USA > Iowa > Jackson County > Annals of Jackson county, Iowa, Vol 1-2 > Part 7
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April 9, 1863, he embarked his regi- ment on board steamer under orders to join forces operating near Vicksburgh, Mississippi.
He reported to Gen Grant at Dark- port, La , April 14, and was at once as- signed to command of 30 brizade comu- prosed of the 8th, 12th and 35th Iowa Inf., 34 division, 15th army corps. Heavy details were made from the bri- gade daily for guard and also for work upon the canal.
May 1st, Col. Mathias of the 5th lows was assigned to command and Col. Woods returned to command his peri- ment and May 2. 1563, left Dock pont.
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La., with his regimeut and marched via Richmond, La., to Grand Gulf, thence to Jackson, Wiss., where the 12th Iowa was engaged on the 14th in the battle of Jackson, Miss., ou extreme r ght of the line Cos. B and C on the skirmish line were among the first troops inside the Rebel works and took possession of a Rebel camp with all its equippage com- plete and dinner ready to be eaten.
The regiment remained in Jackson one and one-half days, employed first day in destroying railroad running north and the forenoon of the 16th in destroy - ing Rebel camps and other property. At 12 o'clock orders were received to rein- force the other corps of the army near Champion Hill as speedily as possible.
Leaving Jackson the regiment marched with scarcely a halt to near Champion Hill where they arrived about two o'clock on the morning of the 17th and after a rest of two or three hours marched north to a position on extreme right of Grant's line and at night crossed Black river at Bridgeport. On the 18th the 15th corps with 1st div- ision in advance took the road to Wal- nut Hills, pressing this corps between the Rebels in Vicksburgh and those at Yazoo river until the head of the col- umn reached the Mississippi above Vicksburgh and the left rested on Jack- son road. On the 19th the 3d brigade was sent to Yazoo river and took pos- session of the forts then and opened communication with our fleet and after dismanteliny the fort, the brigade re- turned to position in line in resting Vicksburgh and participated as reserve in the assaults mad- upon the works on the 19th and 22nd of May.
About June 1, Col. Woods was again assigned to command of brigade, which had gained an advance position in the line of approaches, and furnished daily heavy details for guard and for work in the trenches. Nearly every night the whole brigade was called into line by some alarm on the picket post.
June 22, the brigade was relieved
from its place in front line and with the remainder of the 15th corps sent to Black river to guard rear from au attack by Johnson, very heary guard aud patrol duty was kept up then until July 4th. Vicksburgh surrendered and Sherman moved immediately upon Johuson forc- ing a crossing of Black river the same day and pushing Johnson back until he reached Jackson, Miss., which had been again strongly fortified. Sherman in. . vested the place July 10, and com- menced a regular siege.
On July 15, Gen. Turtle reported sick and Col. Woods was assigned to com- mand of division and next day moved his division to the right and relieved Gen. Osterhans' division from its place on the advance! line.
On the 17th the Rebels evacuated Jackson and burned the bridge over Pearl river, planting torpedoes iu the approaches to the bridge and ferry. On the 19th the 3d brigade, 3d division, 15th corps with some other troops, including cavalry and artillery, pursued the ene- my to Brandon, Miss., driving the eve- my through the town and capturing considerable Rebel property stored in the railroad depot and warehouses which were all destroyed and the next day the troops returned to Jackson, and a few days thereafter evacuated Jackson and fell back behind Black river and went into camp July 25, 1863. Col. Woods commanded the division until sometime in October, when General Asboth was assigned to the command and Colonel Woods returned to the command of the brigade.
Nov. 7, the division embarked for Memphis, Tenn , and the Sd brigad- was assigned to duty guarding the rail- road from LaGrange to Corinth, cach regiment at a different post Frequent skirmishes were had with the enemy and one severe engagement lasting near- ly all day, brought on by the enemy in force attempting to destroy the railroad.
The 12th lowa, stationed at Chewalla, re-enlisted Dec. 20, 1553. Jan. 20, 1861,
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brigade was ordered to Vicksburgh and were on duty at Black river one month while Sherman's expedition was out to Meridian, Mississippi.
Upon the return of said expeditiou the now veterans of the brigade were seut ou an expedition u , the Red river, the veterans ordered home on furlough. Reaching Davenport March 22, they were furloughed 80 days at expiration of which time they returned to Daven- port and embarked at once for Memphis where they arrived May 2nd and were assigned as 3d brigade, Col. Woods com- manding. 1st division, Gen. J. A. Mow- er commanding, 16th army corps, Gen. A. J. Smith commanding During the summer this command made two expe- ditions into the interior and July 13, 14 and 15, fought the battle of Tupelo, Mississippi, the 3d brigade doing most of the fighting and with their comman . der received great credit for their effi- cient service.
Sept. 1, the division embarked on steamer from Memphis and proceeded to Duoall's Bluffs, Ark., and marched thence north in pursuit of Price, who had crossed the Arkansas river and started on a trip through Missouri.
The command marched to Cape Girar- dean, Mo., 336 miles in 17 days, from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis in a steam- boat where they arrived Oct. 8, 1864. Gen. Mower was transferred to Gen. Sherman's command at Atlanta, and Col. Woods assigned to command of division and proceeded on steamer to Jefferson City, Mo., arriving Oct. 17, and marched in pursuit of Price to Kan- sas City, thence south to Harrisonville, Mo., keeping within sound of his guns but not succeeding in bringing him to battle. His command having been com- pletely broken up the infantry was or- dered back to St Louis, Oct. 30, march- ing via Sedalia and Jefferson City.
At Sedalia, Mo., the troops were met by Gen. McArthur, who had been as. signed to command of division, and Col. Woods returned to command of brigade
.and through storms of snow and rain and fording streams filled with floating ice marched his command back to St. Louis where they arrived Nov. 13, bis brigade having marched within the last 30 days 543 miles-within last 60 days $79 miles, and since June 16, 1409 miles.
At St. Louis, having served more than his full term of enlistment, Col. Woods mustered out of service. He had filled with credit many important positions while in the service, acceptably and with honor to himself and to the service.
Col. Woods had a slender stooping form, brown hair, light complexion and mild blue eyes. He was in appearance and id fact the most unassuming of military men. He spoke slowly and kindly and was accustomed to give his commands with great coolness and do- liberation, never under the hottest fire varying in the least the modulation or deliberation of his orders. His."Fall in 12th Iowa" on the 6th of April 1862, or at time of a night alarm during the seige of Vicksburgh was heard by his men above every other sound and always in the same tone as when on parade or review.
He had none of the style or auster manners of the regular army officers and while very familiar and easy of an- proach by his subordinates, was a good disciplinarian and the men soon learned that he possessed great worth as a com- manding officer and while personally of the bravest and willing to lead his regi- inent to the severest contest, yet devoid of all rashness that would sacrifice his men withont good reason.
His service richly merrited recogni- tion at Washington that he never re- ceived, but with him modesty blocked the wheels of promotion, aud I doubt not it would be impossible to find aus of his superior officers who will say that Col. Wools ever sought promotion at their hutis in any way but by a faith. ful and catuest discharge of his duties in what ever command he was placed. His muster out was dooply regretted by
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all his old comrades and especially by . the men whom he hel so oftea led and who had learned to appreciate . the quiet but brave and generous Cal. Woods
Upon his return home he removed from the farm to Maquokera, where in company with W. F. McCarron. he pur chased the "Maquoketa Excelsior." of which he became the editor
In the fall of 1867 he sold his interest in said paper and moved upon his farm in Clinton county, Iowa, but the next year returned to Magnoketa, and Mc- Carron having failed to make payments on the paper and bring inyolved in oth- er losses where Woods was his security and had to pay the loss, Woods again took control of the paper and published it until May 1869, when he removed to Kansas.
In 1871 he was ou a board of visitors at West Point, appointed by Gen. Grant, and the same fall was one of three com- missioners appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to appraise the Cherokee mutual lands in Indian Territory, west of the 96th meridian, and was also ap- pointed the same fall Receiver of Ham- boldt land district, but declined the ap- pointment.
The same fall he was elected to the Kansas legislature, which convened in January 1872 In March he was ap- pointed one of the regents of the State University. He was a member of the Kansas legislatore in 1875, and chair- man of the Committee of Ways and Means.
NOTES BY HARVEY REID.
A very appreciative tribute to the character of Col. Woods from one who served in his regiment comes in a recent letter from John S. Ray, of Napenec, Nebraska. Mr. Ray says: Col. Woods was a grand man, and had he entered into the scramble for promotion, as was the rule, he might have been a Major- General. In fact he was better fitted to command a division or corps, than a
COLONEL J. J. WOODS.
regiment. His . forte was not as a dress parade officer. He had no more style than Gen Grant, and was not much of a mixer with either officers or men, al- though he was respected by both. He was no respecter of rank, as between men. A private with a grievance was given as much consideration as an offi. cer. He was as gentle as a woman, but his bravery was never questioned.
(A) As a matter of enduring interest I give a list of West Point cadets who attended that institution during the years when Col. Woods was there, and who attained rank and reputation dur- ing the Civil war. This will include all the classes from the one graduating iu 1844, Col. Woods first year in the Aca- demy, to the one graduation in 1850, which entered in 1847, the year in which he graduated. This does not mean that he became personally acquainted with all these officers, but that he would have seen them, and become more or less fa- iliar with their personalities and char- acteristics. I will arrange thom accord- ing to their order of merit in their re- spective classes, but will separate those which served in the Union army from those who cast their lots with the Con- federales.
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To begin with Col. Woods own class, the
CLASS OF 18447.
Joseph J. Woods, who entered from Ohio, July 1, 1843, at the age of 20 years. 5 months, graduated No. 3, being one of the five most distinguished cadets, whose names are marked with a star(*) con- formably to a regulation for the govern- ment of the Military Academy, which requires that that many be reported at each annual examination to be attached to the next Army Register. Cadet Woods also served during the last year ou the Academic Staff as Acting Pro- fessor of Ethics. Ilis marks on final ex- aminations in his respective studies were as follows: Engineering, 2; Eth - ics, 3; Artillery, 5; Infantry Tactics, 5; Mineralogy and Geology, 8. During previous years he attained rank in the other studies of the course as follows: Philosophy, 3; Chemistry, 9; Drawing, 23; Mathematics, 4; French, 8; English, Grammar, etc., 9. In his third year he stood sixth in his class; second year fifth (an honor man again) ; and in his first year sixth.
There is also kept, at the Academy a conduct Roll in which the whole body of cadets (without regard to class) is graded according to "demerits" charged against them. If more than 200 demerits are charged in one year the cadet is re- ported to the War Department for dis- charge. Cadet Woods' record on this Roll stood thus : First year, No. 16 with 6 demerits ; second year, No. 44 with 24 ; third year, No. 27 with 8; and fourth .
year, No. 2 with no demerits No.1 in 1845, was the afterwards celebrated Thomas J. Jackson.
The cadet who graduated at the head of the class of 1847, had also stood at the head every year of his service except 1844, when ho was second. This was Johu Cleves Symmes of Ohio, son of the John Cleves Symmes, who is noted as the author of the "Symmes Nole"
theory of the earth's construction. I cannot learn that cadet Symmes sur- vived until the Civil war period. He certainly had uo important command therein
No. 2 was John Hamilton of Indiana. He never let the regular army, having been captain in the 3d Artillery iu 1861, and served in the artillery during the entire Civil war, reaching the rauk of Major and Brevet Colonel.
No. 4 was Julian McA lister, who also remained in the regular service and served in the Ordnance Department dur- ing the Civil war, becoming Chief of Ordnance for the Pacific Department.
The others who had records in the Union army that can be traced were : Gen. John S Mason, Col. of the 4th Ohio Inf., who served in the army of Potomac, and returned to the regular army after the war, rising to the rank of Colonel. He was a nephew of Char- les Mason (also a graduate of West Point), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the lowa Territory.
Gen. Orlando B. Wilcox of Michigan commander of a division in the Ninth Army Corps. .
Gen. James B. Fry of Illinois, Provost Marshal General for the War Depart- ment. He had charge of the drafts or- dered the last year of the war.
General Ambrose E Burnside, once Commander of the Army of the Poto- mac, afterwards Commander of the De- partment of the Ohio
Gen. John Gibbon. who organized the Iron Brigade of the Potomac, rose to the command of the 25th Army Corps, and became Brigadier General in the regular army after the war.
Gen. Romeyn B. Ayres, an artillery officer in the Aamy of the Potomac, and a division commander.
Gen Charles F. Griffin, also a divis. sion commander in the army of the Po- tomac
Gen. Egbert L. Viel, a distinguished
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officer in the Engineers, and had im- portant commands in the eastern armies.
Col. Lewis Cass Hant, brother of Gen. Henry J Hunt, Chief of Artillery. Army of the Potomac, became Colonel of the 93d New York, and after the war was promoted to Colonel of the 14th U. S Infantry.
In the Confederate service we find Ambrose P. Hill, who became Lieuten- ant General and commander o a corps in Lee's army, and Henry Heth, a di- vision commander at Gettys urgh and in other important campaigus. Heth was the foot of the class, aud stood No. 198 on the Conduct Roll with 165 de- merits. It is of interest, too, to note that A. E. Burnside was charged with 190 demerits or within ten of the mark of dismissal.
We will now take up the other classes with whose members cadet Woods might have associated.
CLASS OF 1844
Union army-General Alfred Pleas- onton, Army of the Potomac cavalry, Gen. Winfield S Hancock Gen Al-x- a der Hays, Army Poromac brig de . commander, killed at the Wilderness.
Confederate army -- Gen Simon B. Buckner There were only 25 members of this class left at graduation out of 54 who entered in 1841. None of the five honor men gained any military distinc. tion.
CLASS OF 1845
Union army-Generals Win. F (Bu- dy ) Smith and Thos. J Wood, Army of the Cumberland, were both honor men. . Gen. Chas. P. Sto e of Ball's Bluff fame, Gen Firz John Porter, Gen. John P Hatch of New York, Gen. Delas B. Sackett, Gen Gordon Granger, Gen. David A. Russell, killed at Winchester.
Confederate army -- Generals W'm. H. (. Whiting and Louis Hebert, honor men, and Generals E Kirby Smith, Bar- nard E. Bee, killed at first Bull Run,and Wm I, Crittenden.
This class graduated 11 members.
CLASS OF 1846
Union army-Generals Geo. B. Mc- Clellan and John G. Foster, honor men, Generals Jesse L. Reno, killed at South Mountain, Darius N. Couch, Truman Seymour, Charles C. Gilbert, Samuel D. Sturgis, Geo Stoneman, Innis N. Pal- mer, Alfred Gibbs, Geo. H. Gordon (2d Mass ), Delancy F Jones and J. N. G. Whistler, cousin of the celebrated paint - er who died recently in London.
Confederate army-Generals Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson, John Adams, Dabney H. Maury, David R Jones, Cadmus M. Wilcox, Samuel B. Maxey and Geo. E Pickett.
CLASS OF 1848.
The head of the class, Prof. Wm. P. Trowbridge, did not stay long in the army, but held a high position in the Coast Survey and as professor of En- gineering at Columbia and Michigan Gen. James C. Duane, also an honor man, was an Engineer officer and rose to Chief of Engineers after the war. Gen. Nathaniel Michler was a leading Topographical Engineer and map mak- er. Others in the Union army were Generals John Buford, V H McLean (Adjutant General's Department) and Hugh B. Ewing.
Confederate army-Generals Wm E. Jones, N. Geo. Evans and Geo. H. Steu . art.
CLASS OF 1849.
Union army -- Generals Quincy A. Gil. more and John G. Parke, honor men, Absolam Baird, Chauncey Mckeever, Rufus Saxton (Q M.), S. B. Holabird and R. M. Johnson.
Confederate army-Generals Stephen V. Benet, honor man, John C. Moore, John Wothers and Duff C. Green.
CLASS OF 1850
Union . army - Generals Gouverneur K. Warren and Cuvier Grover, honor men, Adam J. Sleuimmer, Eugene A. Carr, W. P. Carlin, Amos Beckwith (Commissary).
Confederate army - Generals Chas S. Winder (Commander Libby Pri on), Win L Cabell, Henry C. Bankhead, J. J. A. A. Mouton.
When Cadet Woods entered the Acad- emy in 1843 Major Richard Delafiel .. was superintendent. In 1845 he was succeded by Capt. Henry Brewerton.
Among the instructors of the four years period whose naines will be recog. nized by subsequent military distinction were Horatio G Wright, John Newton, .Wm S. Rosecrans, Israel Vodges, A. P. Howe, A. P. Stewart (Confederate) R. S. Granger, Irwin McDowell, Gustavus W. Smith (Confederate), Isaac N. Quiu- by, G W Rains (Confederate), E D. Keyes, James A. Hardie, J. J. Reynolds
It is remarkable how few of his West Point associates Col ·Woods came iu contact with in his Civil war service.
None of his own class, they all served in the east, both Union and Confederate. He succeeded Grant as cadet from the same congressional district and met hi n in Oregon. He served temporarily under S. D. Sturgis, who was a fellow cadet and served under Rosecrans, who was an instructor, and he met in battle Buckner, and possibly D. H. Maury and John C. Moore, but I can find no more.
These West Point data are gleaned from the Official Register of the Acad- emy from 1840 to 1850, kindly procured for me by Hon. A. F Dawson, from Gen. A. L. Mills, present superinten- dent.
(B) Lieut Lewis Owen Morris was a member of the famous New York fam- ily whose seat was at Morrisiana, now a part of New York City. His father, Lewis N. Mocris, was a grandson of Lewis Morris, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. A young- er half-brother of the signer was Gouv. eneur Morris, who also became a mom- ber of the Continental Congress, U. S minister to France and United States Senator. Lewis N. Morris was also au army officer, having graduated at West
Pint in 1826. When the Mexican war broke out be was a captain of artillery and was assigned to Gen ral Zachary Taylor's command He was killed while lading his men in the assanit ou Monitores Hisset. Lewis O. Morris. cas commisimed Second Lieutenant o ar- tillery Miren S, !847, and was sentto, Vera Cruz as Cool. Wools relates. He served in the army until the war of the rebellion. In 1861 ne had obtained the rank of Cap- tain iu the 3d Artillery and was sta- tioned in Texas. He absolutely refused to surrender his command when ordered to do so by Gen. Twiggs, but was fin illy allowed to return to the north · He be- came Colonel of the 113th New York, which was made a regiment of Heavy Artillery in the defense of Wa-bington. At the opening of Grant's campaign in 1864, it joined the army of the Potomac, se ving as Infantry Col. Morris was given command of a brigade, and at the battle of Cold Harbor he fell, leading his men, as his father had done eighteen years before.
(C) Dr. Marcus Whitman went to Oregon in 1834 with a mission party un- der the auspices of the Presbyterian church The country was then under control of the British Hudson Bay Co, who would not allow the American missionaries ro locate near their settle ments. but induced them to cross the Cascade mouvrains. where they estih- lished a mission and school on the Walla Walla river (in whit is now Washing- ton) uear its janerioou with the Column- bia.
In 1843 De Whitman male his cele. brated ride to the states, through the Rocky Mountains to Santa Fe. then across the plains to St Louis, and thence to Washington, where it is said that his representations to President Tavlor and Daniel Webster had much influence in shaping the treaty o ISM by which Great Britain abandonded her claims to Oregon south of the 40th patille !. In the meantime Dr Whitman Phd re.
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turned to the Walla Walla with a party overland
The Hudson Bay Co , had succed d in instilling into the Indians a distrust of Americaus which, when it became known to them that England had given up their country. found savage expres- sion in the massacre on November 29, 1847, of Marcus Whitman and thirteen missionary associates.
(D) Col. Woods' farm was the north half of northeast quarter and the south half of northwest quarter, section two in South Fork township, about a mile' and a half northwest of Hurstville and about the same distance southeast of Esgate school house It is generally known as the "Asa Davis Place," Mr. Davis having been the purchaser from Col. Woods. The house that Col Woods first lived in was situated on the Ex- gate road in the northeasterly part of the farm. He built a new house in the creek bottom near the west end of the farm, which became the Davis home, and the old house has entirely disappeared.
Notices Memorial Day.
In my reminiscenses of pioneer life in Iowa, I endevored to relate circumstan- ces in the order they came, but on this occasion I will skip & large space for the reason that Memorial Day requires no- tice. A day that is becoming more hal- lowed as time separates us from the Occasion that brought the day into ex- istence. A day that brings us together on one common level around the graves of our loved ones. A day that stands for the union. A day that stands for the reunion of families for rich and poor togother. This day we meet to honor the beros of 1861 to 1865. A day not of feasting and dancing, but a day of solemn assembly. A day to com- memorate the great sacrifice our be- loved ones made for our glorious union of states. A day to symbolize the im. mortality of the bravery and beroisin of 1776, of 1812, of 1816 and of 1861, and
again of 1898. We have bere & chain of brilliant achievments won by onr forefathers that reaches back to and beyond our national existence.
While the brave boys in blue, who laid down their lives on the altar of our beloved country are deserving of first honor, we must not forget that a great army in the rear were also doing a great work, pointing toward the same eud. It. was just as necessary to pro- vide supplies for the army at the front as it was to weild the sword. It will be remembered that in 1862, 3 and 4, wheat sold for $2 per bushel, corn $1, 1 osts 75c, cotton $2 per pound, pork at $30 per barrel and other things in pro- portion.
And that this army in the rear wes composed principally of Ladies. Yes, ladies of the first class. Ladies who attended church on Sundays dressed in their silks. Ladies, who on Mondays, doned their denims and peeled their gloves, and entered the service in the felds (But it must be remembered that silk in those days sold at near the same price of denims.) Ladies who supplied the army with food. Ladies who took the place of the 1,000,000 drawn from the farms and factories. I do not relate this to shock the ladies of the present day. For I have all con- fidence in them to believe that they would do the same thing under similar circumstances. To enumerate all the cases that came under my own obser- vation would require far more time than I have at my disposal.
I will hero just montion a single case which will give the reader an idea how great was the strain, and how great the demand for labor among the farmers, but happily the supply was equal to the demand, by taking the ladies in.
I was in Dubuque on the 4th of July 182, and stayed over night. In the morning there came a telegram that Vicksburgh had fallen or surrendered. This news spread like wildfire, and in
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