Gen. William W. Belknap

BELKNAP, WILLIAM W., GEN., is the son of Gen. William G. Belknap, of the United States Army, who distinguished himself in the war of 1812, in the Florida war, and at Resaca and Buena Vista in the war with Mexico, and died in the service in 1851, in Texas. He was born at Newburg, New York, in 1829, and, after attending the high school and academy there, and pursuing his studies in Florida, where his father was stationed, he entered Princeton College in 1846, and graduated in 1848. Alter studying law in Georgetown, D. C, and being admitted to the bar in Washington City, he went, in July, 1851, to Keokuk and commenced the practice of the law, shortly afterward forming a partnership with Hon. R. P. Lowe (who was soon after elected District Judge, and later Governor and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State), and brought his mother and two sisters there in 1852. He was a member of the Legislature from Lee County, in 1857, as a representative of the Democratic party; but, being a strong Douglas Democrat, and not uniting with the members of that party who favored what was known as the Lecompton Constitution of Kansas, which was an important and exciting question in the politics of the party, he joined the Republican party. He was appointed Major of the 15th Iowa Vols., by Gov. Kirkwood, in 1861, of which regiment Gen. Hugh T. Reid was Colonel, and participated in that capacity in the battle of Shiloh, where he was wounded and had his horse shot under him. He remained in the army until the close of the war, rising gradually through the grades of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel; was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers, by President Lincoln, in 1864, on the recommendation of his Commanders, Gens. Blair and Sherman, and was brevetted Major General in 1865 for gallant and meritorious services during the war. Having, as Brigadier General of Volunteers commanded the 3d Brigade, 4th Division, 17th Army Corps ( Blair's) of the army of the Tennessee ( McPherson'.s); he was in numerous battles; among them, Shiloh, Corinth, the several battles near Atlanta, and the battle of Bentonville, N. C. He was engaged in the siege of Corinth, Vicksburg and of Atlanta, and commanded his Brigade (composed of the 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th Iowa Regiments), under Sherman in his march from Atlanta to the sea; thence to Goldsboro', Raleigh and Washington. He was repeatedly mentioned for coolness and courage, and in the battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864, he took prisoner Col. Lampley, 45th Alabama, by pulling him over the works by his coat collar. At the close of the war, he was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for the 1st District of Iowa. On the accession of Gen. Grant to the Presidency, he was offered the choice of either one of three important public positions in another State, and one at Washington, which he declined, and remained Collector of the 1st District (comprising the counties of Lee, Des Moines, Louisa, Washington, Jefferson, Van Buren, Henry, and Davis), until October, 1869, when he was appointed Secretary of War by President Grant, and his many friends point to the records of that office for the proof of his faithful labors for a term of over six years. Prior to this appointment, he was selected as the orator for the Army of the Tennessee at the re-union of all the Western armies, at Crosby's Opera House, Chicago, December, 1868, and delivered the address at the great Re-union of Iowa soldiers, at Des Moines, in September, 1870. After his resignation of the office of Secretary of War, articles of impeachment were presented against him, and, after a protracted and thorough trial, he was acquitted by the Senate. Gen. Belknap married, in 1854, Miss LeRoy, of Keokuk, the sister of Mrs. Hugh T. Reid, and their son, Hugh Reid Belknap, is now a student at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. His present wife, whom he married in 1873, formerly Miss Tomlinson, of Harrodsburg, Ky., is the daughter of the late Dr. John Tomlinson, an able and famous physician of that locality. They have one child, a daughter, Alice Belknap. Since leaving the War Department Gen. Belknap has been engaged in legal practice; his residence is Keokuk, but his business before the Departments at Washington, a large part of which results from his employment as attorney by several Railroad Corporations, requires him to be absent from home during a portion of each year.

SOURCE:  The History of Lee County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, Illiniois, 1879, p. 683-4

Eleventh Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry

The official records of the office of the Adjutant General of Iowa show that the ten companies composing the Eleventh Regiment were ordered into quarters by the Governor on dates ranging from August 20 to September 23, 1861. The designated rendezvous was Camp McClellan, near Davenport, Iowa, and there, on dates ranging from September 14 to October 19, 1861, the ten companies, with the field and staff and company officers, were mustered into the service of the United States for the term of three years, by Capt. Alexander Chambers of the United States Army. The total number — rank and file — at muster in was 922. The regiment was one of the number required to complete the quota of the State of Iowa, under the proclamation of the President, dated July 23, 1861.

The names of its first field and staff and company officers will be found in the subjoined roster, and the subsequent changes, resulting from death, disease, discharge, or whatever cause, will be found noted in the roster which follows, arranged in alphabetical order, with the record of personal service opposite the name of each officer and enlisted man, in so far as such could be obtained from the official records.

The reader is referred to the introductory article to this volume for explanation of the difficulties encountered in the compilation of these rosters. There is no doubt that in some of these personal records errors have occurred, but in all such cases the official records have been followed, and those in charge of the work have used every effort to obtain the necessary information to make corrections. Such errors and incomplete records as may be found must therefore be attributed to the fact that the desired information could not be obtained.

The regimental records show that the regiment was well armed, clothed and equipped before leaving the State, and that it had made some progress in drill and in learning the duties of the soldier while at Camp McClellan. November 16th the regiment embarked at Davenport on the good steamer "Jennie Whipple," and proceeded to St. Louis, arriving there on the 19th, and going into quarters at the camp of instruction in Benton Barracks. Here it remained until December 8th, receiving instruction in drill and camp duties, in which it became fairly proficient before taking the field for active service against the enemy. It left St. Louis December 9, 1861, and from that date was engaged in a winter campaign, and suffered much from hardship and exposure. It went first to Jefferson City, then up the Missouri river to Boonville, from which point it sent out scouting parties, but only found small bodies of the enemy, which, being mounted and familiar with the country, scattered upon the approach of the Union troops. The regiment soon returned to Jefferson City.

On December 23d a detachment of five companies was sent by rail to California, Mo., under command of Lieutenant Colonel Hall. The other five companies, under command of Colonel Hare, went to Fulton, Mo. While the records do not show any official report of the operations of these two detachments during the remainder of the winter, and while no event of special importance seems to have transpired, the service performed was important, because of the fact that the presence of these Union troops, and others stationed at different points in Missouri, insured protection to the lives and property of Union citizens. A large number of rebel soldiers had been raised in that state, and had Joined the rebel army then in camp on its southwestern border, while small bands infested almost every county, and many depredations were committed notwithstanding the presence of Union troops. Early in March the two detachments of the Eleventh Iowa were ordered to St. Louis and, on March 10, 1862, the regiment was again united, and two days later was being transported by steamboat down the Mississippi to Cairo, and thence up the Ohio and Tennessee rivers to Savannah, Tenn., where it remained until March 23d, and then moved to Pittsburg Landing, and became a part of the great army then being concentrated at that point and destined to soon be engaged in one of the greatest battles of the war. The Eleventh Iowa was assigned to the First Brigade of the First Division of the Army of the Tennessee. Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand commanded the division, and Col. A. M. Hare of the Eleventh Iowa was in command of the First Brigade. Colonel Crocker's regiment, the Thirteenth Iowa, was also attached to this brigade. Early on the morning of April 6, 1862, the firing on the picket lines in front, and to the right and left of the camps of the First Brigade, indicated the advance of the enemy in force, and the long roll called the troops promptly into line. Dispositions to meet the attack were instantly made. As will be seen by the following extracts from official reports, the Eleventh Iowa was detached from its brigade at the very beginning of the battle and during both days received its orders direct from general officers, and that at no time was the regiment directly connected with any other organization during the battle, except Dresser's Battery.

It will be noted that Colonel Hare says, at the beginning of his report as Brigade Commander, that he placed the Eleventh Iowa and the battery on the right of the Second Brigade to form a reserve line, and at the close of his report he says that he did not see his own regiment or the battery after they took the position to which he had assigned them in the morning. Major General McClernand in his official report speaks of the Eleventh Iowa as "being formed as a reserve to support the center and left." That this effort to establish a reserve was properly made, there can be no doubt, but the official report of Lieut. Col. Wm. Hall plainly shows that the effort was futile. As a matter of fact there were no reserve lines in General Grant's army at Shiloh, for the reason that on the first day the superior force of the enemy made It necessary to keep every available man on the firing line, while on the second day, with his re-inforcements, he needed no reserves.

Col. A. M. Hare says, that early on the morning of the 6th, at the first alarm, he formed his brigade in front of their respective encampments, in readiness to move promptly upon the receipt of orders from his division commander. The following extracts from his report show that his own regiment was removed from his command, and constitute the only mention made by him of the part taken by the Eleventh Iowa in the battle.


I received orders about 8 A. M. to move three regiments to the left of the Second Brigade. * * * At the same time I was ordered to form a regiment on the right of the Second Brigade, which position, by my orders, the Eleventh Iowa, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Hall, immediately took, and, with a battery, formed a reserve for the time being. After seeing the order executed, I joined the three regiments at their position on the left, as above stated, and found this portion of my brigade there formed under the fire of the enemy's cannon and musketry.


Colonel Hare then describes in detail the fighting which ensued, and in the concluding part of his report says:

Dresser's Battery, and my own regiment, the Eleventh Iowa, I did not see after they took their position In the morning, but I am satisfied that they behaved with great gallantry, and their reports, herewith submitted, fully attest the bravery with which they acted.


Colonel Hare was severely wounded at 4:30 p. m. on the 6th, and Col. M. M. Crocker, of the Thirteenth Iowa, was left in command of the brigade until the close of the battle on the 7th. At the close of his official report of the conduct of the brigade from the time he assumed command, he says, "Of Dresser's battery and the Eleventh Iowa, I can say nothing, excepting that I found what was left of them in camp upon my return on the evening of the 7th, they having been separated from the brigade during all the time that it was under my command."

Lieut. Col. Wm. Hall, who commanded the Eleventh Iowa, wrote the official report of its conduct in both days of the battle. The following extracts from his report will show how bravely and successfully the regiment fought, and how severely it suffered. Being separated from its brigade, its movements were directed at first by General McClernand, next by General Grant — on the first day — and, on the second day, first by General Grant and, near the close of the battle, by General Hurlbut. Lieutenant Colonel Hall's report to Colonel Hare says in part [see note 1]:

At between 7 and 8 a. m., on the 6th I received orders from you to form my regiment — consisting of an aggregate of 750 officers and men — and march them in close column about two hundred yards to the front, and there await orders, which I did. In about half an hour, I received orders from you to march about one-fourth of a mile to the left, and there form as a reserve. On arriving at the place Indicated, I immediately deployed in line of battle. In a very few moments, I received orders from Major General McClernand to advance to the front, which I did at double quick time for a distance of over a quarter of a mile, my right supporting Dresser's battery, and my left extending along a road to another battery. I had scarcely got into position before the enemy appeared in force, and I opened fire immediately, throwing them into confusion. They soon reformed and opened a very destructive fire of musketry and artillery, which I sustained for nearly two hours, during which time my loss In killed and wounded was very severe. Major Abercrombie, who commanded the right wing, and who rendered me the most gallant and efficient aid, here received a severe wound in the head, which necessitated his retiring from the field; he remained, however, during the time above mentioned. My horse was here shot under me, and I received while on foot a slight wound in my left ankle. A large force of the enemy appearing on my right, and apparently endeavoring to turn It, I received orders to retire, which I did, forming about one hundred yards from the left of the regimental parade ground.


Lieutenant Colonel Hall describes in detail the different positions occupied by his regiment during the remainder of the battle. In the terrible and protracted contest with the enemy in their first position, the men fought until their ammunition was exhausted. General McClernand then ordered another regiment to occupy its place, while the Eleventh Iowa was ordered to the rear long enough to procure a fresh supply of ammunition, when it again proceeded to the front, this time under the personal order and direction of General Grant, and was soon again engaged in fierce conflict with the enemy, at close range. At this point Lieutenant Colonel Hall detailed twelve men from Company G of his regiment to take charge of two abandoned 12pound howitzers, which they used with good effect against the enemy, although they were without training in the handling of artillery. In every position to which it was assigned, the regiment rendered effective service. When darkness ended the fighting of the first day, the regiment lay upon its arms, in line of battle, exposed to the heavy rain which began to fall soon after the firing had ceased, without food but, with undaunted courage, ready to renew the conflict at the coming of daylight. On the morning of the 7th, the regiment was ordered to the front and went into action in support of a battery. It was now the enemy's turn to be driven from one position to another. Late in the afternoon, the enemy was in full retreat, and the battle ended in a complete victory for the Union army.

The regiment returned to its camp, sadly diminished in number, but, while the survivors mourned for their brave comrades lying dead upon that historic battlefield, they rejoiced in the victory won and in the consciousness that the regiment had performed its whole duty. At the close of his report, Lieutenant Colonel Hall commends his officers and men for their bravery and good conduct in the battle, and makes special mention of Capt. John C. Marven, who had not been able for duty for ninety days, and who rose from a sick bed to go into the battle. The gallant First Lieut. John F. Compton of Company E was killed while bravely discharging his duty. The loss of the regiment was as follows: 33 killed, 160 wounded, 1 missing, total 194. Among the gallant wounded were Col. A. M. Hare, Lieut. Col. Wm. Hall, Maj. John C. Abercrombie and Capt. Charles Foster. The long list of killed and wounded cannot be given here, but in the subjoined roster their names, and the names of all the killed and wounded in the subsequent battles in which this gallant regiment engaged, will be found.

Soon after the battle of Shiloh, the regiment was assigned to a brigade composed as follows: the Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Regiments of Iowa Infantry, under the command of Col. M. M. Crocker of the Thirteenth Iowa. From the date of the organization of this brigade — April 27, 1862 — down to the close of the great War of the Rebellion, these four regiments served together, and, while it was commanded by different officers, it retained the name of "Crocker's Iowa Brigade." It won for itself a reputation that reflected great honor upon its State.

The Eleventh Iowa participated in the advance upon and the siege of Corinth, and, after the evacuation of that rebel stronghold, May 30, 1862, went into camp there. It formed a part of the garrison and assisted in repairing and strengthening the works which had been constructed by the rebels. Corinth was a very important strategic point. Its loss had been a severe blow to the enemy, and the rebel army was being constantly strengthened with a view to its re-capture.

On July 28th, the Eleventh Iowa was ordered to Bolivar, Tenn., where it assisted in constructing defensive works and guarding the railroad. Colonel Hare resigned on account of disability, contracted from wounds and sickness, on the 31st of August, 1862, and Lieutenant Colonel Hall was promoted to Colonel, Major Abercrombie to Lieutenant Colonel and Captain Foster to Major. From Bolivar, the regiment was ordered to Corinth, and thence to Iuka, but, a few days before the battle at the latter place, it was again ordered to Corinth, arriving there just before the battle of the 3d and 4th of October. In these two days of battle, the Eleventh Iowa was for the greater part of the time held in reserve. It was under fire but a short time, but performed its duty to the fullest extent, and received the commendations of Colonel Crocker for full compliance with his orders.

The aggregate losses of the four regiments in the battle were as follows: Eleventh Iowa 21, Thirteenth Iowa 15, Fifteenth Iowa 86, Sixteenth Iowa 27. Total 149. The Fifteenth Iowa, on account of its advanced position, took the brunt of the attack, its loss greatly exceeding the aggregate loss of the other three regiments. In this, as well as each subsequent account of the operations of the Eleventh Iowa, its history is so interwoven with that of the other Iowa regiments composing the brigade that the compiler of this brief sketch finds it necessary to include; — to some extent — the four regiments in his narrative. Crocker's brigade participated actively in the pursuit of the retreating rebel army, and returned to its camp near Corinth on the evening of October 12, 1862. The regiment remained in camp at Corinth until November 2d, when — with its brigade — it marched to Grand Junction, Tenn., where It remained until November 28th, when it started on the expedition under General Grant, through central Mississippi, which failed to accomplish the results expected on account of the capture by the enemy of the garrison at Holly Springs, Miss., together with the immerse store of supplies which General Grant had accumulated there for the subsistence of his army. The regiment endured the hardships incident to the advance and retreat of the army, and arrived at Memphis, Tenn., on the 13th of January, 1863. On January 21st, the regiment — with its brigade — embarked on transports and was conveyed to Young's Point, La. Here it remained until February 8, 1863, and then moved to Lake Providence, La., where it remained until April 21, 1863. Here the brigade was inspected by Gen. Wm. E. Strong, Inspector General Seventeenth Army Corps, who made a carefully detailed report of its condition. It may be confidently asserted that no organization in the Union army was ever more highly commended by an inspecting officer, as the following brief extracts from the report will clearly indicate:


Iowa may well be proud of the Third Brigade of the Sixth Division, Col. M. M. Crocker commanding. It is composed of the following troops, viz.: The Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa Infantry. It turned out for Inspection 1,935 rank and file. • • • Since I have been a soldier, it has so happened, that I have seen many brigades, of many different army corps, both in the eastern and western armies, but never have I seen a brigade that could compete with this Iowa brigade. I am not prejudiced in the slightest degree. I never saw any of the officers or soldiers of the command until the day when I saw them in line of battle, prepared for inspection. • • • I cannot say that any one regiment of the brigade appeared better than another — they all appeared so well. The Eleventh was the strongest. It had 528 enlisted men, and 20 officers present for duty, the Thirteenth 470 enlisted men and 22 officers, the Fifteenth 428 men and 29 officers, the Sixteenth 405 men and 33 officers. In the entire brigade there was not to exceed a dozen men unable to be present for inspection.


The Eleventh Iowa was now about to enter upon the greatest campaign which had thus far been undertaken. It left Lake Providence on the 23d of April 1863, and, from that time until the surrender of Vicksburg, was actively identified with all the operations of its brigade and division. While the Union army was closing around Vicksburg and preparing for the long siege, the Iowa Brigade was stationed at Grand Gulf, as a temporary garrison, guarding the immense supplies that were being received and forwarded to the main army. May 19th the brigade left Grand Gulf and proceeded up the river, landing on the Louisiana shore two miles below Vicksburg, and marching to Young's Point. From there it went to Haines Bluff on the Yazoo, but soon returned to the landing below Vicksburg, was conveyed from there to Warrenton on transports, and, disembarking, began the march towards the left of the line of investment in rear of Vicksburg. This march was nearly parallel with the right of the rebel line of defenses, and on this part of the line the investment had not been completed. The enemy's pickets were soon encountered and driven in, and the Iowa Brigade took position under the fire of the rebel batteries, while its line of skirmishers engaged in a brisk exchange of shots with the outlying pickets of the enemy.

The brigade occupied different positions along the firing line until May 27th, when it was ordered to join the expedition under Gen. F. P. Blair, against the rebel forces under Gen. J. E. Johnston. On May 30th, the brigade returned from the expedition, having successfully accomplished the duty to which it was assigned, and again took part in the siege operations, sending heavy details into the trenches, and doing effective service. During nine days of this time, the Eleventh Iowa was stationed four miles in rear of the brigade, doing important picket duty. On June 27th, the brigade was moved sixteen miles to the rear of Vicksburg, where It occupied an Important position, ready to repel an expected attack from the enemy, who, it was thought, might attack from the rear, while General Pemberton would bring his army outside the works at Vicksburg and attack the Union army in front, in the hope of raising the siege. This position was occupied until the surrender of Vicksburg, July 4. 1863.

Col. Wm. Hall of the Eleventh Iowa, then commanding the Iowa Brigade, at the close of his official report, describing the operations of the brigade during the campaign, says:

I cannot close this report without bearing testimony to the alacrity, cheerfulness, and gallant bearing, which has been shown by the officers and men of the brigade, through all the various and trying scenes of the late campaign. In long marches, under the heat of a burning southern sun, In skirmishes with the enemy at all points of the line of investment, and with Johnston's troops In the rear, In the rifle pits in front of Vicksburg, either with rifle in hand as sharpshooters, or with spade throwing up additional works, but one feeling appeared to animate them, and that was the desire to do their whole duty.


After the surrender of Vicksburg, and the evacuation of Jackson, the Eleventh Iowa, together with the other troops of its brigade and the army which had been engaged in the great campaign, enjoyed a period of well earned rest.

About the middle of August, the Iowa Brigade, with the Third Division of the Seventeenth Corps and a considerable force of cavalry and artillery, constituting an expeditionary force of about 5000 men, embarked on steamers, moved to Goodrich's Landing, where they landed and began a long and toilsome march into Louisiana, penetrating to Monroe on the Washita River, and returning to Vicksburg on the 3d of September. The results accomplished by this expedition were meager, while the suffering endured by the soldiers engaged in it was very great. Many died from the effects of the hardships to which they were subjected and many never fully recovered from the diseases contracted while passing through that malarious region during the hottest days of the summer.

Upon its return from the expedition, the brigade went into camp, where it remained until early in February, 1864, when it participated in the famous Meridian expedition with the army commanded by General Sherman. Although this expedition was conducted in midwinter, and the men were without tents, and subsisted almost wholly upon the country through which they passed, they suffered less than they did on the Louisiana expedition, while the results accomplished were of very great importance. Before starting upon the Meridian expedition, a majority of the men of the Eleventh Iowa had re-enlisted for another term of three years, and had earned the title of veterans. Early in March, the veteran organization was granted a furlough of 30 days, to begin after reaching the State of Iowa. They embarked at Vicksburg on the steamer "Continental" which conveyed them to Davenport, Iowa, from which place they departed for their respective homes.

On the 22d of April, 1864, the veterans of the regiment again assembled at Davenport. Many recruits had joined them, and, with its ranks thus greatly strengthened, the regiment at once proceeded upon its long journey to the front. At Cairo, Ill., transports were waiting to convey it to Clifton, Tenn., at which place it landed, and started on the long march across Tennessee and Alabama and on to the mountains of Georgia, where it joined the army under General Sherman, then engaged in one of the most remarkable campaigns in the military history of the world. The Iowa Brigade was now re-united — the other three regiments having returned from veteran furlough — and joined the army at Ackworth, Ga., on June 8, 1864.

In this campaign, the Eleventh Iowa first came under fire at Kenesaw Mountain. After the enemy had been driven from that stronghold, on the night of July 2d, the regiment, with the Iowa Brigade, participated in the operations at Marietta, and on across the Chattahoochee river and Nick-a-jack, and still on, until the enemy was encountered in strong force in front of Atlanta. The official records fully sustain the following statement of that gifted writer, L. D. Ingersoll:

It would involve needless repetition were I to narrate the complete history of the Eleventh regiment through the remainder of this campaign, of which it is hardly too much to say, that as characterizing the whole of it, every hour saw a skirmish, and every day a battle. Engaged in the bloodiest encounters that distinguished the campaign, the veteran Eleventh everywhere acquitted Itself with honor, and sealed Its devotion to the cause for which it fought with the lives and blood of many as gallant men as ever shouldered a musket or drew a sword. The losses in the regiment during the campaign — at Kenesaw, Nickajack Creek, in the combats and battles before Atlanta, on the 20th, 21st and 22d days of July, in the siege and during the flanking movements, from the 8th of June to the 5th of September, when the great prize fell into our possession, numbered 218 killed, wounded and prisoners, being half the available strength of the regiment.


Lieut. Col. J. C. Abercrombie, in his official report of the part taken by his regiment on the 22d day of July, 1864, says in part, "It is highly gratifying to report that the officers and men of the regiment did their duty gallantly and faithfully throughout. I would mention, as among those entitled to favorable notice, Capt. John W. Anderson, who with a part of his company, and a number of scattering men, successfully held the small fort on the hill, while the enemy were assaulting it in strong force. The loss of that fort would have meant disaster to us." He makes favorable mention of First Lieutenant and Acting Adjutant B. W. Prescott, Major Charles Foster, who was wounded early in the battle and subsequently died from the effect of his wound; Captain Neal, who was killed by grape shot late in the afternoon at the fort; First Lieutenant Caldwell, killed; First Lieutenant Pfoutz, wounded; Second Lieutenant Wylie, wounded; Captains Barr and Rose and First Lieutenant Cassell, missing and supposed to have been wounded and captured. He also commends the gallant conduct of Sergeant Major John G. Safley, who was wounded, and First Sergeant John A. Buck, who was killed. These men led a party of volunteers who made a dash over the works held by the rebels, bringing back more than their own number as prisoners, among them a colonel and a captain. A confederate flag was captured by Private Haworth, and the banner of the Forty-fifth Alabama regiment was captured by Private Siberts. The Eleventh Iowa captured during the battle 93 prisoners. Its aggregate loss was 137. This was its severest battle of the campaign. The fighting, on both sides, was of the most determined and desperate character, in many instances hand to hand. The record of conspicuous acts of personal bravery would alone be sufficient to fill many pages, did space permit.

After the fall of Atlanta, the Eleventh Iowa had several weeks of rest in camp. It then joined in the pursuit of Hood's army into northwestern Alabama. By the middle of November it returned to Atlanta, and, when the great march to the sea began, the regiment, with its brigade, was in its place in line. Arrived at Savannah, another period of several weeks of rest and recreation was enjoyed.

Early in 1865, the regiment, with its brigade, embarked for the short voyage on the Atlantic to Beaufort, S. C, and from that place again took up the line of march for the North. In this closing campaign of the war — noted for the great hardships endured by the troops upon the long and toilsome march, the skirmishes and conflicts with the retreating rebel army, which was compelled to surrender when successful resistance was no longer possible — the Eleventh Iowa performed its full share of duty. After the surrender of Johnston's army at Raleigh, N. C., the Union troops marched on to Washington. Arriving there it went into camp, and, when the veteran troops of the Army of the Tennessee marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, no State was more proudly represented in that grand marching column of war worn and battle scarred veterans than Iowa, and among all the Iowa regiments none presented a more soldierly appearance or received greater honor from the cheering multitude than the Eleventh Iowa and its associate organizations in the old Iowa Brigade.

From Washington the regiment proceeded by rail and steamboat to Louisville, Ky., where it was mustered out of the service of the United States on the 15th day of July, 1865. From Louisville, the regiment was sent to Davenport, Iowa. The citizens of this good city had witnessed the departure of the regiment for the war, had welcomed it upon its return on furlough as a veteran organization, had again witnessed its departure for the field after the brief visit of its officers and men at their homes, and they now extended a cordial and enthusiastic welcome to these war worn heroes, in response to which Col. William Hall, then broken in health and scarcely able to stand, said, "I cannot stand long enough to make a speech, I can only say to the citizens of Davenport, In response to the warm and generous welcome that they have extended to my comrades of the Eleventh Iowa, and myself, that the record we have made as good soldiers from the State of Iowa, while fighting in defense of our common country, will be duplicated by the record we shall make as good citizens, when we shall have returned to our homes and loved ones."

The regiment was then disbanded, and the veterans were soon on their way to their respective homes, there to receive the glad welcome of their families, friends and neighbors, and to make good the pledge of their old commander, in the record of good and faithful citizenship, which they established and maintained.

The compiler of this brief and imperfect sketch salutes those who still survive, and congratulates them upon having belonged to a military organization which made a record second to none of the splendid regiments which the State of Iowa sent to the field. A large majority of their comrades have answered the last roll call, and not many years can elapse until the last survivor will have answered the summons, and none will be left to recount the story of their suffering and their triumph; but, so long as the grand Republic for which they fought shall live, their names and their brave deeds will be remembered by a grateful people.


SUMMARY OP CASUALTIES.
Total Enrollment 1297
Killed 58
Wounded 234
Died of wounds 27
Died of disease 154
Discharged for wounds, disease and other causes 179
Buried in National Cemeteries Ill
Transferred 42


[Note 1.] War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 10, Page 130.


SOURCE: Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers During the War of the Rebellion, Volume 2, p. 275-83

Ensign H. King

Ensign H. King was the second Adjutant. He enlisted as a private at Osceola, Clarke county, Iowa in 1861, and was First Sergeant of Company I, was in the battle of Shiloh, and his Company officers being all killed or wounded, he commanded the Company on Monday, April 7, 1862. He, with Sergeant McArthur of Company K, joined about ninety men under the command of Major Belknap, and fought on the left of Gross’s Brigade of Nelson’s Division on the evening of Sunday, April 6. They were placed there by order of General Grant to Major Belknap personally, Major Belknap having reported to General Grant, and seeing him then for the first time. He Became a Second Lieutenant on July 4, 1862, vice Hamilton Killed at Shiloh, and became First Lieutenant on December 10, 1862, and on April 22, 1863, he was made First Lieutenant and Adjutant. He was in all the campaigns in which the Regiment took part. He especially distinguished himself during the battles near Atlanta in 1864. In the charge of July 21, on the right of the Third Division, which enabled that division of the 17th Corps to capture and hold “Bald Hill,” which could not have been captured had not the Iowa Brigade made this charge, the 15th Iowa, after its work was done, fell back into the earth works. It was soon discovered that Lieutenant-Colonel Hedrick, with three Companies of the Regiment, had not fallen back and were still under a heavy fire, and within close proximity to the enemy’s works. Colonel Belknap ordered Adjutant King to return and notify them. It was a hazardous and dangerous duty, but he did not flinch. Up he went through severe firing. He says himself: “It was about the severest trial I had during the war.” But he did it well. On the next day when Lampley, the Colonel of the 45th Alabama, was captured, King brought in the youngster, Lee, who had so bravely stood by his Commander. Lampley died soon after.

Lee now lives in Clayton, Alabama, thoroughly reconstructed.

On October 27, 1864, Adjutant King was appointed Chaplain and he was as faithful and devoted in that branch of the service as in the other. As Adjutant he was prompt, accurate and reliable; he continued in the work, most intelligently of the Adjutant Pomutz on the Regimental Record, and the service he did will live to do him honor always. He was, as all truly religious men are, thoroughly brave and unostentatious, but still aware of his own rights and prompt to maintain them. Both as a soldier of the country and soldier of the cross, he came up to the mark, and the men of the 15th Iowa will always have a pleasant word for King. He now is a Minister of the Gospel, connected with the Methodist Church and resides at Napa City California.

SOURCE: William W. Belknap, History of the Fifteenth Regiment Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, p. 39-41

WILLIAM W. BELKNAP.

William W. Belknap, of Keokuk, was the second Colonel. Heredity asserts itself in the transmission of the chivalric spirit of the father to the son as well as in the perpetuity of those other traits, mental and moral, which the psychologist and the social philosopher love to trace with such minute care. The soldier is the sire of soldiers! Some men take up the sword as naturally as others do the pen or plow. It only requires the opportunity to develop the penchant. In every lonely, wind-swept country grave-yard there are the ashes of unknown Miltons. The epics that remained unsung upon their lips would have fired men to nobler accomplishments and purer purposes, — but the circumstances that shaped their destinies cast in different moulds those who would have sung them; the philosophers and scientists who have never been developed are unnumbered; the teachers worthy to lead men and the statesmen who might have guided the ship of state in any storm and who yet died unknown, is beyond count. But that spirit, which animates the soldier — that martial valor — rises to the surface under different circumstances, more untoward conditions. When the shock of war breaks upon a nation, when a crisis in civil affairs arises which must needs be arbitrated by arms, then there comes the stern sense of duty, coupled with the grim pagentry and high glory of war which fans into flame the latent embers of chivalry that have slumbered in the breasts of men. Here heredity and intellect assert themselves. The men born to command, command; those born to obey fall into the ranks and fill a noble part not less glorious for being less conspicuous.

Admitting the truth of the premises we have established it is not surprising that William W. Belknap was one of the earliest to enter the service in the war for the Union. It is not surprising that he achieved distinction and left the service with a brilliant record as a soldier and a leader. He came of a line of soldiers. His father, William G. Belknap, was for years a distinguished officer of the regular army, entering the service in 1813, when but a boy. He was appointed a third Lieutenant by President Madison and served with marked gallantry in that last struggle with Great Britain. Later he served in the Florida and Mexican wars, participating in all the battles fought by General Taylor — serving for a time on the staff of that officer and being brevetted Brigadier-General for gallantry in the battle of Buena Vista. While still in the service in Texas in 1851 he died.

In the town of Newburgh, New York, in 1829, the subject of this sketch was born, and there he spent his boyhood. When nineteen years of age (1848) he graduated from Princeton College; and at once entering upon the study of the law with Hugh Caperton, of Georgetown, D. C., he was admitted to the bar of the District by Judge Cranch in 1851. The young attorney, with a shrewdness of intuition which stood him in good stead later in life, saw the possibilities which yet lay before the Great West. Already the avenues to success at the East were blocked by the number of worthy applicants. The West, with its untried possibilities and its wider scope for the development of talent he preferred to the East, and in July of the same year in which he was admitted to the bar we find our young attorney hanging out his shingle in Keokuk. The professional ability of young Belknap commanded the respect of the older practitioners at the bar, and shortly after his location he formed a partnership with Hon. R. P. Lowe, who became afterwards Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State and later Governor. It was not long before the talent of the young lawyer began to assert itself in the new community. While there was a vigorous energy about the frontier communities which the later generations may have missed, still there was not the competition of talent which comes with older civilization and broader means of general culture. A strong, talented man must of necessity forge to the front and take precedence; so after his marriage in 1854 to Miss Cora Le Roy, of Vincennes, Indiana, (a sister-in-law of General Hugh T. Reid, who died in 1862), General Belknap began taking the local political leadership. As a result he was elected to the Legislature from Lee County at the first session held in Des Moines, in 1857-8. Then Belknap was an enthusiastic Douglas Democrat. It was the argument of war which changed his politics and made him a Republican.

The first real evidence of military spirit which the young lawyer showed was when he entered the “City Rifles," a crack military company which he afterwards commanded, and which furnished many officers of ability and high rank to the Volunteer forces. In its ranks, or as its Captain, he attained a proficiency in aims which profited him in the most trying times. There was little to indicate that the service seen in the streets and parks of Keokuk was ever to be useful in more earnest frays; but in fact it was the basis of that broader military education finished in the field and which eventually made of the Captain of militia one of the most brilliant commanders of his day. The "City Rifles" were famous for their proficiency in drill and their perfect discipline, so that when Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood commissioned Wm. W. Belknap as Major of the 15th Iowa Infantry in November, 1861, he placed over the raw recruits a man, who, though coming from the ranks of professional civilian life, was in point of ability and courage competent to lead his men forth to battle. He became Lieutenant Colonel on the resignation of Lieutenant-Colonel Dewey, August 1, 1802. On the promotion of Col. Reid to a brigadier generalcy he became Colonel on April 22, 1863, vacating the latter position when promoted by President Lincoln July 80, 1864.

The first battle in which the 15th engaged was Shiloh. It was a bloody baptism for the new Iowa Regiment and yet it was a glorious one. It was at that fight, too, that Major Belknap was wounded and had his horse shot under him. He also on that field came under the personal observation of the great leader — General Grant, and from that time dates the intimacy which was afterwards to so closely associate these two men. At Shiloh the discipline and drill of the men came into full play and that of none in the whole vast army were better. Major Belknap had himself drilled the officers in a hall in Keokuk previous to taking the field and as a result there was a degree of perfection which would have been highly creditable to regular soldiers. The intrepidity of the commander also inspired his men.

In the report made by Colonel Hugh T. Reid of the part taken by the Regiment in the battle of Shiloh, he writes as follows:

"Major Belknap was always in the right place at the right time directing and encouraging officers and men as coolly as a veteran; he was wounded, but not disabled, and had his horse shot under him, but remained on the field performing his duty on foot."

Colonel M. M. Crocker, commanding the 3d Brigade, Sixth Division, in the battle of Corinth on October 3, 1862, says:

"This engagement lasted three-quarters of an hour; the firing was incessant, and the Regiments, especially the 15th, suffered severely. I deem it my especial duty to particularly mention Lieutenant-Colonel Belknap who commanded the 15th Iowa. This Regiment was under the hottest fire, and Colonel Belknap was everywhere along the line, mounted, with sword in hand, encouraging, by voice and gesture, his men to stand their ground.”

Colonel William Hall, commanding the 3d brigade, Fourth Division Seventeenth Corps, in the battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864, in which engagement General McPherson, the able and beloved commander of the Army of the Tennessee, was killed, speaks as follows:
"Where all officers and men did their duty I can make special mention of hut few. * * * * Colonel Belknap, commanding the I5th Iowa, displayed at all times the highest qualities of the soldier, cheering his men by his voice, and encouraging them by his personal disregard of danger."

General Giles A. Smith, commanding the Fourth Division, Seventeenth Corps in the same action, says:

"Many individual acts of heroism have occurred. * * * Colonel Belknap, of the 15th Iowa Volunteers, took prisoner Colonel Lampley, of the 45th Alabama, by pulling him over the works by his coat-collar, being several times fired at by men at his side. Colonel W. W. Belknap, 15th Iowa, displayed all the qualities of an accomplished soldier."

On July 29, 1864, General Morgan L. Smith, commanding the Second Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps, addressed General Giles A. Smith, commander of the Fourth Division, Seventeenth Corps, as follows:

"The General commanding thanks you for the assistance rendered him yesterday by sending to his support the 15th Iowa and 32d Ohio Regiments under the command of Colonel William W. Belknap. The General also thanks Colonel Belknap and his brave men for the efficient manner in which they performed their duty." This was the battle of Ezra Church, near Atlanta.

He not only had a minute and personal knowledge of all the details of company organization, but he knew every man by name and was more familiar with their needs than many of the company officers. As a result his men were devoted to him. A fact which strengthened the regard in which he was held, and which gave his men the utmost confidence in him, was the utter absence of personal fear on his part, and his willingness to share whatever dangers or hardships befel those he commanded. This characteristic was illustrated by a little incident which occurred while the Regiment was lying at Benton Barracks in St. Louis. A gentleman came in one day who was selling steel vests—delicately wrought shirts of mail which were bullet-proof. Major Belknap examined them approvingly, but firmly said, "I think they are good things but I could not buy one because I would not ask my men to go into a fight under any less advantageous conditions than I would. If the Government will furnish them to the soldiers I will gladly buy one."

General Belknap served in the Army of the Tennessee to the end. At the battle of Corinth he commanded his Regiment and was commended for his skill and gallantry by General Crocker in his report as Brigadier-Commander. Then-for a time he was on the staff of General McPherson, Corps Commander. He was conspicuous in the siege of Vicksburg and Atlanta, and in the latter campaign won his principal renown, being always at the front and enjoying full opportunities for all his tactical knowledge and natural bravery.

At the battle of Pittsburg Landing, Major Belknap was shot in the shoulder. In company with an officer of the Regiment he went to the landing and he found it crowded with disorganized men. Turning to his companion he said, "Don't let us go down there," and reversing his steps he rallied over a hundred men and went into the fight again. After the battle, General Grant placed him in command of the 18th Wisconsin Regiment which had lost all its field and many of its line officers.

He commanded his own Regiment in the battles of Atlanta on July 21,22 and 28, 1864, and in the bitterly contested battle of July 22 distinguished himself anew by the intrepidity of a single act. The fight had become a hand-to-hand one on the breastworks, the loss on both sides was terrible and every man fought as though the result depended upon his individual efforts. It was then that Colonel Belknap, catching the Confederate Colonel Lampley, of the 45th Alabama, dragged him over the breast-works and made him prisoner. Eight days after, Colonel Belknap was made Brigadier-General of Volunteers and placed in command of "Crocker's Iowa Brigade," composed of the 11th, 13th, l5th and 16th Iowa Regiments. General John M. Hedrick, of Ottumwa, lately deceased, succeeded to the colonelcy of the Regiment.

The march "to the sea" of that famous brigade under the command of General Belknap was a part of one of the most glorious epochs in the military history of this country. Then came the siege of Savannah and the final battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, which preceded the surrender of General Johnston's army. That Grand Review in which General Belknap participated in Washington, was a fitting climax to his brilliant military career, and there is but little to recall after that. He was assigned to the command of the Fourth Division, Seventeenth Corps,was the last commander of that famous Corps at the time of its muster out, and was brevetted Major-General early in 1865.

We said the war made General Belknap a Republican. It was at the election held in the field in 1864 that he cast his first vote with that party. That vote was for Abraham Lincoln.

At the close of the war General Belknap was offered a field officer's position in the regular army, but he declined it, preferring to remain in civil life, and in 1866 he was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for the First District of Iowa. The collections for that District aggregated millions, its work was exacting and complicated, but when, three years later, he relinquished that office and the immense accounts were settled, it was found that there was a deficiency of just four cents, and not even an enemy had the hardihood to say he had embezzled that amount. It was regarded as remarkable that the difference should be so insignificant after years of duty and when the accounts were at once so large and so complicated.

The first really important public event — or at least the one which again brought him into conspicuous public notice — in the life of General Belknap after the close of the war, occurred in 1867 at the great reunion in Chicago. General Belknap delivered the address for the Army of the Tennessee in the evening and it was such a marvelous piece of fervid oratory, so beautiful in its rhetoric and lofty in its tone of patriotism and love, that the great audience, which embraced the most distinguished men of the Nation, was fairly carried away by it.

General Belknap was offered several high positions in the Revenue Service, by President Grant, which he declined, and was appointed Secretary of War by him in 1869, and served in that capacity until March, 1876, when he resigned. The records of his administration and the verdict of subsequent events show how well the duties of his office were performed. It was during the early years of his tenure of office that the measures for the reconstruction of the South were in process of formation and operation, and the number of delicate and vital questions arising were dealt with so skillfully that few of them ever needed readjustment. On the charge that he had used his office for personal profit he was impeached by the House of Representatives during a time of great excitement and the bitterest political enmities. The Senate tried the case and acquitted General Belknap. His friends of to-day are the ones who have known him best in his private and public life and neither the clamor of envious politicians nor the inuendoes of secret enemies have ever shaken their faith in his truth, his honesty or his patriotism.

General Belknap succeeded Governor Buren R. Sherman, of Iowa, as the President of Crocker's Brigade, a society of the old members being formed almost six years ago. It is a flourishing body composed of the men — now no longer lusty with the strength of young manhood, but veterans beginning to feel the weight of years—whom the General commanded.

The General resides the greater part of the time in Washington City where he has a large law practice in addition to being Iowa's Representative in the settlement of war claims. However, he still retains a beautiful home on the bluff at Keokuk, overlooking the great river.

He married in 1869 Miss Tomlinson, daughter of Dr. John Tomlinson, of Kentucky, who died in 1870, while he was Secretary of War. His present wife was her sister, and is a lady of much culture and grace. He has two children, a son by his first wife, Hugh Reid, who occupies a position of trust in the service of the Baltimore and Ohio road, and a daughter, Alice, by his present wife.

It is a grateful task to those who knew and honored him, to sketch the life of a man who, in spite of his soldierly bravery, is too modest to do it himself. General Belknap seems to have been one of those men less moulded by circumstances than he was adapted to the condition which created those circumstances. He was never in any position which he did not fill well. In civil and military life he was true to himself and his principles — the peer of any man — the sycophant at no door. His command was not so often "go" as it was "come." And in the future he will stand out as one of the boldest and grandest figures, that strong manliness, great intelligence, and a Nation's peril combined to produce.

MORTIMER A. HIGLEY,
1st Lieut. and Quarter-Master 15th Iowa Vols.
Brevet Major and Ass't Commissary of Subsistence.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, May, l887.

The story of the Great Rebellion will be the fruitful theme of poet and philosopher down to the latest beat of recorded time. From the pen of the historian will fall great volumes of political philosophy, showing the play and clash of ideas, the friction of political opinions which resulted in the most stupendous civil war of the century. The military critic will write of tactics, of grand and minor strategy, and show how battles were fought and won. But there is a human side to this great military upheaval, and this is the side that lies nearest the hearts of the people. The flesh that was pierced and the blood that was spilled bring their harvest of sorrow. In some manner or form each family has its skeleton, whose grim and ghastly visage will not down at their bidding.

The sudden transition from peace to war will never be understood by this generation. To-day the people are prosperous and happy in civil pursuits, the country basks in the smiles of the profoundest peace. To-morrow the land is filled with armed soldiers who seem to have sprung from the ground in a night. Swords and bayonets flash back the light of the noonday sun; the air resounds with martial music and the voice of command. The very earth shakes with the tread of armed men. Companies and Regiments are organized and sent rapidly to the front. How these men bore themselves in the field is a story that should be told by every Company and Regiment.

But the interest and history of a Regiment centers largely round its Commander. Upon his intelligence depend their comfort, their lives, their good name. In William W. Belknap the 15th Iowa had a Commander endowed by nature with the rarest gifts for high command. By education, Belknap was a trained scholar; by instinct, he was a soldier. At Wagram he could easily have led the charge of Macdonald, a charge that routed a magnificent army and shattered an empire. At Waterloo he could have led the Old Guard with the same desperate valor of Cambronne. In his blood were mixed strange currents which seldom flow together.

He had in him the gentleness of a woman and the sturdy courage of the warrior. The hand that could indite the tenderest lines to the loved ones at home, could wield the sword like an Ajax. He had the voice of Stentor and the arm of Hercules. No word of bravado ever escaped him. Men who knew this polished gentleman in peace were slow to believe him what he was in war. In camp he is seen in the hospital, or in the tents with the soldiers, writing letters for those who are stricken with disease, or disabled by wounds. In discipline he was exacting to severity; delinquent officers were shown no quarter. Under his magic touch his Regiment stood like a wall of adamant at Corinth, Vicksburg and Atlanta. He knew every soldier by name, and every soldier knew him for a personal friend, and held for him an affection surpassing the love of woman. And yet this man, when the fight was on, seemed to have been created expressly by the Almighty to ride the whirlwind, and direct the storm of battle.

See him on the 22d of July at Atlanta. His camp is in the thick woods. He and three comrades are quietly eating their dinner. The pickets are driven in with a rush. The forest is in a moment filled with the smoke and blaze and roar of musketry. A great battle has begun, one that may decide the fate of Sherman's army. But there is no demoralization. That wonderful voice of magic power cleaves the air like the blast of a bugle and men are lifted by it to the highest plane of daring and duty. This brigade is on the extreme left, "in the air," unsupported, and this Regiment on the left of the Brigade. They are attacked in front, on the flank and rear. But they hesitate not a moment; they knew they were in the hand of a Master. They knew that a retreat meant the wholesale slaughter of their comrades and the possible rout of Sherman's army, and they determined to hold their position to the last man.

Here Belknap was in his glory. His alert military intelligence took in the situation at a glance. He seemed to be everywhere at the same moment, directing and encouraging the men, pausing only an instant to lift a Confederate Colonel over the breast-works With the ease with which he would land a trout from a rivulet of the Adirondacks.

For hours the battle raged, but the victory was ours. Here in this valley of death this Iowa Regiment, under the leadership of this magnificent soldier, added to the fame of the Iowa Brigade a name for dauntless heroism which the people of Iowa will never let die. The man who could produce such veterans, and inspire them with his own sublime and majestic courage, was a man of no ordinary mold. Since Thermopylae the world has seen no braver day.

This was Belknap in war. In civil life he has given the world a spectacle of moral grandeur no less deserving the admiration of mankind.

His impeachment was born in base conspiracy. Throughout the severe ordeal of a Senatorial trial, he bore himself with silent bravery. His conduct there and his manly demeanor since, captured his enemies, and fastened his friends more firmly.

A great orator has said, "the time will come when the world will pronounce Belknap a moral hero." With those who know the man and the facts, that time has already come. By his comrades, officers and men, he was loved and adored as no man was ever loved before, and they girt him about with his own bright baldric of honorable renown, crown him with the garland of laurel he has so fairly won, and commend him to those historic and immortal pages where stands the shining record of his country's glory.

The fame of Iowa in the war was surpassed by no State in the Union. Her valorous sons have filled her borders with a great wealth of widowhood and orphanage, but they have given her shield a resplendent lustre, a lustre upon which the coming generations of Iowa youth will gaze in admiration forever.

WM. H. GIBBON,
SURGEON 15TH IOWA VOLUNTEERS.
BREVET LT. COLONEL.

Chariton, Iowa, May, 1887.


SOURCE: History of the Fifteenth Regiment Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, p. 18-30

BRIGADIER-GENERAL W. W. BELKNAP.

SECOND COLONEL, FIFTEENTH INFANTRY.

William Worth Belknap, the successor of Colonel Reid to the colonelcy of the 15th Iowa Infantry, is a son of the late General Belknap, who, as a colonel, distinguished himself in the Mexican War. Entering the United States Army in 1812, the late General Belknap continued in the service till the day of his death. For his efficient services in the Mexican War, he was made a brevet brigadier-general. He died in Texas soon after the publication of peace, and near the fort bearing his own name. He was, at the time of his death, traveling in an ambulance from one portion to another of his command.

William, the subject of this sketch, was born in the year 1830, at Newburg, New York. He was named after General William J. Worth, a warm friend of his father's family. In about the year 1856, he came to Iowa, and located in the city of Keokuk. Prior to coming to Iowa, General Belknap had studied the law, and, soon after settling in Keokuk, he entered upon its practice. As a lawyer, he was quite successful. He is one of the few young attorneys, who, settling at that day in the city of Fast Living and High Prices, was able to secure a paying practice, and establish himself as a permanent resident. He was engaged in the practice of his profession at the outbreak of the war, and till as late as the fall of 1861, when he abandoned it to enter the service.

In compliment for his successful efforts in assisting to recruit the 15th Iowa Infantry, he was commissioned major of the regiment. With this rank he accompanied it to the field. On the promotion of Lieutenant-Colonel Dewey to the colonelcy of the 23d Iowa Infantry, he was made lieutenant-colonel, and still later — the 22d of April, 1863 — was commissioned colonel, vice Colonel Reid, promoted to a general officer.

If we except General Belknap's services at the battle of Corinth, where he distinguished himself, his military record, that has made his name familiar in Iowa, and secured his appointment as brigadier-general, was almost wholly made in General Sherman's campaign against Atlanta. The same is true of his old regiment. Brigaded with the 11th Iowa, the 13th and 16th ever since the spring of 1862, the history of the l5th Iowa is almost identical with that of these regiments. It took part in the battle of Corinth, October 3d and 4th, 1862; but, with this exception, the l5th, with the balance of the Iowa Brigade, escaped every hard-fought battle until the spring of 1864; and this, too, notwithstanding it was always in the front, and present in the Department that, of all others, was characterized by its bloody battle-fields and vigorous campaigns.

Of the different regiments of the Iowa Brigade, the l5th most distinguished itself at the battle of Corinth. The following is from Colonel Crocker's report, the brigade commander:

"The execution of the order to move back had just commenced, when the enemy, in greatly-superior force, attacked the front of the line (the 15th and 16th Iowa). The officers and men of these regiments, acting with signal determination and bravery, not only held the enemy in check, but drove him back, and held their position, until notice was received that the artillery had passed safely to the rear, when they were ordered to fall back and form in line of battle on the right of the second line, which they did in good order, the enemy declining to follow. This engagement lasted three-quarters of an hour. The firing was incessant, and the regiments, especially the l5th, suffered severely. I deem it my especial duty to particularly mention Lieutenant-Colonel Belknap, who commanded the 15th regiment. This regiment was under the hottest fire, and Colonel Belknap was everywhere along the line, mounted, and with sword in hand encouraging, by voice and gesture, his men to stand their ground." * * *

The opening of General Sherman's campaign in the spring of 1864, forms a new and sanguinary chapter in the history of the Iowa Brigade. Returning from veteran furlough, the brigade proceeded to the front at Kenesaw Mountain, after which, for nearly sixty days, it was almost constantly under fire; and its scores of killed and wounded, during this period, are witnesses of its conspicuous gallantry. From the time the enemy was flanked at Kenesaw Mountain, till he was forced back to and into his entrenchments at Atlanta, there were few engagements in which this brigade did not take part. But the greatest battle of the campaign was precipitated, just at the time it was supposed the contest for the Gate City had closed.

During the greater part of the night of the 21st of July, 1864, the rumbling of artillery, and the confusion so common in the movements of large bodies of men, were distinctly heard by our troops, in the direction of the enemy; and it was supposed by many that, General Hood was evacuating Atlanta; McPherson thought otherwise, and was anxious and watchful. In the disposition of our forces in this engagement, the 17th Army Corps held the left, and on the extreme left of this corps, was the Iowa Brigade. The position held by this brigade, was a commanding ridge on the east side of the McDonough road, and almost at right angles with the main line of battle, which was west of, and nearly parallel with, the above named road. The head-quarters of the 15th Iowa were not more than two and a half miles north of the Atlanta and Macon Railroad, and about three miles south-east of the city of Atlanta. The country on every side was broken, and for the most part, heavily wooded; but that portion lying in the direction of the Macon road, was more especially so. In this dense timber, General Hood had massed his forces on the evening of the 21st instant. At a little after twelve o'clock on the afternoon of the 22d, Colonel Belknap and Lieutenant-Colonel Hedrick had just seated themselves for dinner, when the first gun of the sentinels was fired. The suddenness of the enemy's attack was unprecedented. Colonel Belknap had barely time to buckle on his sword, and hurry from his head-quarters to the front of his regiment, when the line of skirmishers was driven in. Almost at the same instant, the enemy was seen coming at double-quick, and in a line of battle, nearly at right angles with that of General Blair's along the McDonough road. In the suddenness of his attack, the rebel general was aping Napoleon. He doubtless expected to force in our line, as one would slide in the sections of a telescope, thus crowding the Army of the Tennessee together in hopeless confusion; but he had reckoned without his host. The Iowa Brigade, having hastily formed, met and repulsed the assaults of the enemy in their front; when, his centre being repulsed, his left and right wing swung round to the Federal front and rear. And in this way, is accounted for the almost incredible story of our troops fighting, first on the one, and then on the other side of their intrenchments. Subjected to a galling artillery-fire, and now well-nigh surrounded, Colonel Belknap had no other alternative than to retire, which he did, in a north-westerly direction, and across the McDonough road. During that afternoon, the 15th Iowa fought in seven distinct positions; and its losses are proof of the stubbornness with which each was contested. The following were among the gallant dead: Lieutenants Logan W. Crawford and E. M. Gephart. The latter was killed in the regiment's fourth position. Seeing, as he thought, a small detachment of the enemy in cover not far distant, he rallied a few volunteers, and rushed out to capture them; but they proved to be quite a large force. He turned to retreat to his regiment, but was shot before he reached it. He was a young man of much promise.

The loss of the 15th Iowa in killed, wounded and missing, was one hundred and fifty-three. Lieutenant-Colonel Hedrick was severely wounded, as was also his brother, Captain Hedrick. Lieutenant W. P. L. Muir was wounded for the fourth time in the head, and was captured. Lieutenants Evans and Scheevers were also severely wounded.

At one time during the engagement, the 15th Iowa was assaulted by the 45th Alabama Infantry, Colonel Lampley. The 15th in this instance was protected by earth-works, and literally slaughtered its assailants, while they were rushing to the onset with the most determined bravery. Only a few of the entire rebel regiment reached the foot of the works, and of these, one was killed, and the others either wounded or captured. Colonel Lampley was captured by Colonel Belknap in person. Connected with this charge of the 45th Alabama, was an amusing incident. A young boy, of the genuine chivalry, was among the party that reached the foot of the works. After the assault had been repelled, and the firing had slackened, Colonel Belknap stepped up on the works to secure his prisoners ; but he had no sooner exposed his person than the young boy fired on him. The ball passed under his chin and cut through his whiskers. He was enraged and, seizing the boy by the hair of the head, dragged him over the works; but, in spite of himself he could not help admiring the pluck of the young rascal.

For his gallantry in this and in other battles of the campaign, Colonel Belknap, on the recommendation of General Sherman, was appointed a brigadier-general. After receiving his commission, he succeeded Colonel Hall of the 11th Iowa, in the command of the Iowa Brigade, which he has held ever since.

General Belknap is about five feet, eleven inches in hight, and rather portly. His eyes, which are dark-blue and very expressive, are his handsomest feature. In his manners he is rather dignified; but he is educated and refined, and a favorite in the social circle.

In the legal practice, he did not excel as an advocate. He made no pretensions to oratory; but, in preparing a case for trial, he had few equals. It was a rare thing for a demurrer to be sustained to one of his pleadings.

At the time of entering the army, he was reputed an able and honorable business-man. In the army he has been known as a good disciplinarian, a brave officer, and a warm friend to the soldier. His neighbors in Keokuk look upon his brilliant military career with much pride.

SOURCE: Addison A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 289-94

COLONEL WILLIAM HALL

SECOND COLONEL, ELEVENTH INFANTRY.

William Hall was born in the city of Montreal, Canada East, on the 25th of January, 1832; but, though born in Canada, he is not a foreigner. His parents were, at the time of his birth, residents of the State of Vermont, and chanced to be on a visit at Montreal. William remained at home with his family till 1844, during which time his father resided in Ogdensburg, New York; Brookville, Canada West; and Rochester, New York. In 1844 he entered Oberlin College, where he remained a year and a half, and then entered the Western Military Institute of Kentucky. At that time, as also at the breaking out of the rebellion, the rebel Bushrod Johnson was superintendent of the institution. Commencing with the rank of private, Colonel Hall went through all the military grades of the school, and graduated as acting-adjutant, and with the rank of captain. Soon after leaving that institution, he entered the Harvard Law School, at Cambridge, Massachusetts; but, without graduating, left in 1854, and came West. Since that time he has made his residence in Davenport, Iowa. By profession, Colonel Hall is a lawyer; and I understand he ranked fairly at the Davenport bar. He had the reputation of being a hard worker, and of doing the best he could for his clients.

In the summer of 1861 he entered the volunteer service, and the 23d of September following was commissioned major of the 11th Iowa Infantry. He was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment, on the 11th of October, 1861, and, on the resignation of Colonel Hare, was commissioned colonel. He held this rank, and served in the field, till the summer of 1864, when, Colonel W. W. Belknap being promoted over him to a general officer, he resigned in disgust. It is reported that, after his return home, he espoused conservatism, and vilified [sic], in public speeches, the policy of the Administration; but that can hardly be so.

As already stated, the 11th Iowa's first battle was Shiloh. Its second was Corinth; and the part it acted in the latter may be gained from the following extract from Colonel, now General, Crocker's official report:

"About five o'clock in the morning of the 3d instant, the brigade formed — two regiments, the 11th and 13th Iowa volunteers in line of battle, facing to the west, and the 15th and 16th Iowa volunteers, in close column by division in rear of the line. The regiments remained in that position, with skirmishers deployed in front, receiving an occasional cannon-shot, until about three o'clock, when, the division on the right having fallen back, a change of front was ordered. The l5th and 16th were then formed in line of battle perpendicular to the first line, and the 11th and 13th, in close column by division, in the rear. In this position, the brigade remained until about four o'clock P. M., when orders were again received to again change front, so as to connect the right of the brigade with the left of General Davis' Division, its left to rest in the direction of Battery E. After the execution of this order had been commenced, notice was received from General McKean that the division was to move back inside the inner fortifications; and an order was received that, the 11th and 13th regiments be formed in line of battle a quarter of a mile in the rear of the line formed by the 15th and 16th, in front of, and parallel to the road, over which the artillery of the division must pass, the brigade to protect the movements of the rest of the division, and the artillery."

This position, which the 11th Iowa, or the Iowa brigade was thus ordered to abandon, was south of the Chewalla road, and a little north-of-west of Corinth. "On arriving inside the fortifications, we took position, the 15th Iowa in line of battle in rear of, and to the right of the battery commanded by Captain Phillips, 1st Infantry; the 16th in rear of, and supporting the 5th Ohio Battery, which was in position on the left of Captain Phillip's Battery; five companies of the 11th Regiment, in command of Major Abercrombie, in line of battle, supporting the 1st Minnesota Battery, in position still on the left of the 5th Ohio Battery; the 13th Iowa, and five companies of the 11th, still in the rear of the l5th and I6th, in close column by division, as a reserve." This last position was held through all the fighting of the next day, the 11th Iowa being drawn up in line of battle in rear of the 15th. The only commissioned officers of the regiment, wounded in both day's fighting, were Lieutenants William H. Wetherby and Dennis P. Greeley: the latter was wounded by a falling tree.

From November 1861, till the spring of 1864, the history of the 11th Iowa will be found in the sketches of other officers and regiments. It re-enlisted in the winter of 1863-4, and came North, on veteran furlough, in March following.

In May, 1864, two divisions of the 17th Army Corps rendezvoused at Clifton, on the Tennessee, from which point, General Blair marched across the country to Sherman, via Huntsville, Decatur and Rome. 'The 11th Iowa was attached to this command, and arrived at the front early in June, and, while Sherman was in the vicinity of Acworth, Georgia. The regiment first confronted the enemy before Kenesaw Mountain, and lost its first man on the l5th of June. Before Kenesaw, "General Hooker was on its right and front, General Howard on its left and front, and General Palmer between it and the railroad." The rebel General Polk was killed by a cannon shot on the 14th of June, after which the enemy abandoned Pine Mountain away on the right, and took up a position "with Kenesaw as his salient point, his right wing thrown back to cover Marietta, and his left behind Nose's Creek, covering the railroad back to the Chattahoochie." While the enemy were in this position, General Sherman made his bloody and unsuccessful assault. The flank movement to the right, led by the 17th Corps, commenced in the evening of the 2d of July, and an account of it will be found in the sketch of General Hedrick.

Like the other regiments of the Iowa Brigade, the 11th Iowa suffered its severest loss on the afternoon of the 22d of July; but an account of this engagement has been given elsewhere. The following is from Lieutenant-Colonel Abercrombie's official report:
"Many acts of bravery were performed by officers and men of the regiment, which might be mentioned, did time and opportunity permit.

"Major Foster was wounded early in the action, faithful in discharge of his duty. Captain Neal was killed instantly by a grape-shot at the fort late in the afternoon. Captain Barr is missing. Captain Rose, missing, is supposed to have been wounded and captured. 1st Lieutenant Cassell, missing; 1st Lieutenant Caldwell, killed; 1st Lieutenant Pfoutz, wounded; 2d Lieutenant Wylie, wounded. I would make honorable mention of Sergeant-Major John G. Safley, who, with 1st Sergeant John A. Buck, Company K, (afterwards killed — brave fellow) and a party of picked up men, numbering thirty or forty, made a dash over the works held by the enemy, bringing over more than their own number as prisoners, amongst whom were a colonel and captain.

"In the sally, Safley was wounded, but it is not believed seriously. During the action a Confederate flag was captured, and brought over the works by Private George B. Haworth, of Company B, and is now in his possession. A banner, belonging to the 45th Alabama, was also brought over by Private Edward Siberis, of Company G, which was placed by him in the hands of Lieutenant Safley, Provost-Marshal of the brigade."

Altogether, the 11th Iowa captured, and sent to the rear, ninety-three persons. Both Captain J. W. Anderson and Adjutant B. W. Prescott are mentioned for gallantry. The loss of the regiment, in killed, wounded and missing, was severe — eight officers and one hundred and twenty-nine men. It has already been stated that Major Foster was wounded. He died not long after, and the regiment mourned, in his loss, one of its finest and most popular officers. He was a native of New Hampshire.

From the 15th of June, 1864, to the 5th of September, the 11th Iowa lost, in killed, wounded and missing, ten commissioned officers, and two hundred and seven enlisted men. One of the officers, who has not already been mentioned, was Lieutenant Alfred Carey of Company E. He was wounded on the 15th of June, before Kenesaw, and afterwards died of his wounds.

A further history of the 11th Iowa will be found in the sketches of the other regiments of the 17th Corps' Iowa Brigade.

For several months, Colonel Hall commanded the Iowa Brigade. He commanded it on General Blair's Mechanicsville march during the siege of Vicksburg, and until the return of Colonel Chambers of the 16th Iowa from leave of absence. He also commanded it through the entire Atlanta Campaign. He was not much liked by his brigade. He was nearly all the time sick and irritable; but, in justice, I should add, he never made his sickness an excuse to avoid duty. If danger was at hand, he was never the second man present.

The colonel is a small man, weighing about one hundred and twenty-five pounds. He has a slender, gaunt, ungainly person, rendered so, I suppose by disease. He wears long, black hair; has large, black eyes, and a dark, sallow complexion. Colonel Hall is not a comely man. When I saw him, in the spring of 1864,1 wondered how he had for three years endured the hardships of the service.

When interested or excited, he moves about nervously, with his face turned downward, and his hands thrust in his pantaloons' pockets. He has large self-esteem, and prides himself in doing things in his own way. If he is as he seems, he is impervious to flattery; but that can hardly be, for he shows great indignity, if he thinks his services underrated. It was on this score that he tendered his resignation.

Considering his ill-health, Colonel Hall was successful as a soldier. He was a good tactician, and brave and resolute. His greatest fault seemed to be in questioning the justness and propriety of the orders of his superiors. He would obey them, but it was not uncommon for him to do so under protest. The following will illustrate how the enlisted men of his command appreciated his temper.

While the Iowa Brigade was encamped at Clifton, Tennessee, just before starting across the country to Huntsville, a squad of raw recruits, from its different regiments, were put on picket. They were in the enemy's country, and, of course, were ordered to load their pieces. Returning to camp in the morning, they inquired of the veterans how they should get the charges, out of their guns, and received the following instructions: "Go out there, behind Colonel Hall's tent, and fire them off: that's the only place—and be sure and all fire at once." They did as directed. What followed, was better appreciated by the veterans, than by those who were learning their first lesson in soldiering. Colonel Hall, who was in bed, sprang out in a rage, and ordered the poor fellows tied from morning till night.

SOURCE: Addison A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 237-242