File:Letter signed O.A. Moser to Mary Moser, September 23, (1862).jpg

Gives an account of the Battle of Iuka.

Transcription: [September 1861]

Dear Mary

A letter I mailed to you a few days ago, gave you some account of our movements here, we left our camp on Sunday night & have been here ever since. Yesterday & this morning it has rained very hard, & altho’ we have no tents, those that have gun blankets, keep quite comfortable.

We are momentarily expecting to be called out to march, but have no idea where to. My mind has been wandering, this morning, to the past, & to-day it is 17 years since we

[section of the letter missing]

last, we have been in a terrible battle, I came off unhurt, thanks be to God, our Co. came out all safe, Lt. Smith is very sick with the flux —

We are now at Jacinto, When I have a better opportunity I will write again

Yours as Ever

Osiah

To Mary Moser

I found when I got this ready that the opportunity of sending this was gone, so I will write some more, I received a letter from you, on the 19th, dated the 5th, was glad to hear from you again

On the 18th, at 8 oClock, we started for Iuka, marched 2 miles, & lay there till next morning, when we started off early, about noon our advance guard came on the Rebel pickets, & kept driving them before them, our advance was fired on from a very splendid house, wounding an officer, the house was soon in flames, at 3 P.M the Skirmishing commenced, & was kept up for about 4 miles, & when we got in 2 miles of Iuka, we came upon the Rebels in force, we were soon formed in line, & at 5 the battle commenced, & lasted 3 hours, raging fearfully at times,

There were 2 Brigades of our forces engaged, while the Rebels had 5 Brigades. Our Regt. was on the extreme left wing, the fight was the hottest on the right, but from some of the wounded & prisoners we learned, that the cross fire that we poured into them, made great havoc among them, they made a desperate charge on one of our Regts. but as soon as we fired the first volley at them they began to fall back, & it was our fire that drove them back, & I have no doubt changed the fortunes of the day, for if they had been successful in the charge we would no doubt have been outflanked, & would all have been captured, — There was a large force attempted to move onto our Regt. but we poured such a heavy fire into them, that they had to give back, the 11th Ohio Bat. was captured, but the 5th Iowa Regt. made

Sept. 23 [1862]

I am well to-day. — I had no chance to send this off yesterday, so I had to wait till to-day, — There has been no mail in yet, but expect one this evening, From later accounts that we have from the battlefield, the Rebel loss is greater than was at first anticipated, but I suppose you will see some account in the papers before long.

I wish I could describe the battle to you, but I have not got language to do it —

God bless you all

O. A. Moser