USA > Iowa > Floyd County > History of Floyd County, Iowa : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 45
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March 20 the regiment moved by transport across Mobile Bay, and ascended a river about twenty-five miles, thence marching northward against Mobile. In this Mobile campaign General Gilbert narrowly escaped death from a torpedo buried in the road, and which was exploded by his horse tramping over it. The General was soon after brevetted a Major-General for general gallantry in the siege of Blakely. The Twenty-seventh was in due time mustered out, and at Clinton, Iowa, was disbanded in August, 1865, after traveling more than 12,000 miles.
THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY.
COMPANY D. Private.
Third Corporal.
Boon, Sylvester M.
Ansel D. Weeks.
Boon, Warren
Billings, Edward E.
Fourth Corporal.
Comstock, William
COMPANY G.
Gleason, Nathaniel B.
First Sergeant.
Timothy W. Folger. Musician. Hall, William T. Horace G. Hawks. Miller, Elias Privates. Miller, Francis M.
William A. Keister. Fourth Sergeant.
Allen, William V.
Phillips, Joel
Tyler Blake. Fifth Sergeant.
Boon, James H.
Smith, Henry
Asael Straun. Boon, Sidney W.
Straun, Jabez
Cline, Michael
The Thirty-second Infantry Volunteers was organized at Du- buque, all the companies being full, on the 22d of August, 1862. Was mustered into service Oct. 6, by Captain G. S. Pierce, U. S. A., and on the 15th and 17th of that month, was transferred, by order of Adjutant-General N. B. Baker, to Davenport. The regiment left Davenport Nov. 21 for St. Louis, arriving at that city_ on the 23d. On the 25th, by order of Major-General Curtis, command- ing Department of the Missouri, Companies_B, C, E, H, I and K,
481
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
with regimental headquarters, left St. Louis for New Madrid, Mo., and Companies A, D, F and G for Cape Girardeau, Mo. (this last detachment under Major Eberhart), where they arrived Nov. 28, and garrisoned that post until March 14, 1863, when it was ordered to Bloomfield, Mo., and on the evacuation of that place, April 21, returned to Cape Girardeau, via Dallas, arriving on the 24th inst. On the 28th it was ordered to join the force in pursuit of the rebels. under General Marmaduke, and marched fifty miles to Castor River bridge, where it remained until May 3, returning to Cape Girar- deau on the 5th.
As the boys from Floyd County, belonging to this regiment, were, with but one exception, in Company G, it will be necessary to only follow the doings of this last detachment.
July 10, 1863, this detachment moved to Bloomington, Mo., where it was attached to Reserve Brigade, First Cavalry Division, Department of Missouri, by order of Brigadier-General Davidson. On the 19th, marched with the division southward, for Little Rock, Ark., arriving at Clarendon, Ark., Aug. 8. They left here on the 13th, on the gun boats " Marmora " and " Cricket, " and landed at Des Arc, where some Confederate warehouses were burned, anchoring at night in the mouth of the Little Red River. On the 14th, a portion. of the detachment went up the Little Red River on the "Cricket, ", returning with two Confederate transports as prizes; they also de- stroyed a pontoon bridge upon which Marmaduke was crossing his forces; they were also twice attacked, but repulsed them with heavy loss. On the 15th the detachment returned to Clarendon. On the 16th the enemy's pickets were driven in at Harrison's Land- ing, and on the 22d marched across Grand Prairie to Dead Man's Lake, twenty-two miles; finding no water on the route, and the weather being very hot, they all suffered much. Until Aug. 27 they were guarding trains to Duvall's Bluff and Brownsville, Ark. At this time their detachment had 160 men for duty.
That day they advanced with the division to feel the enemy at Bayou Metaire, meeting them four miles from the bayou, the de- tachment was thrown forward with three squadrons of the Third Missouri Cavalry dismounted; they skirmished through the thick- ets three miles and found a line of works, and a charge on the double-quick was made which routed the enemy, they retreating across the bayou, and burning the bridge, the First Iowa Cavalry charging them in their retreat. After skirmishing across the bayou 30
482
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
until near evening, the detachment covered the rear of the divis- ion on its return to Brownsville. A heavy rain fell during the night, drenching the men, and in three days the detachment had bnt fifty fit for duty, and in a week but twenty-five; and on enter- ing Little Rock, Sept. 11, two months after leaving Cape Girar- dean with two hundred and fifty, had scarcely a well man for duty. The detachment had during two months marched nearly 500 miles. Here they were transferred from the reserve brigade, and the Fif- teenth assigned to it again at Benton, Ark. From this time until the two detachments were united at Vicksburg, March 4, 1864, but little manænvering was demanded of them. They remained at Benton until December 19, moving to Little Rock, Ark., leaving there January 31; was at Memphis February 5, leaving there the 7th, arrived in Vicksburg on the 9th, where they went into camp.
March 10, the whole regiment went up the Red River, landing at Limeport, La. After a thirty-eight mile march, they assisted in storming and capturing Fort De Russey, with 300 prisoners, ten guns and a large amount of ammunition and supplies. Were camped at Alexandria, La., until the 26th, when they marched up Bayou Rapides and Rigolet de Bon Dieu, to Grand Ecore, La., reaching there April 23.
On the 7th, they marched for Shreveport, and was attacked at Pleasant Hill, La., the next day, the regiment being on the left of the brigade. Having no support on the left, they formed an L to protect the left of the brigade. The enemy's lines being broken in making a charge six lines deep, he passed around to the rear of the regiment. The brigade fell back and the regiment remained until near dark, when, the enemy being driven from the left, it passed out by the left flank ( the enemy following by the right ) and formed in rear of the first division. At dark the enemy retired. The loss of the regiment was 38 killed, 116 wounded, 56 missing. Constantly on the march, they were engaged in skirmishes and light fighting near Campbell, Croucherville, always repulsing the enemy; and in battles of Marksville and Bayou de Glaize. June 10, they went into camp at Memphis, and on the 24th, left and camped at Moscow, and on the 27th, marched to La Grange.
July 14 they were attacked by the rebels at Tupelo, Miss., but easily routed them. July 24, arrived again at Memphis, having passed through La Grange and Old Town Creek, where they again repulsed the enemy. They left Memphis for Holly Springs, Miss., Aug. 4, and after marching to Waterford, Abbeville and Oxford,
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HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
and back to Holly Springs, arrived at Memphis the 30th. From Sept. 5 to Oct. 4 the regiment was on the move to Jefferson Barracks, De Soto, and other points, and from Oct. 2 to the 18th it was constantly marching to different points in Missouri. Oct. 25, it left St. Louis on transports for Nashville, and on arriving there immediately began the work of intrenching.
On the 15th of December the army moved out and attacked General Hood, driving him back three miles. The following day the action was continued, the final charge being made about four o'clock in the afternoon. In this action the "Thirty-second " capt- ured Borguchoud's battery of five guns, and fifty prisoners-losing one man killed and twenty-five wounded.
Undaunted courage was a virtue so common among the troops of our noble .State that it is no boast to say that the "Thirty- second " always fought bravely, skillfully and well, and while some may have acted with conspicuous gallantry, as the case with the Lieutenant-Colonel Edward H. Mix, who fell at his post, cheering and encouraging his command, and Captains Amos Miller, Hubert F. Preebles, Michael Ackerman and others who fell at Pleasant Hill, yet the highest compliment that history can pay them is to record the words of prisoners taken, " The men on the right took the fort," that perilous position being held by them. In conclu- sion we will say that the regiment even up to Jan. 1, 1865 had traveled 6,000 miles, 2,332 miles of the distance being on foot with the army. When mustered into the service it numbered 911 men. Its aggregate present for duty, Jan. 1, 1865, was 359; it received 277 recruits. It lost 83 men in battle, 177 by disease, 122 dis- charged, twenty-nine transferred. It was armed with Springfield rifles. Company G was mustered into the service of the United States at Camp Franklin, Dubuque, with an aggregate of eighty- three men, the officers being Charles A. L. Roszell, Captain; Charles A. Bannon, First Lieutenant; Daniel Haine, Second Lieu- tenant, who later on resigned. During the years it was out it received sixteen recruits. Lost eight men in battle, twenty by dis- ease, twelve discharged, one mustered out by promotion, two by transfer, and one by desertion. It was in all the marches, scouts, battles and skirmishes of this detachment and after the regiment was united at Vicksburg, March 4, 1864.
The regiment was mustered out of service, paid and disbanded at Clinton, Iowa, Aug. 24, 1865.
-484
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
FORTY-FOURTH INFANTRY.
COMPANY E. First Sergeant. Charles Kelly.
Privates.
CroweH, Silas W.
Buel, Henry A.
Higgins, Isaac S.
Clark, Jacob W.
FORTY-SEVENTH INFANTRY.
Privates.
Holcomb, Benjamin F. Otis, Eugene
Adams, Addison I.
Powers, James F.
Babcock, Francis
Sullivan, Alexander A.
Horace A. Gregory.
Fifth Corporal. Norman M. Wolcott.
The Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Regiments were known as 100-days' men, that being the term of service for which they were eulisted. They were assigned to gar- rison and guard duty, enabling the older soldiers to go forward to the fields of more active service. The 100-days' men, however, did as good service to the cause of the Union as those who took an active part in the most famous battles of the war.
FIRST CAVALRY.
COMPANY M. Third Sergeant. Edward A. Dunham.
Privates. Rose, Asa W.
Brown, John
FOURTH CAVALRY.
COMPANY B. Private. Fitch, Charles A. COMPANY G. Privates. Bagley, Orlando
Hammers, Sylvester
Daniel, Theodore Laird, Hugh B. Laird, John
COMPANY H.
McNabb, John R.
Privates.
Suttifo, Levi.
Baker, Joseph L.
SIXTH CAVALRY.
COMPANY B.
Third Corporal. George L. Gregory.
Fourth Corporal. Allen E. King, Privates. Barnes, Theodore P.
Gregory, James Judd, Philip.
SEVENTH CAVALRY.
O Hair, Michael.
COMPANY F. Fourth Sergeant. Alanson Hanchett.
COMPANY K. Privates. O Hair, John, Jr.
Whitney, Wilson
Gregory, Lewis W.
Hardiman, Noah W.
Willson, William.
COMPANY E. First Lieutenant. Van Renselaer Rider. Fourth Sergeant.
Franklin, Benjamin R.
485
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
NINTH CAVALRY.
COMPANY C. Private.
Fifth Sergeant.
Fluent, Joseph F.
Hubbard, George M.
Kellogg, John W.
Leavitt, Albert D.
Stoner, George W.
Turner, John W.
Veza, William H. Walker, Roswell
COMPANY L.
Benjamin F. Cheney. Third Sergeant.
Corby, Barney
Crumb, Charles B.
Private.
Elliott P. Rider.
Ellsworth, James
Bristo, Prier S.
Richard W. Montague was promoted from First Lieutenant of Company G to Captain; Benjamin F. Cheney, Commissary Ser- geant to Regimental Commissary; and Elliott P. Rider, Third Sergeant to Second Lieutenant.
NINTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY.
COMPANY I.
Private,
Young, Edward R.
THIRD BATTERY LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Quartermaster Sergeant. Orlo H. Lyon.
Fleenor, George F. Knapp, Jacob R.
Franklin, Charles R. Kundson, Gennerius
Fourth Sergeant.
Franklin, James
Mahoney; John W.
Charles J. Pixley.
Gifford, Henry D.
Pierce, Harrison
Privates.
Goble, Samuel C.
Pierce, William B.
Bentner, Barton
Hall, Jabez A.
Robbins, Eliphalet G.
Bradbury, John S.
Henderson, Wm. S. Robinson, Alva A.
Chapman, George W.
Hennerick, Bartholomew
Davidson, Francis E.
Knapp, Charles
DeWolf, Jay
Knapp, Jacob E.
Walker, William R. Wilcox, Joseph Yost, Jacob.
Cottrell, Andrew J. COMPANY G. First Lieutenant.
J. N. Montgomery. Fifth Corporal. Horace B. Ronie. Seventh Corporal. Allen S. Russell. Privates. Billings, Luther B.
Richard W. Montague. Commissary Sergeant.
Blunt, William
Geary, Johnson
Pearsons, Samuel P.
This battery was organized by Captain M. M. Hayden, under special authority from the Secretary of War, during the months of August and September, 1861, at Dubuque, under the name of the Dubuque Battery, and was attached to the Ninth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Wm. Vandever commanding. On the 3d of September, 1861, the first detachment of the battery was mustered in by Captain Washington, Wm. M. McClure, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, being mustered as First Lieutenant, under whose charge the detachment was placed in Camp Union, near Dubuque. The battery was speedily filled up by recruits, and on the 24th of the same month, the final muster-in as a battery took place, with the following chosen as officers: Captain, M. M. Hayden; Senior First Lieutenant, W. H. McClure; Junior First Lieutenant, M. C.Wright; Senior Second, W. H. Crozier; and Junior Second, Jerome Bradley. The battery with the Ninth Iowa Infantry left Camp Union on the
486
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
steamer "Canada, " Sept. 26, for St. Louis, arriving there the 30th. Went into Benton Barraeks, drew clothing, and commenced drill (foot) and discipline. Requisitions for guns, horses and harness were made, but the immense draft for all these articles, which was being made from every source, compelled them to wait until the first of December. The battery equipment consisted of four six- pounder bronze guns, and two twelve-pounder howitzers. They were thoroughly drilled until abont Jan. 25, when they moved by rail to Rolla, where they were assigned as a portion of the force to take the field, under Gen. Curtis, then about to move on Spring- field, Mo .. then the headquarters of the rebel force in Missouri. On the 28th they marched to Lebanon, a distance of sixty-five miles, then the rendezvous for Curtis' army. It was a six days' march, through rain, sleet, and mnd. At Lebanon they were brigaded with the Ninth Iowa Infantry, Twenty-fifth Missouri Infantry, and Third Illinois Cavalry, Colonel William Vandever commanding, and formed the Second Brigade, Fourth Division of the Army of the Southwest, Colonel E. A. Carr, Third Illinois Cavalry, commanding. A forward movement was commenced on the 9th of February, and on the 13th, Springfield, Mo., was reached, the enemy having evacuated his position on the 12th.
On the 14th commenced the famous race after Price; the weather was exceedingly cold for the season, but no allowance was made for this-on they pushed, making over twenty five miles per day. Every effort was made to force the enemy to halt and fight, but to no purpose. He seemed only intent upon escape, throwing every- thing away which would retard his progress-old wagons, lame horses and mules were by far too numerous along the road for anything save a race for life. Price, on reaching Sugar Creek, was strengthened by 3,000 Texas and Louisiana troops, under Ben. Mccullough, and thus was emboldened to make a stand. Upon our advance cavalry being repulsed, Vandever's brigade was ordered forward at "double-quick," and the "Third Battery " was pushed beyond the furthest point reached by the cavalry, where they were greeted by a terrible fire from a battery concealed in their front, and under this fire they went into battery and re- plied in the direction of the enemy, and suchi was the coolness of the gunners, and the deliberation with which they delivered their fire, that in less than thirty minutes not only was the loud-mouthed opponent forced to limber up and gallop off the field, but'also the cavalry and infantry, which had deployed on the right and front,
487
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
were taken with a sudden disgust of shot and shell, and betook themselves beyond reach before one of our infantry were able to get within musket range. This, the first engagement, was wit- nessed by Generals Curtis and Siegel, and many other officers who were on the ground, and the battery received their most unquali- fied approbation for the energetic and skillful management of its guns.
On the 4th of March, a portion of the brigade, with one sec. tion of the battery, under command of Lieut. Wright, the whole commanded by Colonel Vandever, started on a reconnoissance in the direction of Huntsville, Ark., distant some forty-five miles. Reach- ing this place and accomplishing the object of the expedition, it was about to start back for Cross Hollows, when news was received that it would only result in falling into the rebels' hands (they having been re-enforced by 10,000 men); and then commenced one of the hardest marches endured by any division during the war. They were forced to march through one of the roughest countries in the South, ford White River and make forty-seven miles in one day. The ford which they crossed was within seven miles of Cross Hollows, and while the little force was crossing, the entire rebel army, under Van Dorn and Price, was at the former place. The exhaustion of the march was so terrible, that scarcely one who escaped the destruction of the next two days' battle, but could be found in the hospital-many falling victims.
Early on the morning of the 7th, at Pea Ridge, skirmishing commenced on the extreme right, Vandever's brigade was hurried to the front, and instantly became engaged. Two sections of the battery went into action under fire of both infantry and artillery. Our division which went into the fight with less than 2,200 men, held their ground against nearly six times their number for over six hours, and not until over one-third of the entire division had been killed or wounded did the enemy, over 12,000 strong, suc- ceed in forcing the gallant Carr to retire. The suddenness of their final attack, with the meagerness of the support, compelled the leaving of two guns on the field, but not, however, until they were spiked, and every horse had been killed, and every man serving with them had been either killed or wounded.
The next day the "Third" participated in that engagement which terminated in the complete rout of the enemy, and his flight from the field. During the two days' encounter, the Third Bat- tery lost two men killed, two officers and fifteen men wounded,
4SS
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
twenty- three horses killed, three guns captured, and fired 1,200 rounds of ammunition, and received most complimentary notices in the official reports of Cols. Vandever and Carr, and also Brig. - Gen. Asbath's reports.
Three days after this most sanguinary conflict of the war, the army moved northward to Keithsville, where it remained till April 5, when it marched to Batesville, Independence County, Ark., arriving there about May 20. From there moved to Searcy, re- turning to Batesville about June 20. From here Gen. Curtis commenced his celebrated march to Helena, arriving there July 12, encountering most severe hardships on account of excessive heat and great scarcity of provisions. Remained there until Gen. Steele's expedition against Little Rock was organized, in August, 1863.
During the stay at Helena, the "Third " was a portion of the force in several expeditions, most prominent among which were Hovey's Mississippi expedition, November, 1862; Gorman's White River, January, 1863; and the Yazoo Pass E --- , March, 1863. In this latter the battery took an active part in the bombardment of Fort Pemberton. The army returned to Helena, April 8, and remained in camp until August.
The battery while there took a part in the defense of the town against the rebels under Price, Holmes and others, July 4, 1863, firing over 1,000 rounds. The " Third " took part in the capture of Little Rock, and also in the expedition of General Rice against Arkadelphia, in October, 1863.
In December '63, and January '64, the battery re-enlisted as vet- erans, under authority of the War Department, and in February the veterans of the organization, with the officers, were sent North on a furlough, from which they returned in May, receiving new guns and a complete outfit, as well as a large number of recruits.
At the expiration of the original term of service of the battery, Sept. 26, 1864, the non-veterans were sent North, where they, with Captain M. M. Hayden, were mustered out, Oct. 3.
The "Third " Veteran Battery was mustered out of United States service, paid and disbanded, at Davenport, Iowa, Oct. 23, 1S65.
During the fall of '62, this battery was the recipient of a splen- did stand of colors, consisting of a banner and guidon, -a present from the ladies of Milwaukee, Wis. They were made of the finest material, and bore upon their folds the names of the different en-
489
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
gagements in which the battery had participated. The banner bore upon one side the coat of arms of Wisconsin, and on the other that of Iowa. They were accompanied by a most touching ad- dress from the donors, referring in glorious terms to the conduct of the battery in every duty it had been called upon to perform, closing with a stirring appeal to protect the trust thus placed in their hands, and never to give up the struggle until the glorious colors should be honored throughout the length and breadth of the land. Coming as they did from the ladies of a sister State, the " boys " had just reason to feel proud of them, and now of their position in the State archives at Des Moines. "Unsullied they came there," is the record, and, " All did their duty nobly, and are de- serving of especial meution, but to mention particularly deserving ones would be to name all, as every man did his whole duty."
Floyd County was represented in the military service by officers as follows:
Benj. F. Cheney, Quartermaster, Ninth Cavalry.
Richard N. Montague, Captain, Ninth Cavalry.
Elliot P. Rider, Second.Lieutenant, Ninth Cavalry.
Orlo H. Lyon, Captain, Third Battery Light Artillery.
Robert G. Reiniger, Captain, Co. B, Seventh Regiment Iowa Infantry.
Samuel P. Fulsom, Captain, Co. B, Seventh Regiment Infantry.
Giles W. Mead, First Lieutenant, Co. B. Seventh Infantry.
Allen Adams, Second Lieutenant, Co. A, Twenty-First Regiment Infantry.
George P. Smith, Quartermaster, Twenty-Seventh Iowa Infantry.
Charles A. Slocum, Captain, Co. G, Twenty-Seventh Infantry.
Eugene S. Brown, First Lieutenant, Co. E, Twenty-Seventh Infantry. Van R. Rider, Second Lieutenant, Co. E, Forty-Seventh Infantry.
Some of the foregoing still reside in this county, and biograph- ical sketches of them appear elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Lyon's we give here.
Orlo Henry Lyon, banker at Rockford, and Captain of the Third Battery, Iowa Light Artillery, is descended from an old English family which early settled in Connecticut, and is a relative of Gen- eral Lyon, who perished in the battle of Wilson's Creek, Mo., in the summer of 1861. The parents of Orlo were Asa Lyon, a farmer by occupation, and Sarah Ann Skinner, and were living in Woodstock, Windham County, Connecticut, at the time of his birth, Jan. 20, 1835. Orlo remained on his father's farm until he was fourteen years of age; was educated in the academies at South Woodstock, Connecticut, and Dudley, Massachusetts; taught school one winter when sixteen; at seventeen entered a store at Thompson and clerked there and at Woodstock three or four years; in Feb-
490
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
ruary, 1856, came to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and resumed the same busi- ness; remained there about a year and a half, and in August, 1857, settled in Rockford. In company with J. S. Child he built a store, making the mortar with his own hands and acting as hod carrier, and the firm of Child & Lyon, dealers in general merchan- dise, continued about a dozen years. Mr. Child was elected County Treasurer, and for two years Mr. Lyon was alone in trade. Mr. Child's term of office having expired, the old firm continued about two years more.
During the second and third winters that Mr. Lyon was at Rock- ford, business being somewhat dull, after the crash of 1857, he taught school; one season at Rock Falls, the other at Rockford.
For eight years he was Postmaster. He was one of the editors and proprietors of the Reveille between two and three years and its sole proprietor one year, selling out in July, 1877. On the 1st of August of the same year he went into the banking business in company with Ralph C. Mathews, a son of the late R. N. Math- ews, of the former firm of Mathews & Son. For about fifteen years he has been an extensive farmer, and has three hundred acres under cultivation, operating in this branch mainly through renters.
In August, 1891, he enlisted as a private in the Third Iowa Battery, which at first was connected with the Ninth Infantry, but subsequently was by itself. He was in a large number of bat- tles, had his horse wounded two or three times, served four years and two or three months, and never was scarred, and was promoted
eight times, coming out as Captain. The Adjutant-General's report of the State of Iowa, made during the Rebellion, speaks of Captain Lyon's bravery and efficient operations during more than one engagement with the enemy. In the battle at Helena, Ark- ansas July 3, 1863, the Third Iowa Battery took quite a conspicuous part, Lieutenant Lyon during the entire engagement "encouraging his men to deeds of valor by his example." He had his horse wounded twice severely, though not fatally. The report of M. C. Wright, First Lieutenant, commanding Third Iowa Battery, states that Lieutenant Lyon, during the charge on Battery C, " changed the position of his six-pound gun to command the ravine running westward from the Catholic church, and by his fire contributed very materially in repulsing the enemy." The Shell Rock Valley furnished many brave soldiers during the civil war, none probably, braver than Captain Lyon.
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