USA > Iowa > Roster and record of Iowa soldiers in the War of the Rebellion : together with historical sketches of volunteer organizations, 1861-1866 > Part 68
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COMPANY "M"
Zimmerman, Joseph C. Age 20. Residence Wayne County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Feb. 20, 1864. Mustered Feb. 20, 1864. Mustered out May 17, 1865, Davenport, Iowa.
UNASSIGNED RECRUITS.
Benge, Joseph C. Age 20. Residence Davis County, nativity Indiana. En- listed Feb. 24, 1864. Mustered Feb. 24, 1864. Died June 29, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark.
Brad, James H. Age 18. Nativity New York. Enlisted Sept. 16, 1862. Mustered Sept. 16, 1862. War Department reports: "No record found."
Brock, John W. Age 17. Residence Wayne County, nativity Illinois. En- listed Feb. 19, 1864. Mustered Feb. 19, 1864. Died April 30, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Rock Island, Ill.
Cassat, Joseph. Age 21. Residence Davis County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Jan. 5, 1864. Mustered Jan. 5, 1864. Discharged for disease Aug. 21, 1865, Keokuk, Iowa.
Coleman, Thomas J. Age 22. Residence Lee County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 18, 1864. Mustered Feb. 18, 1864. War Department re- ports: "Died April 24, 1864, Helena, Ark., as private of Company G."
633
THIRD CAVALRY
Daniel, George O. Age 20. Residence Lee County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Dec. 19, 1863. Mustered Dec. 19, 1863. War Department reports: "No record found."
Davidson, George W. Age 24. Residence Wayne County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Jan. 23, 1864. Mustered Jan. 23, 1864. Died May 13, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 472.
Evans, William S. Age 22. Residence Lee County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Aug. 29, 1864. Mustered Aug. 29, 1864. War Department reports: "Not on rolls."
Farnes, Augustus. Age 18. Residence Decatur County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 23, 1864. Mustered Feb. 23, 1864. Died March 11, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Rock Island, Ill.
Farnes, James. Age 20. Residence Decatur County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 23, 1864. Mustered Feb. 23, 1864. Died March 30, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Rock Island, Ill.
Gantz, John T. Age 20. Residence Jefferson County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 11, 1864. Mustered Feb. 21, 1864. War Department re-
ports: "No record found."
Gnash, Allen. Age 32. Residence Van Buren County, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Dec. 31, 1863. Mustered Dec. 31, 1863. War Department reports: "Died of disease May 1, 1864, on march from Camden, Ark., as of Company G."
Hart, Alfred. Age 19. Residence Burlington, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Feb. 4, 1864. Mustered Feb. 4, 1864. War Department reports: "Not on rolls."
Hines, Jobe. Age 22. Nativity Ohio. Enlisted Sept. 3, 1862. Mustered Sept. 3, 1862. War Department reports: "Not on rolls."
Irwin, Robert. Age 29. Nativity Kentucky. Enlisted Jan. 5, 1864. Mus- tered Jan. 15, 1864. Died Feb. 19, 1864. Buried in National Ceme- terey, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 322.
Keller, Pleasant M. Age 19. Residence Bloomfield, nativity Illinois. En- listed Feb. 8, 1864. Mustered Feb. 16, 1864. Died March 24, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 365.
Kinney, William A. Age 26. Residence Lee County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 3, 1864. Mustered Feb. 3, 1864. Died Aug. 7, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave $39.
Landers, Stephen. Age 19. Residence Wayne County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 8, 1864. Mustered Feb. 8, 1864. War Department reports: "Died May 20, 1864, Helena, Ark., as of Company M."
McDowell, Oscar. Age 18. Residence Bloomfield, nativity Indiana. En- listed Jan. 27, 1864. Mustered Jan. 27, 1864. War Department re- ports: "Died of disease April 11, 1864, Cairo, Ills., as of Company E."
McQuaid, Abraham E. Residence Vinton. Enlisted Oct. 1, 1862. Died of disease Jan. 27, 1863, Davenport, Iowa.
634
ROSTER IOWA VOLUNTEERS
Marshall, Henry. Age 22. Residence Burlington, nativity Illinois. En- listed Jan. 5, 1864. Mustered Jan. 21, 1864. War Department re- ports: "Died June 23, 1865, Little Rock, Ark., as of Company A. (On muster and descriptive roll only.)"
Martin, George A. Age 29. Residence Bloomfield, nativity Indiana. En- listed Dec. 25, 1863. Mustered Dec. 25, 1863. No further record.
Morgan, Joseph H. Age 25. Residence Fairview, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Feb. 29, 1864. Mustered Feb. 29, 1864. Died June 6, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 549.
Orren, George W. Age 18. Residence Decatur County, nativity Indiana. En- listed Feb. 15, 1864. Mustered Feb. 15, 1864. War Department re- ports: "On detached roll to June 30, 1864. No later record found."
Pechin, Julius. Age 18. Residence Wayne County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Feb. 10, 1864. Mustered Feb. 10, 1864. War Department reports: "Died April 5, 1864, Helena, Ark., as of Company M."
Porter, Charles M. Age 18. Residence Wayne County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 1, 1864. Mustered Feb. 1, 1864. War Department reports: "Died April 11, 1864, Hospital, Helena, Ark., as of Company M."
Porter, William A. Age 20. Residence Wayne County, nativity Ohio. En- listed Feb. 24, 1864. Mustered Feb. 24, 1864. Died March 30, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Rock Island, Il1.
Richey, James E. Age 18. Residence Decatur County, nativity Missouri. Enlisted Feb. 23, 1864. Mustered Feb. 23, 1864. War Department reports: "Died of disease June 25, 1864, Little Rock, Ark., as of Company L."
Robinson, William J. Age 41. Nativity Ireland . Enlisted Dec. 11, 1863. Mustered Jan. 5, 1864. War Department reports: "On muster and descriptive roll only."
Secrest, Daniel. Age 20. Residence Wayne County, nativity Pennsylvania. Enlisted Feb. 15, 1864. Mustered Feb. 15, 1864. Died May 22, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 506.
Thompson, Daniel. Age 28. Residence Van Buren County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Dec. 14, 1863. Mustered Jan. 5, 1864. Died July 26, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 776.
Walden, John A. Age 24. Residence Appanoose County, nativity Virginia. Enlisted Dec. 27, 1863. Mustered Dec. 27, 1863. War Department reports: "On muster and descriptive roll only."
Williams, John. Age 27. Residence Burlington, nativity Ireland. Enlisted Oct. 6, 1864. Mustered Oct. 6, 1864. War Department reports: "Dis- charged for disability July 26, 1865, Keokuk, Iowa, as of Company K."
Willson, John. Age 27. Residence Burlington, nativity Canada. Enlisted Oct. 6, 1864. Mustered Oct. 6, 1864. War Department reports: "No record found."
635
THIRD CAVALRY
Wolf, David A. Age 17. Residence Wayne County, nativity Ohio. Enlisted Feb. 22, 1864. Mustered Feb. 22, 1864. War Department reports: "Died of disease Aug. 16, 1864, Hospital, Little Rock, Ark."
Woods, George. Residence Clarinda. Enlisted Sept. 8, 1862. Died of dis- ease Oct. 5, 1862, Davenport, Iowa. Buried in National Cemetery, Rock Island, Ill.
Yoder, Samuel. Age 21. Residence Bloomfield, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Feb. 17, 1864. Mustered Feb. 17, 1864. Died April 6, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 388.
Young, Merritt. Age 41. Residence Wayne County, nativity New York. Enlisted Feb. 1, 1864. Mustered Feb. 1, 1864. War Department re- ports: "Discharged for disability July 29, 1865, Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis), Mo., as of Company E."
Fourth Regiment
Iowa Volunteer Cavalry
HISTORICAL SKETCH FOURTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
The Fourth Regiment of Iowa Cavalry was organized under the proclama- tion of President Lincoln, dated July 23, 1861. The original roster of the regiment shows that the twelve companies of which it was composed were ordered into quarters by Governor Kirkwood, on dates ranging from August 26 to November 2, 1861. The place of rendezvous designated in the order was Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where the companies were mustered into the service of the United States by Captain Alexander Chambers, of the United States Army, on dates ranging from November 23, 1861, to January 1, 1862.1 Most of these companies had perfected their organization and were awaiting assignment when the Governor's order was issued, but some of them had only an incipient organ- ization at that time, hence the disparity in the dates upon which they were mustered into the service. Upon the date of the muster of the last company, the regiment numbered 1,086 men and officers. The camp was named "Camp Harlan," in honor of the distinguished Senator from Iowa, whose home was in Mount Pleasant. Barracks were erected for the use of the men and officers, and stables for the horses.
The subjoined roster gives the names of the field, staff and line officers, as well as that of each enlisted man, at the time the organization was completed, and, opposite the name of each, appears his personal record of service, in so far as the same could be found by a careful search of the official records. How- ever, it is more than possible that, in some instances, individual records may be found to be incomplete or incorrect. In such cases the fault must be charged to the official records, and inability to obtain fuller information from the War Department. at Washington, and not to those who made the transcripts. A painstaking effort was made some years ago by William F. Scott, late Adju- tant of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, to compile a correct roster and record of the regiment.ยช In his preface to the work, Adjutant Scott says: "The history given is that of the original records, supplemented by papers of my own and of other officers and soldiers, all verified with much care. But the great number of errors and contradictions found and traced to explanation makes it probable that many others remain hidden. I can only say that the work is as nearly correct as it could well be made, and certainly more nearly correct than the official records."
While this compilation, like that of every other Iowa military organiza- tion embraced in this work, is made from the official records, the completed roster has been carefully compared with that to which reference has been made, for the purpose of verification and the clearing up of records which would otherwise have remained more or less obscure and incomplete. The Fourth Iowa Cavalry is more fortunate in this regard than any other Iowa regiment, the history referred to being contained in a large volume of over
1Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1863, Vol. 2. pages 509 1) 566 inclusive 2Roster of the Fourth Iowa Veteran Volunteer Cavalry-1861-1865. An appendix to "The Story of a Cavalry Regiment," by William Forse Scoll : New York, Press of J. J. Little & Co., 1902.
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640
HISTORICAL SKETCH
six hundred. pages and describing with great particularity all the movements and operations of the regiment during its long term of service. The compiler of this historical sketch is confronted with the difficult task of condensation, and cannot therefore attempt to include in this brief history anything more than the outlines of the most important events connected with the service of the regiment, but, in the arrangement of the roster which follows, he hopes and believes the chief merits of the work will be found.
Only a few of the officers and men of the regiment had the benefit of previous military training or experience. Colonel A. B. Porter, Major George A. Stone and Adjutant George W. Waldron had been officers in the First Iowa Infantry and had fought in the battle of Wilson's Creek, as had also a number of the enlisted men of the different companies; but this experience, except in so far as having been under fire was of benefit to them, availed but little, be- cause they had no knowledge of the duties of cavalry soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Drummond was the notable exception in this regard, he having been a lieutenant in the Fifth United States Cavalry. Upon joining the regi- ment he became its instructor in tactics and discipline. He was a man of excellent ability, but somewhat imperious in his manner and bearing, and perhaps over zealous in his efforts to bring the regiment up to a state of efficiency in drill and discipline before it was called upon to take the field.3 The regiment remained at Camp Harlan until the latter part of February, when it was transported by rail to St. Louis and thence to Benton Barracks. Horses of an excellent quality had been supplied before leaving Iowa, but the regiment was otherwise only partially equipped when it reached Benton Barracks. There its equipment was completed, but the quality of arms with which it was at first supplied was poor. It was a long time before a better quality of arms could be furnished.
On the 10th of March, 1862, Colonel Porter received orders to move his regiment by rail to Rolla, Mo. Upon its arrival there a detail of forty men, under command of First Lieutenant John Guylee, of Company A, was sent to guard a party of paymasters going to pay the troops of the Army of the South- west. The detachment was joined by a larger force of cavalry at Lebanon and successfully performed its duty as escort, reaching the army at Pea Ridge on March 26th, and then countermarched to Springfield, where it awaited the arrival of the regiment. The regiment marched from Rolla to Springfield and went into camp there, where it remained about three weeks. On April 14th the regiment marched south and, on the 16th, joined the army under General Curtis, at Forsyth. On April 19th a scouting detachment of the regiment, under command of Lieutenant William A. Heacock, came into conflict with a party of the enemy at Talbot's Ferry, Ark., and, in the skirmish which ensued, Lieutenant Heacock was killed-the first man of the regiment to meet death at the hands of the enemy. The army moved eastward to West Plains. There was much sickness in the regiment, and there were a number of deaths, while others became incapacitated for further duty and were subsequently discharged. It was the usual experience of new regiments in the field. The hardships and exposure to which the men were subjected caused more deaths and disabled more men than the conflicts with the enemy. From West Plains the army moved to Batesville, the cavalry scouting the country on the flanks and rear. On June 3d, Company C, under command of Captain Porter, came into contact with a force of rebel cavalry and, in the skirmish, Corporals Butcher and Browning were wounded and, with private Murdock, captured. They were confined at Little Rock until August, when they were exchanged.
3Lieutenant Colonel Drummond went into the field with the regiment, but, after a few months, resigned and returned to his former position in the Fifth United States Cavalry. He was killed while gallantly leading his men in a charge at the battle of Five Forks, April 1, 1865.
64 1
FOURTH CAVALRY
On June 24th the army took up the line of march for Helena. Company F, of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, under command of Captain Winslow, had been detached from the regiment about the middle of May and was acting under the orders of Captain Banning, the Chief Commissary of the army, who was actively employed in gathering provisions from the surrounding country and in guarding the commissary trains and the mills which were grinding grain into flour and meal for the use of the army. Captain Winslow's company cap- tured a steamboat loaded with sugar and molasses. The company also brought in about one hundred wagons loaded with provisions. Thus far his company had sustained no casualties in making these important captures, but, on the 7th of June, it came into contact with a party of rebels and Corporal John G. Carson was mortally wounded. On the 14th of July, twelve men of Captain Winslow's company were foraging under command of Sergeant Curtiss. While loading their wagons at Gist's plantation, twenty miles from Helena, they were attacked by a force of one hundred rebel cavalry. Curtiss lost one man killed and five wounded from his little detachment. The wounded men were captured. Captain Winslow, hearing the firing, galloped with the rest of his company to the rescue, overtook and attacked the rebels and recaptured one of the wounded and all the wagons. The wounded prisoners were subsequently paroled.
The movement of the army was very slow, owing to the intense heat, the necessity for constant foraging to obtain provisions, the large number of sick in wagons and ambulances, and the blocking of the roads by the enemy placing obstructions which it took much time to remove. There was also considerable fighting by the troops which led the advance. The Fourth Iowa Cavalry was assigned to the rear guard. Finally, the long march and the end of the cam- paign was reached when the army arrived at Helena, July 12, 1862.
The regiment remained in camp at Helena for over eight months. During this period it was engaged in scouting the surrounding country, watching the movements of the enemy and guarding the approaches to that important post, which was many times threatened with attack. The troops composing the de- fensive force at Helena consisted of three regiments of infantry, one battery, and the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, all under the command of Colonel William Van- dever, of the Ninth Iowa Infantry, an able officer who had won distinction at the battle of Pea Ridge. Company F, under command of Captain Winslow, was assigned to special service as provost guards and other duties at head- quarters in the town, and did not rejoin the regiment until it left Helena. The camp of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry was outside the town, about four miles on the Little Rock road, constituting an outpost for the defensive works and che garrison, hence its duties were of the utmost importance, as it would be the first to meet the enemy in case of an attack in force. The most constant vigilance was therefore necessary, and was maintained. The details for picket duty each day were heavy, and scouting parties were sent out in advance of the picket lines to guard against the possibility of a surprise. Small scouting parties of the enemy were observed from time to time, but no conflict which involved loss to the regiment occurred until September 20th, when a detail of eight men, of Company D, met a superior force of the enemy and, in the fight which ensued, the detachment lost one man killed, one wounded and three captured, the remaining four, escaping, returned to camp, and a detachment was at once sent in pursuit of the rebels, but did not succeed in overtaking them. On September 30th, two men, of Company M. were captured. These men, and those captured on the 20th, were exchanged and returned to the regiment in November, 1862.
41
642
HISTORICAL SKETCH
About the 1st of October General Vandever and his infantry troops left Helena, and a considerably smaller force was sent to succeed them as a garri- son for the post. The camp of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry . was then moved two miles nearer Helena, on the Little Rock road, and two other cavalry regi- ments-the Ninth Illinois and the Fifth Kansas-were encamped near them. On the morning of the 11th of October a detachment of fifty men of the Fourth Iowa was sent out on a scout, under the command of Major Rector, and pro- ceeded about fifteen miles without meeting the enemy, but late in the after- noon, when marching through a lane, within three miles of camp, it was sud- denly attacked from the rear by a superior force of rebels. Although placed at a great disadvantage-his men being thrown into confusion by the sudden and unexpected attack-the gallant Major Rector succeeded in rallying his men and resisted the attack in his front, but a portion of the enemy had made a detour and, coming from the opposite direction, the detachment found itself attacked from all sides and was compelled to cut its way out, which it did after losing twenty-one of its number in killed, wounded and captured. Major Rector was among the captured. Lieutenant George B. Parsons, of Company B, had also been sent on a scout with forty of his company the same morning, and was returning to camp when he heard the firing of the enemy's and Major Rector's men, and, moving promptly to the place where the fighting was going on, he boldly charged the enemy, killing and wounding a number of them and capturing twelve prisoners, among whom was Lieutenant Colonel Giddings of the Twenty-first Texas Cavalry, who was in command of the rebel force. In this charge Lieutenant Parsons lost two men captured and four wounded, and was himself wounded. The regiment went in pursuit of the rebels, but did not overtake them. The captured men were paroled and returned to the regi- ment and, a couple of months later, were exchanged and restored to duty. Lieutenant Parsons was very highly commended for his prompt action and the personal gallantry he displayed in the engagement. He was subsequently pro- moted to Captain of his company.
On the 8th of November, Captain John H. Peters of Company B, with a detachment of 100 men from different companies of the regiment, was leading the advance of a column of 600 cavalry, which was part of a reconnoitering expedition under command of Colonel Vandever, when he received orders to charge a force of rebels who held the road upon which the column was march- ing. He promptly charged the enemy who fled after but slight resistance. His loss in the charge was 3 men wounded. Later on, the same day, his de- tachment was suddenly attacked by a larger force of the enemy. Captain Peters promptly charged again, this time losing 19 wounded. Among those wounded in this charge were Captain Peters, Lieutenants Beckwith, Tucker, Fitch and Groesbeck, and Corporal Charles W. Sisson, who subsequently died from the effect of his wound. The enemy's loss in these two engagements was 17 killed, 14 captured and many wounded, the total number not known. Cap- tain Peters and his command were highly commended for their gallantry. Two officers-a Major and a Captain-were among the prisoners captured from the enemy.
On the 18th of November the regiment started from Helena, with the cavalry force under the command of Colonel Bussey of the Third Iowa Cavalry, which was to co-operate with the infantry under General A. P. Hovey, in an expedition having for its object the capture of Arkansas Post-a strong and important rebel fortification on the Arkansas River. The troops suffered very great hardships upon this expedition, which was finally abandoned on account of the impassable condition of the roads, and-on account of low water-the failure of the transports which carried the infantry to proceed to the point
643
FOURTH CAVALRY
where the two forces were to have joined. On the 25th of November the troops reached Helena, on their return from this unfortunate march. On the next day after its return, the regiment was ordered to march with another expeditionary force, under General A. P. Hovey. This force landed at Friars' Point, Miss., a few miles below Helena, and marched toward Grenada, the cavalry keeping well in advance. Destroying a considerable amount of railroad track near Coffee- ville, it moved on to Panola and destroyed the railroad at and near that place, thus inflicting great damage upon the enemy's line of transportation. Many horses were also captured, and several hundred negro men returned with the expedition and were afterwards enlisted in one of the colored regiments whose organization was authorized about that time. The entire march occupied but seven days. Upon its return to Helena, the camp of the regiment was moved near the river to a low and unhealthy situation, resulting in much sickness, which proved fatal to many. Among those who died there were Major Ben- jamin Rector and Captain Thomas C. Tullis. The reason for the change in location of camps was the necessity for contracting the lines nearer the post, on account of the smaller garrison then occupying it; but the danger from attack by the enemy was not so great as that incurred from disease, and, after much insistence, the commanding officer of the post permitted the regiment to move its camp to higher ground much farther away from the fortifications. The result of the change was soon apparent in a decreasing sick list. The reduction of the force imposed heavy work upon the cavalry, from whose camps, at some distance from the town, all the advanced picket posts and details for scouting were furnished.
On the 8th of March a detachment of the regiment, under command of Major Spearman, had a skirmish with the enemy at Big Creek, ten miles west of Helena, in which private Benoni F. Kellogg, of Company L., was killed. Early in April a detachment of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, under command of Major Winslow, participated in an expedition against a force of rebels en- camped at Wittsburg, on the St. Francis River, about one hundred miles north- west from Helena. On the 8th of April the enemy was encountered near Witts- burg and, after a brief but hard fought engagement, was defeated. The loss of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry in this fight was one man killed and seven wounded, all of Company L, which was at the front and charged the enemy, who made the attack from ambush after dark. This was the last fighting in which any of the regiment took part during the remainder of its stay at Helena.
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