Showing posts with label 7TH IA INF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 7TH IA INF. Show all posts

Friday, October 19, 2012

Official Reports of the Battle of Shiloh: No. 19 – Lieut. Col. James C. Parrott, 7th Iowa Infantry

No. 19.

Report of Lieut. Col. James C. Parrott, Seventh Iowa Infantry.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH REGIMENT IOWA INFANTRY,
Army in the Field, Pittsburg, Tenn., April 101862.

SIR: In compliance with your order, dated April 8, 1862, I have the honor herewith to make a report of the part taken by the Seventh Regiment Iowa Infantry in the battle of Pittsburg, Tenn., on April 6, 7, and 8.

On the morning of the 6th, at 8 o’clock, I received your order to hold the regiment in readiness for a forward movement, the rebels having attacked our outposts. The regiment was formed immediately, and at about 9 a.m. it was ordered to move forward, and it took position on the left of the Second Iowa Infantry. It then moved forward by the flank until within a short distance of the advancing rebels, where it was thrown into line of battle, being in heavy timber, when it advanced to the edge of a field, from which position we got a view of a portion of the rebel forces. I ordered my men to lie down and hold themselves in readiness to resist any attack, which they did, and remained in that position until ordered to fall back at about 5 p.m., holding the rebels in check and retaining every inch of ground it had gained in the morning, being all the time under a galling fire of canister, grape, and shell, which did considerable execution in our ranks, killing several of my men and wounding others. The regiment, when ordered, fell back in good order and passed through a most galling flank fire from the enemy. When it gained cover of the timber it rallied in good style and helped to hold the enemy in check for some time, when it was again ordered to fall back upon the main river road, and there it bivouacked for the night, exposed to a heavy rain of several hours’ duration.

On Monday morning, the 7th, I was so completely stiffened by fatigue and exposure that it was impossible for me to advance with the regiment, but I knew it was placed in good hands when I turned the command over to Major Rice, who led them on that day to the enemy's stronghold, and from him I was proud to learn it did its duty unflinchingly not only against the rebels, but in keeping many of our troops from falling back and leaving the field in disorder. At night the regiment returned to camp, and for the first time in two days had warm food and a good night's rest.

On Tuesday morning, the 8th, I again moved the regiment forward about 2 miles and remained in line all day, not getting in sight or hearing of the enemy. At night it returned to camp in good order.

In conclusion, I am proud to say that the officers and men of the Seventh Iowa Volunteers, with a few exceptions, did their duty nobly, and sustained the proud position won for it on former occasions, of which our State may feel proud. The delinquents, although few, will be strictly dealt with according to the Articles of War.

Our casualties are as follows: One lieutenant and 10 privates killed; 17 privates wounded and 6 privates missing; making an aggregate of 34 killed, wounded, and missing.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

 J. C. PARROTT,
 Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Seventh Iowa Infantry.

Col. J. M. TUTTLE,
Commanding First Brigade, Second Division.
__________

* But see revised statement, p. 101

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume X (Serial No. 10), Part I, pages 150-1

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Official Reports of the Battle of Shiloh: No. 18 - Col. James M. Tuttle, Commanding the 2nd Division and 1st Brigade, Army of the Tennessee

No. 18.

Report of Col. James M. Tuttle, Second Iowa Infantry, Commanding
Second Division and First Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION,
Pittsburg, Tenn., April 10, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report the part taken by the First Brigade in the action of the 6th and 7th instant, as well as such other regiments and corps as were under my command during the engagement.

On the morning of the 6th I proceeded with my brigade, consisting of the Second, Seventh, Twelfth, and Fourteenth Iowa Infantry, under the direction of Brig. Gen. W. H. L. Wallace, and formed line on the left of his division. We had been in line but a few moments when the enemy made their appearance and attacked my left wing (Twelfth and Fourteenth Iowa), who gallantly stood their ground and compelled the assailants to retire in confusion. They again formed under cover of a battery and renewed the attack upon my whole line, but were repulsed as before. A third and fourth time they dashed upon us, but were each time baffled and completely routed. We held our position about six hours, when it became evident that our forces on each side of us had given way, so as to give the enemy an opportunity of turning both our flanks. At this critical juncture General Wallace gave orders for my whole brigade to fall back, which was done in good order. The Second and Seventh Regiments retired through a severe fire from both flanks and reformed, while the Twelfth and Fourteenth, who were delayed by their endeavors to save a battery which had been placed in their rear, were completely cut off and surrounded and were compelled to surrender.

In passing through the cross-fire General Wallace fell mortally wounded, and as you were reported wounded, and Captain McMichael informing me that I was the ranking officer, I assumed command of the division and rallied what was left of my brigade, and was joined by the Thirteenth Iowa, Colonel Crocker; Ninth Illinois, Colonel Mersy; Twelfth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Chetlain, and several other fragments of regiments, and formed them in line on the road, and held the enemy in check until the line was formed that resisted the last charge just before dark of that day.

On Monday morning I collected all of the division that could be found and such other detached regiments as volunteered to join me, and formed them in column by battalion, closed in mass, as a reserve for General Buell, and followed up his attack until we arrived near the position we had occupied on Sunday, when I deployed into line in rear of his force, and held my command subject to his orders. The Second Iowa and Twelfth Illinois were called on at one time. The Second was sent to General Nelson's division, and was ordered by him to charge bayonets across a field on the enemy, who were in the woods beyond, which they did in the most gallant manner, the enemy giving way before they reached them. The Seventh Iowa, under orders from General Crittenden, charged and captured one of the enemy's batteries, while the Thirteenth Iowa rendered General McCook valuable service near the close of the engagement.

On Tuesday, the 8th, when our forces were again called to arms, I called out the Second Division, and all obeyed the call with alacrity except Col. Crafts J. Wright, of the Thirteenth Missouri, who refused to obey orders, and did not make his appearance during the day. The division remained on the field all day, and were ordered to return to camp after dark.

The officers and men under my command behaved nobly and gallantly during the whole time, with the exception above named. The officers deserving special mention in this report are so numerous that I will confine myself to field officers alone: Lieutenant-Colonel Baker, of the Second Iowa; Lieutenant-Colonel Parrott and Major Rice, of the Seventh Iowa; Colonel Woods, Twelfth Iowa; Colonel Shaw and Lieutenant-Colonel Lucas, of the Fourteenth Iowa, particularly distinguished themselves for bravery and ability on the field. Colonel Crocker, of the Thirteenth Iowa, although not belonging to my command originally, was attached to it on Sunday evening, and remained with my division until Monday evening. He proved himself to have all the qualities of a good and efficient officer, and was prompt to duty when the enemy was to be met. Colonel Mersy, Ninth Illinois, also proved himself a brave and efficient officer. Colonel Morton, commanding Second Brigade, and Colonel Baldwin, Third Brigade, on the last day turned out their brigades promptly and marched in column to the outposts. Colonel Woods, of the Twelfth Iowa, was twice wounded, and when the enemy was driven back on Monday he was recaptured, and is now here, unfit for duty.

Appended I send you a list of the casualties of the brigade only, as others will report directly to you.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. M. TUTTLE,
Colonel, Commanding First Brigade, Second Division.

Brig. Gen. JOHN McARTHUR,
Commanding Second Division.
_______________

*Embodied in McArthur’s report, p. 148.  See also revised statement, p. 101.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume X (Serial No. 10), Part I, pages 148-50

Monday, October 1, 2012

Dedication of the Iowa Monuments at Shiloh National Military Park



Dedication Exercises at the Regimental Monuments
November 22, 1906
_____

9:00 A. M.

9:25 A. M.

9:45 A. M.

10:00 A. M.

10:15 A. M.

10:30 A. M.

10:50 A. M.

11:10 A. M.

11:25 A. M.

11:35 A. M.

11:50 A. M.


Dedication Exercises at the of Iowa State Monument

November 23, 1906
_____

1:30 P. M.

Call To Order:
Colonel W. G. Crosley, Vice Chairman of the Commission

Music: Fifty-fifth Iowa Regimental Band
“America”

Invocation:
Rev. Dr. A. L. Frisbie

“Unto thee, O Lord, belong power and dominion and majesty. Unto thee would we render that which is thine, with humble and grateful and trusting hearts. Teach us, first of all, to acknowledge our obligation to thee; to remember that thou art indeed, over all, and that thou art also blessed forever. We know not all thy ways. We understand not all the mysteries of thy being, but thou dost permit us to know very much of thy Fatherhood, of thy gracious disposition, thy fatherly spirit, thy love for us. And because thou hast had these thoughts toward us, thou hast mercifully led us throughout many years of trial — years of bright and years of sad experience; and thou hast taught us that our dependence is upon thee. Therefore, we humbly pray that thou wilt stay near by during all the history we are to make; during all the development for which we hope. We pray that thou wilt be our Leader, bringing us through a prosperous voyage to a blessed port.

“We have been making a pilgrimage of blessing, of memory, of gratitude, and of peace, and as we come to the conclusion of our special duty, and see now the completion of that which we began, we pray that we may go hence with hearts prepared to appreciate the multitude of favors we have received. We have had occasion to commune with the dead.  We have stood where they were buried, who died loyally and faithfully, giving themselves wholly that they might secure the permanence of this nation. We thank thee that this Union of states was so precious to them that they held nothing back, but gave themselves utterly to maintain its permanence. We thank thee, O Lord, that through all the suffering and martyrdom and battle shock and pain, these men held steadfast to that which they had begun. And Lord, for these brave of the brave, the twice five thousand men that stood here meeting the battle's shock, and the many times five thousand men who on other fields withstood the shock of battle — for these we give thee our thanks, for we recognize in them the preservers of the Union. We pray that the people may all cherish their memories with gratitude; that we may all remember that we have not come upon these blessings by any manner of accident or of experiment. May we remember that they have been won by those who devoted themselves with their best intelligence and highest consecration to secure them; by those who gave themselves with unfaltering devotion that they might maintain them. May we go hence with renewed determination that this government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. May we see, and may others see, more and more, that these mercies have been ours because of infinite sacrifice. Lord, we pray that thy blessing may be upon our whole land — not divided, not dismembered, but one land, with one flag, with not a star erased.

“Grant thy favor to this portion of the Union, where all this was carried on, and where so much of suffering and loss was endured. And so upon north and south, upon one land, may thine own good light shine through all the days.

“Accept our thanks, we beseech thee; guide us safely to our homes. Bless the people of our state who sent us forth upon this mission, and be so with them and with us that the grace of the Lord Christ may be revealed, and justice and truth may be everywhere established. Accept our thanks, bear with us in our weaknesses and guide us in wisdom and love, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.”

Colonel William B. Bell

Albert B. Cummins, Governor of Iowa

 Colonel Cornelius Cadle


Music: Fifty-fifth Iowa Regimental Band
“Rock of Ages”


of the Shiloh National Military Park Commission

Representing Governor Cox of Tennessee


Music: Fifty-fifth Iowa Regimental Band
“Onward, Christian Soldiers”



Music: Fifty-fifth Iowa Regimental Band
“Star Spangled Banner”




Music: Fifty-fifth Iowa Regimental Band
“America”


Benediction:
Rev. Dr. A. L. Frisbie

“Now be the peace of God upon all the resting places of our myriad dead, and upon the homes of the living, north and south, the peace of God, forevermore.  Amen.”


Taps

After the close of the dedication exercises, a brief sacred concert was rendered by the Fifty-fifth Iowa regimental band at the National cemetery, a short distance from the monument.





SOURCE: Abstracted from Alonzo Abernathy, Editor, Dedication of Monuments Erected By The State Of Iowa, p. 201-301

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Dedication Exercises at the Fourteenth Iowa Regimental Monument: Shiloh National Military Park

November 22, 1906
_____

11:25 A. M.

Music: Fifty-fifth Iowa Regimental Band
“Iowa”

Introduction of speaker by Captain Charles W. Kepler.  Mr. Kepler said:

“If it were permissible for any eulogy to be pronounced upon any one particular regiment or its commander, I would say, as I did not belong to that regiment, that Colonel Shaw, who commanded the Fourteenth Iowa, would be entitled to it. Captain Matson, a warm personal and intimate friend of Colonel Shaw, will read a communication from Colonel Shaw which he is unable to deliver in person.”


Address:
Colonel W. T. Shaw, Fourteenth Iowa Regiment

Captain Daniel Matson, after explaining the inability of Colonel W. T. Shaw to be present at the exercises, read Colonel Shaw's address:

Men and Survivors of the Fourteenth Iowa:

Under the weight of eighty-four years, together with the partial loss of sight, and a broken limb, which renders it impossible for me to get about without assistance, I am unable to be present on the occasion of the dedication of the Iowa monuments on the battlefield of Shiloh.

It would give me great pleasure to meet you and once more greet my companions in arms, on the spot made sacred by the blood of the members of our regiment who fell on April 6, 1862. But I am subject to the orders of the Great Commander, who forbids my being with you. I can only send you a few words of greeting. I shall be with you in spirit, and I know that you will enjoy your meeting together.

If the service rendered to our country by Tuttle’s brigade and the Eighth Iowa, at this point, constituted the sum of their work, which it did not, it were sufficient to cover them with imperishable renown. The fact that this command held the center of the Federal lines for an hour and a half after both wings of the Union army had been driven back, enabled General Grant to form a new line of defense and hold the enemy at bay until night closed the first day of the eventful contest.

This fact is clearly established by official data, which shows that the Fourteenth Iowa surrendered to the brigade under Chalmers, which constituted the right of the Confederate lines and of Bragg’s corps, while the Twelfth Iowa surrendered to Pond’s brigade, which constituted the extreme left of the Confederate forces; thus showing that the entire rebel army had surrounded and enveloped our little command.

Having served with General Bragg in Mexico, I was personally acquainted with him. At the time of our surrender he recognized me, and asked me how many men we had. Not knowing the full extent of the Union forces enclosed by the rebel lines, I replied, “About five hundred.”  Bragg expressed his disgust in language more forcible than elegant, and said: “We have lost an hour and a half in this affair,” when he immediately gave orders for the Confederate troops to deploy towards the river and press the Federal forces.

This proves clearly that the entire Union army had been swept back from the field to the new line around the Landing, leaving our command as the necessary sacrifice for our salvation. There can be no doubt but that the obstinate courage of the troops composing “The Hornets’ Nest Brigade,” in holding their position without wavering for hours after their supports on the right and left had given away, stayed the rebel advance, and made victory possible the next day for us.

Colonel Tuttle, having withdrawn the two right regiments of the brigade, the Second and Seventh, sent orders to Colonel Wood, of the Twelfth, to about-face his command and fight the enemy approaching from the rear. Seeing the Twelfth executing this movement, I called on Colonel Wood and asked him what he meant. He repeated the order he had received from the brigade commander and added, “I expect further orders.” I received no orders from anyone. I left Colonel Wood and returned to my regiment and for a time we held the line; realizing that we were isolated and alone, I attempted to withdraw my regiment and retire, following the rest of the brigade, but being pressed by the enemy was compelled to about-face to check his advance. Again we attempted to retire and again were so closely pressed that I was compelled to about-face the command and for the third time we were hotly engaged, once more checking the foe. From this point, we retired to the camp of the Thirty-second Illinois, where being surrounded I surrendered to the Ninth Mississippi Infantry, Major Whitfield commanding. The following letter will be of interest, showing his estimate of and admiration for the brave men who composed the “Hornets’ Nest Brigade”:


CORINTH, MISS., April 10, 1884.

Colonel W. T. Shaw,
Anamosa, Iowa.

My Dear Sir:

I cannot exaggerate the expression of my regret when I learned that you had visited the Shiloh battlefield on the sixth and seventh instant, and I had missed the opportunity of meeting you again and knowing as a friend the man and officer who won my admiration as an enemy.

Our encounter at Shiloh is one of the most striking episodes of my war experience. It was a curious vicissitude of war that repaid with captivity the courage and gallantry that held its position last upon the field when you held your regiment and part of another fighting gallantly in open field with perfect line and well dressed ranks, long after both the regiments on your flanks had fled and yielded only when assailed both in front and rear. The fortunes of war owed you something better. But after all one can never safely count on any reward save that which comes from the satisfaction of knowing that we have performed our duty well. I was very much in hope that you would extend your visit to Corinth and accept from me for a few days that hospitality you once declined as a prisoner, because it could not be shared by your “boys.” I even heard that you were coming over and I placed a man to intercept you and bring you direct to my house, where my wife had prepared a chamber for you and swung the camp kettle with some very excellent Glen Levat and lemon, in waiting, on the mantel. But you did not come and I seek refuge from my disappointment in writing this letter to you, which I trust will find you reciprocating my desire for a more intimate acquaintance.

Very truly yours,

F. E. Whitfield.


When we arrived in Corinth as prisoners, Major Whitfield's father, who resided there, hunted me up and asked me to take a seat in his buggy and go with him to his house. He stated that his son had been wounded and brought home. He said further, if agreeable to me, he had influence at army headquarters to pass me through the lines to our army. I was forced to decline both his hospitality and good offices in securing my liberty, believing that my services were necessary to my men during their captivity; and believing that it was my duty to remain with them to share their privations and imprisonment. This I have never regretted.

When I surrendered my command, no private or officer had offered to yield until I decided that further resistance was useless. During the three years that I commanded the Fourteenth Iowa I never gave an order or command that was not promptly obeyed. There is not a single act of the regiment that I cannot look back to with pride whether it be on the many well fought battlefields on which they were engaged, in camp or on the march. It was a soldierly and brave organization, and to no incident in its career do I now look back, over the long stretch of years that have intervened, with more pride and satisfaction than that after their retreat and struggle for near half a mile, fronting to the rear and repelling the enemy, over broken and heavily timbered ground, surrounded and pressed on all sides by an overwhelming and victorious enemy, I was able, when necessity compelled it, to surrender with closed ranks and lines well dressed. The Fourteenth Iowa at the time of its capture was reduced to about two hundred men.

In closing, let me join you in expressions of appreciation for the liberality shown by our state in commemorating upon imperishable granite and bronze the record of your services upon this battlefield. For many years, until the infirmities of age compelled me to give place to younger men, it was my pleasure to labor to secure the creation of “The Shiloh National Military Park,” together with this recognition by our state. Now that it is accomplished, it gratifies me beyond expression.

I am the only surviving colonel of the eleven who commanded the Iowa troops at Shiloh. For this kind interposition of Divine Providence, I trust I have due regard; and today, in the quiet of my home, far from Shiloh’s field, I speak to you men of the Fourteenth. It is fit and proper that you and I, in this manner, remember our fallen comrades. It is fit and proper that our great commonwealth erect these monuments to commemorate the valor of the Iowa regiments which upheld the flag of their country and the reputation of their state, upon this battlefield.

As a final word I can only say I know that you will remain steadfast in support of the cause for which you fought on this field; that in your everyday life you will be faithful to every trust reposed in you, and that you will teach the lessons of patriotism to those who follow you.

I will not say farewell, for I hope to meet you again in my home, where a warm welcome awaits you.


Benediction:
Rev. S. H. Hedrix of Allerton, Iowa

“May the God of all wisdom and consolation abide with the dear Colonel who sends these words of cheer, and may it be with us all as we go from this place. May every one of us resolve that while life shall last we shall do everything in our power to consecrate and keep new the great bright fruits of God, that shall keep us free and lead us in the great prosperity that has attended us since the days of this historic struggle; and may the lord in his mercy have compassion on us in our weakness.  Keep and direct us forever in Jesus’ name, and bear us at last to a home in Heaven, a home that shall be ours throughout eternity.  Amen.”

SOURCE:  Alonzo Abernathy, Editor, Dedication of Monuments Erected By The State Of Iowa, p. 228-33


See Also:

Friday, September 14, 2012

Dedication Exercises at the Seventh Iowa Regimental Monument: Shiloh National Military Park


November 22, 1906
_____

10:50 A. M.

Music: Fifty-fifth Iowa Regimental Band
"Star Spangled Banner"


Address:
Major Samuel Mahon, Seventh Iowa Infantry

Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen:

When Moses of old ascended the holy mount, the voice of Jehovah commanded, “Take thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” To us today on this holy ground is allotted, by the people of Iowa, the sacred duty of dedicating this granite to the men, living and dead, who stood in the breach on the fateful sixth and seventh of April, forty-four years ago.

We are standing in the historic “Hornet's Nest,” which for seven hours was held by an insignificant force against the repeated attacks of the flower of the south. How vividly the survivors of that stubborn resistance recall in their minds, the scenes of that eventful Sunday; — an April sun shining brightly on the camps of Wallace's division back near the Landing, the soldiers, without thought or expectation of battle, engaged in exchanging messages with the loved ones at home in far-off Iowa. Suddenly on the morning air were borne the ominous sounds of the opening battle far to the front; — the hurried orders and formation, the rapid march to the front past disordered and retreating fragments composed of all arms of the service, until this position was reached. It was a contest of endurance, perhaps the hardest test to which a soldier can be subjected, but the men who had received their first baptism on the bloody field of Belmont, and later who had formed in the storming column that ascended the steep slopes of Fort Donelson’s crest, on that wintry day in February, crowning defeat with victory, presented an undaunted front and settled to the grim task allotted to them; for seven hours they tenaciously held their ground against repeated attacks of the gallant foe, in the intervals subjected to the relentless fire of shell and shrapnel from batteries which they could neither attack nor silence, all the while realizing by the ominous sounds of the firing, that both flanks of the position were being enclosed and that they were fighting a losing battle. “Hold the position at all hazards,” were the parting words of General Grant to our division commander, the gallant William H. L. Wallace, who sealed with his life, his obedience to the orders of his chief.

Through the long hours of the afternoon could be seen, across the historic Duncan field, the ceaseless movement of the gray infantry columns hurrying toward the apex of the acute angle which still projected toward the hostile lines. This was the only fixed point in the shifting kaleidoscope of disaster which befell the force of McClernand and Sherman on the right and Prentiss and Hurlbut on the left.

Let, however, one of our gallant foes bear testimony as well, to the valor of these men whose monument we now dedicate. William Preston Johnston, in the life of General Albert Sidney Johnston, relates:

“This portion of the Federal line was occupied by Wallace's division and by the remnants of Prentiss’ division. Here behind a dense thicket on the crest of the hill was posted a strong force of as hardy troops as ever fought; to assail it an open field had to be passed; it was nicknamed by the Confederates, by that very mild metaphor, “The Hornets' Nest.” No figure of speech would be too strong to express the deadly peril of the assault upon this natural fortress, whose inaccessible barriers blazed for six hours with sheets of flame, and whose infernal gates poured forth a murderous storm of shot and shell and musketry fire, which no living thing could quell or even withstand. Brigade after brigade was led against it, but valor was of no avail. Hindman’s brilliant brigades which had swept everything before them from the field, were shivered into fragments and paralyzed for the remainder of the day. Stewart’s regiments made fruitless assaults, but only to retreat mangled from the field. Bragg now ordered up Gibson’s splendid brigade; it made a charge, but like the others, recoiled and fell back. Bragg sent orders to charge again; four times the position was charged, four times the assault proved unavailing; the brigade was repulsed. About half past three the struggle which had been going on for five hours with fitful violence was renewed with the utmost fury; Polk’s and Bragg’s corps intermingled, were engaged in the death grapple with the sturdy commands of Wallace and Prentiss.

‘General Ruggles judiciously collected all the artillery he could find, some eleven batteries, which he massed against the position; the opening of so heavy a fire and the simultaneous advance of the whole Confederate line resulted first in confusion and then in the defeat of Wallace and the surrender of Prentiss at about half past five. Breckinridge, Ruggles, Withers, Cheatham and other divisions which helped to subdue these stubborn fighters, each imagined his own the hardest part of the work.”

But the end had come. Enclosed by converging lines the order came to fall back. Facing about in line, steady as if on parade, the survivors retreated from the position they had held so long to find themselves confronted again by the foe; surrounded, almost bewildered, they forced their way through the enfolding lines, subjected to the fierce fire which they were unable to return, except here and there a man loading as he ran, turned to fire a Parthian shot. Retreating beyond the zone of fire and the impact of the onset, these men from Belmont and Donelson rallied to the colors and behind Hurlbut’s desolated camp faced about in battle line once more. A brief halt in this position waiting for comrades who never came was followed by an orderly march to the last line of defense covering their own camps.

Three of the five Iowa regiments tarried too long on the order of retreat and were captured entire by the victorious foe. Two only, the Second and the Seventh, maintained their organizations and participated in the second day's conflict.

More sacred than our poor words, more enduring than this granite, will the memory of those who fell here live in the hearts of posterity, and the bitterness of strife will fade in the remembrance of the bravery and sacrifice of both the blue and gray alike.

“No more shall the war cry sever,
Nor the winding river run red,
They banish our anger forever,
As they laurel the graves of our dead.

"Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the Judgment Day,
Love and tears for the Blue,
Tears and love for the Gray."

The south will vie with the north in the upbuilding of our common country, in the upholding of the flag, and placing her in the forefront of twentieth century civilization, the arbiters of the peace of the world and a refuge for the oppressed.

Here on the banks of the mighty Tennessee, whose name their army bore, and on whose bosom they were borne to this fateful field, we leave the dead to their long sleep until the Resurrection Morn, with the murmur of its waters for their requiem.


Benediction:
Rev. S. H. Hedrix of AUerton. Iowa

“And now may the grace of our Heavenly Father be with us. May we learn the great lessons of life, and at last receive the crown of everlasting life which the Lord has prepared for them that love Him. Hear us, keep us and save us, in the great Redeemer’s name. Amen.”

SOURCE:  Alonzo Abernathy, Editor, Dedication of Monuments Erected By The State Of Iowa, 222-5


See Also:

Monday, September 10, 2012

The Iowa Monuments At Shiloh National Military Park

Iowa State Memorial Monument


THE REGIMENTAL MONUMENTS.

The eleven regimental monuments are uniform in size and design, differing only in the inscriptions. They, like the state monument, are built of Barre, Vermont, granite and United States standard bronze. A monument is erected to each Iowa regiment engaged in the battle and stands at the point where the regiment fought the longest and suffered its greatest loss. Upon a bronze tablet set in the granite is described the part taken by the regiment in the battle. The commission prepared the design for these monuments. The contract for their erection was let to P. N. Peterson Granite Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, for eighteen thousand and fifty-one dollars.  SOURCE: Alonzo Abernathy, Editor, Dedication of Monuments Erected By The State Of Iowa, p. 291


HEADQUARTERS MONUMENTS.
Four Iowa colonels commanded three brigades during the Battle of Shiloh.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Hugh R. Duke


HUGH R. DUKE, of the village of Woodburn, was born in Clarke County, Virginia, November 28, 1836. His parents, Thomas and Sidney (Johnson) Duke, were born and reared in Virginia. His grandfather was one of the patriots who served in the war for American independence, and his father served in the war of 1812. He was in the garrison at Fort Henry, Baltimore, at the time of its bombardment by the British forces.  In 1853 the family removed to Logan County, Ohio, where the father died in 1855, aged sixty-three years. Hugh, being the eldest child at home then had charge of the family. They moved to Jefferson County, Virginia [sic], and lived on rented land.  July 18, 1861, Hugh enlisted in Company K, Seventh Iowa Infantry, in defense of the Union. His first action was at the battle of Fort Donelson; next in the terrible two days’ battle at Shiloh, and later the siege of Corinth. He was in the battle of Iuka and Corinth in 1862. In Middle Tennessee the regiment was doing hard duty until the relief of General Thomas’ army at Chattanooga. The regiment then joined the Fifteenth Corps, under command of General Logan, and became a part of Sherman’s grand army in its campaign against Johnston’s army; and at Atlanta, in the heroic campaign that followed, the Seventh bore an honorable part. In the battles that occurred between Chattanooga and Atlanta the Seventh also bore an honorable part, being nearly sixty days under fire. July 22 the regiment was engaged at Atlanta where General McPherson was killed; Sergeant Duke saw him fall and carried from the field. It was at the battle of Jonesboro; following the banners of Sherman to the sea; up through the Carolinas, and in the line of the grand review at Washington. While at Petersburg, Sergeant Duke was permitted to visit his sister, Mrs. Emily Writt, at Sutherland Station, Dinwiddie County, Virginia. He was honorably discharged July 22, 1865. The service of Sergeant Duke was honorable in the highest degree. He was in the hospital at Bird’s Point, in October, 1863, two weeks; participated in all the battles of his regiment, terminating only with the surrender of the rebel General Johnston’s army.  He returned to Jefferson County, and June 13, 1867, was united in marriage with Miss Mary Frush, daughter of George Frush of Clarke county. She was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, August 3, 1841. In 1870 Mr. and Mrs. Duke went to LaBette County, Kansas, intending to remain, but being unable to get a good title to the railroad land upon which they had settled, they went to the northwestern part of the State and located a soldier’s warrant. After the loss of several successive crops by grasshoppers, Mr. Duke abandoned all hope of living in Kansas and returned to Jefferson County.  In 1881 he removed to the village of Woodburn. He owns ninety-three acres, all within the corporation of Woodburn. He is a member and Adjutant of Davenport Post, No. 385, G.A.R. and both are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They have five children living – Orrin D., Elmer E., Mary E., Ida May and Clyde Otho. Roscoe J. died of croup in February, 1881, aged two years and three months. Mr. Duke’s mother died in 1874 in Jefferson County, aged seventy-four years. One brother, Thomas, and sister, Emily, live in Virginia.  Two brothers, David and William L., live in Jefferson County. A sister, Mrs. Sarah Johnson, lives in Woodburn, and Mrs. Mary Jane Drenner lives in Kansas. In politics Mr. Duke is a Republican.

SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 322-3

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Colonel Jacob Lauman to his wife Louise D. (Viele) Lauman, February 17, 1862


FORT DONELSON, TENNESSEE, Feb. 17, 1862.

Dear Wife:

I am again safe. My life is still prolonged. Let me hope it is for some good purpose. We have had a great battle, the fight lasting for three days, but you will hear of it, and the great result to flow out of it long before this reaches you.

I commanded the Fourth brigade of the Second division, and my command made their mark. * * * Poor Jack Slaymaker was killed, gallantly leading his men to the charge on the last day — indeed, the only day the Second were in the engagement. Capt. Cloutman fell, also bravely doing his duty. Harry [Doolittle] was wounded very severely, but the surgeons say he will recover. I left my command to see him and poor Jack last evening. I have ordered Jack's remains to be properly cared for, to send home to his parents, and will see that it is done properly, although my time is so occupied I have scarcely time to write this note, nor do I know when or how it will leave here. I am now in command of Fort Donelson, and my brigade are quartered in the fortifications. We will be ordered forward soon, I hope, and I sincerely trust our success will be the harbinger of a speedy close of the horrid rebellion. I received your two letters just before we were ordered into action, and I had to laugh over your congratulations at my good quarters in Smithland, when for two nights I had been camped under a tree, and it raining and snowing on me, without a tent. But my health is improving. My cold under which I have been suffering is getting better, and I am able to endure a great deal of hardship.

Gen. Smith (Paducah Smith) is a good soldier. The reputation of the Iowa Seventh is as bright as ever, although their loss is trifling. The state may well be proud of their troops.

I lost all of my bedding yesterday, and doubt very much if I find it again. We marched out of camp leaving everything behind, and our friends helped themselves. I will look after Harry — I think he will do well. Dr. Marsh says the wound in his stomach did not penetrate far enough to do any serious injury. I trust this may be so. He is in good spirits, and bore his flag like a hero. Love to all. Good bye.

Yours affectionately,
J. G. Lauman.

SOURCES: Army Service Schools Press, Donelson Campaign Sources Supplementing Volume 7 Of The Official Records Of The Union And Confederate Armies  In The War Of The Rebellion, p. 160-1; Samuel H. M. Byers, Iowa In War Times, p. 104-5

Colonel Jacob Lauman to His Brother, February 19, 1862


FORT DONELSON, TENNESSEE, Feb. 19, 1862.

DEAR BROTHER:

The battle is fought, the dead are buried and the wounded cared for, and we are again settling down to the old routine of military discipline. But what a scene we have passed through, and what a victory we have won! We have already sent off eight or nine thousand prisoners, and we have more yet to send. But such a lot of humanity I never saw before — all butternut color; but they can shoot, as many of our boys can testify.

I have made my report to Gen. Smith, which I suppose will be published, and before this reaches you, you will know more about the battle than I do. I have already seen that the Iowa Seventh was all cut up on the first day's fight. I hope you did not let any of these reports disturb you. We had a hard time. For three nights we lay in the open air without tents, and some without blankets, raining and snowing all night. The last night we remained under arms all night, prepared to repel an assault; but when morning came — and oh! how long it was in coming — the enemy attracted our attention to their white flag, and I received proposals for capitulation, which we promptly forwarded to Gen. Smith, and through him to Gen. Grant. Gen. Grant refused terms and insisted on unconditional surrender, and an hour was given them to consider. At the end of that time the loud shouts of the men gave indications that the surrender was unconditional. Then commenced the rejoicings. I claimed for my brigade the right to enter first, which was accorded; when with drums beating and colors flying we entered the fort. The Rebels were drawn up in line, with their arms in great heaps, and looked quite woe-begone, I assure you, as the victors passed along.

My brigade is in the fort, of which I have command. Gen. Smith's division is quartered all around about. The fortifications extend over the country for miles, and the other divisions of the army encamped at other points. The greatest loss was on our right, in McClernand's division. The enemy endeavored to cut through at that point, and fought with great desperation — loss very heavy. But you know all this and more, and this will be stale news to you. I found the pistols I lost at Belmont at Fort Donelson, or others just as good.

Capt. Rhiza will return to Burlington, he informed me today, for a short time. So he informed me, but he may not be able to get off. If he does, I will send a flag, secesh, captured in the fort. They either destroyed or secreted their flags, as none could be found. I have not yet seen the reports of my commanding officer, but Gen. Grant has caused a highly complimentary order to be read to the troops. Gen. Smith is a good officer, and as brave as a lion. I am proud to be under him. I had a good brigade, and I believe they like me. I hope the rebellion will receive such a shock from this that they will not be able to hold up their heads for some time to come. I am obliged to Jennie for her kind and very acceptable letter, and hope she will write again. I received a letter from Gov. Kirkwood covering the resolutions of the legislature of Iowa, and had them read to my regiment last evening. Tell Lou that Harry Doolittle is doing well. I went to the boat to see him, but it had started before I got there. He will remain for the present at Paducah, I suppose. I met, as I was on my way to Dover, where the boat was lying, Drs. Marsh and Nassau of Iowa Second, who gave me this information. Among the hundreds of wounded and dead, it is almost impossible to keep the whereabouts of anyone. I must now bring this to a close. Let Lou see this and it will be the same as though I had written to her. Capt. Slaymaker's remains were forwarded to St. Louis for preparation to send home. I cut off a lock of his hair and sent it to Betty for his friends, fearing something might occur that the coffin could not be opened when it got home. Give my love to all, and if anything should befall me, take good care of wife and little ones, and believe me to be your affectionate brother,

JACOB.

SOURCES: Army Service Schools Press, Donelson Campaign Sources Supplementing Volume 7 Of The Official Records Of The Union And Confederate Armies  In The War Of The Rebellion, p. 161-2; Samuel H. M. Byers, Iowa In War Times, p. 105-6

Saturday, June 30, 2012

From Cairo


CHICAGO, March 13. – Special dispatches to the Post from Cairo 12th, say matters are little changed.

A lieutenant of the 60th Ohio arrived to-day from New Madrid.  His intelligence is not permitted to be telegraphed.  No change in matters at Fort Henry and beyond.

The Times’ special says the steamer Southwestern arrived to-day with troops.

Gen. Cullom left this morning for St. Louis.  Gen. Strong has taken command of this post.


(Tribune’s Special.)

Capt. Blodgett, of Boston has been assigned the command of the [Conestoga], retiring Capt. Pritchard.

The bodies of the 27 killed at Fort Donelson were brought down to-day, and will be sent to their friends to-morrow morning.  Part of them belong to Col. Logan’s regiment.  Col. Logan is improving.

It is reported that Gen. Paine was wounded in a skirmish near Sikestown, Mo., yesterday p. m., not seriously.

Several sick of the 7th Iowa came down from Fort Donelson this morning.  Their regiment has suffered severely in several engagements.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 3

Friday, March 30, 2012

James C. Parrott

VETERAN FRONTIER EXPLORER AND BRAVE SOLDIER

The long and useful career of Gen. James C. Parrott, begun in Maryland in 1811, was closed in Keokuk in 1898. Between these dates much of interest occurred in which General Parrott performed a useful and honorable part. No other man in the service was so thoroughly a part of Iowa history. We have already noted his pioneer journey up the Des Moines River as far as Boone in 1835, before Fremont explored the interior of Iowa Territory and before Captain Allen founded Fort Des Moines.

Born in Easton, Maryland, in 1811, in 1834 he joined the First United States Dragoons, of which Henry Dodge was commander. After serving three years as sergeant, young Parrott located in Fort Madison and engaged in business. In 1852 he moved to Keokuk. When the war broke out, deeming it his duty as a military man to serve his country, in June, 1861, he raised a company for the Seventh Iowa Infantry. As compared with most officers in 1861, he was a veritable graybeard, for he had rounded his half century!

In the battle of Belmont he assisted Colonel Lauman from the field, and before the battle was over he found he, himself, had received four wounds. He was conveyed to a steamer, and told he had less than two hours to live. Grant sent him home to recuperate. Colonel Lauman in his report emphatically commended Captain Parrott and other of his officers for their bravery at Belmont. In December he came back as lieutenant-colonel. Later he participated in several battles in Tennessee. His was the charging brigade that captured Fort Henry, and at Donelson he commanded his regiment. He it was who brought back from Buckner the offer of capitulation. At Shiloh he bravely led his regiment into the ''Hornet's Nest,'' and at Corinth he received a wound from which he never wholly recovered. Colonel Rice in his report said:

"I must make especial mention of Lieutenant-Colonel Parrott, who cheered and encouraged the men and performed his duty with great bravery.''  He made the March to the Sea, and was one of the few far western commanders who in 1865 were privileged to ride through the Confederate capital. The only mounted officer on the left flank, he was the gratified recipient of a beautiful bouquet of flowers from a Richmond lady. Though he was never a full colonel, his depleted regiment not having sufficient numerical strength to entitle it to a colonel, after his retirement in 1865 he was made a brevet brigadier-general. A valued tribute to the love his men bore him is a sword presented by them after his gallantry at Belmont.

For ten years after the war General Parrott was postmaster at Keokuk. In 1874-76, he was G. A. R. commander of the Department of Iowa. Ho died May 17, 1898, aged eighty-seven. His funeral, held in Keokuk, was a generous tribute of love and affection from comrades, friends and neighbors.

SOURCE: Johnson Brigham, Iowa: Its History And Its Foremost Citizens, Volume 1, 415-6

Letter from Lieut. Col. Parrott

(From the Gate City)

FORT DONELSON, TENN.
Feb. 18, 1862

MY DEAR WIFE:  I am happy to inform you that James and myself escaped without a scratch.  Col. Lauman, Major Rice, and in fact all our commanding officers with a few exceptions, are all safe.  Although we had a strong force and an almost impregnable fort to contend with yet they had to yield, and we all look upon it as one of the most signal victories that has yet been gained, in which our gallant little 7th and the Iowa 2d bore a conspicuous part.  We fought almost side by side, and when our official report shall be published it will show to the world that Iowa stands high on the scroll of military fame.

I will now allude to the plan of attack.  On Wednesday night last we arrived in front of the Fort.  On top of an eminence was planted a battery of the 1st Missouri of two pieces of Parrot riffled 20 pounders, which battery I was ordered to support with the 7th.  The boys moved up the hill with a steady and firm step, knowing that it was a post of great honor.  We were compelled to lay on our arms all night without fire and not even a blanket, but taking it all through we spent the night very comfortably.  The night passed quietly, and in the morning I was ordered to join my brigade, which constituted part of the left wing.  Col. Lauman commanded the fourth brigade of the second division, leaving me in command of our regiment.  We joined our brigade and the command was given to storm the enemy’s breastworks at a charge, and away we went, and nothing but fallen timber, deep ravines and other impediments prevented us from mounting their entrenchments.  We gained a secure position within 75 to 100 yards of their works, and kept up our firing until dark, doing considerable execution.  At night we withdrew our forces and bivouacked on the ground we occupied the night previous.

I was suffering severely from a sick headache, and knowing that they would not attack us out of their entrenchments, I retired to the rear for the night. As comfortably as the circumstances of the case would admit, for it was one of the most inclement nights I almost ever witnessed.  It commenced raining about 7 p. m. and poured down for about two hours then it commenced sleeting, and to wind up, it snowed about three inches, and in the morning we had a pretty good Iowa winter.

On Friday morning the 2d Iowa arrived and I had the pleasure of meeting my son and many warm friends, who were delighted to think they had a prospect for a fight.  On Friday we kept up our skirmishing and at night laid upon the ground again.  Col. Lauman and myself bunked together by the side of a log with no covering but one blanket and the canopy of heaven. – About 9 p. m. it again commenced snowing and fell about two inches.  We passed the night with very little comfort, but as good soldiers we did our duty and scarcely heard a murmur from our men.

On Saturday morning the fight opened in earnest on the right wing, and we were for some hours held in suspense on our wing, but shortly after noon we found that the time had come for us to make the decisive blow, and at it we went, Col. Lauman giving the post of honor and danger to the more than gallant Iowa 2d.  They made a most magnificent charge and the no less gallant 7th followed close to their heels, and drove the enemy like chaff before the whirlwind to their second breastworks, where they again made a stand and gave us all some warm work.  Night approaching we fell back to the rear of their first entrenchment, and bivouacked for the night on the cold frozen ground without fire, Col. Lauman and myself occupying the root of a mammoth oak looking for an attack hourly; but daylight came and with it the sound of bugles from the enemy’s camp.  As soon as it was light I mounted the entrenchments and found that the enemy were displaying the white flag..  I was ordered forward to receive it and met them half way between the entrenchments.  They made a proposition to surrender on conditions.  Their proposition was sent to headquarters and the reply sent back “surrender unconditionally or the fight continues.”  In a short time our terms were complied with, and on that beautiful quiet, still Sabbath morning we marched in under martial music, amid the shouts of thousands of happy and loyal hearts, and took possession of an immense Fort and all its equipments, and thousands of prisoners.  But amid all this rejoicing there were some sad hearts.  Some of our brave boys had bit the dust and many were wounded and suffering.  But such is the fate of War!

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 1, 1862, p. 2

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Private Letter from Adjutant Tyner of the 14th Iowa

ON THE CUMBERLAND RIVER,
NEAR DOVER, TENN., Feb. 17.

MY DEAR FATHER. – I expect you all imagine I am dead by this time, but thank God I am here safe, and with but slight injuries.  We left Fort Henry on the 12th of February, marched all day and encamped three-fourths of a mile from this fort – so near that we dare not make camp fires for fear of drawing shells from the enemy.  We were up bright and early on the morning of the 13th, got our breakfast of hard crackers and water, and awaited orders.  About 9 o’clock, A. M., we drew up in battle line, loaded our rifles, and in a few moments were marching in full battle front, through the thickest woods, and over the deepest ravines.  We were halted and put over the brow of the hill in front of the enemy’s entrenchments.  This part of their fort is situated on top of a high hill, with high entrenchments and rifle pits thrown up all around.  In front of this entrenchment is a miserable steep hill, on the side of which was fallen timber very thick.  At the bottom was a ravine, and then came another hill, thickly grown with timber.  On top of this was where our regiment was drawn up – we on the right, the 25th Indiana on our left, and the 7th Indiana on the extreme left of them.

Just previous to our moving, Col. Lauman, of the 7th, Iowa, senior Colonel commanding our brigade, detailed me as one of his aids, but allowed me the privilege of being with my regiment – as much as possible, as Col. Shaw and myself were the only officers commanding the regiment.  Our Lieut. Col. was a member of the court martial at St. Louis, and could not be released.  Major Leonard was sick at the time of the fight, and could not go, consequently the Colonel and myself were the only mounted men in the regiment.

The Colonel gave me the command of the left wing of the battalion, and I was behind this part of the regiment when we moved down the hill.  We had not got down in the ravine before the enemy fired at our Colonel and myself.  They had thrown out their sharp-shooters as skirmishers, and they were hid behind fallen trees in our advance.  From this concealment they fired at us – one ball coming so near my face as to make me gracefully nod my head.

We continued our march, and in going up the hill over a little point our regiment was received with grape, shell, canister, ball and musketry.  Such a fire soldiers seldom encounter.  They had three concealed batteries, which they opened on us, and all their men were concealed; not one could we see during the fire – only as they popped their heads over the breastwork, and then woe to them; for we shot every man we saw.  During the first charge the regiment directed the right wing going to the right, to save themselves behind a portion of the hill.  The left wing under my command, instead of giving way, went on until I told them to save themselves behind trees, which they did by laying close to the ground.  About this time a spent ball struck my horse, knocking him down and me with him.  I jumped up and followed the boys until the fire became uncomfortably warm.  I sat down behind a tree, for every man in the regiment had to do this to save himself, but not a man retreated.  They seemed to have spotted every officer in the regiment, for their sharpshooters played on us unmercifully.  I could get in no position to evade the range of some of their rifles.  I will venture that fifty shots were fired within one foot of my head, one passing through my hair on the back of my head.  The whole regiment was under this galling fire for three hours, but by laying close to the ground we saved ourselves, as they could not get the range of their guns low enough.  We had two men killed instantly and 14 fell wounded.  The sharp shooters on our side then commenced work, and silenced every battery we were exposed to, thus leaving us an opportunity to get the regiment out of the fire, and form in the hollow or ravine below, where we were secure from their shots in this position.

We remained until after dark, when the order was given to cautiously move to our quarters of the night before.  The 25th Indiana, on our left were obliged to quail as we did.  A part of their regiment moved up the hill to a little further than we, but suddenly the enemy from behind the entrenchments, opened fire on them, and they had to run for dear life.  In their retreat to the bottom of the hill, it seemed as though two-thirds of their men fell; but only 14 were killed and 50 wounded.  The unnecessarily exposed themselves and suffered the consequences.  The Iowa 7th, in this action was cautions to lay low; it lost only one man that day, and he was in our regiment, or where we were.  It is equally as brave as any regiment yet.  The bitter experience at Belmont taught them to move cautiously.  I must say, Colonel Lauman is a brave man, yet I think our Colonel is the bravest man I ever saw.  He was as cool as a human could be, never manifesting either fear or excitement.  He remained on his horse during the whole engagement, and sat there with his legs thrown across the saddle, lady style.  I was not frightened, until they seemed to direct their shots particularly at me, and then I felt as though mere chance would effect my escape.  All the boys yelled and begged of me to move to save myself, and I headed their advice as soon as I could.  In Friday, the day following, we did little but to skirmish and pick the rebels off were we could.  We slept on our arms at night, out in the woods.  The greatest hardship I ever endured in my life, or ever expect to, I realized this trip.  We lived on hard crackers and water, and slept on the ground with only a light blanket.  One night it rained till 12 o’clock, then snowed until morning.  I slept on the damp ground with my little blanket over me, and in the morning every particle of clothing was frozen hard.  I thawed myself out by a large camp fire in the morning.

On Saturday the fight became general.  The gunboats had done all they could, so the only thing left for us was to take the fortification at the point of the bayonet.  The Iowa Second made the first charge, supported by the Iowa 7th and 14th, also the Indiana 25th.  We marched up the hill in as heavy a fire as could be, and men fell on every side.  Capt. Slaymaker, Iowa Second, fell just above me, and I almost stumbled over his body.  We took the first entrenchment, and held the second in spite of the fire.  We laid under their entrenchments all night, in mud that froze us in tight.  On Sunday morning the rebels formed in battle line on their entrenchment without their arms, under the white flag.  They surrendered unconditionally, and the order came for the Second Iowa to march inside the entrenchments first, followed by the 14th Iowa and then on the 7th.  We took the fort and marched in first.  Ours was the 4th brigade, composed of the Iowa 2d, 7th, and 14th, also the 25th Indiana, and Birge’s sharpshooters, all commanded by Col. Lauman.  We all fought like devils, and would have died by inches rather than retreat.  The entire fight lasted four days, during two of which we fought all day. – All the regiments here – 40 in number – had fighting to do, and only those who have seen, can imagine how a battle-filed looks.  Our loss in the 14th is 3 killed and 21 wounded.  In all the Iowa regiments, 47 killed, and 237 wounded; the Iowa 2d having 40 of the killed and 160 of the wounded.  I had my horse knocked from under me the first day, and was knocked head over heels the second day by a piece of shell, which struck me on the side and stomach, not tearing the skin, but bruising me.  I am up and around, and only a little sore.  My injuries are not worth mentioning.

Your affectionate son,

N. N. TYNER.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 1, 1862, p. 2

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Theodore G. Weeks & Nathan W. Doty

Were the first of this company [Co. D, 2nd Iowa Infantry] to fall in battle. In the charge at Donelson the Second Iowa was led by as brave a man as ever led soldiers into battle, and braver soldiers never followed a leader. Mills says, in a letter written to his brother in Des Moines shortly after the battle : —

"Colonel Tuttle loomed up tall in front, waving his sword and stepping firmly and proudly. Men were seen dropping out of the ranks killed and wounded. Theodore G. Weeks, the ardent fellow, was killed by a ball in his head when he got to the inside of the earthworks. The line was there reformed, and we fired awhile at the retreating rebels. We then advanced to the main entrenchments. Here the fight was desperate and we lost many good men Sergeant Nathan W. Doty, who had won a great many friends in the regiment by his intelligence and amiability, was killed near by me."

When the remains of Weeks and Doty were brought home they were buried with most imposing ceremonies. The Mayor and City Council of Des Moines took charge of the solemn exercises. All the business houses of the city were closed, and business was suspended from 11 A. M. to 3 P. M., and both Houses of the General Assembly, then in session, adjourned in honor of the occasion; and the members, accompanied by the Governor of the State and his staff, and the United States and State officers, and the officers of both Houses, attended the funeral in a body, and with the lodges of Freemasons and Odd Fellows and Good Templars, and the military, and the largest concourse of citizens ever assembled in Des Moines, listened to the eloquent eulogy pronounced by Hon. D. O. Finch, in honor of the dead.

To show the interest that was then felt in the martyred soldiers, and the honor then thought not unworthily bestowed upon them, I will here present an account of the entire proceedings of that day, commencing with a complete programme of the exercises, premising that, if these two noble, generous, and patriotic youths who gave their lives a willing sacrifice — the first offered of the residents of this community — merited, as they certainly did, these solemn honors, should not the 280 martyrs from this city and county also receive from our hands some handsome mark of our appreciation of their services and sacrifices?


HONOR TO THE BRAVE.

The funeral of Nathan W. Doty, and Theodore G. Weeks, members of Company D, 2d Iowa Regiment, who were killed at the battle of Fort Donelson, will take place at Ingham's Hall, Tuesday, March 11,1862, 12 o'clock M.

ORDER OF EXERCISES.

Voluntary

By the Choir
"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
And I will give you rest — I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me;
For I am meek and lowly of heart,
An ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
His yoke is easy and his burden is light.”

Prayer
By Rev. Thompson Bird
Reading
By Rev. Edward W. Peet

XVth Chapter Of Corinthians

Voluntary
By the Choir
"As for man his days are as the grass; his days are as the grass;
As a flower of the field so he flourisheth; so he flourisheth;
For the wind passeth over it and it is gone; it is gone;
And the place thereof shall know it no more, shall know it no more."

Funeral Oration
By D. O. Finch
Prayer
By Rev. J. M. Chamberlain
Voluntary
By the Choir

"Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb;
Take this new treasure to thy trust,
And give these sacred relics room
To slumber in the silent dust;
And give these sacred relics room
To slumber in the silent dust.

"Nor pain, nor grief, nor anxious fear
Invade thy bound — no mortal woes
Can reach the peaceful sleeper here,
While angels watch his soft repose.

"Break from his throne illustrious morn!
Attend, O earth! his sovereign word;
Restore thy trust — a glorious form
Shall then arise to meet the Lord;
Restore thy trust — a glorious form
Shall then arise and meet the Lord."



Chief Marshal J. N. Dewey will form the procession.

Assistant Marshal.
CHIEF MARSHAL.
Assistant Marshal.

BRASS BAND.


MILITARY ESCORT.


PALL BEARERS – CITIZENS.

Body Guard,

Body Guard,
Soldiers
HEARSE.
Soldiers
of Second Iowa.

of Second Iowa.

MOURNERS.


ASSISTANT MARSHAL.


CLERGY AND ORATOR.


GOVERNOR AND STAFF.


ASSISTANT MARSHAL.


LIEUTENANT – GOVERNOR
AND
SPEAKER OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.


OFFICERS OF UNITED STATES
AND
STATE OFFICERS.


MILITARY COMMITTEES OF SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.


MEMBERS OF LEGISLATURE.


MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF DES MOINES.


ASSISTANT MARSHAL


STRANGERS.


MASONS.


ODD FELLOWS.


GOOD TEMPLARS.


CITIZENS ON FOOT.


ASSISTANT MARSHAL.


CITIZENS IN CARRIAGES.


CITIZENS ON HORSEBACK.


ASSISTANT MARSHAL.



ORATION.

"There is that in the holy solemnity of the occasion which has called us together, which renders any near approach by me to the expectations which the subject would naturally inspire, a moral impossibility.

"The mere contemplation of death, upon the basis of theory alone, is attended with such manifold evidences of a dreadful something, that it causes a tremor to creep over the frame of old and young, rich and poor, Christian and infidel. We read the heart-rending details of the distant battle-field, of pools of brains and streamlets of blood, and an increased horror fills our souls, the cold sweat stands from the brow, and untold agonies centre round the heart. But alas! when we enter the chamber of death itself, and behold in the cold forms of dear friends now dead, living evidences by which conceptions are converted into realities — what language can express, what tongue can speak the intensity of anguish which fills our souls! We would all, dictated by nature, fetter the tongue, drop the pen, and let the heart speak in its own deep and impressive language, the silent but potent tear, as it glitters at the outlet of its unsearchable caverns.

"A few months since, these two noble specimens of enlightened humanity were among us. Health was emblemized by their ruddy cheeks, mirth beamed in their eyes, jollity danced on their lips; and each exterior emblem was a talisman of the social virtues and honest purpose which drew around them, when living, the host of friends who now attest their due appreciation of their merit by performing these last sad duties to their tenantless clay. That they were good boys, we knew; that they were worthy the respect of the society in which they moved, none doubted then, and none doubt now. And yet how little did we know of them then!

''When, on the wings of the lightning, sad messages were borne to us that combinations and conspiracies were forming for the purpose of destroying this fair fabric of government, the mourning which only mantles the hero's brow, decked not less theirs than that of the veteran. And when at last the long-dreaded period arrived when our flag, hitherto respected by the world, was insulted in the home of its birth; when, within sound of the last resting-place of Marion and of Sumter, it was wantonly and maliciously assailed; when, as it were, the reverberations of the foulmouthed cannon whose missiles had rent the emblem of our nationality, struck the ears of Weeks and Doty, it affected them as it did all true patriots. The smile gave way to the frown, the merry song gave place to the justifiable oath, and they were among the first to place their lives subject to the order of the government.

"No nobler men have engaged in the holy cause of our country than the company of the Second Iowa Regiment of which those we now mourn were members; and I think I may say, without disparagement to any member of that company, that those we mourn would compare favorably with any of their companions.

"We know not ourselves, and very little indeed do we know of those around us, until by the application of immutable tests, we become enlightened as to both. We cull glittering sands with joy, but we turn with disgust from the dross left in the crucible. We tread daily upon jewels because they chance not to sparkle as we pass. We live near neighbor to the great and do not know it; we court and praise cowards in our daily intercourse with the world and know it not.

"How fortunate indeed are they who have bequeathed to friends a name, a character of which there can be no doubt, which has passed through the furnace of severest trial, and been left a spotless legacy to his race. Such are the characters our friends have bequeathed, not alone to those in whose veins circulate the same blood, but to us all. We all claim a share in the rich legacy to which, by their unwritten and unspoken will, we are justly entitled. Their will was their blood, and it was shed for the country, and as loyal citizens of it, no surrogate can by edict deprive us of our rightful inheritance.

"The memory of the departure from our city of that noble band, will not soon be effaced from the minds of our people. How the heart almost choked the 'God speed' in the throat of the fond father. How the tear-dimmed eye of the doting mother spoke the gentle 'good-by.' How endless seemed the sister's fond embrace when, breaking from the joys of home, the endearments of congenial companionship, and all the ties that cement the soul to familiar scenes, they left our midst to mingle in carnage and in blood. What noble emotions must have struggled in their bosoms for mastery over the selfish inclinations of human nature, and how grand indeed the bloodless victory, evidenced by the baring of their youthful breasts to the bayonets of the traitors, that the godlike principle of self-government might yet survive the most gigantic rebellion ever inaugurated by human ingenuity or urged to success by human power.

"Influenced not alone by the enthusiasm of the moment, these young men, possessed of intelligence and forethought, entered upon the arduous struggle before them with full conviction of the high duty which beckoned them from the unruffled bosom of civil life to the more hazardous field of war. It was after a calm deliberation upon the momentous issues involved in the fearful contest, and beholding as they did but one right and one wrong, fidelity upon the one side to the cardinal principles of free government, and upon the other the most accursed treason against not only the letter of constitutional law, but against the spirit, aye, the vital spirit of our institutions, they chose as only true men can choose, buckled on the armor of the soldier, and exposed themselves to the chances of war. While we all accord credit, but few, if any, who have not themselves experienced, can truly comprehend the magnitude of that great moral victory fought on the battle-field of the soul.

"Upon the one side are hung out as inducements to the young mind, all the allurements of comparative ease, the elegancies, the luxuries in many cases, and in all, the indescribable pleasures and comforts of home, the companionship of parents, brothers, and sisters, and not unfrequently, that of souls wedded by spiritual ties not weaker in their claims and more irresistible in their effects; and upon the other, a deadly conflict, to enter which, by all past experience, the mind as well as the body is wholly untutored. Fatigue, labor, and total absence of bodily comfort or mental recreation, encounter them at every step; and last, but not least, the grim monster, Death, stalks boldly into their midst. He comes not to the brow when moistened by the tears of love. He comes not to the well attended sick bed, where half his terrors are shorn by seraph voices, and ministering angels whisper the soul to kindlier regions, but he comes with stolid step, and with unassuaged pestilence; he treads the funeral bier with iron heel, and drives the unwilling soul into the immediate presence of God who gave it. When we fully contemplate the inducements on the one side, and the seeming terrors on the other, how can we find language to express our admiration of that patriotism which enables the youth to forego all the pleasures of the one, and willingly yoke himself to all the perils of the other.

"Your hearts speak the eulogy which lips cannot utter, and the tear only — the angel's pen, can translate the soul.

"We witnessed their departure, and now we welcome the return of the clay which then enveloped their noble souls. But who shall truly write of the intervening time? Who paint the joys, the woes? Who follow with the pen their weary limbs in the midnight march? Who tell the thoughts which occupied the mind of the lonely sentinel, as for long and tedious hours he paced his accustomed beat with no witness to his fidelity but God and the stars? Who conceive the dreams of home, of friends, of victory, of honor, which have sometimes tortured, sometimes consoled their frozen couch? And where the pen that can truly paint the glow of laudable pride, when they have gazed upon the bright stars of a vindicated flag? Such tasks, I have not the presumption to undertake; but the record which in their humble way they have impressed upon the historic page, warrants me in saying that they were incapable of any neglect of the responsibilities which attached to their position.

"Exposed to all the changes of season, to the miasmas of the low lands, and the cutting breezes of the mountain, to contagions, and diseases of the most dangerous and the most disgusting nature, without a murmur they performed their duties in the tedious campaign which resulted in redeeming our neighboring State from the pestilential breath of secession. The contagions which affected the body entered not the pure atmosphere of the soul. Warded off by a devotion as patriotic as it was deep, bodily ills were made to yield to spiritual determination, and they were called to a field of more arduous, more hazardous duty, and to a service of more intense importance to our cause and our country; and in this new sphere the already signaled valor of the Hawkeye soldier became a fully solved problem, and its result is recorded in the history of the most tempestuous days of our Republic. At Wilson's Creek, the Iowa First had demonstrated that the Iowa soldier was not a soldier for fun. They remained by the gallant Lyon, when by all law and by all obligation of contract, they could have returned to their homes and their friends. They were patriots. Love of country, and the highest sense of honor, prompted them to remain. To what purpose, you all know. They led one of the most gallant charges, and covered one of the most brilliant retreats of which the military history of the world can boast.

"The gallant Iowa Seventh at Belmont added another wreath to the brow of the Iowa soldier. For miles, over hill and dale, through woodland and swamp, they fought their way to the goal of their hope, and on their weary return cut their pathway of death through fresh foes. Their gallant dead have a choice niche in our memory, and the surviving brave are among the dearest objects of our individual and our State pride; but by mandates of fortune, it was reserved for the Iowa Second to crown the wreath.

"Fort Henry had yielded to the patriot band, — but Donelson frowned with her huge breastworks, her hundred eyes with leaden balls, her rifle-pits and loud-mouthed batteries, upon Freedom's advancing host. This was the barricade to the land of Jackson, where those who had inherited the true spirit of his noble words and more noble example, were waiting deliverance from a worse than Egyptian bondage. This must be overcome. Sage commanders so ordered. The six starred flag floating from the bulwark, and flaunting a falsehood to every breath of American air that bent its uncomely stripes, appealed not in vain to determined hearts. The siege was laid. For three long days was waged a bloody warfare against advantage. So thick were strewn the dead and dying that the very earth might have been deemed the mother of misery and the generator of death. On the afternoon of the third day, victory or a failure hung upon the result of one mighty effort. The breastworks must be stormed and the intrenchments gained. Where could attention with more propriety be turned? Where could confidence more implicitly rest at this critical and trying moment, than upon the well-drilled delegates of that State, whose representatives had never failed upon any battle-field to prove themselves fully equal to the great exigencies of the most important occasions.

"The Iowa Second were ordered to the front — the object of intensest desire pointed out. In the concentrated intensity of the hour, was centered the hopes of millions. The scale of destiny was balanced for the moment. To falter was to dishonor for the time, perhaps forever, the flag and the cause; one quivering nerve might unnerve the whole; one faltering voice, one tremulous accent might shatter hope; but fear not. With an alacrity unexcelled save by the undaunted courage which beamed in every eye and sat firmly on each determined feature, they sprang to the post of honor and of danger. With fixed bayonet, with rapid, yet regular tread, they bent themselves to the mighty work, on, up the rugged hill-side, over rock and fallen tree, over dead and dying, amid the buzzing cloud of death's leaden messengers, still on they go. Many pause, but only at the order of Deity; but those spared this invitation to himself, still press forward; the point is won; the breastworks are mounted; the intrenchments are gained; the enemy is forced to retire; peal upon peal of enthusiastic joy roll out upon the evening air; the exultations of victory are heard by Weeks and Doty, and the shouts of triumph inspire the last emotions of their souls, as, just inside the intrenchments of the enemy, they sink to the sleep of the brave dead. From the heat of this deadly charge their souls took flight to the bosom of a God who invites to his mansion the souls of the virtuous and the brave. What a death! Who would not release his claim to the last two thirds of the allotted period of life, thus to live, and thus to die? These young men, one not yet having arrived at the age of majority, and the other having just entered the period of manhood, are about to fill, and fill well, the veteran's grave.

"You relatives, and we friends, mourn that we no more this side of eternity can enjoy their companionship; but could they now witness the imposing ceremonies which attend the march of their ashes to their narrow house in the cemetery, to which they have oft with mourner's tread followed the loved dead — could they listen to the silent eulogy which each heart is paying to their fearless patriotism — could they witness the pride with which the citizens of our State lisp their names, as a portion of her representatives upon the battle-field of constitutional liberty — could they witness the conscious pride which keeps company to the mournful tear, as it courses the cheeks of the denizens of our own city when we reflect that they were part of us, they would never again hazard a reappearance upon earth, and take the risk of finding in the vicissitudes of the future another as glorious spot to die.

"Why then should we mourn? By the prayers of the loyal, let us wing away their souls, and with willing hands we will consign what remains to our own earth. As an emblem of the purity in which they lived, we will enshroud their bodies in virgin white, and as a symbol of the glory which crowned their death, we will wrap their coffin with the noble banner in the defense of which they died, deposit them in the quiet grave, and by example teach those who may come after us to moisten with patriot tears the sod which covers the mortal remains of these youthful martyrs to Freedom.

"They have erected their own monument, and it is located in our hearts. This manifestation of our respect is highly appropriate. Let it go forth that to the brave living and honorably discharged, Iowa extends her most cordial welcome, and as to these, so will she always do honor to the ashes of the brave dead. And by our acts at home, as by those of our soldiers in the field, it will become as proverbial as it is true, that this is not the home of cowards, or the asylum of traitors.

"These imposing ceremonies cannot fail to leave deeply impressed upon our minds lessons of the greatest magnitude. By them we are again reminded of the feebleness of that thread upon which hangs our hopes of continued earthly joys. By them we are reminded that the time is unimportant, when compared with the manner in which we live; that in fact it is quite immaterial at what time and in what manner the grim monster, Death, approaches us, so that he finds us bent to the performance of sacred duties, and engaged in godlike pursuits.

"May our hearts not reject the lessons so laden with holy consolations, and my fervent prayer is that when death shall come to our eyes, — whether with leaden messengers we may be borne down beneath the chastening shadow of our flag, or whether by slow and stealthy step he creeps to our languishing sick-bed, — it may find our minds filled with as holy desires as those which must have actuated the souls of Theodore G. Weeks and Nathan W. Doty, as they sacrificed themselves upon their country's altar on the bloody field of Donelson."


Thus may the brave ever receive honor in this capital! Des Moines and Polk County will, I trust, ever cherish and revere the memory of the fallen from this community; and I hope that the people of no section of the Union will ever neglect or forget the patriot dead.

Doty was born in Lockport, Niagara County, N. Y., July 1, 1839. His father moved to Michigan, where Nathan was sent to the University and received a good education, — could read and speak the German language with facility, having learned it at school. "He was always," says his mother, "thirsting for knowledge." He loved the study of history — was well informed on almost every subject — would converse with the most learned — had great argumentative powers — and he wrote beautifully. His letters, written when he was a boy at school, were greatly admired by persons of good taste and education. It could hardly be credited that they were written by one so young.

He loved the green fields, the prairies and hills, and beautiful rivers. He says, writing from Keokuk, June 1st, 1861 : "We are now in our new quarters, which are the best in the city . . . It is a most lovely day, and as I sit here on the top verandah, my eye roams over some of the finest scenery I ever beheld. We have a fine view of the old Mississippi for several miles, as it moves along, glittering in the bright sunlight; the prairies of Illinois rolling far away in the distance — the bluffs of Missouri covered with trees and verdure of every kind — so delightful! — I am almost willing to say that I could live here always and cheerfully put up -with the privations of a soldier's life."  His heart was all aglow with love of his country. "I am determined," said he to his mother, "to see this Rebellion crushed or die in the cause." He had just returned from a short furlough to his home in Michigan, when the battle of Donelson occurred. He says: —


"LOCKPORT, Jan'y 10, 1862.

"Dear C– : I am all right in our old home. I made up my mind that I would like some better to come and see the folks here than to go to Des Moines, inasmuch as I had not seen this place in five years. I left home in Colon yesterday noon and arrived here this morning at 4 o'clock — have not yet been out of town; but shall go soon and visit all the folks. I shall go back to Colon in two weeks and expect to start for the regiment in one week from that time. "


Little did he think that so soon after his visit to his "old home," he must pass to his home where the angels dwell. On the l5th of February, 1862, he fell fighting bravely for the "old home," with the "God bless you" of his many relatives and friends still warm in his heart.

It is sometimes said of those who die on beds of tranquillity at home, "They died happy." Doty died triumphant. Just at the moment he was struck, he was urging on his comrades, crying, "On, on boys, the day is ours!" The ball passed through his heart. He did not speak afterwards; but (says Captain Marsh, in whose arms he died), "A bright smile beamed on his countenance."

He said to his mother when he parted from her for the last time, "I will put my trust in God." He left home with gloomy forebodings; but he said he would rather the greatest evil should befall him than miss going with his regiment. If he had delayed at home a half a day longer he could not have been at the battle of Donelson. He reached St. Louis just as the regiment was embarking.

Colonel Turtle says in a letter published in the "Iowa State Register," shortly after the battle of Donelson, "I don't know how reports will reach you at home, but here we are all covered with glory. Sergeant Doty was amongst the bravest of the brave, and died like a hero."

The following tribute written by D. C. R. appeared shortly after the death of N. W. Doty : —

" 'Onward, hurrah, onward, my boys,
The Second Iowa leads the van.'
And marching, bravely, firmly on,
Young Doty fell. No coward heart,
No faltering there; the cannon's roar,
The whistling bullet, bursting bomb,
Had not a sound to pale his lip
Or blanch his cheek.  How sweet the smile
That o'er his features calmly spread,
As victory seemed within his grasp.
Why weep ye, friends?  His soul has fled
To realms of beauty, there to raise
New anthems to his Maker's praise."


Weeks was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, on the l5th day of August, 1842. The following well written account of this boy was prepared by his father, Dr. John G. Weeks, and recorded in copies of the Bible purchased with the back pay due Theodore at the time of his death. These were presented by Dr. Weeks to each of his surviving children to commemorate their fallen brother.


DR. WEEKS' ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF HIS SON.

. . . . "Upon the appearance of President Lincoln's first proclamation calling for volunteer soldiers to aid in putting down the Rebellion of 1861, he embraced the very first opportunity to enlist as a private soldier, very much to our surprise, as he had lost two fingers from his right hand, thus rendering him forever free from any military service under a draft. He insisted so strongly that it was his duty to go, that we gave our consent, though he was under our control, being still a minor. On the mustering of his company at Keokuk, Iowa, he was rejected by the U. S. mustering officer for disability. Still determined to serve his country he, with the assistance of an officer (General Crocker), appealed from the decision of the mustering officer to the War Department of the United States. While awaiting the decision of the Department a much better position, pecuniarily, came within his reach, but he declined, saying that he would only go into the army to fight for his country. The decision of the Department was favorable to his wishes, and he was mustered into the service of the United States. This is the only instance that has ever come to our knowledge of an appeal to the War Department for the privilege of serving in the capacity of a private soldier.

"Shortly after entering active service he wrote in his journal, 'The world owes fame and position to all who earn it; and I will have just so much of its emoluments as I can win by honorable means, and no more; for I would rather live and die in obscurity than sacrifice the noblest attribute of man, my honor, till now untarnished. This is my platform, and, by the help of One who controls the actions of all, I will never accept any other.' After several months' service, Sept. 13th, 1861, he wrote, 'I am determined to remain in the service of my country until her rights are established and her wrongs avenged, and if the chances of war require my life, it shall be a willing sacrifice on the altar of Liberty!'
"After months of trials and hardship and severe sickness, he is found doing his duty with his regiment at Fort Donelson. At the time of the order for the Second Iowa to make the ever memorable charge upon the enemy's works, he was at his place and ready for duty. Without a word spoken to any one he went forward with his regiment under the terrible fire of the enemy, up the hill and into the enemy's outer works. Here, after about a half hour's engagement, he was instantly killed by a rifle-ball in his temple. He fell at the age of nineteen years and six months. He was not permitted to know that he aided materially in gaining one of the greatest victories of the war. He died for his country!

"In his pocket Bible found after the battle, his captain, (who was afterwards himself mortally wounded in the battle of Corinth), wrote the following tribute to his memory: —

" 'Fort Donelson, Feb. 20,1862.

" 'I wish here to record my testimony that the owner of this Book, during his connection with my company, was a good soldier, always ready to do his duty, as he understood it. He was ever active, energetic, and intelligent, and died bravely in his place, while fighting with his company and regiment at the charge of the Second Iowa, which was followed by the surrender of this fort to the Union forces.

"'NOAH W. MILLS,
“'Capt. Co. D., 2d Iowa Infantry Volunteers.' "


The following reminiscences concerning Theodore Weeks may not be uninteresting in addition to what has been given.

During the night before the charge, the men were lying on the ground before little fires they had made to keep themselves from freezing. Some one said to Theodore: "Weeks, you are burning your coat." "O," he replied, "that is no matter; I shall not want it long."

He was very strong and active, and had saved two men from drowning by his expertness in swimming. There were few better marksmen. He could fire right and left, and was selected as a sharp-shooter. He was popular among his companions; every one was his friend. He enlisted at the first meeting in Des Moines to raise troops; was very temperate in his eating and drinking, and exemplary in his deportment. A chaplain who conversed with him a short time before the battle of Donelson, says: "Weeks thought earnestly of religious matters, and his conduct was that of an exemplary Christian."

SOURCE: Leonard Brown, American Patriotism: Or, Memoirs of Common Men, p. 31-48