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Benton County, Iowa in Civil War
The Sixth cavalry was recruited in 1862, and was sent to Minnesota immediately after being mounted and drilled, where it marched under General Sully against the Indians. During August, 1863, three companies of the Sixth, under command of Major House, while on detached service, undertook to hold a camp of 1,500 Indians until word could be sent to the main force, but this proved to be almost too large a job for the men; for the Indians were breaking away just as General Sully came up with Colonel D. S. Wilson, at the head of the Sixth, and Colonel Furnas in command of the Second Nebraska. The battle began instantly, two companies of the Sixth going through the camp, and Colonel Furnas joining Major House. The engagement lasted until after dark, when the bugles sounded the recall. The Indians fled during the night, leaving everything but their ponies and arms behind. The next day (5th) the command destroyed half a million pounds of dried meat, three hundred lodges and other valuable property. Over a hundred dead Indians were found on the field. On July 28, 1864, the Sixth had a hand in the engagement with the Indians at Tahkahokutah, where the Indians occupied a secure position on some steep and rocky bluffs, partly covered with timber. The Indians threw out mounted skirmishing parties eight or ten miles in advance of this position, which were driven back to the bluffs. The Indians were then shelled out of their position in the rocks and forced to retreat with considerable loss. August 8th the regiment, which had camped the previous night on the Little Missouri, had a skirmish with a heavy force of Indians, and on the following day got a chance to charge them a distance of over two miles, killing a considerable number. The regiment remained in Dakota until winter, bivouacked at Sioux City until spring, and was mustered out in October, 1865.
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