Tenth Illinois Cavalry. Thought the regiment had been under fire most of the day, its loss was but one killed and three wounded, among the latter Major Caldwell.
Many changes had been made in the field officers of the regiment, during the year 1863. When Colonel Warren was promoted to Brigadier-General, Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan was elected to succeed him as colonel but Governor Kirkwood exercised his power and gave the commission to Major Gower. Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan, who stood first in line of promotion and was an excellent and popular officer, regarded the action of the Governor as unjust and resigned his commission. Colonel Gower who made an excellent officer, resigned August 20th on account of failing health and died at his home in Iowa City in the fall of 1865 from disease contracted in the army. Captains Chase and William Thompson were promoted to majors and Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson was made colonel of the regiment upon the resignation of Colonel Gower. Major Caldwell was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and Captain McQueen was at the same time made major. During the campaign which closed with the capture of Little Rock, the regiment suffered greatly from sickness. Disease brought on by hardships and exposures of the march prostrated hundreds of men and death sadly thinned the ranks. During the last two months of the year the men were most of the time in the saddle scouring the country in the vicinity of Little Rock in search of forage or dispersing bands of the enemy. It was with Steele’s Camden expedition and had many brushes with the enemy during that disastrous campaign, losing five men killed and twenty-five wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell was in command of the Third Brigade at this time and Captain Crosby of the First Cavalry. The recruits and non-veterans of the regiment were now left in command of Colonel Anderson while the veterans with Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell were granted furloughs and while on their way North they overtook the retreating army of
