USA > Iowa > Hardin County > History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 53
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A few days after organization the regi- ment moved to St. Louis, and went into quarters there for drill and discipline, at Benton Barracks. The men composing this fine command were remarkable for their vigorous, manly appearance. But during the winter 1861-2, and especially the months of December and January, the regiment was sadly afflicted with sickness, being scourged at the same time with two dreadful diseases - measles and pneu- monia. At one time half of the men were sick, and during this time about seventy- five members of the regiment died, among them Captain Tupper, of Company G.
Having endured the discomforts of these notorious barracks about two months, the regiment moved by rail to Cairo, and thence to Smithland, Kentucky, where it remained a short time, then joined the army under General Grant, which was about to move upon the enemy's works in Tennessee. The regiment was present at the capture of Fort Henry, February 6,
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
1862, and suffered severely from the ex- treme, severe weather.
On the 12th the regiment marched from Fort Henry to the neighborhood of Fort Donelson, and on the morning of the next day took position on the left wing of the investing army, being on the left flank of the second brigade on the left of the Union lines, a position which turned out to be one both of danger and of honor. In the sufferings, and contests and final glorious success of the wonderful victory of Fort Donelson, the Twelfth bore its part man- fully, and at once won a high reputa- tion among the citizens of Iowa and other States, who read the thrilling details of General Grant's first success. The regi- ment remained on the field, taking needed rest and recuperating from the effects of the short but arduous campaign.
At the conclusion of this period of rest, the campaign of Shiloh was opened. The Twelfth took steamers on the Tennessee river, proceeded to Pittsburg Landing, where they went into camp about a mile from the hamlet.
At the battle of Shiloh, which took place on the 6th and 7th days of April, 1862, the Eighth, the Twelfth and the Four- teenth Iowa Volunteers composed four- fifths of that little band which held back ten times their force of rebels, long after all support had fallen away from their right and left, fighting after the last hope of saving themselves had gone, and by sacrificing themselves, saving the army of the Union till Buell and night had come. As the sun was setting on the army they had saved, these gallent men threw down their guns and surrendered prisoners of war. They had fought all day without
flinching, but it made the blood run cold in.the veins of the stoutest bearted to see many of their comrades shot down after they had surrendered, and some of them so long after the surrender that ignorance of the fact could not have been pleaded in excuse of the foul atrocity.
The prisoners were marched five miles to the rear, and spent the stormy night in a corn-field. The next day they marched to Corinth, thence by rail to Memphis, and from there soon afterwards to Mobile, Ala: The officers of the rank of Captain and above were sent by steamer to Selma. The Lieutenants and men were taken to various places in Alabama, and confined in loathsome prisons. About half of the men of the Twelfth were released during the month of May, and sent to parole camp, Benton Barracks, Missouri. The rest suffered the hardships and privations of imprisonment during the summer and fall. The officers remained in Selma three months, then were taken to Atlanta for a short time, when they proceeded to Madison, where they were joined by the officers who had been separated from them, where they remained till the 7th of November. They were then sent back to Libby Prison, Richmond, and were paroled on the 13th at Aiken's Landing. The enlisted men were paroled on the 20th at the same place, and all went to the parole camp at Annapolis, Md., and thence to St. Louis. During this period, officers and men suffered worse than had been known up to that time among civilized people, from the effects of harsh treatment. Many died in prison, and many more died afterwards from the effects of their prison life, while many others were compelled to
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
quit the service because they had been rendered unfit ever to perform its duties About one hundred and fifty members of the Twelfth-men who had been in hos- pital, or for other cause were not present at the battle of Shiloh, or had escaped from imprisonment - were performing active duties in the field, in the "Union Brigade."
The Union Brigade-which was, in fact, rather a consolidated regiment than a brigade-was disbanded, resolved into its original elements. Those parts of it be- longing to Iowa regiments went to Daven- port and remained there during the winter of 1862-3, the members of the Twelfth rejoining the regiment about the 1st of April, when it was reorganized. The paroled men had been declared exchanged on the Ist of January, 1863, and about a week afterward went to Rolla to protect that place against a threatened raid by Marmaduke, but returned to camp without having a fight. They spent the time be- tween that and the spring campaign at St. Louis.
In this campaign the Eighth, Twelfth and Thirty-fifth Iowa regiments formed the Third Brigade, Third Division, Fif- teenth Army Corps, and moved from Duck- port, Louisiana, on the 2d of May, to take Jackson, and then Vicksburg in the rear. The regiment participated in the marches and combats under General Sherman throughout the campaign, which resulted in placing the Union army around Vicks- burg in regular siege. On the 23d of May the brigade to which the Twelfth belonged, took position in the front line about a mile to the right of Fort Hill, and there remained, taking full part in the siege
about one month, when it marched sixteen miles to the rear of Vicksburg, with the Army of Observation under General Sher- man. When, Vicksburg having fallen, the Expeditionary Army on the next day moved out after the rebel, General John- son, the Twelfth Iowa marched with it, and took part in all its operations. On the 20th of July they again turned their faces toward Vicksburg, and three days afterwards went into camp on Bear creek, fifteen miles east of the city, where they remained encamped on a fine plantation until the 10th of the following October, having only light picket duties to perform. On the 10th of October the regiment went with other troops in the direction of Can- ton and had a slight skirmish at Browns- ville, with no material loss. to either side. The command returned and pitched tents eight miles in rear of Vicksburg, and remained there till the 10th of November.
Having been ordered to report to General Hurlburt, the regiment marched to Vicks- burg, and proceeded thence by steamer to Memphis, which place they reached about the middle of the month. In two or three days they moved on to Chewalla. Lieu- tenant-Colonel Stibbs took command of the post, and his regiment had charge of the railroad, as guard, for four miles east, and the same west of Chewalla. Here the regiment remained until near the close of January, 1864.
When, on the 28th of January, the Mem- phis and Charleston Railway was ordered evacuated, the Twelfth moved thereon to its western terminus, and was there assigned again to the Vicksburg campaign to go with General Sherman on the great Me- ridian raid. The division was delayed on
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
the river; and when it reached Vicksburg, General Sherman's column had been some time on the forward march. On this ac- count, the division was ordered to encamp near the Big Black river, and go forward with supplies when they should be ordered. The supplies were not ordered, for General Sherman returned from the raid early in March, having levied upon the country through which he passed, for all the sup- plies he needed.
On the 4th of January, while at Che- walla, the regiment had mustered as a veteran organization all the men present with the command. except about twenty, though there were others, not present, who did not re-enlist, having re-enlisted-"a larger proportion," says Lieutenant-Col- onel Stibbs, "than in any other regiment from the State. There being no pressing need of men in the field, they were ordered home for a thirty days' furlough. The regiment reported for duty at Davenport, on the 25th of April, and reached Mem- ยท phis on the 2d of May, and, on that after- noon, arms, accoutrements and camp equip- age were immediately drawn, and five companies marched out on picket the same night. The regiment pitched tents just outside the limits of the city.
The brigade to which the Twelfth regi- inent was attached, embraced now only one other Iowa regiment-the Thirty-fifth; the Eighth being ordered to remain at Mem- phis, as provost guard of the city, the Seventh Minnesota taking its place in the brigade, Colonel Woods commanding.
Early in June, the command was ordered to LaGrange, Tenn., repairing the railroad on the way, so that it might be useful as a line of communication to General Smith,
about to commence offensive operations against the rebel troopers, Forrest and Lee, in Central Mississippi.
On the 5th of July the army right- wheeled from the railroad, and, marching by Ripley and Pontotoc, reached the vi- cinity of Tupelo in about one week, where there was fighting much of the time, day and night, on the. 12th, 13th and 14th of July. On the 12th, the Twelfth regiment, being at the time guard of the train, was attacked by a brigade of rebels, eager for victory and plunder, and thinking both could be easily gained from the inferior force opposed to them. But never were men more mistaken. The regiment stood like a wall, from which the charge of the troopers rebounded as though springing from a consuming conflagration. No small force repelled a large force more bravely or more completely during the whole war. In the subsequent fighting of this brilliant campaign, wherein the rebels were thor- oughly defeated and routed, the regiment bore a prominent part, fighting all the time with marked gallantry and efficiency, losing heavily in killed and wounded, and, at the close of the extended contest, receiving the special commendation of the General commanding the army.
The regiment returned to Memphis on the 24th of July, and there had a week's rest after active operations in the field, which might have entitled it to more, had the men wanted it.
On the Ist of August, the command started on another raid, moving by rail to Lumkin's Mills, and from whence it marched to Holly Springs, of which post Lieutenant-Colonel Stibbs took command, with the Twelfth regiment on duty there.
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Here, Companies A. and F., which had been on detached service at the mouth of White river, rejoined the regiment on the 10th. The value of this detachment at this post had been very great to the Union. In consequence of which the rebels deter- mined to attack the post and defeat and capture the garrison. Captain Hunter, in command, had ordered the building of a strong stockade at the post, but it was not completed when he received intelligence which led him to believe he would soon be attacked. The whole force was put to work on the stockade, on the 4th of June, and kept at work till midnight. At three o'clock, the next morning, they were at- tacked by Marmaduke's men, numbering nearly four hundred, under command of a Colonel. The two companies of the Twelfth numbered just forty-seven mus- kets. So sudden was the attack, that the men did not have time to dress themselves after the alarm was given, before the enemy was upon them. They sprang at once to arms, and fought in uniform which the wags called "shirt-tail regalia." The enemy delivered the attack with great spirit and determination, and a number of them, by a bold dash, gained the stockade on one side. Their success here would have resulted in the complete defeat of the garrison, but for one of those splendid acts of heroism, for which brave men in the olden times were apotheosized. Sergeant Isaac Cottle and Corporal George D. Hunter, of Company F., armed with re- volvers, rushed out of the stockade and boldly attacked the rebels who had gained the works, firing rapidly, and making every shot tell. The enemy, no doubt thinking the sallying party embraced a considerable
force, fled in confusion, but a random shot killed Corporal Hunter on the spot, and another wounded Sergeant Cottle, so that he died three weeks afterward. In three- quarters of an hour after the attack com- menced, the rebels were repulsed in indis- criminate rout, with a loss of over fifty in killed, wounded and prisoners, the com- manding officer being among the killed. Their dead and wounded were left on the field. Besides Hunter and Cottle, the loss of the garrison was four wounded.
The detachment was joyously welcomed back to the regiment in its camp at Holly Springs. The regiment returned to Memphis near the close of August.
On the first of September, intelligence was received that the rebels were block- ading White river in Arkansas,and threaten- ing communication with Little Rock and other posts held by our forces. General Mower was ordered to raise the blockade with his divison of troops. He embarked on steamers the same day, and sailing down the Mississippi and up the White river to Duvall's Bluff, without meeting the enemy, marched to Brownsville, and- here learned Price had gone north. He was ordered to pursue. Leaving Browns- ville on the 17th, with ten day's damaged rations, he marched by Searcy, Jackson- port and Pocahontas, Arkansas, and Poplar Bluffs, Greenville and Jackson, Missouri to Cape Girardeau, a distance of three hundred and fifty miles in nineteen days, reaching the Cape on the 5th of October. Rain, mud, swamps, rivers and short rations-these were the obstructions in the way of this remarkable march. As an evidence of its severity, it may be stated that when the Twelfth Iowa, numbering
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
two hundred and fifty rank and file, reached Cape Girardeau, five officers and one hundred and one men were in their bare feet. Other regiments were in simi- lar conditions, and perhaps there was not an officer or man in the column, who could have made a respectable appearance on dress parade.
On the 6th, the command embarked on steamers and went to St. Louis, remaining there only long enough to be supplied with clothing and necessary equipage. The troops were ordered to join General A. J. Smith in the pursuit of Price. The Twelfth went by steamer to Jefferson City, arriving there October 19th, and going the same day to Smithton. From this time until the.27th, it was with the army in hot pursuit of Price, most of the time near the enemy, but unable to overtake him, as he would not or could not, stand long enough against our cavalry for the infantry to come up. On the 30th, the counter- march commenced, and on the 15th of November, the regiment reached St Louis, where Colonel Woods and the non-veterans were mustered out, their time having expired.
Having been ordered to join General Thomas at Nashville, the regiment arrived at that place on the Ist of December , and at once went into position two miles south of the city. It fought with a gal- lantry, especially on the battle field of the 15th and 16th, and bore its share during the siege against the capitol. The good behavior of the men on this glorious field received warm commendations in the offi- cial reports of both brigade and divison commanders, which were all the more valuable, from the fact that there was not a
commissioned officer in the line. The companies were commanded by Sergeants and Corporals. During the fight the regi- . ment captured two flags from the enemy, for which Luther Kaltenbach, Company F, and private Andrew J. Sloan of Com- pany H, were presented with medals by the Secretary of War.
. In pursuit of Hood, the Twelfth pro- ceeded to Eastport, Miss., arriving there on the 7th of January, 1865. Here, it assisted in building quarters and extensive fortifications, and then betook itself to a vigorous and well-earned rest after its active seven months' campaign.
About the middle of February, the Twelfth left Eastport for New Orleans, and there embarked, with the forces under Major-General Canby, on the expedition against Mobile, which resulted so trium- phantly to our arms. The regiment was in the front line of battle, on the morning of the 27th of March, when the army ad- vanced against Spanish Fort. During most of the time of the siege-a period of thirteen days and nights-it was exposed to all kinds of missles, from the minnie- ball and hard grenade up to the hundred- pound shell. Notwithstanding the tre- mendous cannonading by guns of both beavy and light calibre, not a man was killed, and only eight wounded. The enemy evacuated on the night of the 8th of April, and our army entered Mobile in triumph on the following day. From here they marched to Montgomery, distant 175 miles, where they remained one week, and then marched to Selma, where intelligence was received of the surrender of Lee, and the assassination of the President, in the hour of the Nation's triumph and gladness.
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
431
Intelligence of the surrender of Johnson was also soon received, which event having practically closed the war, the active op- erations of the regiment were forever ended.
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY. (Unassigned.)
McLearn, Robert F., Robinson, L. G., Morrill, Gideon L., Shumway, Henry R.
SIXTEENTH INFANTRY.
VETERANS.
COMPANY C.
Hammer, Joseph,
Weeks, Calvin.
EIGHTEENTH INFANTRY.
COMPANY K. David Lee.
TWENTY-THIRD INFANTRY. John Hall.
THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY.
FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS.
Drum-Major-Lucian M. Stoddard. Fife-Major-Benjamin G. Scott.
COMPANY A. Captain : Michael Akerman.
First Lieutenant : Allen Greer.
Second Lieutenant : Joseph P. Airy.
Sergeants :
John N. Maxwell, Andrew J. Ripley, Amos Doan.
Corporals :
Elijah Rodgers,
John S. Quiggle,
William P. Hiserott, Thomas S. Hoskins, John S. Kersey. Wagoner : John Courtney.
Privates :
Akerman, Michael, Smith, Henry,
Burns, Patrick,
Smith, Andrew,
Basham, John,
Stunblock, Derk H.,
Coutant, William H., Smith, Enna,
Canon, Thomas M.,
Southard, William R.,
Dyer, Winthrop, Smith, Daniel H.,
Danger, Louis,
Shafer, William T.,
Downs, John, Tjaden, Stephen,
Hoskins, John, Townsend, Cyrus M.,
Little, Ezra H., Taylor, Luther N.,
Lathrop, Warren D.,
Ward, John W. .
Sweeden, George,
ADDITIONAL ENLISTMENTS.
Thomas Downs.
COMPANY D.
John W. Benson.
COMPANY F.
Captains :
Joseph Edgington,
Lucian E. Campbell.
First Lieutenants :
John Devine,
Ezekiel Killgore.
Second Lieutenant : Lucius E. Campbell.
Sergeants :
Ezekiel Kilgore,
Oscar D. Boyer,
James Underwood,
J. Mitchell Boyd,
Charles Lane.
Corporals :
Solon F. Benson,
Calvin M. Sayer,
Andrew J. Hadden,
Alanson F. Wood,
Astin M. Caldwell,
Ira G. Wing,
Augustus Mitterer,
John W. Holmes,
Francis M. Foster.
432 HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
Musicians :
Chauncey D. Todd, George Macy.
Wagoner : Ira D. Christian.
Privates :
Austin, Nathan R.,
Massman, Samuel,
Austin, Enoch C.,
Millslagle, Thomas,
Aiken, DeWitt,
Millslagle, Robert,
Ash, Japheth P.,
Maultsby, Martin V. B.,
Barrett, James,
Button, Loren,
Bowers, William J.,
Boyd, Wilson,
Macy, Isaac H., Meyers, John R., McIntosh, William W., Modlin. Nathan, Nutt, William,
Christy, Thomas A.,
Currier, Theodore B.,
Nelson, George B., Perdue, Thomas,
Cantonwine, H. D., Cundert, Abraham,
Rickard, Adam L.,
Cox, John M.,
Reed, James,
Demander, George, Estabrook, A. J.,
Rinehart, John, Rook, James,
Edgerton, Herbert J.,
Rogers, Ezra D., Royal. James, Sayre, John L.,
Fleming, James, Fleming, Charles, Foster, Francis M., Griffin, Loyal,
Griffin, Robert,
Gordon, James C.,
Hiday, Joseph W.,
Hartinger, James, House, Jason,
Sperlin, George, Sellers, Davis, Schultz, Jesse,
Hayden, Elijah,
Harlan, Hanson H.,
Howland, Marvin W., Leary, John,
Lacock, Thomas,
Lane, Zephaniah, Latham, William H.,
Lepley, George,
Lepley, William,
Leach, James T.,
Moon, Aley,
Sawyer, William H., Todd, Chauncey D., Underwood, Jonas R., Valentine, David S., Valentine, James H., Weiland, Sebastian L., Woodard, Samuel M., Wilson, Joseph A., Wickham, Timothy, Wickham, William O., Winans, George,
ADDITIONAL ENLISTMENTS.
Bond, Thomas C.,
Park, Asher W., Baumgardner, Nathan, Pierce, Moses,
Champlin, William R., Scott, Chandler W.,
Coombs, Edwin F., Wells, Simeon B.,
Giles, Edgar A., Wardwell, Reuben L.,
Martin, Samuel S., Wright, William H.,
Murphy, Robert H., Yaw, Marcellus.
COMPANY H.
Corporal : Cyrus Wyatt.
Privates : Demander, Nelson S., Loveland, Joseph M., Lee, Asa R., Wells, Joseph M.
THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY.
The companies forming the Thirty- second Infantry, Iowa Volunteers, were recruited in the counties composing the Sixth Congressional District, during the latter part of the summer and early fall of 1862. They rendezvoused at Camp Franklin, near Dubuque. Here, on Octo- ber 6th, they were sworn into the service of the United States for three years; John Scott, of Story county, being Colonel; E. H. Mix, of Butler, Lieutenant-Colonel; G. A.Eberhart,of Black Hawk, Major; Charles Aldrich, of Hamilton, Adjutant. Here it remained under drill and discipline till about the middle of the following month. The barracks at Camp Franklin were un- comfortable 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 Novem- ber, the regiment, numbering about 920, embarked by detachments for St. Louis, reporting there on the 21st, and going into quarters at Benton Barracks. Here
-
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Snider, John, Sumner, Jared W., Sperlin, Levi, Sperlin, William H.,
-
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
it remained a few days, when, under orders from Major-General Curtis, six companies under Colonel Scott proceeded to New Madrid, Missouri, and the remaining four companies, under Major Eberhart, went no further down the river than Cape Girar- dean. 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 commands; stores sent to the regiment would sometimes go to the detachment, sometimes to head - quarters, when they should have gone just the other way; the mails were in an interminable tangle. The companies at head quarters were: Company B, Company C, Company E, Company H, Company I and Com- pany K. The companies under Major Eberhart were, A, D, F, and G.
The history of the regiment during this long period of separation must necessarily be two-fold. It will not be improper to write first, an account of the detachment under 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 1st of December, 1862. The garrison consisted of these companies, and one company of the Second Missouri Heavy Artillery. Here they remained during the winter, performing provost and garrison duties. On the 10th of March the garrison was re-enforced by the First Nebraska Volunteers, and preparations commenced for a march into the interior. On March 14th Major Eberhart marched his detachment to Bloomfield, accompany-
ing a regiment of Wisconsin cavalry, and a battery of Missouri artillery, where they remained till the 21st of April, when they. moved to Dallas, forty-six miles north ward. The march was by a circuitous route, re- quiring sixty miles travel.
The rebel General Marmaduke, now threatened Cape Girardeau with a consid- erable army. He himself was at Freder- icktown, northwest of Dallas, while another was coming up the Bloomfield road. Gen- eral McNeil, commanding the Union forces, marched at once to Cape Girardeau, by Jack- son. The detachment of the Thirty-second, guarding the train, marched from Dallas to Jackson, a distance of twenty-two miles, in less than six hours, and reached Cape Gir- ardeau on the evening of the 24th. The next day Marmaduke, with a force of 8,000 men, invested the place. At 10 o'clock at night he sent in a flag of truce, with a de- mand of unconditional surrender, giving the Union commander thirty minutes for decision . General McNeil, by Colonel Strachan, who received the truce, sent 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 10 o'clock, when the rebels retired with considerable loss, just as General Vandever came down the-river with re-enforcements for the garrison. 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 or- dered to Bloomfield. Leaving Cape Gir- ardeau at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, it marched fifty miles by dark the next even-
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