USA > Iowa > Clarke County > Biographical and historical record of Clarke County, Iowa > Part 49
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
" The Eighteenth lowa, during the forced night march previous to the morning of the battle, came in contact with an ad- vanced post of the enemy, which they drove in after some firing, in which the regiment lost one man killed and three wounded. The army pursued the rebel forces rapidly to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the ad- vance, consisting of the Eighteenth Iowa, again came upon the rebel rear-guard and skirmished with them for six or seven miles, encountering the enemy's fire without any further casualties. The Army of the Fron- tier was here ordered to return to Missouri, and the Eighteenth lowa was ordered to Springfield, where it arrived November 14, 1862. During this campaign, the regiment being raw and suffering from the measles, which spread through the whole regiment, lost severely by exposure and fatigue. The entire casualties, including those who died from disease contracted by the exposures of the campaign, was ninety men.
" During the winter of 1862-'3 the regi- ment was stationed at Springfield. January 8, 1853, the rebel forces, 3.500 strong, under Marmaduke, attacked Springfield, then held by the Eighteenth lowa and a few to Springfield, Missouri, where it arrived ; hundred militia. The regiment was under September 13. There the Army of the the command of Lieutenant Colonel Cook. Frontier was rapidly organized by General After a severe engagement, lasting the whole of the day, theenemy retreated, leav- ing is, killed an I wounded. The Eight- Schofieldl, and the Eighteenth was assigned to the First Brigade, Colonel Dan Husted, Seventh Missouri Cavalry, commanding, , conth lowa suffered severely in the action, and Second Division, under Brigadier- Closing fifty enlisted men killed and wounded,
HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY.
and two commissione ; officers killed- - Can. tain Wilham R. Blue. Company C, and Captain Joseph Van Metre, Company Il. who died of wounds received in the action -- and two commissioned officers wounded, Captain Landis, Company D. and Lieuten- ant 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. Had they not then repulsed Marmaduke, and had he succeeded in capturing Spring- field and its stores, the Army of the Frontier would have been compelled to fall back, and would not have been enabled to con- front Hindinan and save Missouri from in- vasion, as they subsequently did at Prairie Grove. The regiment received a well- merited compliment from Brigadier. Gener- al Brown, commanding, for their bravery and gallantry in this action.
" During the spring and summer of 1863, different portions of the regiment, under command of Major Campbell, made three long marches of no miles cach, two of them forced marches, beside 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 partici- pated in the campaign against Shelby, who invaded Essouri and penetrated nearly to the Missowi River. The regiment was ordered to Cassville, Missouri, un bar com- mand of Jlieutenant-Colonel Campbell, to co-operate in heading off Shelby's retreat. October 9. Springfiel | being considered in danger, a part of the re,, iment wos ordered back by forced marches, and marched the distance of fifty-five miles in twenty-seven hours, including halts.
"October 16, Companies D and F, under
command of Captain Ray, marched fro. Cassville to Fayetteville as escort to a su ply train, and at Cross Timbers encountered the enemy under Colonel Brooks, who at- tacked 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 17, the remainder of the regi- ment, under command of Colonel Edwards, moved along with all the forces of the dis- frict of Southwestern Missouri, under Brig- adier-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 mount- ains, October 31, 1863.
" January 2, 1864, a portion of the regi- ment, under command of Lieutenant-Colo. nel Campbell, marched to Roseville, Ar- kansas.to prevent an anticipated attack upon a supply train on the way fromn Little Rock, in charge of Captain Clover, Company K. Eighteenth lowa, with a detachment of the regiment, and returned to Fort Smith, January 8, 1864, having marched seventy- I 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 ex- cessive labor, in fatigue, escort, and guard duty, men and officers going on duty fo: months every other day, and living upon half rations.
"March 22, 1564, the regiment, under com- mand of Captain Duncan, Colonel Edwards commanding the First Brigade, and Lieu- tenant-Colonel Campbell being detained at Little Rock by a severe hurt, which dis- abled him entirely from walking or riding. moved with the Third Division to jom General Steele, who with the Seventh Army Corps was moving on Camden. Ar. kansas, to cooperate with General Bank ..
.
THE CIVIL WAR.
45
" April 12 the regiment participated in i them, by ordering the men to form upon the battle of Prairie d'une, April 13, the | hitn. Third Division, being the rear-guard of the " April 30, the regiment participated in
army, was attacked by the enemy in force i the battle of Jenkins' Ferry, at Saline at Moscow. In this engagement, the Light- River, where the enemy attacked General Steele's army, then retreating from Can- den, and endeavored to prevent his cross- ing, but was repulsed after a day's hard fighting, with a heavy loss on both sides. centh lowa, with the Second Indiana Bat- terv. held the enemy in check until the rest of the division came up, and forced the chemy to retire. Captain J. K. Morey. Company F, then acting Assistant Adju- tant-General of the First Brigade, was highly complimented by Colonel Edwards, commanding the brigade. for bravery in this action.
" The regiment returned to Fort Smith May 15, 1864, having marched 730 miles, through swamps and over mountains, sub- sisting part of the time on raw corn, wading whole days and nights in mud and water, and suffering hardships that have been sur- passed in no campaign of the war
"April is, the regiment, under command of Captain Duncan, moved from Camden to re-enforce Colonel Williams, Second "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 marching, the intervals of which were employed in severe labor on the fort- ifications around Fort Smith, and ex- tremely 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 trams, and completely held the surround- ing 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 tine, mostly of damaged bread and meat. Kansas Colored, who was escorting a large forage train. About fourteen miles from Camden, at Poison Springs, Colonel Williams was attacked by the enemy 6,000 strong, under Generals Marcy and Fagan. Ile had with him the Eighteenth Jowa, the First Kansas Colored, one section of the Second Indiana Battery, and about 200 CaV- alry. 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 Eight- conth lowa 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 engage- "May 25, 1864. the regiment, under com- mand 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, Arkansas, to hokl that place and keep open the navigation of the river, upon which the army at Font Smith depended for supplies. The regi- ment were eighty onlisted men killed, wounded and missing, and one commis- sioned officer wounded. The regiment re- ceived 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 ment lost on the march, two men killed heavy fire, seized the colors and held ; by guerrillas.
While here, Sergent
CLARKE COPYIT.
Vance, Company C. Eighteenth low with twenty eight men, in charge of a lot ige train, was attacked ten miles from Clicks- ville by forty rebels, but ropu'sed them and saved his train, killing two and woand- ing two of the enemy, and losing one man wounded.
"Angust 6, Clarksville was evacuated by order of Brigadier-General Thayer, and the Eighteenth lowa, under command ol Major Morey, together with a bittaliom of the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, and a large train of Government stores and refugees, all under comm ind 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.
in any of the campaigns of theregiment. At Newsho Crossing, the command met the train, escorted by the Second Kansas (colore h, the Second and Third Indiaas. portions of the Sixth and Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, and two sections of Ar- tillery, under commind of Major Phillips, who was waiting for re-enforcements. The whole, under command of Lieutenant. Colonel Campbell, immediately marched for Fort Gibson, and thence to Fort Smith, which he reached December 11, having marched 320 miles in the winter, forded two rivers and numberless swollen streams. making night marches, the only subsistence of his whole command for a part of the time being raw corn and beef, seasoned with gunpowder in lieu of salt.
"February 26, 1865, four companies of the Eighteenth, under Major Morey, were ordered to Van Buren, Arkansas, where they were engaged in garrison and escort duty until July 6, Major Morey command- ing the post. July 6, the regiment was ordered to proceed to Little Rock for mus- ter out. There it stayed until July 21. and then started for the rendezvous at Davenport, lowa, where the men received their discharges and final payments, .lu- gust 5 and 7, 1865, just thirce years and two days after their muster into the service.
"From August it to December, the regi- ment was sent under command of Lieuten- ant-Colonel Campbell upon four successive expeditions. In November, a large supply train of poo wagons, en route for Port 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 sup- plies at Fort Smith were exhausted, and the possibility of holding it at all depended upon the safe arrival of this train. No- vember 22, the Eighteenth Regiment.under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, "The whole number of miles marched by the regiment, since it moved from Clinton, Iowa, is 4, 160 miles. Of the original mem- marched to Fort Gibson to meet the train. On arriving there. he was ordered to pro- ceed by forced marches toward Neosho I bers of the regiment, about 400 returned Crossin .. Io nales distant, with the Eight- to lowa for muster-out. It received 235 recruits, of which eighty six were from lowa, seventy-two from Missouri, and seventy-seven from Arkansas and Texas. Of the original officers of the regineni. only eight returned with it to lowa. The total loss of the regiment, by death and discharges, was 515. centh, under command of Captam Blauch- ard, and the First Indiana Infantry, till he met the train. His command diew for rations a pack of corn in the car per wan, and a little coffee, and upon this supply, with n . salt and a little fresh beef, killed on the way. the command marched day and night till it reached the train at Nco ho la Angust. 1862, Clarke County con- tributed another company, which became Company D, Thirtysinth Infantry. 11. Crossing. The suffering from exhaustion on this march exceeded that experience)
officers were : Captam, Lloyd D. Bennett : First Lieutenant. William T. Mathews, and Second Lieutenant, Casper Carter. About twenty men also entered Company K. under Captain William F. Bena. 11. The follow- ing history of the Thirty-ninth was written by Colonel H. J. B. Cummings :
" The several companies composing the Thirty-ninth Regiment of lowa Infantry Volunteers, are from the following coun. ties: Two from Madison, two from Dallas, two from Polk, one from Greene, one from Clarke, one from Decatur, and one from Des Moines. These companies were assigned to the regiment, and its Colonel commissioned September 12, 1862; and he was directed to order the companies to rendezvous at Des Moines, and assumed command at once.
" The first company reported at Des Moines on the 20th day of September, and within a week all were in camp except the company from Des Moines County, which did not join the other companies until the ! removal of the regiment from Des Moines to Davenport. The whole energies of the : for the next six months dropping men from officers, while remaining at Camp Burn- Hour rolls under the head of ' died ' or . dis- side, near Des Moines, were devoted to | charged. instructing the men in drill and other | duties of soldiers. On the 26th day of October, pursuant to an order from the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, the regiment moved to Camp Herron, Daven- port. Here the men were speedty uni- formed, and on the 4th of November, ; armed with Emeld rifled muskets, it se- camp all night. No staff officer was quiring 773 mm kets for the purpose.
"The regiment was mustered into the United States service by Captain H. B. Hendershott, Second Artillery, November 24. 1862. The delay in mustering was caused by two or three co ppanies not hav. ing the minimum number of me, and when inustered it was up on a special order of the War Department, to accept the regimiem as it was. Captain Hendershott
mustered in an aggregate of Sor officers and meg. A minimum regiment consists of Spe rank and file.
" While at Davenport (counting a few cases at Des Moines the regiment had nearly 300 cases of measles, and the usual proportion of other camp diseases. Many of the men were only convalescent when the regiment was ordered from Davenport. to the front, and forty-one men were un- able to move with the command, and were left behind in hospital.
"On the 13th day of December, the command left Davenport by rail, with or- ders to report to Brigadier-General Tuttle, commanding at Cairo, arriving there the 14th inst. We lay at Cairo two days awaiting orders, and during this ni hole time received a disagiccable taste of a Cairo rain and sleet. The men were then uansferred to a steamboat, but were so crowded (over 200 being on board) that very many experienced for the first time the exposure they soon learned to endure. "From the effect of that exposure, we were
"On the 16th instant, we dropped down the river with orders to debark and report to Brigadier-General Davies, at Colum- bus, Kentucky. It was dusk upon arriv- ing, and very muddy and rainy. The commanding officer reported as ordered. and was directed to hunt some place to directed to select a camp site, or aid in so doing, and much time was spent and wad ing donc before a half-way dry piece of ground could be found. Those miserable apologies, known as ' shelter-tents,' thea for the first time were raised, and on the cold and wet ground the Thirty-ninth made its bed. On the 18th instom, the regiment took ears for Corinth, Mississippi, with or- ders to report to Brigadier General G.
31
4
HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY.
M. Dodge. This day the rebel General i ordered to again resume the march. We Forrest first approached the railroad near ! marched all day. The next morning many Jackym, Tennessee, and upon the arrival of the men were completely worn out, of the regiment at that place about dark, others were too foot-sore to proceed, and we were compelled to leave over one hun- dred men. During the day they attempted 1 to make their way back to Trenton, but at Shady Grove were surrounded by a regi- ment of Forrest's cavalry, and 101 were made prisoners. (They did not rejoin the regiment until in October, 1863.) the command was ordered to debirk by Brigadier General Sullivan, commanding the district of Trenton. Forrest cut the road that evening a few miles north of Trenton, about half an hour after the train conveying the Thirty-ninth passed over, cutting off the train following it. The regiment was kept lying behind carth- works at Jackson for four days, a moment- ary attack being expected by the com- manding General. Here the men suffered much from short rations, and were unable to cook what they had. It finally became apparent that the move on Jackson was but a feint, to hold troops there while For- rest cut the road north of the town. On the 22nd instant, the regiment, with two others, was sent up the road to drive off the enciny and repair the road. We ar- rived at Trenton on the 26th, having been much exposed to rain, and deprived almost entirely of sleep on the road and at Ilum- boldt. Forrest was known to be at Hunt- ingdon, some thirty miles east. Other troops were ordered to Trenton, and two brigades were organized, the Thirty-ninth lowa, One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois, and Fiftieth Indiana comprising the second brigade.
" That night we arrived at Huntingdon. The next day we commenced moving south toward Lexington. Both brigades were at Huntingdon. The Second Brigade moved out alone. December 31, 1862, at Red Mound or Parker's Cross-Roads, ten miles south of Lexington, the Second Brigade, consisting of the three regiments named, a section of artillery, and a com- pany of cavalry, came in contact with Forrest's whole command, numbering be- tween six and seven thousand men, and cleven pieces of artillery. The Second Brigade had 1,545 men and twopieces. We fought from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon under great disad- vantages of numbers, artillery and posi- tion. At three o'clock the First Brigade made its appearance, and Forrest Red precipitately, leaving in our hands some 300 prisoners, 400 horses, seven cannon and a large number of small arms. The loss of the Thirty-ninth was three killed, thirty-three wounded, and eleven prison- ers.
" We were ordered to march at dark of the 27th, cach man to carry five days' rations and one hundred rounds of ammu- nition. Not a team or ambulance with " January 1, 1863, we took up the line of march for Jackson, arriving there the evening of the 2d. On the 6th we took 1 cars with orders to report to Brigadier- General Dodge at Corinth, according to the orders we received at Columbus. . \! 7 1. M. we arrived, and were by General Dodge assigned to the Third Brigade (Co !. M. M. Band's), Second Division (Brigadier- the regiment. This was the first warch of the regiment. Just from lowa, many but a couple of weeks out of hospital, all worn ont by short rations and loss of sleep, and over-burdened by carrying rations and ammunition, those who have been in the service will appreciate the condition of the men. We marched all night, going in camp nearly day light. At eight o'clock we were General Dodge's), Sixteenth Army Corps
$ 3
Till: Col
(Major-General Hurlbut), of which we are vet a part.
duty guarding a corral a few miles from Corinth, was surrounded by Soo rebel cas- alry, and the Captain and most of his com- pany made prisoners. November 2, 1862.
" We remained at Corinth until the 2d of November. 1863, doing usual garrison duty. The regiment made several marches " the regiment, together with the entire guarding trains that took up two or three . command of Briga dier General Dodge, left days at a time, and once moved to La- , Corinth en route for Pulaski, Giles County. grange, Tennessee, to ward off a threat- Tennessee, a distance of 125 miles. The che J attack on the railroad. The raid into ' march occupied ten days, including four Alabama to cover Colonel Streight's move- days' delay at Iuka. Nothing worthy of mention occurred on the trip. The weather was fine, the daily marches short, and the regiment seemed delighted, as on some holiday excursion. We reached Pulaski, on the Nashville & Decatur Railroad, on the rith. On the 12th a portion of the force was sent south on the railroad, and a portion went north, General Dodge's head- quarters being fixed at Pulaski. Our bri- ments was made during this time, and will be more fully mentioned. At Corinth we laid out a regular camp, and erected ex- cellent log barracks for officers and men, some eighty in number, admitted by all to be the best quarters in the division. On the 15th day of April, :863, General Dodge's division moved out, as before stated, to cover the raid of Colonel Streight into Georgia. We marched by casy marches , gade went north, and the regiment was to Bear Creek, where our advance en- countered the enemy, who disputed our passage. A pontoon was, however, soon thrown over the creck, and we moved on to Tuscumbia, skirmishing almost every mile, until we arrived at Town Creek, Alabama.
stationed on the railroad at Reynolds' Sta- tion, Giles County, seven miles north of Pulaski. Five companies were stationed at regimental headquarters at Reynolds' Station, above mentioned. Three com. panies were posted at two grist-mills, grinding flour and meal for the command. "The enemy who were under General Roddy were reinforced by General Forrest, and the united forces seriously endeavored to prevent our crossing. The whole fore- noon was occupied in artillery ducls. We had four fine batteries, and the whole, to- gether with the movements of the troops being within observation, gave us a lively and pleasant day. After noon we built three bridges over the creek under their fire, when we advanced our whole force, and the enemy prudently retired. Colonel Streight had started in a southwesterly direction around them the night before. and our object having been accomplished, and two companies were stationed at rail- road bridges, guarding them. All the . companies erected comfortable log bar- racks, and the detached companies good stockades. January 21, 1864, regimental headquarters was moved to Culicoka. twenty miles further north, with six com- panics. The companies detached at the mills were relieved, and tro of them stt- tioned at railroad bridges thus giving the regiment twenty-five miles of railroad and country to hold and maintain quiet. Janu- arye6, the enemy made an attack on Athens, Albaina, and, fearing another raid on the road, the regiment was ordered to imme- we marched back unmolested, General . diately throw up strong earth-works or Forrest having turned in pursuit of Colonel , stockades. Work was immediately com- Straight. We arrived at Corinth May a. menced, and the citizens, white and black, " May 6, Company IL. which was on , in the town and vicinity, were ordered to as-
1ยบ :
HISTORY OF CSIRKE COUNTI.
sist. We thussecured the help of about 159 man. A very strong stockade was elected. 1 x 140 feet. A deep ditch was dug all around it. with embankments thrown up to Up port holes. Two cannons were mounted; rifle-pits were also made in the direction from which an attack would most likely come. The work cost a great deal of labor. and when completed was as good and strong a work as could be found on the road. March 12 the regiment with the bri- gade took up the line of march for Athens. Alabama, arriving the 15th. This was one of the most pleasant marches the regiment ever had.
"At Athens camp was again regularly established, and log barracks, much superior to any we ever had, quickly erected. From this time on, after a short period in camp. the history of the regiment is the same as that of Sherman's army. The story has been elsewhere graphically told of the famous march to the sea, through the Carolinas and to Washington, where the Thirty-ninth was mustered out, June 5, 1865, after carning for itself a reputation that time can scarcely dim.
About twenty men from Clarke County went into the Eighth Cavalry (Company D). The order to raise this regiment was issned by the War Department in February, 1663. Recruiting did not begin, however, till the last weck in June, as it was not desirable to interfere with the filling up of the Seventh Cavalry, then in quarters at Camp Hendershott. When the regiment was ordered into quarters, August 20, over 2,000 men had been enlisted. October 17 the command left for Louisville, via Michi-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.