COLONEL WILLIAM TUCKERMAN SHAW

FOURTEENTH INFANTRY.

The belligerous Colonel Shaw is a native of the State of Maine, and was born in the town of Steuben, Washington county, on the 22d day of September, 1822. He received his education at the Maine Wesleyan Seminary, and after leaving that Institution removed to Kentucky, where he engaged in school teaching. He was in Kentucky at the time war was declared by our Government against Mexico, and enlisted in the 2d Kentucky Infantry regiment, commanded by the gallant Colonel William R. McKee. He served with his regiment till the close of the war, accompanying it on every march, and fighting with it in every engagement, in which it took part. He was present in the sanguinary battle of Buena Vista; and was on that hill-slope, and in that ravine, where the battle raged with such fury, and where Colonel McKee was killed, and the chivalric Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Clay, Jr., mortally wounded. On the declaration of peace, he assisted in clearing our South-western borders of those hostile tribes of Indians, which were then so annoying to the frontier settlers.

By his great courage and determination, Colonel Shaw attained notoriety, and, in 1849, was chosen the leader of the first party, which crossed the barren and trackless country lying between Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Santa Fe. This event at that day was quite notable; and the number and names of the party have been preserved. It was composed of thirty-six men — citizens of New York, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas. In 1852, Colonel Shaw again crossed the plains, starting from Council Bluffs; and, this time, he was accompanied by only one man. In 1853, he settled in Anamosa, Jones county, Iowa, where he has since resided.

Colonel Shaw was made colonel of the 14th Iowa Infantry, on the 24th day of October, 1861; and held this rank till the summer of 1864, when he was dismissed the service.

The first of the long and bloody series of battles in which the 14th Iowa has borne a conspicuous part was that of Fort Donelson. Though present at the capture of Fort Henry, the regiment was not engaged. In the engagement at Fort Donelson, the 14th Iowa held the right of its brigade; and, on the afternoon of the 13th, two days before the successful assault which was led by the left wing of the 2d Iowa, under Colonel Tuttle, charged the enemy's works in connection with the 25th Indiana. The object of this assault was the capture of a six-gun battery, and the enemy's line in front; but through the failure of the 25th Indiana, under the immediate command of Colonel Lauman, to co-operate in the movement, no advantage was gained, except that a slightly advanced position was taken and held.

On the afternoon of the 15th of February, the 14th moved into the enemy's works to the right of the 2d Iowa, and soon after they had been entered by that regiment. In this day's fight the loss of the regiment was trifling — only one man killed, and seven wounded. On the afternoon of the 13th, it suffered more severely, losing two killed and fourteen wounded.

In closing his official report of this engagement, Colonel Shaw says:

"I may mention the valuable services rendered by Sergeant-Major S. H. Smith, who was shot dead by my side, while encouraging the men on to enter the breast-works of the enemy; also 1st Lieutenant William W. Kirkwood, commanding Company K, rendered very valuable assistance, in forming the line in front of the enemy's breast-works. Captain Warren C. Jones, of Company I, also rendered valuable service, in directing the fire of my marksmen, and, especially, in protecting the retiring of the skirmishers on the 13th instant."

I am informed that Colonel Shaw was mistaken in the case of Lieutenant Kirkwood. Second-Lieutenant Charles P. King commanded Company K at Fort Donelson, and distinguished himself.

Sergeant I. N. Rhodes, of Company I, also distinguished himself. Just after his regiment had gained the enemy's rifle-pits, the 1st Missouri Battery was hurried up to a sally-port, near by, and opened on the enemy. It at once drew the fire of a six-gun rebel battery, to the right and front. The firing of the rebel guns was so rapid and accurate that, the lieutenant in command of one section of the Missouri Battery became frightened, and deserted his guns. A sergeant of the battery, however, named Bremer, stuck to his piece, and returned the fire of the enemy. Sergeant Rhodes, of the 14th Iowa, seeing the other pieces deserted, sprang forward with six men of his company, and continued to work them on the enemy, till darkness prevented their further use.

From Fort Donelson, the 14th Iowa marched with its division to Pittsburg Landing, on the Tennessee. The distinguished part which the 14th took in the sanguinary engagement of Shiloh, has been noticed in the sketches of Colonels Geddes and Woods. The 8th, 12th and 14th Iowa regiments stood side by side, at the time they were surrounded and captured — the 14th holding the centre, with the 12th on its right, and the 8th on its left. In speaking of the gallant conduct of Colonel Shaw's regiment in this engagement, Major Hamill, of the 2d Iowa Infantry, said:

“They were to our left, and in plain view of us, until up to the time we learned of the flank movement of the enemy, and were ordered to fall back to save ourselves. The regiment can not receive too much credit; for I never saw such splendid fighting before nor since. They would lie quietly in line until the enemy was within fifteen or twenty paces, when they would rise and deliver a deadly fire, and then, in an instant, charge his line, which, in every instance, they did not fail to break, and force back in confusion."

Colonel Shaw, who commanded his regiment in this engagement, was captured and retained a prisoner of war until the following October, when he was paroled at Richmond, and sent into our lines. The history of his hardships, during his six months' prison-life, is the same as are those of Major, now Governor Stone, Colonel Geddes, Captain, now General Hedrick, and others, who were captured during the first day's battle.

The 14th Iowa, as also the other Iowa troops captured at Shiloh, were exchanged in the fall of 1862, and sent to Annapolis, Maryland. While at Annapolis, some of the officers telegraphed to General Halleck for permission to visit Washington; and the general replied: "You can come. Such troops can go any where: your indomitable courage at Shiloh saved the Army of the Mississippi from total annihilation." The courage and endurance of these troops was appreciated by General Beauregard, who is reported to have said, "We charged the centre (they held the centre) five distinct times, and could not break it."

The history of the 14th Iowa Infantry, subsequently to its exchange and re-organization, and up to the time when the greater portion of it was mustered out of the service, is similar to that of the 32d Iowa. During the spring and summer of 1863, it served at different points on the Mississippi River, on garrison-duty; but shortly before General A. J. Smith moved with his division from Memphis to Vicksburg, from which last named point he marched on the Meridian Expedition, the 14th was brigaded with the 27th and 32d Iowa, and the 24th Missouri. Colonel Shaw of the 14th Iowa was assigned to the command of this brigade; and, with it, saved the army of General Banks from defeat and capture at the battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana.

In the fall of 1864, the 14th Iowa joined in the operations which were instituted for the expulsion of General Price's army from Missouri; soon after which the regiment was mustered out of the United States service; for it had failed to re-enlist in sufficient numbers to entitle it to retain its organization. Only two companies remained in the service.

The 14th is the only Iowa regiment, from the 2d to the 17th, (and no others of the infantry troops came within the order) that lost its name and organization, on account of not re-enlisting. The reasons why the regiment refused to renew their enlistment need not be stated, for they involve an old feud, which should not be revived.

A true history of the Red River Campaign will attribute the chief glory which attaches to the battle of Pleasant Hill, to the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 16th Army Corps; (Colonel William T. Shaw's command) for these troops saved the army of General Banks from destruction, on that day of terror.

Rumor says that the army of General Steele should have been, at least, as far south as Camden, Arkansas, on the 8th of April, 1864, the day on which General Banks first met the enemy in strong force, some four miles east of Mansfield, Louisiana. The object of both Banks and Steele was a common one—the capture of Shreveport, and the destruction of the rebel army in Western Louisiana and Arkansas. Of the character of the orders under which these officers marched, I am ignorant; but, had they co-operated as they should have done, the power of the Confederates would no doubt have been broken in the trans-Mississippi country. As it is, history must record disastrous defeat to the armies of both Steele and Banks.

General Smith arrived with his command within one mile of Pleasant Hill, at sun-down on the evening of the 8th of April, 1864, and a little before the fighting of that day had closed at the front. That night, General Banks fell back with his troops of the 13th and 19th Corps; and, early on the following morning, took up a position about one mile west of Pleasant Hill. At ten o'clock of the same morning, the command of General Smith was ordered to the front. Colonel Shaw's Brigade led the advance, and took up a position on the Pleasant Hill and Mansfield road. His own regiment was thrown across the road, and at nearly right angles with it. His right was held by the 24th Missouri, and his left by the 27th and 32d Iowa — the 32d holding the extreme left. To the right of his command, was the brigade of General Dwight; but the name of the brigade on the left, I am unable to give. Nor does it matter, since it fled at the first onset of the enemy. No sooner had Colonel Shaw brought his command into line, than the skirmishers of the enemy were encountered; and then, after an interval of long and harrowing suspense, followed the fierce and sanguinary conflict of Pleasant Hill, the details of which are given in the sketch of Colonel John Scott, of the 32d Iowa Infantry.

For the part taken by the 14th regiment in this engagement, I refer to the official report of Lieutenant-Colonel, then Captain W. C. Jones:

"The regiment moved out to the front with the brigade to which it was attached, at a few minutes before eleven o'clock A. M., taking position upon the line parallel with an open field, the right resting upon a road immediately in the rear of the 25th New York Battery. Company I, under command of 2d Lieutenant G. II. Logan, Company K, under command of Captain W. J. Campbell, were deployed as skirmishers toward the centre of the field. Their left was resting upon the: skirmish line of the 27th Iowa. Skirmishing occurred at intervals, until 4 o'clock P. M., when the enemy advanced by a cavalry charge — our skirmishers rallying in their proper places, the 25th New York Battery fell in the rear of us. We reserved our fire until the enemy were in easy pistol range, when we opened a fire upon them, which almost annihilated them. Horses and riders rolled almost within our lines. This charge was followed by an advance of infantry in two lines, when the conflict became general. The enemy was repulsed in front with heavy slaughter. The second line advanced upon our front, and a line at right angles upon our right flank, opening a terrible cross-fire. Our right was changed in the new direction to meet the new line. In this bloody cross-fire, our lamented Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Newbold, fell from his horse, mortally wounded, the ball passing through his body from the right breast, disabling his left arm. There, also fell Lieutenant Logan, Lieutenant McMillen, and Lieutenant Shanklin, officers beloved by all, nobly laying their bodies a bleeding sacrifice upon their country's altar. The long list of casualties below, clearly indicate the unreproachable bravery and indomitable will of the regiment. Upon the fall of Lieutenant-Colonel Newbold, I assumed command of the regiment, and I tender most hearty thanks to the officers, commissioned and non-commissioned and privates, for the gallant manner in which they sustained their reputation, gained upon the bloody fields of Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, De Russy and Pleasant Hill.

"I withdrew the regiment, with the rest of the brigade, by your order, at six o'clock P. M."

Among the wounded of the 14th Iowa in this engagement, were Lieutenant Holmes, and Sergeants Ford, Parmenter, Nichol and M. L. Roberts — the last mortally. Private S. J. Parker had his head blown completely off by a shell.

Disregarding former services, his conduct in this engagement alone should have made Colonel Shaw a brigadier-general; but he was disgusted with the weakness of certain general officers, and the exhibitions of his manly wrath procured his dismissal from the service. He was dismissed for publishing a letter in the Dubuque "Times," from which the following is an extract:

"I reported to General Emery at about ten o'clock in the morning: he then appeared to be both drunk and a coward. I relieved General McMillan, who was drunk. I did not see General Emery again till after dark, and the fighting had ceased. He was then beastly drunk. I saw General Stone, General Banks' Chief of Staff, thirty minutes before the main attack was made, and pointed out to him my position, which he approved and said it must be held at all hazards."

I am informed by officers, who were with Colonel Shaw at the battle of Pleasant Hill that he stated in his letter nothing but the truth; but, though that be so, the publication of the letter was an ill-judged act, and in violation of wise and imperative rules. The colonel received his dismissal in the fall of 1864, and while he was with his command in Missouri, aiding to drive Price from that State. He returned at once to his home in Anamosa.

The last three months' service of the 14th Iowa was performed in Missouri. After the death of Colonel Newbold, the regiment was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W. C. Jones, the original and celebrated "Paul Bentley," who, in the winter of 1862-3, entrapped Mrs. Jeff Thompson and Rosa at St. Louis. The history of this affair need not be repeated. I will only add the compliment the colonel received from General Curtis. "You have," he said, "done me more service than all my troops stationed at St. Louis."

The 14th Iowa, with its division, took part, during the month of October and a portion of September, in driving General Price from Missouri. Leaving Memphis on the steamer Bostona, the 5th of September, it arrived by way of Cairo at Jefferson Barracks, and, after a stay of a few days, left for Pilot Knob. It left at mid-night of the 24th of September. Part of the regiment was distributed along the Iron Mountain Railroad for purposes of defense, while the balance went forward with General Ewing to Pilot Knob.

Having been re-called to Jefferson Barracks, or that portion of it stationed along the railroad, it left with its division for Jefferson City, and marched thence to Tipton. From the last named point, it returned to St. Louis without meeting the enemy, and, on the 6th of November, reached Camp Kinsman, Davenport. Here the non-veterans were mustered out, and the others—two companies, as I have before stated — were organized into the Residuary Battalion. This battalion, which has since served at Camp Butler, Illinois, was officered as follows:— Company A: Hugo Hoffbauer, captain; Joseph D. McClure, 1st lieutenant; Addison Davis, 2d lieutenant. Company B: Orville Burke, captain; Thomas B. Beach, 1st lieutenant; Perry L. Smith, 2d lieutenant.

Colonel Shaw is of only medium size, being five feet and ten inches in hight [sic], and sparely built; though there is something about him which makes him appear larger. He is rough and abrupt in his manners, is careless in dress, and by no means comely in person. His eyes are gray and deep-set, and his cheek-bones prominent. His mouth is large, and has about it an expression of stubbornness, which, I believe, is his most prominent trait of character.

Colonel Shaw is a man of great experience, and large and varied acquirements. Indeed, there seems to be no profession or science, with which he is not, in a good degree, familiar. He can talk law, divinity or physic; and, by his blunt shrewdness, surprises even those who, by these callings, obtain a livelihood. In nearly all questions, he is noted for assuming the negative; and, when once interested, he will talk and argue from morning till night. Many days of his prison-life were passed in this way. In prison, Major, now Governor Stone, was his chief opponent.

It is a mystery to some why Colonel Shaw was never made a brigadier-general. He was brave and efficient in the field, and never met the enemy without distinguishing himself; and many, destitute of these qualifications, have been made general officers. He doubtless would have been promoted, had he been more reticent on the conduct and merits of his superiors. It was against his nature to let a blunder pass unnoticed; and he would quarrel with a superior, sooner than with a subordinate.

SOURCE: Addison A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 271-80

COLONEL JOSEPH JACKSON WOODS

TWELFTH INFANTRY.

J. J. Woods, of the 12th Iowa Infantry, has a checkered history, which will be read with interest. He is a native of Ohio, and was born in Brown county, the 11th day of January, 1823. In 1833, he removed with his father's family to Rush county, Indiana, whence, after a residence of two years, he returned to his native county.

Colonel Woods is a West Point graduate. Having completed his preparatory course at Augusta College, Kentucky, he entered the West Point Military Academy in 1843. He was a successful scholar, and graduated in 1847, the third in his class. Receiving a 2d lieutenant's commission in the 1st United States Artillery, he sailed, on the 10th of October, 1847, under orders for Vera Cruz; but, on the fourth day out, the vessel on which he had taken passage was wrecked near the Great Bahama. After several days of peril and hardship, he reached Nassau, New Providence, and sailed thence to Charleston, South Carolina, where he passed several weeks with a former class-mate, by the name of Blake. Re-embarking again for Vera Cruz, he reached that place on the 5th of January, 1848. In August of the same year, after having had yellow fever, he was recalled and ordered to report at Governor's Island, New York Harbor. He was promoted to a 1st lieutenancy the 29th of October, 1848, and soon after sailed with Companies L and M of his regiment for Oregon: these were the first troops sent by our Government to that Territory. He remained in Oregon till the winter of 1853; and, during his stay in the Territory, was stationed at Fort Vancouver, Astoria, and Middle Oregon. At the last named place he had command of the Dalles. In the winter of 1853, he was ordered to New York City on recruiting service, where he remained till the following October, when he resigned his commission. Soon after, he purchased a farm in Jackson county, Iowa, on which he has since resided.

In August, 1861, Colonel Woods was tendered the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 9th Iowa Infantry; but this position he declined, and was, on the 23d of the following October, commissioned colonel of the 12th. From that date till the expiration of his three year's term of service, he served in command, either of his regiment, or of the brigade to which it was attached. He left the army in the fall of 1864, with the respect and good-will of his regiment, and with the high personal consideration of his superior officers. His services merited recognition at Washington; but, with him as with some others, modesty blocked the wheels of promotion.

The 12th Iowa Infantry, like the other Iowa regiments which were captured with it in the first day's battle at Shiloh, has a bright record. Its first battle was Fort Donelson. It had been present at the capture of Fort Henry; but, like the other infantry troops, took no part. The late gallant Admiral Foote captured Fort Henry with his three wooden and four iron-clad gun-boats, and received the surrender of General Tilghman ; and no one will dispute with him that honor.

General Smith, in whose command was the 12th Iowa, operated on the bluffs on the west bank of the Tennessee, and General McClernand, on the east. Had McClernand moved two hours sooner, he would have invested the fort, and captured five thousand prisoners; but he floundered in miry swamps, and nearly the entire rebel garrison escaped to Fort Donelson before he came up. It was said the blunder was General Grant's; but, if it was, he retrieved it a few days after at Fort Donelson.

After the fall of Fort Henry, the 12th Iowa, with its division, marched across the country to the rear of Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland. The distance is twelve miles. One strong and important point in the long line of rebel defenses — that line extending from Bowling Green, Kentucky, down past Fort Donelson and Fort Henry, and across the country to Columbus — had been wrested from the enemy. Fort Donelson captured, and the country south, to the vicinity of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, including the city of Nashville and the railroad connecting Bowling Green with Columbus, must be yielded by the Confederates. Columbus, too, must be evacuated, and the Mississippi abandoned as far south as Memphis. Then, with prompt and energetic movement on the part of the Federal forces, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad could be cut, the strategic point of Corinth occupied, and Kentucky and West Tennessee restored to Federal authority. The issue at Fort Donelson was therefore watched with impatience and anxiety.

General Grant, with the divisions of Smith and McClernand, arrived in rear of Fort Donelson in the evening of the 12th of February, 1862. That night the troops slept on their arms, as they also did on every subsequent night, until the fort capitulated. The division of Smith, filing to the left from the Dover road, swung round against the enemy's right, and that of McClernand, filing to the right, formed line in front of the enemy's left. The right and left of these divisions remained connected; for the division of General Wallace, which was to occupy the centre, had not yet arrived, but was on its way up the Cumberland River. The 12th Iowa was still under Smith, and was attached to the 3d Brigade, commanded by Colonel J. Cook. The 4th Brigade of the same division, in which were the 2d, 7th, and 14th Iowa regiments, was next on the left and constituted both the left of the division and the left of the Federal forces.

"Thursday morning, at half past eight o'clock, (I quote from Colonel Woods' report) we marched down to, and up the Dover road about half a mile, when we filed to the left, and formed line of battle: threw forward the flanking companies as skirmishers, and marched forward down a long slope that lay in front, the grape, shot and shell of the enemy flying thickly around us all the time. Our skirmishers advanced to the top of the hill that lay in front of us. The battalion halted at two-thirds of the distance to the top of the hill, where it was protected from the enemy's fire by the ridge in front." This position was held by the 12th Iowa the following night; and that night and the following one will never be forgotten by the regiment. A fierce north-east storm set in late in the afternoon, and raged with great fury, and the men, though drenched with the rain, and chilled with the cold, were allowed no fires, and suffered most bitterly. That morning the 12th Iowa had lost its first man killed in battle — private Edward C. Buckner. He was shot through the head on the skirmish line, and killed instantly. In the wet and cold of the following night, the sad event was talked over by the men, and they wondered who would be the next to fall.

The entire day of the 14th, (Friday) and the forenoon of the following, were passed by the 12th Iowa in skirmishing with the enemy; and, during this time, the regiment was gallantly supported by the 50th Illinois, and by Birge's Sharpshooters. No assaults were attempted on Friday, for the division of General Wallace, and the gun-boat fleet had not yet come up. The fighting on the south side of Fort Donelson closed about noon on Saturday, the 15th instant; when the enemy, having routed McClernand, returned to their works in triumph. It was at this hour that General Pillow sent his laconic report to Nashville: "On the honor of a soldier, the day is ours." "At about two o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday, the 12th Iowa, 50th Illinois, and Birge's Sharp-shooters were ordered to make a feint-attack, to draw the enemy's fire. The men went cheerfully to the work assigned them; and kept up a warm fire on the enemy, while Colonel Lauman's brigade, on our left, advanced on the enemy, and got possession of a part of the enemy's outer works, and hoisted thereon the American flag." From that hour until night-fall, the 12th Iowa was sharply engaged, and during that time, the regiment suffered nearly its entire loss. It moved to the support of Colonel Tuttle by the left flank, and, marching through the deep ravine in its front, and over the fallen timber, arrived at the top of the hill, just as the 25th Indiana commenced falling back. The regiment entered the rebel works to the right of Colonel Tuttle, and held its position till morning, when the Fort and its garrison were surrendered.

The casualties of the regiment in this engagement were thirty—all, with the exception of three, being sustained on Saturday afternoon. Two only were killed. Among the wounded, was Lieutenant-Colonel Coulter, who "behaved with the utmost coolness and bravery, and performed his duties regardless of the danger to which he was exposed." Major Brodtbeck and Surgeon Parker received special mention for their good conduct. "Every commissioned officer performed his duty without flinching." Sergeant-Major Morrisy, and Color-bearer Sergeant Grannis, and many others, deserve special mention for their coolness and gallantry. Privates Buckner and Stillman were the two men killed: the former was shot in the eye, and the latter in the right temple. With the exception of the 2d Iowa Infantry, no troops are entitled to more credit, for the part they sustained in the capture of Fort Donelson, than this regiment.

The next engagement of the 12th Iowa was Shiloh, where, for holding its position too long, it was captured. It has been matter of wonder why General Grant and Admiral Foote, after the fall of Fort Donelson, did not push on directly to Nashville. The people of that city, and the rebel troops there stationed, would be in the utmost consternation; and it was believed that the place could be occupied with little or no opposition. Both Grant and Foote appreciated the situation, and were anxious to advance against the city; but Halleck, the general commanding the Department, would not give his consent. They called him the old wheel-horse. Some said he was good only on the hold-back, and, to succeed, he must have a down-hill enterprise. As it was, the enemy, in their mad fright, destroyed some two million dollars' worth of property which might have been appropriated by the Government. General Johnson's army, too, on the march from Bowling Green, might probably have been captured. A week after the fall of Fort Donelson, General Buel [sic] occupied Nashville; after which, General Grant proceeded up the Tennessee River to Savannah and Pittsburg Landing.

At the battle of Shiloh, the 12th Iowa was attached to the 1st Brigade, 2d Division, commanded by General Wallace. General Smith was absent at Paducah. Colonel, afterwards General Tuttle commanded the brigade. The part taken by the regiment in this engagement is elsewhere given. It formed a part of that line which, though at last broken, was held with such obstinacy as to save Grant's army from total rout.

After receiving orders to fall back, Colonel Woods says, in his official report:

"Seeing ourselves surrounded, we nevertheless opened a brisk fire on that portion of the enemy who blocked our passage to the Landing, who, after briskly returning our fire for a short time, fell back. A brisk fire from the enemy on our left was going on at the same time. Seeing the enemy in front falling back, we attempted, by a rapid movement, to cut our way through; but the enemy on our left advanced rapidly, coming in behind us, pouring into our ranks a most destructive fire. The enemy in front faced about, and opened on us at short range, the enemy in our rear still closing in on us rapidly. I received two wounds, disabling me from further duty. The command then devolved on Captain Edgington, acting as field officer. The enemy had, however, already so closely surrounded us that their balls, which missed our men, took effect in their ranks beyond us. To have held out longer would have been to suffer complete annihilation. The regiment was therefore compelled to surrender as prisoners of war."

The regiment's list of casualties was great, though the exact number I am unable to give. The killed and wounded numbered about one hundred and fifty. Of the conduct of his regiment, Colonel Woods says: — "Captains Earle, Warner, Stibbs, Haddock, Van Duzee and Townsley performed well their part, as did all the lieutenants in the action, in a prompt and willing manner. The non-commissioned officers and men stood bravely up to their work, and never did men behave better." Lieutenants Ferguson and Moir, two brave and worthy officers, were both killed. As already stated, Colonel Woods was twice wounded, and taken prisoner. He was shot through the left leg and right hand. The former wound disabled him, so that he could not march to the rear with the other prisoners, and the fortunes of the following day restored him to liberty; for he was re-captured by our forces. Over four hundred of the 12th Iowa were captured, and, of these, eighty died in Southern prisons. That is the saddest page in the history of this noble regiment.

The 12th Iowa was re-organized in the winter of 1862-3, that portion of it which had been captured having been previously exchanged. The regiment was again led to the front by its unassuming colonel, and assigned to the 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 15th Army Corps. The command of the brigade was given to Colonel Woods. A detailed account of the movements of the regiment need not be given here; for a full history of operations in the rear of Vicksburg will be found elsewhere.

The 12th marched with its corps from Milliken's Bend, via Grand Gulf to Jackson, and thence to the rear of Vicksburg, where it participated in the long and arduous siege. On the fall of that city, it marched back with Sherman to Jackson, and, after the flight of Johnson, assisted in the almost total destruction of the place.

The regiment's next important services were rendered in Northern Mississippi, in the spring of 1864; though I should not omit to state that it marched with Sherman on his trip to Meridian.

It re-enlisted as a veteran regiment, in the winter of 1863-4, and came North on veteran furlough; after which, it was assigned to the command of General A. J. Smith, and, under that general, fought at the battle of Tupelo, July 14th, 1864. Its conduct in this engagement, and in saving Smith's train from capture and burning the day before, between Pontotoc and Tupelo, made it one of the star regiments of the expedition.

The previous reverses, sustained by the army stationed at and near Memphis, under General Sturgis, are stated in the sketches of other officers. The expedition in question left La Grange, on the line of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, on the 5th of July, 1864; and, proceeding in a southeasterly direction, passed through Ripley and Pontotoc, and thence on to Tupelo. The heat and the dust rendered the march extremely painful and exhausting; but the brave men endured the hardships with great fortitude, for they were to retrieve our arms in that quarter from disgrace.

On the 13th instant, the 12th Iowa was assigned the duty of guarding the supply-train, a task which was not without its dangers, and which, on account of the hilly and timbered country through which the march lay, required the greatest vigilance. The country, too, was full of scouting parties of the enemy. Early in the afternoon, Lieutenant-Colonel Stibbs, commanding the regiment, was informed by one of his flankers that, the enemy's cavalry, in large force, were advancing rapidly through the timber on his right. It proved to be Maley's Mississippi Brigade. Learning their intended point of attack, the colonel threw his regiment in their front, and, concealing his men in the dense brush, ordered them to hold their fire till they received the proper command. Soon, the enemy came dashing through the woods, firing their carbines, and shouting like demons. They were allowed to approach within less than twenty paces, when a well-directed volley from the regiment checked them, and a second one drove them back in confusion, with the loss of their colors. They continued a scattering fire for fifteen or twenty minutes, and then retired.

In this affair, the loss of the 12th Iowa was one man killed, and twelve wounded. Among the latter, was Captain C. L,. Lumbardo. The battle of Tupelo opened the next morning.

On Thursday, the 14th instant, Smith's army was put under arms at three o'clock in the morning, and was soon after marched out and formed in line, on the right of the Pontotoc road. The position of the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, to which was attached the 12th Iowa, was as follows: "On the extreme right was stationed the 6th Indiana Battery, four guns; next in line, on the left, was the 33d Wisconsin, of the 4th Brigade; next, the 33d Missouri; next, the 2d Iowa Battery, four guns, commanded by Lieutenant J. Reed; and on the left of the brigade, in the most advanced position of our front line of battle, was the 12th Iowa, the 7th Minnesota being in reserve."

Immediately after the line was formed, skirmishers were thrown out; and soon, the enemy, moving from their cover in the timber, appeared in force, and formed for the encounter. The battle opened with artillery, which was fired with great rapidity and precision. The range was short, and the screeching [sic] of shells, and the whistling of grape and canister, was frightful. In the meantime, the enemy pushed their infantry forward, and engaged the whole Federal front. The 12th Iowa was protected by an old fence thrown down for a barricade, from behind which it did terrible execution, repelling every rebel assault. And thus the fighting continued for upward of two hours, when the regiment, having exhausted its ammunition, was sent to the rear. In half an hour, it returned with replenished cartridge..boxes, and, taking up its former position, again engaged the enemy. As the battle progressed, the enemy made charge after charge, confident of victory. They would approach within fifty yards of the Federal line, when, met by terrible volleys of canister and musketry, they would stagger for a moment, and then retire precipitately. To whip Smith's forces, was to be a "fore-breakfast spell"; but they must have thought their breakfast a long way off. Finally, they were charged in turn by the 12th Iowa in the van, the 35th Iowa, the 33d Missouri, the 33d Wisconsin and two companies of the 7th Minnesota. They could not face the valor of these veterans, and fled to the woods, leaving the bloody field in possession of the Federal forces. Nor did they return that day to renew the contest.

Of the second day's fight, and of the results of both days' battles, Lieutenant-Colonel Stibbs says:

"On the morning of the l5th instant my regiment was assigned a position to the left of the Pontotoc road, and formed the left centre of the brigade line. We had a substantial breastwork of cotton-bales in our front, which served as an admirable protection against the enemy's sharp-shooters. We took full part in the fight and charge of the day, losing one man killed and three wounded. Our loss during the three days' fighting was one officer and eight men killed, one officer and fifty-four men wounded, and one man missing."

Lieutenant A. A. Burdick, acting regimental quarter-master, was killed by a shell, while assisting to bring forward ammunition. He was a gallant young officer, and held in the highest esteem by his regiment. Sergeant Robert Fowler and Corporal G. R. Holden were also killed.

Being without supplies, General Smith could not continue the pursuit; and he therefore moved back in the direction of Memphis. Indeed, I am informed that the object of the expedition was accomplished on the battle-field of Tupelo — Forest and his command had been routed. The enemy's cavalry followed on the return as far as Oldtown Creek, giving the rear guard much trouble; but so skillfully and successfully was the march conducted, that not a single wagon of the long train was lost. The expedition arrived at La Grange on the 20th instant; and from that point all the wounded were sent forward to Memphis.

The entire Federal loss in the fighting at Tupelo was about six hundred, while the enemy's was estimated at not less than two thousand.

After General Smith's operations against Price in Missouri, in which the 12th Iowa took part, we next find the regiment with that general before Nashville. In the battles fought south of the last named city, it figured conspicuously; and its gallantry became the more noted, from the fact that it went into the fight without a single line officer: each company was commanded by a sergeant. Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Stibbs commanded the regiment, and Captain, now Major Knee was acting major — both brave and true men. The regiment's conduct at Nashville is deserving of the greatest praise; for its colors were among the first to be placed upon the enemy's strong redoubts. It accomplished much, with but small loss — two killed and eighteen wounded. The 12th Iowa last operated with General Smith, in the reduction of Mobile, or rather the strong forts, by which that city was defended.

Colonel Woods has a slender, stooping form, brown hair, a light complexion, and mild, blue eyes. He is, in appearance and in fact, the most unassuming of the Iowa colonels. He speaks slowly and kindly, and was accustomed to give his commands with great coolness and deliberation. The officers and men of his regiment at first thought he lacked style and energy; but they soon learned he possessed great worth as a commanding officer. He is the farthest removed from every thing that distinguishes regular army officers.

SOURCE: Addison A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 243-54

BRIGADIER-GENERAL JACOB G. LAUMAN

FIRST COLONEL, SEVENTH INFANTRY.

Jacob Gartner Lauman was the fourth volunteer officer from Iowa, promoted to a brigadier. He was born in Tarrytown, Maryland, on the 20th day of January, 1813; but removed with his family, when young, to York, Pennsylvania. In 1844, he came West, and settled in Burlington, Iowa, Where, engaging in mercantile pursuits, he has since made his home. At the outbreak of the war, he took an active part in enlisting and mustering our volunteer troops, and, on the 11th of July, 1861, was commissioned colonel of the 7th Iowa Infantry — later, the heroes of Belmont.

While under the command of Colonel Lauman, the 7th Iowa was stationed and served at the following points: — Jefferson Barracks, Pilot Knob, Ironton, Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Missouri; Cairo, Illinois; Fort Holt, Mayfield Creek, Camp Crittenden and Fort Jefferson, Kentucky; and Norfolk and Bird's Point, Missouri. The regiment was stationed at the latter place, on the 6th of November, 1861, when it sailed on the Belmont expedition, the object of which was, "to prevent the enemy from sending out re-inforcements to Price's army in Missouri, and also from cutting off columns that I [Grant] had been directed to send out from Cairo and Cape Girardeau, in pursuit of Jeff Thompson."

On this expedition, the battle of Belmont was fought; and the conduct of Colonel Lauman in the engagement, together with that of his regiment, gave him his early popularity as a military leader. At Belmont, the 7th Iowa greatly distinguished itself, and received from General Grant, in his official report, the following mention: — "Nearly all the missing were from the Iowa regiment, (the 7th) who behaved with great gallantry, and suffered more severely than any other of the troops."

Just when the enemy had been driven from their camp, and down the steep bank of the Mississippi, Colonel Lauman, while giving Captain Parrott instructions with reference to the captured artillery, was disabled from a musket-shot wound in the thigh. He was taken back to the transports on one of the guns of Captain Taylor's Battery, just in advance of his regiment, and was only in time to escape that terrible enfilading fire that well nigh annihilated the rear of Grant's forces.

A remarkable incident occurred while the troops were re-embarking after the battle. It is well vouched for, and worthy of record. The last transport had just cut its hawser, and was dropping out into the stream, when the enemy suddenly appeared on the bank with artillery. One piece was hastily put in battery, and leveled on the crowded decks of the transport. The rebel gunner was just about pulling the lanyard, when a shell, from one of the Union gun-boats, burst directly under the carriage of the gun, throwing gun, carriage and all high in the air. The carriage was demolished, and, while still in the air, the gun exploded. The rebel gunner and several others were killed; and the lives of at least a score of Union soldiers were saved by this remarkable shot.

"It was after the retreat had commenced that Lieutenant-Colonel Wentz was killed. He died on the field of battle, like a true soldier; he was a truly brave man, and did his duty well and nobly. Lieutenant Dodge of Company B was killed, and Lieutenant Gardner, who commanded Company I, and Lieutenant Ream of Company C, mortally wounded. Among my officers, more or less severely wounded, you will find the names of Major Rice, Captains Harper, Parrott, Kittredge and Gardner, and 1st Lieutenant De Heus, (who commanded company A) of whose bravery I desire to speak in the most emphatic manner. I desire also to direct your attention to Captain Crabb, who was taken prisoner, and who behaved in the bravest manner. But I might go on in this way and name nearly all my command, for they all behaved like heroes; but there are one or two more I feel it my duty to name as deserving special mention. Lieutenant Bowler, adjutant of the regiment, and Lieutenant Estle, whose conduct was worthy of all praise, and private Lawrence A. Gregg, whose thigh was broken and he left on the field; he was taken prisoner and his leg amputated, but he died the same day, telling his captors with his dying breath, that, if he ever recovered so as to be able to move, he would shoulder his musket again in his country's cause."

"My entire loss in killed, wounded, prisoners and missing, out of an aggregate of somewhat over four hundred, is as follows: Killed, fifty-one; died of wounds, three; missing, ten; prisoners, thirty-nine; wounded, one hundred and twenty-four. Total, two hundred and twenty-seven."

Having recovered from his wound, Colonel Lauman re-joined his regiment; and at the battle of Fort Donelson was placed in command of a brigade, composed of the 2d, 7th and 14th Iowa, and the 25th Indiana. At Fort Donelson, the gallantry of his brigade — more especially that of the 2d Iowa — made him a brigadier-general. From what occurred just before the successful assault was made, it seems that the success of his troops was unlooked for by Colonel Lauman; for to Colonel Tuttle, who desired to lead the charge, he said: "Why, sir, you can't go up there; didn't I try it yesterday?'' And to the reply of Colonel Tuttle, that he would, if he lost the last man of his regiment, he said, "Oh, sir! you'll soon get that taken out of you." After the assault of the 2d Iowa at Fort Donelson, Colonel Lauman believed there was nothing that brave men could not accomplish.

After being promoted to the rank of a brigadier, General Lauman was assigned to the command of a brigade in General Hurlbut's Division, with which he fought in the left wing of Grant's army at Shiloh. Colonel Williams of the 3d Iowa having been disabled in that engagement, General Lauman succeeded him in the command of his brigade; which command he retained until the following October. He marched with Sherman and Hurlbut from Corinth to Memphis, after the fall of the former place; and, in the following Fall, when the enemy began to show activity in the neighborhood of Corinth, returned with Hurlbut to the vicinity of Bolivar, Tennessee; near which place he was encamped just before the battle of Iuka. To mislead the enemy under Price at Iuka, or, as General Grant expresses it, "to cover our movement from Corinth, and to attract the attention of the enemy in another direction, I ordered a movement from Bolivar to Holly Springs. This was conducted by Brigadier-General Lauman." On the 5th of October, General Lauman commanded his brigade in the battle on the Hatchie.

General Hurlbut's march from Bolivar to the Big Muddy, about two miles west of the Hatchie, has already been given in the sketch of Colonel Aaron Brown. The battle of the Hatchie, or Matamora, opened between the Federal and Confederate artillery, the former stationed on the bluffs, and the latter in the Hatchie Bottom. After a brief artillery duel, the 2d Brigade, General Veatch commanding, charged the enemy's infantry that had crossed the bridge to the west side of the stream, and routed them. Falling back across the bridge, they, with the balance of the rebel forces, took up a position on the opposite bluffs. General Ord, now coming to the front, determined to attack the enemy in their strong position, and accordingly ordered General Veatch to push his brigade across the bridge.

The topography of the battle-ground on the east side of the Hatchie, is thus well given by Lieutenant Thompson, of the 3d Iowa Infantry:

"Beyond the river there was about, twelve rods of bottom, and then there arose a very high and steep bluff. Along the brow of this, the enemy, rallying and reinforced, had formed new lines of battle, and planted artillery, which, from different points, enfiladed the road and bridge, and swept the field on both sides of the stream. Following up the river just above the bridge, it makes an abrupt elbow, and comes down from the east, running parallel to the road on the opposite side [of the bridge]. In this elbow, and on not more than half an acre of ground, a part of General Veatch's Brigade, according to the orders of General Ord, would have to deploy."

Crossing the bridge and filing to the left, it was possible to gain the enemy's right flank; for on that side of the road the north point of the bluffs could be passed; and what seems strange is that, a man of General Ord's ability should not have discovered this strategical point. The balance of General Lauman's Brigade, which was of the reserve forces, was now ordered across the bridge, and directed to file to the right, into the inevitable pocket. General Lauman, accompanied by his orderlies, led the advance. To cross the open field, and then the bridge, was a most perilous undertaking; for, on the bluffs on the opposite side, as has already been stated, the enemy's artillery was so planted as to give them a converging fire on both the field and bridge. General Lauman reached the opposite side in safety, followed by the other two regiments of his brigade, one of which was the 3d Iowa Infantry.

The battle was now raging with great fury, the enemy from their elevated position pouring a deadly, continuous fire on their helpless victims below, whose returning fire was almost wholly ineffectual. Confusion must soon have followed; but just then General Ord was wounded, and General Hurlbut assumed command. He at once crossed the bridge, and, in person, directed a flank movement around the bluffs to the left. The troops employed were the 46th Illinois, the 68th Ohio, and the 12th Michigan. The enemy's right flank was soon gained and turned, which compelled them to abandon the bluffs; — and thus the day was saved from disaster.

This pocket-blunder of General Ord, and the subsequent indiscretion of General Lauman, have been considered by some as connected with the latter's ill-fortune at Jackson, Mississippi, in the summer of 1863. The story is as follows: — In the winter of 1862-3, a supper was given in Memphis, where Generals Ord, Veatch, Lauman and others, were present. When the wine was passing, and all were merry, the affair on the Hatchie occurred to General Lauman, and he remarked to General Ord: —"General, that was a bit of a blunder, in putting us into that pocket, wasn't it?" (I may not give the language, but I give the idea.) General Ord, it is said, made no reply; but gave his eyes a wicked leer, which, even then, some thought meant mischief.

Soon after the battle of Matamora, General Hurlbut was made a major-general, and assigned to the command of the District of Jackson, Tennessee. General Lauman succeeded him in the command of his division.

If we except the march of General Grant into Central Mississippi, in which General Lauman joined with his division, his military history, for the six months following the battle of Matamora, is void of great interest. During this time, he had his head-quarters, first at Bolivar, then at Moscow, and then at Memphis. When Vicksburg was beleagured, he left Memphis to report to General Grant in rear of that city; and, on the fall of Vicksburg, marched with his division on the, to him, unfortunate campaign to Jackson. His position before Jackson, and what happened on the 12th of July, appear in the sketch of Colonel Aaron Brown, of the 3d Iowa Infantry. With reference to a further history of this affair, I shall only add an extract from the official report of General Sherman.

"On the 12th [July], whilst General Lauman's Division was moving up into position, dressing to his left on General Hovey, the right of his line came within easy range of the enemy's field artillery and musketry, from behind his works, whereby this division sustained a serious loss, amounting in killed, wounded and missing to near five hundred men. This was the only serious loss which befell my command during the campaign, and resulted from misunderstanding or misinterpretation of General Ord's minute instructions, on the part of General Lauman.

At the time of the occurrence of this misfortune, General Ord's head-quarters were to the right of the Clinton and Jackson road, and near where the left of his command rested. Near that of General Ord's, was the tent of Surgeon Wm. L. Orr of the 21st Iowa. When the heavy firing opened in front of General Lauman's command, Ord, in a tone of much surprise and alarm, called hurriedly to one of his aids: "What does that mean? what does that mean? Ride out there quickly and see." General Lauman was at once relieved of his command, and ordered to report to General Grant at Vicksburg. Upon his departure he issued the following order:


"Head-quarters Fourth Division, Sixteenth Army Corps,
In The Field, Near Jackson, Miss., July 12th, 1863.

"Fellow-soldiers :

Having been relieved from the command of the 4th Division by Major-General Ord, the command is turned over to Brigadier-General Hovey. To say that I part with my old comrades with sorrow and regret, is simply giving expression to my heart-felt feelings. I shall ever remember the toils and hardships we have endured together, and the glory which the Old Fourth has won on hard-fought fields, and the glory which clusters around their names like a halo — with pride and satisfaction.

"And now, in parting with you, I ask a last request, that, in consideration of your past fame, you do nothing, in word or deed, to mar it; but that you give to your present or future commander that prompt obedience to orders which has always characterized the division, and which has given to it the proud position which it now enjoys.

"Officers and soldiers, I bid you now an affectionate farewell.

"J. G. Lauman,
Brigadier-General."


But for his ill-fated blunder at Jackson, General Lauman would doubtless ere this have been made a major-general.

Reporting to General Grant, he was sent, I think, to an Eastern Department, and assigned a command somewhere in Northern Virginia; but before his arrival, the command had been given to another. He was then ordered to report to his home in Burlington to await further orders from Washington, which, thus far, he has failed to receive. The general, I am informed, has made frequent efforts to secure an investigation of the causes, whereby he was thrown under opprobrium, but without success. Rumor says that both Grant and Sherman have put him off with, "we have no time to convene courts-martial.''

The war is now closing, and he will, probably, go out of the service, without being restored to a command. Indeed, his health is broken down, and he is now totally unfit for service.

Like the majority of the Iowa general officers, General Lauman is of only middle size. His person is slender, and his weight about one hundred and forty pounds. He has a nervous, excitable temperament, and a mild, intelligent countenance.

As a military leader, he is brave to a fault, but he lacks judgment. He would accomplish much more by intrepidity, than by strategy; and, if his intrepidity failed him, he might lose every thing.

He has been a successful merchant, and stands among the wealthy men of Burlington. As a citizen, he has always been held in the highest esteem, and is noted for his kind-heartedness and liberality.

Source: A. A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 163–170