USA > Iowa > Roster and record of Iowa soldiers in the War of the Rebellion : together with historical sketches of volunteer organizations, 1861-1866 > Part 26
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The regiment with its brigade now marched to the city of Memphis, where it went into camp August 27, 1863, remaining there until November 1st, on which date, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Hepburn, it marched to Col- lierville to reinforce the troops at that place. The rebel General Chalmers was then approaching Collierville with a large force and the regiment was just in time to aid in repelling his attack. After a hard-fought engagement the enemy was driven from the field. They succeeded in carrying off most of their wounded, but left their dead, forty-one in number, and fifty captured, among whom were one Brigadier General and eight others who were commissioned officers. The loss on the Union side in this engagement was thirty-seven. Among the wounded was Captain Charles C. Horton, of the Second Iowa Cav- alry. Upon its return from the pursuit of the enemy the regiment went into camp at Collierville, remaining there until November 26, 1863, on which date
13Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, page 518. Official Report of Major Datus E. Coon.
14Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, pages 552, 553, 554, 561, 562 and 563. Official Reports of Colonel Hatch and Major Coon.
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it marched to Covington, in West Tennessee, and, upon arriving there, went into camp. From this point scouting parties were sent out to watch the movements of a large force of the enemy under the command of the noted rebel General S. D. Lee, which was reported to be advancing from Oxford. On the 1st of December Colonel Hatch moved from Covington with his brigade and, marching rapidly, reached Moscow, on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, just in time to reinforce the small garrison at that place and to repulse the enemy under General Lee, after a hard-fought engagement, in which Colonel Hatch was very severely wounded, the ball passing through his right lung and entirely through his body. He refused to leave the field, however, and continued to direct the movements of his troops until the enemy had been de- feated and were in full retreat, leaving sixty of their number dead upon the field, but succeeding in removing their wounded. The loss in Colonel Hatch's command was eighty-one-killed, wounded and missing. The regiment now returned to its former camp at Collierville.
On December 22, 1863, the regiment, with Captain Graves in command, ( Major Coon having succeeded Colonel Hatch in command of the brigade,) left its camp and, with all the cavalry which could be hastily concentrated for that purpose, went in pursuit of the noted rebel General Forrest, who, with about 3,000 men, had again boldly invaded Tennessee and was engaged in enforcing a merciless conscription of troops for the rebel army. Notwithstand- ing the activity of the pursuit, the daring rebel leader succeeded in getting safely out of the State with a very large number of unarmed conscripts, who were subsequently armed and assigned to the depleted ranks of regiments in the rebel army. Returning from the pursuit of Forrest, the regiment reached its encampment at Collierville December 31, 1863.
On January 2, 1864, the regiment left its camp at Collierville and started for Memphis, where it arrived on the 4th and went into camp. The men suf- fered greatly at this time, both upon the march and in camp, the weather being extremely cold for that latitude. A large number of recruits joined the regi- ment and were mustered into the service at Memphis, making its aggregate strength greater than it had been at any time since the fall of 1862. During the remainder of the month the recruits were drilled and instructed in the duties of the cavalry soldier and became quite proficient before the regiment again took the field, but they had yet to learn their most important lessons and the stern realities of the soldier's life in time of war. The officers and men of the regiment felt a just pride in the splendid record of their gallant Colonel, who was now separated from them on account of his severe wound. They also entertained the highest regard for General Grierson, who had dem- onstrated his great ability as a cavalry leader. The warmest feeling of per- sonal friendship existed between these two officers. It was through the strong personal endorsement of General Grierson that the too long delayed promotion of Colonel Hatch was finally secured, and it is deemed proper and fitting to here insert the evidence of appreciation shown by the General in his letter to the Secretary of War.
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIVISION, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, MEMPHIS, TENN., Jan. 14, 1864.
HON. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War, SIR : Permit me most respectfully and earnestly to recommend to your considera- tion Colonel Edward Hatch,15 of the Second Iowa Cavalry, for promotion to Brigadier He has been under my command for the past twelve months, and for the General.
"Colonel Hatch was promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers April 27, 1864. Brevetted Major General of Volunteers, 1864. Mustered out of Volunteer service and appointed Colonel Ninth United States Cavalry, 1866. He was brevetted Major General U. S. Army, 1867. He remained in the service of his country to the day of his death, April 11, 1889 .- Powell's Army List, 1815-1900.
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last eight months has commanded a brigade of cavalry. He has proved himself to be an efficient and skillful officer, and has rendered invaluable services to the country. I consider his promotion not only due to himself but to the best interests of the service. He is now slowly recovering from a wound through his lungs, received in a recent engagement at Moscow, Tenn.
Most respectfully, your obedient servant, B. H. GRIERSON, Brigadier General, Commanding Cavalry Division, Sixteenth Army Corps.16
On the 5th of February, 1864, the regiment again broke camp and marched to Germantown, where a large force of cavalry, under command of Generals W. S. Smith and B. H. Grierson, had been concentrated for the purpose of co-operating with General William T. Sherman, who had then just started from Vicksburg on his famous Meridian Expedition. This cavalry force was under orders to join Sherman at Meridian. The rebel General Forrest had again suc- ceeded in getting together a large force of cavalry and, by a series of skillful maneuvers and well-planned attacks, managed to delay the advance of the Union cavalry until General Sherman-who had waited for some time at Mer- idian for this cavalry force to join him-had started and was well on his way towards Vicksburg. This enabled Forrest to receive reinforcements from the rebel cavalry, which had ineffectually opposed Sherman's advance, and it at once became necessary for Smith and Grierson to retreat to Germantown or Mem- phis. The movements and engagements of this cavalry division, both upon the advance and retreat, are well described in the "History of the Second Iowa Cav- alry," published soon after the close of the war, when all the events, so graphi- cally narrated, were fresh in the mind of the writer, and which are found to be in substantial accord with the official reports.17
After giving an account of the advance movement and the engagement in which the Second Iowa was most conspicuous, and in which Lieutenant H. C. Dwire was killed, and Major Coon, Captains Graves, Queal and Horton and Lieutenant Bandy displayed great gallantry in directing the charge against the enemy, (the engagement ending with the defeat of the rebels and the capture of West Point,) he proceeds to describe the retrograde movement. At the beginning of the retreat, Major Coon was directed to take the Second Iowa and a battalion of the Sixth Illinois and hold the enemy in check until the large transportation train could get safely under way. The rebel General Forrest made a desperate attack upon this rear guard for the purpose of cap- turing the train. Instead of falling back before this force, Major Coon re- quested the brigade commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hepburn, of his own regi- ment, to allow him to make a standing fight and to send him reinforcements. Hepburn's reply to this appeal was that the orders of General Smith must be obeyed, and the retreat continued. There was nothing left but for the rear guard to continue to slowly retire, protecting both its front and flanks, as best it could, against the persistent attacks of the enemy. The battalions, under the command of Captains Queal and Horton, dismounted and fought from behind trees with their Colt's revolving rifles, which inflicted very heavy damage upon the enemy. Finally the commanding General, realizing the des- perate situation in which his rear guard was placed, sent back a brigade to their support. While these fresh troops at once engaged the enemy at the front, Major Coon's command was temporarily held in reserve, but still con- stituted a portion of the rear guard. The Second Iowa had left fifty of its
16War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 32, page 98.
17 History of the Second Iowa Cavalry, by Sergeant Lyman B. Pierce, Regimental Color Bearer. Hawkeye Printing Establishment, Burlington, Iowa, 1865.
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brave men upon the field, the heaviest loss it had ever sustained in any en- gagement up to that time. The fight did not terminate until 10 o'clock P. M., and the retreat continued until 2 o'clock A. M., when the troops were allowed a brief rest, the retreat being resumed at daylight. General Smith, being very ill, now relinquished the command to General Grierson, and that officer, by the exercise of great skill and energy, conducted the retreat to Germantown. The day he assumed command the situation looked very desperate. Forrest repeatedly renewed his attacks on the rear and flanks of the retreating army, captured part of its artillery and, at one time, threatened the capture of the entire command. It was only by the most determined bravery and persistent fighting that Grierson finally arrived within reach of infantry reinforcements, and the daring rebel leader abandoned the pursuit. The officers and men of the Second Iowa Cavalry were almost constantly in the saddle for sixty hours and, for the greater part of that time, engaged in action. Upon reaching Ger- mantown both men and horses had reached the point of extreme exhaustion. The regiment arrived at its camp on the 26th of February, having been absent on the expedition sixteen days.
After resting a short time, the regiment marched to Memphis and went into camp there. Major Coon and General Grierson now made a special effort to induce the men to re-enlist for another term of three years, or during the war. These officers were very popular with the regiment, and their efforts re- sulted in the re-enlistment of a sufficient number of men to entitle the regiment to the designation of a veteran organization. The re-enlisted men were again mustered into the service on the 28th of March, 1864, and, from that date, the regiment had the new title of Second Iowa Veteran Cavalry Volunteers. The ag- gregate strength of the regiment at this time was 1,088, of which number 45 were commissioned officers, 360 re-enlisted veterans, and 683 non-veterans and recruits. The re-enlisted men were granted a furlough of thirty days, to begin from the time they arrived at Davenport, Iowa. They embarked on steamer at Memphis, April 7, 1864. Upon reaching Davenport they were accorded an en- thusiastic reception. They then received their furloughs and departed for their respective homes. On the 15th of May they reassembled at Davenport and, on the 17th, departed for St. Louis. In the meantime Colonel Hatch had been promoted to Brigadier General, Major Coon succeeding him as Colonel of the regiment and Captains Horton, Schnitger and Moore had become Battalion Majors. At St. Louis the veterans were supplied with horses and then pro- ceeded to Memphis, where they arrived on the 29th of May and rejoined the non-veterans and recruits, who had, in the meantime, been preforming garrison duty at Fort Pickering, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Hepburn. Here the regiment was supplied with the latest improved arms, Spencers' seven- shooting carbines, at that time considered the most effective cavalry arm in the service.
Another active and aggressive campaign was now about to begin. The rebel General Forrest had captured Fort Pillow and won a victory over the troops commanded by General Sturgis. Emboldened by these successes, For- rest had established his headquarters at Tupelo, Miss., where he was daily augmenting his forces and bidding defiance to any force that might be sent against him. General A. J. Smith was ordered to Memphis to take command of the Union forces there and to proceed against Forrest. The Second Iowa Cavalry now belonged to the cavalry division commanded by General B. H. Grierson, its own Colonel, D. E. Coon, being in command of the brigade to which his regiment was attached, while the regiment was under the command of Major C. C. Horton, whose series of admirable official reports describe with great particularity of detail all the movements and operations of the regiment
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from the day he became its commander to the close of the year 1864.18 Ap- pended to these reports are the lists of casualties sustained during the period embraced, showing how the regiment had fought and suffered during the campaign. The principal engagements in which the regiment took part, and included in Major Horton's reports, are here given in the order in which they occurred: Tupelo, Miss., Ripley, Miss., Pontotoc, Miss., Oxford, Miss., Hurricane Creek, Miss., Shoal Creek, Ala., Aberdeen, Ala., Butler Creek, Ala., Lawrence- burg, Tenn., Campbellville, Tenn., Linville, Tenn., Mount Carmel, Tenn., and near Franklin, Tenn. In addition to these engagements there were many skirmishes by detachments and individual encounters with the enemy
by the scouts. During the greater part of this time the former Colonel of the regiment-General Hatch-was in command of the cavalry division to which the regiment and its brigade belonged. This was a matter of mutual satisfaction to the General and to the officers and men of his old regiment. They were renewing the contest with their old enemy, the rebel General Forrest and his forces, with whom they had so often met in conflict before. These two Generals had learned each other's methods of attack and defense, and, in the dreadful game of war in which they were engaged, it became a question of skill and ability on the part of these great cavalry leaders as to which should gain the advantage. In so far as the element of bravery and daring of the leaders and their followers was concerned, it may be said that the one equaled the other. They were all American soldiers, and, as a rule, displayed the same courage on the battlefield. Major Horton makes special mention of the following officers of his regiment during the campaign,-Bat- talion Majors Schnitger and Moore, Captains Stiles, Bandy, Goodrich and Fos- ter, Lieutenants Watson, Rumple, Budd and Griffith. While the Major es- pecially commended these officers for gallantry and coolness in action, he also commends all the officers and men of his regiment, and states that he finds it hard to mention the conspicuous acts of bravery of some without doing in- justice to others. The distance marched on this campaign was nearly 600 miles. The loss of the regiment, from September 30, 1864 to January 1, 1865, was 12 killed. 3 mortally wounded, 44 wounded and 8 captured by the enemy. Two of the men captured were severely wounded before they surrendered. Two others, who were captured, escaped and returned to the regiment on the 2Sth of December, 1864, leaving the net loss of the regiment 65. The loss of the cavalry division during the same period was 600, that of the Second Iowa being considerably above the average.
On December 2, 1864, the regiment, with its brigade and division, fell back to Nashville, crossed the Cumberland River and went into camp at Edge- field, to which place the tents and knapsacks had been forwarded. The men were very glad to again have these equipments, having been deprived of them since leaving their camp at White's Station in September. In the meantime they had bivouacked in the open field, with no protection save that afforded by the army blanket. The weather had now become intensely cold and the men suffered very greatly. It was evident that another desperate struggle was now impending and could not long be delayed. The opposing armies of Gen- erals Thomas and Hood were constantly employed in fortifying the positions they occupied, that of Thomas being along a chain of hills encircling the city of Nashville, and that of Hood along another chain of hills from one to four miles distant from that city. General Thomas, after making every preparation to meet the threatened attack, finally determined to assume the offensive, and made the necessary disposition of his troops for the purpose of assaulting the enemy along the entire line of his works. The cavalry division, commanded
18Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1865, Vol. 2, pages 933 to 940 inclusive.
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by General Hatch, was ordered to recross the Cumberland River on the 12th of December, and was assigned to a position on the right of General A. J. Smith's Corps. Everything being in readiness, the advance was ordered on the morning of December 15, 1864, and the result of the tremendous struggle which ensued went far towards the complete overthrow of the so-called Confederate Government and the restoration of peace. It was the greatest battle in which the Second Iowa Cavalry participated and the one in which the regiment won its highest honors. In this battle Colonel Coon commanded the brigade, while Lieu- tenant Colonel Horton (recently promoted from Major) commanded the regi- ment, assisted by Major Schnitger and Captains Foster and Bandy, his bat- talion commanders. The compiler of this sketch feels that he is justified in trespassing somewhat on the limits assigned him, in quoting from the official report of Lieutenant Colonel Horton, to such an extent at least as to show the most conspicuous features of the service performed by his regiment in this great battle. It will be noted that the regiment fought mainly dismounted on the first day and part of the second day of the battle.
HEADQUARTERS SECOND IOWA CAVALRY, VETERAN VOLUNTEERS, GRAVELLY SPRINGS, Jan. 2, 1865.
GENERAL: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the Second Iowa Cavalry since the 15th of December, 1864, embracing the two days' battle near Nashville, and the subsequent pursuit of the rebel General Hood. In obedience to orders from brigade headquarters, moved from camp on the morning of the 15th of December, 1864, at eight o'clock, men dismounted and horses following in the rear. After marching one mile, our brigade-the Second of the Fifth Division, Cavalry Corps -took position on the right of General A. J. Smith's Corps of Infantry, the Sixth and Ninth Illinois Cavalry on my left, the Seventh Illinois Cavalry on my right. Com- plying with the movements of the commands, my left moved forward, swinging the while to the left, the enemy's skirmish line falling back steadily before our advance. Their main line was found some four miles from town, occupying formidable works on a commanding hill. By continually swinging to the left our brigade struck their left flank. The division battery ("I" of the Second Illinois) now galloped into position in an open field and opened on the works, evidently much to their annoyance, as the guns of both forts were immediately turned upon the battery and my regiment, which had been formed to the left and rear as support. Remained lying in this position, exposed to a galling fire from both forts for nearly an hour, losing two men killed and one wounded, when I received orders to move forward and join in an assault upon the first fort. The regiment moved steadily forward under a severe fire until within three hundred yards of the works, when the order to "Charge and take that fort!" from General Hatch rang along the line. With a shout the men sprang forward, and with a shout the fort was carried. Company G. Lieutenant Budd commanding, having been thrown out as skirmishers, were nearest the works, and consequently the first to enter. One man was knocked down by a blow from a musket just as he was scaling the works. One of General Smith's batteries shelled the fort after it was captured, six shells bursting in and over it after we had entered. Captured here four brass Napoleons and sixty prisoners. Thirty killed and wounded rebels were found lying in the fort. Leaving a guard with the guns, I pressed forward after the retreating enemy, capturing many prisoners. Orders were now received form Colonel Coon to move by the right flank and charge the second fort, situated some seven hundred yards to our right on a conical hill. The men were so eager in the pursuit of the fugitives from the first fort that I was able to rally only two hundred of them; with these I joined the brigade in the assault. The fort was defended with a stubbornness and gallantry seldom surpassed-the enemy only ceasing to use their artillery after the works were scaled. A short but desperate hand-to-hand struggle ensued after the works were entered. My colors, borne by the gallant Sergeant Hartman, Company F, were the first to float from the fort. The Sergeant fell mortally wounded while in the act of planting the colors on one of the guns. Seizing my hand as I bent over him, he ex- claimed, "Major, tell my friends I died doing my duty." In this fort were captured two guns, with caissons; one battery wagon, and nearly one hundred prisoners. Not- withstanding my colors were the first to enter the works, it would be unjust to claim
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the guns or prisoners as my particular prize, as the different regiments of the brigade entered so nearly at the same time. Lieutenants Watson and Griffith, Companies I and D, who, not having heard the order to rally in time to join in the assault on the fort, moved by the right and charged on our left flank, attacking and repulsing a force of rebels who were endeavoring to re-enforce the fort, now reported with some sixty prisoners each. Quartermaster Sergeant Beeson, with my bugler, Anderson, and «two mounted orderlies (Truesdale and Winn) charged with the saber, killing and wounding several and taking some seventy prisoners. Number of prisoners captured during the day, two hundred and fifty. Regiment lost, while supporting the battery and charging the two forts, six men killed, and two commissioned officers and eighteen men wounded. Moved again at daylight. . Found the enemy in strong force, occupying a line of hills on "Little Harpeth," four miles south of Franklin. General Hatch moved his division to the front, formed on the right of General Ham- mond, Second Iowa on the extreme right. The line moved at a walk for some three hundred yards, then the trot, and finally the charge was sounded. At the signal, all sprang forward; but the center found it impossible to carry the position on account of the steep and rocky hill-side. They halted here, dismounted, and engaged the enemy on foot. Not receiving the order to halt, and having better ground in front, I pressed forward, charged up the hill and through a thick wood, until we reached the enemy's left and rear, who now opened on me with grape and canister from the batteries.
* Wheeling the regiment to the left, I ordered the charge upon the battery to our left, but the horses were poor and so much blown that they could only raise a slow trot, perceiving which, the enemy charged us in turn, but were handsomely repulsed with the carbines.
A strong force of rebels were now reported passing through the gap between my regiment and the balance of the brigade. The fact that the day was dark and rainy, and that they wore rubber ponchos, and were many of them dressed in blue, had led my men to believe them to be our own troops, so they were nearly in the rear of the Third Battalion before the mistake was discovered. Company K, Sergeant John Coulter commanding, were nearly surrounded, and were compelled to cut their way out with the saber. Sergeant Coulter, with Corporal Heck and privates Black and Anderson (same company), charged the rebel color guard, and, after a desperate hand-to-hand struggle, in which Heck and Black were killed, and Coulter and Anderson badly wounded, the colors of Rosse's Brigade were captured and borne triumphantly off by the Sergeant. Eight dead rebels, lying within the space of a few yards, attest the desperate nature of the conflict. After a few moments' close fighting, in which the saber and butts of guns were freely used, the rebels fell back. The regiment being somewhat disorganized, I withdrew from the range of the artillery to reform and com- municate with the brigade. Although I found the enemy too strong to drive, I held my ground and finally compelled them to vacate their position on the hill. General Hatch now pressed them on the pike, capturing three pieces of artillery. My loss during the engagement was seven killed, eight wounded and thirteen captured. Several others were captured, but made their escape, in some instances returning with their guards as prisoners. Regiment captured in all some fifty prisoners. Of the conduct of the officers and men, I can only speak in terms of highest commendation. Where every soldier (officers and men) deserves special mention, it is hard to dis- criminate. I will only make special mention of Lieutenant Sydenham, Regimental Adjutant, and my battalion commanders, Major Schnitger and Captains Foster and Bandy, to whom I am greatly indebted for the efficient, prompt and gallant manner in which all my orders were executed. Appended is the loss sustained by the regiment during the campaign, sixteen killed, four officers and twenty-nine men wounded; thir- teen prisoners.
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