USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization. > Part 24
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The morning after the surrender we marched with Sherman against Johnson, then occupying the works around the state capitol at Jackson. There on the 12th of July, 1863 the 3rd Iowa participated in a charge upon the enemy's works and there in the brief space of twenty minutes one half of its men and officers were killed and wounded. From Jackson the regi- ment now greatly reduced in numbers returned to Vicksburg. From there we went down the river to Natchez where aside from occasional short ex- peditions and small skirmishes with the enemy's cavalry, we enjoyed a sea- son of comparative rest. While there a good many who had so far recovered from wounds and sickness as to be again able for duty returned to the regiment and some recruits also joined us there. In November we re- turned to our old camp near Vicksburg and while there three-fourths of
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those who had enlisted at the commencement of the war, reenlisted for an- other three years.
In midwinter 1864 the regiment participated in the famous Meridian ex- pedition under Sherman during which we lost a number of men in killed, wounded, and captured, and most of these were men who had reenlisted. The captured were taken to Andersonville and several died there from ex- posure and starvation. Upon our return to Vicksburg those who had re- enlisted were given a furlough for thirty days while those who did not re- enlist went with General Banks upon his ill fated Red River expedition and suffered great hardship. Upon the return from Red river those who sur- vived were mustered out of the service.
The reenlisted portion of the regiment received some recruits while on furlough and returned to take part in Sherman's Atlanta campaign. At Atlanta on the 22d day of July, 1864, the Third Iowa again went into the hell of battle and emerged with such heavy loss that its identity as a regi- mental organization could no longer be maintained. The survivors were merged with the 2nd Iowa Infantry and remained with that regiment on the march through Georgia to the Sea and on to Washington where it partici- pated in the grand review and was mustered out of the service at Louis- ville, Kentucky, in July 1865.
I have given in this paper only an imperfect outline, a mere sketch of the history of the regiment represented by the few survivors who meet in reunion here today. Not all who still survive are here, but if they were they would show but a small and fading remnant of that once mighty military organization.
FITCHPATRICK'S REVIEW OF COMPANY E.
April 15th, 1861, President Lincoln issued the first call for troops asking the states to furnish seventy five thousand militia for active service for ninety days and one regiment was apportioned to Iowa. Under this call Capt. John Scott organized a company at Nevada and Capt. Samuel B. Mc- Call organized another one at Boonesboro and both were tendered to Gov- ernor Kirkwood at the same time, but the full quota had already been ac- cepted and the captains were told to hold their companies in readiness for a future call.
May 3rd, 1861, the president issued another call for 42,034 volunteers "to serve for three years unless sooner discharged," and two more infantry regiments thereunder were assigned to Iowa. Both captains were promptly on hand with tenders of their respective companies, but the offers from other parts of the state were so insistent that the governor decided to accept only one company from this locality and suggested that Captains Scott and Mc- Call get together and arrange the matter between themselves. With the understanding that on the organization of the regiment Scott would be made a field officer the agreement was soon arrived at that these two would unite and tender one company, which was done and the same accepted.
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The change of the term of enlistment from ninety days to three years made it an easy matter to reduce the number of men in the two companies to the maximum of enlisted men and non-commissioned officers permitted in a single company of infantry; but the matter of weeding out the surplus officers was a different proposition.
The Nevada Company was originally organized with Scott as captain, Paul A. Queal, the most brilliant young lawyer ever located in Nevada, as first lieutenant, and George Child, second lieutenant. Child retired grace- fully but not so with Queal. He worked among the men and went with them to the old court house to help organize. Scott was unanimously elected captain and so was McCall for next place, when some one nominated Queal for second lieutenant and he evidently had a majority of the boys with him. Scott then took the floor and plainly stated his reasons why it would not be congenial to have Queal go as an officer and Queal taking umbrage at some of the statements went for the captain striking at him with a cane. Scott picking up a chair warded off the force of the blows, striking back with the chair until others interfered and marched Queal out of the room; but for a few moments there was a lively row. Order was finally restored, when William A. Wise of Iowa Center was elected to the place by one vote over Nathaniel Jennings of Franklin township, Story County. The boys had no objections to Wise personally, but in a spirit of resentment, at the last mo- ment put up Jennings as a protest against the farce of fixing up a slate in advance and forcing it through.
George W. Crossley of Nevada was appointed first sergeant; John H. Smith, Boonsboro, second sergeant; Jesse R. Wood, Iowa Center, third ser- geant ; Marquis A. Hills, Marshall county, fourth sergeant; and Thomas Mulvana, Boonsboro, fifth sergeant.
May 21st, 1861, by order of Governor Kirkwood the company was as- signed to the Third 'Iowa Infantry Regiment, designated as Company "E" and ordered into quarters at Keokuk.
From May 21st until the time of departure the members were drilled in the first rudiments of the different movements.
May 27th the people of Nevada tendered a farewell banquet and in the evening the boys were taken to Iowa Center in wagons, where another ban- quet was provided the next day.
Continuing on our journey we were royally received and entertained at Newton and also at Pella, arriving in due time at Eddyville and there took the train for Keokuk arriving at our destination June Ist.
June 8th, we were called into line and the Articles of War read to us, and it seemed that nearly all violations of the duties of a soldier ended in punishment by death or any other penalty a court martial might see fit to in- flict. The effect was so depressing that six of the boys scooted out the back door and were never afterward heard of in connection with the company. The ninety-five officers and men remaining were then duly mustered into the United States service.
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KELLOGG STREET, AMES
AMES CITY PARK
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In August following seven other good fellows were mustered into the company restoring the enrollment to the maximum of 102 including officers and men.
N. G. Williams of Delaware County was made colonel of the regiment.
June 26th Capt. Scott was commissioned as Lt. Colonel and Capt. W. M. Stone, Company B, afterwards governor, was commissioned as major. Dr. Tom O. Edwards of Dubuque, an antiquated relic of better days, was made surgeon.
Shortly thereafter Sergeant Crossley, by popular vote of the boys, was elected Ist lieutenant over 2nd Lieutenant Wise, in place of McCall pro- moted to captain. Billy Wise, as we called him, was an efficient officer and one of the kindest and best of men; but the boys preferred Crossley because he had always looked out for them, had more snap in his makeup and was not afraid to speak out in meeting. Wise felt hurt over the action of the boys but remained in the service until the spring following, when he was compelled to resign on account of failing health.
July Ist the regiment left Keokuk on two ferry boats, went to Hannibal and was spread out along the line of the Hannibal and St. Joe rail- road, principally guarding bridges, the first station for Company E be- ing Utica and Chillicothe guarding the Grand river bridge. The duties in Missouri were arduous and trying to the health of the boys; the malaria arising along the streams saturating their systems, a great many of the boys became sick and unable for duty. Out of the 102 constituting the company in August 1861, 14 died of disease during the four years ser- vice, and 12 of these died during the first year. Henry H. Halley from Nevada was the first to pass away. He was taken with typhoid fever at Brookfield, Missouri and sent to the hospital. A few days later he returned to camp during the absence of the principal part of the company on the Kirksville trip. He reported on the sick list the following morning, but old Doc Edwards decided he was not sick at all, called a sergeant and ordered him to take Halley and put him at work digging a sink. He worked for several hours in the hot sun and was finally sent to his tent and died in a few hours. This is related merely as an instance to indicate that the soldier of 1861 had to contend sometimes with some things more disastrous than the enemy in front. The others dying of disease the first year were in the order following :
Sept. 18th, 1861, Martin V. Walker of Boone County.
Oct. 18th, 1861, Jasper H. Park of Jasper County.
Nov. 17th, 1861, James Mitchell of Boone County.
Nov. 23rd, 1861, William G. Spurrier of Boone county.
Dec. 10th, 1861, Nicholas Beadley of Missouri.
Dec. 15th, 1861, Elisha B. Craig of Story County.
Dec. 11th, 1861, William B. Taylor of Story County.
Jan. 11th, 1862, Geo. W. Grove of Story County.
Jan. 31st, 1862, Asa Walker of Story County. Vol. 1-14
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Apr. 21st, 1862, Daniel Hill of Hamilton county.
June 22nd, 1862, Lewis M. Vincent of Story County.
Subsequently dying of disease was Nathaniel Jennings, August 26th, 1862.
Thomas M. Davis who, physically, was the strongest man in the com- pany was captured Feb. 27th, 1864, while on the Meridian Expedition, and died in Andersonville June 30th, 1864.
David H. Dill of Nevada was killed in battle of Blue Mills, Sept. 17th, 1861.
John H. Smith, Thomas Mulvana, John M. Skiff, John J. Cottle, James H. Ewing and John L. Woods all splendid men lost their lives at the battle of Shiloh, April 6th, 1862.
William R. White, killed at the battle of Metamora, Oct. 5th, 1862.
David V. Gilmore, Coe Chambers and Thomas Dent lost their lives at the assault on Jackson, July 12th, 1863.
Obed R. Ward wounded and captured at Atlanta, July 22nd, 1862, and died of wounds in Andersonville.
The following were so severely wounded in various battles as to be- come incapacitated from further service and were subsequently discharged on account of wounds, viz: Thomas D. Casebolt, Benjamin F. Denton, Michael D. Deal, Samuel T. Jones, Isaiah N. Johnson, Samuel Marsh, David C. Ross, and John U. Schoonover, all being permanently disabled. Twenty-five others were wounded more or less seriously.
Fourteen were captured during the time of service.
Fifteen became incapacitated from service by disease contracted in ser- vice and were discharged because of such disability.
Recapitulation.
Died in battle 12
Died in prison
I
Died of disease 14
Severely wounded and discharged 8
Other wounded
25
Discharged by reason of sickness 15
Captured 14
Total casualties
89
Deduct for those reported more than once 10
Net individual casualties 79
-leaving the whole number who escaped being reported upon the casualty list 23, among whom were some of the most faithful and daring soldiers of the company.
A case in point is that of John Blake who enlisted with the Newton squad. He was one among the youngest boys in the company, always bold, aggressive and active. One night near the close of the siege at Vicksburg the 33rd Wisconsin in advancing the lines had a man killed within about
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forty yards of the rebel works and about the same distance in front of the new line of rifle pits they then established. Before daylight the next morn- ing the 3rd Iowa relieved the Wisconsin regiment and occupied the new line. About noon Lieutenant Colonel Lovell of the 33rd came up and pointed to the dead soldier of his regiment saying that the soldier had when killed a Martin-Henry rifle worth $65 and he would give that to any man who would go out and bring in the soldier and the gun. Johnny Blake at once spoke up saying, "Here's your man," and at once dropped his gun and accouterments, leaped out of the pit and started in a cool and regular walk towards the body. The rebels not over one hundred yards distance fired scores of shots at him but he moved quietly forward looking neither to the right or left apparently unconcerned as to the surroundings. He reached the point, shouldered the body, picked up the rifle and started back; the hring at once ceased and gave way to shouts of applause from the rebel trenches in which his comrades joined with a vim. Johnny served through the war upon all occasions oblivious to danger, without receiving a scratch and was still living at last accounts, active and energetic as of old, though his energy may not always have been rightly directed.
The individual instances of true bravery and heroism exhibited by members of Company E are too numerous to mention in an article of this kind and for fear of implied injustice to some, none will be named.
The two hundred and more men of the 3d Iowa who occupied the very ground where the dead soldier lay the whole of the night following without protection under a continuous fire of musketry from the rebel trenches at close range, not being permitted to reply for fear of revealing position, and the same men who two weeks later went forward at the word of com- mand into the jaws of death at Jackson, every man fully appreciating the situation, knowing that some one had blundered and the sacrifice would be useless, yet as the rebels afterwards, reported as steady as on parade, though leaving more than half their number dead and wounded on the field, and many other collective instances that might be mentioned, are of that true bravery and heroism which go to make up the invincible soldier and individual mention of those who took part would be superfluous.
Lieutenant Anthony Burton commanding the 5th Ohio Battery at the siege of Vicksburg in his private dairy says: "In the first brigade, where all regiments are so good, it is difficult to discriminate, but I am free to say that for courage, coolness under fire and persistency in action the 3d Iowa cannot be surpassed and we always feel safe when that regiment is on guard."
The history of the company is the history of the regiment and nothing more can be claimed for it than for the other nine.
THE THIRD IOWA'S FLAG.
One of the most interesting incidents in connection with the Third Iowa pertained to the capture of its regimental flag when the regiment was
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flanked and cut to pieces in the battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864, and to its return some twenty years later by the southern woman into whose pos- session it had come as a tribute of rebel gallantry. The regimental ban- ner was also taken at the same time, but the members of the regiment who had become prisoners in the hands of the rebels managed through some fortunate circumstance to get possession of the banner and they tore it into bits, and distributed the pieces among their number. As to the flag, however, there was a much longer story. The rebel general in im- mediate command at its capture was Pat Cleburn, a very dashing young Englishman, who had served in the Crimea and in India, and who had come to this country and had cast his fortune in with the confederates. He became one of the most popular cavalry commanders on that side and it is apparent from the subsequent story that he much admired one of the southern belles of that period. What this admiration might have led to, in the way of romance, we can only guess, for Cleburn was killed three months later in front of another Iowa regiment at the battle of Franklin.
But the story of the flag is that it was given by Pat Cleburn to this lady of his acquaintance and was by her, then or afterwards most care- fully laid away and forgotten.
The lady nearly twenty years later came across the flag and thereupon opened a correspondence which resulted in its return to the survivors of the regiment. The staff upon which it had formerly been set was not preserved, and the flag after being repaired with all possible care was attached to a pine stick; and so attached it now hangs with the other battle flags of the Iowa regiments in the hermetically sealed recesses about the rotunda of Iowa's state capitol. It was said during the reunion at Nevada in 1906, that the last man of the Third Iowa who bore the flag into the battle of Atlanta was found dead after the battle, pierced by seventeen bullets. Since after this battle there were twenty-three survivors of the regiment report- ing for duty, no further explanation is needed for the capture of the flag, and banner. The story of the return of the flag was told in the Iowa State Register with much appreciation at the time it happened; and this story is given below, taken from the scrap book of Third Regiment memorabilia kept by Mrs. Geo. W. Crossley of Webster City. The story follows :
"As we write these lines our eyes wander to the table at our side on which lies an old battle-scarred flag, one that until now, has not been seen by the light of an Iowa sun, nor the shreds of stars and stripes been stirred by an Iowa breeze, since it went with the brave boys of the Third Iowa regiment. For twenty years this flag-whose tattered stripes we finger as we write-has lain in the cedar chest of a Confederate woman, given her in her youth the day after it was captured by the gallant General Pat Cleburne, as a relic of the war-such a trophy as any soldier might feel proud to lay at his lady's feet. It has a strange and romantic history- this long lost flag-in the way it has come at last to those who fought under its colors, and General Alexander has given us the pleasure of tell-
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ing the Third Iowa Regiment and the soldiers all through the state of its being sent a few days ago by this southern lady to those who lost it.
"The lady's name is Mrs. Laura J. Pickett of St. Louis, and she writes of the flag, its presentation to her and its accidental discovery the other day, through her brother, H. F. Massengale. We cannot do better than to give the letters in full. The first one is dated July 28, 1883.
"'To the Adjutant General, State of Iowa, Des Moines.
DEAR SIR: In overhauling some old articles a few days ago we dis- covered an old battle-scarred flag of the Third Iowa, captured by General Pat Cleburne before Atlanta, Georgia, and by him given to my sister, who was then living in Georgia. It was folded, put away as a relic of the war, and forgotten until resurrected a few days ago. If the Third Iowa still exists and would like to have this flag that plainly shows how gallantly its bearers carried it, my sister will be glad to send it to the regiment.
Yours very respectfully,
H. F. MASSENGALE.'
"General Alexander wrote at once in his courteous and handsome man- ner, asking to have the flag sent to him and saying that he would see that it was given a place among the other old war flags in the state arsenal, and that it should gladden the eyes of the regiment, which will hold their bien- nial reunion at Cedar Falls, September 21.
"A second letter came in response, as follows :
"'General Alexander.
DEAR SIR: Your favor is at hand, and I send you today by the United States express, the flag.
" 'This flag was captured about the 24th of July, 1864, near Atlanta. I was at the time a major of cavalry and on the staff of General Joseph E. Johnston, where I remained until I was surrendered by him in North Carolina. When General Johnston was relieved of the command of the army I remained with him and had nothing to do with the engagement that this flag figured in, as General Hood was in command. My sister, now Mrs. Laura J. Pickett, then Miss Laura J. Massengale, was living near Columbus, Georgia, on my father's plantation and was on a visit to my family, whom I had quartered temporarily near Atlanta. General Pat Cleburne was a very warm friend of our family and particularly so of my sister Laura. He took this flag during the engagement referred to, and presented it to her the next day as a relic of the war. She put it away in a cedar chest and lost sight of it until a few days ago, when she acci- dentally discovered it. I regret it was not found long ago; for it would then have been returned promptly to its proper owners. My sister has written to two or three friends who were officers in the same engagement, and if any new facts can be had we will send them to you.
Yours truly,
H. F. MASSENGALE.'
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"It will be a dull reader indeed who does not see the romance written between the lines of these letters and which hangs like a halo around the old flag. No arm that fought that brave and handsome general but would be proud to lift the hat to the girl whom he honored with its colors, and no heart grew desperate in the fight that will not warm towards her who gives back after so many years what must be precious as presented by one who was a martyr in the cause she held to be right.
"We must tell them-as a foretaste-something of how the flag looks, that they saw last go down in the din and smoke of battle under the Georgian sky. It is about half left, the end with the stars remaining. It has the full number of stripes, and on these are inscribed the names of the battles in which it floated, excepting of course, the last one, in which it was taken. The upper corner of the stars next to the stripes is gone; but the rest of the blue is in a fair condition, considering its age. On the first light stripe is 'BLUE M'-the rest of the 'Mills' is gone. On the second light stripe is "S.' then a hole made by a bomb-shell, and 'LO' hangs in the tatters at the edge, which proves that Shiloh shared its bloody field with the Third Iowa. Then the 'SIEGE OF C'-and we know that is Corinth. In the central dark stripe, or the seventh from top and bottom, as is usual, is the name of the regiment-'THIRD REGIMENT OF IO'-the O about half com- plete. How happy General Alexander seemed as he pointed this out to us, saying if the shot or shell had rent it half an inch closer, so that the O could not be distinguished, we could not have been sure whether it be- longed to Iowa or Indiana. 'MATAMORA' is half there on the eighth stripe, and 'Siege of VICK' tells of Vicksburg. The last battle before it fell was 'JACKSON,' the last two letters only gone. The yellow fringe that bordered the top and bottom remains for about a yard; and as we touched the lower fringe, some mud from the battlefield near Atlanta crumbled off in our hands-the inscription that was not written on its folds.
"Company A was gathered in Dubuque, and ex-Governor Stone was captain of Company B, of Knoxville. Company C came from Clayton County, Company D from Winnesheik, Company E from Story, Company F from Fayette, Company G from Warren. Company H from Mahaska, Company I from Butler, and Company K from Black Hawk. The 'Register' extends its warmest congratulations and can easily imagine the eyes that will moisten as they see these shreds of silk, and the memories that will stir the hearts that know how the inscriptions were won. The sight will come as a glad surprise to eyes that never hoped to see their flag again, and without doubt more than one soldier will feel as one of whom General Alexander. told us, who as he stood in the arsenal underneath the tattered flag, under which he had fought in every battle, said: 'General, I'd give ten dollars for a single thread of that flag.' Surely the southern lady who has thus reached her hand after these many years, to these Iowa soldiers will be gratified at the honor the Third Iowa will do the Confederate
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general, who so fearlessly captured their colors, and who through her has given them back, a thousand times more precious for every rent and tear."
THE SHILOH MONUMENT.
Some forty years after the war, a commission of whom Senator Fitch- patrick was one, was appointed by the governor of Iowa to locate definitely for permanent marking the positions which the several Iowa regiments had occupied in the various battlefields of the war. Monuments were erected in accordance with such determinations and later an official excur- sion headed by the governor was made to the South for the purpose of dedicating these monuments and commemorating the events by them sug- gested. There were monuments to dedicate at Chattanooga, Vicksburg, Atlanta, Andersonville, and everywhere that there was a national park upon a battlefield or former prison pen. But somehow, for the Third Iowa, the strongest interest seemed to pertain to the dedication of the Third Iowa monument at Shiloh. The Third was one of eleven Iowa regiments in that battle and its monument happened to be the last to be reached by the dedicatory party. On this occasion, the part played by the Third Iowa in the battle of Shiloh, was authoritatively stated, thus :
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