USA > Iowa > Roster and record of Iowa soldiers in the War of the Rebellion : together with historical sketches of volunteer organizations, 1861-1866 > Part 25
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On the morning of July 1, 1862, the enemy was discovered in strong force approaching the camp of the Second Iowa, whose pickets reported the number of rebels in sight as greatly superior to the combined strength of the regiment and that of the Second Michigan, and those two regiments, con- stituting as they did the outpost of the Union army, would have been justified in retreating until they could have been within supporting distance of the in- fantry. But the officer who had succeeded General Elliott in command of this small cavalry brigade saw his opportunity for a strategic movement that would enable him to overcome the superior force to which he was opposed. The entire strength of his command was far less than the maximum number of a single regiment of cavalry, (less than 800 men,) but, from this small force he boldly detached four companies, two from each regiment, with orders to move rapidly and gain the rear of the approaching force of the enemy. He then posted his remaining force in a strong position and awaited the attack of the enemy, whose force was estimated to be not less than 4,000. The two cavalry regiments were splendidly armed and mounted, had absolute confidence in their leaders, and the result proved the confidence was not misplaced. With- out attempting to give the details of the fighting which ensued, suffice it to say that the attack of the rebels was met by such a heavy fire that they fell back in disorder and were met by a charge of the detachment which had been sent to attack them in rear, which resulted in their being driven from the field with heavy loss. The enemy made every effort to get their killed and wounded off the field, but left 17 killed and 12 wounded, among them two officers, and, in addition, 13 men captured. The total loss of the enemy was estimated at over 100, while that of Colonel Sheridan's Brigade was but 47 killed, wounded and missing, divided about equally between the Second Iowa and Second Michigan Cavalry. Considering the disparity in numbers, this was one of the most notable achievements of cavalry troops that had occurred
5While only the names of those mentioned in the official reports are contained in this historical sketch, the casualties are all noted in the subjoined roster, opposite the name of each soldier who was killed, wounded or missing in action, or who died of wounds, disease or other cause, or was discharged, resigned or transferred to another command. Everything found in the official records relative to the record of the soldier who at any time belonged to the regiment has been faithfully transcribed, except in the comparatively few cases in which it was found possible to correct errors and omissions by reference to the War Department in Washington, and from other sources known to be reliable. The mistakes that may be found in the Roster must therefore be attributed to the Official Records of the Adjutant General of the State of Iowa.
"Colonel Phillip H. Sheridan, who afterwards won fame and distinction. He was then Colonel of the Second Michigan Cavalry.
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up to that time, or, as a matter of fact, that occurred at any time during the war. The General commanding promptly issued a highly commendatory order from which the following extract is taken:
GENERAL ORDERS No. 81.
HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI, July 2, 1862.
The General commanding announces to this army that on the 1st instant Colonel P. H. Sheridan, Second Michigan Cavalry, with cleven companies of the Second Michi- gan and eleven companies of the Second Iowa Cavalry, was attacked near Booneville by eight regiments of rebel cavalry under Chalmers, and after an eight hours' fight defeated and drove them back, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. The coolness, determination and fearless gallantry displayed by Colonel Sheridan and the officers and men of his command, in this action, deserve the thanks and admiration of the army.
By order of General Rosecrans, United States Army. TV. L. ELLIOTT, Brigadier General and Chief of Staff.7
This order was promulgated to the cavalry division commanded by General Gordon Granger, and ordered to be read at the head of each company in his command, together with an order of his own, from the concluding part of which the following extract is taken:
A soldier's dearest meed is his consciousness that his duties to his country have been well and worthily performed, and next to this is the reflection that his conduct is rightfully appreciated by his country and his superiors in command. The commanding general is happy to know that this meed of commendation was never more nobly earned or better deserved than by the soldiers of this division, and no greener laurels have been won in this great struggle by the hardy sons of the West than those of the Cavalry Division of the Army of the Mississippi.8
In his dispatch to General Rosecrans-written on the field-Colonel Sheri- dan said :
I was attacked this morning by from eight to ten regiments of cavalry, under command of General Chalmers, and have driven them back. They attacked my ad- vanced guard about two miles southwest of Booneville, on the Blackland road. I im- mediately supported it by one battalion of my own regiment, and then sent additional supports. I then directed Captain Alger, with two companies of the Second Iowa and two companies of my own regiment, to charge them in the rear-this was hand- somely done-and at the same time Major Coon of the Second Iowa, with his battalion, to make a dash in front and on their left. This haltered the enemy very much and enabled me to hold them during the whole day. About 3:30 P. M. they commenced retreating. I regret that I am not able to follow them up. I sent for Mizner's Cavalry to Rienzi ; also for artillery support from General Asboth. They have not arrived. I have just written to General Asboth that I will not need infantry support. You had better be the judge. The enemy will not again attack me today, and probably have retreated finally. My command behaved handsomely. I regret the loss of some officers and men ; I do not as yet know how many. The enemy have been badly injured. This force came from Tupelo and Saltillo. I learn this, as well as their strength, from prisoners taken.9
In his official report, written the next day, Colonel Sheridan describes in detail the different movements of his command and those of the enemy during the engagement. He makes special mention of the gallantry and good conduct of Colonel Hatch, Majors Coon and Hepburn and Captains Gilbert and Queal of the Second Iowa. He also highly commends a number of officers
"War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Part 1, pages 16-18.
War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Part 1, page 19.
9War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Part 1, pages 17 and 19.
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of his own regiment, the Second Michigan, and gives equal credit to both organizations for the brave and gallant manner in which they obeyed his orders and won a glorious victory where defeat seemed inevitable. In his official report. Colonel Hatch, in addition to the names of officers mentioned by Colonel Sheridan, includes those of Captain Graves and Lieutenants Foster and Wright. The compiler has devoted a somewhat larger amount of space to this engagement than to those which preceded it, or than he will be able to de- vote to most of those which follow. He considers himself justified in doing so because of the fact that it marked an important epoch, not only in the history of the regiment but of the war. It was the formative period in the de- velopment of the military genius of the three officers who occupied the most conspicuous positions and who, at the close of the great War of the Rebellion, nad won the greatest distinction,-Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, that great triumvirate of American military chieftains, who were not inspired or actuated by the motives of self aggrandizement that governed that other great trium- virate in the days of ancient Rome, but were animated by one common patriotic purpose and that alone-the salvation of the Republic.
Following closely upon the battle of Booneville came the promotion of Colonel Sheridan to the rank of Brigadier General and his transfer to a larger command in the Army of the Ohio. On the 9th of July the camp of the Second Iowa was moved to Rienzi, Miss. There the regiment remained in comparative quiet until the 26th of August, on which date a considerable force of rebel cavalry made a sudden dash upon the pickets of the regiment and captured six of them. Colonel Hatch immediately went in pursuit of the enemy, following them for twenty miles, and twice brought them to a brief stand, inflicting heavy damage upon them, taking eight prisoners and a quantity of arms and ammunition, which the enemy abandoned after making their last stand. The loss of the Second Iowa consisted of the six prisoners taken on the picket line, besides six others wounded in the subsequent engagements and a number of horses killed and disabled. The pursuit was abandoned late in the evening. the men and horses becoming exhausted on account of the excessive heat. Lieutenant Colonel Hatch calls particular attention to the operations of a de- tachment under the command of First Lieutenant Anton Scherer, of Company E, which pursued a portion of the enemy on the Ripley road for nine miles, keeping up a running fire and sometimes charging with the saber. Lieutenant Scherer only abandoned the pursuit upon being recalled by Colonel Hatch at dark.
On the 5th of September, 1862, the regiment broke camp at Rienzi and. from that date, was actively engaged in the campaign which ensued and lasted until the end of the year. The operations of the regiment in this campaign were so numerous that they cannot be here described, on account of limitation of space. Suffice it to say that the duties performed were arduous in the ex- treme. The officers and men were almost constantly in the saddle during the day and often far into the night, operating upon the flanks and in advance of the army, coming frequently into contact with small parties of the enemy, giving and receiving hard blows now and then, killing, wounding and capturing a few of the enemy here and there, and suffering like reverses in their turn. In the hard-fought battles of Iuka and Corinth the regiment performed im portant service but did not become closely engaged. They were always ready, however, to execute any orders they received, and the General commanding was kept advised of the movements of the enemy everywhere upon the field by the quickly moving detachments of cavalry, while upon the infantry and artillery devolved the heavy, continuous fighting which determined the fortune
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of battle in favor of the one and against the other of the contending armies. The great battle of Corinth, on the 3d and 4th days of October, and that which followed a day or two later on the Hatchie River, closed the fall campaign.
Another great campaign was now undertaken by Generai Grant, which had for its objective point the rebel stronghold at Vicksburg, Miss. The pre- liminary movements of this campaign, as well as most of the fighting during its progress, devolved upon the cavalry, and in these movements and conflicts the Second Iowa bore a conspicnous part. At this time Colonel Hatch was in command of the brigade to which his regiment was attached, and Lieutenant Colonel Hepburn was serving upon the staff of General Rosecrans, the com- mand of the regiment devolving upon Major Datus E. Coon, an officer in every way well qualified and worthy of the honor thus bestowed. The regiment ad- vanced from Corinth on November 2, 1862, and joined the cavalry division at Grand Junction on the 4th. On November 12th, the army began its march southward, the cavalry brigade, commanded by Colonel Hatch, taking the ad- vance, the scouts keeping well out in front and on the flanks. The enemy's cavalry was alert and watchful and skirmishing occurred frequently. On ser- eral occasions the enemy was encountered in force and the losses of both sides were quite heavy. The most notable of these encounters were at Water Valley and Coffeeville. In the former of these Colonel Hatch was entirely suc- cessful, defeating the enemy, killing and wounding many and capturing 150, besides a large number of horses and mules. At Coffeeville, however, the rebel General Van Dorn made a determined stand with a large force of in- fantry, artillery and cavalry, and, after a short but hard-fought engagement, the Union cavalry found themselves too greatly outnumbered and were com- pelled to retreat. The loss of the Second Iowa in this encounter was 22 men, killed and wounded. In his official report of the operations of his brigade on the Mississippi Central Expedition, Colonel Hatch gives the full details of each movement and engagement. His description of the desperate situation in which the Second Iowa Cavalry was placed, at the junction of the Water Valley and Panola roads, and the splendid manner in which they fought to extricate themselves, the conspicuous gallantry of the four rifle companies, who were surrounded but refused to surrender and fought their way through the ranks of the enemy and had five out of seven officers wounded, is of special interest. In closing his report he says: "Of the officers and soldiers of my command I cannot speak too highly, especially of the officers and soldiers of the Second Iowa Cavalry, who, when the enemy was advancing upon them from the front and either flank, conducted themselves like veterans, pouring volley after volley into the advancing columns." The Colonel makes special mention of the gal- lantry of Majors Goon and Kendrick and Lieutenant Belden.10 Van Dorn now concentrated all his available cavalry and executed a bold and brilliant move- ment. Passing entirely around General Grant's army, he suddenly appeared before Holly Springs, where an immense quantity of supplies and military stores had been accumulated, guarded by a force of infantry, cavalry and artillery, deemed amply sufficient for defense against any ordinary force of the enemy that might have been reasonably supposed to be available to be brought against them. Even with the superior force with which Van Dorn made the attack, the forces guarding the place might have held out until they could have been reinforced, but for the incompetency of the officer in command. who was subsequently dismissed from the service for having surrendered himself and the greater portion of his command, after making but a feeble resistance.
10\Var of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 17, Part 1, page 501. Re- port of Colonel Edward Hatch, Brigade Commander.
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The following extract from General Grant's order of dismissal of the unfaith- ful officer shows his appreciation of the gallant conduct of the officers and men who refused to surrender and cut their way out through the enemy's lines:
. It is gratifying to notice, in contrast with this, the conduct of a por- tion of the command; conspicuous among whom was the Second Illinois Cavalry, who gallantly and successfully resisted being taken prisoners. Their loss was heavy, but the enemy's was much greater. Such conduct as theirs will always insure success. Had the commandant of the post exercised the usual and ordinary precautions for defense, the garrison was sufficiently strong to have repulsed the enemy, saved our stores from destruction and themselves from capture.11
The destruction of his supplies compelled General Grant to abandon the expedition, which, up to that time, had promised such satisfactory results, and to at once begin a retreat towards his main base of supplies at Memphis. This retreat was fraught with great suffering, the men and animals being reduced almost to the point of starvation before the wagon trains, sent from Memphis and La Grange, under heavy escort, could reach them with the much needed supplies. The compiler has a vivid personal recollection of the pangs ot hunger which he and his comrades endured on that dreadful march.
The regiment with its brigade and division had accomplished much. up to the time the campaign was brought to such an abrupt termination. In their many encounters they had inflicted heavy damage upon the enemy, not only in killed and wounded, but had captured many prisoners, horses and mules, besides destroying much property of great value to the enemy. When the re- trograde march began, they constituted the rear guard of the army, which was again the post of honor, involving the same constant vigilance and ardu- ous service which was required in leading the advance. In addition to the duty of guarding the rear of the army against the near approach of the enemy, the cavalry division performed another very important service-that of rendering the railroad useless to the enemy after they had regained possession of it. At length, on the 28th of December, the regiment reached La Grange, Tenn., where it went into camp'and enjoyed a season of comparative rest for the remainder of the winter. Detachments were occasionally sent out in pursuit of roving bands of the enemy, and for the purpose of guarding forage trains, but, beyond a few encounters with the enemy by these detachments, the regiment was not called upon for any movement in which all its officers and men were to participate until the commencement of active operations by the entire army in the early spring of 1863.
On the 10th of March, 1863, Colonel Hatch, with his regiment, left camp at La Grange, and by a rapid march proceeded to Waterford, Miss., and, in obedience to orders, burned the railroad bridge which spanned the Tallahatchie River near that point, and also destroyed a quantity of supplies for the rebel army which he found there. He then by a skillful movement avoided com- ing into contact with a superior force which had been sent against him, and returned to his camp at La Grange, the men and officers of the regiment having been almost constantly in the saddle for three days and two nights. The regiment, either as a whole or in detachments, was actively engaged during the remainder of March and the first half of April in active operations against the enemy, preventing concentration of the rebel forces, and, in the various minor engagements which ensued, capturing a considerable number of pris- oners, horses and other property; but, while inflicting these damages upon the rebels, the regiment sustained-only in less degree-the inevitable casualties which such operations involved.
11War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 17, Part 1, pages 515 and 516.
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On the 17th of April, 1863, the Second Iowa Cavalry, then comprising a part of the cavalry brigade under the command of the intrepid Colonel Grier- son, again left its camp at La Grange and started upon what proved to be one of the most remarkable cavalry expeditions of the war. On the second day out, in obedience to orders from Colonel Grierson, Colonel Hatch led the Second Iowa against a force of the enemy which threatened to delay the advance of the main column. In his official report of the engagement which ensued, Col- onel Hatch clearly demonstrates the fact that, by his thus having distracted the attention of the enemy and held it for thirty-six hours, he enabled Colonel Grier- son to get so far beyond the main force of rebels that he could not be overtaken, thus enabling that gallant officer to make a complete success of his expedition. The enemy had mistaken the Second Iowa Cavalry, under Colonel Hatch, for the main force, and the skill with which that delusion was effected. together with the tremendous risk and hazard to which his relatively small command was exposed, is graphically described in the official report of Colonel Hatch, in which he gives the details of his encounter with the superior force of the enemy at the town of Palo Alto.12 In this desperate encounter one company of the Second Cavalry was separated from the regiment, but, although com- pletely surrounded, refused to surrender and was subsequently released from its perilous situation by an impetuous charge, led by Colonel Hatch, in which the ranks of the enemy were broken. After making that gallant charge and rescuing the company, the regiment slowly retreated, fighting by the rear, the enemy constantly following, until, four days later, the pursuit was aban- doned and the regiment joined the other Union troops at its old camp near La Grange. The losses of the enemy greatly exceeded those sustained by the regiment on the retreat. Colonel Hatch having availed himself of every advantage of position to keep his men as well covered as possible, and, fighting always on the defensive, with repeating arms, was able to overcome the disparity of numbers. The regiment had, however, expended nearly all its ammunition at the time the enemy drew off from the pursuit. The General commanding accorded to Colonel Hatch and his regiment the credit of having made possible the success of Colonel Grierson's great cavalry raid, which terminated at Baton Rouge on May 2d, with such important results. The conclusion of his official report, written before it was known that Colonel Grierson had safely reached his destination, plainly indicates that Colonel Hatch fully appreciated the im- portance of having diverted the attention of the enemy from the main ob- ject of the expedition. He says: "The fight at Palo Alto, diverting the enemy from Colonel Grierson, has undoubtedly given him thirty-six hours start."
The compiler is admonished that more than half the space he can de- vote to this historical sketch has already been exhausted; he will, therefore, be compelled to condense even more closely the account of the operations of the regiment for the remainder of its period of service. Reference to offi- cial reports for details must, therefore, be more frequently made than in the preceding pages.
Soon after his return to La Grange, Colonel Hatch was placed in com- mand of a brigade, and the command of the regiment again devolved upon Major Coon. This command marched southward to Okolona without meeting with much opposition, the object of the expedition being mainly the capture of horses and mules for the use of the cavalry and the transportation trains of the army. In this it was very successful, returning on the 5th of May with over 300 animals and, a few days later, making a raid extending eighty miles in another direction, with similar results. On the latter expedition the brigade encountered a rebel force under its old antagonist, General Chalmers, who.
12Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, page 516. Copy of report of Colonel Hatch, Second Iowa Cavalry.
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after a brief engagement, was defeated with a much greater loss than that sustained by the brigade. From about the middle of May until the 23d of August, 1863, the headquarters of the regiment and brigade were at La Grange, but during that time the regiment, either as a whole or by detachments, en- gaged in a number of important operations, which may be summarized as fol- lows: The raid southwest from La Grange to Panola, a distance of one hundred miles, which was made for the purpose of retaliation for the firing upon and destruction of federal transports on the Mississippi River and the killing, in at least one instance, of women and children. The reprisals were heavy. In the vicinity where the depredations had been committed, much prop- erty was destroyed, and 1,000 horses and mules were captured and brought back to the camp at La Grange. The next expedition was directed against the cavalry command of the rebel General Forrest, which at that time occu- pied the town of Jackson, Tenn. Colonel Hatch marched with his brigade against this force on the 12th of July. In the engagement which ensued the Second Iowa was conspicuous for its gallantry, under its capable leader, Major Coon.1ยช Among the casualties in this engagement was Lieutenant John K. Humphrey of the Second Iowa, severely wounded. In his official report of this engagement14 Colonel Hatch gives the loss of the enemy as follows: 4 Captains, 3 Lieutenants and 31 men killed, and not less than 150 wounded, while the total loss in his own command was but 16. The superior quality of the arms of his men, and the fact that the heavy loss upon the enemy was inflicted while they were in full retreat, accounts for the great disparity in the casualties. On the 13th of August, Major Coon, with two hundred men of the Second Iowa Cavalry and detachments from other regiments of the brigade, making in all a force of five hundred men, well mounted and equipped, started from La Grange under orders from Colonel Hatch to proceed south to Grenada, Miss .; and destroy a large amount of railroad rolling stock and other property which the rebel government had accumulated at that point for the use of its army. The object of the expedition was successfully accomplished. The prop- erty destroyed consisted of two large depots, sixty locomotives, five hundred cars, machine shops and flouring mills, and a large number of army wagons. This was a serious loss to the rebel army and went far towards counteracting tho effect of the rebel General Van Dorn's raid upon Holly Springs and his destruction of the supplies for the Union army at that place. Major Coon returned with his detachment to La Grange August 23d, after an absence of eleven days.
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