USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler County, Iowa: a record of settlement., Volume 1 > Part 14
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
SECOND IOWA INFANTRY
In the Second Iowa Infantry, the first regiment mustered into the service of the United States under call for three years, were, so far as is known, no representatives from Butler county. Most of the men from this regiment came from the southeastern part of the state.
SECOND VETERAN INFANTRY
The Second Veteran Infantry, which was formed at the con- clusion of the term of service of the former regiment, however, had several representatives from Butler county. As these volun- teers had all of them a record of previous service in other regi- ments, their names will be found in connection with the history of those regiments.
THIRD IOWA INFANTRY
Most of the companies comprising the second and third regi- ments of Iowa Infantry were formed and had responded to the first call of President Lincoln for volunteers, but as only one regi- ment from Iowa could be accepted under that call, these com- panies were compelled to wait during the brief time before the
Digitized by Google
162
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
,
second call was issued. On the 17th of May, 1861, Governor Kirk- wood received telegraphic communication informing him that two more regiments of volunteers were required from this state. He immediately ordered the ten companies, designated as the second regiment, to rendezvous at Keokuk on the 25th of May, and the companies in the third regiment at the same point on the 3d of June. So promptly were these orders obeyed that there was but little difference in the dates when they assembled at Keokuk. On the 10th of June the members of the Third Iowa Infantry were mustered into the service of the United States.
Butler county was represented in this regiment by a company under command of Capt. Matthew M. Trumbull. This company was mustered into service as Company I. On the 27th of June, seventeen days after the last company was mustered into service, the regiment was conveyed by steamer to Hannibal, Mo., whence it was transported by rail to Utica, Mo., where it went into camp. Here the regiment suffered much from sickness and up to the time when it first encountered the enemy in battle, its greatest loss had been by deaths from disease and the discharge of men who proved physically incapacitated to stand the hardships and exposure inci- dent to a soldier's life.
The most important of the expeditions undertaken during the summer of 1861 was that against Kirksville. In comparison with later engagements of the war these were mere skirmishes but they served to satisfy the desire of these ardent young soldiers to meet the enemy in a general engagement. Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, who commanded the detachment consisting of about five hundred of the Third Iowa, which marched upon Kirksville, in his report of the battle states that he came upon the enemy's pickets at 2 A. M. on the morning of the 17th of July. About three o'clock in the afternoon he discovered the enemy in force, con- cealed upon both sides of the road. The enemy opened a heavy fire which drove back Union skirmishers and in the attack which followed the Federal artillery suffered so heavily that their only piece-a brass six-pounder-was left without sufficient force to man it. Some of the gunners abandoned the position and could not be rallied. The enemy kept up a heavy fire and as the artillery was useless and many of the officers and men disabled, it was deemed advisable to fall back, which was done slowly, and the six- pounder was brought off by hand, through the gallantry of Captain
Digitized by Google
163
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Trumbull and other officers and men of the Third Iowa after it had been entirely abandoned by the artillerists.
The heaviest loss was sustained by Company I, which lost four killed and twenty wounded-one-fourth of the total loss. This company was the one referred to above as having been very largely recruited from Butler county, which was commanded by Captain Trumbull, who was mentioned for gallantry in the report of the battle. Lieut. John P. Knight, first lieutenant of this company, although not a resident of Butler county, was wounded three times but refused to retire from the field, and remained with his men until the close of the engagement.
That this battle ended in defeat does not detract from the bravery of its officers and men. They were greatly outnumbered and it is greatly to the credit of the commander and the best possible evidence of the coolness and courage of the men that the regiment was able to extricate itself from its perilous position and retire from the field in good order. A few days after this battle this detachment of the Third Iowa rejoined General Sturgis at Kansas City. Here the Third Iowa was again reunited but on account of the large number of men on the sick list it was deemed best to give it a change of location and an opportunity to rest and recruit. It was therefore ordered to Quincy, Ill., where it went into camp and enjoyed a season of rest. In November, 1861, the regi- ment was transported to St. Louis, Mo., and went into quarters at Benton Barracks. From here it was sent to guard the line of the Northern Missouri Railroad, where it remained until the 3d of March, 1862, much to the regret of its officers and men who chafed from the lack of opportunity to take part in the campaign which General Grant had waged against Forts Henry and Donel- son. The regiment was ordered to Cairo, Ill., from which point it proceeded up the Ohio and Tennessee and joined General Grant's army at Pittsburg Landing on the 17th of March, 1862. Here the regiment was assigned to the first brigade of the fourth divi- sion of the Army of the Tennessee, under command of Gen. S. A. Hurlbut. The brigade was commanded by Colonel Williams of the Third Iowa, while Maj. W. M. Stone was in command of the regiment in the absence of Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, who was sick.
On the morning of April 6, 1862, the great battle of Shiloh was begun. The Third Iowa, with the other troops of its brigade and division, moved rapidly to the front and was soon engaged with the enemy. Colonel Williams had his horse shot from under him
Digitized by Google
164
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
early in battle and was entirely disabled for further duty. Late in the afternoon, Major Stone, the regimental commander, had his horse shot from under him and was stunned by the fall. Capt. M. M. Trumbull, commander of the Butler county company, then took command of the regiment, which had become separated from its brigade. Upon reaching its own camp ground, the regiment again faced the enemy but found itself in the desperate situation of being nearly surrounded. It again retired, fighting its way through its own camp in which many of its men were killed and wounded, one of the latter being the gallant Captain Trumbull. The casual- ties among the officers was so great that only seven lieutenants remained upon duty, First Lieut. G. W. Crosley being the rank- ing officer in command of the regiment, which continued to fight its way to the rear until about 5.30 in the evening it formed on the right of the Thirteenth Iowa in the line of last resistance. After dark the regiment rejoined its brigade and on the morning of the 7th again went into action and fought until the close of the battle that day.
The next day the dead were collected from the field where they had fallen and were buried near the regimental camp with the honors of war. Among these martyrs in the cause of liberty was Stephen De Witt, a resident of Clarksville, a private of Company I, who was killed on the battlefield on the afternoon of April 6th. He is buried in the Shiloh National Cemetery at Pittsburg Land- ing. Capt. M. M. Trumbull, though still suffering from his wound, took command of the regiment shortly after the battle and wrote the official report, including a list of the wounded and missing. In summary it is as follows: "Killed, 23; wounded, 134; cap- tured by the enemy, 30; total, 187 out of 560 engaged. Of the captured, nearly all were wounded. Sixteen of the wounded who were not captured died of their wounds in the hospital, increasing the death list of the total to 39. The total loss was one-third of the number engaged."
Captain Trumbull in his report says: "The regiment went into battle on the second day under the command of First Lieut. G. W. Crosley, of Company E, and as I am well assured, nobly main- tained the honor of the flag. Should I designate meritorious officers I should have to name nearly every officer in the regiment. I think, however, none will feel envious if I especially mention Lieutenant Crosley. I desire to call the attention of the general commanding the division to the gallantry and good conduct of
Digitized by Google
1
165
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Sergt. James F. Lakin, of Company F, who carried the colors on the first day, and of Corp. Anderson Edwards, of Company I, who carried the colors on the second day of the battle."
Anderson Edwards was a resident of Clarksville and had enlisted on May 20, 1861. He was slightly wounded in the first day's battle, but as indicated above, acted as color sergeant in the second day's fight. He was later promoted fourth sergeant in July, 1863. At the expiration of his term of service he reenlisted in the Third Veteran Infantry, and still later in the Second and Third Veteran Infantry Consolidated. He was promoted second lieutenant Jan. 6, 1865, and mustered out July 12th at Louis- ville, Ky.
Of the part of the division to which the Third Iowa belonged, played in this battle, Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut says in his order, thanking the survivors for their good conduct during the battle: "Let this division remember that for five hours on Sunday it held under the most terrific fire, the key point of the left of the army and only fell back when flanked by overwhelming masses of the enemy, pressing through points abandoned by our supports. Let them remember that when they fell back it was in good order and that the last line of resistance in the rear of the heavy guns was formed by this division. Let them remember that on the morning of Monday, without food and without sleep, they were ordered forward to reinforce the right and that wherever either brigade of this division appeared upon the field, they were in time to support broken flanks and hold the line. Keep these facts before your memories to hand down to your children when we conquer a peace and let it be the chief pride of every man of this command, as it is of your general, that he was at Shiloh with the fighting fourth division."
More space has been given to the account of this battle than will be possible to be devoted to other engagements of the Civil war. This has been done, however, not only because the battle of Shiloh was one of the most important of the whole Civil war, but chiefly because of the glorious part which was played in it by the men of Company I, who came from Butler county.
Following the battle of Shiloh the regiment performed its share of the service in the advance upon Corinth and was later quartered at Memphis. In the fall of 1862, with the other regi- ments of the fourth division, it entered upon another long and arduous campaign. A number of battles were fought, in which
Digitized by Google
166
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
the Third Infantry bore a most conspicuous part. During this time the regiment was under command of the brave and intrepid Captain Trumbull. In the battle at the bridge over the Hatchie river, the regiment crossed the bridge under heavy fire, formed in line of battle under the fire of the enemy and charged up a steep hill and drove the enemy from a strong position on its crest. In this battle Lieut. John G. Scoby, of Shell Rock, who had been promoted from first sergeant, received special mention for bravery and efficiency. Corp. Anderson Edwards again bravely bore the colors of the regiment and seemed gifted with a charmed life, receiving special mention.
In October, 1862, Capt. M. M. Trumbull was promoted to lieu- tenant colonel. He served in this position only until November 20th, when he resigned to accept promotion as colonel of the Ninth Cavalry. During the winter of 1863 the regiment remained sta- tioned at Moscow, Tenn. In the following year they took part in the Vicksburg campaign, following the surrender of Vicksburg were ordered to Jackson, Miss., and took a most important part in the siege of that city.
Here the Third Infantry suffered a most disastrous loss. It is the saddest chapter in the history of the regiment, which may be well compared with the charge of the Light Brigade which Tennyson has immortalized in verse. Like the soldiers of the noble sixteen hundred at Balaklava, they knew "that some one had blundered," but "theirs not to reason why; theirs but to do or die." The regiment went into this battle with 223 enlisted men. Of this number it lost 114-fifty per cent of the number engaged. No official investigation was ever made. The division commander, J. G. Lauman, gave the command for its disastrous charge as it was received by him from the corps commander, Maj .- Gen. E. O. C. Ord. The men of the brigade had implicit faith in General Lauman and believed he gave the order as it was given him. On the evening of that fatal day, only a little more than a full company of effective men answered the roll call. The regi- ment now returned to Vicksburg, whence it was ordered to Natchez, Miss., where it remained until early in December. It was then reorganized as the Third Iowa Veteran Infantry.
A list of the officers and men of this regiment who enlisted from Butler county follows:
Digitized by Google
167
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS
Lieutenant Colonel Matthew M. Trumbull, Clarksville
Quartermaster Sergeant Edward H. Mix, Shell Rock
COMPANY I Captain Matthew M. Trumbull, Clarksville
First Lieutenant John G. Scoby, Shell Rock
Sergeants Anderson Edwards, Clarksville; E. H. Mix, Shell Rock Isaac M. Henderson, Shell Rock
Corporals John Booram, Butler County; William Burdick, Clarksville James Buel, Clarksville; Charles E. Turner, Shell Rock
Privates
Bishop, Alfred H., Clarksville Clousky, Joseph S., Clarksville Colton, or Cotton, Charles M., Shell Rock
Cotton, Gaylord M., Shell Rock Crosby, Spencer S., Shell Rock
De Witt, Stephen, Clarksville
Filkins, William, Willoughby
Forney, Abraham, Clarksville Gitchell, William, Clarksville Gilbert, T. G., Clarksville McElvaney, J. R., Butler Center Wilcox, John, Shell Rock
Martin, Henry, Clarksville
Merrifield, Willis H., Clarksville Mix, Thomas M., Clarksville Myers, Campbell, Shell Rock Parks, G. W., Shell Rock Pauly, Charles, Clarksville Robinson, Albert, Clarksville Trobridge, Samuel, Clarksville Warner, Asa H., Clarksville Warner, William E., Clarksville Wilcox, Alfred M., Shell Rock Wilcox, Jesse B., Shell Rock
Winship, James W., Shell Rock
SEVENTH IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
There appear to have been no enlistments in the Fourth, Fifth or Sixth Iowa Infantry Regiments from Butler county. The
Digitized by
168
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Seventh Infantry, however, had one company, B, in which a number of Shell Rock boys enlisted. This regiment assembled at Burlington and was mustered into service of the United States between July 23 and August 2, 1861. Col. Jacob G. Lauman, who has been mentioned in connection with the history of the third regiment above, was its first colonel. Company B, in which the Butler county soldiers enlisted, was largely recruited in Chick- asaw county. Its officers were: Captain, Gideon Gardner, New Hampton; first lieutenant, Robert G. Reinigar, Charles City; and second lieutenant, George W. S. Dodge, Bradford.
Four days after the last company had been mustered, the regi- . ment was ordered to St. Louis. After remaining in Jefferson Barracks for a short time they went to Pilot Knob and thence to Ironton, where it remained in quarters about two weeks. About the first of September it began its first campaign. On November 6th the regiment, with others under the command of Gen. U. S. Grant, took part in the battle of Belmont. In this engagement the Confederate troops were driven from their camp. Later, hav- ing been reinforced, they returned and attacking the Union troops, subjected them to a heavy fire which forced them to retire. Dur- ing this retreat Lieutenant Dodge, of Company B, was killed.
In his official report, Gen. U. S. Grant says: "The Seventh Iowa behaved with great gallantry and suffered more severely than any other of the troops." Of the total loss sustained by the two brigades in battle, the Seventh Iowa sustained nearly one- half. Of this battle another writer has said: "It seems almost incredible that these untrained troops fighting their first battle and led by regimental and company officers, without military training or experience, should have acquitted themselves when under fire for the first time as well as in any of the subsequent battles in which they were engaged and in all of which they nobly maintained the honor of the state which sent them into the field."
Another notable feature of the battle of Belmont was the fact that it was the first in which General Grant had command of the Union troops and his first opportunity to demonstrate his fitness and capacity to command. After this battle the regiment was sent to Benton Barracks near St. Louis, where it enjoyed a brief season of rest and made up some of its losses by recruiting. On the 30th of January, 1862, the regiment left St. Louis to join the army under General Grant and took part in the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson. The Second Iowa was given the post of
Digitized by Google
169
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
honor in leading the final charge on Fort Donelson but was gallantly supported by the Seventh Regiment. The loss of the regi- ment in this battle was not as severe as in many other engage- ments, owing to this fact. The regiment took part in the battle of Shiloh and in the advance upon Corinth, bearing its full share of duties, dangers and hardships. On the 3d and 4th of October the Confederate force made a desperate attempt to recapture Corinth. In this battle the Seventh Iowa Regiment took a promi- nent part. Company B was in the thick of the fight. Captain Reinigar, who had been promoted from lieutenant on Sept. 1, 1862, on the resignation of Captain Gardner, was mentioned in the report of the battle made by Colonel Rice, who was in com- mand of the regiment in this engagement. More than one-third of the regiment were killed or wounded in this battle. So many of the officers and men had been killed or had died of disease, the total loss to Oct. 4, 1862, being 422 officers and men, that an order was issued withdrawing the regiment for the time being from active service until the spring of 1863. The regiment saw some active service during this year and finally went into winter quarters at Pulaski, Tenn., November, 1863. In December, three- fourths of the men reenlisted and were given a furlough of thirty days, furnished transportation to Keokuk, Iowa, and from that place to their respective homes. In February, the regiment was reassembled, together with a large number of recruits. During this year they took part in Sherman's campaign against Atlanta, Ga., and later in the famous march to the sea. From Savannah they marched northward with Sherman's troops to Washington and on the 24th day of May, 1865, the Seventh Iowa Infantry wheeled into its place in the line of the grand army that marched down that broad avenue of the nation's capital and passed in review for the last time. Its days of fighting were over. It was later sent to Louisville, Ky., where on the 12th day of July, 1865, it was mustered out of service.
Butler county members of this regiment were as follows:
COMPANY B
Sergeant William L. Palmer, Shell Rock
Corporal John Adair, Shell Rock ..
Vol. 1-11
Digitized by Google
170
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Privates
Campbell, James, Shell Rock Myers, Joseph R., Shell Rock
Cotton, Theodore L., Shell Rock Porter, Abel G., Shell Rock
Dunham, Alfred G., Shell Rock Senior, Charles V., Shell Rock
Mason, William H., Shell Rock Wilson, Alvin M., Shell Rock
EIGHTH IOWA INFANTRY
The Eighth Iowa was organized in accordance with a procla- mation of the President, dated July 23, 1861. The companies assembled at Davenport, where they were mustered into the ser- vice of the United States by Sept. 4, 1861. The regiment experienced some desultory campaigning in the earlier part of its term of service, operating in Missouri and Kansas. In March, 1862, the regiment was ordered to St. Louis and from there con- veyed by boat to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. On its arrival there it was assigned to the Third Brigade of the Second Division of the Army of the Tennessee. Under command of Brig .- Gen. W. H. L. Wallace in this great battle, the Eighth Iowa rendered conspicuous and important service and suffered a correspond- ingly great loss.
Col. J. L. Geddes, of Vinton, Benton county, was in command of the regiment in this battle. After a desperate and terrific con- flict, during which the fire of the enemy's artillery was concen- trated upon this regiment, the Eighth Iowa with other regiments of the division, was forced to retire. About 6 p. m. of the first day the major portion of this regiment was captured. There were six regiments in the brigade. Of the total loss in this battle the Eighth Iowa lost 493.
Of its action on this occasion the following quotation speaks: "The truth of history demands that the credit of saving the day for the Union army at Shiloh be given its gallant regiments, three of them from Iowa, who stood their ground without hope of rein- forcement and with the full knowledge that it was only a question of time when they would be completely surrounded by overwhelm- ing numbers and compelled to surrender. To concede this honor is no discredit to the gallant men who, profiting by the delay thus afforded, rallied behind the concentrated Union artillery and hurled death and destruction upon the advancing columns of the enemy and at last turned what seemed certain defeat into vic- tory."
Digitized by Google
1
171
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Almost the entire number of the Eighth Iowa Infantry who had escaped being killed, were captured and entered upon a long and weary term of imprisonment, during which many of them died. The surviving prisoners were paroled on the 18th of Octo- ber and exchanged on the 10th of November, 1862. During the winter of 1862-3 the regiment was reorganized at St. Louis and assigned to the Fifteenth Army Corps commanded by Gen. W. T. Sherman. They participated in the Vicksburg campaign and in the campaign against General Johnston around Jackson, Miss.
Of this period of regimental operations Colonel Geddes says in his official report: "From the 2d of May to the 25th of July we marched without tents or transportation over three hundred miles, engaged the enemy at Vicksburg, twice at Jackson and at Brandon, and though during the operations of this ever memora- ble campaign, both officers and men of the regiment suffered much exposure and hardship of a very trying character, they endured it all without a murmur and with a fortitude which elicited the unreserved commendations of the commanding general."
Following this campaign, the division to which the Eighth Iowa belonged was engaged in guarding a line of railroad until January, 1864. The term of service having expired, about three- fourths of the men reenlisted as veterans. In February, 1864, the regiment participated in the Meridian campaign. Thereafter the regiment was divided, the veterans being permitted to go home on furlough and the non-veterans taking part in the Red River campaign. Later the regiment was reorganized as the Eighth Veteran Volunteers. The remainder of its service was doing gar- rison and guard duty at different points in the south. The regi- ment was finally mustered out, April 20, 1866, having served a little over four years and eight months. It was the last Iowa regiment to be mustered out of the service. Most of the Butler county members of this regiment enlisted in the latter years of the war. A number of them were transferred from companies in the Thirty-second, in which they had previously enlisted. Fol- lowing are the names of the Butler county soldiers who were members of this regiment:
.
COMPANY B
Bonwell, Shadrach, Butler Costlow, Thomas, Butler county. county.
Digitized by Google
172
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
COMPANY C
Albright, Elias D., Butler Jones, Henry O., Shell Rock.
county.
Mix, William N., Shell Rock.
Campbell, James E., Butler Olmstead, O. P., New Hartford. Peck, Josiah, New Hartford.
county.
Copeland, Rock.
George R., Shell Williams, William H., Shell Rock.
COMPANY D
Dobbins, George W., Butler Goodhue, James M., Butler county. county.
COMPANY E
Needham, Edward E., Butler county.
COMPANY G
Bishop, Harvey A., Clarksville. Muffley, William, Butler county.
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.