Iowa Second Regiment

Again we surrender our usual editorial space to correspondents.  The official report of Col. Tuttle, of the killed and wounded of the Iowa 2d regiment at the battle of Fort Donelson, is a valuable document and one that will not only be read with great interest by every one in Iowa, but be preserved for future reference.  The excellent letter of Mr. H. of Co. C., Iowa 2d Regiment is one of the most detailed and graphic descriptions we have yet had of this engagement.  The list of killed and wounded of his company, which he furnished us, we have omitted, as it will be found embodied in the official report of Col. Tuttle.  The noble conduct of the brave sons of Iowa at Fort Donelson, Belmont and Springfield, sheds a luster on our State that will endure as long as the history of our republic and will proudly connected for years to come with the great rebellion that broke out in the United States in the year 1861 and was only suppressed by the entire subjection of the rebel States participating in it.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 28, 1862, p. 2

From The Iowa 2d Regiment

STEAMER S. L. McGILL, bound for Dixie, February 12.

EDITOR GAZETTE. – On the 10th the 2d Iowa left St. Louis in a manner not in accordance with our usual custom.  General Hamilton saw fit to issue an order to disgrace the regiment, for acts that it had no cognizance of until they were read as we were ready to march through the city.  If the acts of vandalism were committed by members of the regiment, they kept it a secret from their comrades.

Last September, while on the march from Ironton to Cape Girardeau, a soldier, while intoxicated, took possession of a horse.  He was drummed out and an example made of him before the regiment.  That case is similar to the present, except that now the innocent must suffer with the guilty.

The regiment cannot but feel the injustice done them and the Iowa troops in general.  Citizens never have complained of our behavior while we have been stationed among them.  We have some men in the regiment that are not as they should be.  What regiment has not?  What city, town, or school district has not men that reflect discredit upon the community?  Never have we shown better discipline than we did by the quiet, orderly manner in which we submitted to an order that all felt to be so unjust.  All marched with a soldierly bearing, feeling conscious that they held their fame in their own hands, and that it was not in the power of any General to make or unmake their reputation.

We will be in Paducah to-morrow morning, but will continue our journey to Dixie’s land with as little delay as possible.  We hope you will hear from us in the field of action in a few days; but we have been disappointed so often that we have but little faith that we will meet with an opportunity of trying our steel with the enemy.

We are in good fighting condition at present, and feel able to give a good account of ourselves.  We know we must fight to win laurels, after the fierce encounters of the 1st and Springfield and the 7th at Belmont.  We left all the sick at the St. Louis general hospital, where they will be taken care of.

DISCIPLINE,

2nd Iowa Regt.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 20, 1862, p. 2

Lieut. R. W. Hamilton

Among the names of the officers of the 15^th regiment where were killed at the desperate engagement at Pittsburg we notice the name of Lieut. R. W. HAMILTON, of Company I.  Lieut. Hamilton was a private in the glorious First, and was severely wounded at Springfield; this, however did not dampen his patriotism, as soon as he recovered he became a member of the 15^th and was elected to a lieutenancy.  Previous to his enlistment in the First regiment he was a student at the Iowa Wesleyan University, at Mt. Pleasant, studying for the ministry, and was a classmate with Richard Hingham of this city who fell at Donelson.  While the 15^th was quartered in this place Lt. Hamilton, by his gentlemanly and unassuming manner made many friends, who will regret exceedingly to hear of his sudden death.  He was the youngest officer of the regiment.  His residence was in Osceola, Clark[e] County.

– Published in The Gate City, Keokuk, Iowa, Thursday, April 17, 1862

Eighteenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry

The Eighteenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry was organized under authority of Special Orders from the War Department, dated May 21-23, 1862. The ten companies composing the regiment were ordered into quarters by Governor Kirkwood on dates ranging from June 10 to July 21, 1862. The designated rendezvous was Clinton, Iowa, and the camp was named "Kirkwood," in honor of the Governor. The companies were there mustered into the service of the United States by Captain H. B. Hendershott, United States Army, on August 5, 6 and 7, 1862. The aggregate strength of the regiment (Field, Staff and Line officers and enlisted men) when the muster was completed was 877 [see note 1]. Its first equipment with arms was Austrian Rifles (calibre 58) with appendages. It was provided with the other necessary equipment for active service, and on August 11, 1862, received orders to proceed to Sedalia, Mo., at which place it arrived August 28th, and was ordered to proceed to Springfield, Mo., where it arrived September 13th, and joined the Army of the Frontier under General Schofield. The regiment was assigned to the First Brigade of the Second Division, commanded respectively by Colonel Husted of the Seventh Missouri Cavalry and Brigadier General Totten.

On September 29th the army advanced in the direction of the enemy's camp at Newtonia, at which place the troops which led the advance became engaged with the enemy. The brigade and division to which the Eighteenth Iowa belonged were marched quickly in the direction of the troops engaged but, before their arrival, the rebel forces had retreated. During the forced march in the night preceding the engagement, the Eighteenth Iowa had come in contact with an advanced post of the enemy and in the skirmish which ensued lost one man killed and three wounded. The pursuit of the retreating rebel army was continued as far as Fayetteville, Ark., where the Eighteenth Iowa, being in advance, skirmished with the rear guard of the rebel army, but sustained no casualties. The enemy having been driven out of the State of Missouri, and the object of the expedition having been accomplished, General Schofield was ordered to return and make such disposition of his forces as would best protect the State against further invasion. The Eighteenth Iowa was ordered to Springfield, Mo., where a large quantity of supplies for the army had been accumulated. The regiment arrived at Springfield, November 14, 1862. While its loss in conflict with the enemy, up to this time, had been light, the men had suffered greatly from exposure and from the hardships to which they had been subjected on the long march in pursuit of the enemy, and the return to Springfield. They were passing through the common experience of all soldiers, in their first year of service. Many were stricken with disease, the prevailing malady being measles, which spread through the regiment and claimed many victims. The entire casualties now numbered ninety, and yet the regiment had been in active service less than three months.
At Springfield, the Eighteenth Iowa constituted an important part of the garrison which numbered about 1,500 troops of all arms, and several pieces of field artillery. The defenses consisted of earthworks and detached forts, but the number of troops in garrison, were insufficient to man the works at all points. Brigadier General Brown was in command of these troops, with Colonel Crabb of the Nineteenth Iowa in command of the Post. Lieutenant Colonel Cook was in command of the Eighteenth Iowa, five companies of the regiment being on out-post duty some distance from Springfield. The rebel General Marmaduke had, by a skillful and daring movement, eluded the vigilance of the Union Army, and by a series of rapid marches reached the vicinity of Springfield on the evening of January 7, 1863. On the forenoon of that day the scouts of General Brown had discovered the approaching force of the enemy, and the garrison therefore had warning of the impending attack and made every' possible preparation to meet it. The Union men of the town armed themselves, offered their services for the defense, and afterwards fought bravely with the troops. Even the sick in hospital, who were able to leave their beds, took their guns and went to the front On the morning of January 8th, the cavalry pickets of General Brown discovered the enemy's skirmish line and the preliminary fighting began some three miles from the entrenchments. In his history of the regiment, Colonel Hugh Campbe.ll gives the following brief account of the engagement which ensued:

January 8, 1863, the rebel forces, thirty-five hundred strong, under Marmaduke, attacked Springfield, then held by the Eighteenth Iowa, and a few hundred militia. The regiment was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Cook. After a severe engagement, lasting the whole of the day, the enemy retreated, leaving one hundred and eighty killed and wounded. The Eighteenth Iowa suffered severely in the action, losing fifty enlisted men killed and wounded, and two commissioned officers killed — Captain William R. Blue, Company C, and Captain Joseph Van Metre, Company H, who died of wounds received in the action — and two commissioned officers wounded, Captain Landis, Company D, and Lieutenant Conaway, Company C. The regiment behaved nobly, standing their ground against three times their number, and by their coolness and determination saving the town and its valuable stores on which the army of the Frontier, thence drawing its supplies, depended for its existence. ... The regiment received a well merited compliment from Brigadier General Brown, commanding, for their bravery and gallantry in this action [see note 2].


The official report of the part taken by the Eighteenth Iowa in the gallant defense of Springfield not being obtainable [see note 3], the compiler has availed himself of the account given by Major Byers, in his "Iowa in War Times," and that of L. D. Ingersoll, in his "Iowa and the Rebellion," to supplement the statement of Colonel Campbell. The following is a part of the concluding portion of Major Byers’ account:

By two o'clock, the rebels massed their forces several lines deep and made a determined effort on the Union right and center. It was then that Captain Landis, of the Eighteenth Iowa, with a piece of artillery, was pushed forward into an exposed and dangerous position at the right. Three companies of the Eighteenth Iowa, under Captains Van Metre, Blue and Stonaker, were sent along as supports. By a bold dash, with overwhelming numbers, the rebels succeeded in capturing the gun, but not till Captains Blue, Van Metre and Landis were wounded — the two former mortally. At their sides fell many of their brave comrades. At the same moment the rebels got possession of a strong stockaded building south of and near to the town, and from this vantage point poured a heavy fire into the Union line. In another hour Brown's forces were being heavily pressed, and the position seemed extremely critical. Then the "Quinine Brigade” [see note 4] led by Colonel Crabb, rushed to the front They were real soldiers, if they were sick ones. In an hour's fighting they drove the enemy back on their left center, but an immediate and very nearly successful assault by the rebels followed at the right. Some of the militia were giving way. General Brown hurried to their front to re-form them, but was shot from his horse in the endeavor. It was now four o'clock, and Colonel Crabb assumed the command. Again the battle was resumed at the center, and for another hour continued with varying results. Once more some of the militia faltered and for a time all seemed lost, when others, also militia, charged for the lost ground with a cheer. At the same time Lieutenant Colonel Cook, with the remaining companies of the Eighteenth Iowa who had hurried from outpost duty to the scene, came up, and they, too, charged the rebel center with a shout and drove it rearwards. Darkness soon ended the contest, and that night the defeated rebel army withdrew. . . . This handful of brave men and the sturdy, heroic militia of Missouri had saved Springfield with its enormous stores, and it had saved a disaster to the Union Army. . . .


Ingersoll, who wrote a lengthy account of the engagement, giving the details with great particularity, confirms the statements of Major Byers heretofore quoted. Near the close of his account he says:

Meantime five companies of the Eighteenth Iowa, which had just reached the scene of action from an outpost at some distance from Springfield, came up in fine style, under Lieutenant Colonel Cook, and went into the fight on the center with such effect as to drive the rebels back into the stockade, and encourage the men who had been fighting for hours most wonderfully. Darkness was now coming on and the firing gradually ceased. . . . The enemy retired under cover of the night from his position south of town, and had taken position more than a mile to the eastward. Hither Colonel Crabb sent a cavalry force to engage them and retard their advance, but they declined battle, and soon retired in haste. They had lost in the battle more than two hundred in killed and wounded. Our loss was about the same. There were but five companies — A, C, F, G and H — of the Eighteenth Iowa taking part in the contest until near its close, when the other five came up and turned the tide of battle in our favor, as has been related. The number of the regiment engaged was less than five hundred, of whom fifty-six were killed or wounded.


The regiment remained in Springfield during the remainder of the winter of 1863, performing the monotonous duties incident to the camp and garrison life of soldiers. While the holding of Springfield was very necessary and meant so much to the loyal citizens of Missouri, it could not be otherwise than unsatisfactory to the gallant officers and men of the Eighteenth Iowa to be retained upon such duty, while so many Iowa regiments were actively participating in the great campaigns then in progress in other parts of the South, and winning honor and distinction for themselves and their State. In April, 1863, Colonel Edwards, who had been on detached service at St. Louis, returned to Springfield and assumed command of the Post. The operations of the regiment now assumed a much more active character. The rebel General Shelby had invaded Missouri with a considerable force, and, besides holding the Post at Springfield, portions of the Eighteenth Iowa were called upon for active service in the field. The subsequent service of the regiment is described by Colonel Campbell, as follows:

During the spring and summer of 1863, different portions of the regiment, under command of Major Campbell, made three long marches of one hundred and ten miles each, two of them forced marches, besides doing very heavy fatigue and guard duty, in which they were taxed to their utmost strength, by reason of the smallness of the garrison and the constant proximity of the enemy. In the latter of these marches, they participated in the campaign against Shelby, who invaded Missouri and penetrated nearly to the Missouri river; The regiment was ordered to Cassville, Mo., under command of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell [see note 5], to cooperate in heading off Shelby's retreat. October 9th, Springfield being considered in danger, a part of the regiment was ordered back by forced marches, and marched the distance of fifty-five miles in twenty-seven hours, including halts.

October 16th, Companies D and F, under command of Captain Hay, marched from Cassville to Fayetteville, as escort to a supply train, and at Cross Timbers encountered the enemy under Colonel Brooks, who attacked the train with five hundred men. After a. short but severe contest, the enemy retired with a loss of ten men killed and wounded. October 17th, the remainder of the regiment, under command of Colonel Edwards, moved, along with all the forces of the district of southwestern Missouri, under General McNeil, in pursuit of Shelby, who was then retreating from Missouri, and reached Fort Smith, Arkansas — after an animated pursuit, during which they marched night and day, fording deep streams, and crossing the Boston Mountains — October 31, 1863.

January 2, 1864, a portion of the regiment, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, marched to Roseville, Arkansas, to prevent an anticipated attack upon a supply train on the way from Little Rock, in charge of Captain Clover, Company K, Eighteenth Iowa, with a detachment of the regiment, and returned to Fort Smith, January 8, 1864, having marched seventy-five miles in the depth of winter, the snow being six inches deep, without tents or shelter of any kind. During the rest of the winter, the regiment was engaged in excessive labor, in fatigue, escort, and guard duty, men and officers going on duty for months every other day, and living upon half rations. March 22, 1864, the regiment, under command of Captain Duncan, Colonel Edwards commanding the First Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Campbell being detained at Little Rock by a severe hurt, which disabled him entirely from walking or riding, moved with the Third Division to join General Steele, who with the Seventh Army Corps was moving on Camden, Ark., to cooperate with General Banks. April 12th, the regiment participated in the battle of Prairie d' Anne. April 13th, the Third Division, being the rear guard of the army, was attacked by the enemy in force at Moscow. In this engagement the Eighteenth Iowa, with the Second Indiana Battery, held the enemy in check until the rest of the division came up and forced the enemy to retire. Captain J. K. Morey, Company F, then acting Assistant Adjutant General of the First Brigade, was highly complimented by Colonel Edwards, commanding the brigade, for bravery in this action.

April 18th, the regiment, under command of Captain Duncan, moved from Camden to reinforce Colonel Williams, Second Kansas (colored), who was escorting a large forage train. About fourteen miles from Camden, at Poison Springs, Colonel Williams was attacked by the enemy six thousand strong, under Generals Marcy and Fagan. He had with him the Eighteenth Iowa, the First Kansas Colored, one section of the Second Indiana Battery and about two hundred cavalry. His small force was completely surrounded and separated, and after a fierce and sanguinary conflict, in which the rest of the command was entirely routed and scattered with great loss, the Eighteenth Iowa was completely isolated and hemmed in on all sides. It retired slowly rod by rod, reforming and charging the enemy seven times, and finally cut its way through the enemy's lines and returned to Camden. The casualties in this engagement were eighty enlisted men killed, wounded and missing and one commissioned officer wounded [see note 6]. The regiment received great credit for the deliberate and determined courage with which it held together in the face of such desperate odds and forced its way out. The officers and men behaved gallantly. Captain Thomas Blanchard, when wounded, and under a heavy fire, seized the colors and held them, by ordering the men to form upon him.

April 30th, the regiment participated in the battle of Jenkin's Ferry, at Saline river, where the enemy attacked General Steele's army, then retreating from Camden, and endeavored to prevent his crossing, but was repulsed after a day's hard fighting, with heavy loss on both sides. The regiment returned to Fort Smith May 15, 1864, having marched seven hundred and thirty miles, through swamps and over mountains, subsisting part of the time on raw corn, wading whole days and nights in mud and water, and suffering hardships that have been surpassed in no campaign of the war.

The subsequent months of the summer and fall of 1864, and the winter of 1864-5, were occupied with a series of long and rapid marches, the intervals of which were employed in severe labor on the fortifications around Fort Smith, and extremely heavy guard duty. Different bodies of the enemy, under Shelby, Gano, Cooper, Fagan and Brooks, emboldened by their successes against General Steele, hovered closely around Fort Smith, cut off our communications, captured supply trains, and completely held the surrounding country. During the whole time the troops at Fort Smith were kept upon two-thirds, and, during the greatest part of the time, half rations, and the subsistence that was furnished consisted, for a long time, mostly of damaged bread and meat.

May 25, 1864, the regiment, under command of Major Morey, together with the Second Kansas (colored) and a section of the Second Kansas Battery, all under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, moved to Clarksville, Ark., to hold that place and keep open the navigation of the river, upon which the army at Fort Smith depended for supplies. The regiment lost on the march two men killed by guerrillas. While here, Sergeant Vance, Company C, Eighteenth Iowa, with twenty-eight men, in charge of a forage train, was attacked, ten miles from Clarksville, by forty rebels, but repulsed them and saved his train, killing two and wounding two of the enemy, and losing one man wounded.

August 6th, Clarksville was evacuated by order of Brigadier General Thayer, and the Eighteenth Iowa under command of Major Morey, together with a battalion of the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, and a large train of government stores and refugees, all under command of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, marched for Fort Smith. On their march they were followed closely by the enemy, who harassed them slightly, but without doing serious injury.

From August 11th to December the regiment was sent, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, upon four successive expeditions. In November, a large supply train of four hundred wagons, enroute for Fort Smith, was lying at Neosho crossing, Cherokee Nation, deterred from advancing by the threatened intervention of Gano's forces between them and Fort Smith. The supplies at Fort Smith were exhausted, and the possibility of holding it all depended upon the safe arrival of this train. November 22d the Eighteenth regiment, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, marched to Fort Gibson to meet the train. On arriving there, he was ordered to proceed by forced marches towards Neosho crossing, one hundred miles distant, with the Eighteenth under command of Captain Blanchard, and the First Indiana Infantry, till he met the train. His command drew for rations a peck of corn in the ear per man, and a little coffee, and upon this supply, with no salt and a little fresh beef, killed on the way, the command marched day and night till it reached the train at Neosho crossing. The suffering from exhaustion on this march exceeded that experienced in any of the campaigns of the regiment. At Neosho crossing, the command met the train, escorted by the Second Kansas (colored), the Second and Third Indiana, portions of the Sixth and Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, and two sections of artillery, under command of Major Phillips, who was waiting for reinforcements. The whole, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, immediately marched for Fort Gibson, and thence to Fort Smith, which he reached December 11th, having marched three hundred and twenty miles in the winter, forded two rivers and numberless swollen streams, making night marches, the only subsistence for his whole, command, for a part of the time, being raw corn, and beef seasoned with gunpowder in lieu of salt [see note 7].


About the last of February, 1865, four companies of the regiment, under command of Major Morey, were detached for garrison duty at Van Buren, Ark., and remained there until July 6th, when the regiment was concentrated at Little Rock, Ark. There, on July 20, 1865, the regiment was mustered out of the service of the United States, and was soon afterwards conveyed to Davenport, Iowa, where it was formally disbanded, the officers and men receiving their discharges and final payment August 5 to 7, 1865, just three years from the date of their muster into the service at Clinton, Iowa.

Colonel Campbell states that only about 400 of the original members of the regiment were with it upon its return to Davenport, and that but eight of its original officers remained with it at that time; he also states that during its term of service it had received 235 recruits, of which 86 were from Iowa, 72 from Missouri and 77 from Arkansas and Texas. The larger number of its officers had received well deserved promotions from the ranks, as vacancies occurred from death, resignation, discharge for disability, or other causes. Quite a number of its officers had been discharged to accept promotion in other regiments. All these changes will be found noted in the subjoined roster, together with the record of each officer and enlisted man, in paragraph form, opposite his name. Every, effort has been made to secure accuracy in this revised roster, but no doubt errors and omissions have occurred, owing to the imperfect manner in which part of the records have been kept, and this imperfect condition is largely, if not wholly, due to the failure of officers to make full reports and returns to the Adjutant General of Iowa during the progress of the war. In some instances names will probably be found not properly spelled, but this could not be avoided, for the reason that the records were the only guide to follow. In the case of the Eighteenth Iowa, the compiler has found no official reports of battles on file, and has been compelled to rely upon such general information as he could obtain from the sources previously indicated — mainly the history of the regiment, from which liberal quotations have been made.

The Eighteenth Iowa Infantry has a record of service that reflects high honor upon its officers and enlisted men and upon the State which sent it into the field. While it was not engaged in any of the great battles of the war, its service was no less important to the cause of the Union than was that of the regiments from Iowa which served in the great campaigns in Mississippi; Georgia and Virginia. Its service was upon the southwestern frontier, against an active and ever vigilant enemy; the posts which it held and successfully defended were most important ones, its conflicts with the enemy and its losses showing plainly with what determined bravery and unflinching fortitude it performed its duty. Its record of long and toilsome marches, of suffering from cold and hunger and from all the vicissitudes of war, entitles it to a place in history second to none of the gallant regiments which went forth from the State of Iowa at the call of the Government to assist in conquering a gigantic rebellion.

To the memory of the brave men of this noble regiment who gave up their lives on the field of battle, or who died from wounds or disease; to those who lived to return to their homes and loved ones, but have since answered the last roll call; to those who still survive, the fading remnant of this once powerful military organization; to the dead and the living, to their wives, families and kindred, and to all who shall come after them and inherit the proud legacy transmitted by these heroic soldiers, who endured and suffered and died that their country might live, this brief history is consecrated.


SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES.

Total Enrollment 1127
Killed 28
Wounded 79
Died of wounds 9
Died of disease 113
Discharged for disease, wounds or other causes 253
Buried in National Cemeteries 89
Captured 68
Transferred 15


[Note 1.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1863, Vol. I, pages 651-81, Original Roster of the Regiment.

[Note 2.] Adjutant General of Iowa's Report, 1866, page 277.

[Note 3.] The compiler has made diligent search of the archives for the official report of Lieutenant Colonel Cook, but has failed to discover it, or any official report of the subsequent engagements in which the Eighteenth Iowa participated. He has, therefore, been compelled to rely upon the history above referred to, and such other information (deemed reliable) as he has been able to obtain.

[Note 4.] Convalescents from Hospital.

[Note 5.] Promoted from Major July 17, 1863.

[Note 6.] Captain Thomas Blanchard. Adjutant General's Report, 1867, Vol. I, page 136.

[Note 7.] Report of Adjutant General of Iowa for year 1866, pages 276 to 280.


SOURCE: Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers During the War of the Rebellion, Volume 3, p. 117-23

First Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry

In the great drama of the War of the Rebellion, Iowa soldiers played a conspicuous part. The first hostile shot was fired in Charleston Harbor on the morning of April 12, 1861. A few days later President Lincoln issued his proclamation calling for 75,000 men for the suppression of the armed rebellion against the government of the United States. In response to this call, the First Regiment of Iowa Volunteers went forth as the vanguard of the mighty host that followed from the State under the subsequent calls of the President.

In this first chapter of the history of the different military organizations which Iowa sent into the field during the progress of that great war, it is deemed proper to copy here that first proclamation of the President, the brief telegrams from the Secretary of War having reference thereto, and the patriotic response of the Governor of Iowa which so promptly followed.


PROCLAMATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
APRIL 15, 1861.

Whereas, The laws of the United States have been, and now are, opposed in several States by combinations too powerful to be suppressed in an ordinary way, I therefore call for the Militia of the several States of the Union to the aggregate number of 75,000, to suppress said combination, and execute the laws. I appeal to all loyal citizens for State aid in this effort to maintain the laws, integrity, national union, perpetuity of popular government, and redress wrongs long enough endured. The first service assigned forces will probably be to re-possess forts, places and property which have been seized from the Union. The utmost care should be taken, consistent with our object, to avoid devastation, destruction and interference with the property of peaceful citizens in any part of the country, and I hereby command persons composing the aforesaid combinations, to disperse within twenty days from date.

I hereby convene both Houses of Congress, for the 4th day of July next, to determine upon measures for the public safety, as its interests may demand.

(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
President of the United States.

By W. H. Seward,
Secretary of State.


TELEGRAMS FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR, APRIL 16, 1861.

Washington, April 16, 1861.

To His Excellency Samuel J. Kirk Wood,
Governor of Iowa:

Calls made on you by tonight's mail for one regiment of militia for immediate service.

SIMON CAMERON,
Secretary of War.

Washington, April 16, 1861.

To Samuel J. Kirkwood :

It will suffice if your quota of volunteers be at its rendezvous by the twentieth (20th) of May.

SIMON CAMERON,
Secretary of War.


PROCLAMATION OP THE GOVERNOR, APRIL 17, 1861.

Whereas, The President of the United States has made a requisition upon the Executive of the State of Iowa for one regiment of Militia, to aid the Federal Government in enforcing its laws and suppressing rebellion;

Now, therefore, I, Samuel J. Kirkwood, Governor of the State of Iowa, do issue this Proclamation, and hereby call upon the Militia of this State immediately to form in the different counties, Volunteer companies with a view of entering the active Military service of the United States, for the purpose aforesaid. The regiment at present required will consist of ten companies of at least 78 men, each including one Captain and two Lieutenants to be elected by each company. Under the present requisition only one regiment can be accepted, and the companies accepted must hold themselves in readiness for duty by the 20th of May next at farthest. If a sufficient number of companies are tendered, their services may be required. If more companies are formed and reported, than can be received under the present call, their services will be required in the event of another requisition upon the State. The Nation is in peril. A fearful attempt is being made to overthrow the Constitution and dissever the Union. The aid of every loyal citizen is invoked to sustain the General Government. For the honor of our State, let the requirement of the President be cheerfully and promptly met.

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.
Iowa City, April 17, 1861.


Long before the issuance of these proclamations of President Lincoln and Governor Kirkwood, the organized militia companies of Iowa had tendered their services to the Governor in anticipation of the impending war, the official correspondence showing that the first of these companies offered its services early in the month of January, 1861, the others following rapidly during that month. It will thus be seen that all was in readiness for the prompt response which was made to the Governor's proclamation.

The ten companies, which were to become the first regiment from Iowa, were ordered into quarters by the Governor, April 24, 1861, and reached the designated rendezvous at Keokuk on different dates from May 1 to May 8, 1861. Here they were mustered into the service of the United States, May 14, 1861.

The facts thus shown — from the official records — prove that the regiment was in rendezvous twelve days before the date indicated in the second telegram from the Secretary of War, and that it was mustered into the service six days prior to that date. The State of Iowa is thus entitled to the credit of having filled its quota in advance of the date stipulated in the proclamation of the President under date of April 15, 1861. May 23d, the regiment received arms and accouterments, and on May 28th — the tents and camp equipage having arrived — went into its first camp. Previous to that date, it had been quartered in buildings.

The short time that intervened before the regiment was engaged in active service was utilized to the utmost. The Field, Staff and Line officers — with a few notable exceptions — were taking their first lessons in the art of war, and in the study of the rules and regulations for the government of the United States Army, of which the regiment was now a part, and found little time for rest or recreation. Company and battalion drills were in progress many hours each day, and far into the night the officers were engaged in the study of the movements, the manual of arms, and the rules of discipline, so necessary to be learned and taught to the men under their command. How well these lessons were learned in so short a time was demonstrated in the brief but severe campaign in which the regiment was soon called to participate under the leadership of that thoroughly trained and gallant officer, Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, of the regular army.

The regiment left Keokuk on the 13th day of June, 1861, and was transported by boat down the Mississippi to Hannibal, Mo., thence by rail to Macon City and Renic, and thence marched across country to Boonville, a distance of fifty-eight miles, in less than two and one-half days, an extraordinary march for these men fresh from their Iowa homes, and not inured to the hardships of a "soldier's life. The regiment joined General Lyon's little army at Boonville, Mo., on the 21st day of June. Here it remained until July 13th and on that day took up the line of march with the other troops composing General Lyon's command. From this date to the close of its term of service, the history of the regiment is identified with that of the little army commanded by General Lyon, on the march, the skirmish line, in camp and bivouac, and in battle.

The day the gallant Lyon gave up his life on the battlefield of Springfield, August 10, 1861, practically ended the active military history of the First Iowa Infantry. A few days later the regiment proceeded to St. Louis where it was mustered out of the service on the 21st day of August, 1861. The subjoined summary of casualties shows a loss of over 17 per cent of its total number at muster in, and is convincing evidence of its arduous service in the field, which lasted less than two months. The loss of the regiment at Wilson's Creek was 13 killed, 141 wounded and 4 missing, and constituted by far the greatest part of its total loss during the campaign.

In order that a correct understanding of the discrepancy between the loss at Wilson's Creek and the subjoined summary of casualties during the campaign may be had, it should be here stated, that, while this regiment was on the skirmish line on the right of General Lyon's command at Dug Spring, August 2, 1861, and again at McCulloch's store, August 3, 1861, and rendered important service on both occasions, its position was such that before it could be brought into action the enemy was in full retreat, and in those affairs no casualties are reported. During the campaign, therefore — according to the official records — the regiment lost twelve men in addition to the loss at Wilson's Creek, making a total, as shown in the summary, of 170.

It can be justly claimed for this regiment that — considering the short length of its service — its record compares most favorably with that of the other regiments which were subsequently organized in Iowa, and mustered into the service for three years, or during the war. The history of the service of each soldier of this regiment — as shown in the paragraph opposite his name in the subjoined roster — reveals the fact that a very large number of the officers and enlisted men of the regiment, who were mustered out of the service, August 21, 1861, re-enlisted as fast as opportunity offered in the Iowa regiments which were subsequently organized, and that many of them received commissions. Some of these officers attained high rank before the close of the war, and all reflected honor upon their State by their heroism in the numerous battles in which they were engaged.

This brief history of the regiment has been compiled in accordance with the provisions of chapter 223, laws of the Thirty-second General Assembly of Iowa, and under that portion of section 2 of the act which makes provision for "brief historical sketches of the organization, service and engagements of all Iowa regiments."

Within the limitation thus imposed, the compiler of this historical sketch considers that the publication of the official report of the commanding officer of the regiment in the battle of Wilson's Creek, and the official orders of the Department Commander, and of the Congress and the President of the United States, commendatory of the conduct of the officers and soldiers engaged in the battle of Springfield, constitute a fitting and appropriate closing of this sketch. These reports and orders are copied from Series 1, Volume 3 of the official records of the War of the Rebellion, published under the direction of the Hon. Elihu Root, Secretary of War.


REPORT OF COL. WILLIAM H. MERRITT, FIRST IOWA INFANTRY.

Sir: I have the honor to submit the following- report of the part taken by the Iowa troops in the late hotly contested battle of Wilson's Creek :

At 6 o'clock P. M., of the 9th inst., the First Regiment of Iowa Volunteers, under command of Lieut. Col. William H. Merritt, Col. J. F. Bates being sick, united with the forces at Springfield under command of General Lyon, and commenced the march to Wilson's Creek, twelve miles distant. Arriving within three miles of the enemy's camp, and in close proximity of their pickets, the order was given to halt.

The troops lay on their arms until 3 o'clock A. M. of the 10th inst., when they advanced upon the enemy's lines. About 5 o'clock A. M. our advanced skirmishers engaged the enemy's pickets and drove them in. The First Missouri and First Kansas Volunteers and a battalion of regular infantry, under command of Captain Plummer, with Totten's Battery, very soon engaged a considerable number of the rebel forces.

Du Bois' Battery took position a short distance east of where the enemy were being engaged, and the Iowa troops were drawn up in line of battle on its left. A brisk fire was commenced and kept up for thirty minutes. The enemy responded promptly with a battery in the ravine, but their shots passed over our heads. Detailed Company D, First Lieutenant Keller commanding, and Company E, First Lieutenant Abercrombie commanding, to act as skirmishers in advance of my line. Ordered to advance over the hill, engage the enemy, and relieve the First Regiment Kansas Volunteers. In advancing to engage the enemy, met the First Kansas retreating in confusion. They broke through our line on the right, separating companies A and F from the balance of the command. While in this confused state received a murderous fire from the enemy's infantry. Gave the command to fall back and reform the line. The din of firearms and the loud talking of the retreating troops drowned my voice, so the command could not be heard on the left. Led the two companies, A and F, over the hill, halted them, and ordered to about face and fire on a squadron of the enemy's cavalry advancing to charge on a section of Totten's Battery. The fire was executed with promptness and effect, and after receiving the discharge from the battery, the enemy retired in double-quick time, leaving a number of dead and wounded on the field.

Ordered companies A and F to hold their position until further orders, and then returned to companies I, H, K, G and B who had been left facing the enemy's line. Found our troops advancing under a galling fire from the enemy's infantry. After repulsing the enemy, they fell back in good order. Ordered Major A. B. Porter to proceed to the rear and take command of the four companies, A, F, D and E, of the Iowa troops there stationed. Held our position in front for five hours, alternately advancing and retiring, as the approach and repulse of the enemy made it necessary to do so. In every charge the enemy made, we repulsed them and drove them into the ravine below.

About 12 o'clock M. the order was given to retire from the field, which was done in good order. As we retired over the hill, we passed a section of Totten's Battery, occupying a commanding point to the right, supported on the right by companies A, F, D and E of the Iowa troops under command of Major Porter, and on the left by one company of regular infantry, under command of Captain Lothrop.

This command sustained our retreat with great coolness and determination under a most terrific discharge from the enemy's infantry. After the wounded were gathered up our column formed in order of march, and the enemy repulsed, the battery and infantry retired in good order.

Thus closed one of the most hotly contested engagements known to the country, commencing at 5 :20 o'clock A. M. and concluding 12 :20 o'clock P. M., in which the enemy brought to the field 14,000 well armed and well disciplined troops and 10,000 irregular troops, and our own force amounted to about 5,000 troops in the early part of the engagement, and considerably less than 4,000 troops for the concluding four hours of it.

It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge valuable aid and assistance from Major A. B. Porter, Adjutant George W. Waldron — who was wounded in the leg — and Sergeant Major Charles Compton, and to express my unbounded admiration of the heroic conduct displayed by both officers and men. No troops, regular or volunteer, ever sustained their country's flag with more determined valor and fortitude. They have crowned themselves with imperishable honor, and must occupy a conspicuous place in the history of their country. A list of the killed, wounded, and missing, will be found attached to this report, together with such notices of individual prowess as were observed on the field.

Before concluding this report, I must bear testimony to the gallant and meritorious conduct of Captain A. L. Mason of Company C, who fell in a charge at the head of his company.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. MERRITT,
Lieutenant Colonel Commanding.

Major J. M. Schofield,
Acting Adjutant General.
Loss: Killed, 12; wounded, 138; missing, 4; total, 154.


Major S. D. Sturgis, who, after General Lyon was killed, was the senior officers in command of the Union Army, makes special mention in his report of the zeal and courage displayed by certain officers, including the names of Lieutenant Colonel Merritt, Major Porter and Captain Herron of the First Iowa.



CONGRATULATORY ORDERS FROM MAJOR GENERAL J. C. FREMONT.

Headquarters, Western Department,
Saint Louis, Mo., Aug. 25, 1861.

General Orders, Number 4.

I. The official reports of the commanding officers of the forces engaged in the battle near Springfield, Mo., having been received, the Major General commanding announces to the troops embraced in his command, with pride and the highest commendation, the extraordinary services to their country and flag rendered by the division of the brave and lamented General Lyon.

For thus nobly battling for the honor of their flag, he now publicly desires to express to the officers and soldiers his cordial thanks, and commends their conduct as an example to their comrades wherever engaged against the enemies of the Union.

Opposed by overwhelming masses of the enemy, in a numerical superiority of 20,000 against 4,300, or nearly five to one, the successes of our troops were nevertheless sufficiently marked to give to their exploits the moral effect of a victory.

II. The general commanding laments, in sympathy with the country, the loss of the indomitable General Nathaniel Lyon. His fame cannot be better eulogized than in these words from the official report of his gal'ant successor, Major Sturgis, United States Cavalry:

"Thus gallantly fell as true a soldier as ever drew a sword; a man whose honesty of purpose was proverbial; a noble patriot, and one who held his life as nothing where his country demanded it of him."

Let all emulate his prowess and undying devotion to his duty.

III. The regiments and corps engaged in this battle will be permitted to have "Springfield" emblazoned on their colors, as a distinguishing memorial of their services to the Nation.

IV. The names of the officers and soldiers mentioned in the official reports as most distinguished for important services and marked gallantry will be communicated to the War Department for the consideration of the Government.

V. This order will be read at the head of every company in this department.
By order of Major General Fremont.

J. C. KELTON,
Assistant Adjutant General.


THANKS OF UNITED STATES CONGRESS.

Headquarters Of The Army,
Adjutant General's Office.

Washington, D. C, December 30, 1861.

General, Orders, No. 111.

The following acts of Congress are published for the information of the Army:

Joint resolution expressive of the recognition by Congress of the gallant and patriotic services of the late Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, and the officers and soldiers under his command, at the battle of Springfield, Mo.

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

I. That Congress deems it just and proper to enter upon its records a recognition of the eminent and patriotic services of the late Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon. The country to whose service he devoted his life will guard and preserve his fame as a part of its own glory.

II. That the thanks of Congress are hereby given to the brave officers and soldiers who, under the command of the late General Lyon, sustained the honor of the flag, and achieved victory against overwhelming numbers at the battle of Springfield, in Missouri; and that, in order to commemorate an event so honorable to the country and to themselves, it is ordered that each regiment engaged shall be authorized to bear upon its colors the word "Springfield," embroidered in letters of gold. And the President of the United States is hereby requested to cause these resolutions to be read at the head of every regiment in the Army of the United States.

Approved December 24, 1861.

III. The President of the United States directs that the foregoing joint resolution be read at the head of every regiment in the Army of the United States.

By command of Major General McClellan.

L. THOMAS,
Adjutant General.


Shelby Norman, a fair-haired boy of seventeen, was one of the first to enlist in Iowa. He was a private in Company A in the First Iowa Infantry. As the regiment approached the battlefield of Wilson's Creek, young Norman fell, pierced through the brain. Those near him heard the dull quick thud, a sure sign that the bullet had reached its victim. "The whistling bullet never heard by the one it hit, and which never hit the one who heard it."

Recognizing the historic fact that young Norman was the first Iowa soldier, in the First Iowa Regiment, to give his life for his country, it was determined by the commission having in charge the erection of the Iowa Soldiers' Monument at the State Capital, to place a bronze statue of this heroic soldier on the monument to represent the Infantry arm of the service.

There stands the form and features of this typical young soldier of Iowa, and there it will stand for ages to come, an inspiration to the patriotism of the young men of our State.

To the dead and the living of this splendid regiment — Iowa's first contribution to the Grand Army of the Republic — the compiler of this sketch makes a soldier's salute, before proceeding with his work of recording the history of the long line of Iowa regiments which followed it, and in nearly every one of which one or more representatives of the First Iowa Infantry found opportunity to lengthen the record of his patriotic service to his country.


SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES.

Total Enrollment 959
Killed 13
Wounded 141
Died of disease 7
Died of wounds 5
Missing in action 4


SOURCE: Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers During the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 1, p. 3-9

Emulation at the North

While each State and almost every family at the East and the West are represented in the army fighting in defence of the Union, a generous rivalry exists between the two sections, as to which shall acquit itself the more honorably. This feeling is not confined to the two sections, but States and even counties feel ambition that the troops hailing from their respective localities shall sustain themselves in a manner to elicit admiration. If not carried too far this emulation is praiseworthy, as it will encourage the soldiers to greater exertion. We observe the effect in our own State. At the battle of Springfield, in the beginning of the war, the first regiment enrolled in Iowa acquitted itself so admirably as to elicit praise East and West and established an enviable name for our State. The Iowa regiments that took the field afterward had a reputation to sustain, and nobly they did it at Belmont, Donelson, and Pittsburg. Iowa at this time stands as high, if not higher, than any State in the Union for the alacrity with which she responded to the call upon her to defend the old flag of the Union, for the number of her sons that hastened to enroll themselves in the army and for the noble daring that has distinguished her troops on the battle-field.

Some of our contemporaries, to their shame, are seeking to build up the reputation of the troops of their own States, by undermining those of other States. Particularly are they jealous of the brave sons of Iowa, whose reputation is no factitious nature, but based upon solid merit. With the news of the battle at Pittsburg came intimations that certain regiments had acted in a cowardly manner. The Chicago Times was the first journal to fasten the obloquy upon the State of Iowa. But when the truth came out, it was ascertained that the Iowa regiments had all fought well, and those of another State had been the ones to cluster under then bank and refuse to participate in the engagement.

The Iowa troops ask not for reputation based upon the shortcomings of others, but they wish to stand upon their own merits, and in doing so are willing to concede to the regiments who fled from the battle-field on the 6th of April, that under the circumstances it was no evidence of cowardice. The affair of the first day, without preparation or Generalship, could scarcely be called a battle, and the wonder is, that the whole army was not thrown into utter panic.

An effort is now being made by some of the Illinois papers to throw the onus of the surrender of certain troops on that day on an Iowa regiment. It will not succeed; that certain regiments from this state and Illinois did surrender is true, but not until completely surrounded by the enemy and when any attempt to fight their way through would have been simply suicidal. When the official reports furnish the evidence, it will be time enough to attempt to disgrace regiments; in the meantime let us all united in ascribing honor to the noble troops who so gallantly sustained the reputation of the West, although taken at every disadvantage by a more numerous and better drilled enemy.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday, April 22, 1862, p. 2

BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN EDWARDS

COLONEL, EIGHTEENTH INFANTRY.

John Edwards was born the 24th day of October, 1815, in Jefferson county, Kentucky, and lived with his parents at the old homestead till he reached his eighteenth year. Leaving Kentucky at eighteen, he removed to Indiana, and settled in Lawrence county; where, purchasing a form, he continued his residence till the year 1849. In Indiana he was highly respected, and, during the last years of his residence there, was elected at different times to each branch of the State Legislature.

In 1849, he sold his farm and emigrated to California. Settling in the Nevada District, he was, in 1851, elected by the people to the Alcalde; for the State Government had not at that time been formed. After serving in that body for one year, he returned to Indiana, and was again elected to the State Senate. In 1853, he came to Iowa and located in Chariton, where, engaging in the practice of law, he has since resided.

In Iowa, General Edwards has been a prominent public man. In 1858, he was a member of the State Constitutional Convention ; and subsequently served three terms in the State Legislature. He was the representative from Chariton at the outbreak of the war, and Speaker of the House. He was from the first a staunch war-man; and coming from the extreme southern part of the State took a lively interest in preparing for the defense of our southern border, which was at that time being threatened by the Missouri rebels. On the 9th of June, 1861, he was commissioned aid de camp to Governor Kirkwood, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel of cavalry; and was the first man in the State promoted to that office. For several months he had charge of a large portion of the border between Iowa and Missouri, during which time, he twice marched his troops into Missouri — once as far south as the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Resigning his commission as aid de camp, June 20th, 1862, he was, on the 17th of July following, made colonel of the 18th Iowa Infantry. For his able and faithful services in Missouri and Arkansas, he was, in the winter of 1864-5, promoted to a general officer; and I believe none will say he did not richly earn his promotion.

The history of the 18th Iowa Infantry while under the command of Colonel Edwards is as replete with interest as that of almost any other Iowa regiment. It does not enjoy the reputation that many others have; and for the reason, I believe, that the people are ignorant of its record. From the time it engaged and defeated the braggart Marmaduke, at Springfield in January, 1863, to the time it fought Price and his subordinates on the Saline River, in the spring of 1864, its conduct has, in every instance, been such as to elicit much praise from both its division and department commanders. Indeed, I believe it would be unwilling to exchange either its number or its record with any regiment of the State; for, if others have served with more distinction, they have not with greater honesty and fidelity.

The. first march of the 18th Iowa was from Sedalia, Missouri, to Springfield; its first campaign, from Springfield into Northern Arkansas; and its first severe engagement, at Springfield, on the 8th of January, 1863.

In August, 1862, Colonel Edwards marched his command from Sedalia to Springfield, where he was organized in the Army of the South West, at that time commanded by General Schofield. In the expedition to Cane Hill, arid other points in Northern Arkansas, which soon followed, he took part, remaining with the main army till its return to Ozark, when, with his regiment, he was given charge of the sick and prisoners, and sent back to Springfield. Arriving in the latter part of November, 1862, he was, in the following December, detailed on a court-martial in St. Louis. Springfield remained the head-quarters of the 18th Iowa from that time until October of the following year.

The battle of Springfield, as already stated, was the regiment's first engagement, and in premising, I quote briefly from General Marmaduke's official report:


"Head-Quarters, 4th Division, 1st Corps, T. M. D.
Batesville, Ark., January 18th, 1863.

"Colonel: — In obedience to instructions from General Hindman, I marched from Lewisburg, Arkansas, December 31,1862, via Yellville, Arkansas, to strike the enemy in rear and flank, with sixteen hundred men under Shelby, and two hundred and seventy men under McDonald. Before marching, I telegraphed to Lieutenant-General Holmes, if it would not be best to move up the troops under Colonel White, to co-operate in the movement, to which he consented; and the order was given. Colonel Porter, with six hundred men, moved forward for this purpose." * * *

"Shelby captured and burned the fort at Ozark: the garrison fled. With Shelby and McDonald, I attacked Springfield, Missouri; and, after eight hours hard fighting, driving the Yankees before me into their strong-holds, I captured one piece of artillery, (six-pounder) a stockade fort, and a large part of the town, which the Yankees burned as they retired. At dark the fighting ceased, the greater part of the town, the fort and many of the dead and wounded Federals being in my possession. The Federal force there was four thousand two hundred. My loss was twenty killed and eighty wounded — Yankee loss much greater. I did not deem it best to renew the attack, and the next day marched toward Rolla."


By his own statement, Marmaduke attacked Springfield with at least eighteen hundred and seventy men. The place was commanded by General Brown of Missouri, and garrisoned with the 18th Iowa, (numbering five hundred muskets) a few companies of Missouri State Militia, and some one hundred and fifty convalescents of the Army of the South West. "The only defenses were some incompleted works." In one particular Marmaduke's report is correct — the fighting lasted about eight hours; but in other respects it is at issue of falsehoods — a grim joke. On its own face, he should have been court-martialed and dismissed the service.

The 18th Iowa held the works south of Springfield, and the Missouri troops those on the east. The fighting commenced early in the morning of the 8th between the skirmishers. Little advantage was gained by the enemy until late in the afternoon: then, massing his troops south-east of the city, he charged gallantly, and overbore the militia-men, capturing their works. This was the only critical hour of the day, and, through the promptness and intrepidity of the 18th Iowa, it soon passed. "In the most critical juncture of the attack, when the militia were retreating in confusion, and defeat appeared certain, a part of the 18th Iowa was ordered to the threatened point; and by a desperate charge, in which they lost four commissioned officers and fifty-two enlisted men, killed and wounded, broke the enemy's lines, and restored the wavering fortunes of the day. The enemy retreated in haste, under cover of the night, leaving their dead and wounded on the field." And thus it happened that Marmaduke "did not deem it best to renew the attack." He marched north-east from Springfield; was met and severely punished by Colonel Merrill of the 21st Iowa, at Hartsville; and then swung round south to Batesville, where he issued his report. And thus ended his movement against "the enemy's rear and flank."

Colonel Edwards was placed in command of the Post at Springfield, in April, 1863; and, from that time forward, has been in the immediate command of his regiment but little. All of its history, however, has been made under him; for, whether in command of a post, a brigade, or a district, it has always been with him. In August, 1863, the colonel was assigned by General McNeil to the command of the District of South West Missouri. In the same month, Shelby made his invasion of Missouri, with a force numbering more than two thousand men. Colonel Edwards promptly organized his forces and made pursuit; and it was said his "combinations were such as would have resulted in the interception of the enemy, had they not been disconcerted by causes beyond his power to control."

General Steele captured Little Rock the 10th of September, 1863; and the next October General McNeil, in whose command was the 18th Iowa, marched from Springfield in pursuit of the enemy, and captured and occupied Fort Smith, Arkansas. A chief portion of the time since, Colonel Edwards and the 18th Iowa have served at that post. In December, 1863, the colonel was placed in command of the Post of Fort Smith, which he held till January, 1864. At the last named date, he was given a brigade command, which he has held ever since. His first brigade consisted of the 18th Iowa, 2d Kansas Cavalry, 1st Arkansas Infantry, and the 2d Indiana Battery; and his second, of the 18th Iowa, the 1st and 2d Arkansas Infantry, and the 2d Indiana Battery. With this last command, he accompanied General Steele on the march to Camden.

For the part taken by Colonel Edwards and the 18th Iowa in the unfortunate Camden march, I am indebted to one who shared the hardships and perils of the campaign:

"On April 11th and 12th, Colonel Edwards and his brigade took part in the battle of Prairie de Anne, in which the whole forces of Price, Maxey, Shelby and Gano were opposed to General Steele. April 13th, 1864, the battle of Moscow took place thirty miles north of Camden. The 3d Division guarded the rear of the army, and had just gone into camp, when six thousand of the enemy, under the rebel generals Dockery, Fagan, Maxey and Gano, attacked them, driving in their pickets and pouring a heavy fire into their quarters. Colonel Edwards with his brigade, alone at first, but soon reinforced by the 2d and 3d, repulsed the enemy and drove them five miles. The engagement lasted from one to six o'clock P. M."

"On the 17th of April, Colonel Edwards, being then encamped at Camden, ordered the 18th Iowa, and one section of the 2d Indiana Battery, under command of Captain Duncan of the 18th Iowa, to reinforce Colonel Williams of the 1st Kansas, (colored) who was in charge of a forage train to Poisoned Springs, about eighteen miles distant from Camden. The 18th Iowa guarded the rear of the train, and. the 1st Kansas the front. The whole were surrounded by a force of the enemy six thousand strong, on the morning of the 18th instant. The 1st Kansas, after losing heavily, was completely surrounded and compelled to retreat in haste through the line of the 18th Iowa, which was now left to sustain the attack alone. The regiment was broken by fierce charges of the enemy seven times, and as often stubbornly re-formed, contesting every inch of ground, until being surrounded on three sides and falling rapidly under a withering fire, and being left alone on the field, it finally cut its way through, and returned in good order to its camp at Camden, having lost one officer and seventy-six men, killed, wounded and prisoners."

"In this engagement, Captains Blanchard, Clover, Stonaker and Conway showed especial bravery and gallantry. Captain Blanchard, who commanded the color-company, and who was already wounded, seized the colors at a critical time, when the regiment was hotly pressed, and told Captain Clover, who was mounted, to form the regiment on him, which that officer did in gallant style, the men responding with cheers. It was owing in a very great measure to the exertions of these officers that the regiment was extricated from its perilous position. Sergeant Dean, Company E; Sergeants Bowers and Oleson, Company A; Sergeant Mordis, Company C; Sergeant Bullock, Company B; and Sergeant Kirkpatrick, Company H; behaved with a courage and coolness which deserve special notice. Everywhere, all behaved with common bravery."

In the terrible battle of Saline River, fought on the 30th of April, and which is described elsewhere, Colonel Edwards, with his brigade, held the reserve; and had in charge the ordnance train. This being the last of the engagements fought on the campaign, the 18th Iowa, and the other troops of Steele's command, returned to their places of starting, unmolested. On arriving at Fort Smith, the records of the 18th Iowa showed the following: From the time of entering the field till the 23d of May, 1864, the regiment had marched over eighteen hundred miles, and had lost in action, and from disease contracted in the service, thirteen commissioned officers, and five hundred and sixty enlisted men — nearly two-thirds of its original strength; for, when mustered into the service, its aggregate of officers and enlisted men was only eight hundred and sixty-six.

Subsequently to its return from South Western Arkansas, the 18th Iowa has been retained on garrison-duty at Fort Smith. It has marched on some expeditions, but has, I think, been in no engagement, since the Camden Campaign.

For the valuable services which I have briefly enumerated above, Colonel Edwards was made a brigadier-general; but the most honorable part of his record remains yet to give.

From the organization of the first volunteer troops, our army has been infested with thieves and robbers: indeed, this has been a crowning evil of the war. For officers of a low grade, quarter-masters have led the crowd; and it long since passed into a proverb that an honest quarter-master could not long retain his commission. But the most stupendous robberies have been practiced by officers of high rank, and holding important commands; for they would not soil their hands with hundreds, but with hundreds of thousands. In their operations, too, they were not limited to a few clerks, but had whole commands. I venture the assertion that, in the last four years, the Government has been defrauded of not less than one hundred millions of dollars.

For many months during General Steele's administration in Arkansas, Fort Smith was a den of thieves; and Steele, though not implicated himself, was removed because these abuses were not corrected. General Thayer, Steele's subordinate, was doubtless guilty; and yet, backed by Kansas politicians, who had snuffed the breezes of our Capital, he escaped disgraceful dismissal.

Let it be said to the credit of General Edwards that, though he served at Fort Smith from the time the place was first occupied by our troops, none ever breathed the least breath of suspicion against him. Indeed, it is said (and if true let it be recorded to the eternal infamy of those concerned) that, because he had complained of these abuses, his life was threatened, and he dared not, unaccompanied, appear in the streets after dark. At home, he was called "Honest John Edwards," and the sobriquet has been doubly earned.

General Edwards, in appearance and in character, is a good type of a Northern gentleman. He is unassuming in his manners, and brave and chivalrous without being boastful and pretending. He has not a commanding person, and with strangers would not pass for what he is worth. With one exception, the portrait here published is a correct likeness: the expression of his countenance is much kinder than the portrait represents. He has blue eyes, a light complexion, and a sanguine temperament, and is slightly stoop-shouldered. When he walks, he usually drops his head forward, and keeps his face turned to the ground. He is not a brilliant man, but he is able and honest.

SOURCE: Addison A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 343-50

Our Rebel Prisoners

It appears that since the 1st of January last, and without counting those captured at Pittsburg Landing, we have taken over twenty-one thousand prisoners from the rebels as follows:

Feb. 8 – Roanoke Island, 2,527
Feb. 13 – Springfield, Mo., 600
Feb. 16 – Fort Donelson, 13,300
March 8 – Pea Ridge Ark., 1,600
March 14 – Newbern, 200
April 7 – Island No. 10, 5,500
Other places, 954
Total, 21, 781

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 26, 1862, p. 2

The Battles Of Our Regiments

Every organized Regiment of Iowa Infantry has now participated in one or more of the great battles of the war. The First was at Springfield. The Second was at Donelson and Pittsburgh Landing. The Third was at Blue Mills and Pittsburgh Landing. The Fourth and Ninth were at Pea Ridge. The Fifth and Tenth were at the surrender of New Madrid and Island No. 10. The Sixth, Eighth, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and and [sic] Sixteenth at Pittsburgh Landing. The Seventh at Belmont, Donelson and Pittsburg. The Twelfth and Fourteenth at Donelson and Pittsburgh.

The Third Cavalry – at least a portion of it – was at Pea Ridge. Whether any Cavalry Regiment from this State was at Pittsburgh, we do not know.

– Published in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, April 18, 1862

Thomas F. Mardis

Co. C, 18th Iowa Infantry

He was born November 19, 1837 in Ohio, son of Thomas & Elizabeth (Kain) Mardis. In 1857 he migrated to Iowa where he resided in Washington County, two years later removed to Clarke County before finally settling in Madison County, Iowa in 1873 where he owned 172 acres of land. In 1870 the value of his combined real and personal estates was $2,100, and by 1900 he owned his house free and clear with no mortgage. He held offices of town trustee and school director. He was a brick manufacturer, mason and contractor and had been engaged in the brick business from his boyhood, and therefore thoroughly conversant with all its details.

A veteran of the Civil War, at age 24 he enlisted as a private in Co. C, 18th Iowa Infantry on July 14, 1862 and was mustered into national service on August 6, 1862. On December 14, 1862 he was promoted to 1st Sergeant and on January 8, 1863 was slightly wounded at Springfield, Missouri. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on July 1, 1865 and then he was mustered out on July 20, 1865.

On October 17, 1860 he married Huldah Ann Clark. She was born July 21, 1841 in Fulton County, Illinois. They had four children, all of whom were born in Iowa: John C., about 1862; Hattie R., about 1869; Freddie, about 1875 & Anna S. Mardis, born December, 1884.

Thomas F. Mardis died April 7, 1908 and his wife Huldah died December 19,1918 in Madison County. They are buried in Winterset Cemetery in Winterset, Madison Co., Iowa.

SOURCES: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System; Iowa Gravestone Photo Project; http://www.ancestry.com/; Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 3, p. 183; The History of Madison County, Iowa (1879); 1870 Federal Census, Green Bay Township, Clarke Co., IA; 1880 Federal Census, District 14, Winterset, Madison Co., IA; 1900 Federal Census, District 21, Center Township, Madison Co., IA

The Defense of Springfield, Missouri: Jan. 7-8, 1863

- From Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers during the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 3, p. 118-9

At Springfield, the Eighteenth Iowa constituted an important part of the garrison which numbered about 1,500 troops of all arms, and several pieces of field artillery. The defenses consisted of earthworks and detached forts, but the number of troops in garrison wereinsufficient to man the works at all points. Brigadier General Brown was in command of these troops, with Colonel Crabb of the Nineteenth Iowa in command of the Post. Lieutenant Colonel Cook was in command of the Eighteenth Iowa, five companies of the regiment being on out-post duty some distance from Springfield. The rebel General Marmaduke had, by a skillful and daring movement, eluded the vigilance of the Union Army, and by a series of rapid marches reached the vicinity of Springfield on the evening of January 7, 1863. On the forenoon of that day the scouts of General Brown had discovered the approaching force of the enemy, and the garrison therefore had warning of the impending attack and made every possible preparation to meet it. The Union men of the town armed themselves, offered their services for the defense, and afterwards fought bravely with the troops. Even the sick in hospital, who were able to leave their beds, took their guns and went to the front. On the morning of January 8th, the cavalry pickets of General Brown discovered the enemy's skirmish line and the preliminary fighting began some three miles from the entrenchments. In his history of the regiment, Colonel Hugh Campbell gives the following brief account of the engagement which ensued:

January 8, 1863, the rebel forces, thirty-five hundred strong, under Marmaduke, attacked Springfield, then held by the Eighteenth Iowa, and a few hundred militia. The regiment was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Cook. After a severe engagement, lasting the whole of the day, the enemy retreated, leaving one hundred and eighty killed and wounded. The Eighteenth Iowa suffered severely in the action, losing fifty enlisted men killed and wounded, and two commissioned officers killed—Captain William R. Blue, Company C, and Captain Joseph Van Metre, company H, who died of wounds received in the action—and two commissioned officers wounded, Captain Landis, Company D, and Lieutenant Conaway, Company C. The regiment behaved nobly, standing their ground against three times their number, and by their coolness and determination saving the town and its valuable stores on which the army of the Frontier, thence drawing its supplies, depended for its existence.... The regiment received a well merited compliment from Brigadier General Brown, commanding, for their bravery and gallantry in this action.2

3The official report of the part taken by the Eighteenth Iowa in the gallant defense of Springfield not being obtainable, the compiler has availed himself of the account given by Major Byers, in his "Iowa in War Times," and that of L. D. Ingersoll, in his "Iowa and the Rebellion," to supplement the statement of Colonel Campbell. The following is a part of the concluding portion of Major Byers' account:

By two o'clock, the rebels massed their forces several lines deep and made a determined effort on the Union right and center. It was then that Captain Landis, of the Eighteenth Iowa, with a piece of artillery, was pushed forward into an exposed and dangerous position at the right. Three companies of the Eighteenth Iowa, under Captains Van Metre, Blue and Stonaker, were sent along as supports. By a bold dash, with overwhelming numbers, the rebels succeeded in capturing the gun, but not till Captains Blue, Van Metre and Landis were wounded—the two former mortally. At their sides fell many of their brave comrades. At the same moment the rebels got possession of a strong stockaded building south of and near to the town, and from this vantage point poured a heavy fire into the Union line. In another hour Brown's forces were being heavily pressed, and the position seemed extremely critical. Then the "Quinine Brigade,"' led by Colonel Crabb, rushed to the front. They were real soldiers, if they were sick ones. In an hour's fighting they drove the enemy back on their left center, but an immediate and very nearly successful assault by the rebels followed at the right. Some of the militia were giving way. General Brown hurried to their front to reform them, but was shot from his horse in the endeavor. It was now four o'clock, and Colonel Crabb assumed the command. Again the battle was resumed at the center, and for another hour continued with varying results. Once more some of the militia faltered and for a time all seemed lost, when others, also militia, charged for the lost ground with a cheer. At the same time Lieutenant Colonel Cook, with the remaining companies of the Eighteenth Iowa who had. hurried from outpost duty to the scene, came up, and they, too, charged the rebel center with a shout and drove it rearwards. Darkness soon ended the contest, and that night the defeated rebel army withdrew.... This handful of brave men and the sturdy, heroic militia of Missouri had saved Springfield with its enormous stores, and it had saved a disaster to the Union Army. . . .

Ingersoll, who wrote a lengthy account of the engagement, giving the details with great particularity, confirms the statements of Major Byers heretofore quoted. Near the close of his account he says:

Meantime five companies of the Eighteenth Iowa, which had just reached the scene of action from an outpost at some distance from Springfield, came up in fine style, under Lieutenant Colonel Cook, and went into the fight on the center with such effect as to drive the rebels back into the stockade, and encourage the men who had been fighting for hours most wonderfully. Darkness was now coming on and the firing gradually ceased.... The enemy retired under cover of the night from his position south of town, and had taken position more than a mile to the eastward. Hither Colonel Crabb sent a cavalry force to engage them and retard their advance, but they declined battle, and soon retired in haste. They had lost in the battle more than two hundred in killed and wounded. Our loss was about the same. There were but five companies—A, C, F, G and H—of the Eighteenth Iowa taking part in the contest until near its close, when the other five came up and turned the tide of battle in our favor, as has been related. The number of the regiment engaged was less than five hundred, of whom fifty-six were killed or wounded.
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2Adjutant General of Iowa's Report, 1866, page 277.

3The compiler has made diligent search of the archives for the Official report of Lieutenant Colonel Cook, but has failed to discover it, or any Official report of the subsequent engagements in which the Eighteenth Iowa participated. He has, therefore, been compelled to rely upon the history above referred to, and such other information (deemed reliable) as he has been able to obtain.

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18th Iowa Infantry

Letter from Captian Duncan to Mrs. Duncan