USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 22
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Soon after the return to St. Louis, the regiment was mustered out and sent up the Mississippi by boat. There were very enthusiastic receptions at Burlington and Muscatine, while at Davenport, the people out-did them- selves to welcome home the three months' veterans, who had returned from one strenuous, but not successful campaign. Four years later Mr. Boyes returned to Davenport again, this time with the Second Cavalry, which had for practically the whole period of the war been engaged in the hardest sort of service, and which had been conspicuous in the break- ing of Hood's lines at Nashville. But there were no welcoming throngs then for the soldiers who had actually participated in putting down the rebellion. The war had become an old story, and they made their own camp and got their own supper. But the First Iowa had done all there was to do during the time it was in the service and it had enlisted for all the time that was asked when the first call was made for volunteers. In its service it had in fact been a training school for officers of later regiments, and it will be noted that of the Story County quartette, three became lieutenants in other commands, while the fourth was an inspira- tion for loyal enthusiasm in his conduct of a county paper. The boys of Company K, First Iowa Infantry, were an example to all that came after. They got no more applause than their deserts, whether the later veterans had just recognition or not.
TENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
No company of the Tenth Infantry was organized in Story County or has been counted a Story County company ; but it is nevertheless true that Vol. 1-13
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the county was well represented in companies A and K of that regiment. If the two squads had been in one company they would have made up nearly one-third of its complement. But the two squads being of about equal strength were neither of them large enough to secure the recog- nition to which together they might have been entitled.
The regiment was mustered at Iowa City in September 1861 with nine companies and Company K. which was the tenth, joined it in October. The colonel of this regiment was Nicholas Perczel, a Hungarian from Davenport, and one impression that we get of him is that he was a good fighter but not so adept at getting his name in the newspapers as were the lawyer colonels of some other regiments. But the record shows that the regiment saw the most genuine service. It was at Island Number Ten, at Corinth, at luka, where it won the distinction of repeatedly stopping the rebel advance with very small loss to itself ; in the Vicksburg campaign and in the thick of the fight at Champion Hill where it fought at close range until its ammunition was exhausted and lost nearly one-half of its men engaged; the assault at Vicksburg. with Sherman on his march to the relief of Thomas at Chattanooga and with Sherman again to Atlanta, Sa- vannah and up through the Carolinas. It is a record without blemish.
TWELFTH1 IOWA INFANTRY. ยท
The Twelfth Infantry was a regiment in which Story County had a small representation. But this representation was notable because of the fact that it was headed by Jason D. Ferguson, who had served in the First Iowa, became one of the organizers of Company D, of the Twelfth lowa at Cedar Rapids, was elected its first lieutenant, was mortally wounded at Shiloh and has given his name to the Grand Army Post at Nevada. The chief organizer of the company was Captain John H. Stibbs of Cedar Rapids, who later became colonel of the regiment, and a later company officer was Capt. E. B. Soper who has, through the favor of Col. Rood. furnished special tribute to Lieutenant Ferguson. In this command also were F. D. Thompson and Jas. D. Ferner, both of whom were in after years postmasters of Nevada and the former of whom has contributed to other portions of this history. The tribute of Captain Soper to Lieutenant Ferguson was as follows,
"Jason D). Ferguson enlisted with other students at Mount Vernon, April 18, 1861 in Company K. ist. Reg. la. Inf. Vol., for three months, and during his service displayed soldierly qualities besides conspicuous gal- lantry at the Battle of Wilson's Creek. After the muster out of the regi- ment upon the expiration of the term, Ferguson was invited by Captain Stibbs to assist in the formation of a company for the 12th lowa Vols .. at Cedar Rapids, and they secured as many of their comrades of the Ist Ja. as were willing to enlist.
"When the war broke out Nathan G. Price, a friend and boon com- panion of Ferguson's, was seeking for gold about Pike's Peak, and he hur-
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ried home as fast as an ox team could hurry down the Platte river valley and across the state of Iowa. Ferguson and Price had both planned to join their Story County friends in the 2d Fa. Cavalry at Davenport, but first Ferguson and then Price were prevailed upon to enlist in Co. D of the 12th Fa., and upon organization of the company, Ferguson was elected first lieutenant and made a most competent and acceptable officer. He served with credit at Fort Donelson and distinguished himself at Shiloh, receiving, the evening of April 6th, 1862, about the time of the surrender of his regiment, a mortal wound.
"On the march to the position assigned to the command, a premonition of certain death, that day, came to Ferguson, and he communicated it to his friend Price and possibly others; yet he conducted himself with great gallantry, and between attacks of the enemy upon the position of the regi- ment at the Hornet's Nest, he imparted to his friend Price messages to his family and kindred and also specified articles he desired sent to each. When surrounded and while attempting to break through the rebel lines toward the Landing at the camp of the 3d Ia. Inf., a bullet passed through his body inflicting a mortal wound. Upon learning the fact Price asked permission to care for him, and the privilege was granted and a confederate guard placed in charge.
"During the night, Price and his guard were employed. not only in car- ing for Ferguson, but other wounded of both armies. The night was in- describable, rain falling, groans of wounded and dying, bursting shells from the gun boats exploding on them but nevertheless both faithfully worked, bringing water and ministering to the sufferers. When the Federals ad- vanced in line of battle on the 7th, causing a retreat of the rebels, Price, in order to escape being taken from Ferguson and compelled to join his comrades in a southern prison, wrapped bloody garments about him and groaned in feigned agony, as the confederates' rear guard gathered up those who were able to travel. After the advance of the federal lines the wounded were gathered up and transferred to the landing to be placed on steamers, but Ferguson died soon after reaching the landing, during the forenoon of the 7th; and Price, regaining his Enfield rifle and equipments, where they had been hastily thrown at the time of the surrender, fought to the end of the battle with an Illinois regiment belonging to Buell's army, and has the distinction of being the one man of the 12th lowa that fought both days in the thick of battle at Shiloh.
"Nathan G. Price lived to fight in every battle his regiment was en- gaged in during the war and was one of the bravest men in the 12th Iowa ; and now surrounded by his children, on their highly improved farms in Jewell county, Kansas, he enjoys the comforts that come from affluence acquired by a clean life and honest toil.
"Ferguson was a young officer of promise, a born leader of men, and a man of high moral character, pure motives, prompt intelligence and efficiency. His loss was deplored by his company and regiment. His com-
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rades buried him near the camp on the high bluff overlooking the Tennes- see river and his body now rests in a known grave in the beautiful national cemetery at Pittsburg Landing."
THIRTEENTIL IOWA INFANTRY.
Story County had a strong representation in Company E of the Thir- teenth Iowa. The company was made up chiefly from the eastern part of the state and it does not appear that the Story County squad received spe- cial consideration; but there were at least thirty from the county in the company. This regiment is distinguished in the beginning from the fact that its first colonel was Marcellus M. Crocker, a very distinguished young lawyer of Des Moines. He was promoted to be brigadier general and rose to the command of a division and might readily have risen still higher if his physical strength had been proportionate to his abilities.
This regiment was in the thick of the fight at Shiloh and when on the afternoon of the first day's fight and the disorganized portions of the Union army were reforming according to their own notion for the repulse of the last rebel charge, the remnants of the Thirteenth attached themselves to Colonel Tuttle's division and shared in the final victory. Later the regi- ment was at Corinth, fuka, all through the Vicksburg campaign, in the Meridian campaign, and with Sherman from Chattanooga to the Carolinas and Washington.
GENERAL CROCKER.
General Crocker during the Vicksburg campaign, and perhaps at other times, had in his brigade or division the Third Iowa and other regiments in which Story County was strongly represented and probably he had under his general command, at one time or another, more Story County troops than was true of any other lowa officer. This fact gives pertinence to vari- ous stories about him to which reference is probably now as appropriate as at any time. The general died at Washington City in August, 1865. A few weeks before that time, he had been in Nevada to take the cars on his way from Des Moines to the national capital, and his visit was the occa- sion of respectful attention. lle was then in delicate health and we had been holding a command in Arizona; but he tired of service there and returned to Towa. Hence he went first to Washington, and the climate of that city in August brought his troubles to a conclusion. llis body was brought from Washington back to Nevada and hence was taken across the country to Des Moines. This was the general's last passage through the village where he had often practiced as a lawyer and where were many of his warmest admirers. The contemporary report of this visit said : "The remains of the late General Crocker arrived on Saturday in a special car under military escort and immediately went forward to Des Moines. The car used by the Northwestern Company was properly draped in mourning
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and surrounded by United States flags. The seats were removed from the center of the car and the coffin rested upon an appropriately trimmed plat- form."
Many years afterwards, Senator J. A. Fitchpatrick, writing from the point of view of a Third Iowa veteran, wrote of General Crocker as follows : "At the beginning of the war M. M. Crocker was the most noted criminal lawyer in the state. As an advocate he was brilliant and effective, seldom losing out in a case. He was born in Johnson County, Indiana, February 6, 1830, son of Col. Joseph G. Crocker. He removed to near Fairfield, Iowa, in 1844 with his father, and in 1846 Senator A. C. Dodge secured for him the appointment as a cadet to West Point. But after remaining at the military academy about one year he was obliged to return home to care for the family on account of his father's death. He tilled the little farm, taught school in winter, studied law during spare moments and in 1851 was admitted to the bar, got married and located at Lancester, Keokuk county. He removed to Des Moines in 1854, entering at once upon a stren- uous practice in a territory radiating at least fifty miles in every direction from his home. All the old settlers in Story County knew him well. He was a genial, whole-souled fellow and the life of any kind of a crowd. In politics he was a democrat, but seldom took an active part in party gather- ings. Shortly after he entered the service, however, in congratulating Gov- ernor Kirkwood on his message, he took occasion to say that he had be- come convinced that slavery was the cause of the war, and there could be no lasting peace between the two sections of the country until the system of human slavery was eradicated, and that the war ought to continue until that was accomplished. At the first call for troops in April 1861, he or- ganized a company and tendered it to the government and it became Com- pany D, of the 2d Iowa Infantry. Upon the organization of the regiment he was made major and afterward lieutenant colonel. In the fall of that year he was commissioned colonel of the 13th Iowa. In November, 1862, he was nominated as a brigadier general, but for some reason this nomina- tion was held and not confirmed by the senate until the March following. He was then in command of the famous Crocker's Iowa Brigade. He re- ceived his commission just at the time General Grant was crossing the river for the rear of Vicksburg, and was temporarily assigned to the command of Quimby's division of the 17th Corps. He was actively engaged by the side of General Logan in the several fierce battles following, displaying such courage and skill that General Grant, who seldom complimented a volunteer officer, speaking of the battles in his Memoirs, Vol. 1, Page 497, says :
"'I regard Logan and Crocker as being as competent division com- manders as could be found in or out of the army, and both equal to a much higher command. Crocker, however, was dying of consumption when he volunteered. His weak condition never put him on the sick list, when there was a battle in prospect, as long as he could keep his feet.'
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"After the siege of Vicksburg was well under way, General Crocker was sent home in an endeavor to recruit his health, and while in Des Moines he was warmly solicited to run for governor on the republican ticket. His reply was such as befitted the man, viz: 'No good soldier should run for any office while the war is on, and a bad soldier is unfit for governor.'
CROCKER AND THE TILIRD IOWA.
"He returned to the front just at the time General Lauman retired from the 4th division of the 17th corps, and he was given command of that di- vision and assigned to command the post at Natchez. The 3rd regiment was the only lowa troops in this new command, and he always appeared to have a neighborly feeling for the boys. We were constantly near him and all the boys learned to love him.
"He was quite irritable, probably on account of his poor health, and im- petuous in his manner. At times he was thrilling in his speech and at no time was there any doubt as to the meaning of what he said, nor that he expected to be obeyed. However, he was always kind and considerate of his men, at the same time demanding and expecting of them their whole duty upon all occasions. Any officer, soldier or civilian brought before him for some dereliction seldom received more than a reprimand, but that was of such a nature that the culprit was careful not to be brought the second time.
"In December, 1863. his command was returned to Vicksburg and the Ist of February following started on the Meridian expedition, which. taking just thirty days' time through a territory rich in forage, and never before traversed by our troops, was greatly enjoyed by our boys.
"It was the custom in our mess on this trip for one or two of us each day to furnish the necessary supply of fresh meat. After being out about ten days we learned on one occasion that we should go into camp about a mile farther on ; and so Bartley Pardee and myself started out in quest of sup- plies, which we found rather scarce on account of others having been over the ground ahead of us, However, we soon struck the trail of a hog and got a glimpse of it as it entered a small open shed covered by tall grass. We shortly surrounded it and brought it down and started in to dress it suf- ficiently to lighten the burden and enable us to carry it to camp. Our shot had no doubt attracted the attention of the rebel scouts, and we had just got started when they came up and fired at us. We picked up our game and made for the brush close by. working our way toward camp. finally reaching a picket post about half a mile from camp. The post was in charge of a New Jersey lieutenant, who ordered us to drop our loot and submit to ar- rest. We told him the Johnnies were after us and that we preferred to get inside the lines and would then argue the question, and we moved on past his post. He became furious and ordered a guard to surround and disarm 11 .. We kept our guns and stood guard over our belongings, telling him that we Western fellows were not used to that kind of treatment. We gave him
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our correct names and the name of the company, regiment and division to which we belonged. He no doubt thought we were lying and went to his superior officer for orders. Returning shortly he said he would take us to Crocker's headquarters. He told us to leave our forage, but we demurred, telling him that he would need that for evidence of our guilt when he turned us in. We guyed the lieutenant all the way in. To our remark that we were sorry for him he asked, 'Why?' We then asked him if he knew General Crocker and he answered that he had never heard of him. We answered, "Well, you will hear from him pretty soon.' At the same time we were not entirely easy in our minds as to the outcome. We finally reached head- quarters, and Crocker came out of his tent, and the lieutenant reported that he had a couple of his men who were arrested while attempting to pass the picket line bringing in forage. The general's eyes flashed fire as he said to the lieutenant, 'You don't mean to say that you have disturbed me simply to report that some of my men have been caught bringing into camp some- thing to eat !' and added, 'I told my men when we crossed Black river that our quartermaster was supplied with plenty of crackers and coffee, but that he had no meat, and supposed they had sense enough to provide meat for themselves if they wanted any. I will take care of these boys and you can report back to your command.' He said all this and much more in a vein that no other than Crocker was capable of, and the lieutenant departed in a manner indicating that he was glad to get away.
"The general then turned to us and demanded fiercely why we were be- yond the picket line, and we told him mildly that we fell out of ranks about a mile back to get some needed supplies, and we did not know that we were beyond the lines until we ran up against the pickets on our way to camp. He lectured us severely and asked us what we had. We showed him all we had brought in and he then told us to report to our company and when we were wanted he would send for us. Our boys were camped about fifty yards away. We finished dressing the hog and took a ham and gave it to Crocker's cook.
CROCKER'S LAST DAYS.
"General Crocker remained with our division until about the first of July following and while on the Atlanta Campaign, he became so weakened in body that he was obliged to relinquish his command, and was succeeded by General Walter Q. Gresham. The boys parted with him with great regret and many expressions of sympathy. He was then given the command of the department of Arizona, or New Mexico, in the hope that in that climate he might be able to rally his health. He improved rapidly and, becoming restless over the tameness of his duties, sought a return to active service, which request was finally granted, and he was ordered to report to General Thomas of the department of the Cumberland for assignment to a command ; but this being before the days of railroads west of the Missouri, the return trip was too arduous, and on his way east he was continuously exposed to
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inclement weather. Suffering a relapse, he never fully recovered. However, in the summer of 1865. he regained sufficient strength to go to Washington for the purpose of winding up his affairs with the government, and having done so he took to his couch, as if to repose in pleasant dreams of duties well accomplished, and soon expired, beloved and honored by all who were privileged to serve, either under him or over him.
Had General Crocker's strength of body equaled his power of mind, there is no doubt that he would have quit the service ranking, because of brilliant achievements, among the greatest soldiers produced by the war. He was unusually quick to take in the situation and prompt, aggressive and effective in action, seldom, if ever, making a mistake; and no general in the western army, save Logan, was his equal in that respect. General Crocker, in mental equipment, courage and decisiveness, was fully equal to Logan ; his military training was superior, but in physical strength and power of endurance Logan had a great advantage. "J. A. F."
FOURTEENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
There was quite a squad of Story County men in Company G of the Fourteenth Iowa. The regiment was organized in October and November, 1861, and served through the war. Its commander was Colonel W. L. Shaw, of Anamosa, and the most trying situation that it ever got into was at Pleasant Hill in the Red River campaign, where the Fourteenth was next to the Thirty-second lowa, (Col. Scott's regiment) in the very front line and in the thickest part of that battle.
Addison Davis, who had seen service as one of the First lowa Regi- ment, was second sergeant of Company G and became second lieutenant later. The case of Henry Spangler of this company is typical of what happened to some soldiers. Spangler was a shoemaker in Nevada, a young man and married. He did not hurry into the war, but in January, 1864, when men were especially needed, he enlisted and became a recruit in the Fourteenth Iowa. Other recruits from this locality were being sent to the front and their story is that all the way down the Mississippi. Spangler was especially despondent. He joined his regiment in the Red River campaign and he had barely entered his first action when he was killed, by a minie ball through his head. lle probably was killed after shorter service than was the case of any other Story County soldier, excepting John F. Shoe- maker, also of Nevada, who enlisted at the same time with Spangler and was killed in the same battle of Pleasant ilill.
THE EIGHTHI C.WALRY.
Company 1 of the Eighth Cavalry, was organized at Marshalltown and had two squads from Story County, one from about Squaw Fork and the other from the vicinity of East Indian. There were altogether only eight or
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ten of them but they belonged to a command that saw exceptionally hard ser- vice. The first captain was Elliot Shartz, afterwards colonel, and in later years postmaster. The regiment was mustered at Davenport in August 1863, proceeded to Louisville and Nashville, was assigned to the army of the Cumberland and chased bushwhackers through middle Tennessee through the following winter, sending eight hundred of them to the war prison at Rock Island. In 1864, it was in the Atlanta campaign, and was engaged at Resaca and Kenesaw mountain. At Noonan, south of Atlanta, the regi- ment got into very close quarters. It had been sent out to cut a railroad, and was there to unite with another command under General Stoneman. Stoneman failed to arrive, but rebels arrived on trains from both ways and proceeded to get on several sides of the cavalry. The regiment lost heavily on this occasion and of the Story County squad Albert Briley was killed and John Fitchpatrick was captured and sent to Andersonville where he met his brother Joseph A. of the Third Infantry who had been captured at Atlanta. The regiment was the rear guard of Thomas's army of the retreat in front of Hood to Nashville and it saw some of its hardest fighting at Franklin, on the morning after which engagement Company I had eight men left in line. The remnants of the regiment were in the attack when Hood's army was destroyed at Nashville. In the spring of 1865 it went on Wilson's raid through Alabama and Georgia and while so engaged it met the news of peace coming from the rebel side at Macon. Afterwards, it joined in the chase after Jeff Davis and captured his supply train; but the fallen chief of the confederacy was captured by the Fourth Michigan cavalry, another regiment of the same brigade.
CHAPTER XX.
THIRD IOWA INFANTRY.
As has already been suggested, the Third lowa Infantry has a recognized claim from the Story County point of view for the first consideration among the regiments in which Story County was represented during the Civil war. The county was too far inland for it to be able to get a company into the field in time to be accepted as a part of the one regiment which was lowa's quota under President Lincoln's first call for troops. The company was organized and tendered but could not be accepted by Gov. Kirkwood be- cause the first regiment was already full. Very soon, however, there fol- lowed a second call by the president for more men and under this call Iowa was expected to furnish two regiments to serve for three years or for the war. lowa's response to this call was the organization of the Second and Third regiments of lowa Infantry, and insomuch as the first regiment which alone had preceded them had been raised for a ninety day service only and proved in fact to be chiefly a most valuable training school for volunteers in still later regiments, the Second and Third lowa were the earliest organiza- tions that went from this state to the field enlisted for the war and destined in fact to serve out the war. These two regiments went out on equal foot- ing-the grouping of companies into one or the other being largely acci- dental. They saw similar service through the most of the war, were in the thickest of the fight together at Shiloh and when both had been depleted by the casualties and hardships of the war, until neither was longer entitled to maintain a regimental organization, they were united in one battalion which was thereafter known as the Second lowa Consolidated. It was for such an organization and service that Company E of the Third lowa Infantry was first brought together in the old courthouse at Nevada. The idea of Story County furnishing by itself a company for one or the other of these two regiments had been discouraged at the state capital ; but recognition had been promised for a company to be organized from Story and Boone counties and Story County having been first of the counties in this neighborhood with its tender of a company for the First lowa, it maintained its seniority as the one north of Des Moines, in which one of the new companies should be formed. So the squads from other counties came to Nevada for or- ganization. When the squads came together, Story and Boone had about
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