Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood to the Senate of the Sate of Iowa, May 27, 1861

Gentlemen of the Senate: — I have the honor to state in reply to your resolution of inquiry whether I have employed an agent to purchase clothing for the two first regiments now stationed at Keokuk, that I have contracted with Hon. Samuel Merrill for the following clothing for the second and third regiments, to-wit:

2,000 gray all wool frock coats.

2,000 gray all wool pants.

2,000 gray felt hats.

4,000 gray all wool flannel shirts.

4,000 gray all wool flannel drawers.

4,000 pairs all wool knit socks.

2,000 pairs best army brogans.

Being 1 hat, 1 coat, 1 pair pants, 2 shirts, 2 pairs drawers, 2 pain socks and 1 pair shoes for each man, at the price of $21 for each man delivered on board cars at Boston, Mass., to be paid for when accepted and delivered by my agent there in bonds of the State at par, If the contractor will receive the bonds at par, and if not to be paid for there as soon as the money can be realized by the sale of the bonds. In obedience to a joint resolution of the General Assembly, I have also ordered from the same person 1 coat, 1 pair of pants and 1 pair of brogans for each member of the First Regiment, which will cost about $15 per man.

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.

Executive Chamber, May 27, 1861.

SOURCE: Henry Warren Lathrop, The Life and Times of Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa's War Governor, p. 136-7

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

Samuel Merrill

SAMUEL MERRILL, seventh Governor of the State, was born in Oxford County in the State of Maine on the 7th of August, 1822. He received a liberal education and when a young man taught school several terms in the south and in his native State. He removed to New Hampshire where he was elected to the Legislature in 1854, serving two sessions. In 1856 he came to Iowa, locating at McGregor, where he opened a general store. In 1859 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the House of the Eighth General Assembly. When the war began in 1861, Mr. Merrill took the contract to furnish three Iowa regiments with clothing before the Government could supply them with uniforms. In 1862 he was commissioned colonel of the Twenty-first Iowa Infantry. He was severely wounded at the Battle of Black River Bridge and was so disabled that he resigned his commission. In 1867 he was nominated by the Republican State Convention for Governor and elected, serving two terms. He removed to Des Moines and, after the close of his second term, engaged in the banking business. With others he established the Citizens' National Bank. He was active in bringing about the great reunion of Iowa soldiers at Des Moines in the summer of 1870. Governor Merrill was for many years an influential trustee of Iowa College at Grinnell. He acquired great wealth in banking and railroad building and finally removed to California. The last years of his life were spent in Pasadena, where he died on the 31st of August, 1899. His funeral was held at DeSsMoines and was attended by many of the public officials and prominent men of the State.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 187-8

COLONEL SAMUEL MERRILL

TWENTY-FIRST INFANTRY.

Colonel Samuel Merrill is a native of the State which was first settled by traders and fishermen "on the Maine," and is a representative-man of New England. He was born on the 7th day of August, 1822, in the town of Turner, Oxford county, where he resided till the age of sixteen; when he moved with his parents to Buxton, York county, of the same State. After removing to Buxton, he taught and attended school by turns, until he attained his majority, and then visited the Southern States, with the intention of settling there, and making teaching a permanent business. But, as the colonel himself expresses it, "he was born too far north." Suspicions were awakened, many questions asked, and he was finally advised to leave, which he did in disgust. Nor did he ever return, until, under orders from his Government, he led his regiment to the field. Returning to Maine after his rebuff in the South, he purchased a farm, and two years later married. In 1847, he lost his wife, after living with her only fourteen months. Soon after, he sold his farm and moved to Tamworth, New Hampshire; where, in company with his brother, J. H. Merrill, Esq., he entered the mercantile business. This he followed with good success, till the year 1856, when he removed to McGregor, Iowa, and established a branch house of the same firm.

While a citizen of New Hampshire, Colonel Merrill was twice elected to the State Legislature. He was a member of that body in 1854 and in 1855, the time when the celebrated struggle for United States Senators came off, which finally terminated in the election of John P. Hale and James Bell. For nearly forty consecutive years previous, the State had been democratic.

In 1854, Nathaniel B. Baker, our present adjutant-general, was Governor of New Hampshire, and Colonel Merrill a member of the House. Just six years later, both of these gentlemen were elected to the Iowa State Legislature, and served together in that body.

In January, 1851, Colonel Merrill was again married, his second wife being a Miss Hill, of Buxton, Maine. From this union three children were born; though all of them died young, the oldest living to be only two and a half years old. From 1856 till the spring of 1861, Colonel Merrill continued in the wholesale and retail dry-goods and grocery business; but, at the last named date, sold out and became a member of the McGregor Branch Bank.

In the summer of 1862, Colonel Merrill entered the United States service. Ardent in temperament and radical in sentiment, it was only his unsettled business, as I am credibly informed, that prevented him from enlisting in the war sooner. He was commissioned colonel of the 21st Iowa Infantry, on the 1st of August, 1862, and, on the 16th of September following, left Dubuque in command of his regiment for St. Louis on the steamer Henry Clay.

One of the most interesting pages in the history of the 21st Iowa, is that which relates to the battle of Hartsville, Missouri — an engagement, of which less is known in our State, than of almost any other, in which Iowa troops have fought. Colonel Merrill arrived with his command at Rolla, Missouri, on the 23d of September, 1862, and, previous to the 11th of January, 1863, (the date of the Hartsville battle) had marched it from one point to another in Southern Missouri, without ever meeting the enemy. We should, however, except the affair at Beaver Creek, where, on the 27th of November, a small detachment of the regiment, while guarding a provision-train from Rolla to Hartsville, was cut to pieces by rebel cavalry.

General J. S. Marmaduke, on the 31st of December, 1862, (I quote from the rebel general's report) "marched from Lewisburg, Arkansas, via Yellville, Arkansas, to strike the enemy in rear and flank," with a force numbering, according to his own estimate, three thousand three hundred and seventy men. Advancing by way of Ozark, the rebel force appeared before Springfield on the 8th of January, 1863, and at once began an assault on the place.

As has been already stated in the sketch of General Edwards, Springfield was, at the time in question, commanded by General Brown of Missouri. Doubting his ability to make a successful defense against so unequal a force, he telegraphed General Fitz Henry Warren, commanding at Houston, Missouri, for reinforcements. The telegram was received by General Warren on the morning of the 9th. Without waiting to confer with General Curtis, commanding the Department, he promptly organized a force, consisting of the 21st Iowa, the 99th Illinois, three companies of the 3d Iowa, and the 3d Missouri cavalry, and two guns of the 2d Missouri Battery, and, placing it under command of Colonel Merrill of the 21st Iowa, ordered that officer to proceed by forced marches to Springfield, and report to the commanding officer of the place. On Saturday evening, the 10th instant, Colonel Merrill had reached Woods' Fork, about six miles west of Hartsville, where he halted his command for supper and rest. Reveille was beat on Sunday morning at two o'clock, and preparations made to resume the march, when scouts came in with the report that the enemy, in heavy force, was advancing on the Springfield road. Colonel Merrill at once comprehended the situation. Marmaduke had been repulsed at Springfield; and he had now to fight the entire rebel command. With this understanding he made a hasty disposition of his forces, and met the advance of the enemy with so vigorous an attack that he soon fell back, and, moving south to the old Springfield road, continued his march in the direction of Hartsville. Being advised of this movement, Colonel Merrill moved back hastily, and secured a commanding point to the west of the town that not only made his own position secure, but enabled him to command the place.

The fight at Hartsville opened with artillery at eleven o'clock A. M. and continued till four in the afternoon, when the enemy, repulsed and punished at every point, withdrew from the field. The force under Colonel Merrill in this engagement was about one thousand: that of the enemy was not leas than three thousand three hundred and seventy — probably, not less than five thousand. The contest was unequal, and the victory all the more brilliant. Of this battle General Marmaduke says, in his official report: "At Hartsville, I met, fought, and drove, in the direction of Lebanon, sixteen hundred infantry and five hundred cavalry, under General Merrill. The battle was desperate." It was indeed desperate for him; for he lost among his dead one brigadier — the "brave McDonald" — three colonels, and one major, "besides other brave officers." General Marmaduke, in his retreat to White River, frequently said to Lieutenant Brown of the 3d Iowa cavalry, whom he had taken prisoner at Wood's Fork: "Why, Lieutenant, your boys fought like devils."

At Hartsville, the loss of the 21st Iowa was thirty in killed, wounded and missing. Four enlisted men were killed, and two officers and sixteen enlisted men wounded.

Subsequently to the winter of 1862-3, and till after the fall of Vicksburg, the history of the 21st is nearly the same as are those of the 22d and 23d Iowa Infantry regiments. Brigaded with the two last named regiments, together with the 11th -Wisconsin, (a splendid body of troops) the 21st Iowa marched on the Vicksburg Campaign, and took a distinguished part in the battles of Port Gibson and Big Black River Bridge. In the former of these the regiment led the advance of its corps, and received the first fire of the enemy.

"At the widow Daniel's plantation, some nine miles from Port Gibson, we were ordered by General Carr to take the advance. I ordered Company A, commanded by Captain A. R. Jones, and Company B, commanded by Captain W. D. Crooke, as advance skirmishers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Dunlap, and supported by Companies D and F, commanded by Major Van Anda; next was a twelve-pound field piece from that excellent battery, the First Iowa: all supported by the balance of my command."

The road from Rodney, Mississippi to Port Gibson, (and it was on this road that the battle was fought) runs along a high, broken ridge, and is cut down in many places to a great depth. The 21st Iowa, when near Thompson's Hill, where the Federal skirmishers were fired on, was ordered to halt and rest in one of these cuts. A majority of the men had thrown themselves down in the road, and upon their backs, using their knapsacks as a support — a favorite position for the soldier, when ordered to rest on the march. Others were leaning up against the steep banks of the road. Among the latter, were Dr. William L. Orr, surgeon of the 21st Iowa, and, I believe, Colonel Merrill, both having dismounted. It was now nearly two o'clock in the morning. The colonel and doctor stood talking together unconcernedly, when they were startled by a brilliant flash, and, at the same instant, a storm of musket-balls came whirling down through the cut. Almost at the same instant, the enemy opened with artillery. They were in force on the hill above — and thus the fight opened and lasted about and hour, when both parties, as if by mutual consent, ceased firing. The battle was renewed at day-light the next morning, and lasted nearly the entire day. The 21st Iowa fired the first gun; but, although engaged nearly all day, the loss of the regiment was only one officer and thirteen men wounded. Colonel Merrill, in the afternoon of the engagement, commanded his brigade, and had his horse so severely wounded that, it was necessary to leave it upon the field. For his conduct in the engagement, he was thus complimented by General Carr, the division commander: "The 21st Iowa, Colonel Samuel Merrill, first in the battle, and one of the last to leave the field." Of Company B, and its gallant captain, the same report says: "Company B, 21st Iowa, Captain Crooke, received the first fire of the rebel pickets, and returned it with great coolness." Lieutenant-Colonel Dunlap was the only commissioned officer of the regiment wounded in this engagement.

Among the officers and men whose names are mentioned for good conduct in this engagement are Captains Benton, Harrison, Voorhees, Boardman and Watson, and Sergeant B. Krist. The latter captured a rebel orderly, who was at the time bearing dispatches.

The battle at Big Black River Bridge, where the 21st Iowa next distinguished itself, is one of the most gallant affairs of the whole war: an account of it will be found in the sketch of the late Colonel Kinsman, of the 23d Iowa. It was in this charge that Colonel Merrill, while leading his regiment, received the wound which afterward necessitated his leaving the service. His regiment, too, suffered severely. Seven enlisted men were killed, and three officers and sixty-four enlisted men wounded. In his official report of the engagement, Lieutenant-Colonel Dunlap says:

"Colonel Merrill, commanding the regiment, fell in the first part of the charge, severely wounded, while gallantly leading his regiment against the enemy. * * * *

I can not of course make mention of all those who distinguished themselves on that battle-field, as that would be to copy the roll of all present. Major S. G. Van Anda, received the highest credit for the coolness and bravery with which he conducted the charge, the left being in front, through the storm of leaden hail. Much of the success of the charge is owing to his gallant conduct and daring example. Captain Harrison was one of the first officers on the enemy's works. Captains Swivel, Voorhees, Watson, Boardman, and Crooke behaved with great coolness. Lieutenants Roberts, Childs and Dolson, received the praise of all who saw their bravery. Lieutenant Howard of Company B, acting adjutant, received a mortal wound while gallantly performing his part of this gallant charge.

With no desire to do injustice to other brave men of the regiment, I will mention, specially. Captain Jesse M. Harrison, Company C; for his conduct on the field was most admirable. He was one of the first to enter the enemy's works. On coming to the bayou in front of the rebel works, he saw a fallen tree, lying in the water, and sprung upon it, and from that to the opposite side, which he reached without wetting his feet. His company having waded the stream, followed directly to the bridge to cut off the retreat of those to the right. His forethought and courage added not less than five-hundred to General Grant's roll of prisoners. The captain's residence is in Dubuque, and I am told he is a wealthy bachelor. I am in wonder at the status of so brave a man.

After participating in the siege of Vicksburg, (during which the brave Lieutenant-Colonel Dunlap was killed) and the second march on Jackson under General Sherman, the 21st Iowa was ordered to report to General Banks at New Orleans. A chief portion of the time since the regiment has served in the trans-Mississippi Department. I have already said its history was much the same as that of the 23d Iowa. It was stationed at Old Town, Texas, early in March, 1864, when Colonel Merrill, not yet fit for duty, re-joined it. The colonel's wound was much more severe than was at first supposed; for after the lapse of nine months he was still unfit for duty. Believing that he could not again endure the hardships of field service he wrote a letter to his officers in which he expressed his determination to resign his commission; but they and the regiment would not consent, and a petition was drawn up and forwarded to him which in length measured nearly twenty feet.

Colonel Merrill re-joined his regiment in March as already stated, but his health was gone, and after a few weeks he resigned his commission and returned to his home in McGregor. The history of his regiment since he left it is not an eventful one. It has served on the Gulf and along the Mississippi River.

Colonel Merrill in his habits and manners is a New England man; and, in person, he is a fair sample of the sons of Maine which is noted for her stately forests and stalwart men. He is six feet high, and weighs two hundred and fifteen pounds. As a soldier, Colonel Merrill ranked high, and was popular both with his command and his superiors. When he entered the service, he was strictly a civilian, but notwithstanding this, he was, though of a nervous temperament, cool in action and brave to a fault. That he was regarded as possessing the [qualities] of a commanding officer, I need only state that he was placed in command of a division at West Plains, Missouri, when he had been in the service only five months. In politics, he is radical, and deems the term "Black Republican" of no reproach. On resigning his commission in the army, he was elected President of the First National Bank, McGregor, Iowa, which position he still holds.

SOURCE: Addison A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 367-374

William Milo Stone

GOVERNOR OF IOWA.

William M. Stone was born in Jefferson county, New York, on the 14th day of October, 1827. At the age of six years, he accompanied his parents to Coshocton county, Ohio. In that State he grew up and gained a meager education. He began life at the age of thirteen, as a hired hand upon a farm. Two years later, he was hired as a team-driver on the Ohio canal, and at the age of eighteen was apprenticed to a chair-maker, which business he followed till he reached his twenty-fourth year. That same year he was admitted to the Coshocton bar. Since 1854, he has been lawyer, editor, judge, captain, major, colonel, and governor. Commencing lower down than thousands of his competitors, he has left them all gaping and staring after him, and wondering how he did it, and—there I shall leave them. All declare he is the luckiest man they ever knew.

The extent of Governor Stone's early education, was two terms, or Winters, at a common country school. His knowledge of law was gained through the assistance and encouragement of James Matthews, Esq., of Coshocton county, Ohio— later, his father-in-law. While following his trade, he had access to this gentleman's law library, and prosecuted the study of his chosen profession with such zeal and energy as to be able, in 1851, to exchange the chair-shop for the court-room. He began practice as a partner of his former preceptor, and continued with him till 1854, when he removed to Iowa, and established himself at Knoxville, Marion county. During his first year in Knoxville, he practiced his profession; but in 1855, purchased and began the publication of the Knoxville "Journal." As editor of that paper, if I am rightly informed, he was the first man in Iowa to suggest the call of a convention to organize the Republican Party, then only in embryo. He was not only the first to suggest the call of a Republican Convention in the State, but was a delegate to that convention, when called; and was nominated one of the Presidential Electors. Indeed, the beginning of Governor Stone's career as a public man, in Iowa, bears date at Iowa City, the 22d of February, 1856.

During the Presidential canvass of 1856, he visited the principal part of Southern Iowa, in company with our first Republican representative—Major-General Samuel R. Curtis. In that exciting canvass, he gained considerable note as a public speaker, which, with his genial, off-hand address, put him fairly before the people. In February, 1857, one year later, a judicial convention was called at Des Moines, to put in nomination a candidate for district judge of Stone's district. Stone was present in the convention, and through the influence of his friends, secured the nomination. From that time he became a rising man in the State. He was elected to the judgeship with a flattering majority; and, having served that term with credit, was, in 1858, re-nominated and re-elected with increased majorities. He was the incumbent of this office, and holding a session of his court in Washington county, at the time the news reached him of the firing on Fort Sumter. He immediately adjourned his court, declaring at the time, that the country demanded of him and the people other and more important services.

Returning to Knoxville, Judge Stone raised a company, of which he was elected captain; was assigned to the 3d Iowa Infantry in May, and, on the 25th day of June following, was promoted to the majority of his regiment. He accompanied his regiment into Northern Missouri as captain, and in command of his company, (B)—for he did not receive his commission as major till after his arrival at Chillicothe. While connected with the 3rd Iowa Infantry, Major Stone fought at the battles of Blue Mills, (where he was wounded) and Shiloh. In the last named engagement he commanded his regiment, and was made prisoner. Something of his sojourn in Dixie, as a prisoner of war, may be seen in the sketch of Brevet Brigadier- General J. M. Hedrick, then a captain of the l5th Iowa. In nearly all cases, Stone was the spokesman of the party; and his cheerfulness and wit contributed not a little in keeping his fellow prisoners in spirits. What, I believe, afforded the most amusement were the arguments between himself and the belligerous Colonel Shaw, of the 14th. Stone could advocate any thing, and Shaw would always take the opposite. They would often drag their discussions into the small hours of morning, while the other prisoners, congregated about them, would watch and listen attentively, except when giving occasional attention to a straggling gray-back. I imagine that I can see them now congregated together. I can see them, attired in their cleanest linen, and seated in old rickety chairs, and on benches and boxes, exhausting the whole calendar of attitudes.

But Major Stone was even lucky as a prisoner of war. In June, 1862, after some three months' captivity, he was selected as one of three Federal officers, who, being paroled by the rebel War Department, were dispatched to Washington to aid in arranging a cartel of exchange between the belligerent parties. The first mission was unsuccessful, and one of the parties, at least, (Stone) returned to Richmond and surrendered himself to the rebel authorities. Jefferson Davis, pleased with his conduct and with what he had done, sent him back to Washington to renew his efforts. His mission this time was successful, or at least was so represented; but, however that may be, it is certain that a general exchange came off in the following Fall.

His experience as a prisoner of war, gave Major Stone much notoriety, and put within his reach any position that ordinary desires might covet. Accordingly, after securing his liberty and returning to his home in Knoxville, he was tendered the colonelcy of the 22d Iowa Infantry, which he accepted. He was made colonel of that regiment in August, 1862, and served with it till August 14th, of the following year, when he resigned his commission with the almost certain promise of succeeding to the highest honors within the gift of his State.

Though Stone made a good record as colonel of the 22d Iowa, there is nothing strikingly brilliant about it. He first served with his regiment in Missouri, and was for several weeks commander of the post at Rolla. His regiment served as the provost-guard. In the early part of 1863, he was ordered South to take part in the experiments against Vicksburg; and immediately moved down the Mississippi, to Milliken's Bend, Louisiana. Attached to Carr's Division of McClernand's Corps, (the 13th) Colonel Stone joined in the brilliant march of Grant's army across the country to opposite Bruinsburg on the Mississippi, and thence to the rear of Vicksburg. A full account of this march, and of its incidents, will be found elsewhere. On this march the 22d Iowa first met the enemy.

In the battle of Port Gibson, the first of the campaign, Colonel Stone commanded the brigade to which his regiment was attached; or rather, he commanded it during the forenoon of the engagement. Early in the forenoon, he had become so completely exhausted as to be compelled to turn his command over to Colonel Merrill of the 21st Iowa. During the time he acted on the field, he conducted himself with much credit. In this engagement, too, the 22d Iowa reflected on itself much honor. Colonel Stone's Brigade led the advance from Bruinsburg, and was, of course, the first to encounter the enemy among the rugged hills south of Port Gibson. This was not far from the hour of mid-night. So soon as the enemy were encountered in force at Thompson's Hill, Major Atherton, the unfortunate, who was in command of the 22d Iowa, hurried the regiment to the front, and deployed it in line to the left of Captain Griffith's Battery. There the regiment rested on their arms that night. Until about ten o'clock of the following morning, the regiment acted as an artillery support, and was then led forward to charge the rebel line, which it did with gallantry, quickly routing the enemy, and promptly occupying the ground just before held by them. In the severe fighting of the afternoon, the 22d Iowa was in the front, and joined in three distinct charges against the enemy's line, each of which was successful. The following is from the official report of the regiment's conduct in the action:

" Throughout this series of engagements, the officers and men of the 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 can not, without seeming invidiousness, enter into particulars. It is sufficient to say, they acted nobly, and well sustained the honors already earned by Iowa soldiers. Great care was taken to shelter the men from the enemy's fire, which the unevenness of the ground enabled us to do, with comparative success. And yet, the loss of the regiment, being greater with but one exception than that of any other in the brigade, shows plainly where they were during the long and hotly contested engagement. Too much praise cannot be awarded to our surgeons, White and Peabody."

The loss of the 22d at Port Gibson was two men killed, and fourteen wounded. Lieutenants D. J. Davis, W. M. DeCamp, J. T. Whittington, D. N. Henderson, and John Francisco were among the latter. Lieutenant Davis was adjutant of the regiment.

In the official report of the Division Commander (Carr) is paid the following compliment to Colonel Stone:

" Colonel William M. Stone, 22d Iowa, who succeeded to the command of the 2d Brigade, took his place with the extreme advance guard at night, during the advance upon the enemy, exposed himself freely, and exerted himself so much that he became completely exhausted in the afternoon, and was compelled to relinquish his command to Colonel Samuel Merrill, 21st Iowa, for above an hour. By his bravery and the admirable management of his brigade, he reflects new honor on his noble State."

In speaking of his division general, Colonel Stone, in his official report, is equally complimentary.

Soon after the action at Port Gibson, General Lawler was assigned to the command of the 2d Brigade, when Colonel Stone again assumed command of his regiment. There is little of special interest in the Colonel's military record, or in that of his regiment, from the date of the Port Gibson battle to the 22d of May following. The 2d Brigade of the 14th Division did the magnificent fighting at Black River Bridge; but both the 22d Iowa and 11th Wisconsin regiments were in reserve, and suffered little. The 21st and 23d Iowa regiments are entitled to the credit of that brilliant affair, and none will be found to dispute it with them.

That which most distinguished Colonel Stone in the service, was the part he sustained with his regiment in the memorable charge at Vicksburg, on the 22d of May. In that charge he was for the second time wounded.

The nature of the country in the immediate vicinity of Vicksburg, and the character of the enemy's works were such as to insure almost certain defeat to the assaulting army, provided the rebel garrison were not reduced to a state of total demoralization. It was precisely this that General Grant counted on, as appears in his official report; and, when we reflect that he had been a witness to the enemy's shameful defeat and flight at Big Black River Bridge, were his inferences unreasonable?

In the march from Big Black River to the rear of Vicksburg, Sherman followed the Bridgeport road, McPherson the Jackson road, and McClernand the same road as McPherson, till he reached Mount Albans; then, turning to the left, he gained the Baldwin Ferry road. This threw Sherman on the right of the investing line, McPherson in the centre, and McClernand on the left. The 22d Iowa, being attached to the command of McClernand, was therefore on the south side of Vicksburg. The general character of the ground over which the charge was made, and the kind of obstructions to be overcome, I have given elsewhere. I give below an extract from Major Atherton's official report, showing the particular part the 22d took in the murderous assault.

"At four o'clock A. M., the regiment took position opposite the enemy's works, preparatory to the charge, where we were sheltered by the crest of a hill, and companies A and B deployed as skirmishers. We lay upon our arms until ten o'clock A. M., the appointed hour for the charge, when we formed in line of battle on the summit of the hill, and immediately pressed forward. From our first appearance upon the hill, we were exposed to a terrible fire from the enemy, concealed within their forts and rifle-pits. The men maintained their line and advanced like veterans to the ravine in front of the enemy's works, and made a charge upon the fort situated to our right. While here we were exposed to a murderous fire from the front, and an enfilading fire from the right and left, the enemy's works being so constructed as to effect this result. The column pressed forward, stormed the fort, took possession of the same and its inmates, and held it till dark. We maintained our position during the day, receiving and returning the enemy's fire—they concealed in their forts and other defences, and we, in a great measure, without any shelter. A continuance of the contest was deemed unadvisable, and we retired under cover of the night."

In this action, the 22d Iowa lost heavily. Colonel Stone was wounded, and Lieutenant-Colonel Graham taken prisoner. Captain James Robertson and Lieutenant M. A. Robb were among the killed. They were both good men, and their loss was deeply mourned in the regiment. One of the severely wounded was Sergeant Leonidas M. Godley. When near the enemy's works, he was shot above the knee, and his leg badly fractured. He lay under the enemy's guns till after midnight, when he was rescued by the enemy and taken into Vicksburg. He still lives to tell the story of his prison-life in the beleaguered city. The chief hero of Grant's army, that day, was a member of the 22d Iowa—Sergeant Joseph E. Griffiths. " No troops," says General Grant in his official report, " succeeded in entering any of the enemy's works, with the exception of Sergeant Griffiths, of the 22d Regiment Iowa Volunteers, and some eleven privates of the same regiment. Of these, none returned except the Sergeant, and possibly one man."

The charge of the 22d of May, at Vicksburg, was Colonel Stone's last engagement. Having received early in the fight a gun-shot wound through his left fore-arm, he retired from the field, and a few days later left for his home on leave of absence. Fortune was again favoring him.

Soon after arriving at his home in Knoxville, the Republican Gubernatorial Convention assembled at Des Moines. He attended it, and in a contest between himself, Honorable Elijah Sells, and General Fitz Henry Warren, received the nomination; then, returning to Vicksburg, he resigned his commission, and at once entered upon the vigorous canvass, which resulted in his election. Such rapid and uninterrupted success has never before fallen to the lot of any man in Iowa.

His administration of the Executive Department of the State, has been characterized by that shrewdness and energy which has marked his whole political course. Thus far, it has been a popular one; and, in this respect, contrasts favorably with that of his predecessor. Though not so able a man as Ex-Governor Kirkwood, his prospects for the future are now much the brightest. His conduct as governor has been criticised, to my knowledge, only in one particular. His visits to the army were pronounced by some buncombe expeditions, but the soldiers did not, I am informed, so regard them.

Governor Stone is about six feet in hight, and slender and erect. He has a Grecian face, a large, straight nose, large, full, gray eyes, and spare features. His appearance is intelligent and prepossessing. The chief elements of his success are, I believe, an easy, entertaining address, untiring industry, and unlimited self-confidence. These, sustained by a vigorous constitution, and driven by an iron-will, have enabled him to accomplish whatever he undertook. He rarely loses his temper, and seldom discovers an immodest desire for distinction.

As a public speaker, Governor Stone is fluent and forcible, but not polished—just what one would expect, when he remembers that all his early oratorical efforts were made at the bar. He has the happy faculty of forgetting himself in his theme. Many were witnesses of this fact at Des Moines, when himself and General Warren addressed the delegates the evening before the convention. Colonel Stone's wound was still troubling him, making it necessary for him to carry his hand in a sling; but, after entering upon his speech, he forgot that he had but one well arm, and, drawing it from the sling, began twirling it in violent gesticulations.

Governor Stone's past successes have not only disappointed his enemies, but surprised his friends. He is the most remarkable public man in Iowa, and his future, as promising as that of any man in the State.

SOURCE: Stuart, A. A., Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 7-15