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How Major Tanner fell.--The Brown County (Ind.) Union, contains a letter from Missouri, dated Sept. 21st, in which the writer, an eye-witness, gives the following account of the rencontre in which the gallant Major Gordon Tanner received the wounds which resulted in his death:

On the 18th inst., under command of Lieut.-Col. Hendricks, our regiment proceeded by steamer, in company with the Eighteenth Indiana and Twenty-sixth Indiana, from Jefferson City, up the river, and on the 19th reached a point about five miles below Glasgow, where it was reported the secessionists were collected in force.

It was night when we reached the point referred to — a bright, moonlight night — when two or three companies from the Eighteenth and three companies, including ours from the Twenty-second, were ordered, under command of Major Tanner, to proceed by land through a corn-field and the “woods” to the town to take it by surprise. We proceeded about a quarter of a mile through a corn-field, and had reached a point at the foot of a hill in the woods, when Major Tanner ordered company B, Capt. Steepleton, and my company, C, to proceed to the front of the column, which we did. The head of our company rested upon an eminence; all to the rear, down at the base of the hill, some ten or fifteen feet lower.

Major Tanner rode up on the left of the column, some five or six steps from where we were, and asked where company B was. He was told. He then asked where was company C. I answered, “Here.” He was then on horseback, in the moonlight, in full uniform. I had scarcely answered, when a volley of musketry, judging from the volume of sound, amounting to, at least, a platoon, opened upon us, being directed at Major Tanner, who was shot through the hips, and shortly fell from his horse. The body of the volley passed a little over our heads (those of us on the high ground) being evidently aimed at Major Tanner, who was between us and the direction of the fire, but directly in its line. The suddenness and the nearness produced such a shock that the whole of the head column was carried back up the hill about ten steps. The first volley was immediately followed by another, which went right into our company, mortally wounding W. A. Coffinan at my side, and severely wounding in the hip Hugh Butler, cutting the jacket pocket of Wm. H. Taggart, knocking hats off, and splitting the gun-stocks of several others. Major Tanner's horse just then came through our ranks, knocking several down, among others myself, near where W. A. Coffman fell. When I next recovered, a party of our boys had commenced firing from the hill-side above us, and the pickets from the Twenty-sixth Indiana, previously thrown out above our boats without our knowledge, were returning the fire. We were thus between two fires. Some eight or ten of us thus situated struggled up the hill-side to get from between the two fires, when they ceased measurably, some one commanding to “cease fire.” When I was knocked down, Wm. H. Taggart rallied some ten or fifteen of our men on the hill-side, and kept up a fire till ordered to cease firing. Lieut. Adams, as was his place, was immediately in the rear of this squad. A number of our boys went it on [26] their own hook, firing all their rounds. I am satisfied our boys will stand fire.

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