Numbers 34.

Report of Major Jabez Banbury, Fifth Iowa, commanding Seventeenth Iowa Infantry.

HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH IOWA INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS,
Camp at Hatchie Church, Miss., October 9, 1862.

GENERAL: As directed by order of General Hamilton, I took command of the Seventeenth Iowa on the morning of the 3rd instant, after the regiment had been marched about one-half mile north of Corinth by Captain Young. About 7 a. m. we were moved with the rest of the brigade to the breastworks 2 miles north of town, and after changing position Company A, at about 2 o'clock, under command of First Lieutenant Garrett, wa thrown out about three-fourths of a mile as skirmishers, and was soon engaged in a brisk skirmish of about an hour, during which time it did good service, leaving quite a number of dead rebels on the ground. Company B was also deployed as skirmishers in front of our regiment changed position, and it did not get to the regiment until the next day, after the battle on Saturday was over. This company, under command of Second Lieutenant Hull, of Company E, deserves great credit for the brave and unflinching manner in which it held its perilous situation until relieved. About 4.30 o'clock this regiment was placed on the extreme right of the brigade and ordered forward in line of battle, and after marching about half time a mile we were met heavy fire from the enemy's batteries, which we found were not more than 100 yards in our advance. We also found the enemy in large force, supporting their batteries, which were three in number, and finding we were now some distance from the balance of the brigade and entirely unsupported, the enemy also having commenced a flank movement to our right, we fell back to the road and there joined the balance of the brigade, which was already in position on the road-side and near where we were before forming our line. I was now ordered by General Rosecrans to take position on the right of the Twelfth Wisconsin Battery (perhaps the Sixth Wisconsin), and remained there until the brigade wa ordered into the city. I was then ordered by Colonel Holmes, then commanding the brigade, to take position on the right of the Sixth Wisconsin Battery, where I remained until 10.30 o'clock, when I was ordered to take a position on the left of --- Battery, which up to that time, it appears, had been entirely unsupported. I remained here until about 1.30 o'clock in the morning, when, with the rest of the brigade, I moved the regiment, and after going out some distance and returning was put in position about 200 yards in the rear of the Eightieth Ohio Regiment. This position we kept until after daylight on October 4, when we were ordered into column by General Rosecrans. When the firing from the enemy had become quite brisk I deployed the battalions into line, and finding we were to kept bask as a reserve I ordered the men to lie down, which they did, and here remained for about fifteen or twenty minutes under considerable fire from the enemy, who were now fairly to be seen following our men, who were slowly giving back, over the brow of the hill. It was while lying in this position that First Lieutenant Garrett, Company A, First Lieutenants Morris, Company F, were wounded, and were compelled to retire from the field. When the enemy had gained fearful odds by advancing so rapidly upon our ground I was ordered by you to form on the left of a section of a battery which was then on our left.