USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization. > Part 25
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"Comrades :- The Third Iowa Infantry landed here about March 20, 1862, and went into camp about one-half mile north of this monument. It was a part of the First Brigade, Hurlbut's 4th Division and went into action Sunday morning April 6, 1862, on the south side of the field; but in order to get in alignment with the other troops soon fell back to this line, leaving the open field in our front. We maintained this position for about five hours, repelling frequent assaults, with terrific slaughter of the enemy and considerable loss to ourselves.
"According to the official reports of the eight regiments of Confeder- ates suffering the greatest loss in the battle of Shiloh the losses of six of them occurred in this immediate front, and the loss in killed and wounded in our brigade here posted was the greatest of any brigade on the Federal side of the entire army engaged on the field of Shiloh.
"About two o'clock in the afternoon, by reason of the turning of the left flank of our division, we fell back 200 yards and there maintained our position for one hour more, and then for like reasons we retired to Wicker field 200 yards farther and remained there until four o'clock. Then both flanks having given way the regiment retired fighting all the way to its camp and there finding themselves nearly surrounded and ignoring the order of Major Stone to surrender, broke through the ranks of the enemy, and all except thirty who were afterwards captured, succeeded in joining the command of Colonel Crocker about one-half mile from the landing, remaining in line all night.
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"On Monday the survivors were in action under Lieutenant Crossley, he being the senior officer present for duty, and charged and captured a battery near Jones field.
"On Sunday there were about 500 in line and the losses were 23 killed in action, 17 mortally wounded who shortly afterwards died of wounds, 117 others wounded, most of them seriously, and 30, including Major Stone, captured. Monday 250 were in line and no losses occurred.
"The total loss of the regiment during the war was 127 killed and died of wounds, 122 died of disease, 321 wounded, and 227 discharged for dis- abilities contracted in the service making a total of 798 casualties out of a total enrollment of 1099.
"On the whole we claim for the Third Iowa a record made upon the field of Shiloh as honorable and effective as that of any other organization here engaged. We make no claim not substantiated by the official reports of the great battle, and with that the survivors are content."
THE TRIBULATIONS OF CAPTAIN MCCALL.
A little sidelight on the experiences of Company E is afforded by a letter of Capt. Samuel B. McCall, which was written by him in 1864 to Major Crossley, and by accident resurrected forty years later. Capt. McCall, it will be remembered had been the county judge of Boone County, who, in 1853, presided over the first organization of Story County, divid- ing this county into its first two townships and canvassing the returns of its first county election. Before that, he had been in the Mexican war, later in the fifties, he was representative for Boone, Story and other counties in the general assembly. When the war broke out he was elected captain of the company which it was first attempted to organize in Boone County, but as it became necessary to consolidate the Boone and Story companies, he brought his squad over to Nevada and the company was organized with State Senator John Scott as captain, and McCall as first lieutenant; but upon the organization of the regiment, Captain Scott was made lieutenant-colonel, and Lieutenant McCall was promoted to be cap- tain, which position he held through the three year term of the com- pany's enlistment. In the spring of 1864, however, part of the men re- enlisted, with the effect that the company was divided. Captain McCall remained with the majority that had not reenlisted, and at the time of his writing their term of enlistment had expired; but the government was dilatory about actually mustering them out. Neither was it making any practical use of them; and as a natural consequence the situation grew monotonous, and the bluff soul of the captain was moved to pour itself out to his brother officer. To have published such a letter at the time it was written would not have done at all; but after a lapse of years it possesses a humor that is not to be lost. The letter follows:
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Chattanooga, Tenn. June 7, A. D. 1864.
Maj. G. W. Crossley.
DEAR SIR: In looking over some letters that were in charge of Johnny Blake, I find the accompanying are for you; so I conclude to send to you, as it may be important.
Here I am with the meanest set of men in the Iowa 3d (a few ex- ceptions of course). I can do nothing with them. The authorities here will not let us go to the front; neither will they give us transportation North, until they hear from a mustering officer expected from the front. Meantime I have the men (55 in number) bivouacked one mile south of the main town. Last night they stole from one and the other and got up a pretty muss. Since we arrived here they have stolen my blankets, my handkerchiefs, towels, and nearly every d- thing I had. You may think this a joke, but I can't see it. A fellow like me, at a strange military post, destitute of blankets, towels, handkerchiefs, money and everything necessary for convenience, comfort, -- O, My G-, I never was in such a pickle before; and when it will end and how it is going to end is just now very much of a mystery to me. O, how I wish I had marched with the column from Huntsville!
I suppose Capt. Swank has found you before this. He left here on the 5th. I look for him back tomorrow. When I can get him to take charge of these men, I will go to the front, if I cannot get mustered out here. If I can be mustered out, however, I shall start for Iowa in a jiffy. There is no commissary of musters except one for Gen. Thomas' Dept., and he will have nothing to do with us. I have reported to Capt. Monroe charge of Gen. McPherson's Hd. Qs. here, who tells me to wait from day to day and he will let me know the next. So I keep waiting. I hope to know something definite by tomorrow evening.
Swank has given you all the news from this place; so I will mention nothing. I don't wish you to infer from anything I have said above that I am impatient, peevish, dissatisfied or tired of my detachment. O, no, no, I am well satisfied (over the left.)
Please ask Col. Brown to send me the receipts for the ordnance I turned over at Huntsville. I gave him invoices and he was to hand them to Sleiter, as the officer put in command of the veterans of Co. E, and get receipts for me.
I wish you would forward me all my mail matter as it comes in, i. e., if I have to stay at this place long-I will advise you if I stay.
This has been a beautiful town one day; but the ravages of war are more conspicuous here than at any place I have visited since the war began. Vicksburg not excepted. I was on Lookout Mountain a few days ago. The scene was grand beyond my power of description, were I to try. I hope you will ascend it, should you ever come this way.
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Excuse me, I did not intend to write you a letter when I began writing, only to let you know that I am here. I will write you at length as soon as I get time. I have been sick for two days with chol. morbus, or some such disease. I hope this will find you in good health and spirits. Give my respects to all the rest. Respectfully yours,
S. B. McCALL.
The story of this letter seems to be that Crossley thought it funny and gave it to Col. Aaron Brown who had become commander of the regi- ment. Brown filed it with his papers where it remained until after his death. Then his executor happened to be J. P. Patrick who was another Third Iowa man and who found the letter and passed it around among the other Third Iowa survivors. Col. Crossley's comment on the letter thus revived was as follows :
MY DEAR OLD FRIEND AND COMRADE-I don't know when I have en- joyed a more hearty laugh than I did after reading the letter written by Capt. McCall to me over forty years ago. Its date-June 7, 1864-was but one day short of the expiration of our original three years' enlistment, as we were mustered into the U. S. service June 8, 1861. I must have handed the letter to Col. Brown to read and he neglected to return it to me. We were then at Kingston, Georgia. Brown did not go with us to Chattanooga, and we were probably just getting ready to start when this letter came. Poor Capt. McCall-what a desperate situation he was in; but he lived through it, and at this distance from the trials and tribulations he en- dured, he would probably laugh as heartily over this old letter as I did yesterday. I can't see that the publication of the old letter at this time will do any harm to Capt. McCall or any one else, particularly if you explain the situation as to the status of the detachment of the 3d Iowa then under the command of the good old captain, and his proverbial kindness of heart. Those boys were impatiently waiting to be mustered out and the delay and uncertainty attending their situation there was pretty well calculated to make them a difficult set of men to handle. A better disciplinarian would not have envied the captain his job.
Well! well! What a flood of memories this old letter has started. The old regiment was sadly reduced in numbers then, even including the non- veterans who were about to be mustered out; and a little later after an- other desperate conflict with the enemy, the little handful of men, all that was left of that once splendid regiment, were consolidated with another command and the 3d Iowa Infantry had passed out of existence. It is a proud and happy memory, my old comrade, for you and I, and the few remaining survivors to have belonged to a regiment with such a record of service. The records of its service are written in imperishable bronze upon the tablet imbedded in the granite monument at Shiloh. A little later another tablet upon another splendid monument will relate the record of its service at Vicksburg, but in the hearts of the loyal sons and daughters
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of Iowa and their descendants will live the name and fame of that glorious old regiment-second to none in the splendid galaxy of our country's de- fenders. Sincerely yours,
G. W. CROSSLEY.
All of which might recall to mind numerous incidents of Capt. S. B. McCall. He never lived in Story County, but he probably had more to do with the county at one time or another than had any other non-resident. Out of many incidents, one may be made to serve as illustrative of his tender- heartedness, it being told apropos to the panic of 1857. He was then in business and went down in the crash along with the most of the men who were then so engaged in this section, where all the money that was brought into the country went to the government for land and where there was really no market for anything that the people could raise. In this troublous time he started out to raise money and after a good part of a day's drive had succeeded in collecting five dollars, when he came to a house where there was a woman at home with a family of small children. She said that they would pay as soon as they could, but-breaking into tears-that they had no money and were out of provisions and hungry besides. The captain could not stand it. He gave the woman the five dollars he had collected and went on home and quit trying to collect. The story doubtless illustrates the times as well as the man; for in those days people understood what distress really meant, and in moments of emergency they stood by one another. Captain McCall remained in Boone County for quite a number of years after the war but in time drifted to California and at last reports he was still living at the National soldiers' home at Santa Monica.
THIRD IOWA REUNION.
As has been before noted, there have been two reunions of the Third Iowa regiment that are a part of the history of Story County. They were held at Nevada in 1885 and in 1906. At the former reunion recollection has it that there were present one hundred and twenty of the veterans, many of them accompanied by their wives and other members of their families. At the latter reunion there were present thirty-six, with several of their wives and a few others. At this reunion Col. Crossley presided, the headquarters were at the office of J. A. Fitchpatrick and Major John F. Lacey was the principal speaker. Those who registered themselves as present at this reunion with their companies and present addresses were the following :
W. C. White and wife, Company E, Fortville, Ind.
B. F. Keebles and wife. Major (Surgeon), Pella.
Silas Coryell and wife, Company G, Indianola.
Jesse Bowen, Company E, Maxwell.
Chas. Boehmler, and wife, Company K, (Lt.), Cedar Falls.
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Geo. Philpott, wife and daughter, Company K, Cedar Falls. Austin Levessee and wife, Company K, Cedar Falls. Geo. Tuthill and wife, Company K, Cedar Falls. Jacob Boehmler and wife, Company K, Cedar Falls. John Dignan, Company K, Waterloo.
John F. Trautner and daughter, Company K, Charles City. James C. Livingston and grandson, Company E, Newton.
G. W. Crossley and wife, Company E, Major and Brevt. Col., Webster City.
Jos. Antwine, Company F, Arlington.
J. J. Earle, Company F, West Union.
J. G. Huffman, Company G, Indianola.
J. D. Dooley and wife, Company F, Hawkeye.
C. H. Talmadge, Company I, West Union.
G. H. Pulver and wife, Company K, Villisca. Joseph M. Patrick, Company E, Bedford.
Elijah Wise, wife and daughter, Company D, Carls Junction, Mo.
T. S. Bailey, Company A, Cedar Rapids.
J. A. Fitchpatrick, Company E, Nevada.
N. M. Walcott and wife, Company K, Belmond.
Chas. W. Babcock and wife, Company A, Pomona, Mich.
Isaac Boomhower and wife, Company I, La Porte City.
B. M. Titus and wife, Company I, Osage. Guilf Mullen, Company E, Plankington, S. D.
M. A. Hillis and wife, Company E, Des Moines, 509 Clark street.
T. B. Walley, Company I, Vinton.
J. L. Crawford and wife, Company H, Des Moines, 1050 Nineteenth street.
J. P. Patrick, Company F, Des Moines, 1705 Pleasant street.
Mary S. Scott, widow of Col. Scott, Des Moines, 2906 Cottage ave. George Jones, Company E, Story County.
Aaron Smith and wife, Company B, Newton.
E. F. Sperry, Company B, Des Moines.
John F. Lacey, Company H, Oskaloosa.
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CHAPTER XXI.
SECOND IOWA CAVALRY.
Harry H. Boyes, veteran of the First Iowa Infantry and of the Second Iowa Cavalry, has furnished at the earnest solicitation of the editor, the following sketch of the company and regiment in which he won his com- mission :
Company B of the Second Iowa Cavalry was organized by volunteers from Marshall and Story Counties in August, 1861, this organization being effected at Marshalltown. William P. Hepburn was elected captain, Paul A. Queal of Story County first lieutenant and Thomas Wilson second lieu- tenant.
The Second Cavalry was mustered into service at Davenport, Iowa, August 25, 1861. Washington L. Elliott, captain in the 3d U. S. Cavalry, was commissioned as colonel. The regiment left for St. Louis December 7, 1861. The accommodations there were poor, the barracks cold, and the weather severe, so that, although our stay there was for about sixty days our death list from sickness, numbered over that number. At St. Louis we drew horses and equipment and did much hard drilling. On the 17th of February we took steamer for down river, landing at Bird's Point, Mo., opposite to the city of Cairo, Ill. Here we were soon busy chasing rebel bands through the overflowed swamp, around Charleston and Sykeston, finally bringing up at New Madrid in time to witness the reduction of that place by General Pope's forces. On the reduction of that place, a part of the regiment was passed over to the east side of the river and at Hickman were first in the works, capturing two steamers and destroy- ing many tons of ordnance stores.
On April 12th, we went on board a fleet and went down the river to secure a landing and capture Fort Pillow, but the water was too high to land and the fleet, with Pope's Corps steamed up river, until after many days we landed at Hamburg on the Tennessee, four miles above Pittsburg Landing. Here we joined the left wing of Halleck's army for the capture of Corinth, the cavalry forming the extreme left. The cavalry were here used to the limit, scouting, reconnoitering between the lines and doing picket and guard duty, giving no rest. On April 27th, stirring up a masked bat- tery, Company B lost its first man killed. On the 28th we tore up the
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Memphis and Charleston Railroad, burning several bridges. On the 8th of May, we lost another killed from Company B in a raid to east of Corinth.
On May 9th the regiment was called to the assistance of General Paine, who commanded a division of Pope's Corps, and who had been reconnoitering a little too far out, and was likely to have difficulty in get- ting back again. Here we formed line and were ordered to draw sabre and get ready for business. To the front on a hill were twenty-four pieces of artillery pouring shells, grape and canister into our ranks.
The order came to advance, then trot, and then the bugle sounded the charge. The charge was made, the guns silenced. Paine got back across the bridge; but the 2d Iowa Cavalry, had fully one-half of its number killed, wounded or missing. Hepburn had been promoted to major, and Queal to captain, and in this action Queal rode his big black horse as coolly as though on dress parade, but his horse was badly wounded. At midnight May 28th, we started on a raid to Boonville, south of Corinth, and at day- light of the 30th, charged the town, capturing 3,000 convalescents, a train of cars, 10,000 stand of arms and two pieces of artillery, a large amount of ammunition. These stores were burned, and track torn up and bridges fired. In this raid we had some sharp skirmishing, but got back to camp on May 30th. Col. Elliott was promoted to brigadier-general.
On June 2d, the company had a sharp engagement at Blackland and soon after went into camp at Farmington for needed rest. June 26th, the regiment was again ordered to the front and with the 2d Michigan Cavalry, formed an outpost at Boonville, eight miles in advance of the infantry ; Col. Phil Sheridan in command. On July Ist, the enemy, 4,000 strong, attacked this post, consisting of but 800 men in all. The enemy charged, time and again, but were as often driven back. Companies B and F, with two companies of the 2d Michigan, charged the enemy in the rear and wrought sad havoc among them, but it cost Company B severely in killed, wounded and missing. Of the Story County boys, Cal See was captured and George Boyes severely wounded; shot through the kidneys. Of forty men who went into action, but half the number showed up at roll call the next morning. This action made Phil Sheridan a brigadier-general, and Alger a colonel. On the 20th of August, the enemy, 2,500 strong, charged our camp at Rienzi, but were met with such a warm welcome that they were soon driven back with a loss of sixteen. On the 16th of September, commenced our fall campaign. This led us to the rear of the enemy ad- vancing on Iuka. At Payton's Mills, we met and defeated Faulkner with 2,500 cavalry ; and later in the day, captured a large herd of beef cattle, intended for the rebel army. The regiment came up in time to take part in the battle of Iuka, but Price evacuated the place during the night.
The next engagement that Company B was in, was at the battle of Corinth, where the company was detailed as orderlies to carry dispatches on the battlefield; this brought us constantly under fire for the day, and
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after the defeat of the enemy we were carrying dispatches between Corinth and our pursuing forces.
After Corinth, we were scouting and skirmishing over northern Mis- sissippi, until Grant commenced his advance south from Grand Junction, when the regiment took the advance. We drove the enemy through Holly Spring to the Tallahatchie, taking their fortifications with one cannon. Sharp skirmishing all the way to Spring Dale, and on to Water Valley, and Coffeeville, where the rebels were met in full force with cavalry, infantry and artillery. Here Companies B, D, F and I saved our artillery against a desperate charge of a heavy infantry force. The loss of the 2d Iowa Cavalry in this engagement was twenty-two.
The regiment moved out from the main column December 14th, going southeast, striking the Mobile and Ohio Railroad at Tupelo, Mississippi. At Comargo Station the railroad was thoroughly wrecked; then charging into Okolona where we burned 10,000 bushels of corn, a large amount of commissary stores, and captured 30 prisoners, when we returned to the main column at Pontotoc. Here we learned that Van Dorn with 10,000 cavalry had just passed on the way to Grant's base of supplies at Holly Springs. Although our force was much inferior to the enemy, Gen. Hatch wanted to pursue and bring on an action to delay them but was overruled by General Dickey; and Van Dorn went on his way and burned the sup- plies, and as a consequence, Grant was obliged to abandon the campaign against Vicksburg.
On December 21st, the brigade was again on the move, reached Coffee- ville the next day and commenced the destruction of the Mississippi Central Railroad. We made a complete wreck of it back to the Tallahatchie river. On the 25th we started for Okena to intercept Van Dorn, but were not successful, so returned to camp, which was reached on the 28th. We were in much need of rest as our marches for the last thirty-one days had averaged forty-one and a half miles a day. We went into winter quarters at La Grange, Tenn.
On March 10, 1863, the 2d Iowa Cavalry started out on its spring campaign. The command reached the Tallahatchie river on the 11th, burned the bridge and destroyed a lot of lead. Stopped for the night south of Holly Spring, having been in the saddle thirty-six hours, but learning that an ambush had been prepared for our capture, and the colonel not deeming it advisable to engage the enemy, as we had no ambulance, we were ordered to saddle up and with a citizen, as guide, and by marching all night and all next day we reached camp, having been in the saddle al- most constantly for three days and three nights.
ยท During the month of March the regiment marched 350 miles, capturing some prisoners and many horses.
On April 16th Colonel Hatch prepared to march down through central Mississippi to the rear of Vicksburg to cut the communications of the rebel army there. The midnight train brought Col. B. H. Grierson of the 6th
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Illinois, ranking colonel, who took command. We moved out at 3 o'clock in the morning of the 17th. The line of march led down towards Colum- bus, and at the junction of the roads leading to West Point, the command was divided, Col. Grierson with the 6th and 7th Illinois Cavalry, and three two-pound cannon going south; and the 2d Iowa, about 500 men moved toward Columbus. The 2d Iowa moved to Palo Alto, halted and fed. The enemy were massed in our rear with cavalry, artillery and infantry, with the intention of capturing our small command at the crossing of the Hooka river. The 2d Iowa had succeeded in decoying the enemy from the pursuit of Grierson, who was well on his way and who eventually reached Baton Rouge.
The 2d Iowa Cavalry had a sharp engagement at Palo Alto, defeating the enemy, crossed the Tippah river in the dark by swimming the horses and carrying the saddles and cannon over a frail bridge made of drift wood. The next evening we charged into Okolona and burned 30 barracks filled with cotton. The next day the command gathered in 600 horses. At Birmingham the rebs attacked us again, but were badly whipped in short order.
We were soon in camp at La Grange. During the summer we were almost constantly on the march through Mississippi and Tennessee. Cap- tured Jackson, Tennessee, after a hard fight on July 12th. On August the 13th, started on a trip south and after much skirmishing and hard marching reached Granada, which was captured after a hard fight. Here were captured sixty locomotives, five hundred cars, two depots, two large machine shops, two large steam flouring mills, ten flat cars loaded with army wagons, two thousand sacks of flour. The destruction of all this was thorough and complete. We were gone thirteen days, captured 100 prisoners, 500 horses and marched 400 miles while out.
This command moved out February 11th going south. The regiment then moved to Memphis where it was doing guard duty the most of the time until November, when the regiment had a hard engagement at Colliers- ville, east of Memphis, with a vastly superior force, defeating them; and again at Coldwater, in the dark, when we drove them out of their position; captured 50 prisoners and two brigadier-generals.
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