USA > Iowa > History of the Fifteenth Regiment, Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry, from October, 1861, to August, 1865, when disbanded at the end of the war > Part 34
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SIR: I have the honor to herewith transmit a copy of the requisition for drafted men for Iowa regiments in the Army of the Tennessee in the field.
Their record throughout the entire war, the laurels they have helped to place upon the victorious banners of the army of the Tennessee, and their praiseworthy desire to continue their effi- ciency, demands attention from the patriotic men of Iowa. With the hope that their appeal may meet with success through your exertions, I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully your obedient servant, O. O. HOWARD. Major-General Commanding .
THE GOVERNOR'S REPLY .. State of Iowa, Executive Office, Des Moines, October 8th, 1864. 5
Major-General O. O. Howard, Commanding Army of the Ten- nessee, East Point, Georgia .
SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your re- quisition for drafted men for Iowa regiments in the Army of the Tennessee, and the accompanying letter of September 23d .
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Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
You are doubtless aware that the distribution of drafted men and volunteer recruits is taken entirely out of the hands of the State Executives, and made under the sole direction of the War Depart- ment. I have, therefore, no control whatever over the subject, and can only unite with you in requesting that the regiments designated be filled up as far as the number of men furnished by the State will go. The actual number of men due from this State under the late call, after deducting the excesses furnished over for- mer calls, is less than 4,000. You will perceive, therefore, that if the regiments serving under your command should receive the entire number obtained, it will fall considerably short of filling your requisition. In my opinion, it is the policy of the Govern- ment to send the new levies into the department where they are most needed for immediate and active service, and distribute them to those regiments which have done the most work and sustained the heaviest losses.
No one can appreciate more fully than I do the great services performed by the gallant Army of the Tennessee, and its high claims to the grateful consideration of the country. My adinira- tion of this army is essentially increased by the fact that many Iowa regiments, to whose heoric achievements the State is vastly indebted for the high place it occupies in the history of this war, have been associated with it from its earliest organization, and have borne a conspicious part in all the memorable campaigns which have crowned the soldiers of the northwest with such im- perishable honor.
Entertaining these feelings myself, and knowing it to be univer- sally shared in by the loyal people of our State, and having a soldiers warmest affection for the noble men who have survived these perilous campaigns, I should fail in doing justice to my convictions of duty, did I not join with you in earnestly recommending that their now thinned ranks be speedily filled.
Thanking you, General, for this evidence of your kind feelings
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toward these brave regiments, and the deep interest I am assured you constantly manifest in their welfare and good name, I remain Very truly yours, W. M. STONE.
By the armistice concluded on the 10th of September between Generals Sherman and Hood, the regiment received 42 of the 89 men captured during the battle of July 22d, who, being exchang- ed, joined the regiment during the latter part of September in an extremely ragged, emaciated and sickly condition.
SPECIAL ORDERS NO. 238.
EXTRACT.
Headquarters 17th Army Corps, Dep't of the Tennessee, Near Atlanta, Ga., September 24, 1864. 5
VIII. In compliance with instructions from Department Head- quarters, division quartermasters will make gratuitous issue of one whole suit of clothing to each exchanged prisoner of war of this command.
By command of BRIG. GEN. T. E. G. RANSOM. ROWLAND COX, A. A. Gen.
[ Official ]
AD. WARE, JR., A. A. Gen.
[Official ] O. D. KINSMAN, A. A. G.
October Ist the regiment, with its brigade and division, received marching orders at noon, and started at 2 P. M. on a reconnortering expedition, accompanied by General Fuller's 1st Division ; the whole under command of General Ransom, and moved in a south, south- westerly direction, along the Montgomery railroad: the object of the reconnoissance being to find out the whereabouts and the strengh of Hood's army on the left bank of the Chattahoochie. October 2d, started from the bivouac of the preceding night at 5 o'clock A. M. The 15th Iowa, in the lead of the two divisions, met the enemy at 7 o'clock, and deployed a heavy line of skir-
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mishers, who drove the rebel cavalry in front till 10 o'clock to Fairburn; then it was relieved by troops of Colonel Potts' 1st Brigade, 4th Division. At the same time the 1st Minnesota Bat- tery of Zinch rifles opened at long range, which, after some resis- tance, threw the enemy into flight. The object of the expedition having been attained, by receiving knowledge of the fact that Hood had his headquarters six miles below Fairburn two days pre- vious, that since then most of his infantry had crossed the Chatta- hoochie at and below Sandtown ferry, and that two divisions of cavalry were left to guard their rear, the expedition returned, marching twenty-four miles on October 3d to its camp near East Point, and received orders to send all surplus baggage and tents to Atlanta, and be ready to move in light marching order at a moment's notice .*
October 4th, the regiment and entire corps started at 5 o'clock A. M., passing by Whitehall and through the several rebel lines of heavy fortifications that were opposite the position of the 4th di- vision, during the siege back to Ezra Church, thence to the cross- ing at Proctor's creek, and along the Chattanooga railroad to Vinings Stations, where it crossed the Chattahoochie on pontoons,} and arrived at night four miles south of Marietta, within the late strong rebel breastworks, marched eighteen miles. The 13th and 16th Iowa were at once detailed to go on a scouting expedition some three miles, against supposed rebel cavalry skirmishing with our flankers, they returned without having met with any of the enemy. Next day (5th) changed camp to three miles south-west of Marietta, during the day the 4th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 23d Corps, each three divisions strong arrived in the vicinity .
*A bill of goods, bought on this day by one of the rich patrons of the 4th Division Com. Snb. shows prices then ruling were, for hard tack $5.46 per hundred pounds ; pork $15; sugar $19; coffee $52; last, but not least, whiskey $2.28 per gal.
+Private J. Thatcher, E Company, detailed with 17th Corps, pontoon train, states they laid a pontoon bridge seven times across the Chattahoochie river at different points during the siege.
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History of the Fifteenth Regiment
On October 7th, the regiment, brigade and division started on a reconnoitering expedition in a southwesterly direction, with one brigade of Kilpatrick's cavalry and four pieces of light artillery ; passed Powder Springs at 4 o'clock P. M., where the infantry was ordered forward, the 15th Iowa being in the lead of the column, it struck the rebel earthworks south of Dallas at 7 o'clock A. M., and- occupied them for a camp. From the appearances on the ground, and from information re- ceived it was learned that the rear of the enemy's column left these works that day, early in the morning, in the direction of Dallas, and thence north; the problem seemed to be solved whether the enemy would move west, northwest towards Hunts- ville on the Tennessee, or towards Rome, Kingston, etc., northward. The latter appearing to be the case, the regiment and division re- turned the next day to its camp south of Marietta.
October 9th, the 4th Division in lead of the Corps, moved at 5 o'clock A. M., passing through Marietta around Kenesaw Moun- tain,* and across the several rebel and Federal breastworks erected during the latter part of June and arrived at Big Shanty.
On the 10th of October the regiment was detailed to escort the corps supply train, 247 wagons, being in charge of Lieutenant Colonel Joel, Chief Quartermaster 17th Corps; it passed Alla- toona, October 12th, and arrived within five miles of Kingston, late at night, while the heavy cannonading on the left and front of the train going on for some time during the evening just ceased .
That night two companies started at midnight with forty wagons to Kingston, the rest of the train remaining in camp till 4 o'clock next morning. Instructions were received to guard
*The top of Kenesaw Mountain offers a sight seldom, is ever seen anywhere else in the south; for fifty miles south, and as many or more miles west and north and east, the country with all its ranges of hills and mountains-the South and North Carolina ranges of moun- tains, the Allatoona and Chattanooga Mountains-are exposed to view Pieces of shells from the besieging Federal Artillery, found scattered on the top, and immediately below where the rebel infantry was in position, are a proof of the efficiency of the Union batteries, and of the excellence of the men who served them during the terrible days of June, 1864.
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Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
against a body of rebel cavalry hanging on the rear and left flank of the train. October 13th, at 4 o'clock A. M., the regiment started with the train, making five miles to Kingston and eight miles to the west of that place, where, at 3 o'clock P. M. it overtook the Army of the Tennessee in bivouac.
Here the regiment being relieved, rejoined its brigade, and after one hour's rest the 17th and 15th Corps were ordered to move at once. The regiment marched in front of the entire column four- teen miles to Adairsville, arrived there at 10 o'clock at night, after a march of twenty-seven miles. There it took the cars with the division, arriving at Resacca at 2 o'clock A. M., at which place Colonel Wever's brigade was engaged by the enemy during the afternoon of the preceding day, the distance made by the regiment on the 13th was 43 miles. In the morning it was the last regiment in the rear of the corps train, and at 4 o'clock P. M. marched in the lead of the army .
'On the 14th, at 4 o'clock A. M., took and kept position in the northwest fort at Resacca, while the other two divisions arrived in the afternoon followed by the 15th, 4th and 14th Corps.
October 15th, the regiment and division moved at 5 A. M., fol- lowed by the rest of the corps, to Snake Creek Gap, where the rear of the enemy was met at 10 A. M. showing a stubborn resis- tance to our further progress. The lines of battle were formed at once by the arriving troops, the regiment and brigade taking posi- tion on the left of the road. After considerable skirmish and artillery fighting done principally by the 1st Division, an ener- getic charge dispersed the enemy, and the Gap was gained at 1 o'clock P. M. After considerable time lost in removing the ob- structions which completely blocked up the passes, sometimes for miles, and on the roads and bridges intervening, the command pushed on the heels of the fast retreating enemy. After the artil- lery and trains had been stopped, the infantry succeeded in gain- ing the southern gap of the pass at dark, and went into camp,
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the artillery and train not being able to pass through till daybreak next morning .
October 16th, early in the morning the corps pushed after the fast retreating .enemy, over roads and bridges destroyed, and marched half a day on the 17th. By orders from General Sher- man, the transportation for regiments, brigades, divisions and corps headquarters, were reduced greatly,* and all surplus baggage, chests, tents, cots, chairs, and trunks, were to be sent away to Chattanooga at once. On the 18th of October, the march was re- sumed, and Lafayette passed. On the 19th reached Sommerville and Alpine, on the 20th Gaylesville, where the troops went into camp, while the 23d Corps continued its march to Blue Pond Gap, S miles distant, where the enemy was supposed to be, and where the roads divide, one going south, another west and a third in a northwesterly direction to the Tennessce river; the presumption being that instead of moving south, as information by the farmers on the road would have it, the enemy would move north to meet their allied forces under Dick Taylor and Forrest, then already in the direction of that river. October 21st, the non-veterans whose term of service had already expired, were sent in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander, of the corps staff, to Chattanooga, there to be mustered out by the corps mustering officers; Lieuten- ant-Colonel J. C. Abercrombie of the 11th lowa, and lately in command of the brigade, having left for the same place, Major George Pomutz of the 15th Iowa, took command of the 3d Brigade and Captain J. M. Reid, I. Co., command of the regiment.
General T. E. G. Ransom (then at the point of death, ) re- linquished the command of the 17th Corps on October 22d and was succeeded by Major-General Joseph A. Mower, who on the 28th received the several divisions of the 17th Corps. On that day, General Ransom died.
*Most of these articles were sent away, and never again recovered, the chests contained official records of companies and regiments, which it was thought were exposed to danger of being burned or captured, if not sent away. Many of the latter cannot be replaced.
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Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
October 29th, march was resumed to Coosa river; on the 30th, to Cave Springs, where the troops went into camp. Distance marched during October, 262 miles; during the last two weeks the troops foraged liberally on the country and, notwithstanding the rapid marching, the men were in vigorous health and in the best spirits, equal to all emergencies.
GENERAL FIELD ORDERS, NO. 21.
Headquarters Department and Army of Tenn., Cedar Town, Ga., Nov. I, 1864. 5
The officers and soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee will hear, with deep sorrow and regret the news of the death of Briga- dier General T. E. G. Ransom, lately commanding 17th Corps.
General Ransom was ill at the very beginning of this campaign, but was unwilling to leave the field; and, hoping the attack of the fell disease which caused his death was but temporary, he did not cease day or night, as was his wont, to exert himself to the ut- most in his country's service.
When the army reached Gaylesville, Ala., he was compelled by aggravated symptoms to relinquish his command, and now we learn that on the 28th ult., while being carried on a stretcher to Rome, he died.
General Ransom was much beloved by all who knew him, and this army has lost one of its most useful officers and brightest ornaments. His noble record is too familiar to need recounting here.
While with me in command of his division of the 16th Corps, after the wounding of Major-General G. M. Dodge, in command of that corps at Atlanta and Jonesboro, and then in command of the 17th Corps during the present vigorous operations, he showed himself an officer of the highest order of merit, also a man of pure and elevated character. 3 It is with a feeling of deep sorrow at our loss that I refer to this young man so full of promise, so 30
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enthusiastic in his country's cause, so untiring in his exertions to thwart the efforts of the wicked men who have raised their hands against us; but he has done well his part, and like so many others of our comrades, who have worked with us, he has gone peacefully to the haven of rest. We will cherish his bright memory, and strive to attain his irreproachable character.
O. O. HOWARD, Major-General.
Here Generals Blair and Smith rejoined their commands; Gen- eral Belknap relieved Major Pomutz in command of the 3d Bri- gade on November 1st, and the latter resumed command of the regiment. Surgeon W. H. Gibbon having returned from absence with leave, (since September 23d), he relieved Surgeon Horner, of the 53d Indiana, who had been in charge of the medical depart- ment of the regiment, and had proved to be an efficient and able medical officer.
On this day the march was resumed to Dallas, and on the 2d to New Hope Church, and the division arrived November 5th, at Marietta, going into camp at the foot of the Kenesaw.
Here an official communication from the Adjutant-General's office, War Department, dated October 17th and 22d, informed the regiment that Lieutenant-Colonel Grier, Superintendent of Draft Rendezvous at Davenport, Iowa, had been directed to assign and forward 500 white drafted men to the 15th Iowa, and notice was also received of their being on their way to join the regi- ment.
While at Marietta, the regiment received a large number of men, who, having been sick or wounded during the summer cam- paign, now rejoined for duty. November 8th, presidential election was attended to by the regiment, Mr. Joseph Clark, of Marion county, Iowa, state agent, being present. The whole of the com- mand, (except a small squad ) voted the ticket headed by Abraham Lincoln, for president. On the 9th, Major Wm. Penne Clarke,
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Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
Paymaster U. S. A., paid the regiment up to August 31, 1864; the aggregate sum paid to the brigade at this date was $189,257.54.
SPECIAL ORDER NO. 277.
Headquarters 17th Army Corps, Smyrna Camp Ground, Nov. 9, '64. 5
X. The appointment among the divisions of this corps, of the railroad to be destroyed in accordance with S. F. O. No. 162, from Department headquarters will be as follows:
4th Division from Big Shanty to Noonday Creek.
Ist Division from Noonday Creek to a point one-half mile south of Marietta .:
3d Division from a point one-half mile south of Marietta to Ruff's station .
The command will be prepared to move at a moment's notice to commence the work of destruction, and the work will be done in v the most thorough manner possible.
By command of MAJOR-GENERAL F. P. BLAIR
C. CADLE, JR., Assistant Adjutant General.
November 10th, Captain James S. Porter rejoined the regiment with 249 recruits,* having left thirty men besides in several hospi- tals while en route, and eleven men having deserted. On the 12th, the regiment, brigade and division was marched to Big Shanty for the purpose of thoroughly destroying the railroad from that point to Noonday Creek, which was done with a will for twelve miles, a similar destruction of "Our Cracker line " with the north was orded up to Dalton, and south to Atlanta, thus inaugurating the policy of cutting loose from the old base, and looking for the sea. All the sick and all governmental surplus stores and machinery having been previously sent north with hurrying dispatch.
*Roster at end of Part II.
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November 13th, the regiment with its brigade and division, re- sumed march at 9 o'clock A. M., through Marietta, to Proctor's Creek, west of Atlanta. On the 14th it marched through Atlanta, going into camp southeast of the town. Here at night it received another detatchment of 189 drafted men and substitutes, through the provost Marshal at Atlanta. These men arrived at that Post without any officer in charge of them, and without any descriptive papers -- the officer who brought them from Davenport, Iowa, having left them at Nashville; from there they were forwarded to Atlanta while the regiment was stationed at Marietta. A self- constituted Sergeant who was in the service before, and appeared to have taken charge of the detachment en-route to Atlanta, could not say how many of the lacking 21 men were left sick at Nash- ville, or some hospital on the way, and how many might have de- serted. After a long correspondence, which commenced as soon as the regiment arrived at the sea, the required muster and de- scriptive rolls were received at the regimental headquarters at Goldsboro, N. C., towards the end of March, of the next year; meanwhile such military description of these men was made as could be had by and from themselves, for temporary purposes. They were armed and equipped during the first days of the march, and were drilled for practical warfare whenever an opportunity could be obtained .
On the same day, General Sherman's orders, regulating troops while on the march, were published to the command, by which the four Infantry Corps were to march on parallel roads. The Army of the Tennessee to be the right wing ( 15th Corps on the right, 17th Corps on its left, ) the Army of the Cumberland to be the left wing (20th Corps extreme left, 14th Corps the left center ) and the Cavalry Corps, with its four divisions under General Kilpat- rick to be under special immediate command of General Sherman.
November 15th, the regiment with its brigade (the 32d Illinois Infantry, was attached to same on 14th) and division, moved at 6
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Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
o'clock A. M., each of the 3 divisions of the Corps, alternately taking the lead of same on the successive days, the same rotation being the role between the brigades of each division, and also be- tween the 5 regiments of the 3d Brigade.
The 17th Corps marched on the McDonough road in a south, southeasterly direction between the Augusta and Macon railroads; the 15th Corps on its right, the Cavalry on the right of the 15th, and the 17th Corps making constant demonstrations against Jones- boro, and further south along the Macon railroad, its artillery be- ing ahead for several days.
The regiment with brigade, passed Monticello on the 20th, Gor- donsville on the 21st, Toombsboro on the 23d, and the Oconee river on the 26th. Here we met the first of the enemy and after some skirmishing drove them. On November 30th, the command arrived on the miry, swampy banks of the Ogeechee river. The distance marched from Atlanta through the windings of roads traveled on to the end of November is 258 miles, from November 1st to 15th 91 miles, total 349 miles. The country from Atlanta to the Oconee is high land with considerable range of hills, princi- pally rocky, the streams clear. From the Oconee river the country becomes low, mostly sandy, the streams yellowish and turbid, the bottoms and banks of streams generally muddy, swampy and in some places nearly impassable, though there were but few rainy spells during the march. The temperature was warmer than during October last, and the command was in good health, the men were supplied by liberally foraging upon the country and mules and horses swapped for better ones. During the march from Atlanta to the sea, amongst other military points of great im- portance, General Sherman practically solved an annoying problem, to-wit: How to march large bodies of troops on the same common road without extending their columns to a dangerous length, there- by inviting cavalry dashes of the enemy against either flank of the marching column, or more especially against the long lines of trains
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in the rear. Military nations usually march their army by sections, or platoon front, the roads being sufficiently wide to allow the men to move along comfortably, thereby contracting the column so as to bring the rear thereof within supporting distance of the head; the difference in marching a column of three divisions by the flank being six or seven miles in length. General Sherman ordered each division to take care of its own ammunation, supply and hospital trains, together with all the brigade and regimental trans- portation, that the latter have the benefit of the roads exclusively, and the troops march on either side of the road, through fields, plantations and timber, and to bring in their train, whenever they arrive in camp.
This gave the train a quick movement, securing help by some troops of the division, detailed especially each day, through bad and wornout roads, and it at once precluded the possibility of sudden dashes by the enemy, no matter how efficient and bold his cavalry might be, into the flanks of a moving train. This explains the quick and enormous marches the army made, without losing one wagon on so many narrow, almost impracticable roads .*
December 1st, the regiment, brigade and division crossed the Ogeechee river, and marched up to Sevastopol station, on the Georgia Central railroad, five miles, and destroyed the same thoroughly; after which the march was resumed, arriving at Mil- len on the 2d, and at Little Ogeechee on the 5th, where the first rebel fortifications were found, which were emptied after an hour's skirmishing by the advance cavalry. December 7th, arrived at Oliver station, where the rebel works were taken after short skir- mishing by the cavalry .
* November 30th, D. Co., reported 109 men present.
One day when the 15th was on rear guard, a squad of the 32d Illinois while out prospecting stopped at a house near the road; it was evident somebody had arrived there before them, as they found nothing but an old man and he said that the Illinois soldiers had stolen every- thing and carried it off, except one thing and that, no one could steal, and it was his faith in the Lord Jesus. "Don't you be too sure ot that" said the Sucker. "The 15th Iowa will pass here soon, and if they run low on faith, they'll yank it ont of yon."
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