USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 58
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" Resolved, 2d, That the General Govern- ment ought to be sustained by every true and loyal citizen, and that we hereby pledge ourselves as a company to rally to the sup- port of the Star Spangled Banner at any and all times when the country shall need our services.
" Resolved, 3d, That we cheerfully tender to the Governor of lowa the services of the Pioneer Grays, at such times as he shall deem it expedient to demand our aid, and earnestly entreat him to accept the same.
" Resolved, 4th, That the secretary be re-
quested to forward a certified copy of thesc resolutions to the Hon. Samuel J. Kirk- wood, Governor of the State, and that they be published in the Cedar Falls Gazette."
A large national flag, bearing the motto, "Our Flag ; We Will Defend It," was then hanging across the street by a cord passing from the Carter House to the Overman Block. When the resolutions had been adopted, the boys marched out, formed a square under the flag and gave three cheers for the banner, followed by three more for their country. A piece of music was played by the cornet band, after which the crowd gave three cheers for the Grays- the offering of Cedar Falls on their coun- try's altar.
The resolutions given above were trans- mitted to the Governor and in response the following was received:
" DAVENPORT, April 24, 1861. "J. Jay Layman, Esq., Cedar Falls:
" DEAR SIR-The Governor has received a copy of the proceedings of your com- pany, the sentiments of which he instructs me to say, he highly approves. The regi- ment called for by the Government has al- ready been filled up and accepted. He re- quests me to say that you should report to the Adjutant-General's office a roll of your company, and to hold your company in readiness for a future call. I am truly yours, "J. BOWEN,
"Adjutant General."
The first man to leave Black Hawk County for the war was W. J. Steel, of Cedar Falls. He was a member of a Chi- cago cavalry company, which had been ac- cepted and ordered into camp. Learning that he was ordered to rejoin his company, the Grays turned out and escorted him to the depot, where the patriotic good-by was said between him and each member of the Grays as the train came in that was to carry him to scenes of war.
In the latter part of May word was re-
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ceived from the Adjutant-General that the company would be needed, and the follow- ing order was at once issued :
" Attention, Grays !- All those who have enrolled themselves' with the Pioneer Grays, of Cedar Falls, are hereby notified that they must report themselves to the commanding officer at once, as the com- pany should drill daily until the time of de- parture. The citizens of the town are furnishing a fatigue uniform for each mem- ber. The company will positively leave on the cars Tuesday morning, June 4.
" J. B. SMITH, Captain. " FIZROY SESSIONS, Orderly."
The citizens of Cedar Falls, in the mean- time, raised by contribution a fund to assist in the maintenance of the families of the volunteers. This fund amounted to over $800 ; and the uniform fund, an independ- ent movement, reached about $300.
Business, in the meantime, was nearly suspended, all the talk of the people being war, all their occupation recruiting, getting up clothing, running after telegraph dis- patches and reading the latest daily papers. Not only were the gentlemen thus occu- pied, but the ladies were deeply interested also. In the first week they turned with needle and thimble to making clothing to be sent to those who had left, and for others to followv. Sunday afternoon Rev. L. B. Fifield addressed the Grays at Overman's Hall. At noon on Monday, the 3d, the re- cruits from Waverly and vicinity arrived, accompanied by 350 citizens from that town, and were received in front of the Overman block. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon Captain M. M. Trumbull, of Butler County, arrived at Cedar Falls with his company, the Union Guards, and for a time each com- mand seemed to be trying to outcheer the other. After remaining a half an hour the Butler County volunteers resumed their march toward Waterloo, where they were joined by some twenty-five or more re-
cruits. These were enlisted one day earlier than the Grays, and although much smaller in numbers, and not forming a complete organization, deserve the credit of being the first body of volunteers from Black Hawk County. They became a part of Company I, Third Iowa Infantry. G. E. Eberhart was Second Lieutenant, and when he resigned, May 1, 1862, that position was filled by Daniel W. Foote, afterward coun- ty judge and now county auditor.
On Monday evening, June 3, another meeting was held by the Grays at Over- man's Hall, and the crowded audience was addressed by J. B. Powers, Esq., Hon. Zimri Streeter, Darius Allen, Esq., A. J. Felt, of Bradford, Rev. Mr. Porterfield and Mr. Jackson, one of the Floyd County volun- teers. The parting address was made by W. H. Nichols, Esq.
It was a sadly interesting moment when the Grays left Cedar Falls on Tuesday morning. Not only the whole city, but hundreds from the country flocked in to see the soldiers off. Not less than 5,000 people were assembled for the farewell. One touching incident was a type of many, and illustrates the unanimous sentiment of the people. A wife, whose sobbing chil- dren were clinging to her skirts, entreated her husband not to go. Three men stand- ing by each begged the brave fellow to let him take his place, but with patriotic forti- tude he gently released his almost fainting wife and boarded the train. This moved out amid shouts and sobs, and the citizens sadly turned to their usual employments.
The Grays became Company K, Third Iowa Infantry. If they were sent away with sadness of heart, caused by the reflec- tion that they had left hosts of true friends behind them, they were fully recompensed by their reception on their arrival at home on Saturday, April 2, 1864, nearly three years after their departure. A brief address was made at the depot by Rev. J. S. Eber-
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hart, after which the veterans marched to Overman's Hall, where they were formally welcomed by Rev. L. B. Fifield, who, for the town, had dedicated them to their country's service. A bountiful supper was then served by the patriotic women at Cedar Falls, at Horticultural Hall, and at its close the boys felt that for them the " days of danger, nights of waking," were over and done.
The first companies were followed by others as called for, and until the close of war Black Hawk continued to pour forth its best blood for the Union cause. In all, about 1,000 men were credited to this coun- ty, or more than 10 per cent. of its popu- lation. The Board of Supervisors from time to time took appropriate action to en- courage the Government, hasten enlist- ments and aid the families of volunteers. At the June session, 1861, at the very be- ginning of the war, the following was in- troduced by Jesse Wasson and unanimously adopted :
" WHEREAS, Certain States of this Union are in rebellion against the laws and Gov- ernment of the United States, and with force of arms are attempting to subvert our beloved institutions ; and, whereas, this re- bellion has become so extensive and formid- able as to seriously threaten the very ex- istence of our national institutions ; and, whereas, the President of the United States, in view of the imminent perils which now hang over the nation, has called upon all good, loyal citizens to defend the Union, assist in executing the laws and protect the nation's property ; therefore,
" Resolved, That the strong arm of nation- al power should crush all such attempts at treason, even at the cannon's mouth, and that the time has now come to solve the problem whether we have a Government capable of sustaining itself against its foes; that all good and loyal citizens should heartily unite to defend the Union against the at-
tacks of its enemies, whether foreign or domestic ; that every order-loving and law- abiding citizen should regard as enemies the citizens of all the seceded States while in arms against the Government; and not until they have returned to their former al- legiance and made restitution for these ag- gressions will we hail them as we have heretofore done; that we look at the una- nimity that now prevails throughout all the loyal States of this Union in the present crisis, with joy, and that in the suppression of this rebellion we will not act as partisans but as patriots, as good loyal citizens ; for- getting all proclivities, we will stand by the Ship of State, the Constitution and the maintenance of the laws, and by no act of ours will we show sympathy with treason, nor will we allow it to go unpunished, but will do our utmost to transmit the fair fabric of our beloved institutions to the remotest posterity ; that we believe the best and only sure remedy for treason and rebellion, now so prevalent in some States in this Union, is powder and lead for the ranks and hemp for the leaders.
" That we will sustain the President of the United States in his efforts to maintain the supremacy of the laws and our national existence ; that we will sustain the Governor of this State in the prompt and efficient manner in which he has responded to the call of the National Government ; that we will march under no other banner but the Stars and Stripes; that we will know no other country but the Union ; that we will carry the Star Spangled Banner through- out the length and breadth of the Union until it spreads its fluttering folds over the battlements of Fort Sumter, retrieved in honor and its glory untarnished."
These resolutions read to-day as if un- necessarily warm in temper, but we must consider the excitement that pervaded the very atmosphere in 1861. On the same date that these resolutions were adopted
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the board passed a resolution appropriat- ing $500 for the relief of the families of volunteers who had enlisted or should enlist during the progress of the strife. The clerk reported October 15, 1861, that $IIO had been drawn for said purposes, where- upon Dr. Wasson moved the further ap- propriation of $110 to be added to the orig- inal appropriation, which was carried.
A special session of the board was held August 22, 1861, at which resolutions ex- pressing the most patriotic sentiments were passed by the Board of Supervisors, and by them it was made the duty of each su- pervisor to ascertain the wants and neces- sities of the wives and families of volun- teers in their respective townships, and upon his report relief was to be furnished such families by the county, the maximum amount not to exceed $5 per month for the wife and $1.50 for each child.
The following resolution was read by the clerk at the September meeting, 1862, having been passed at a mass meeting held in Waterloo :
" Resolved, That it is the sentiment of this meeting that the Board of Supervisors of Black Hawk County should make an ap- propriation of $5 per month to the family of each volunteer in the county, and that the clerk be requested to lay this resolu- tion before the board at their next ses- sion."
This was referred to a special committee which reported favorably, but was not adopted by the board. September 5, 1862, the board passed a resolution which, after its various amendments, provided for the payment of $4.16 per month to the families of soldiers, excluding commissioned offi- cers. At the October session, 1862, the clerk reported a total of $899.56 expended. for the relief of soldiers' families, drawn by townships as follows: Waterloo, $212 .- 16; East Waterloo, $145.60; Lester, $30.12; Mount Vernon, $12.48; Washington, $12 .-
48 ; Union, $8.32 ; Barclay, $12.48 ; Poyner, $37.44 ; Fox, $4.16 ; Cedar, $8.32 ; Orange, $24.96 ; Black Hawk, $16.64 ; Spring Creek, $112.32 ; Big Creek, $45.76; Cedar Falls ‹ $216.32.
It was not till the war was more than half over that it became necessary to offer bounties for enlistment. December 7, 1863, the board ordered a bounty of $200 to be paid to each volunteer who had enlisted or should enlist under the then last call for men. January 6, 1864, the board ordered that families receiving the $200 should be excluded from receiving aid from the vol- unteer fund. September 6, 1864, on motion of Byron Sergeant, the clerk was authorized to issue county warrants to veteran volun- teers, for bounties of $200 each, upon the certificate of the Captain, or any officer of higher grade than Captain, that they had enlisted as veteran volunteers and been credited to Black Hawk previous to Janu- ary 7, 1864. The last legislation by the board with reference to bounties was the passage of the following resolutions, Janu- ary 4, 1865 :
" Resolved, That the clerk of this board be authorized, and he is hereby directed, to issue a county warrant for $400 to each volunteer recruit or drafted man, who shall enlist or be drafted under the present call of the President of the United States for 300,000 men, on the said volunteer or drafted man filing with said clerk a certifi- cate from the Provost Marshal that said volunteer or drafted man has been ac- cepted and mustered into the service of the United States, and credited to the county of Black Hawk.
" Resolved, That the clerk of this board shall not issue warrants (for the said pur- pose of paying enlisted volunteers or drafted men) to any one township of said county of Black Hawk, to exceed $400 for each man of the number that may be as- signed to each of the several townships, but
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
issue warrants of $400 to cach man of the number that may be assigned to each of the several townships, and raised by volun- teers or draft and complying with the fore- going resolution by presenting a certificate as aforcsaid."
The regiments in which Black Hawk County was most largely represented were the Third (all of Company K and part of Company I); Ninth (part of G, and also men in B, C and I); Twelfth (all of E, and also men in B and F); Sixteenth (part of I, and men in B, G and H); Twenty-first (men in A, C, E and F); Thirty-first (all of Com- panies B, C and D); Thirty-second (all of Company C, and men in B, D, E and G); First Cavalry (men in B, G and L), and Third Battery, Light Artillery. Histories of these organizations are given below, the length of the sketches being somewhat proportioned to the number of Black Hawk volunteers contained in each. Men from this county were also, in less numbers, en- rolled in the First, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Seven- teenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, Forty-second, Forty-fourth and Forty-seventh Infantry; Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Cavalry, First African Infantry, all of Iowa; the Engineer Regi- ment of the West; the Seventh and Ninth Illinois Cavalry ; Second Missouri Cavalry; Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, and Eight- eenth Michigan Infantry.
THIRD INFANTRY.
The Third Regiment was raised, drilled and sent to the front about August 1, 1861. Its first engagement was at Blue Mills, Missouri, September 18, 1861. Fought gallantly at Shiloh two days, the second day under command of Lieutenant Cusley, the regimental officers being off duty or wounded. At Metamora, October 5, 1862, the regiment suffered heavily. On its way
to join General Grant, before Vicksburg, the Third was attacked by guerrillas, and had fourteen men wounded. Participated in the operations at Vicksburg. July 12, 1863, it went into battle at Johnson, Missis- sippi, with 241 men, and lost 114 killed, wounded and missing. Participated in the Meridian expedition, arriving there Febru- ary 3, 1864, and next day tore up fifteen miles of railroad. Near Atlanta, did good service, July 28. Greatly reduced in numbers, the survivors re-enlisted, form- ing three companies, and consolidated with the Second Infantry.
NINTH INFANTRY.
In July, 1861, the day after the battle of Bull Run, Hon. William Vandever tendered to the Secretary of War a regiment of volun- teers, to be recruited in his district. His offer was accepted, and he at once resigned, returned to Iowa and went energetically to work. The first company went into ren- dezvous at Dubuque, early in August, and the regiment was raised and mustered into service September 24, 1861. Immediately after being mustered in, the regiment was ordered to St. Louis, where it went into camp of instructions at Benton Barracks. In October it was assigned to railroad guard duty. January 22, 1862, the Ninth joined the Army of the South west at Rolla, under Brigadier-General Samuel R. Curtis, and was made a portion of the Second Brigade, which was placed under the com- mand of Colonel Vandever. The army marched in pursuit of the rebel General Price, and February 15 entered Spring- field ; but Price was gone, and Curtis pur- sued. At a skirmish at Sugar Creek, near the line between Missouri and Arkansas, the Ninth was the first under fire and be- haved like veterans, charging and driving a force three times their number. March 4, Colonel Vandever, with a portion of his brigade, went to Huntsville, fifteen
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miles, and while here received dispatches from General Curtis that Price had been heavily reinforced, that 40,000 rebels, under Van Dorn, were advancing north. ward, and ordering him to rejoin the army at Pea Ridge, at once. To avoid the rebel army, Colonel Vandever marched forty-one miles on the 6th, fording White River and several other streams on the way, arriving at headquarters at 6 P. M., and participated in the two days' battle at Pea Ridge. The brigades commanded by Colonel Vandever and Colonel Dodge stood the brunt of the battle. They were handled with remarkable skill and coolness, and fought with a valor never surpassed in the war history of the world. "The Fourth and Ninth Iowa," says General Curtis, " won imperishable honors." In his report of the battle, Colonel Vandever makes especial mention of Lieutenant-Colo- nel Herron, Major Coyle, Adjutant Will- iam Scott, Captains Drips (who was killed), Turner, Bull, Carpenter, Bevins (killed), Washburn, Moore and Cankadden, and Lieutenants Kelsey, Riley, Jones, Neff, Tindale, Rice (killed), Baker, Beebe, Lever- ich, Crane, McGee, McKinzie, Fellows, Claflin and Inman, and Sergeant-Major Foster of the Ninth. The regiment went into camp at Helena, Arkansas, about the middle of July, and remained five months. December 28 and 29 the regiment was un- der fire in the battle of Chickasaw Bayou. The year 1864 was brilliantly commenced by the Ninth by the campaign of Arkansas Post. After destroying the works there, the regiment encamped near Young's Point, Louisiana, for many weary weeks. The regiment participated in the siege of Vicks- burg ; was a part of Sherman's army in pursuit of Joe Johnston ; was in the battle above the clouds at Lookout Mountain. On the Ist of May, 1865, the regiment en- tered upon the Atlanta campaign, and for four months participated in all the labors,
battles and skirmishes of the famous march through the Carolinas, and was a portion of the Iowa Brigade which captured Co- lumbia. The gallant Ninth always fought with bravery when there was any fighting to do.
TWELFTH INFANTRY.
The Twelfth Regiment was recruited late in the summer of 1861, and organized at Camp Union, Dubuque, Iowa, and mus- tered into the service of the United States November 25, 1861, by Captain Wash- ington, Thirteenth United States In- fantry.
The first active service was at Fort Donelson, where it was assigned to Cook's brigade of Smith's division, and was en- gaged in the battles of the 13th, 14th and 15th of February, which resulted in the capture of the fort and its garrison on the 16th.
At Shiloh, the Twelfth was brigaded with the Second, Seventh and Fourteenth Iowa regiments, called the Iowa Brigade, commanded by General Tuttle, Second Iowa Infantry, General W. H. Wallace commanding the division, and were in position near a field beyond General Hurl- but's headquarters. Here it remained in line of battle from 6 o'clock A. M. until about 4 P. M., during which time the enemy made several bold charges, and was repulsed with great loss in killed and wounded.
The Twelfth and Fourteenth being in support of a battery, and having no orders to fall back, and not having notice that the left had given way, were allowed to be surrounded, and, after several hours' des- perate fighting, in which three or four reg- iments contended against the whole rebel force, the Twelfth having its commanding officer, Colonel Woods, severely wounded, with sixteen men killed and ninety-seven wounded, with all hopes of retreat or suc- cor cut off, was obliged to surrender at 6
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o'clock P. M. Number of men captured from the regiment, about 400.
The men of the Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth lowa regiments who were not captured were organized into a regiment called the " Union Brigade," of which regi- ment. the Twelfth formed Companies E and K.
The Union Brigade was engaged and took a very prominent part in the battle of Corinth, October 3 and 4, 1862, the Twelfth lowa losing three killed and twen- ty-five wounded out of eighty men engaged. After pursuing the enemy as far as Ripley, Mississippi, the regiment returned to Corinth, where it was engaged in build- ing fortifications, until December 18, 1862, when orders were received from the War Department discontinuing the organiza- tion known as the Union Brigade, and or- dering the men of the Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth Iowa to proceed to Davenport, Iowa, to re-organize their regiments, pris- oners having been paroled October 18, 1862, and exchanged November 10, 1862.
The detachment of the Twelfth Iowa arrived at Jackson, Tennessee, where it was found that Forest had destroyed the railroad from Uniontown and was threat- ening Jackson. The detachment was at once ordered to the defense of the place, and remained four days, when it was or- dered to open the railroad to Columbus, Kentucky, which delayed the detachment until the 4th of January. It arrived at Columbus on that day and was ordered once more to Davenport, where it arrived on the 7th of January, 1863, and from there it was ordered, on the 27th of March, to proceed to St. Louis, Missouri, there to re- join the regiment ; and as soon as organized, was ordered to report to General Grant in the field, near Vicksburg, Mississippi, and served during the entire siege, participat- ing in all the principal engagements until the 22d of June, when it was sent to Black
River, to guard the rear from an attack by Johnston. Vicksburg surrendered July 4.
The Twelfth was engaged in the battle near Tupelo, Mississippi, on 13th, 14th and 15th of July, 1864, losing ninc men killed, fifty-four wounded and one missing out of 200 engaged.
In June, 1864, Companies A and F, num- bering fifty-five men, under command of Captain J. R. C. Hunter, and Company A, while stationed at the mouth of White River, Arkansas, were attacked by 600 rebels of Marmaduke's command, about daylight on the 22d of June; but taking refuge behind a slight stockade, they re- pulsed the enemy, he leaving twenty killed and mortally wounded on the field. The loss of Companies A and F was one killed and four wounded.
The regiment fought bravely in the bat- tle of Nashville, and received special men- tion by brigade and division commanders for good service.
The regiment marched in pursuit of Hood, with the army, to Clinton, on the Tennessee River, thence by steamer to Eastport, Mississippi, arriving there on the 7th of January, 1865.
From Eastport the regiment was ordered to New Orleans, then 'embarked with the forces under General Canby, on the expe- dition against Mobile ; was in the front line during the siege of Spanish Fort, which was the last service rendered by the regi- ment.
During its service the gallant Twelfth was in twenty-three battles, was under fire 1 12 days, and had ninety-five men killed in battle.
SIXTEENTH INFANTRY.
The Sixteenth Regiment Iowa Volun- teers left Davenport, March 20, 1862, and was at the battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, when it met with heavy loss ; took part in the siege of Corinth, and also was in the battle of Iuka, September 19, 1862.
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After this the regiment was engaged in the two-days fight at Corinth, October 3 and 4, and was variously employed in march- ing from point to point, as their services were required in their department, and at all times were found ready to do their duty.
They were engaged in many sharp con- flicts, until March 17, 1864, when they started for Davenport, Iowa, on veteran furlough.
On May 3 the boys again resumed their knapsacksand arrived at Clifton, Tennessee, about the middle of the month, and on the 27th of June a part of the regiment were engaged in the attack on Kenesaw Mount- ain, meeting with heavy loss. The regi- ment was under fire from June 14 to July 2 ; was in the battles at Atlanta, July 20, 21 and 22, meeting with heavy losses, which reduced the regiment to less than 100 men present for duty.
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