Showing posts with label 21st IA INF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 21st IA INF. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

George W. Brindle to Mrs. L. Bolles, March 2, 1863


Dubuque Iowa
February Mch 2/63

Mrs. L. Bolles
Sand Springs [Iowa]

Dr. Madam & Sister,

Enclosed find five dollars sent me by your husband to pay expenses on securing accommodations for his chaplaincy and having it acknowledged &c. &c.

The expense was nothing to speak of and the trouble was freely taken – so I remit to you.

He spoke also of sending you groceries for the amt. In case there was no expense but in inquiring I learn that there is really no difference in the price of those articles worthy of [matter] between this place and the smaller towns around.

So here is it is.

My love to your little girl whom I met when her father was in camp here.

Faithfully yrs,

Geo. W. Brindle

SOURCE: This item was listed for sale on Ebay on July 15, 2013.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Lorenzo Bolles, Jr. was the Chaplain of the 21st Iowa Infantry.  He enlisted in Company K as a private on July 28, 1862, and was promoted Chaplain January 6, 1863.  He resigned July 16, 1863.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Mausoleum of Samuel Merrill, Colonel of the 21st Iowa Infantry & the 7th Governor of Iowa

Woodland Cemetery
Des Moines, Iowa





SAMUEL MERRILL
Governor 1868-1872

Governor Samuel Merrill

Samuel Merrill was born in the town of Turner, Oxford County, Maine, August 7, 1822. He was the son of Abel and Abigail (Hill) Merrill. He was one of a large family and was descended from Nathan Merrill, who came to America from England in 1636. When sixteen years of age he removed, with his parents, to Buxton, Maine, where he attended and taught school in turn until he reached his majority. He tried teaching in Maryland, but soon returned to his native state where he engaged in business with his brother Jeremiah. A few years later he joined the great rush of settlers to Iowa and came to McGregor, establishing himself in the mercantile business. He prospered during the rushing days of McGregor's great prosperity and soon became one of the leading merchants. Accumulating wealth rapidly, he soon became engaged in the banking business and was one of the founders, and the first president of the McGregor State Bank.

In 1859 he was elected to the Legislature from Clayton County and he took such forceful part in the deliberations of that body that he soon became recognized as one of the leaders of the Republican party. Before coming to Iowa Mr. Merrill had been a member of the Legislature of the State of New Hampshire, and this legislative experience aided greatly in fitting him for a public career in Iowa. The Iowa Legislature, of which Mr. Merrill was a member, was called in extra session by Governor Kirkwood to devise measures to assist the general government in the prosecution of the war, and in this work Mr. Merrill took a prominent and patriotic part. When the first Iowa regiments were organized it was found that there was no available money to uniform them. It was this emergency that Mr. Merrill joined with other men of wealth and advanced some $10,000 each for the equipment of the volunteers. It was this patriotic action which enabled Iowa to respond, promptly and efficiently, to the call for troops.

In 1862 Governor Kirkwood tendered Mr. Merrill the colonelcy of the 21st Iowa regiment. Colonel Merrill accepted the commission and at once became active in recruiting, and later, in leading his men to battle. The history of the regiment has been told in another chapter. Suffice it here to say that Colonel Merrill lead his men bravely and to victory. At the battle of Black River Bridge he was so severely wounded that he was forced to leave his regiment and return to McGregor.

His wound was so serious that he was granted an honorable discharge, but there was an insistent demand on the part of the regiment that he be reinstated, and thinking his health would permit, he rejoined his regiment. It proved, however that the effects of his wound were too serious to permit of active service and he was forced to leave the service in May, 1864. Returning to McGregor he became again interested in banking and when the State bank was reorganized as a National bank, he was the first president.

On account of his activities, both in peace and war, he was a favorite candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor in 1867. At the state convention of the Republican party he lead all in the balloting, and was nominated on the fourth ballot. He was elected by a large majority and during the stormy days of re-construction, he was a strong influence for the granting of equal rights to the negro race. Some of his state papers are among the strongest and most able ever issued by an Iowa Governor. He was the first Governor of Iowa to recommend the regulation of railroad rates, and he was also a pioneer in insurance and educational legislation. He did a great work for Iowa, in 1868, when upon the invitation of Peter Cooper, he wrote a lengthy review of the resources and possibilities of the state. This document was circulated widely in the east, was translated into other languages and had great influence in attracting desirable immigration to Iowa.

Governor Merrill was reelected, in 1869, by the largest majority ever given an Iowa Governor up to that time. He was a man of great force of character, and unafraid to act according to his convictions, and he vetoed a number of bills during his second term as Governor. Some of these vetoes drew sharp criticism, but in every instance they were justified by time. It was during his term that the capitol of Iowa was built and it was Governor Merrill, who, in October, 1870, held the plow to break the first ground for the building of that great structure. It was he, also, who laid the cornerstone of the building in November, 1871. He was also the moving spirit in the great soldiers' reunion held at Des Moines, in 1870, securing an appropriation of $15,000 from the state and $5,000 from the city of Des Moines for the purpose of the entertainment of the soldiers and also securing for them free transportation over the railroads of the state.

His administration was marked by many other accomplishments for the good of the people. He was also the first Governor of Iowa to give his entire time to the conduct of his office, removing to Des Moines for that purpose. Upon retiring from the office of Governor, he accepted the presidency of the Citizens’ National Bank of Des Moines, which position he held until his removal to California, where he spent his last years in well earned leisure. He died at Los Angeles, California, August 31, 1899, and he was buried at Des Moines. Gov. Merrill was married three times. His first wife, to whom he was married in 1847, died fourteen months after their marriage. He was married in 1851 to Miss Elizabeth D. Hill, and she was the wife who was known and loved by the people of McGregor and of Iowa as the first lady of the state. Governor Merrill was one who made his way by sheer force of intellect and deeds, rather than by words and protestations. He was reserved and dignified and not at all of the type of the so-called “popular politician,” and there were many in Clayton county who stood closer to the hearts of the people, but none who commanded higher respect.

Realto E. Price, Editor, History of Clayton County, Iowa, Vol. 1, p. 405-6

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Nicholas Hoffman


NICHOLAS HOFFMAN, engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 33, Madison Township, is a native of Prussia, Germany, born on a branch of the river Rhine, December 8, 1840, a son of Matthias Hoffmann. Our subject came to the United States in 1853, and after living five years in Steuben County, New York, he came to Iowa, locating in Dubuque.  During the war of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company E., Twenty-first Iowa Infantry under Colonel Samuel Merrill, who afterward became Governor of the State of Iowa. He participated with his regiment in the battles of Hartville, Missouri, Port Gibson, Mississippi, Raymond, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, Vicksburg, Jackson, Mississippi, and others of minor importance, and through the Mobile campaign, returning to his home without receiving even a scratch.  July 25, 1865, Mr. Hoffmann was married in New York State to Katie Kirsch, a daughter of Michael Kirsch, deceased. Of the six children born to them five are living – Matthew, Hannah, Katie, Annie and John. Mr. Hoffmann came to Clarke County in the fall of 1865, and has since devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits, his home farm containing 120 acres of choice land. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In his religious views he is a Roman Catholic.

SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 253

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Rachel M. Bolles to her husband, Lorenzo Bolles, Jr., Co. K, 21st Iowa Infantry, November 8, 1862

Dear Husband,

I mailed a letter to you the morn before I received yours of the 24th but I was so bothered with the baby and the neighbors running in that I did not think of half that I wanted to write so I will try again.

In regard to the wheat that Marsh brought to us, it makes very dark flower and I have not made anything good from it yet he thinks it is the miller’s fault but I don’t. I told him that I was not willing to give him 75 cents. It is more then anybody else gives. Campbell pays 65 cents for first quality. You can do as you please about it. The Thresher thought yors very nice except small. I am not partial to poor bread. M says he is going to replace the corn that is fed to the horses from our crib. He sold the largest hog $2.15 a hundred. 200.88 pounds was what it weighed. There is $25 due him now. I hope we shall have it for him before he goes home. Mr Killpatrick has been here collecting his bills. He sold your note to Brother Bell on the note that he holds against you. Brother B called here a week ago Said he wanted to go to Ohio next spring to get a lot of sheep and if you can pay him all or a part of the note he should like it. Pay little at a time if you would like but he said tell Brother Bolles not to feel any anxiety about it if it is not convenient then let it go until you can pay. Charged me not trouble myself about it.

I wish I had a host of news to write but I have not been from the house since I went with you so I don’t get much news. I have been invited to Mr Byington’s twice but I do not intend to go anywhere this winter. Mr Byington’s folks talk of going East soon to spend the winter. Sell his place then come in the spring and build there. Boy is not well----child it very sick. Poor Mrs Huslam. I do feel sorry for her. She is very feeble.  Has had the Doctor once and ought to again. Mr Pope wants Devite to get a customer to buy his farm when he gets back east. I don’t know what he wants to sell for. Mr Clausland is going into his new house soon. It is not going to be lathed nor plastered this winter. Omsted is going into his one house. Our people keep up Sunday School and meetings yet. From that I hear I don’t think Brother B style of preaching Pleases the people. Youran has closed his business. Says he is going to war but I don’t believe it. Since writing the above I hear that you have left Salem. Now I shall feel more anxious about you. Suppose the regiment will have to go into battle soon. It is awful. I hope you will keep out of the way of the Rebels. Please write often for I shall want to hear from you more than ever. We are all well and as happy as we can be without you. We all send a great deal of love to you. Mrs Haslum had a letter from Mr H last night. What is the matter with him? I hope you will always tell me just how your health is. You did not speak of it in your last.

Yours with much love,

R. M. Bolles

Mansion House Nov 8th, 1862

Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Twenty-Second Iowa Infantry.

Seven companies of this regiment were raised in Johnson county, one in Jasper, one in Monroe and one in Wapello. It was mustered into service at Iowa City on the 9th of September, 1862. Its first field officers were Wm. M. Stone, colonel; John A. Garrett, lieutenant-colonel; Harvey Graham, major. The regiment was first sent to Rolla, Mo., where it did garrison duty for about four months. In March, 1863, it was sent to Grant's army to take part in the Vicksburg campaign, and was in the First brigade of the Fourteenth division of the Thirteenth army corps, under General McClernand.

At the battle of Port Gibson, Colonel Stone commanded the brigade, and Major Atherton led the Twenty-second regiment, which lost twenty men. At the battles of Champion Hill and Black River Bridge the loss of the Twenty-second was light. Having driven Pemberton's army behind the fortifications of Vicksburg, General Grant determined to assault the works on the 22d of May. Early in the morning the artillery from the fleet and all of the guns in position in the rear opened on the enemy's works and kept up a heavy fire until l0 o'clock. Then the bugles sounded the charge and the assaulting columns moved forward with fixed bayonets. They were met by a terrible fire of musketry all along the lines. Still the troops pressed on and fell before the deadly fire by hundreds. It was impossible to face the terrible volleys which smote the advancing columns. They sought such shelter as they could find and returned the fire, but could not dislodge the enemy.

The Twenty-second led the charge made by the brigade under General Lawler, and a few men, led by Sergeant Griffith scaled the enemy's defenses, entered the fort and captured some prisoners. But most of them were killed or captured; Sergeant Griffith and David Trine alone escaped. Lieutenant-Colonel Graham and several men were captured in the ditch, and the assault was ended.

The loss of the regiment was 164. There were sixteen Iowa regiments engaged in this battle, the Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Twelfth, Seventeenth, Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-eighth, Thirtieth, Thirty-first and Thirty-fifth, and the First and Second Iowa batteries.

Before the end of the siege, which followed the assault, Iowa had thirty regiments in Grant's army, which won this greatest victory of the war.

In this campaign the confederacy lost, in killed and wounded, 10,000 men, and in prisoners, 37,000, fifteen general officers, arms and munitions for an army of 60,000, and an immense amount of property, with the strongest fortified city in the limits of the confederacy, opening the navigation of the greatest river of the continent.

No soldiers in this great campaign surpassed those of Iowa. The First Iowa brigade led the advance at Port Gibson; the Seventeenth surpassed all others at Jackson; the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-eighth won immortal honors at Champion Hill; the Twenty-first and Twenty-third covered themselves with glory at Black River Bridge, while the Twenty-second alone, at the assault on Vicksburg, entered the confederate defenses. Colonel Stone resigned soon after the surrender of Vicksburg, having been nominated for governor by the Iowa republicans. The Twenty-second regiment was sent to Texas in November, where it was employed several months, Lieutenant-Colonel Graham having been promoted to colonel, Major White promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and Captain Gearkee, major. In July, 1864, it was transferred to Virginia, and in August became a part of General Sheridan's army and took part in the battle of Winchester. It made a most gallant fight in that great battle and did its full share in winning a glorious victory. Its losses were heavy and among them were several of its bravest officers: 109 were killed, wounded and captured. At the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek the Twenty-second was engaged and met with losses. These were its last battles, and on the 3d of August, 1865, it was disbanded at Davenport, after having traveled more than 13,000 miles and served in nearly all of the southern states.

SOURCE, Benjamin F. Gue, Biographies And Portraits Of The Progressive Men Of Iowa, Volume 1, p. 106-7

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Twenty-First Iowa Infantry.

This regiment was organized in August, 1862, and numbered 976 men. The companies were recruited chiefly in the counties of Dubuque, Black Hawk, Worth, Clayton and Delaware. Its field officers were Samuel Merrill, colonel; C. W. Dunlap, lieutenant-colonel; and S. G. Van Anda, major. The regiment was mustered into service at Clinton, and in September was sent to Rolla, Mo., and in October was placed in a brigade with the Thirty-third Missouri and the Ninety-ninth Illinois, with some cavalry and artillery, under command of Gen. Fitz Henry Warren, of Iowa. In January, 1863, a force of 1,000 men with artillery was sent to reinforce the garrison at Springfield, under command of Colonel Merrill. On the morning of the 11th it encountered General Marmaduke's army near Hartsville, retreating from Springfield. A sharp engagement took place, lasting several hours, when Merrill retreated, having exhausted his ammunition, with a loss of but seventy-eight men. The enemy had not less than 2,500 men in this battle and gained no advantage, and lost several good officers. The Twenty-first regiment was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Dunlap and fought bravely, losing twenty-one men. Among the wounded was Colonel Dunlap. In February the regiment made a very hard march from Houston to Iron Mountain, in which it suffered greatly from cold, hunger and insufficient clothing, many of the men being without shoes. In Maroh the regiment was sent down the river to Milliken's Bend, and soon after joined McClernand's corps for the Vicksburg campaign. At the battle of Port Gibson, April 30, 1863, the Twenty- first Iowa was in the advance, four companies supporting the First Iowa battery, Captain Griffith, and had a lively fight with the enemy on that day. In the severe battle which came on the next day the Twenty-first fought well in Colonel Stone's brigade with the Twenty-second and Twenty-third and lost quite a number of men, Lieutenant-Colonel Dunlap being again wounded. At the battle of Black River Bridge on the 17th, the Twenty-first made a fine charge and fought with great courage. Colonel Merrill in command, was severely wounded. Its loss was about eighty in killed and wounded. In the assault on Vicksburg, May 22d, the Twenty-first was prominently engaged and Lieutenant-Colonel Dunlap was among the slain and Major Van Anda was wounded; the total loss of the regiment was 113. After the surrender of Vicksburg it was sent with the army that pursued Johnston and lost fifteen men at Jackson. In August the regiment was sent to Texas, now under command of Captain Crooke, who had been promoted to major. After many changes of place the regiment was finally sent to join the expedition against Mobile and took an active part in the campaign, after which it was mustered out of the service.

SOURCE, Benjamin F. Gue, Biographies And Portraits Of The Progressive Men Of Iowa, Volume 1, p. 104 & 106

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Eighth Iowa Infantry

This regiment was made up of companies raised in the counties of Clinton, Scott, Linn, Benton, Washington, Marion, Keokuk, Iowa, Mahaska, Monroe, and Louisa. It was organized at Davenport in September, 1861, and its first field officers were Frederick Steele, of the regular army, colonel; James L. Geddes, lieutenant-colonel, and John C. Ferguson, major. It numbered about 900 when it embarked for St. Louis and joined General Fremont's army. In its march through southwestern Missouri it lost many men from exhaustion and sickness. In February, 1862, Colonel Steele was promoted to brigadier-general, Geddes to colonel of the Eighth, Ferguson to lieutenant-colonel, and Capt. Joseph Andrews, major. On the 12th of March the regiment was sent to reinforce Grant's army at Pittsburg Landing. In the battle of Shiloh the Eighth regiment was in Sweeney's brigade, and when the battle began it was on the extreme left of General Smith's division, joining the right of Prentiss. Here it fought desperately for ten hours on that terrible Sunday, repelling charge after charge in supporting a battery. When finally assailed on three sides it slowly retreated, but was soon after surrounded by the advancing confederates and forced to surrender. It was one of the last to leave the field and left nearly 200 of its brave men among the killed and wounded. The regiment was reorganized at St. Louis early in 1863, and was in Grant's Vicksburg campaign, was in the assault of the 22d, and fought at Jackson. Lieutenant-Colonel Ferguson died of sickness during the siege of Vicksburg. It was at Memphis in August, 1864, and helped to defend that city against the attack by General Forrest. In March, 1865, the Eighth was in the campaign against Mobile. On the 8th of April Colonel Geddes led the assault on the Spanish Fort, in which he commanded a brigade. The rebels were driven from their works, leaving many guns and prisoners in our hands. The Eighth Iowa alone captured several hundred of the enemy. This was the last important battle of the war, and in that campaign Iowa furnished the following regiments: The Eighth, Twelfth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-first, Twenty-third, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-ninth, Thirty-second, Thirty-third, Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-fifth.

SOURCE, Benjamin F. Gue, Biographies And Portraits Of The Progressive Men Of Iowa, Volume 1, p. 95

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Letter of L. Bolles, Jr. to his wife, August 20, 1864

Milford, Mass.  Aug 20th, 1864

My Dear Wife,

I have received nothing from you since the letter which I replied from Hopkinton. I did very well at Hopkinton in selling town lots. I worked quite hard and got quite warn out. I preached Sunday, lectured on the west Monday eve and on Tuesday on the siege of Vicksburg. The collections were very small amounting to about $6. But I sold 10 Town Lots making all together $201. so that I have nearly enough to vet $500 above expenses. I hope to make it up to this though times are harder for laboring people than I thought off. Everything to live is so terrible high that men who get good wages have to pinch hard to live. Warren has a nice peddling team and thinks he is closing pretty well selling dry good and Yankee rations about in neighboring towns. It is somewhat sickly here and they have two or three funerals a day. Mrs Saml Templeton died suddenly last night. She was miserably poor. Had been forsaken by her husband who you recollect used to be one of my special friends doing all he could to ---- me but never succeeding. He is now in State Prison for marrying four different wives. There appears to be a good deal of the Devil’s ----- these days.

I stopped at Parker Coburns some in Hopkinton and sold him 2 Town lots. They live a perfect Hell upon earth and it is difficult to tell which is the most to blame. She says that he is worth $300,000 and will let her have but little money to get by with and she has to work like a slave. She now had a green Irish girl and is expecting another. She has had a dozen different girls within a few months and can’t keep them. She complains bitterly of his treatment of her. Their quarrels are town talk. She says he has used personal violence on her many times and misused her in every possible way. She wanted my advise as she had more confidence in me than any other. I told her she had better be in a factory carrying her living than to be in such a Hell upon earth, that I would demand a settlement of $25,000 or an annuity for my support and if this were denied I would sue for a divorce. She says he had told her 500 times to leave him and her Webster says that Coburn has tried every way to get rid of her and offered to leave it to arbitration how they shall part and settle but she won’t do it. Mr Harris told me that May told his daughter that she overheard them talking last week and that she called him a --- old tyrant and said that all he wanted of her was to work like a slave all day and then ride her all night. I have not detailed this gossip because it is rich or palatable to you though this may be true but it is a good illustration of a good part of the legal marriage in high life. Wealth, lust and pride make a Hell which I thank God that he has not suffered us to fall into but I do hope that his spirit will lead us to the opposite result of a divorce unity which is higher and sweeter that the world or the flesh ever dreamed of. We shall find if we follow the truth in the Love of it, that Heaven is not far off as we used to imagine. I feel quite in a hurry to get home but you know the journey has cost a good deal and I want to do my work up faithfully.

I feel very grateful for the success which I have met with and for the prospect of getting up a little church. This will be the finishing stroke of the colony job and then we will see what the Lord will lead us to. I know that the Lord has led us in all the past and his goodness has been wonderful indeed and I expect it will be even more clear to us hereafter. I am very happy in Christ and I do expect to continue to be forever and I hope you will be as much so. God is no respecter of persons. Make room for him and he will fill you with the Heaven of his own joy and the calmness of his security. To give all is to receive all, to loose all is to gain all. To die totally is to live completely. What beautiful paradoxes there are in the truth. I gave all my property to God and he has given me all things. The farther I go from you the nearer I am to you. When you give me altogether to Christ you will possess me as you never did before. He who said “Behold I make all things new” is infinite Love and he will not take away any old thing without giving us something for better to supply its place. But he will come on all the world as a ---- and I trust we are not of the world as he is not of the world.

I think I shall go to Albion to see your folks next week. I have a letter from Father that Caroline will be at home in a few days so I shall return that way. Elisha is a little shakey about going west. The draft is coming off and his town has made no provision and substitutes are $1130. and if he is drafted his family need all his money. The world is in a terrible fix these days. But it is all preparing the way of the Lord.

Oh! How I thank him that he has taken us to the mountain top and showed us his glory and set his seal upon my heart. He will do the same for you if you will open your heart toward Him and let Him in to keep with you and the feast will be Eternal Love.

Elisha says she won’t write now. Tell her you are all right and seeing she couldn’t come you are both one and you are visiting for both.

We are going to have cabbage for dinner by the smell.

I shall probably preach half a day tomorrow and lecture Monday.

Love to all.

Your affectionate husband,

L Bolles Jr.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Rachel M. Bolles to Lorenzo Bolles, Jr., March 28, 1863

Sand Spring [Iowa]
Saturday eve 28th March, 1863

My Dearest Husband,

I had made up my mind if I did not get a letter from you today to sit down and write you a good long old fashion love letter but yours came so loaded with love that I need pay extra on it but I don’t care for that. (I mean yours of 15th and 23rd) It expresses my own feelings so well and makes me feel so nicely that I think I will write until I feel low spirited. That won’t be a great while. I presume though I have done pretty well I think under the circumstances. Am in good health. So are the children. Anna has been unwell with a cold on her lungs. A bad cough. She has had a good many such sick spells since she had the diphtheria. She is nearly well now. Carrie wanted to know if you did they pay anything for the milk that we let them have? Don’t intend to say anything about it but have often thought I should like to know but don’t want to ask her.

Marsk is fencing in a lot for the sheep from the SW corner of the barnyard to Hubbard’s fence then from the corner of the pig pen to Bowen fence. We have eleven lambs now. Mr Campbell is quite sick with lung fever. Has been raising blood. They are boarding at Sherwood’s. Mr Greer has buried another child. Has 2 left out of 6. Mr Clines buried another this week, I had a letter from E Spalding this week with $3.00 to pay taxes. He know you are in the Army and yet writes as though you was at home. Has been to Eastbard. Saw your father, Mr Taylor called here today. Said he could do nothing about Mr Warner’s taxes. Should let it remain until you come home then you could attend to it with your own. So you see it must fall to your lot after all to take care of all these folks taxes.

I have an excellent letter from our old friend, Deborah will send it to read. Please send it back. You will see what she says about taxes in behalf of others perhaps you had better write to Doc Holding. I don’t know what to tell them. I will send you a stamp. You say you will answer somebody’s letter that I sent you. I have sent so many that I don’t know which you mean. Did you get Brother Patters letter?


Sabbath eve.

I must get this ready to go in the morning. Don’t know where it will find you but I hope in a good place, well and happy. Wish you was here tonight. It would be so pleasant to have your company. The children have all gone to bed. Anna is in the cradle by my side so I do not feel that I am all alone. She is a great deal of company for me both night and day. Carrie’s last request before going to bed was to send her love and Ann’s to Father and tell him not to forget Anna. I think she sent you a short letter in one of mine. She thinks it rather strange that you don’t answer it.

I have been to meeting today. It was rather hard for Brother Bell to get into the works but after he did he done very well. The largest half of the congregation was children. Saw Mr Boldin. Gave Brother Bell some money. They feel obliged to pay him and I am glad they do though nobody likes him. I wish they were obliged to give me something for the services that you have rendered them. Perhaps I shall get along just as well with out it. I never have suffered yet. Don’t think I ever shall. I hope not at least.

It is bedtime and I must go to bed. If you was not pretty good on reading writing also spelling I should not dare send this.

Are your old shirts and stockings worn out yet? If you have any old clothes that I can make use of when you come home take them along if you can.

I must close. Wish you a good nights rest and sweet dreams.

From your affectionate wife,

R M Bolles

Sand Spring, March 29th 1863

I have sent you all the Republicans that have come.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Major Samuel D. Brodtbeck

Major Samuel D. Brodtbeck, was born in the city of Liestol, Switzerland, June 26, 1818. When only 12 years old he joined a company of sharpshooters, as trumpter, and served in a number of conflicts between his home district and Bale. In 1839 he entered the regular army of Switzerland and in 1842 distinguished himself in several engagements and was commissioned Captain. He came to the United States in 1851 and two years later settled in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was for several years deputy County Recorder. In 1856 he organized a Militia Company of which he was Captain. He was commissioned Major of Iowa Militia in summer of 1861, and placed in command of Camp Franklin, where the 9th Iowa was organized. When the 12th Iowa was being organized he was in command of Camp Union, and when the regiment was mustered in received his commission as Major of the regiment. He was present with his regiment at Benton Barracks, Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. At Shiloh he was suffering from diarrhea and rheumatism contracted at Donelson and was unable for duty. He had tendered his resignation before the battle of Shiloh and it was accepted April 7, 1862. He returned to Dubuque and as soon as health was partially recovered, was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel on the Governor's Staff, and again placed in command of Camp Franklin, and organized and drilled the 21st, 27th, 23d, 38th, and 43d Iowa regiments. Failing health compelled him to abandon active labor in the spring of 1863. In 1867 he made an extended visit to his mother in Switzerland in the hope of regaining his health. He returned to this country and attended regimental reunion in 1884, and soon after removed to California where he died January 21, [1897].

SOURCE: David W. Reed, Campaigns and battles of the Twelfth Regiment Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, p. 248

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Twenty-Second Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry

The Twenty-second Regiment of Iowa Infantry Volunteers was composed of ten companies, seven of which were organized in Johnson County, and one each in the counties of Jasper, Monroe and Wapello. The records in the office of the Adjutant General of Iowa show that the companies were ordered into quarters by the Governor, on dates ranging from June 16 to August 30, 1862. The rendezvous designated in the order was Camp Pope, near Iowa City, and there, on the 7th, 9th and 10th days of September, 1862, they were mustered into the service of the United States, by Captain H. B. Hendershott, of the Regular Army [see note 1]. Major William M. Stone, of the Third Regiment Iowa Infantry, who had served with that regiment from the commencement of the war, and was wounded in the first general engagement in which it participated, and who had commanded the regiment at the battle of Shiloh, an officer in every way well qualified to assume the duties of regimental commander, was commissioned Colonel of the Twenty-second Regiment, on the 21st of May, 1862, by Governor Kirkwood, and, with his characteristic energy, proceeded to organize the regiment, when the companies which had been assigned to it had reported at the rendezvous. The regiment was fortunate in securing the services of this able and experienced soldier as its first commander [see note 2]. Upon the completion of the muster rolls, the regiment showed an aggregate strength of 952 enlisted men and officers, but early additional enlistments brought the number up to 1,008, about the maximum strength of an infantry regiment, including Field and Staff officers. There was but a short interval between the date of the muster in of the last company and the completion of the organization of his regiment until Colonel Stone received orders to take the field.

On the evening of September 14, 1862, the regiment left its camp at Iowa City and was conveyed by rail to Davenport, where it embarked on steamer and proceeded to St. Louis, where it arrived on the 18th, marched to Benton Barracks, was assigned to quarters, and was there thoroughly equipped for active service. On the 22d of September the regiment was ordered to Rolla, Mo., to which place it was conveyed by rail, and, arriving there on the 23d, went into camp about two miles from the town. It was subsequently assigned to duty at the post of Rolla, and was engaged in guarding commissary stores and the railroad and in escorting supply trains to the Army of Southeast Missouri, until the 27th of January, 1863, on which date it received orders to join the army under General Davidson, at West Plains, Mo. After a march of five days it reached its destination, and was assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Army of Southeast Missouri. The brigade consisted of the Twenty-first, Twenty-second and Twenty-third Regiments of Iowa Infantry, and was under command of Colonel Stone of the Twenty-second.

On the 9th of February, 1863, the regiment with its brigade took up the line of march towards Iron Mountain, arriving there on February 26th. This long march through a mountainous region, at an inclement season of the year, with insufficient rations, was a severe test of the fortitude of the men, but they endured the hardships and privations to which they were subjected without complaint, and demonstrated their capacity to withstand such exposure and suffering to the fullest extent. The army remained encamped at Iron Mountain until March 9th, upon which date orders were received to join the army under command of General Grant, in the great Vicksburg campaign. In compliance with orders, the troops took up the line of march for St. Genevieve, Mo., on the Mississippi River, which place was reached on the 12th of March. Transportation was not secured until March 22d, upon which date the regiment embarked on the transport "Black Hawk," and was conveyed down the river to Milliken's Bend, where it arrived and disembarked on the 27th, and went into camp. The other troops of the Army of Southeast Missouri reached Milliken's Bend by the 1st of April. In the reorganization of the troops, which then took place, the Twenty-second Iowa was assigned to the Second Brigade, of the Fourteenth Division, Thirteenth Army Corps. The other regiments assigned to the brigade were the Twenty-first and Twenty-third Iowa, and the Eleventh Wisconsin Infantry. Colonel C. L. Harris of the latter regiment, being the senior officer, was assigned to the command of the brigade; Brigadier General Eugene A. Carr was in command of the division and Major General John A. McClernand was the corps commander. The Army of Southeast Missouri had thus been merged into the Army of the Tennessee.

On the morning of April 12th, the Twenty-second Iowa, with its brigade, received orders to march to Richmond, La., and, having driven a small body of the enemy's cavalry from that place, marched to Carthage, thence to Perkins’ Landing, and there went into camp to await the arrival of the rest of the division and corps. On the evening of April 27th, the Thirteenth Army Corps embarked on transports, and, on the morning of the 28th, proceeded down the river to Hard Times Landing, opposite the mouth of Black River and near Grand Gulf, where the enemy had erected fortifications and powerful water batteries on a bluff commanding the entrance to the river. On the morning of the 29th, the fleet, headed by the gunboat "Benton," moved down and engaged the rebel batteries. After a terrible bombardment, lasting several hours, during which several of the rebel guns were dismounted, the plan was abandoned. Having failed in the movement which seemed to have been intended for a combined attack by the land and naval forces upon this impregnable position of the enemy, the Thirteenth Army Corps was ordered to move from Hard Times Landing to a point on the river three miles below Grand Gulf, and there go into bivouac until morning. During the night the fleet of transports and gunboats, which had successfully run the blockade at Vicksburg, passed the rebel batteries.

On the morning of April 30th, the Thirteenth Army Corps embarked on transports and gunboats and proceeded down the river, landing, about 3 P. M., sixteen miles below Grand Gulf, at the village of Bruinsburg. At 4 P. M. the army marched in the direction of Port Gibson. The Twenty-second Iowa, with its brigade, formed the extreme advance of the army. Colonel Harris not being able to proceed with the troops on account of illness, the command of the brigade devolved upon Colonel Stone of the Twenty-second Iowa. At 1 o'clock A. M„ May 1st, the advanced guard, composed of one company of the Twenty-first Iowa, was suddenly fired upon by the enemy's pickets, about three miles from Port Gibson. The official report of Major Atherton, who was in command of the Twenty-second Iowa, describes the movements and conduct of the regiment in the preliminary engagement on the night of April 30th, and in the battle of Port Gibson on May 1, 1863, and is here quoted, as follows [see note 3]:


CAMP NEAR ROCKY SPRINGS, MISS., May 7, 1863.

COLONEL WILLIAM M. STONE,

SIR: I herewith report to you the action of the Twenty-second Iowa in the battle before Port Gibson, Miss., on the 1st inst. You having been called upon to command the Second Brigade, to which we were attached, the command of the regiment devolved upon me. On the evening of the 30th ultimo, on our march toward Port Gibson, Miss., after our advanced guard became engaged with the enemy, I received an order from you to hurry my regiment forward and form it in line on the left of our artillery, then hotly engaged with the rebel batteries. This order was promptly obeyed, and the men came up quickly and in good order, forming at the point designated. We were then under the enemy's fire, yet my men manifested great coolness and self-possession. We remained in line for two hours in support of the batteries, until the battle ceased for the night, and we lay down upon our arms, but not to sleep, as we were in momentary expectation of a renewal of the combat. Soon after sunrise we were again in line and under the enemy's fire, in support of our batteries, until near 10 o'clock, when we were led forward to charge on the rebel lines. This movement was executed with alacrity by my regiment. Not a man faltered or fell back. Our fire was delivered upon the enemy with great deliberation and accuracy, and when their lines were broken and they driven in rout from the field, we were among the first to occupy their field. In the long and hotly contested fight of the afternoon, my regiment was all the time in the face of the enemy and under his severest fire. Three times we were ordered against the rebel infantry and under the range of his batteries. Each time we drove them from the field. Late in the afternoon, by your order, we charged up the hill in conjunction with the Twenty-first Iowa, and on the left of General Burbridge's brigade, against the enemy's lines, there strongly posted in almost impenetrable timber and underbrush. Though unable, from the character of the ground and the raking fire of the enemy's batteries, to reach the extreme summit of the hill, we reached the point to which I was ordered, and remained there, receiving and returning the enemy's fire, until about sundown, when, by your order, we returned to our former position, and remained on the field until the firing had entirely ceased and quiet reigned along our whole line.

Throughout this series of engagements the officers and men of my regiment behaved with great coolness and gallantry. I found them always ready and eager to obey the order to move on the enemy. So well did the entire command acquit themselves. I cannot, without seeming invidiousness, enter into particulars. It is sufficient to say that they acted nobly, and well sustained the honors already earned by Iowa soldiers. Great care was taken to shelter our men from the enemy's fire, which the unevenness of the ground enabled us to do with comparative success, yet the loss in this regiment being greater, with but one exception, than any other regiment in the brigade, shows clearly where we were during this long and hotly contested engagement, and that my men did not shrink from their duty. Too much praise cannot be awarded to our surgeons, White and Peabody. Their department was conducted with skill and ability. Their attention to the wounded was truly commendable and will doubtless long be remembered by these unfortunates. The following is a list of the killed and wounded [see note 4]. Several not enumerated were very slightly wounded, but continued on the field until the close of the fight.

Very respectfully,

J. B. ATHERTON,
Major Commanding Regiment.


The official report of the commander of the brigade, Colonel W. M. Stone of the Twenty-second Iowa, describes with minute particularity the movements and conduct of his command. He especially commends the conduct of Colonel Merrill of the Twenty-first Iowa, Major Atherton of the Twenty-second Iowa, Lieutenant Colonel Glasgow of the Twenty-third Iowa, Lieutenant Colonel Wood of the Eleventh Wisconsin, and Captain Griffiths of the First Iowa Battery, and adds this further commendation: "Their associate officers, too, are entitled to great credit, as all of them, so far as I have been able to learn, performed their duties nobly. To the dauntless and heroic men of the ranks, and the line officers, all honor is due. Never did brave men endure more with less murmuring than they, during these thirty consecutive hours of hard marching and severe fighting, and, when the history of the war is fully written, they will be remembered among the bravest defenders of the Republic." [See note 5.]

The official report of General Carr, the division commander, speaks in the highest terms of the conduct of Colonel Stone and the officers and men of his brigade, and gives the following summary of losses: "The loss of the First Brigade was: Killed, 28; wounded, 134; that of the Second Brigade was: Killed, 13; wounded, 88. Total in the division, 263." [See note 6.]

Early on the morning of the second day of May, the army marched in pursuit of the enemy. At Bayou Pierre, the Second Brigade was ordered to halt for the purpose of rebuilding a bridge, which had been destroyed by the enemy the night previous. The bridge was completed and the march resumed on the evening of May 4th. Colonel Stone had been relieved of the command of the brigade by General M. K. Lawler, and had resumed command of his regiment. On May 13th, the Second Brigade arrived at Mississippi Springs, where it was ordered to remain as guard for the transportation train of the division until the 16th, on which date it returned to Raymond and rejoined the division and corps, which then marched towards Edwards' Station, and arrived in the vicinity of Champion's Hill while the battle which was fought there was in progress. General Carr's Division was held in reserve until just at the close of the battle, when it was ordered forward to pursue the retreating enemy and endeavor to cut off the retreat. The pursuit was continued to Edwards' Station, which was reached at 10 P. M., and a train of commissary and ordnance stores and other supplies of the rebel army was captured, together with over 200 prisoners. It was no fault of the Twenty-second Iowa and the other troops of their brigade and division that they did not have a larger share of the fighting at Champion's Hill. They stood waiting for the order to go into action during the progress of the battle, but the order was not given until the enemy was in full retreat and it was too late to successfully execute the flanking movement by which it was hoped to intercept the retreat and prevent the escape of the enemy. Had the order been given sooner, that result might have been accomplished, and the Twenty-second Iowa and the troops with which it was associated would have had a more conspicuous record in the battle of Champion's Hill, and a greater loss would have been inflicted upon the rebel army.

At daylight, on the morning of May 17th, the regiment with its brigade resumed the pursuit of the enemy. General Carr's Division now led the advance. The march was conducted with great vigor and, at 10 A. M., the enemy's pickets were encountered about two miles from their fortifications on Black River. Space will not permit a detailed description of the battle which ensued or the conditions which confronted the troops making the attack. Suffice it to say that, when the pickets of the enemy had been driven in and their position developed, it became evident that their defeat could only be accomplished after a desperate struggle. Having reconnoitered the position and determined upon the most accessible point of attack, the Thirteenth Corps moved forward, with General Carr's Division in advance. Skirmishing was renewed and continued for several hours. General Lawler, whose brigade occupied the extreme right, discovered that by moving his brigade under cover of the river bank a charge on the enemy's works from that point might be successfully made. He therefore ordered his brigade to charge and, if possible, carry the works. The Twenty-third Iowa, led by the gallant Colonel Kinsman, was in the van, followed by the Twenty-first Iowa and the Eleventh Wisconsin; while the Twenty-second Iowa, on the extreme right of the brigade, was ordered to move down the river bank against the enemy's left, which rested on the river. The order was most gallantly executed. In less than twenty minutes after the order to charge was given, the main line of the enemy's works had been captured. In his official report General Lawler gives a carefully detailed account of the movements and conduct of the different regiments composing his brigade. In its position upon the extreme right, the Twenty-second Iowa, while rendering most important service, did not come under the direct fire of the enemy and, therefore, escaped with the least loss of any of the regiments of the brigade. It implicitly obeyed the orders it received, however, and acquitted itself with perfect honor in the battle of Big Black River Bridge. The following brief extracts from General Lawler's report will serve to show his appreciation of the conduct of the regiment during the battle [see note 7]:

. . . The Twenty-second Iowa — which had in the meantime crossed the field and taken position on the river bank, on the right of the Eleventh Wisconsin — were ordered to move out into the field and act as a reserve force. . . . The rebels broke and fled before the Twenty-second Iowa, and fell an easy prey into the hands of the Eleventh Wisconsin. Those of the rebels who were not captured hastened to make good their retreat over the bridge. As the result of this successful charge, we may with justice claim that it gave our army entire possession of the enemy's extended lines of works, and with them their field artillery (18 pieces in all), a large quantity of ammunition, thousands of small arms, and 3,000 prisoners. . . Colonel William M. Stone, Twenty-second Iowa Volunteers, though suffering severely from disease, was present on the field, sharing its dangers, and has my thanks for the promptness with which he moved his command against the left of the enemy's works.


General Lawler gives the number of killed and wounded in his brigade as follows: Killed, 27; wounded, 194; total, 221; while the total loss of the division was 246 and that of the Thirteenth Army Corps 279, thus showing that Lawler's Brigade sustained the heaviest loss and did most of the fighting in that battle [see note 8]. The Twenty-first and Twenty-third Iowa lost 184 of the 221 killed and wounded in the Second Brigade, those two regiments leading the charge, while the Twenty-second Iowa and Eleventh Wisconsin, being held in reserve, did not participate in the severest part of the battle.

The Thirteenth Corps went into camp on the battlefield until a floating bridge could be constructed to replace the bridge destroyed by the enemy. On the evening of the 18th, the bridge having been completed, the corps crossed the river and took up the line of march towards Vicksburg, the enemy having retreated to that place, where, behind heavy fortifications, they awaited the attack of General Grant's army. The march was continued all night and the following day until noon, when the advanced line of the enemy's works was reached and the troops came under the fire of their heavy guns. Firing was kept up by the contending batteries and, at 2 P. M., the infantry was ordered to move forward. After several hours’ skirmishing, the Thirteenth Corps succeeded in gaining an advanced position within 500 yards of the enemy's works, covered from their fire by a range of hills. The Twenty-second Iowa had one man severely wounded during this advance. The position taken by General Carr's Division was on the range of hills in the vicinity of the Jackson Railroad. Lawler’s Brigade occupied the left, with the right of the Twenty-second Iowa resting on the railroad. During the whole of the night of May 20th, the regiment was engaged in throwing up fortifications and, on the morning of the 21st, two twenty-pound Napoleon guns of the Sixteenth Ohio Battery were placed in position on the brow of the hill and opened a vigorous fire on the enemy's works. Their fire dismounted one of the enemy's heavy guns, but the rebel artillery remained silent, probably for the purpose of saving its ammunition for the anticipated assault. Throughout the day the regiment occupied the works, constructed during the previous night, and kept up a brisk fire in response to that of the enemy's sharpshooters, but, owing to the inaccuracy of the enemy's aim and the great distance, the total casualties in the regiment, resulting from this first day's practice in the rifle pits, were two men severely wounded.

On the evening of May 21st, Colonel Stone received General Grant's order for a general assault on the enemy's lines at 10 A. M. on the 22d, and the officers were notified to have their men in readiness for the movement, which it became necessary to make under cover of the night in order to reach the position midway between the two lines, from which the assault was to be made. In the stillness of midnight the Twenty-second Iowa led the advance of the brigade, moved over the brow of the hill and passed quietly down the deep ravine, into which the enemy had felled trees which formed an obstruction difficult to overcome. With great caution the regiment made its way over this obstruction and, after several hours, succeeded in reaching the desired position, without having attracted the attention of the enemy's pickets, posted but twenty yards distant. The day was dawning when the position was gained, and the men were ordered to lie down and rest upon the hillside until the appointed hour should arrive. At 9:30 A. M. the brigade was formed in lines of battalions, the Twenty-second Iowa in advance, followed by the Twenty-first Iowa and Eleventh Wisconsin. At 10 A. M. Captain Bluford Wilson, of General Lawler's Staff, arrived and directed Colonel Stone to advance. In a moment more, with the battle-cry "Remember Kinsman!" (Colonel of the Twenty-third Iowa, killed at Black River), and the command "Forward!" given by Colonel Stone, the regiment leaped over the hill to the charge. The enemy were on the alert and, as our colors rose above the crest of the hill, a thousand bayonets glistened in the sunlight above the parapet at Fort Beauregard.

The strong work against which the main attack was directed covered about half an acre of ground, the walls being about fifteen feet high, surrounded by a ditch ten feet wide. A line of rifle pits connected it with others of the same kind, each of which was so arranged as to enfilade the approach to the other. The regiment succeeded in reaching — under a concentrated fire of grape and musketry — an almost impenetrable abatis, forty yards from the works, where it became necessary to reform the line, the men having become separated in crossing the obstructions. They promptly rallied to the flag and were again led to the charge. Colonel Stone was here wounded, while gallantly directing the charge, and was compelled to leave the field. Lieutenant Colonel Graham then assumed command and, with a few officers and about fifty men, succeeded in reaching the ditch surrounding the fort, but, having no scaling ladders, they were unable to enter the works. Sergeant Joseph E. Griffith, with some fifteen or twenty men, succeeded — by raising one another up the wall — in gaining an entrance and capturing a number of prisoners, but the fire from the enemy's rifle pits in rear of the fort, and the lack of reinforcements coming to their aid, rendered the place untenable. Sergeant Griffith and David Trine, of Company I, were the only survivors of this daring exploit [see note 9]. The assault had proved a failure. The troops did not leave the field, however. Believing that reinforcements would be sent to their aid, the gallant officers and men of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Iowa and the Eleventh Wisconsin remained on the field, receiving and returning the fire of the enemy until, their ammunition becoming exhausted, they were compelled to withdraw. The regiment had suffered very heavy loss. Captain James Robertson of Company I, and Lieutenant Matthew A. Robb of Company D, were killed at the head of their companies. Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Graham and several others were taken prisoners in the ditch at the fort, while gallantly endeavoring to aid the brave men who had gained an entrance. Captain John H. Gearkee and Lieutenant John Remic, of Company B, and Lieutenant L. F. Mullins of Company C, fell severely wounded at the post of honor at the head of their companies. Every officer and man of the regiment might justly have had special mention for the brave manner in which he performed his duty in that desperate and hopeless struggle. They obeyed orders — the highest duty of soldiers — without questioning the wisdom or unwisdom of the officers high in command, who had sent them against this strong position of the enemy and failed to reinforce them at the critical moment when they had gained a lodgment upon the works of the enemy and, with a sufficient force sent to their assistance, might have carried and held them. It was the last attempt to capture Vicksburg by direct assault, and, from that day to the time of surrender, the safer and wiser plan of a regular siege was adopted. The loss of the Twenty-second Iowa in this charge was 27 killed, 118 wounded and 19 captured. Total loss 164 [see note 10]. This was the heaviest loss sustained by any regiment of the Thirteenth Army Corps in the disastrous assault, as shown by the official returns. The total loss of the corps was 1,275, while that of Carr's Division was 710, and of Lawler's Brigade 368 [see note 11].

Colonel Stone having been wounded and Lieutenant Colonel Graham captured during the assault, the command of the regiment devolved upon Major Atherton, who wrote the official report of the engagement [see note 12]. His report differs in some respects from those of other officers, notably that of Captain C. N. Lee [see note 13], also that of General Lawler [see note 14], the Brigade Commander, and that of Adjutant Pryce, in his history of the regiment [see note 15]. ♦ The compiler has heretofore referred to these conflicting reports and cannot attempt to reconcile them. In the main they are in accord as to the essential fact, that the conduct of the officers and men of the regiment in that desperate charge was worthy of as high praise as was ever accorded to soldiers upon any battlefield of the war, in either of the contending armies. Had the history of the Twenty-second Iowa ended upon that day, that regiment would still stand high upon the roll of fame, as among the bravest and best that the State of Iowa sent into the field.

The regiment had now become fearfully reduced in numbers, but the brave officers and men who survived, and were able for duty, performed their full share of service in the trenches until the surrender of the rebel stronghold on the 4th of July, 1863. They suffered all the hardships and exposure incident to that protracted siege, but, during the remainder of its progress, the casualties of the regiment were light, as compared with its heavy loss on the 22d of May. The losses of the regiment in battle, on the skirmish line and in the siege had, up to July 4, 1863, aggregated 189, while less than ten months had expired since it took the field.

On the morning of July 5th, the regiment took up the line of march with the troops under General Sherman, moving against the rebel army under General Johnston. The regiment started on this march with less than 150 officers and men fit for duty, but, during all the operations of its brigade and division, while the rebel army was being driven towards Jackson and during the siege of that place — which ended with the evacuation of the enemy on July 16th — it performed its full share of duty, always acquitting itself with credit. Colonel Stone, having partially recovered from his wounds, rejoined his regiment while the siege of Jackson was in progress, and was placed in command of the Second Brigade. After the army had taken possession of the city, the Second Brigade was ordered to destroy a portion of the Mississippi Central Railroad. Having accomplished that duty, it returned to Vicksburg, arriving there on the 24th of July, and going into camp in the city. Here Colonel Stone (having been nominated for Governor of Iowa) tendered his resignation and took final leave of the army, carrying with him the love and respect of his comrades in arms. The officers and men of the regiment regretted the loss of their noble commander, under whom they had won renown, but they rejoiced to know that he was to become the Governor of their State, in recognition of his splendid service as a soldier and of his ability to render equally good service as the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth of Iowa.

On the 31st of July, General Carr, who had successfully commanded the division, relinquished the command, on account of impaired health, and General Benton was appointed his successor, while Colonel Harris, of the Eleventh Wisconsin, again assumed command of the brigade as the successor of Colonel Stone. The brigade became a part of the First Division of the Thirteenth Army Corps, commanded by Major General Ord, as the successor of Major General McClernand. On the 13th of August the regiment embarked on the transport "Baltic," and moved down the river to Carrollton, eight miles above New Orleans, and went into camp there. Preparations were being made for another campaign. The troops were soon ordered to New Orleans, where all surplus baggage was stored in order that the troops might be relieved of everything that would prevent celerity in marching, and, after being reviewed by Generals Grant and Banks, the whole command embarked on transports and proceeded to Algiers. Landing there, the troops were conveyed by rail to Bayou Beoff, where they arrived on September 5th, and remained until the 11th, when they marched to Brashear City, on Berwick Bay. On September 25th the troops crossed the bay and went into camp near the ruins of the town of Berwick. On the 2d of October the army took up its line of march, passing through Iberia, Franklin and St. Martinsville, and arriving at Vermillionville on October 10th. The enemy, consisting of a heavy force under General Dick Taylor, was first encountered near Iberia. They rapidly retreated and were pursued to Opelousas, at which point it was expected they would make a determined stand and that a general engagement would take place; but, the enemy continuing to retreat, the expedition was abandoned, with no more important result than temporarily driving the enemy out of that part of the country south of Bayou Teche and extending from Berwick to Opelousas. During this campaign the Twenty-second Iowa participated in several skirmishes, but sustained only slight losses. On the 10th of November the regiment, with the other troops, had returned to Berwick.

The First Division, now under command of General Washburn, was ordered to proceed to Texas, and, on November 17th, the Twenty-second Iowa crossed Berwick Bay, reaching Algiers the next day. Five companies, under command of Colonel Graham, embarked on the steamer "T. A. Scott," while the balance of the regiment, under command of Major White, remained at Algiers, awaiting transportation. On the 20th, the steamer, conveying the five companies, proceeded down the river and crossed the bar into the Gulf of Mexico and, after a stormy and perilous voyage, arrived at the mouth of the Rio Grande, off Brazos Santiago, Texas. Here an attempt was made to land a portion of the troops at Point Isabel. The ship drawing too much water to cross the bar, five companies of the Eleventh Wisconsin were landed in small boats, but, during the undertaking — a somewhat hazardous one — a storm arose and the ship was compelled to put to sea again, leaving that portion of the troops landed at Point Isabel. On the evening of November 27th the ship arrived off Mustang Island, seventy miles from Matagorda Bay, and, the storm having somewhat abated, succeeded in landing the troops safely. On the 29th the regiment proceeded with the expedition against Fort Esperanza, commanding the entrance to Matagorda Bay, crossed St. Joseph's and Matagorda Islands, and arrived at the fort December 1st. The enemy had blown up their magazines and abandoned the fort the night previous. The troops went into camp near the Port of Saluria, and on the next day crossed Pass Cavallo, at the entrance of the bay, and went into camp on the peninsula, at De Crou's Point. The regiment was there joined by Major White, with the left wing. The regiment remained at that place until January 3, 1864, when, with the other troops of the brigade and division, they embarked on transports and proceeded to Indianola. The town was occupied by a force of the enemy, which fled upon the approach of the Union troops. The troops were quartered in houses at Indianola about three weeks, when the Second Brigade was ordered to Old Indianola, where it went into winter quarters. While at the latter place the First and Second Brigades were consolidated and formed the First Brigade of the First Division, the former commanded by General Fitz Henry Warren, and the latter successively by Generals Washburn, Dana and Benton.

During the winter the officers and men were comfortably situated, enjoyed excellent health, and the regiment rapidly improved in discipline and military efficiency. The enemy appeared several times near the town, but only in small reconnoitering parties, which were generally easily driven off by a detachment of mounted infantry of twenty-five men organized for that purpose from the different regiments of the brigade. On one occasion they encountered a full company of rebel cavalry, supposed to belong to "Wall's Legion," and formerly known as "Texan Rangers." A desperate fight took place about fifteen miles in the interior. The enemy numbered about one hundred men, but the little band of Union soldiers fought bravely. They were finally compelled to surrender. The following members of the Twenty-second Iowa belonging to the detachment were captured: John Fleming and Wm. Bechtel, Company A; Philip Huzer, Company D; Gabriel Hoffman, Company H; Karl Bedner, Company K; and William Franklin, Company F. On the 13th of March the troops evacuated the town and returned to Matagorda Island. All other troops of the Thirteenth Army Corps having left the island, the First Division, under General Dana, was assigned to the defenses of the coast at this point. Colonel Graham was ordered to proceed to Iowa on recruiting service at this time and, Major White having been granted leave of absence, Major Houston of the Twenty-third Iowa was temporarily assigned to the command of the Twenty-second Iowa.

On the 21st of April the regiment embarked on steamers "Planter" and "Matamoras" and proceeded on an expedition, under command of General Warren in person, to Port Lavacca, a distance of seventy miles from the mouth of the bay and thirty miles above Indianola; the object of the expedition being to obtain lumber for the completion of the forts and other works on the island. Upon the approach of the steamers, the rebel troops stationed at Port Lavacca — consisting of one company of cavalry — fled to the interior. The regiment disembarked and Lieutenant Jones, with Company A, as advance guard, took possession of the place. The steamers were loaded with lumber and the main object of the expedition was accomplished. General Warren, having been advised that the rebel cavalry company had returned to the vicinity of the town, ordered Major Houston to proceed with a detachment of the Twenty-second Iowa and, if possible, surround and capture the rebel force. The Major succeeded in getting into the rear of the enemy, and in the skirmish which ensued one rebel was killed and several were wounded, but, being mounted, the rest of the company escaped. The regiment then embarked and returned to the island.

On the 27th of April the Thirteenth Army Corps was ordered to report to General Banks, as reinforcements to the army under that officer, then engaged in the famous and ill-fated Red River Expedition. The left wing of the Twenty-second Iowa, commanded by Captain Gearkee, embarked on the 27th, and the right wing, commanded by Major White, followed on the 29th, arriving at New Orleans on May 1st. On the evening of May 4th, the left wing of the regiment, Captain Cree commanding, embarked with the Twenty-third Iowa, and, accompanied by General Fitz Henry Warren and his staff, proceeded up Red River, arriving at Fort De Russy on May 6th, but the enemy having obstructed the navigation of the river below Alexandria, the boats could proceed no further. They then returned to the mouth of Red River, where the troops landed and went into camp. On the 15th of May, a fleet of transports arrived and the troops again embarked and proceeded to Simsport on the Atchafalaya River, to join the troops of General Banks' expedition, who were marching from Alexandria to that point. On May 16th, the Thirteenth, Seventeenth and Nineteenth Corps arrived at Simsport and crossed the river on transports. All the troops then took up the line of march for Morganza, where they arrived on the 22d of May, and where the detachment of the Twenty-second Iowa, under command of Captain Cree, remained in camp until the 9th of June, when the captain received orders to report, with his detachment, to Colonel Graham at Baton Rouge, La., where the regiment was reunited on June 10, 1864.

The Thirteenth Army Corps having been temporarily discontinued by the War Department, the Twenty-second Iowa was ordered to report to General Reynolds at New Orleans, was conveyed to that place on July 6th and went into camp at Algiers. The regiment was there assigned to the Second Brigade of the Second Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, composed of the One-hundred-thirty-first and One-hundred-fifty-ninth New York, Thirteenth Connecticut, Third Massachusetts Cavalry, Twenty-second Iowa and Eleventh Indiana. The brigade was commanded by Colonel E. L, Molineaux, of the One-hundred-fifty-ninth New York. The Nineteenth Corps, as reorganized, comprised three divisions. The first, General Dwight's, was composed of eastern troops exclusively; the second, General Grover's, had five western regiments and the remainder were eastern troops; the third, General Lawler's, was composed entirely of western troops. The first and second divisions having been ordered to report to Washington, D. C, the Twenty-second Iowa, with the One-hundred-thirty-first and One-hundred-fifty-ninth New York, embarked, on the 17th of July, on the steamer "Cahawba," and arrived at Fortress Monroe on the 24th, after a voyage void of incident. On the 25th the ship proceeded up the James River to Bermuda Hundreds Landing, where the troops disembarked and, after marching seven miles, joined the forces under General Butler. These three regiments were separated from the division to which they had been assigned, the other portion of it having gone direct to Washington. They were temporarily attached to General Terry's division of General Birny's corps and placed on duty in the trenches, extending across the peninsula from the James River to Appomattox, occupying a portion of the line in General Butler's front until July 31st, when orders were received to report at Washington. The troops marched to Bermuda Hundreds Landing, where they embarked on transports, proceeded down the river to Fortress Monroe and from there up the Potomac to Washington, where they arrived on August 1st and disembarked.

On August 2d the three regiments marched to Tennallytown, D. C, at the outer defenses of the city, and went into camp on the heights of Georgetown, overlooking the city. There they were joined by a portion of their division, and on August 14th again took up the line of march to join the troops under command of General Sheridan, then operating in the vicinity of Cedar Creek and Strasburg in the Shenandoah Valley. The march was continued through Dranesville, Leesburg and Hamilton, over the Kitoctan Mountains, through Snickers Gap in the Blue Ridge, and, wading the Shenandoah River at the foot of the mountain at midnight, the troops arrived at Berryville, ten miles from Winchester, Va., at daylight on the morning of August 18th. Here they met the forces of General Sheridan on their retreat down the valley, pursued by the rebel General Early's army. The Twenty-second Iowa and the other troops of its brigade and division were ordered to join the retreat on the Berryville and Harper's Ferry road. Summit Point, four miles from Charlestown, was reached at midnight. Here the troops remained for two days. The enemy threatening a flank movement, the army again fell back to Halltown, the Twenty-second Iowa forming the rear guard. On the morning of August 21st, the army took a position on a range of hills, its left resting on the Potomac and its right extending to near the foot of the Blue Ridge. The Twenty-second Iowa occupied a position near the center of the line, about one mile south of Halltown. From the date last mentioned, both armies continued to maneuver for position, the Twenty-second Iowa and the troops with which it was associated performing their full share in the different movements, in which there was more or less skirmishing, until the 18th of September, when the army received orders to be ready to march at a moment's notice. All surplus baggage was loaded and sent to the rear and the troops were left with nothing that would in the least encumber them, either upon the march or in battle.

At 2 A. M., September 19, 1864, the army took up its line of march on the road leading to Winchester. Arriving at the Opequon soon after daylight, and the road passing through a narrow defile, the Nineteenth Corps was obliged to halt until the Sixth Corps passed. In the meantime the advance, composed entirely of cavalry, had become engaged with the enemy and had succeeded in driving in their pickets. At 9 A. M. the Tenth Corps arrived upon the ground and formed in line of battle about one mile from the Opequon, on a range of hills facing the enemy. During the time that the formation of the line was in progress, the enemy opened vigorously with artillery, but were soon silenced and quiet was restored along the lines, as if to prepare for the terrible contest which was soon to follow. The enemy was found to be strongly posted in a belt of heavy timber, with their line extending across the Winchester road. During a short reconnaissance to ascertain the enemy's position, the troops were allowed to rest. In a few moments the command "Forward!" rang along the line, and the army moved forward to the attack. The Twenty-second Iowa occupied the left of the brigade, which formed the extreme left of the Nineteenth Corps. The ground over which the regiment had to pass was an open field, extending to the enemy's works, a distance of about one mile. The enemy, being in open view, observed our movements and opened a concentrated fire from their artillery on our advancing column until it had reached to within six hundred yards, when they opened with grape and canister. The regiment then moved forward on the double quick, meeting a heavy fire of musketry, and reached a point within one hundred yards of their line, posted behind a stone fence in the woods. Under the destructive fire the line began to waver, but the men were rallied and fought for nearly an hour in the open field against the enemy protected by their works. The troops of the Sixth Corps — which joined immediately on the left of the Twenty-second Iowa — gave way, and General Grover, finding that his troops would be flanked on the left, gave orders to fall back, which was done in good order. The enemy, inspired by their partial success, raised a yell and charged in pursuit. The line was again rallied and, in turn, charged the enemy, driving them back over the field and through the timber. The enemy retreated in confusion until they reached the range of hills near Winchester, when they rallied and attempted to make a stand; but the rebel troops had become demoralized and could not be held in line. They again broke and fell back in confusion, leaving the Union Army in undisputed possession of the field at sundown. In this desperate battle the Twenty-Second Iowa had fought in the open in the most exposed and dangerous position, while the greater part of the Union troops advanced under cover of the woods. When the line fell back, the regiment promptly obeyed the order to halt and, in turn, charged the advancing and exultant rebels and turned apparent defeat into victory. The official report states that the regiment never fought better [see note 16]. Not a man faltered or fell back, although it required the highest degree of courage to charge over that open space, for a long distance, and all the time under a heavy fire; and, again, when ordered to fall back, to promptly obey the order to turn and charge the enemy, and thus achieve a splendid victory.

The Twenty-second Iowa had nobly maintained the honor of its State and had won the, high regard of the Eastern troops, by whose side they fought at the battle of Winchester. Colonel Graham commanded the regiment, and directed its movements with the same bravery and ability he had exhibited upon the battlefields where his regiment had fought with the western armies. He was ably assisted by the gallant Lieutenant Colonel White and Major Gearkee. Those especially mentioned in the official reports were: “Captain D. J. Davis of Company A, and Captain B. D. Parks of Company E; who were instantly killed at the head of their companies. Their conduct was heroic, and they died at the post of honor. Sergeant Major George A. Remley, as noble as he was brave, was pierced with three balls and fell dead. Lieutenant Colonel E. G. White was slightly wounded in the face by the explosion of a shell. Lieutenant James A. Boarts was severely wounded in the head by a minie ball, and has since died. Lieutenants Jones of Company A, and Hull of Company K, were both captured. Lieutenant Colonel White, Major Gearkee, Captains Mullins, Humphrey, Cree, Clark, Shockey, Hartly and Morsman, and Lieutenants Turnbull, Davis, Needham, Messenger and Chandler, are all entitled to great praise for their gallantry throughout the battle in encouraging and rallying the men to the colors. Surgeon Shrader was on the field during the engagement and was indefatigable in his exertions to care for the wounded. Hospital Steward Ealy, Quartermaster Sterling and Commissary Sergeant Brown rendered efficient service in carrying off the wounded and conducting the ambulances to different parts of the field, and can not be too highly commended. The total loss of the regiment in this battle was 109 killed, wounded and missing. A list of the casualties is annexed to the report." [See note 17.]

On the night of the 19th of September, the regiment, with the rest of the army, bivouacked on the battlefield near Winchester. On the morning of the 20th, the army again took up its line of march in pursuit of the enemy. On the 22d, the rebel army made a stand at the strong position of Fisher's Hill, and General. Sheridan at once made preparations for an attack. At 12 o'clock the Twenty-second and Twenty-eighth Iowa were ordered to advance and carry a line of rifle pits on the heights, occupied by the skirmishers of the enemy. The charge was executed in fine style, and the skirmishers were compelled to abandon the rifle pits and retire into their main works. At 4 o'clock P.M. orders were received to assault the fortified position of the enemy. The Twenty-second and Twenty-eighth Iowa and the One-hundred-twenty-eighth New York, occupying the advance line as skirmishers on the extreme left of the army, charged up the rocky and precipitous ground and drove the enemy in their front from the works. Owing to the irregularity of the ground, the loss of the regiment in this charge was but four men wounded. In the pursuit, which was kept up until the following morning at 4 o'clock, the Twenty-second Iowa, with the Eleventh Indiana, occupied the extreme advance of the army and marched, deployed as skirmishers, for a distance of fifteen miles from Fisher's Hill, capturing hundreds of prisoners. During this night march, while engaged in a skirmish with the rear guard of the enemy, Paul Miller, of the non-commissioned staff of the regiment, was severely wounded. The pursuit was continued through Harrisonburg to Mount Crawford, when it was abandoned and the army returned to Harrisonburg and went into camp, remaining there until the 6th of October, on which date it returned to Cedar Creek and began the construction of a line of fortifications in a semi-circle on a range of hills north of the creek.

The movements of the enemy, from the 13th to the 18th of October, indicated that the rebel generals were again contemplating an attack upon General Sheridan's fortified position. Skirmishing with reconnoitering parties of the rebel army frequently occurred and, on the night of October 18th, General Mollineaux, in command of the brigade to which the Twenty-second Iowa was attached, received orders to make a reconnaissance in force to ascertain the strength and develop the lines of the enemy; but, at 5 o'clock on the morning of the 19th, when the brigade was just starting upon its march, the enemy suddenly attacked the extreme left flank, taking the Eighth Army Corps completely by surprise, driving it from its works and, in a short time, succeeding in getting into the rear of the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps. This bold and brilliant movement of the rebel commander threatened the complete defeat of General Sheridan's army. At the commencement of the attack, the Twenty-second Iowa was detached from its brigade and proceeded on the double-quick to the support of a battery which was threatened with capture. Before the regiment could reach the guns, they were captured by the enemy, and it was compelled to fall back before the advancing force, but, in doing so, retained its organization and rallied four times alone, each time checking the advance of the enemy.

The army retreated gradually for three miles in the direction of Winchester, when, General Sheridan arriving upon the field in person, the troops were reformed, and hurried preparations were made to retrieve the disaster of the morning. The presence of General Sheridan proved an inspiration to the officers and men of his army; "And the wave of retreat checked its course there, because the sight of the Master compelled it to pause." General Sheridan rode along the lines and ordered the troops to halt, reform and attack the enemy, still advancing and flushed with victory. The western troops were formed together in one line, and the intrepid courage with which they fought was an important factor in retrieving the fortune of the day and converting what had seemed certain defeat into an overwhelming victory. The enemy made a gallant and stubborn resistance, but were gradually forced back to the line of breast-works which they had thrown up in the morning to provide against a reverse, but they were soon driven from that line and continued their retreat, followed closely by the forces of General Sheridan. Thousands of prisoners and a great portion of the trains and artillery of the rebel army were captured. The rebel army had met with a crushing defeat.

The loss of the Twenty-second Iowa in the battle of Cedar Creek was heavier than that which it sustained at Winchester, in proportion to the number engaged. Its loss was 77 in killed, wounded and missing [see note 18]. From the commencement to the close of the battle the regiment was constantly engaged. In this, its last battle, as in the first and all those in which it was engaged during its long period of service, the regiment maintained its high record. It remained on duty with its brigade and division until early in January, 1865. The carefully kept record of Captain Samuel D. Pryce shows that, from the time the regiment was organized to the close of the Shenandoah campaign, it had traveled by land and water over 8,000 miles, participated in eight general engagements, two sieges and numerous skirmishes, and five great campaigns, in the states of Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Virginia.

Early in January, 1865, the Nineteenth Army Corps — of which the Twenty-second Iowa was still a part — was ordered to proceed to Baltimore, Md. Here the troops were quartered in barracks until January 11th, upon which date they embarked on transports and were conveyed to Savannah, Ga., where they arrived on January 20th and went into camp near that city, where they remained until March 13, 1865, on which date the Twenty-second Iowa — with other troop s— was sent to Morehead City, N. C. There the regiment was assigned to a brigade consisting of the Twenty-second, Twenty-fourth and Twenty-eighth Iowa, the One-hundred-thirty-first, and One-hundred-fifty-ninth New York and Thirteenth Connecticut. This was the First Brigade, First Division of the Nineteenth Army Corps. There had been a number of different assignments of these troops from the time they were first brought together at New Orleans and sailed for Fortress Monroe, but, in the main, they had served together in the concluding campaigns of the war, and Colonel Mollineaux, the first commander of the brigade, was still in command but was now a Brigadier General.

On the 10th of May, 1865, the brigade began the march to Augusta, Ga., where it arrived on the 19th, and the three eastern regiments went into camp there, while the three western regiments crossed the Savannah River and encamped near the town of Hamburg, S. C, where they remained until the 6th of June, when they were ordered to return to Savannah. They began the return march (the last long march they would be required to make) on June 20th, and reached Savannah on the 25th, where they again went into camp. The records in the office of the Adjutant General of Iowa show that the Twenty-second Regiment was mustered out of the service at Savannah, Georgia, July 25, 1865, and that the regiment was subsequently disbanded at Davenport, Iowa [see note 19].

At the conclusion of his supplement to the history of the regiment, Adjutant Pryce states that the muster rolls and final discharge papers were completed on July 20th, and that the troops were mustered out of the service by Captain George E. Moulton of the Thirtieth Maine Volunteer Infantry, and gives the date as July 20th. He also states that, on the morning of July 22d, the Iowa troops marched through the city and embarked, and that they reached Baltimore, via Fortress Monroe, on the 25th, where they were quartered at the "Soldiers' Home," and the next morning departed for Davenport, Iowa, where they arrived on the 27th, remaining there until August 3, 1865, on which date they received their final pay and discharge from the service.

In conclusion, the compiler submits this condensed history of the regiment, together with the roster and personal record of its officers and enlisted men, all of which have been gleaned from official sources, in the hope and belief that, in the years to come, those who can trace their lineage to the soldiers who marched and fought under the colors of the Twenty-second Regiment of Iowa Infantry Volunteers will proudly point to the glorious record of their ancestors, who went forth to battle in the days which tried men's souls, and left to their posterity the precious legacy of their patriotic service to their country.


SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES.

Total Enrollment 1084
Killed 60
Wounded 267
Died of wounds 55
Died of disease 128
Discharged for wounds, disease and other causes 187
Buried in National Cemeteries 78
Captured 79
Transferred 42


[Note 1.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1863, Vol. 1, pages 782 to 816 inclusive; Original Roster of the Regiment.

[Note 2.] Colonel Stone was commissioned Brevet Brigadier General of Volunteers September 17, 1862. He subsequently served two terms (four years) as Governor of Iowa, 1864-1868.

[Note 3.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, pages 470, 1.

[Note 4.] See subjoined Roster, in which the names of all killed and wounded appear, together with all casualties, opposite the names recorded there.

[Note 5.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, page 543.

[Note 6.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, page 545.

[Note 7.] War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 24, pages 137, 8.

[Note 8.] War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 24, page 130.

[Note 9.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1865, Vol. 2, page 1130. Also, Supplemental Statement of Adjutant Pryce.

[Note 10.] Tabulated Returns of Casualties, War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 24, Part 2, page 161.

[Note 11.] The report of the Adjutant General of Iowa, 1865, Vol. 2, pages 1124 to 1141, inclusive, contains the history of the Twenty-second Iowa Infantry, written by the Adjutant of the regiment, Samuel D. Pryce. The compiler has quoted and will continue to quote freely from that history, in this condensed historical sketch, and here wishes to acknowledge his obligations to the author. There are some discrepancies between the statements made by the Adjutant and the official reports of the commanders of the regiment, with reference to losses, and, in a few instances, to other matters; but, as the keeper of the regimental records, the statements of the Adjutant may justly be regarded as officially correct. A supplementary statement, including a reference to the heroic act of Sergeant Griffith and those other brave men who entered the fort with him, has been made by Adjutant Pryce, and is now on file as a part of the official record of the Twenty-second Iowa, in the office of the Adjutant General. The compiler has, therefore, felt authorized to quote from this supplementary statement that portion which gives the names of the men who were engaged in the heroic exploit referred to, in order that they may have the credit to which they are entitled: ". . . . Among those who entered the fort were, Sergeants Joseph E. Griffith and N. C. Messenger, David Trine, W. H. Needham, Munson L. Clemmons, Alvin Drummond, Ezra S. Anderson, Hugh Sinclair, Lieutenant Mathew A. Robb, John A. Robb, Samuel Lloyd, William Griffin, William P. Marvin, Hezekiah Drummond, John Hale, David Jordon, Allen Cloud, Abner Bernard, and Richard Arthur. One officer and eleven enlisted men were killed inside the Confederate works or on the parapet, to-wit: Lieutenant M. A. Robb, William Griffin, John Hale, David Jordon, Ezra S. Anderson, Abner Bernard, Richard Arthur, Alvin Drummond, Hezekiah Drummond, John A. Robb, William P. Marvin and Samuel Lloyd. Lieutenant Robb was killed on the parapet, and fell back into the ditch. David Jordon was shot on the top of the parapet in the act of planting the colors. He fell with one hand upon the flagstaff. Two officers and ten enlisted men were wounded upon the parapet and fell back into the ditch. . . .”

Adjutant Pryce, in the supplemental statement referred to, gives the average loss in killed and wounded of the regiment at 85 per cent of the number engaged. The official reports put the average loss at a little over 80 per cent. The Adjutant further states that at the time the official report was made, the losses had not been accurately obtained, which would account for the discrepancy.

[Note 12.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, page 472.

[Note 13.] War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Part 2, Vol. 24, page 243.

[Note 14.] War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1- Part 2, Vol. 24, pages 140 to 142 inclusive.

[Note 15.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1865, Vol. 2, page 1180.

[Note 16.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1865, Vol. 2, page 1137.

[Note 17.] See subjoined Roster, in which all casualties are noted.

[Note 18.] See subjoined Roster.

[Note 19.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1867, Vol. 1, page 151. Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1866, page XVI.


SOURCE: Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers During the War of the Rebellion, Volume 3, p. 559-73