On Saturday we marched till we reached
our artillery line and were told to kneel. The artillery opened up and shot and ball exploded in the air and on ground the
Missouri State Guard artillery fell short. We then were ordered to rise and march forward. we marched to the creek with little
resistance and when we arrived our company split off to the right, were we came under fire from the artillery. One shell
hit the creek next to us and sprayed us with water half the line ducked. We defended our flank from Calvary assaults.
Then a tent was hit near us it went up into a blaze. We could feel the heat from the fire. we fended off skirmishers and were
ordered a crossed the creek. We crossed over in ankle deep water and mud that our shoes stuck and made it difficult to move.
We put up a good fight and loss quite a few men and we were forced to withdraw by the overwhelming numbers. We swaddled back
across the creek many tripping and falling. One man from my company lost his shoe and went to retrieved it he was almost
lost. They kept coming and it was a teeter totter fight till we finely withdrew from the field the loss was great in the company
but we put up a bully of a fight.
Submitted by
Pvt. Colvin (Hawkeye)
Union Army 6th CO.
