 |
| A section of the Confederate outer trenches at Fort Donelson, captured by the 2nd Iowa. |
Like this blog on Facebook | My YouTube videos
Rogers’ letter, published in The Morning Democrat of Davenport, Iowa, on March 3, 1862, described charging up a steep hill under murderous fire, cheering his comrades and watching friends fall around him. He bragged a little — and then casually leveled a stunning accusation: “Capt. Bob Littler hid behind a tree and did not go up the hill. He is ‘gone up’” — Civil War slang meaning his reputation was finished.
Wait — what?
.jpg) |
| Captain Robert Littler of the 2nd Iowa (Find a Grave) |
With that single line, Rogers apparently ignited a small firestorm back home — and sent me deeper into the rabbit hole.
Rumors swirled in an Iowa newspaper that Littler had shown the "white feather," "skulking away" from his command. That paper hoped “mitigating circumstances” would be developed, or else Littler would be “forever disgraced.” Another reported that "Captain Bob" and two Illinois officers might be shot for cowardice. One of those Illinois officers later scoffed at the rumors, writing, “The day of our execution has passed, and we still live,” and deriding what he called “silly rumors” about Littler. Reports of Captain Bob's death in battle circulated as well.
Ah, the fog of war.
The Morning Democrat — Littler’s hometown newspaper — responded with concern a week after publishing Rogers' letter: “We earnestly trust that his innocence of cowardice in that fearful struggle of our brave lads may be fully established.”
At least one soldier in the 2nd Iowa rushed to Littler’s defense. Musician Jules Meredith blasted the charge as “cowardly fabrications,” insisting: “From his conduct that day, I say he is no coward, but proved himself a brave man — the very man I should like to again enlist under in case of another war.”
In two separate letters, Littler defended himself.
 |
| A cropped enlargement of a Fort Donelson battle map shows the position of the 2nd Iowa on Feb. 15, 1862. (American Battlefield Trust) |
Whether formal charges were ever pressed remains unclear, but Captain Bob returned to duty. At Shiloh that April, a burst from an artillery shell took his left arm — an injury that likely silenced any lingering doubts about his courage.
“Whatever might have been the conduct of Capt. Littler at Fort Donelson — whether the reports concerning him were true or untrue — it is evident that he did himself honor at the Pittsburg battle,” the Davenport Democrat wrote on April 12, 1862.
After the war, Littler — once a patent medicine salesman and Davenport fire chief — worked as a newspaper editor and farmer and served as secretary of the Iowa Butter, Cheese and Egg Association. He was so well respected that Davenport put a statue of him atop the old city hall. When Littler — then known as “Colonel Bob” — died in 1897, the local paper lamented: “Davenport has lost one of its best friends.”
As for Rogers — the soldier who lit the match — he faded from the historical record.
On Saturday, we walked the ground of the 2nd Iowa’s attack at Fort Donelson — my God, that hill is steep. We traced the line of Confederate trenches and stood where Rogers and his comrades climbed through brush and timber into a storm of lead. And I read Rogers' vivid battle letter aloud — the same words that apparently set off accusations, defenses and rumors 164 years ago.
 |
| The 2nd Iowa advanced upon this ground during the Battle of Fort Donelson on Feb. 15, 1862. |
2nd Iowa Private Charles Rogers' letter about the Battle of Fort Donelson
BURR ANDREWS —Sir : Doubtless you have heard of the capture of Fort Donelson, and the particulars of the fight. I was in the thickest of it, but did not get hit with a bullet, though I was struck in the breast with the butt of a musket, which knocked me off the breastworks and disabled me for an hour or 20.
Our troops bad been fighting on the right for three days, and were repulsed with great loss. Our regiment were stationed on the extreme left of the Division, the most important position, as it brought us close under the enemy's guns. The night before we made the charge was bitter cold, the worst that I ever experienced. We had nothing to eat or drink and could not sleep, as we had no blankets with us. When we got the order to charge on the breastworks at the point of the bayonet, we looked at each other, as much as to say, we are "gone up;" but as I looked along the line, I could see determination on the faces of the men to obey the order any cost. The left wing made the first charge, which brought our company to the front; and it was the first to go over the works. It was a desperate charge.
We had to go up a steep hill, over logs, brush and stumps. As soon as they saw our heads, they opened a most deadly fire on us. I did not think one of us could live to get to the works; but there was no faltering, but with a shout, we went on determined to take them or die. Here our best men fell — among them our Captain, the pride of regiment [Captain Jonathan Slaymaker]. My file leader and right hand man, both fell dead! Such calmness as our men displayed, I would not have believed if I had not seen it.
 |
| Ground upon which the 2nd Iowa advanced at Fort Donelson. |
We kept cheering one another on — "go in, Davenport boys !" and such like. If the rebels had not been cowards, but had stood and took deliberate aim at us, there would not have been many of us left. We did not fire a gun, until we had scaled the works. As soon as they saw our bayonets on the works, they ran like so many sheep, and we began pouring the lead into them.
Gen. [Charles] Smith said we should have all the support we wanted; but we fought inside the works for more than two hours without any help. Every one fought on his own hook after we got inside — some behind trees and others behind stumps, driving the enemy foot by foot, and if we had had help in time we would have driven them out at the other side of the fort, The most of our officers behaved well. Capt. Bob Littler hid behind a tree and did not go up the hill. He is "gone up." (Italics added.) We held our ground that night, and slept on our arms.
The next morning the fort surrendered unconditionally, and the Iowa Second was the first regiment to march into the fort, and the first to plant its flag on the ramparts of Fort Donelson. As we passed by our own regiment, they sent, up cheer after cheer — even the rebels themselves cheered us as we passed by their lines. Iowa need not feel ashamed of her troops. Gen. [Charles] Hamilton tried to disgrace the Second Iowa Regiment, in St. Louis, but he cannot do it.
We met the two best regiments in the South, and wiped them out — they owned it themselves, after we had taken them prisoners. They are a better set of men than Missourians, and they fought well, but nothing could stand our charge. The most of our boys wanted to get into a fight, but they are sick of it now. As for myself, I hope I shall never be called upon to go through scenes that I went through that day.
You have no idea of it; it must be seen to be appreciated; it is awful! Our flag was shot through thirteen times, and was shot down three times, but it was soon raised by brave men. Everything in the fort is in perfect confusion: piles of bacon, molasses, sugar, shoes, tents, rice, flour, guns, rifles, knives, pistols, dead rebels, etc. We will start for Clarksville to-day or tomorrow, and so to Nashville, if they do not show the Stars and Stripes. The gun-boats did not injure the enemy here. The rebels are getting pale; I think they will soon give up.
I have got no place to write, so you must excuse this letter. My respects to all.
Yours, CHAS. D. ROGERS.
SOURCES
- Davenport Daily Gazette, March 11, 1862
- The Davenport Daily Times, Jan. 25, 1897
- The Morning Democrat, Davenport, Iowa, Feb. 21 & 25, 1862; March 3, 10, 11, 22, 1862; April 12, 1862
- The Muscatine Journal, Muscatine, Iowa, Feb. 28, 1862
- The Evening Argus, Rock Island, Illinois, March 7, 26 1862
No comments:
Post a Comment