The Thirtieth Iowa Infantry

This regiment was organized from companies raised in the counties of Lee, Davis, Jefferson, Van Buren, Washington and Des Moines, late in the summer of 1862. It was mustered into service on the 23d of September and went into camp at Keokuk, with Col. Charles H. Abbott, Lieut.-Col. W. M. G. Torrence, and Maj. Lauren Dewey as its first field officers. It was sent to Helena, where it suffered from sickness for a long time. The regiment was a part of General Thayer's brigade and joined General Sherman's army before Vicksburg. It was in the battle of Chickasaw Bayou, December 28th and 29th, but suffered very slight loss. In the campaign against Arkansas Post, the Thirtieth Iowa participated and did good service, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Torrence, losing forty-five men. In April the regiment joined Grant's army in the Vicksburg campaign and in the assaults of the 19th and 22d of May. In this last bloody battle Colonel Abbott was slain while leading his regiment in a charge on the confederate works. He was an able officer and highly esteemed by the army, and his death was a sad blow to the regiment he commanded. Major Millikin was mortally wounded in the same battle and died the next day. Lieutenant-Colonel Torrence was promoted to command of the regiment and Aurelius Roberts, of Company C, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and Robert D. Creamer, of Company G, became major. The regiment joined the army sent against Jackson, and after its capture was sent with Osterhaus' division to repair and guard the Memphis and Charleston railroad. On the 21st of October the Thirtieth, with the advance guard of the army, had a severe battle with the enemy near Cherokee, where Colonel Torrence was killed in the thickest of the fight, while bravely leading his men into action. Soon after the regiment was sent to reinforce the army operating about Chattanooga. In the great battle which followed, the Thirtieth took an active part in the assault and capture of the rebel strongholds of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. In the battle of Ringgold, on the 27th of November the Thirtieth did excellent service and lost many good men. In the Atlanta campaign which followed, the Thirtieth was in many battles and always sustained its high reputation for valor. At the close of that victorious campaign it marched on to Washington and participated in the last grand review at the close of the war. On the 6th of June it started for Iowa, landing at Davenport, where it was honorably discharged.

SOURCE, Benjamin F. Gue, Biographies And Portraits Of The Progressive Men Of Iowa, Volume 1, p. 111-2