USA > Iowa > Roster and record of Iowa soldiers in the War of the Rebellion : together with historical sketches of volunteer organizations, 1861-1866 > Part 90
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848
HISTORICAL SKETCH
As it was learned that reinforcements were marching to the aid of the rebel force, Captain Croft decided to retreat until he could rejoin the other two bat- talions of the regiment. The next day he met Lieutenant Colonel Patrick, who had crossed the river the day before with the Second and Third Battalions, about three miles from Fort Heiman. The battle of Paris was the first ex- perience of any portion of the regiment under the fire of the enemy. The casualties were: four killed, five wounded, and one captured. Total ten.3 Among the killed was Sergeant Major Martin Stowell, of the First Battalion. Captain Bullis, who commanded the battery, was mortally wounded and died the next day after the battle. A few days later the First Battalion moved to the camp of the other two battalions, and the regiment was again united.
On March 27, 1862, in compliance with an order from General Grant, Com. panies C, I and M, under command of Major Brackett, were conveyed by steamer to Savannalı, Tenn., and were employed with the Army of the Tennessee during the succeeding five months. This detachment arrived at Savannah on March 29th, and went into camp. It rendered important service to the Telegraph Corps, putting up the line from Savannah to Waynesboro, a distance of twenty- five miles, where it met the advance of General Buell's army, and was subse- quently employed as escort to the Telegraph Corps during the advance of General Grant's army from Pittsburg Landing to Corinth and during the siege of the latter place. After the evacuation of Corinth, the detachment was sent on a scouting expedition to the west of that place. At Cypress Creek it found the railroad bridge burned and nine locomotives partially destroyed, also the ruins of a commissary train. A six-pound brass cannon had also been aban- doned by the enemy at that place. Major Brackett's detachment scoured the country in the vicinity of the destroyed bridge, and captured one hundred and twelve prisoners. With two of the locomotives which were the least injured, and which were put in running order, and with the brass cannon, and the prisoners, the detachment returned to Corinth on June 2d. On June 5th, a detail of twenty-five men of the detachment went to Purdy with a locomotive, captured seven cars found at that place and returned with them to Corinth the same day. On the 12th of June the detachment marched toward Humboldt, where it arrived on June 15th, and went into camp. While at Humboldt, Major Brackett acted as Post Commander, and Captain Young as Provost Marshal. These officers rendered valuable assistance to Colonel Hawkins, in raising his regiment (the "Second West Tennessee Cavalry"), which was composed of loyal citizens of that portion of the State, and which afterwards rendered valuable service in the Union army. The detachment also rendered important service in the capture of many rebel soldiers, large quantities of sugar, tobacco and other property, which was turned over to the commissary department, as con- traband of war. General Mitchell having arrived at Humboldt with his division, the detachment was relieved from duty there and rejoined the regiment at Fort Heiman on the 29th of August, 1862.
On the 9th of April, 1862, a detachment, consisting of twenty-five men each from Companies E, F, G and H, under command of Major Schaffer de Boern- stein, marched to Henry Station, where a large amount of supplies had been accumulated and were ready for shipment to the rebel army at Memphis. The Major confiscated as much of the flour and hams as he could convey to the camp of his regiment and then set fire to the depot, thus destroying the re- mainder of the rebel stores. He succeeded in rejoining the regiment without coming in contact with the enemy, although a considerable force had been reported in the vicinity of the station, and the Major had anticipated a fight.
3The names of all the killed, wounded and captured, in this and every other en- gagement or skirmish in which the regiment participated, will be found in the sub- joined roster. Also the names of those who died from wounds or disease.
S.19
FIFTH CAVALRY
But this gallant and intrepid officer was not so fortunate in his next expedition. On May 3d, in accordance with orders from Colonel Lowe, a detachment under command of Major Schaffer de Boernstein, consisting of Companies E, Cap- tain Nott, F, Captain Haw, and G, Captain Von Minden, left Camp Lowe to reconnoiter beyond Paris and the neighborhood of the Obion River. On May 6th, at 5 o'clock P. M., the detachment went into camp near Lockridge's Mill, Company F camping half a mile from the other two companies on the road towards Dresden. Pickets had been thrown out, and the usual precautions to guard against a surprise had been taken. Supper was being prepared, when the pickets were fired upon and driven back to the reserve, which, in turn, was driven to the camps, the rebel force making the attack upon both camps at the same time. The men formed in line of battle and made a gallant resistance, but were soon overpowered by the greatly superior force of the enemy. Finding themselves so completely outnumbered that further resistance was useless- after twenty-four of their number had been killed and wounded and thirty-eight had cut their way out and escaped-the remainder of the detachment, hemmed in on every side, surrendered themselves as prisoners of war. Major Carl Schaffer de Boernstein was mortally wounded and died near the scene of the action on the next day.4 Captain William A. Haw, while bravely endeavoring to cut his way through the ranks of the enemy, fell at the head of his company, severely wounded in the head, back and side, and was taken prisoner. Cap. tain Nott, although severely wounded, escaped with cleven of his men, and, after suffering almost incredible hardships, reached the Union lines at Paducah, Ky. Captain Von Minden was also wounded, and captured, with fourteen men of his company. The force of the enemy numbered over 2,000, under command of the rebel Colonel Clayborne. With such a great disparity in numbers, it is simply marvelous that any of the Union soldiers could have escaped being killed, wounded or captured. The prisoners were all sent to Jackson, Miss., and, with the exception of the officers, were shortly afterwards paroled, and rejoined the regiment on June 7th. They were subsequently exchanged. The officers cap- tured-Captains Haw and Von Minden and Lieutenant Von Vredenburg-were held in captivity until October 15th, when they were paroled, and were ex- changed in December. They had not sufficiently recovered from their wounds and the hardships to which they had been subjected in prison to be able to rejoin the regiment until in January, 1863.
Upon learning of the disaster that had occurred to the detachment. Colonel Lowe started in pursuit of the enemy, with the remaining force of his own regiment, four companies of the Fifty-second Indiana Infantry, the Fourth Minnesota Infantry and a section of artillery. When within four iniles of Paris, however, a peremptory order was received from General IIalleck to aban- don the pursuit, as the rebel force under Colonel Clayborne had retreated to Jackson, Tenn., and the force under Colonel Lowe was not large enough to risk an advance so far into the interior of the State. The troops under Colonel Lowe then returned to camp.
4Carl Boernstein Schaffer, of Dubuque, Iowa, was Third Sergeant of Company H, First Iowa Infantry. (Bernstein Charles Schaffer.) At the expiration of his Ilirce months' service in that regiment, which included participation In the battle of Spring- field, he was given a commission with the rank of Captain, by General Fremont, and authorized to raise a troop of cavalry in Iowa, which subsequently became a part of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry. Schaffer was a German and a nobleman by birth. Succeed- ing to his parental titles and estate of the Barony of Boernstein, after his enlist- ment in the First Iowa, he assumed the surname of Boernstein, to which his estate and rank entitled him. But, instead of returning to his native land, and assuming his place among the nobility, he sacrificed his life upon the altar of his adopted country. He was a true patriot, thoroughly devoted to the cause of liberty and republican institutions.
54
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
Since the 13th of March, Companies K and L had been on detached service guarding the telegraph line from Fort Henry to Smithland, Ky. These com- panies returned to the regiment on the Sth of June. The duties performed by the regiment, at this period of its service, were to assist the civil authorities in the administration of the laws, to prevent recruiting for the rebel army, and in scouting in the surrounding country. The disloyal element of the popu- lation predominated and was constantly endeavoring to give aid and comfort to the rebel cause. The officers of the regiment had a difficult task to perform. It required the exercise of good judgment and patience to protect the loyal citizens against their disloyal neighbors and to conform to the military orders which were issued from General Halleck's headquarters.
On the 25th of June, 1862, the regiment, which up to that date had been known as the "Curtis Horse," was assigned to the State of Iowa and given the designation of the "Fifth Iowa Cavalry," and this was its official name for the remainder of its term of service. On that date the regiment had an aggregate strength of 857, officers and enlisted men. During the greater portion of the remainder of the summer of 1862, the duties performed by the regiment were of the same nature as those heretofore described. No considerable force of the enemy appeared in the vicinity of Fort Heiman, where the regiment was encamped. Lieutenants William T. Hays and Robert W. Peckham were de- tailed as recruiting officers, and sent to Iowa July 21st. On the 26th of August, the rebel Colonel Woodward, with 600 men, made an attack upon Fort Donel- son, but was repulsed by the garrison of three companies of the Seventy-first Ohio, under command of Major Hart. Upon the approach of the rebel force the Major telegraphed to Colonel Lowe for reinforcements. The Colonel promptly moved with six companies of his regiment, and arrived at Fort Donelson at 9 P. M., at which time the enemy had been repulsed and had fallen back up the river. On the morning of the 27th, at daylight, Colonel Lowe started in pursuit. After marching about six miles, the enemy's pickets were discovered near the mines of the Cumberland Iron Works. Companies B and D were de- ployed as skirmishers, and were soon engaged with the enemy. A deep and muddy creek stopped the advance of Company D, but Company B, under com- mand of the gallant and intrepid Lieutenant Milton S. Summers, found a bridge, over which he crossed, under the fire of the enemy, and pushed forward. The enemy then opened fire with their one piece of artillery. Lieutenant Summers immediately gave the order to charge, and, although the gun was supported by three companies of infantry, well protected on the right by the steep bank of the river, and on the left by a strong fence and heavy timber, it was captured, and the infantry supporting it broke and fled. Flushed with this success Lieu- tenant Summers and his men dashed forward and came headlong upon the main body of the enemy, 400 strong, posted in the cellars of the burned houses, and among the ruins of the Iron Works. Colonel Lowe had advanced with the re- mainder of his force and engaged the enemy, but, having only 130 men, he found it impossible to dislodge him, and did not succeed in removing the gun which had been captured on account of the horses attached to it having been killed or disabled. The caisson and ammunition were destroyed and the gun was dis- mounted and abandoned. Colonel Lowe then retreated to Fort Donelson. The regiment lost in this engagement five killed and nine wounded. First Lieuten- ant Milton S. Summers led the charge, and, getting in advance of his men, was surrounded by the enemy. He fought gallantly, killing one of his assailants, and wounding another severely with his saber. After he had been wounded in the thigh by a bayonet and had received seven balls in his body, he drew his revolver and emptied it among his foes. He refused to surrender, and was only taken prisoner after he was mortally wounded. He died the next day. Lieu- tenant Hays says of him: "A more gallant officer never drew sword for his
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FIFTH CAVALRY
country." Second Lieutenant E. G. McNeely was also severely wounded and captured. On the 5th of September, Colonel Lowe again left Fort Donelson with the Fifth Iowa Cavalry, Thirteenth Wisconsin Infantry, Eleventh Illinois Infantry, and a battery of artillery, in pursuit of the rebel forces under Colonel Woodward. The command crossed the Cumberland River and made a vigorous march for three days, but the enemy rapidly retreated and would not risk a general engagement. Beyond the capture of a considerable amount of rebel stores at the town of Clarksville, no important results were gained by the expedition.
During the month of October the forces of the enemy, under Colonels Woodward and Napier, made several demonstrations against Forts Henry and Heiman, but no attack was made. The Fifth Iowa Cavalry was constantly called upon for scouting duty, to watch the movements of the enemy and pre- vent a surprise. On the 1st of November the regiment, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Patrick, joined the command of General Ransom, consisting of the Eleventh Illinois Infantry, a detachment of the Thirteenth Wisconsin Infantry, a detachment of the Eighty-third Illinois Infantry, one company of the Sixth Illinois Cavalry and one section of Floyd's Battery. With this force, General Ransom marched against the enemy, who had been threatening to attack the forts. The pursuit was pushed vigorously, the Fifth Iowa and the company of the Sixth Illinois Cavalry taking the advance. On the 6th of No- vember Lieutenant Colonel Patrick's command captured a portion of the enemy's supply train. November 7th, the enemy was found in line of battle at Garretts- burg, Ky. After a brief skirmish, the enemy retreated two miles, with the cavalry and artillery in pursuit, closely followed by the infantry. The enemy again took position and was vigorously attacked by General Ransom's troops, and, after a brief engagement, was driven from the field with a loss of seven- teen killed, eighty-five wounded and sixty prisoners. Lieutenant Gallagher and Private Roach of Company L, Fifth Iowa Cavalry, were among the killed in this engagement. It was the first time in which the regiment had gone into action with a force properly proportioned to that of the enemy, and the result clearly showed that, where the contending forces were nearly evenly matched, the Union troops were able to vanquish their rebel foes. In his official report, General Ransom highly complimented the Fifth Iowa Cavalry for Its conduct on the march and in the engagement. The regiment returned to Fort Heiman November 11th. During the remainder of the month, and in December, the regiment was employed in building winter quarters at Fort Heiman and In scouting through the surrounding country.
The month of January, 1863, was not marked by any event of special im- portance. The regiment was actively engaged in scouting, but there is no record of any encounter with the enemy during the month. On the 3d of February, Captain Von Minden, of Company G, with twenty-eight of his men, while engaged in scouting near the Cumberland Iron Works, met the advance of the rebel General Forrest's command, then marching to attack Fort Donel- son. The captain and his men fell into an ambush, which had been skillfully planned by the enemy, and the little detachment, being completely surrounded by a greatly superior force, had no alternative but to surrender. The rest of the regiment promptly marched from Fort Heiman to reinforce the garrison at Fort Donelson but, upon its arrival, found that the rebel force had falled in their attack upon the fort and had retreated. On February 6th. the regiment returned to its headquarters at Fort Heiman, where it remained until March 3, 1863, upon which date orders were received to evacuate Fort Heiman, and the regiment moved to Fort Donelson, where it was stationed until the 5th of June. 1863, in the performance of duties much the same as those in which it had
852
HISTORICAL SKETCH
previously been engaged. The record shows but two occasions in which por- tions of the regiment came into conflict with the enemy during this period of its service. The first of these was upon the 10th of April, when Company H, which had been upon a scout, in which it had discovered a considerable force of the enemy, near Waverly, was returning towards Fort Donelson, closely pur- sued by a party of rebels. Upon nearing the fort the rebels abandoned the pursuit, and were returning towards Waverly, when they were met and at- tacked by Company M, of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry, which had also been on a scout. In the fight which ensued the rebels were quickly defeated, with a loss of three killed and twenty-one captured, including their commander, Major Blanton, and Surgeon Smith, while the loss of Company M was one man wounded. In this fight the rebels were evidently surprised and taken at a disadvantage, and the situation, which had several times existed in previous conflicts, was reversed. On the 19th of May, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick, com- manding seven companies of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry and other troops from the garrison at Fort Donelson, went upon an expedition lasting five days, during which a large quantity of bacon and other supplies belonging to the enemy were captured. Upon the return march Company A, of the Fifth Iowa, had a skirm- ish with the enemy, in which Captain Paul had his horse killed under him and himself received a slight wound. Lieutenant Beatty, of Company M, was also slightly wounded. The rebels were pursued for some distance, but made their escape.
On the 5th of June, 1863, the regiment left Fort Donelson and entered upon a larger field of operations. It marched to Nashville, and thence to Murfrees- boro, where it was assigned to the First Brigade of the Second Division of the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland. General Rosecrans had then com- menced his grand movement against the rebel General Bragg's army. For the next three months the Fifth Iowa Cavalry was engaged in heavy scouting duty about Lebanon and Murfreesboro. On the 25th of June the regiment was scouting in the direction of Guy's Gap, upon a stony and difficult road through a dense thicket of Cedars, when it encountered a force of the enemy, which it drove before it for over a mile, and developed the position of the main force of the enemy, which was the purpose of the reconnaissance upon which it had been sent. In this encounter the loss to the enemy (as subsequently reported) was thirty killed and wounded, while that of the Fifth Iowa was but two men wounded. The regiment was highly complimented by the General commanding for its prompt and effective action in this affair. On the 26th of July the regi- ment moved to Lebanon and Silver Springs, and from that date until the close of the month had captured forty prisoners. On July 31st it returned to Mur- freesboro, and during the month of August was engaged in guarding trains from that place to the front. On September 6th the regiment, except Com- panies I and K, left Murfreesboro for McMinnville, Tenn., where it arrived Sep- tember Sth, and remained until the 26th, during which time detachments were sent to Sparta, Woodbury and Tracy City, upon scouting expeditions. In one of these, Lieutenant D. H. Stevens, of Company B, was wounded.
From September 26th to the close of the month the regiment was again on the march and, on September 30th, was in camp near Winchester, from which place it again took up the line of march to watch the movements of the rebel force under the command of General Wheeler, which had crossed the mountains for the purpose of destroying bridges and otherwise rendering the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad useless for the transportation of troops and supplies for the Union army. The regiment moved from Winchester to different points along the line of the railroad and, on October 6th, had a skirmish with the enemy, in which it had one man-Henry Perkins of Company K-mortally wounded. On October 9th, in another skirmish with the enemy, E. W. Sloan,
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FIFTH CAVALRY
of Company H, was wounded. The pursuit was kept up to the Tennessee River, but the rebel General Wheeler, by marching his cavalry day and night, suc- ceeded in getting across the river and making his escape, after losing about one hundred and fifty of his men, killed, wounded and captured. In this pur- suit, the entire Second Cavalry Division, under command of General Crook, was engaged. Colonel Lowe of the Fifth Iowa was in command of the First Bri- gade, and Lieutenant Colonel Patrick commanded the regiment. From the Tennessee River the Second Cavalry Division turned in pursuit of the rebel General Roddy's cavalry, then in camp at Athens, Tenn. Lieutenant Colonel Patrick, with the Fifth Iowa and a detachment of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, marched all night on October 17th, reaching Athens at sunrise, to find the rebel force had withdrawn across the river. Lieutenant Colonel Patrick then returned with his command to Maysville, having marched seventy miles in twenty-four hours. While no general engagement had been fought, the designs of the rebel General had been frustrated and the Union line of transportation protected and kept open for the passage of troops, supplies and munitions of war. From October 17th to November 14th, the regiment remained in camp at Maysville, giving the men and horses a much needed rest before agaln resuming active operations against the enemy.
On the 14th of November, Major Young, of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry, com- manding a select force of 400 men from the Fourth United States Cavalry, Seventeenth and Seventy-second Indiana Mounted Infantry, and Fifth Iowa Cavalry, under orders from Colonel Lowe, then in temporary command of the Second Cavalry Division, moved from Maysville to prevent a flank movement of the enemy across the Tennessee River. Major Young marched with his command across the mountains in rear of Huntsville, by way of Blevins' Gap, to avoid the spies of the enemy. On the march a drove of hogs-which was being driven towards the enemy's camp-was captured, and, on arriving at the Tennessee River, the ferry boat was captured, and many valuable horses, which had been secreted by the enemy on the adjacent islands, were also captured. Destroying the ferry boat, the command marched to Triana, where the enemy had taken the precaution to keep all the boats on the opposite side of the river, to be sent over only when preconcerted signals were given, to indicate that Union troops were not in the vicinity of the landing. As the destruction of these boats was one of the main objects of the expedition, volunteers were called for to cross and secure them. Sergeant Phelps-of Company G-and eleven men from the Fifth Iowa Cavalry were selected from those who volun- teered, and, by means of row boats and canoes, and under cover of sharp- shooters, they crossed the river and captured two large ferry boats without losing a man. With these boats a party of thirty men started down the river, while Major Young's command marched down along the river bank to co-operate with them. Eight large boats were captured during the night and, at day- break, the object of the expedition was accomplished. the boats were destroyed, and the command started on the return march to camp, where it arrived No- vember 17th. The result of this expedition-in which the Fifth Iowa Cavalry bore such a conspicuous part-was the capture of a rebel Captain and eight of his men, nine large ferry boats captured and destroyed, two hundred fine mules and horses captured, one mill-used by the enemy-destroyed, and negron brought in to complete the organization of a regiment, then in camp at Mays- ville. Of this expedition General Elliott, Chief of Cavalry, said: "The succes of the scout under command of Major J. M. Young, Fifth Iowa Cavalry, show that he has been energetic, and shows good judgment in the management of his command." The report of Major Young also received acknowledgment, as follows:
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Chattanooga, Tenn., November 30, 1863.
BRIGADIER GENERAL GEORGE CROOK, Commanding
Second Cavalry Division, Maysville, Ala.
GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the report of Major J. M. Young, Fifth Iowa Cavalry, of his expedition through the country situated between the Memphis and Charleston Railroad and the Tennessee River, between the 14th and 17th inst. The Major General commanding directs that you tender his thanks to Major Young for the brave, energetic and prudent manner in which the expedition was conducted.
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