appointed Colonel Caldwell judge of the
United States District Court for the State of Arkansas, and the Colonel resigned
to accept the appointment. Lt. Colonel John W Noble was then promoted to Colonel
and Major George Duffield to Lt. Colonel; Captains Jones and McCarry were
promoted to Majors. The regiment moved from St. Louis to Memphis, where it
arrived in the latter part of April and where it performed patrol and picket
duty when not absent on expeditions until late in December. During the months of
June, July , and August the regiment was engaged in the expeditions to Guntown,
Tupelo and Oxford, Miss. In the months of eptember, October, and November,
the available portion of the regiment took part in the campaign in Missouri,
against the army of the rebel General Price.
The expedition to Guntown, under the command
of General Sturgis, was a disastrous blunder and failure, owing entirely to
the ncompetency of the General in command. In his official report of the
operations of the Third Iowa Cavalry on this expedition, Colonel Noble gives a
most complete and accurate description of every movement of the regiment, and
shows the importance of its service in connection with the other regiments of
the cavalry brigade to which it was attached in acting as rear guard during the
retreat and saving the army from being utterly overwhelmed and captured by the
enemy. After describing in detail the movements of the regiment and its
encounters with the enemy during the advance and up to the time the battle at
Brice's Cross Roads began. Colonel Noble thus describes the situation at the
most critical period of the battle:
At this juncture, my whole command was relieved by regiments of infantry, and
was retiring when the infantry became engaged. We formed a new line immediately
in their rear, rather than in appearance to leave them in an emergency. After
the order was received for us I to retire to our horses, this regiment did so in
the best order, mounting by companies and forming a column of squadrons. The
contest on the field and in line lasted but a short time after this, and the
enemy was hotly pressing his victory. The infantry was filing past us in great
numbers. The train was turned to the rear, and it became necessary for us to
take a second position, mounted,
to protect the retreating column. A column of squadrons was again formed, facing
the empty, who failed to attack with small arms, but finally opened upon this
regiment a heavy cannonade of round shot and shell. These fell around my men,
wounding a number, but causing not the least disorder. By order we moved further
to the rear something near half a mile, and again formed in squadrons faced to
the enemy, who kept at a distance and used his artillery only. Our own artillery
was being retired and did not protect us. After holding our position for some
time, we were ordered to retire, which we did in the best
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