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MILITARY RECORD 31

practically complete. It was early on the 15th
that Pillow attacked the Union right held by
General John A. McClernand, and after a
furious battle of four hours the Union troops
were forced to retire; reinforcements and a
new supply of ammunition enabled them to re-
occupy their old position and recapture the
guns lost in the morning.

Meanwhile Q-eneral 0. F. Smith held the
Union left. General Grant ordered him to as-
sault the fort in order to retrieve the situation
resulting from McClernand's retirement. He
selected as "the storming party" the brigade
commanded by Colonel J. G. Lauman of the
Seventh Iowa, which was composed of the Sec-
ond Iowa, the Seventh Iowa, and the Fourteenth
Iowa, a regiment of "western sharpshooters",
and the Twenty-fifth and Fifty-second Indiana
regiments. Colonel J. M. Tuttle with the left
wing of the Second Iowa led the advance, and
his official report describes the part played by
that regiment in the famous charge by which
victory was won for the Federal arms.

According to this account the Second Iowa
on its arrival had been assigned a position on
the extreme left where it spent'' a cold and dis-
agreeable night, without tents or blankets.'' It
remained in this position until 2 P. M. of the
next day (February 15th) when it received the
order "to storm the fortifications of the enemy



	MILITARY RECORD 31 practically complete. It was early on the 15th that Pillow attacked the Union right held by General John A. McClernand, and after a furious battle of four hours the Union troops were forced to retire; reinforcements and a new supply of ammunition enabled them to re- occupy their old position and recapture the guns lost in the morning. Meanwhile Q-eneral 0. F. Smith held the Union left. General Grant ordered him to as- sault the fort in order to retrieve the situation resulting from McClernand's retirement. He selected as "the storming party" the brigade commanded by Colonel J. G. Lauman of the Seventh Iowa, which was composed of the Sec- ond Iowa, the Seventh Iowa, and the Fourteenth Iowa, a regiment of "western sharpshooters", and the Twenty-fifth and Fifty-second Indiana regiments. Colonel J. M. Tuttle with the left wing of the Second Iowa led the advance, and his official report describes the part played by that regiment in the famous charge by which victory was won for the Federal arms. According to this account the Second Iowa on its arrival had been assigned a position on the extreme left where it spent'' a cold and dis- agreeable night, without tents or blankets.'' It remained in this position until 2 P. M. of the next day (February 15th) when it received the order "to storm the fortifications of the enemy