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George C. Burmeister diary, 1864
1864-04-10
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the 8th Iowa Inf. shot in the forefinger of the left hand. Captain Henry Blank of Co. A of our regt was killed. He was a most honorable man and a good officer, beloved by all who know him. Lt. Dugan and Kenedy were wounded, the former severely. The loss of our regt is: killed: one officer and six men, wounded: two officers and fifty four men, missing: three men. Our men cheered general Mower for his heroic conduct on the field. We slept on the battlefield tonight, expecting to follow the enemy in the morning. Sunday 10. At two A.M. we were quietly awakened and ordered “to fall in” but to our surprise marched in an opposite direction from the enemy and from the one we desired to go. It was quite dark, the stars giving us just sufficient light to see the road. What a bitter feeling of disappointment and sorrow took possession of our ranks as we marched by our honored dead comrades who lay unburied on the field of their glory, and found that it was impossible for us to perform the last rude rites of soldiers and to give them at least a decent burial. Some of our severely wounded were left in the hospital. We have never before this, made a countermarch in the face of an enemy and now we must run away like thieves at night and leave our dead and some of our wounded comrades to the mercy of the enemy, with many arms, clothing and other goods on the field. The vigorous criticisms [on?] the generalship of N.P. Banks uttered by our soldiers were not very complimentary. More of our wounded were finally taken with us. Christian Merkel, as good a soldier as ever fought in battle, a member of my company was left
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the 8th Iowa Inf. shot in the forefinger of the left hand. Captain Henry Blank of Co. A of our regt was killed. He was a most honorable man and a good officer, beloved by all who know him. Lt. Dugan and Kenedy were wounded, the former severely. The loss of our regt is: killed: one officer and six men, wounded: two officers and fifty four men, missing: three men. Our men cheered general Mower for his heroic conduct on the field. We slept on the battlefield tonight, expecting to follow the enemy in the morning. Sunday 10. At two A.M. we were quietly awakened and ordered “to fall in” but to our surprise marched in an opposite direction from the enemy and from the one we desired to go. It was quite dark, the stars giving us just sufficient light to see the road. What a bitter feeling of disappointment and sorrow took possession of our ranks as we marched by our honored dead comrades who lay unburied on the field of their glory, and found that it was impossible for us to perform the last rude rites of soldiers and to give them at least a decent burial. Some of our severely wounded were left in the hospital. We have never before this, made a countermarch in the face of an enemy and now we must run away like thieves at night and leave our dead and some of our wounded comrades to the mercy of the enemy, with many arms, clothing and other goods on the field. The vigorous criticisms [on?] the generalship of N.P. Banks uttered by our soldiers were not very complimentary. More of our wounded were finally taken with us. Christian Merkel, as good a soldier as ever fought in battle, a member of my company was left
Civil War Diaries and Letters
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