USA > Iowa > Johnson County > Iowa City > A succinct history of the 28th Iowa Volunteer Infantry : From date of muster into service, October 10th, 1862, at Iowa City, Iowa, to its final muster out, August 13th, 1865, at Davenport, Iowa > Part 1
USA > Iowa > Scott County > Davenport > A succinct history of the 28th Iowa Volunteer Infantry : From date of muster into service, October 10th, 1862, at Iowa City, Iowa, to its final muster out, August 13th, 1865, at Davenport, Iowa > Part 1
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M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01479 4322
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
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A SUCCINCT HISTORY
OF THE
28th lowa Volunteer
Infantry.
From Date of Muster Into Service, October 10th, 1862, at lowa City, lowa, to its Final Muster Out, August 13th, 1865, at Davenport, lowa.
BY E. E. BLAKE, Private, Co. C.
Covering Every March, Skirmish and Battle Throughout the Sieges of Vicksburg, Jackson, Teche and Red River Expeditions, The She- nandoah Valley Campaign, 1864, and the trip to Savannah, New Berne and Augusta.
1896. Belle Plaine, lowa, UNION PRESS,
watholeV wwol di8S
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1987744
To The Mothers, Wives, Children and Descendants of the Regiment, this book is Respectfully Dedicated by E. E. Blake, Private Company G.
COPYRIGHTED.
STA FB HISTORICAL SOCIETY -OF IOWA
PREFACE ....
It was my good fortune to be born July 17th, 1842, and attain to manhood's estate in time to enter the service and become a member of the gallant 28th Iowa, in the war of the rebellion. It was also my good fortune to follow the regiment through all of its marches, skirmishes, and battles without contracting disease, being seriously wounded, or killed in battle. When I entered the ser- vice I was just at the age when the mind is most easily impressed with sights and scenes that come under personal observation and being blessed with a retentive memory, the incidents connected with soldier life is as vivid today as they were in the days of the war. I have always hoped some one capable of writing a history of our service, would take up the task and give us a complete history in book form of our travels and conflicts during our three years service; I had no thought that I should ever do so and that I did is as great a surprise to myself as it will be to my comrades. It was an accident and was brought about by the editor of the UNION, Fred W. Browne, requesting a personal reminiscence of the war for publication for the purpose of interesting the people at Belle Plaine, Ia., in the re-union of the regiment July 3d and 4th, 1896. I began the story with our entry into the service in Aug. 1862. I began "fighting them over again" and sights and
scenes began crowding upon me and I contin- ued the story (aided in data by Chaplain Simmon's history of the regiment) and the result is a simple narrative of the regiment's travels, skirmishes, battles and hardships which being put in book form I shall call a history. It is not all I could desire, yet is the best I could do in the time I have devoted to the work, that it is wanting in style
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Boys who counted the cost before enlisting and knew their chances to fall in battle, die of disease, or starve in prison pen were great, but who loved their country and their country's flag well enough to face the hardships of the march, the hell of battle, the horror of the prison cell and the deadly miasma among the swamps and lagoons of the south, (and go bravely forthi).
It is of the lives and services of the men of this Regi- ment we wish to write, which will in some measure repre- sent the lives and services of the 2,859,253 soldiers who went out to battle during the war on the Union side. After a camp life of two months occupied in drilling the different Company and Regimental drills, getting our schooling in the manual of arms, we were ordered south.
On Nov. 2nd, 1862 goodbye's were said to the many friends gathered to bid us God speed and we boarded cars for Davenport. Went into camp at Camp. Herron, remain- ing one week waiting transportation, then took passage on the Steamer Hawkeye for the south, reaching Helena Ark, on the 20th of Nov., and were assigned to the 1st Brig, 2nd Div. East Ark, and went into camp on the bank of the river above the town. Seven days afterward 300 of the Regiment were ordered on an expedition to Oakland, Miss., under command of Brig Gen. Hovey, for the pur- pose of making a diverson in favor of or reinforcing Gen. Grant then following the rebel Gen. Price south from Holly Springs, Miss.
This was our first march and one long to be remembered. We were "Tender feet" then and like others before and many since, tried to carry all our possessions and pick up additional articles by the way, but a few miles travel through mud and rain carrying an over loaded knapsack. 100 rounds of amunition, gun and accoutrements and 10 days rations, soon convinced us the less we carried the better we could march and the longer we would last, and e'er many hours passed, knapsacks were emptied or aban- doned. All superfluous articles cast away and the march continued.
Twenty miles a day through mud and rain with dry crackers and swamp water, was a change from the peace- ful home and biscuit and butter for breakfast, we had left so recently, yet there was no complaining. We had
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come for war and hardships and expected it. Our trip was without incident until we reached Cold Water river crossing, where the John's had a guard stationed. They had no knowledge of our near approach and were enjoy- ing themselves, one was playing a violin, others dancing, some were up in the branches of the trees, when the ad- vance guided by a faithful black pushed the nose of a 6 pounder through the brush and just as one fellow said "well about this time tomorrow night we may expect the cussed Yanks." A 6 pound ball went crashing into a tree in their midst, and there was a rushing for safety. Our cavalry plunged into the river swam their horses across, and gave chase, captured quite a number of long haired fellows, who could cuss a yank with as much satisfaction as we could skin a shoat or pick a rooster captured on the march. It was here one of the boys in Company "B" whose feet had become sore from the. constant marching (having made 30 miles that day) concluded a good soaking in hot water would release them from pain. He waited un- til the rest had turned in then procured the Company mess kettle and heating some water, proceeded to soap, soak and wash his dirty feet, afterwards washing out his dirty socks in the seme soapy water. Now if he had emptied out the water and washed out the kettle, probably it may have been all right, but this he failed to do, and having stayed up later than the rest was not up with them in the morning to prevent what happened afterwards. His comrades waking earlier than he, seeing the camp kettle half full of water, built up their fire, put on the kettle put in their coffee and prepared the morn- ing meal. After the coffee was ready, they sat down on the ground, as was the custom, dipped in their cups and began to drink. The first one to take a sup began to spit and sputter and cuss, wanting to know what in thunder they had put in to give such a skunky flavor to the coffee. Another followed adding his sulphurous remarks to the first, the third victim said the swamp water was worse than usual and by the time they all had a taste it was de- cided something must have died in the kettle the night before and the contents thereof was turned out to enrich the soil along the banks of the Cold water. After the
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victims had learned the cause of the rotten smell of their morning beverage, there was some silent and very forcible language indulged in not very complimentary to the poor fellow who had thoughtlessly increased the strength of their morning drink. After the circumstances had become known, the victims got many a jibe from the boys as they passed along. However they got their stom- achs settled before the day passed and everything was serene-but not forgotten.
Dec. 3rd the advance were charged on by some Rebel cavalry near Oakland and before they could get into a defensive position, the rebs captured one of our 6 pound guns, pulled General Washburn off his horse and very nearly carried him off, before they were repulsed. We were 4 miles in the rear, and were ordered up ou double quick, but too late for service. That night we slept in a church in Oakland. After we had taken possession of the church, some women came and told us it had been used for a small-pox hospital and we would all get the dreadful malady if we remained in it, thinking to scare us out, but the story did not work. We told them we had had it two or three times already and liked it, and they departed.
That night our Cavalry and the confederates were skirmishing all night, but five miles away, and from a prisoner captured, we learned Gen. Price was near at, hand. That Grant had abandoned his expedition south and feeling assured, 600 Infantry and a Brigade of Cavalry was not a sufficient force to oppose Price's 15,000 men, we, by quick quiet marches sought safety on the other side of Cold Water river, where other troops were en- camped.
The colored people had heard "De Linkum Sojer had done aribed," and thousands came flocking in to this point, seeking freedom from slavery's chains. They held jollification meetings, preached, sang, prayed and shout- ed, because "De Year Ob Jubilee had come, and De Lin- kum Sojer too." Poor follows they had suffered long and patiently who could blame then.
We lost one man on this expedition private Wm. Hall of Co. C, shot by a guerilla, the first blood shed by the regiment for country and home,
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This was our first war experience and a rough one. Only the beginning of what proved to be almost a daily occur- rance for two and a half years to follow. It was on this trip that Fred Shaffer says he was out foraging and found a corn crib full of pop corn, he got off his "mewl" and tied him to the fence and set the corn on fire, and it went to popping and flying about, until the ground for rods was covered just like snow and Fred declares the "mewl" thought it was snow, and was shivering when he went to mount. and actualy froze to death, compelling Fred to walk back to camp. Some way I have always doubted this story of Fred's.
Returning to Helena we went into camp, took up our share of the picket duty around over the backbone ridges around the town. Occasionally drilling by companies regi- ments and brigades until January 11th, 1863, when we started on an expedition up White River Ark. Command- ed by Gen. Gorman. The journey was by boat, the ex- perience varied and exciting.
The White Rivor is a narrow crooked stream, and at the time the expedition was under way, was swollen by the heavy rains until it overflowed its banks on the north side, and boats trying to make the turn of the numerous bends, would often leave the channel and go crashing out into the timber and under brush, until stopped by coming in contact with a tree sometimes they would run between two trees and become wedged so tight it would require another boat to pull them out, as a result of those over- land trips nearly all the boats had their smoke-stacks knocked off and were otherwise damaged.
Occasionally a bending branch would come sweeping back along the side of a boat and catch some unlucky soldier and pitch him into the cold witer, to be fished out and put away under the boilers to dry. However on the 14th, we arrived at St. Charles, expecting to find oppo- sition here, our regiment was unloaded with others, but the Confederates had left the town and we took posses- sion of the vacated houses and proceeded to make ourselves comfortable as we could. It was here some of the 29th Wisconsin boys, in order to supply themselves with fresh meat, caught and killed an ancient William Goat. I have
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always wished they had taken him over into some other state to skin him, there was no staying in that town after they began ripping him up the belly. An Irishmen said, "Be the powers of Moll Kelly the smell of a skoonk is not a patchin to the smell of the critter."
At 10 o'clock, contrary to expectations, we were ordered aboard the boats again, it was raining aud snowing, the mud in the streets was anywhere from four to twelve in- ches deep, the night pitch dark until a thoughtful lover of light and warmth set a building on fire, then another, until our way was made plain and we marched onto the boats. There were several large ware houses standing along the landing. Our fleet of boats was tied up with their bows wedged in along the shore, tires were down and no steam up. Among the rest was the "Imperial" a large lower river steamer loaded with ordinance stores, Some one not satisfied with the fire already kindled in the town set these ware houses on fire and soon the whole wharf was a roaring seething mass of flames and our boats all endangered, in fact the whole command was in great dau- ger, for had our boats taken fire crowded as they were with troops, hundreds would have perished. It was only by the most heroic effort of the troops a general conflagra- tion was averted. The "Imperial" was smoking hot, had it took fire the exploding shells and immeuse amount of amunition would have been disastrous. However by cut- ting the hawsers and letting our boats drift out into the stream and the free use of water, we escaped what for sometime looked like a terrible disaster. Our Gunboats having steam up came to our assistance piloting the trans- ports to places of safety down the river. There were some narrow escapes from drowning, quite a number of the boys thinking to jump from one boat to another as they were drifting, not being able to calculate the dis. tance went down into the cold dark water with a splash and a yelp for a rope. All were rescued and sent to a warm place by the boilers.
Next day we proceeded on our way up the river through a heavy snow storm and in due time arrived at Duvall's Bluffs, where we captured two heavy siege guns and a few prisoners. Sherman having captured Arkansas post
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we returned to Helena again. arriving on the 23d of . Jan. at 9o'clock at night. Marched up to our old camp ground through mud, rain and cold to find every vestige of the comfortable quarters we had left on our departure, gone.
This expedition so barren in its results, cost the lives of many of our brave boys, constant exposure to rain and biting cold cramped up in our crowded condition on the decks of steamers with poor rations and adulterated coffee brought on disease to hundreds and ultimate death to many. Poor fellows. It is a sad sight to see hundreds sicken and die under circumstances like these but it was a part of our lot. From this time until April 11th, 1863, we passed the time doing picket-duty around the town often made exciting by frequent raids on the line by guerrillas. Wrestling with mumps, measels, smallpox and graybacks, and burying our comrades, who were daily pass- ing away in Camp and Hospital.
These were the dark days of the rebellion. Our armies were being defeated in all the important engagements in the east, dissatisfaction because of the prosecution of the war was wide spread among the copper-head element of the Democrat party in the north; disloyal fathers were writing loyal sons in the army to desert the old flag and go and assist the south. Disease and death was thinning our already depleted ranks, and a gloom thicker than the fog on the stagnant pools in the swamps of the south seemed to hang over us, yet none faltered, through all the gloom they kept their eyes on the stars and strips. "Old glory still waved." There was one thing that always brought relief to the members of the regiment while stationed at this god forsaken and never to be forgotten place. That was the picket duty. It was a relief to get away from the camp and hospital, the constant beat of the muffled drums and dead march, constant reminders that despite all our efforts to prevent, our ranks were daily being thinned by the many diseases prevalent in and about this fever breeding, pestilential hole. Our picket lines circled the town like a half moon, about a half mile distant from the corporate limits. Most if not all. the lines ran through the heavily wooded hills and hollows. These hills were high and steep with a narrow ridge, the hollows were nar-
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row with barely room for a wagon road along the margin of the stream passing through theni.
The woods were alive with hawks, owls, birds of many speices, cron, chip munks, gray squirrels and other small animals were plenty, so that night or day, we always had something to draw our minds away from the sufferings of camp life, besides, the ever watchful guerrilla was always prowling around to get a whack at some luckless yank they might catch off his guard. They used every artifice to get near enough to our picket posts to kill and then get away. One night we heard a cow bell donging along down the side of the hill toward our post in the hollow, and at first we supposed it was a cow belonging to a man by the name of Underwood, who lived out side the lines and claimed to be loyal, cropping the grass along the slope but when two loads of buck shot came swishing in among us and the rattle of the bell ceased, we began to understand the situation, that it was Underwood instead of his cow.
After that little experience it became dangerous for any one or anything to approach our lines unless we were first apprised of their coming. A week or so afterwards a run away slave approached the lines one dark night, The boys heard him coming down the hillside throug'e the underbrush and supposing it to be a reb, sent a ball into the brush aiming by the sound. When that old musket went off there was a yell that waked the echoes for a mile around and he started along the line yelling, Hol' on dar massa Linkum Sojer I is, a nigger I is. Doan shoot. Doan shoot, I done comin in I is, . "whoop" hol' on dar 'delmity massa hol' on, doan kill a po nigger dat done runned away from slabery." All this time the boys along the line were firing off their guns over his head into the hill. Finally he reached one of the videtts, who command- ed him to halt. Well he was a scared nigger if ever there was one, but he found freedom.
At another time one of the boys heard a thump, thump, thump, coming down the hollow towards him and thought sure a Johnny was approaching he lay quiet behind a stump 'until he could see the black object, was near enough to shoot when he sang out, Halt, Halt or I fire, and the old cow lifted up her head and said "baugh," then we had the laugh on the vidette.
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We had strict orders not to allow any one to pass the lines carrying anything contraband outside. Quinine, gun caps and late files of northern newspapers, especially.
There was a very bright and winsome country girl whose smile was sweet and winning, that frequently came into the lines, riding a bay horse. She always had a pass in and out but in passing out was subject to a search for pro- hibited articles. One day she passed in when some of the regiment were on duty on the road over which she passed when she approached on her return, she was stopped by the guard and politely requested to dismount. Why, she said turning her beautiful eyes full on him while her lit- tle rosebud mouth put on its most fetching smile, surely you would not ask a lady to dismount here and put her to so much inconvenience would you. You ought to be more gallant than that surely? Well madam, we have our orders and must obey them said he. So the dear little thing was lifted down which changed her sweet smiles to an ugly frown. Her side saddle was taken off and exami- ned, quinine and gun caps were found stowed away in the seat but no newspapers. After this was done the guard approached the now defiant girl and asked her if she had any newspapers and was answered in the negative. He then told her it became his duty to gently press her sien- der waist and heaving bosom to see that she did not have a copy somewhere about her beautiful form, and with blusnes the poor fellow performed the delicate duty find- ing quite a number of files of papers tucked in under her buddice next her alabaster skin. How the poor trembling yank got them out, will never appear in history unless she writes it. Relieved of the contraband goods she was as- sisted to mount and returned to Helena, but that sweet smile had vanished.
But with all our duties to draw our minds away from our condition the sadness of the situation could not be entirely eliminated from the thoughts or presence of the boys. Matters were discussed around the camp fire, on the picket line in the silent watches of the night, and as we sat by the side of our sick and dying comrades. And the conclusion reached by all was that no matter what happened we were there to stay until victory was ours or
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our bodies found resting places under a southern sun. Our daily prayer was that we might be sent into active service where we could help to achieve victories and bear the old flag forward.
It came April 11th, not a rumor but orders to go south. Never will I forget the cheers that went up when the order was read to regiment after regiment. Happy boys, they wanted war, active war and they got it.
On this date we were changed to the 2nd Brigade con- sisting of the 28th and 24th Iowa, 56th Ohio and 47th Indiana, Col. Slack of the 47th commanding, in twelfth Division, Gen. A. P. Hovey, commanding, thirteenth army corps, Gen. John A. McClernand commanding, We boarded transports and proceeded to Milliken's Bend, La. where we landed and took up the march for Hard Times landing sixty miles below, and below the Vicksburg batteries, where we became a part of the army under Grant. Our gun boats and a few transports having run by the batteries we took passage on them for Grand Gulf a strong hold of the confederates, at the mouth of the Big Black River, a bold bluff bristling with bayonets and terraced with cannon. It was Grant's intention to land troops and charge this strong hold under cover of the gunboats pro- viding the rebel batteries could be silenced, but as they could not be, plans were changed and we took up the line of march past this strong hold, our gunboats and trans- ports running by them, we again embarked and landed on the Mississippi side of the river 15 miles below, drew three days rations and just at sun down started for Port Gibson, a distance of 20 miles. All night long with but occasional halts, we trudged along over the hills and through the deep ravines of that broken country.
At about one o'clock a. m we heard the muffled boom, boom, of a cannon in our front and again boom, boom. Our advance had found the rebels posted on a hill near Magnolia church, five miles from Port Gibson and ex- changed a few shots from 10 pound guns, waking up the echoes, that came reverberating over the hills to us as we advanced. Then the question? What was that? Did you hear that, boys? That was acannon, or say, boys we have been "spileing" for a fight, we'll find it today, and so
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we did. We arrived at the foot of Thompson Hill at & a. m., tired and hungry. Gen. Hovey rode up and said. "'get a hasty breakfast boys, we must go into battle in a half hour, I want you fellows to remember your state to- day. and each man do his duty, be careful to obey every order of your commander quickly."
We got coffee boiled and had begun cooling and drinking it, when the artillery opened the ball and we were order- ed into line and up the hill to our position. When we ar- rived at the crest of the hill we were ordered over a fence into a road to take position in line facing a rebel battery planted just across a ravine, then engaged in a duel with one of our batteries to the left of us. When the gunners saw us, they turned loose on us with grape and cannister, the road being depressed they did but little damage. We occupied this position for about an hour, when Com- panies B, G and K were sent toassist the 34 Indiana in taking this battery, this was done by sending these com- panies to the left over fence and hill in plain sight and but a short distance in front of the battery, then paying their respects to the boys on our right. When in position the charge was ordered, and down through a deep ravine through a black briar patch and up the hill into the bat- tery. we went with a cheer and the guns together with 300 prisoners were ours, their line broken and forced back.
It was with a keen satisfaction we watched their brok- en lines as they went scurrying over the hills and away while we set up a cheer for the old flag and victory. We append here the report of Col. Connell from this point in the battle, who says: "After this I reformed my command and was ordered to the extreme left (by Gen. McClennard) which was vigorously attacked by the enemy; upon arriving at this point I found the enemy had massed a large forec to turn our left flank, among which were two Missouri regiments, who were placed directly in our front. I forni- ed my command so as to meet them and after a contest of nearly two hours the enemy fell back and we succeeded in planting the 8th Michigan battery on the knoll, we held against the emeny, which battery played with telling effect on their lines. At + o'clock they again appeared in force still attempting to turn our flank, but after a brisk
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