USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 20
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Fourth Sergeant, Charles W. Evans. Fifth Sergeant, Mark Brownson. First Corporal. Joseph II. Blank. Second Corporal, Daniel Anders. Third Corporal, John G. Litts. Fourth Corporal, Alonzo L. Shurtleff.
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REUNION OF THE 27TH IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY AT INDEPENDENCE, SEPTEMBER 9TH AND 10TH, 1885
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Second Corporal, Charles II. Wright.
Third Corporal, Jonathan F. Gates.
Fourth Corporal, Lewis A. Main.
Fifth Corporal, Frederick Spragg.
Sixth Corporal, George Frink.
Seventh Corporal, William P. Warren.
Eighth Corporal, George N. Whait.
Musician, Robert N. White.
Musician, Harry Green.
Musician, Oliver Bray.
Wagoner, Byron C. Hale.
PRIVATES
Eli Anderson, Hiram Abbot, Emery S. Allen, Richard H. Andrews, Daniel L. Brisbin, Job Barnes, Gilbert P. Brant, Eli C. Brown, William B. Burris, Warren Bonek, Henry M. Bailey, George W. Beaman, John Brady, Michael Butler, Lorin D. Carpenter, John S. Coates, Kneedham N. Crandall, Levi Dur- ham, Eleetns L. Frizelle, Erasmus B. Frizelle, Zenas R. Fary, Franklin B. Fredenburg, George H. Fuller, Joel Fisher, James C. Glass, Ilarry Green, George W. Hilling, Abner B. Hoffman, Gilbert L. ITieks, Matthias Hook, David N. Jewett, David F. Johnston, Martin T. King, Willard H. King, William S. King, John R. Laton, Abraham Littlejohn, William II. Lueder, Walter S. Munger, William B. Minton, Reuben G. Merrill, David MeGowan, William Milligan, Carr W. Mosher, Joel D. Nourse, James II. O'Brien, Rezin Orput, Samuel V. Pelley, Gilbert R. Parish, Joseph Russell, James E. Robinson, John G. Rice, Henry II. Romig, Elliott V. Smith, Joel S. Smith, Cyrus E. Smith, Samuel II. Smith, Daniel S. Spragg, JJohn W. Sanders, Edward H. Spalding, George H. Spalding, Benja- min S. Sager, Lucian Stevens, Albert Tennis, Sylvanus Taylor, N. D. Vaneman, John D. Van Cleave, Jesse Wroten, John M. Watson, Joseph A. Williams, Seth Wheaton, Thomas Watson, David E. Wheeler, Eri A. Wilson, George Wille, James G. Warren, Abisha W. Washburn, Thomas Linn.
Captain Miller's company was at first designated as Company C but this name was given to Captain Noble's company and the former Company C became Company HI. Both companies were in the Twenty-seventh lowa Infantry. They were ordered by Governor Kirkwood to rendezvous at Camp Franklin, Du- buque, August 26, 1862, and were mustered into the service of the United States by Capt. George S. Pierce, United States Army, on October 3, 1862, under proclamation of the President of the United States, bearing date July 2, 1862, as Companies ( and Il of the Twenty-seventh lowa Infantry.
All during the war, the different churches, schools and societies throughout the county and partienlarly at Independence were getting up patriotie enter- tainments for the purpose of raising money for the soldiers and everything that eould be spared from the homes to add to their comfort and benefit was sacrificed.
The Independence Women's Aid Society as usual sent numerous boxes and barrels to these companies while stationed at Dubuque and among the articles were the customary needlebooks, which elicited two very grateful acknowledg- ments in the form of letters from Lieut .- Col. Jed Lake and Lieut. W. G. Donnan.
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They also at this time shipped five or six barrels of eggs, onions, and fruit, firkins of butter, etc., to the other companies at the front, and later, to the companies still stationed at Camp Franklin, pails of honey, butter, eggs, and some of their sporting friends sent nearly two hundred prairie chickens at one time. And these kindly services of the dear friends left at home helped to cheer and comfort the poor soldiers who were sacrificing all the joys and comforts of home life to fight for the Union. The accommodations at Camp Franklin were not com- pleted when our soldiers arrived, barraeks had not yet been constructed and everything was in confusion but the soldiers took hold with a will and soon had it in a state of completion and they were really enjoying camp fire life.
In this same issue of the Guardian with the above statement is one to the effeet that the governor had decided to officer the Twenty-seventh Regiment as follows: Gilbert of Allamakee County, colonel ; and Jed Lake, lieutenant colonel. At that time Colonel Lake had been appointed, by the President, as collector of Federal taxes for this Congressional District, but after consulting his friends, he coneluded to deeline the civil and accept the military position. He was always extremely fortunate in having offices thrust upon him and filled them ereditably and conscientiously. His commission dated from the 4th of Septem- ber, 1862, and he went immediately to join his regiment, the Twenty-seventh, stationed at Dubuque.
In the canvass of Buchanan County in September, 1862, the number of . persons liable to military duty was 1,116 and 514 had volunteered and were in the Government service, 121 were exempt and 56 were aliens, who also were exempt.
At this time. Col. G. M. O 'Brien of Dubuque, who had obtained authority from the War Department and the governor were attempting to raise an Irish regi- ment in this state, to serve in General Corcoran's brigade. John Sexton and Patrick MeGavock of Independence were engaged in getting up a company for this regiment.
In Independence in September, 1862, appeared a paper called "The Crisis" issued from the Civilian office. It was a half sheet campaign paper edited by Messrs. Roszell, Leavitt, and Glynn, and devoted to the advocacy of Dennis A. Mahoney, who had been nominated by some of the democrats of this district for Congress. He was editor of the Dubuque Herald and was considered by all republicans and many democrats as a traitor. He had been arrested by a United States Marshal for treasonable conduct and was even at the time of his nomina- tion incarcerated in the Federal Prison at Fort Lafayette. His nomination caused the most bitter animosity and disgust in the democratie party and really caused a disruption. He had openly in every possible way and through the medium of his paper opposed the administration, the war measures, and bitterly fought all republican and Unionist principles, placing the entire blame of the Rebellion on the opposing political party. The republican party had nominated Col. William B. Allison for Congress, who was elected. Polities were raging fast and furious in the county. It would seem that the graver issues of war, destruction and carnage would have entirely occupied all their thoughts but as usual in all public affairs politics was the predominating feature.
In an issue of the Guardian of September 23rd, was a statement that the Iowa Fifth for the first time had seen a slight speck of war in the battle of
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Inka. James Bell, a private, was captured and was then a prisoner of the '. Seeesh."
This notice by no means conveyed the real significance of that battle, which proved in later reports to have been a severe one. The regiment went into battle with 482 men, including officers, and had 219 killed and wounded. The Fifth Iowa. as might be expected, showed themselves as brave and gallant as the Ninth, and like them, were victorious. Company E, "the Independence Guards," our first company mustered into service, held a very dangerous and responsible posi- tion, and in every instance proved themselves worthy of the honor and pride the citizens of Buchanan County had manifested in them.
During the battle of luka, Company E deployed for four miles as skirmishers exposed to a murderous fire from the enemy and across open fields. Lieutenants Lewis and White, Sergeant Blonden, and Captain Lee all superintended different sections of the company and each did his part nobly, but to Captain Lee there is especial credit due, he, in spite of a terrific fire, was here, there, and everywhere, sustaining and encouraging his men. And when the company was ordered to charge bayonets, they went forward cheering and yelling and never for one moment wavered. until the enemy were overcome and routed. Lieutenant Lewis was severely wounded early in the engagement and John Towle, a printer by profession, and a young man of many brilliant qualities, was killed at the third or fourth volley. He had also been wounded but refused to go to the rear and rejoining the company in the second charge was killed. Ile was one of those noble heroes that deserve a niche in the halls of fame, whose heroism and self- sacrifice shall not be forgotten. Another of our Independence boys who distin- guished himself in this battle was bient. W. S. Marshall, who was acting adju- tant. He was in the thick of the battle during the entire engagement and escaped without a serateh. In his official report, Col. C. L. Mathies complimented Lieutenant Marshall, with the rest of the officers. for their noble assistance and on the field the general personally complimented Company E. Lieutenant Lewis was sent home in charge of Private Peters but was unable to get any further than Keokuk, where Peters left him and came home. Mr. Jamieson went down the next week to see him and render any aid possible. He was in a bad condition from his wound but he was in the best of spirits. Soon after the battle of Tuka occurred the battle of Corinth in which thirteen Iowa troops were engaged. The Fifth lowa was included in this but occupied an nnimportant position.
Senator Hastings, of Buchanan County, had received the appointment of assistant surgeon of the Twenty-seventh Regiment. The Independence company, at Camp Franklin, were delighted and felt the Doctor would make a fine officer. There was an exenrsion to Camp Franklin on Thursday, September 18th ; a large crowd, about 1,300 people, attended. It took two coaches and two engines pulling to accommodate the crowd and many had to ride in open ears with pine boards as seats.
They found the Twenty-seventh in excellent condition as to health, food and quarters. They were furlonghed home by Colonel Gilbert, October 5, 1862, for five days before they should begin active service. They were assigned to General Pope's division and the adjutant general had selected them for frontier service in Jackson County, Minnesota, to operate against the Indians.
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This was very distasteful to the regiment, but like all true soldiers, they did not murmur or complain. Sunday, October 12th, was the day selected for mov- ing-and as scheduled, they started by boat for St. Paul.
They received all that was coming to them in the way of uniforms, guns, a month's advance pay and $2.00 bounty from the Government and also the bounty from the county and were extremely happy over this fact-most of the money was sent home to Reverend Sampson to distribute. From both companies it aggregated about $2,500. The soldiers were loud in their praise of the D. & S. C. R. R. Company, which put on an extra train and a fast one, and brought them out on Sunday, thereby giving them the benefit of another day's visit at home. Charles L. Coleman, a member of the Twenty-seventh, died at home on Tuesday night, October 7. 1862. He was taken siek at Camp Franklin and his father brought him home and he died the next day. He had only enlisted about seven weeks before.
The next we hear of the Twenty-seventh was that six companies, among them Captain Noble's, had been ordered to Mille Lacs, a lake in Aiken County, about one hundred miles northwest of St. Paul, to accompany Government agents to transact business connected with the Indians. During their absence, the Twenty- seventh, with the rest of Pope's division, was transferred from the northern to the southern department and the four companies left Fort Snelling and departed immediately for Cairo, Illinois. The other six companies would follow as soon as they returned from the Mille Lacs expedition. Captain Miller left his company at Dubuque and visited home on a furlough to reernit his health, which had been impaired by exposure ; he only stayed one week, however. The extreme cold and exposure worked havoc in the camp of the Twenty-seventh and in one month's service they had lost three men by disease.
When the regiment went South, Benjamin Sutton and Morgan Boone, both of Independence, were left in a critical condition with typhoid fever at Fort Snelling. S. Abby was sick and had gone to Milwaukee on a furlough. The following week the death of young Sutton was announced. Colonel Lake on his return from the Mille Lacs expedition, finding Morgan Boone convalescent, brought him and two other soldiers who were seriously sick. Walter HI. Munger, of Company C, who was left at Anoka on the return march from the north, died at that place on the 8th of November. He received the kindest attention from the people of the little village, who took him to a private house, nursed him tenderly and turned out en masse to do honor to his remains.
"He was an honest, upright, truthful man, and no one has gone into the army from purer motives of patriotism, or a nobler sense of duty. When we last saw him at Dubuque, he was full of life, energy, and good feeling; but now, alas, he is in the silent tomb. May the sod press lightly upon his bosom." We insert this tribute written of him by a friend, because should any friend or relative glance at this it might perchance stimulate them to emulate his worthy example and too, it well serves as a tribute to all the brave fellows who sacri- ficed themselves for their country's eause. Ex-Senator and Doctor Hastings of Company H received the appointment as assistant surgeon of the Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteers, a position he was eminently fitted to fill and his friends were delighted with his promotion.
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On the way down the river from St. Paul, the boys of Captain Miller's company in appreciation of his worth as a man and as an officer presented him with a beautiful sword and sash, and a splendid Colt's revolver. They were valuable testimonials of respert and love for an officer who was ever alive to the wants of his men and untiring in providing for their comfort. Orderly Aaron Wilcox made a fine presentation speech, and Captain Miller accepted with one equally so. Doctor Sanborn, Lieutenant Whitney, and Lieutenant Donnan followed with short patriotie speeches. Word was received that Oliver Safford of Captain Lee's company had died at camp near Corinth on October 25th of typhoid pneumonia. Ile was spoken of in the highest terms. C. B. Kandy had been appointed sutler of the Twenty-seventh Regiment and left Independence November 18, 1862. The Soldiers' Aid Society were still doing fine work, and seemed never to tire or become discouraged with the constant, unceasing demands made upon them. When Colonel Lake returned to his regiment November 12, 1862, they sent about seven hundred pounds of "goodies" to gladden the hearts of the soldier hoys.
On the evening of Wednesday, November 20th, Pope's army was ordered to report at Columbus, Ohio, to Brig .- Gen. T. O. Davis. They went by boat and arrived there at 9 P. M. of the same day. There they were ordered to report to General Sherman at Memphis, Tennessee. They were put in the Sixth Brigade under Brigadier-General bauman, an lowa man, and a fine officer. Quite a few of the men were sick and had been left behind to garrison Fort Pickering. Cap- tain Miller and Lieutenant Donnan were among this number and had charge of the siek. Company E. Captain Lee's company, of the Fifth lowa, was with General Grant's army then encamped near Oxford, Mississippi. Colonel Lake finally located the Independence boys on the march, after a great deal of search- ing ( Grant having fifty regiments, of about fifty thousand men, in his army and all on the march ). He wrote home how well they looked and acted and said they seemed to enjoy war as one of the necessities if not the luxuries of life. He found Lieutenant Marshall, who had been promoted to adjutant of the regiment, laboring through the mud ( with Colonel Matthias). The Twenty-seventh was not long under the command of either Major-General Sherman or Brigadier- General Lanman, who were assigned to new commands, but again were ordered to report to ('olonel Dubois at Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Early in December. 1862, it was announced from the state's chief execu- tive office that Buchanan County was out of the "draft business," having fur- nished thirteen in excess of her quota, and tou more had enlisted since that report. Add to this the fifty or more who had eulisted with the regular army and a number who had enlisted with regiments outside the state and we con- (lude that Buchanan was exceedingly loyal.
Morgan Ilohnes, who had been the correspondent of the Civilian, with the Fifth lowa and had been home for several weeks, was arrested as a deserter, by order from headquarters, and taken to Davenport by Captain Kelsey, reeruit- ing officer at Independence. The Government kept diligently in pursuit of any- one they ever suspected of desertion. He would probably be sent to his regi- ment and court-martialed. Messrs. Jacob S. Travis, Johnson, Heyward, and Jacob S. Miller, members of the Grey Beard Regiment. then in camp at Mus- catine, returned home December 18, on a furlough of a few days. They all
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looked to be in excellent health and had a very soldierly bearing in their fine uniforms. Some time previous this regiment had been enlisted as a sort of Ilome Guard.
About the first of the year 1863 word was received that three more noble heroes of the Twenty-seventh had recently died from disease. John McBane and John Sanders died at Cairo where they had been left in the hospital in November, 1862, and William Lender died near Holly Springs. They were all fine young men and excellent soldiers.
There was a great deal of sickness in the Twenty-seventh; fifty-six at one time were in different hospitals, from Minnesota to Tennessee, and a report a little later from Tallahatehie, Mississippi, from Colonel Lake, said the regiment had only 630 men on duty, had left in Memphis 105 siek and eonvalescent, forty- five more were sick, and all along the river going down they had left some sick. James Nash, a member of the Thirteenth regulars, a resident of Buchanan County, was killed in a fight near Collierville, Mississippi.
Word from headquarters, January 13, 1863, was that the Fifth Iowa was in General Quimby's division, stationed near Memphis, guarding the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. January 9th, a letter stated that the Twenty-seventh had been in one of the two brigades which were in pursuit of General Forrest, but were too late to help General Sullivan defeat him at Red Mound. The Ninth lowa. about which there had been little chronicled, were in the encounter at Vieksburg under Sherman. The Ninth were most of the time in reserve or sup- porting a battery until Monday afternoon when they were thrown forward to save our brigade from defeat. They advanced into a very dangerous position but miraculously escaped a terrible slaughter. Only six of the regiment were wounded and two missing and not one of Company C was hurt. Captain Wright and Lieutenant Little both had behaved most courageously at their posts of duty. General Thayer had given the Ninth Regiment praise for their conduct.
As a bit of diversity from the horrors of war, we read a unique direction on a letter which passed through the Independence postoffice in January, 1863: "Postmaster. loyal it von be,-Down in Memphis, Tennessee .- Please hand this, safe, to Capt. Lee, Who has the command of Company E, Of Iowa's Fifth In- fantry. In the Brigade of Gen. Quimby, And you will be blessed by God and me-Blessed to all Eternity. But if you are trieky in the least, Abe will eall you to the East. Then comes Satan to your cell, And says, 'P. M., there's room in h-1.'"
The army regulations, in regard to furloughs, were becoming more and more strict. Captain Wright was court-martialed for coming home and remaining a few days without a permit. but the decision of the court entirely vindicated him, for he was in command at the battle of Vicksburg, as we have previously stated, and soon thereafter was in the battle at Arkansas Post, where the Ninth, as usual, seemed to have its proverbial good luck. For although about one thou- sand of the army were killed, the loss to the Ninth Regiment was only a few wounded while Company C escaped without a seratch, and every man kept his płaee throughout the entire battle.
Nearly every week some of the soldier boys were returning, being discharged from the service for physical disability. The last week in January, 1863, How- ard Stutson, Clinton Losure, Warren Munson, N. J. Boone, of Company II,
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Twenty-seventh Regiment, all were discharged, and George Kirkham had been discharged at Cairo, but was still there waiting for his papers. J. L. Loomis, who had joined the Forty-second Illinois, was in the very thickest of the fight at Murfreesboro-where the Forty-second did much grand and glorious work- going into the fight with 300 strong and fully one-half were killed and wounded, but Mr. Loomis escaped injury of any kind.
The Fifth at this time were stationed near Germantown, Tennessee, fifteen miles from Memphis, guarding the railroad. Adjutant Marshall had been pro- moted some time. C. II. Waggoner was now quartermaster-both with the rank of first lieutenant.
On January 31, 1863, (. JJ. Reed, a member of Company E, of the Fifth lowa, who had been the talented correspondent of the Guardian (and whose letters we have often quoted), also correspondent for the New York Times and Missouri Democrat, returned home discharged on account of physical disability. le had been incapable of active duty in his regiment for a long time.
Another soldier was brought home dead-a boy by the name of Cox from Fairbank. He was a member of the Sixth lowa Cavalry and died in camp at Davenport. Then later came the death of Jacob Glass, of Company H, son of Martin Glass of Buchanan County, a noble-hearted man and one universally respected. Along in 1863 the feeling of bitterness and animosity between the administration sympathizers and supporters and the antis or Copperheads, as they were called, was at white heat, even in Buchanan County-there seem to have been many southern sympathizers, anti-Lincoln, anti-war, anti-administra- tion, and more extreme in degree, anti-abolitionists. It was a most strained and critical condition for the poor soldiers at the front who were there sacrificing all the joys and comforts of life, enduring all the hardships of war, exposed to all conditions of weather, half clothed and half fed, under the strain and fatigue of long weary marches and actual warfare and subjected to the ravages of both battle and disease and all for the purpose of defending the country and their own and their neighbors' hearthstones of liberty. And to feel that they did not have the hearty and unanimous support of their own countrymen was, indeed, a bitter realization. To voice their feelings, the Twenty-seventh Iowa held a general ratification meeting in front of Colonel Gilbert's tent ( February 12, 1863) to adopt resolutions expressive of the sentiments of the regiment with regard to the Copperheads of the North. A lengthy and detailed series of resolutions composed by the field officers about. Jackson were read and adopted, also a series of which Lieutenant-Colonel Lake was sponsor and one of Colonel Gil- bert's design. Both were adopted without a dissenting voice. They expressed their opinion plainly in regard to these Copperhead individuals who were so numerous in Indiana, Illinois and Jowa, and ranked them with the rebels, as infamous, traitorous destroyers of our nation. Not only were the soldiers' let- ters full of consternation over the attitude and influence of the Copperheads at the North, but some of them were becoming sorely tried at the inaetivity and treatment they were receiving: many were becoming fearfully disgruntled at their higher officers and the "powers that be," blaming them for not allowing the soldiers to forage whatever, wherever and whenever they pleased, and accus- ing these officers of showing partiality to the Secesh, or else having been bribed,
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because they would not allow their men to steal or destroy everything along their paths.
Other letters were equally strong in commending their officers.
In a letter from the Twenty-seventh of this same date, February 12th, we read that Captain Miller had been siek for some time and First Lieut. O. Whit- ney had been in command and made a fine officer-Lieutenant Donnan had been for some time at brigade headquarters as acting aide-de-camp on Acting Brigadier General Dunham's staff. He was well liked and liked the office, too. Orderly Wileox had injured his foot with an ax and Sergeant Smyser was acting as orderly for Colonel Dunham. Soon, however, the brigade organization under Colonel Dunham was dissolved and they had all returned to camp with the exception of George Fuller, who had been detailed as clerk at distriet headquar- ters for General Sullivan. Surgeon D. C. Hastings had been ordered to Young's Point to report to Major-General Grant. Company H had sixty-nine men pres- ent, fifty of whom were reported as effective men; Company C had sixty-nine present, fifty of whom were effective; Company Il had eighty-six in all and Company C had ninety-two.
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