordered to form on the left of the Fifteenth Iowa. They formed in good order, fighting like veterans, retiring under their brave commanders without confusion, when ordered to do so. The artillery of the division having passed, the brigade followed in good order. On arriving inside the fortifications we took position, the Fifteenth Iowa in line of battle in rear of and to the right of the battery commanded by Capt. Phillips, First infantry; the Sixteenth in the rear of and supporting the Fifth Ohio battery, which was in position on the left of Captain Phillips's battery; five companies of the Eleventh regiment, in command of Major Abercrombie, in line of battle, supporting the First Minnesota battery, in position still on the left of the Fifth Ohio battery; the Thirteenth Iowa and five companies of the Eleventh in rear of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth, in close column by division, as a reserve.

At night, five companies of the Thirteenth Iowa, in command of Major Van Hosen, were sent into the woods in front of our position as a grand guard. Thus we remained during the night and until the battle had commenced on the morning of the fourth, when the five companies of the Eleventh Iowa, also the five companies of the Thirteenth Iowa, were relieved, and these regiments formed in line of battle — the Eleventh in the rear of the Fifteenth, and the Thirteenth in rear of the Sixteenth. In this position the brigade remained during the day, receiving occasional shots from cannon and the enemy's sharpshooters, stationed in the woods in front. Captain Smith, of company A, Sixteenth Iowa, having built temporary breastworks to the right of the Fifth Ohio battery, behind which he placed his company, kept up a spirited skirmish with the enemy's sharp-shooters and did effective service.

During the day the enemy made two efforts to approach our position by coming up a ravine which sheltered them from the heavy guns of Capt. Phillips's fort, but were driven back by the Fifth Ohio battery, under command of Lieut. Marsh, a very brave and competent officer. At daylight, on the fifth, the brigade started in pursuit of the retreating enemy; and continued the pursuit until the evening of the eighth instant, when, after resting one day, orders were received to return to Corinth with two regiments, and to leave two regiments to come back with Brig.-Gen. McPherson. At daylight, on the morning of the tenth, I started to Corinth with the Thirteenth and Sixteenth, leaving the Eleventh and Fifteenth under the command of Lieut.-Col. Hall of the Eleventh to return with Gen. McPherson.

We marched back to Corinth in less than two days, without any unusual occurrence. The Eleventh and Fifteenth arrived one day later. During the movements, the Eleventh Iowa was under command of Lieut.-Colonel Hall, the Thirteenth under Lieut.-Colonel John Shane, the Fifteenth, after the first day and during the pursuit, under command of Col. Reid, and the Sixteenth, after the first day, under Major Purcell. The