The Sixteenth Iowa Infantry

This regiment was made up of companies recruited in the counties of Scott, Clinton, Dubuque, Clayton, Muscatine, Hamilton, Boone and others. Capt. Alexander Chambers, of the regular army, was commissioned colonel; A. H. Sanders, lieutenant-colonel; William Purcell, major. Its last company was mustered into service on the 24th of March, 1862, and on the 6th of April the regiment was in the battle of Shiloh. It had had little time to drill, but fought bravely in that terrible conflict. Colonel Chambers was wounded and the regiment lost heavily. When the Iowa brigade was formed, soon after the battle, the Sixteenth was assigned to it, and continued in it to the end, sharing in its glorious record. It took part in the defense of Bolivar, in September, and at the battle of Iuka every man of it covered himself with glory. Colonel Chambers was here very severely wounded and taken prisoner. General Rosecrans, in his report, says: "The Sixteenth Iowa, amid the roar of battle, the rush of artillery horses, the charges of a rebel brigade, and a storm of grape, canister and musketry, stood like a rock holding the center." The loss of the regiment was sixty-five, and among the killed was the gallant young adjutant, George Lawrence. Two weeks later the Sixteenth, led by Lieut.-Col. A. H. Sanders, fought at Corinth, where its commander was severely wounded. In January, 1863, Colonel Chambers again took command of the regiment. Just before the Third brigade started on the Vicksburg campaign, Major Strong, inspector-general of the Seventeenth army corps, visited and inspected Crocker's command, and said of it: "I have never seen a brigade that can compete with this. Take the brigade together, I never saw such a splendid body of men. The officers and soldiers of the Third brigade, commanded by Colonel Crocker, are an honor to the army of the Tennessee, to their state and country, to their friends at home, and I know, from their record in the field, that they must be a terror to the foe." What higher praise could be given to the Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa regiments than this from an old army inspector? Soon after, General Crocker took command of the Seventh division, and Colonel Chambers of the Third brigade, leaving Colonel Sanders in command of the Sixteenth regiment during the Vicksburg campaign. One of the medals of honor was awarded to Color Bearer Samuel Duftin, of Company K, Sixteenth Iowa, as one of the three bravest soldiers in the Vicksburg campaign. He was from Davenport, was promoted to lieutenant and killed at Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864.

Before accompanying General Sherman on his grand march to the sea, the regiment re-enlisted, went home on furlough, and early in June joined the army in Georgia. In the great battle before Atlanta, on the 22d, the Sixteenth fought with heroic courage but was finally surrounded and compelled to surrender after having inflicted very heavy loss on the enemy. The officers of the regiment were confined at Macon, Charleston and finally at Columbia, while the men were sent to Andersonville and suffered every horror that human barbarity could inflict. The survivors of this "hell upon earth" were finally exchanged on the 22d of September, while the officers were imprisoned much longer. There was a remnant of the regiment, of about 100, that was not included in the surrender, which fought through the campaign in Sherman's army. It was mustered out at Davenport at the close of the war, under command of Lieut-Col. J. T. Herbert, who had enlisted in the regiment as a private from Davenport in 1862.

SOURCE, Benjamin F. Gue, Biographies And Portraits Of The Progressive Men Of Iowa, Volume 1, p. 100-2