USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization. > Part 26
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Our next campaign left Memphis November 26th, 1863. Our force consisted of three regiments of cavalry and eight pieces of artillery. We struck the enemy at Saulsberry and had a skirmish with them, but they soon withdrew. The next was at Moscow, where the fighting was severe, and Colonel Hatch commanding was shot through the right lung, but did not leave the field until the battle was over and the victory won. A great cavalry force was assembled at Germantown, consisting of three brigades under command of General Soury Smith with fourteen pieces of light ar- tillery, the whole force numbering nearly nine thousand well mounted men. This force moved out the 11th of February, going south by easy marching. capturing many horses and some prisoners, until near West Point, con-
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NEVADA BRICK AND TILE WORKS
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siderable fighting was done. At Prairie Station we burned a large train of cars, and a large amount of corn and supplies. At West Point the enemy was encountered and forced steadily back before the rifles of the 2d Iowa Cavalry, when a sabre charge was ordered, but recalled just as the men were about to capture a large number of prisoners. Some one had blundered.
February 21st, the small-pox had broken out in the regiment, and sev- eral were obliged to leave the ranks for the ambulance. General Smith ordered the retreat early that morning. The 2d Iowa covering the rear. The enemy soon followed in force and the fighting became desperate. All appeals for support were denied and the orders of General Smith were "Mount the rifles and close up;" as this was impossible the regiment, re- gardless of orders, made a determined stand, repelling all charges, and holding the enemy in check. 'A stampede beginning with the 4th regulars and 2d New Jersey Cavalry, soon spread through the Ist and 3d brigades, leaving our brigade to cover the rear. The fighting was desperate all along the line, charge was met with charge, cannon were taken, and retaken, until darkness ended the fray.
The Historian says: "Among those who distinguished themselves for coolness and bravery, while the 2d Iowa was engaged in this fight, should stand prominent the name of Paul A. Queal, captain of Company B, com- manding the second battalion." The 2d Iowa left fifty brave fellows on this field, which was more than we ever before lost in one day. This affair was the most disastrous and disgraceful we had ever participated in, all owing to the incompetence of the commanding General Smith, who soon after resigned, and was soon heard of as making Copperhead speeches in Illinois. We lost in this expedition 400 men, six cannon, five caissons, 200 stand of small arms and used up 2,000 horses. We brought in 1,500 negroes, 3,000 horses and mules; we destroyed forty miles of railroad, millions of bushels of corn, thousands of bales of C. S. A. cotton and great quantities of stores. There was no time during this campaign but what we could have whipped the enemy in short order if allowed to do so by the general commanding.
The call now was made for the reinlistment of the veteran soldiers of the armies in the field, and in response to the call, 360 of the regiment were mustered in as veterans on March 28, 1864, at Memphis, Tennessee. Those who had reenlisted were granted a furlough of thirty days. On May 15th the regiment re-assembled at Davenport, reached Memphis on the 29th and were armed with Spencer seven-shooting carbines. In June, we took the advance of General A. J. Smith's command in an expedition against the rebel General Forrest. After much skirmishing and some hard fighting the conflict was on at Tupello. This battle was fought principally by the 16th Corps; the cavalry holding the flanks, Company B on the extreme left under a searching fire of sharp shooters, for most of the first day, and on the skirmish line the second day. Forrest was completely de- Vol. 1-15
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feated, and our command returned to Memphis on July 24th. In August we went on an expedition down to Oxford, where we charged the town under a heavy fire. Had quite a battle at Hurricane Creek, and several quite severe engagements on this trip.
On September 30th, we left our camp at White's Station, near Mem- phis, on our most trying campaign. Our camp equippage, tents and extra clothing were all left behind; nor did we see them again until December 2d at Nashville. The command moved east, crossed the Tennessee river at Clifton, then on to confront Hood; who was crossing to the north side of the Tennessee at Florence. We met his advance at Shoal Creek, and for thirteen days held the position against vastly superior numbers. The fight- ing was almost constant, and on several occasions quite severe battles were fought.
The whole of Hood's army commenced their advance on Nashville on the 20th of November, 1864. Our cavalry disputing their advance and falling back slowly. The weather was cold with rain almost constantly making the roads quagmires of mud, and as the command had no tents or shelter their saddle blankets served for a bed, and their saddles for pil- lows. We- retreated before Hood's army until we reached Lawrenceburg, where the regiment made a stand for a day. Company B holding the picket post all day against a heavy infantry force, and under a heavy artillery fire. The battle raged until dark when we retired.
The next day at Campbellville we were fiercely attacked by Forrest. The 2d Iowa was dismounted and formed in battle line to check the advance. The rebs charged the line repeatedly, were as often driven back before the rifles of the regiment, until they out-flanked our position and compelled a retreat on our part. The fight raged until dark when we fell back in good order, reached Columbia at midnight and were inside the infantry lines for the first time in a month. An inspection of the horses in the regiment showed that out of over 400, less than sixty were serviceable, owing to the "grease heel," the effects of the mud.
Our next engagement was at Franklin on the 29th of November, where we held the left flank during that battle. Without further fighting, we fell back to Nashville, crossed to the north side of the Cumberland, and there found our tents and knapsacks that we had left at White's Station in September. The weather was extremely cold, down to 10 degrees below zero, and no fuel to be had except such as we could steal at night far from camp. Here the men suffered severely until the 12th of December, when we crossed the river to the Nashville side and camped in an open field of mud.
On the morning of December 15th General Thomas advanced against Hood's entrenchments on the Brentwood hills south of Nashville. The cavalry on the extreme right of the advancing line. On account of the deep mud and soft condition of the land the cavalry were ordered out on foot. They were swung far out to the right, then wheeling the line to the left,
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soon struck the enemy driving in their outposts, capturing their rifle pits, and were soon before their main entrenchments, when they met a fierce storm of musketry and artillery fire. The 2d Iowa was assigned to the support of our batteries and although we were lying flat on the ground, the rebel shot and shell killed two and wounded one.
After enduring this for a while, the 2d Iowa was ordered up and to charge the works in our advance. The enemy's fire was severe, but the works were carried in one grand rush, with their artillery and 300 prisoners. The rebs immediately opened on us with infantry and artillery from a forti- fied redoubt, 500 yards to the right on a high pinnacle of a hill. There was no time to reform our line, but facing the fire the regiment slowly advanced up the hill into the ditch outside, then over the parapet, and among them, a hand-to-hand conflict with clubbed carbines soon settled matters there and the fort with its contents was ours; but our color bearer was killed, as he planted our flag on the works. The cavalry at the close of the first day had captured three of the rebel's best forts, completely turned their right flank and at night lay down supperless on the cold wet ground for a little sleep and rest.
On the 2d day the same tactics were adopted, striking the enemy on their left flank, capturing several forts with much hard fighting, and when night came they were in full retreat, the cavalry in pursuit in the darkness. The pursuit was pressed vigorously, and the defense of the rebel rear guard was stubborn from day to day. Below Franklin, Forrest's Cavalry came from Murfreesboro to cover the rear of Hood's retreating army. They made a determined stand at the Little Harpeth river, using artillery freely. The regiment deployed to the right of the road, formed for a charge across a muddy field then through a rail fence and up a steep rocky hillside, and we were among them. Darkness came on and the opposing forces became mixed, and the confusion was great; men on both sides were captured and recaptured; it being almost impossible to tell friend from foe. A desperate hand-to-hand encounter ensued for the capture of the rebel colors, and it was only accomplished after the loss on our part of four killed and several wounded, and on the part of the enemy of eight killed. Under a heavy fire from our carbines we gathered in their battery and held it, although they made several desperate charges to retake it.
With several more engagements following, the enemy were finally driven across the Tennessee river, only the remnants of the force that had marched on Nashville, a few short weeks before. In this pursuit the cavalry had captured every piece of artillery they had fired at us. The captures of the brigade on this march were: one general, two majors, two captains, 1,173 privates, four stands of colors, 1,350 muskets, 21 wagons, 7 ambu- lances, 15 pieces of artillery. The loss of the 2d Iowa was 61. This was the last fighting the 2d Iowa was called to do. Slowly and weariedly the command turned westward, finally pitching their camp at Eastport, Mis-
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sissippi, for the remainder of the winter, and there their tents and camp equipage came to them.
After hostilities had ceased in the following spring and summer, the regiment was scattered over the country doing provost duty. Company B was stationed at Corinth, until in August, when the regiment was again assembled, and soon after marched to Decatur, Alabama, then south to Montivallo, soon afterwards to Selma, when orders were received for muster out, and we took train for home, packed on flat cars, in the pelting rain. Slowly we moved along to Meridian, to Cairo. Finally one cold gray October morning, the train pulled into Davenport, and 77 men out of the 178 whose names had been carried on the company rolls, climbed down off cars, and once more planted their feet on "God's country."
Muster out rolls and pay rolls were soon made out, and on October 4th, the men once more stood in line, and as each name was called, each man's answer was "here" as of old-and he stepped one pace to the front, and the citizen soldier was the soldier citizen.
From the foregoing many minor incidents of skirmish, scouting and raid have necessarily been omitted. The life of the cavalry man in time of active service is one of almost constant activity. The cavalry was called the "eye of the army." Vigilant, both by day and night, seeking the enemy, watching their every movement; patrolling the country at night and on distant out-post picket duty, he got little rest. There had been many changes in the organization at the close of the war. Our Colonel Elliott was soon promoted to Brigadier and was succeeded by Edward Hatch, captain of Company A. Hatch was promoted to Brigadier and was suc- ceeded by Datus E. Coon, captain of Company I. He was promoted to brigadier, and C. C. Horton, 2d lieutenant Company A at the organization of the regiment, was colonel in command at time of discharge.
W. P. Hepburn, the first captain of Company B, was promoted to lieutenant-colonel; Ist Lieut. Paul A. Queal then became captain. Among the other officers of the company during the term of service were:
Thomas Wilson, 2d lieutenant, resigned April, 1862.
Richard M. Hampton, 2d lieutenant, resigned July, 1862.
L. F. Stoddard, Ist lieutenant, mustered out.
Duncan McGregor, Ist lieutenant, resigned July, 1863.
David G. Wooster, 2d lieutenant, discharged.
Captain Queal died September, 1864, and was succeeded by Sergeant John L. Herbert as captain.
Private Byron A. Beeson in 1861 was Ist lieutenant, and private H. H. Boyes was 2d lieutenant of the company.
There were many changes in the ranks also. Many recruits had been received and at the same time the ranks were constantly being depleted by sickness, death and the casualties of war, and some promotions to other commands.
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Of the casualties in the company, the deaths and discharges, my re- ferences are very imperfect, and my memory poor after nearly a half century. But I may be pardoned in closing this sketch if I attempt to render a just tribute to the memory of Captain Paul A. Queal of Company B, a man without fear ; cool, calculating in action; always solicitous for the welfare of his men. A strict disciplinarian; with the genius to command, and the ability for a much higher rank. He was placed in command of a regiment of Tennessee Cavalry and soon brought order and discipline where heretofore had been lawlessness and disorder. Soon after he was made Judge Advocate on the Staff of General Hurlburt, at Memphis, where he died September, 1864. Had he lived and had the war continued for any length of time, he would most certainly have merited and attained a high position in military affairs.
H. H. BOYES.
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CHAPTER XXII.
TWENTY-THIRD IOWA INFANTRY.
Company A of the Twenty-third Iowa Infantry was one of the distinctly Story County companies. It was organized at Des Moines, but was very largely enlisted in Story County. Fifty-eight Story County men at least were in this company, and there were enough more in other companies to raise the county's representation in the regiment to fully seventy-five. It is a close question whether A of the Twenty-third or K of the Thirty- second had the largest number of Story County men in one company; but it appears to be the fact that the Twenty-third had more of them than had any other regiment. It was a good regiment and Company A was a good company. The men in this command saw extended service which is reported more in detail further on; but it seems somewhat remarkable that all of the casualties in action reported of the Story County contingent in this company occurred in about five minutes at Black River Bridge where, in those few moments, Charles P. Miller was killed, Collins Snyder and Jacob A. Grove were mortally wounded, Andrew E. Chamberlin and Rich- ard May received wounds that retired them from the service; and Richard Jones and S. P. O'Brien received wounds from which they recovered so as to continue in the service. In this same action, C. P. McCord, of Com- pany K and also of this county, lost his leg.
Of the officers of this company, D. P. Ballard of this county was first lieutenant and afterwards captain; and S. P. O'Brien, who had served in the Mexican war was orderly sergeant and afterwards second lieutenant. Ballard wrote home sketches to the Ægis from which we quote below. O'Brien still tells something of the story, and a sketch of his is also here given. Thomas J. Miller, who went from Bloomington and was discharged for disability after Vicksburg, was later county treasurer, and now lives at Ames, has prepared a more detailed report of the company, which report also is given herewith. Geo. F. Schoonover, who from his editorial ex- perience might easily have been the readiest contributor in this company to the fund of knowledge of the company's experience for the time he was in, does not appear to have written much; but one letter from New Orleans
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has been preserved and portrayed briefly but graphically the state of that metropolis in war time.
These reports of Company A of the Twenty-third Iowa are as follows :
CAPTAIN BALLARD ON COMPANY A.
In the Ægis of February 24th, reporting from Fort Espranza, Texas, on the gulf coast, Capt. Ballard said :
"The 23d now numbers 297 present, with some 75 more on the way to the regiment. We left Des Moines on the 21st of September, 1862, with 987 men. Our companies now average both present and absent about 50 men. So that we may say 500 is the aggregate of the regiment. Let the bloody field, the weary march, the hospital, toil and watchfulness tell where the other 487 loyal ones are. We have lost 317 killed and wounded in action, many in hospitals, many have been discharged, and what are left are tough as hemlock knots, or they would have been dead. Company A, half of which is from Story, now numbers 37 enlisted and commissioned. After the battles and marches you may judge whether we do not need a little rest. .
"The weather here is very disagreeable at this time. The cold 'norther' has blown almost unceasingly for the past two weeks. Some of the time the wind blew so hard that no vessel could cross the bar. Our rations got short, and beef was our principal living. Hard tacks sold at five cents each, and flour, potatoes, etc., would have brought their weight in gold. Today we got a supply and are again gay and happy. Taps have sounded, and I must close. The Ægis comes very regularly."
Again in the Ægis of March 23, 1864, the Captain said :
"Company A, 23d Iowa Infantry, was organized at Des Moines, August 4, 1862, by the election of Leonard B. Houston as captain, Deville P. Bal- lard first lieutenant and Theodore G. Cree second lieutenant. Stephen P. O'Brien of Story was appointed orderly sergeant, Thos. H. Yarnall of Dallas second sergeant. Orin Belknap, Jr., of Polk, third sergeant, William S. Russell of Dallas fourth serg't, and William A. Saylor of Polk fifth serg't. The corporals were John W. Mattax of Dallas, Richard Jones of Story, Lyman P. Houston of Polk, Merion Smith of Polk, John F. Slaugh- ter of Dallas, Ira Briley, Charles P. Miller and George W. Smiley of Story.
"The company has been in the field from the time the regiment left Des Moines, September 21, 1862; has been engaged in the battles of Port Gib- son, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, Milliken's Bend, Seiges of Vicks- burg and Jackson and at Fort Espranza, has traveled over a great portion of southeast Missouri and western Louisiana and has left its dead along the banks of the Father of Waters from Keokuk, Iowa, to New Orleans, La. Its numbers have been reduced from an aggregate of 99 to 36. The dis-
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tance traveled by the company is over 3,000 miles up to January, 1864. The company was composed of 83 farmers, 9 mechanics, 5 students, I teacher and I merchant. Of these 25 were men of families and 74 were single."
In the Ægis of April 6th, 1864, Captain D. P. Ballard continues his "Re- cord of Company A, 23d Iowa Infantry" and gives sketches of his pre- decessors in the captaincy, L. B. Houston and Theodore G. Cree. Of Houston he says in part: "He enlisted as a private in Company D, 2d Iowa Infantry, and was with the gallant regiment at Donelson and Shiloh. At the latter place he was wounded in the ankle. Obtaining a furlough he went to Des Moines and at once began to recruit men for the 23d Iowa. Going to Story County, he obtained the assistance of the writer of this article, and the result was the organization of the company which was assigned the letter A at the organization of the 23d Iowa. In his election as captain there was not a dissenting voice." Captain Houston distinguished himself for bravery in the Vicksburg campaign and was later promoted to the majority of the regiment. Captain Cree went out as lieutenant of the company and . succeeded Houston in this command. He had also been a member of the 2d Iowa and was wounded in the arm at Donelson. He held the command of the company but a comparatively short time and at the time noted was living at Denver, Colorado. We understand that Major Houston as well as Cap- tain Cree returned from the war; but their story since then we have been unable to learn. A week later Ballard said of Lieut. O'Brien: "O'Brien is a native of Ohio, 38 years of age, formerly served in the Mexican war and was at the battle of Buena Vista, has been in every battle of the 23d; was severely wounded through the arm at Black River Bridge; was pro- moted 2d lieutenant, May 20, 1863, and is now recommended Ist lieutenant to take rank from Oct. 21, 1863, was known as the best orderly in the 23d."
Again on April 23 Ballard reported the transfer of the 23d Iowa from Fort Espranza, Texas, to Matagorda Island, in the same state. An incident of this transfer was that the 23d happened to be thrown out of its order in the march and the 69th Indiana put in its place. Then a lot of the Indiana men were sent across a bayou in an overloaded pontoon which sank with them, drowning 22. We have heard J. C. Lovell, who was there, tell of this incident as one of the most harrowing of his experience in the war. Ballard speaks of new recruits from Story County-Schoonover, Henry Barber, Gilbert Barber, Rhoades, Robinson, H. D. Ballard, Lovell and Elsbree,- and remarks: "They are now being put through the rudiments of the drills and are all apt. Lovell is the same dry 'old six-pence,' and is destined to be the life of the crowd with which he mingles. To George (Schoonover) it is not entirely new, (Schoonover had served in the First Iowa and had been the local editor) and he will handle a gun against the traitors as well as he did the quill against the tories." In the forty years that have passed since this was first written Lovell has maintained fully his early reputation for
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drollery and Schoonover's strong character is well remembered by those who knew him.
SCHOONOVER ON NEW ORLEANS.
Writing from New Orleans in October, 1864, Mr. Schoonover complains of the continued and excessive heat, which but for the occasional breezes from the gulf would be insufferable, and continues :
"As a consequence, partly, the city, which owes its existence to its com- mercial advantages, is very dull. Of business, leaving out government trans- actions, there is none to speak of. Two or three river steamers per week and an occasional steamer from New York manage to bring and carry away all the imports and exports of the vast metropolis. As far as life and ac- tivity are concerned, the whole city, with the exception of two or three of the principal streets, has the aspect of a country village on Sunday, more than anything else. In fact, the greatest stir and bustle perceptible for weeks at a stretch on any of the principal thoroughfares is occasioned by the ar- rival of a mail from New York, and the soldiers contribute even a good share of that. New Orleans is not what it used to be. This may seem strange at first, since the city had been in possession of our forces and under wholesome government for more than two years. But the reason is ap- parent. The trade of immense districts now in rebellion, which formerly drew all their supplies from here, is now entirely cut off, and leaves the business men a comparativelly small field to operate in. Of course, with the return of peace and the black cloud of slavery dispelled, New Orleans will resume more than her wonted spirit of enterprise and commercial buoyancy."
"STEVE" O'BRIEN'S STORY OF THE 23D.
Company A of the 23d Iowa, of which I was lieutenant, joined the rest of the regiment at Des Moines and left that place on September 19, 1862. One half of our regiment was transported to Keokuk on old four-horse stages, and the other half, of which I was one, had the pleasure of footing it. We thought it a great hardship when we started, but we were glad later as the stages were so crowded there was no comfort at all. The men were piled on like tar-buckets, inside and on the top.
From Keokuk to St. Louis we went by steamer. We remained at St. Louis two weeks and then went on to Patterson, Mo., on foot. The prev- alence of small-pox, measles, and mumps, of which several of our company died, caused us to remain in Patterson the greater part of the winter.
Our first skirmish was at Pitman's Ferry, Missouri, where the rebels ran from us as quick as we fired on them and got away from us; and on the road to Pitman's Ferry our advance guard captured a rebel picket, composed of a captain and thirteen men. In the spring we went on down the river to Milliken's Bend or Young's Point, where we witnessed the running of
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