USA > Iowa > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > 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 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
"Two Iowa three-year cavalry regiments were employed during their whole term of service in the operations that were in progress from 1863 to 1866 against the hostile Indians of the Western plains. A portion of these men were among the last of the volunteer troops mustered out of service. The state also supplied a considerable num- ber of men to the navy who took part in most of the naval operations prosecuted against the Confederate power on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and the rivers of the West.
"The people of Iowa were early and constant workers in the sanitary field, and by their liberal gifts and personal efforts for the benefit of the soldiery placed their state in the front rank of those who became distinguished for their exhibitions of patriotic benevo- lence during the period covered by the war. Agents appointed by the Governor were stationed at points convenient for rendering as- sistance to the sick and needy soldiers of the state, while others were employed in visiting from time to time hospitals, camps and armies in the field, and doing whatever the circumstances rendered pos- sible for the health and comfort of such of the Iowa soldiery as might be found there.
"At the beginning of the war the population of Iowa included about 150,000 men, presumably liable to military service. The state raised for general service thirty-nine regiments of infantry, nine regi- ments of cavalry and four companies of artillery, composed of three years' men, one regiment of infantry composed of one hundred days' men. The original enlistments in these various organizations, in- cluding 1,727 men raised by draft, numbered a little more than 69,000. The reenlistments, including upward of 7,000 veterans, numbered very nearly 8,000. The enlistments in the regular army and navy, and organizations of other states will, if added, raise
150
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
the total to upward of 80,000. The number of men who under special enlistments and as militia took part at different times in the: operations on the exposed borders of the state was probably as many as 5,000.
IOWA PAID NO BOUNTY
"Iowa paid no bounty on account of the men she placed in the- field. In some instances toward the close of the war, bounty to a comparatively small amount was paid by cities and towns. On only one occasion, that of the call of July 18, 1864, was a draft made in Iowa. This did not occur on account of her proper liability, as established by previous ruling of the War Department to supply men under that call, but grew out of the great necessity that there existed for raising men. The Government insisted on temporarily setting aside in part the former rule of settlements and enforcing a draft in all cases where sub-districts in any of the states should be found deficient in their supply of men. In no instance was Iowa, as a whole, found to be indebted to the general government for men on a settlement of her quota account."
FRANKLIN EAGER FOR THE FRAY
When the people of Hampton got word of the insult to the na- tional flag at Charleston, South Carolina, and realized that it meant war, an almost unanimous expression of condemnation was made manifest on the part of her citizens, and the many who came in from the farms and outlying districts to hear the news. Sym- pathizers with the South were scarce, although there were a few. They were so hopelessly in the minority, however, that any word or action on their part of a hostile nature was not disclosed to the patri- otic men and women, who were firm in their resolves to stand by the Union.
Hampton had at this time about 300 inhabitants; there were not over 1,200 in the county. The Record had been established by Stephen Jones, but the appearance of the paper was at long and un- certain intervals. Consequently, the historian has no local news- paper files of that epoch-making period to assist in bringing before his readers all the mass meetings held and the many patriotic ad- dresses that were called forth by the momentous occasion. Certain it is, taking one thing with another, there were meetings of the citi-
151
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
zens, who gave vent to their feelings in gesture and harangue. Fathers, sons and sweethearts were fired with zeal and enthusiasm and many enlisted as soon as their services could be accepted. The first of the patriots went into the Sixth Iowa Infantry, the next were assigned to the Fourteenth and two of the Reeve boys went into the Ninth. Then others joined the army as "the spirit moved" them, but when "Father Abraham" called for 300,000 men in 1862, the war fever took on an impetuous force and on a Saturday night an im- mense meeting was held at Maysville and on the following Monday night the citizens from far and near assembled at Hampton, to hear a deep-toned Union man from Iowa Falls speak for the cause. Judge Reeve and three other speakers held forth on this occasion and car- ried their audience with them in their verbal castigation of seces- sion and rebellion, and in their efforts to persuade all eligible per- sons to answer the call of the President in person on the battlefield. Judge Reeve was then a man in his forty-fifth year, strong, vigorous and an ardent lover of home and country. In his speech he told his auditors that he had abstracted a promise from the board of super- visors by which the county obligated itself to give every man who enlisted a bounty of $50; each man's wife $4 a month and each child under thirteen, $2 a month.
This statement, coming from so reliable a source, was all that was necessary; right there and then enough men enlisted to form a company and Judge Reeve was unanimously chosen its captain. With his men Captain Reeve was assigned to the Thirty-second Iowa Vol- unteer Infantry, and took the letter H. The organization saw much service and with the regiment went through the Red River cam- paign, was at Nashville where Hood was confronted and served its country until Lee surrendered in April, 1865. The gallant captain of Company H, Judge J. B. Reeve, succumbed to congestive fever while at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, and died there January 24, 1863.
In this connection has been compiled from the Adjutant-Gen- eral's report, the name of every soldier from Franklin county. If any are omitted it is not intentional, for great care has been exercised in the compilation, and none have more veneration for the brave soldier than the author of this volume. So far as it could be done, mistakes in spelling names have been corrected.
Franklin county was first represented in the Sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. The following is the record :
152
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
THIRD INFANTRY
Company G-Private, Orlando A. Lesh. Company E-William E. Conway.
SIXTH INFANTRY
Company C-Lieutenant, Hezekiah C. Clock; sergeants, Russell T. Knight, Curtis R. Boyles; corporals, James Carrn, Daniel J. Boyles; privates, John K. Addes, J. W. Brown, Charles F. Roberts, M. H. Ross, G. F. Scott, W. W. Scott, C. C. Shobe.
NINTH INFANTRY
Company I-Sergeant, E. H. Sporling; corporal, John G. Mitchell; privates, Amos H. Halstead, M. B. Jones, Herman C. Liggett, H. H. Mead, E. A. Miller, Fernando T. Reeve, Theodore H. Reeve, James H. Riddle.
TENTH INFANTRY
Company D-Corporal, James M. Paige.
TWELFTH INFANTRY
Company E-Privates, Hiram F. Coon, David Creighton, P. N. Hart, John C. Jones, Elias Moon.
SIXTEENTH INFANTRY
Company I-Private, George W. Soules.
THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY
Company H-Captains, James B. Reeve, Rufus S. Benson; first lieutenant, Orlando A. Lesh; second lieutenant, Rufus S. Benson (captain after January 24, 1863) ; sergeants, J. B. Nelson, Bartley Mechan, William Wood, John S. Love, B. H. Pound; corporals, John Nichols, Cyrus Wyatt, Alpheus Jones, G. S. Merriss, Joseph Ward, E. B. Criley, John B. Woodward, L. P. Berry, H. A. Clock, George W. Ross, W. S. Hausberry; musicians, Miles Birkett, L.
153
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
M. Stoddard, Elijah Jones; wagoner, Daniel E. Greeley; privates, D. C. Allen, C. M. Armstrong, John C. Avery, John D. Baker, Samuel Baker, William Ball, Washington Ballou, Cyrus Boyles, John H. Bradshaw, A. H. Bridgeman, Jacob Brooks, Hiram Brotherton, H. A. Brotherton, Charles Bullis, German Bullis, J. G. Bushyager, E. Caldwell, S. K. Capron, Oliver Clinesmith, Daniel W. Cole, Loren Collins, Henry Creighton, S. Creighton, E. W. Crosby, Levi Culver, George W. Fry, Isaac Grandon, D. L. Hart- grave, S. W. Hartwell, T. I. Herman, B. F. Horner, Jesse Horner, W. C. Horner, - Hubbert, G. L. Hunt, J. S. Hurd, W. N. In- graham, Alexander Jones, Alpheus Jones, Isaac Justus, Warren Kit- tell, R. A. Lord, Harrison McCord, Ira McCord, Reuben McVey, William Manifold, William May, John Mechan, Arba A. Merriss, W. R. C. Mitchell, Thomas Morris, J. C. Mulkins, Willard Mul- kins, John Murphy, J. G. Neff, Daniel M. North, J. W. North, Newton Penney, A. E. Phinney, C. F. Roberts, Solomon Robinson, George W. Ross, Clark Shobe, Morgan Shobe, Edmund Silence, Charles Smith, H. W. Smith, O. H. Tilghman, James Walker, John Whitesell, J. B. Woodward.
THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY
The companies forming the Thirty-second Infantry, Iowa Vol- unteers, were recruited in the counties composing the sixth con- gressional district, during the latter part of the summer and early fall of 1862. They rendezvoused at Camp Franklin, near Dubuque. Here, on October 6th, they were sworn into the service of the United States for three years. John Scott, of Story county, was colonel; E. H. Mix, of Butler county, lieutenant-colonel; G. A. Eberhart, of Black Hawk county, major; and Charles Aldrich, of Hamilton county, adjutant. Here it remained under drill and discipline until about the middle of the following month. The barracks at Camp Franklin were uncomfortable in cold weather, of which, unhappily, there was much about this time. Measles of a malignant type broke out in camp, the exposed condition of which, the unfavorable weather and the want of sufficient clothing conspiring to make the disease unusually fatal.
From the 14th to the 18th of November, the regiment, number- ing about 920, embarked by detachments for St. Louis, reporting there on the 21st, and going into quarters at Benton Barracks. Here it remained a few days, when, under orders from Major-General Vol. I-10
154
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
Curtis, six companies under Colonel Scott proceeded to New Mad- rid, Missouri, and the remaining four companies, under Major Eberhart, went no further down the river than Cape Girardeau. The separation of the regiment thus effected on the last day of the autumn of 1862, continued until the spring of 1864. It was a prolific cause of annoyance and extraordinary labor. The details required of a regiment were frequently demanded from each of these com- mands. Stores sent to the regiment would sometimes go to the de- tachment, sometimes to headquarters, when they should have gone just the other way. The mails were in an interminable tangle. The companies at headquarters were B, C, E, H, I and K. The com- panies under Major Eberhart were A, D, F and G.
The history of the regiment during this long period of separa- tion must necessarily be twofold. It will not be improper to write first, an account of the detachment under the command of Major Eberhart.
In obedience to the order of General Curtis, they proceeded to Cape Girardeau and the major assumed command of that post on the Ist of December, 1862. The garrison consisted of these com- panies and one company of the Second Missouri Heavy Artillery. Here they remained during the winter, performing provost and gar- rison duties. On the 10th of March the garrison was reinforced by the First Nebraska Volunteers, and preparations commenced for a march into the interior. On March 14th Major Eberhart marched his detachment to Bloomfield, accompanying a regiment of Wis- consin Cavalry and a battery of Missouri Artillery, where they re- mained till the 21st of April, when they moved to Dallas, forty-six miles northward. The march was by a circuitous route, requiring sixty miles travel.
The rebel, General Marmaduke, now threatened Cape Girardeau with a considerable army. He himself was at Fredericktown, north- west of Dallas, while another army was coming up the Bloomfield road. General McNeil, commanding the Union forces, marched at once to Cape Girardeau, by Jackson. The detachment of the Thirty- second guarding the train, marched from Dallas to Jackson, a dis- tance of twenty-two miles, in less than six hours, and reached Cape Girardeau on the evening of the 24th. The next day, Marmaduke, with a force of 8,000 men, invested the place. At ten o'clock at night he sent in a flag of truce, with a demand of unconditional sur- render, giving the Union commander thirty minutes for decision. General McNeil, by Colonel Strachan, who received the truce, sent
155
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
back a flat refusal in one minute and politely requested a credit of twenty-nine minutes by General Marmaduke. The attack, how- ever, was not commenced until Sunday morning, the 26th, at ten o'clock, when the rebels retired with considerable loss, just as Gen- eral Vandever came down the river with reinforcements for the gar- rison. In this combat, Major Eberhart's command was posted on the right, in support of a section of Meltfly's. Its loss was but one man, captured on picket. . On the 28th, the detachment of the Thirty- second was ordered to Bloomfield. Leaving Cape Girardeau at five o'clock in the afternoon, it marched fifty miles by dark the next evening and went into camp near Castor river. Completing the bridge over this stream, it returned to the Cape, reaching that post on the 5th of May. Here it remained on garrison duty till the 11th of July, when it again marched for Bloomfield. Having remained there a few days at work on the fortifications, it was attached to the Reserve Brigade, First Cavalry Division, Department of the Mis- souri, and on the 19th started on the memorable march which ended with the capture of Little Rock, Arkansas.
The command reached Clarendon on the 8th of August. Early on the morning of the 13th the detachment started up White river. The expedition lasted three days and was quite a brilliant success. The fleet went up the White river to the mouth of the Little Red river and then proceeded up that stream to the town of Searcy, where two steamers were captured and a pontoon bridge destroyed. When ten miles below Searcy on the return, the fleet was attacked by 300 rebels, who directed their principal fire on the prize "Kaskaskia," which was manned by half of Company D, under Lieut. William D. Templin. The steamer was near the shore from which the attack was directed, but made a gallant defense. The rebels were driven off with a loss of more than twenty killed. The loss in Com- pany D was one killed and five wounded. Before reaching White river, the fleet was again attacked, but the assailants were quickly driven off, with loss, and without any casualty on board. Large quantities of public property were destroyed and a number of pris- oners captured during the expedition. In the heavy skirmish at Bayou Metaire, on the 27th, the detachment was engaged, losing one killed and two wounded.
The day the command reached Dead Man's lake, the scorching heat of that day, the parched ground marched over, the air at times filled with the flying dust, is one not easily to be forgotten. The stagnant pond bearing that name was covered with green scum, yet
156
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
the men, burning with thirst, plunged in and drank greedily of the filthy water.
The two trips from Duval's Bluffs to Brownsville, as guard to the cavalry train, were trips of hard marching in hot weather and of suffering for water for man and beast, and from heat and dust. The sick on this march certainly received no extra care, at first shipped to Helena, and then to Clarendon, on White river.
About the 21st of August, a small steamer, a stern-wheeler, sailed up the White river, loaded with sick and convalescent soldiers. It was one of the hottest of August days in this climate, when she ran from Clarendon to Duval's Bluff, forty-five miles, in four hours. Not a spot on that boat, from the border deck to the hurricane deck, but was covered by a sick man. Sick men were piled away on that hurricane deck in broiling sun, wherever a man could be laid. Is it any wonder on that run of about four hours, twenty-six men died on that boat ?- one of them a corporal of Company G-Carter.
On the 26th day of August there was another march of that twenty-six miles across those prairies of Prairie county, Arkansas. About eleven o'clock that night the men filed into the little court- house yard at Brownsville. Just as they filed in, General Davidson stepped to the fence and said: "Boys, lie down quickly and take some rest, for I will need you at an early hour." Then turning to another officer, he said : "These brave boys have marched five hun- dred miles and kept up with my cavalry." By three o'clock the next morning they were astir ; at four o'clock were in line and on the move. A march of nine miles brought them to the rebel outposts, skirmish- ing three and a half hours to the brow of the hill, and after maneuver- ing, etc., half a mile to the bank of the Bayou Metaire. The whole movement during the day was only a bushwhacking affair. In the evening they fell back to the top of the hill to support a battery. There dark found them. The battery and all other troops had left. One de- tachment alone was on the field, with the rebels closing around them, when they withdrew and fell back that night to a corn field near Brownsville; and about one o'clock at night at the word halt, the boys dropped on the ground and lay down between corn rows. No align- ment encampment was made. The night was dark, as dense black clouds overspread the sky, and soon the rain came down in torrents, but there the boys lay. What else could they do? About nine o'clock in the morning it broke away, but oh, the mud, mud! We had no rations but soon found a patch of sweet potatoes and had a sweet potato breakfast.
157
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
The detachment remained two days in camp in the timber near, and then moved to the old cavalry camp north of town, where the sick boys had been kept in a double log house on the edge of the prairie, and at a little grove of a few scattering oaks, and near a pond of stagnant water.
On the 3Ist of August, 1863, the day was very hot, and hence the train was ordered to go through to Duval's Bluff in the night. All the detachment was ordered to go as guard. The whole detachment able to go was ordered on the trip. Only forty men could be raised and some twelve or fifteen of them were unable to march, but were ordered to go, as they could be piled on the wagons and could use their guns in case of an attack. This was a serious camp ground to the detachment. A few days and not a well man was in that camp, and not many men able to care for the sick. It had been used as a cavalry camp until the very ground was crawling with filth. Every nook and corner of the old house, every spot on the floor, porch and hall, was covered with a sick man. Everything that could be done under the circumstances was done for the sick by those who could do. But they were in advance of the main army and supplies. No sanitary or sutler supplies had reached them, and much of the ordi- nary soldier's fare was unfit for use. Much of the hard-tack had too much life.
On the 6th of October occurred the first death. Then William A. Spurlin, one of the brightest and best of young men, was laid in a humble soldier's grave. On the 8th he was followed by Henry Cantonwine. On that day the regiment moved to another camp south of town, in a nice little grove. One day's rest there, and the com- mand was ordered to Little Rock. The sick were brought and laid down on the sand in the hot sun before the old log tavern hospital. That very sand was crawling with graybacks. As the command moved away, George Macy lay on a cot under a little tree, dying, and soon another of the young men of the Thirty-second, Wilson Bond, was added to that group of humble graves. There four young men of this company were laid, side by side.
Every spot in that old log tavern that could be occupied was covered by a sick man. How many of those brave boys were buried in that little graveyard was never known.
On the removal of the detachment to Little Rock, it was relieved for a time from all guard or other duty, except the care of its own sick, by order of General Davidson, adding that the care of its own sick in camp was all that it was able to do. But death had then
158
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
fastened its cold icy hand upon a number of boys. Calvin M. Sayre, John L. Sayre, Jesse Shultz, Nathan R. Austin and Ira G. Christian were soon numbered with the dead. Little Rock proved to be a very healthy place, and while there the company, considering its reduced condition, improved very rapidly. It may not be generally known that that Arkansas expedition of General Steele's was one of the most destructive of life of any campaign of the war. Steele started with 1,200 men; he received reinforcements of at least three brigades, making at least 15,000 effective men. One hundred men would cover all his loss in killed and wounded, and yet by the time he had possession of Little Rock and was settled down to his gam- bling and horse racing, he had barely 5, 100 effective men fit for duty. Of General Steele it can be said that he had no sympathy in common with the Union soldiers, save his opposition to the abstract idea of secession.
General McPherson, medical director, afterwards at Vicksburg, said that the sending of the four companies through on that cam- paign to keep up with the cavalry was a burning shame, one of the outrages of the war, and no wonder that the men were used up. They remained at Little Rock until the middle of October, when the regiment moved to Benton, twenty-five miles distant. It re- turned to Little Rock, where it remained until January, 1864, and then started for Memphis, which place it reached on the 5th of Feb- ruary. Here it was ordered to report to Brig .- Gen. A. J. Smith, at Vicksburg. It reached Vicksburg on the 9th and remained there till the 27th, when it marched out to Black river to await the army on its return from the interior.
Meanwhile, Colonel Scott established his headquarters at New Madrid and assumed command of the post. On the 17th of Decem- ber, 1862, he sent out a detachment of one hundred men, under Captain Peebles, who went as far as the St. Francis river, bringing back several prisoners, much public property and valuable information.
On the 28th of December, Colonel Scott destroyed the public prop- erty and evacuated New Madrid, by order of General Davies, after which he proceeded to Fort Pillow, reaching that place on the 29th. They remained at Fort Pillow for nearly six months, in the per- formance of garrison duty. The command embarked for Colum- bus, Kentucky, on the 17th and 18th of June, 1863, in detachments, and went into camp there on the 19th, and there the regimental head- quarters remained for more than seven months, Colonel Scott being most of the time in command of the post.
159
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
On July 10th, Union City, in Tennessee, was captured by the rebels. The command hastened to that place but arrived too late to find the enemy, but buried the dead and cared for the wounded and returned. The command was soon afterward again divided into fractions. Companies B and I, under command of Captain Miller, alone remained at regimental headquarters; Company C was at- tached to the Fourth Missouri Cavalry; Company E was placed at Fort Quinby, not far from Columbus, while Companies H and K, Captain Benson commanding, proceeded down the river to Island No. 10. From this time forth, until January, 1864, the history of each of these detachments, except that of Company C, is devoid of remarkable events. This detachment was most actively employed during most of this period and the labors of officers and men were arduous in the extreme. They scouted a wide extent of country in- fested by guerrillas, marched often a considerable distance from Columbus, going out in all kinds of weather, by night as often as by day. They braved many perils and endured many hardships.
In the month of January, 1864, these six companies were brought together, and soon embarked for Vicksburg, where they were assigned to the Second Brigade. Perhaps there was not a single organization in the whole army under Major General Sherman that so gladly commenced that singular campaign as the command under Colonel Scott. If the battalion left Vicksburg joyfully, its return was still more joyful, for here were found Major Eberhart and his four companies, and the whole regiment was together for the first time since November, 1862. The reunion brought great satisfaction to officers and men. Shortly after the reunion of the regiment it was ordered to the department of the gulf, and there accompanied the disastrous Red River expedition.
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.