Diary of Salmon P. Chase: Sunday, September 28, 1862

At Dr. Payne's in morning — sermon excellent. Home in afternoon. In the evening went to War Department about expedition to Charleston; my idea being to have New York regiments sent to Louisville, and Mitchell's and Garfield's brigades withdrawn thence and sent to Port Royal with Garfield when an immediate attack should be made on Charleston which would be sure to fall. Did not find Stanton at Department. Went to Halleck's and found him there. Had some general talk. Was informed by Halleck that the enemy was moving to Martinsburgh. “How many?” —  “150.000” — “How many has McClellan?” — “About 100.000.” “Where Pennsylvania troops, said to have joined him though raised only for emergency?” “All gone back.” — Had talk about draft. He showed me a letter to Gamble, insisting that all officers of drafted militia above Regimental should be appointed by the President. I expressed the opinion that the principal of drafting Militia was erroneous — that the law should have provided for drafting from the people an army of the United States. He agreed. — I asked him his opinion of McClernand. He said he is brave and able but no disciplinarian; that his camp was always full of disorder; that at Corinth he pitched his tents where his men had been buried just below ground, and with dead horses lying all around. The cause of the evil was that his officers and men were his constituents.

Leaving Halleck, Stanton and I rode together to Columbia College and back to his house. I stated my wish concerning the two brigades and Charleston. He said nothing could be done. The New York Regiments must go to McClellan, who absorbs and is likely to absorb everything and do nothing. At Stanton's, saw for the first time Genl. Harney, who mentioned several circumstances to show Frank Blair's misconduct in Missouri matters. He said it was not necessary to fire a gun to keep Missouri in the Union. I thought him certainly mistaken.

SOURCE: Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1902, Vol. 2, p. 97-8

Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood to Capt. Grenville M. Dodge, May 25, 1861

Executive Chamber,

Des Moines, Iowa, May 25, 1861.

Capt. G. M. Dodge:

Dear Sir — I hereby confide to you a communication to Major-Gen. Harney, at St. Louis, desiring from him, or, through him, from the Secretary of War, 3,000 stand of arms from the command at Fort Kearney, Neb. Should it be deemed proper by you, when at St. Louis, upon conference with Gen. Harney, to go to Washington City in order the more readily to obtain these arms, I desire you to go there at once. When the order is obtained you will report to me immediately for further instructions.

Respectfully,

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD,

Governor of Iowa.

SOURCE: Henry Warren Lathrop, The Life and Times of Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa's War Governor, p. 281

Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood to Edwin M. Stanton, September 8, 1862 – 12:30 p.m.

DES MOINES, September 8, 1862 – 12.30 p.m.

Hon. E. M. STANTON:

I have reliable information that Yankton Indians on our western border, north of the Missouri River, have joined with the hostile Indians in Minnesota, and threaten our whole northwestern frontier. The settlers are flying by hundreds. I have ordered out 500 mounted men. We lack arms and equipments, and must have them. I beg you will order General Harney to Sioux City to take command and put down this outbreak. There is a regiment of infantry at this place armed and equipped for United States service, except tents. They had better be sent to the border to operate there under Harney, but must have tents. The danger is imminent, and nothing but prompt action can stop the terrible massacre. General Harney is just the man we need for this service. Another regiment of infantry is organizing at Council Bluffs. This regiment could be mounted and armed at once; it would be better than to send the infantry. Something must be done at once.

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD,

Governor.

SOURCES: Henry Warren Lathrop, The Life and Times of Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa's War Governor, p. 172-3; The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 13 (Serial No. 19), p. 620

Col. Thomas W. Sweeny

The gallant Col. Thomas W. Sweeny, who, from the news just received, has again been wounded at the recent great battle at Pittsburg in the defence [sic] of his country’s flag and in the maintenance of its laws, was born in Ireland, and came to this country with his parents when about ten years of age. On the passage across the Atlantic he was washed overboard, but in the providence of God was saved. At an early aged he went to Patterson, N. J., where he was apprenticed to the printing business. He afterward came to this city, and was engaged as a compositor till the war with Mexico was declared. He was among the first to volunteer in the service of his adopted country in the capacity of Second Lieutenant. He was at the storming of Vera Cruz, and was twice wounded in the battle at the taking of the City of Mexico, losing his right arm. On Col. Sweeny’s return to this city he received the commission of Second Lieutenant, 2nd Regiment U. S. Infantry, and was soon ordered to California, where he performed many arduous duties, from which he never faltered; among the first of which was the taking a detachment of recruits in a state of disorganization across the desert, from San Diego to the interior, without losing a man. He was afterwards assigned to Fort Yumah, on the Colorado, with a command of ten men; and shut off for ten months from all communications with the settlements, and surrounded by a large band of hostile Indians, but for this watchfulness and indefatigable intrepidity would have been massacred before being relieved. From California he, with a portion of his regiment, was ordered to Fort Pierre, in Northern Nebraska, where he served as Aid to Gen. Harney; and when arduous duty was required he was always at his post. At the commencement of the rebellion Col. Sweeny was on the recruiting service, but was ordered to Newport Barracks, and soon afterward to the command of St. Louis Arsenal. This was previous to the time when Gen. Lyon took the command. He was second in command at the surrender of the notorious rebel Claib. Jackson, when Gen. Lyon being disabled by a kick from his horse, the negotiations were conducted by Col. Sweeny. He was afterward appointed Brigadier General of the Three months Missouri volunteers. Previous to the battle of Wilson’s Creek, when it was decided not to attack the Rebel General Price, Gen. Sweeny was so impressed that a retreat would be worse than a defeat, that he prevailed on Gen. Lyon to make the attack. In that battle he was again wounded and still carries the ball in his leg. At the close of the battle, when Gen. Sturgis assumed command, Gen. Sweeny was urgent in following up the retreating rebels, believing that had it been done, they would have been compelled to surrender. Gen. Sweeny is as noble and generous as he is gentlemanly and brave. Devoted entirely to his adopted country, when the rebellion broke out he expressed himself in a letter to a friend: “I will, through flood and flame, sacrifice, if necessary, any remaining limb in defence of my country’s flag.” Such merit as his is not likely to be overlooked by the Government. – {Tribune.

– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Tuesday, April 15, 1862