USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 25
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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 FF, 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. I .. Crawford and wife, Company Il, 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.
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 lowa 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 20. 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 20 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 luka. 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 luka, 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 Corinthi 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 lowa 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 lowa 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.
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 lowa 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 lowa 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, cast 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.
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-
NEVADA BRICK AND TILE WORKS
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
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 Men- 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 llood'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 lowa 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 cokl, 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
On the morning of December 15th General Thomas advanced against llood'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. Hlatch was promoted to Brigadier and was suc- ceeded by Datus E. Coon, captain of Company 1. 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.
1 .. 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 1 .. Herbert as captain.
Private Byron A. Beeson in 1861 was ist lieutenant, and private H. II. 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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