The Second Iowa Cavalry

The companies composing this regiment were raised chiefly in the counties of Scott, Jackson, Clayton, Lee, Muscatine, Washington, Marshall, Polk, Hardin, Hamilton, Hancock, Johnson, Iowa, Cedar, Delaware and Jones. They went into camp at Davenport late in the summer of 1861, and remained there drilling for nearly three months. It was a fine regiment of excellent men, and became well equipped for service before it left camp, 1,050 strong. Its first colonel was Capt. W. L. Elliott, of the Third U. S. cavalry, an accomplished officer of the regular army. Edward Hatch was lieutenant-colonel, and the majors were William P. Hepburn, Datus E. Coon and Hiram W. Love. On the 7th of December the regiment went south, stopping at St Louis, and soon after moving down the river to Bird's Point, and from there it joined General Pope before New Madrid and participated in his campaign and victory. It was with Halleck in his cautious advance upon Corinth. At Farmington it had a tight with the enemy, and made a daring charge to save a force of infantry under General Paine, which had been attacked by greatly superior numbers. It lost fifty men in the charge. Soon after Colonel Elliott, with the Second Iowa and Second Michigan cavalry, made a brilliant raid to Booneville, where they destroyed a large amount of arms, supplies and other rebel property with slight loss to his force. For this brilliant raid, Colonel Elliott was promoted to brigadier-general, and was succeeded by Colonel Hatch in command of the regiment. At the battle of Booneville, on the 1st of July, fought by Col. Phil. Sheridan, the Second Iowa cavalry took a prominent part. Sheridan had but one brigade, consisting of the Second Iowa and the Second Michigan cavalry. This small force was attacked by General Chalmers with nearly 5,000 men. Sheridan dismounted the Michigan regiment, fell back to a swamp and sent the Second Iowa to assail the flanks of the advancing enemy. When they became hotly engaged, he sent 100 of the Second cavalry through the woods to the rear of the enemy with orders to charge upon them. The order was obeyed, and the rebels, being attacked at the same time in front and rear, supposed that heavy reinforcements had come to Sheridan, and they fled in confusion. This victory made Sheridan brigadier-general. The Second Iowa lost twenty-two men in this brilliant engagement, in which it bore a conspicuous part.

During the fall the regiment was active in the battles of Iuka, Corinth, and Grant's expedition into central Mississippi. Early in December it was at the battle of Coffeyville and did good service. In Grierson's raid, the march against Forrest, at Moscow and the Meridian expedition, the Second cavalry did good service. It was at the battle of Nashville and many other minor engagements, and in October, 1865, was mustered out of the service. Few, if any, regiments in the war of the rebellion performed more valuable service or won more honor for gallant deeds than the Second Iowa cavalry.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, Biographies And Portraits Of The Progressive Men Of Iowa, Volume 1, p. 120