SECTION IX.
MILITARY HISTORY
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CIVIL WAR REGIMENT HISTORY & ROSTERS
submitted by Linda Stoddard, February 23, 2011, pages 404-407

ABBREVIATIONS.

Adjt.= adjutant.	Com.= commissioned.	excd.= exchanged.	Maj.= major.	Sergt.= sergeant.
Art.= artillery.	Cav.= cavalry.	Inf.= infantry.	m. o.= mustered out.	trans.= transferred.
Bat.= battle or battalion.	captd.= captured.	inv.= invalid.	prmtd.= promoted.	Vet.= veteran.
Col.= colonel.	desrtd.= deserted.	I. V. I.= Iowa Volunteer Infantry.	prmtd.= promoted.	V. R. C.= Veteran Reserve Corps.
Capt.= captain.	disab.. disabled.	Hon. disd.= honorably discharged.	regt.= regiment.	wd.= wounded.
Corp.= corporal.	disd.= discharged	kld.= killed.	re-e.= re-enlisted.	Search short cut: use Edit then
Comsy.= commissary.	e.= enlisted.	Lieut.= lieutenant.	res.= resigned.	Find to locate name

EIGHTH CAVALRY.

Company K of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry was raised in Cedar County by Capt. John Dance, while some from the county enlisted in other companies of the regiment. The Eighth was mustered into service Sept. 30, 1863, and, before being fully equipped with either horses or arms, was ordered to the front to join Gen. Rosecrans at Chattanooga.

The remainder of the animals were procured as quickly as possible, and on the morning of October 17, the Eighth left Camp Roberts for Louisville, via Michigan City and Indianapolis, where they arrived on the 21st, and went into camp near the Nashville Railroad depot. They were soon furnished with shelter tents, Colt's army pistols and about 300 Gallagher carbines. Drill was resumed, and the first dress parade, mounted, took place on the evening of the 22nd. November 4th, the regiment commenced its march to Nashville, Tenn., where it arrived on the 17th, making its first march of 200 miles in less than two weeks. On the 1st of December, the Eighth left Nashville on the line of the N. and N. W. railroad.

After a general scout through that section of the country, the regiment was detailed by battalion to three different points, with headquarters at Waverly, Tenn. The capturing or dispersing of guerrillas was the principal duty of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry, but whenever occasion offered, the regiment was not lacking in courage or coolness; and, in fact, did some excellent fighting on several occasions, among which was the engagement at Lost Mountain, Lovejoy's Station, and at Newman.

Starting from Red Clay, and including Stoneman's raid around Atlanta, the regiment was under fire every day for more than a month. At Newman, the mounted men that had been placed in position by General McCook, to protect the only avenue of retreat for his forces on their return from their "raid around Atlanta," were all captured except a portion of Company K, and a few picked men from other companies, numbering seventeen in all, who made their escape under command of Capt. Dance by cutting through the enemy's line.

The Colonel of the regiment was taken prisoner, and in his report states that Major Root was missing from the time of the first charge, but it is stated on good authority, that he was not missing from the regiment until he and Lieutenant Morrow joined with Captain Dance to force their way out rather than submit to being detained as prisoners. After the raid above mentioned, the dismounted men he had left at Kingston, Ga., were mounted, and the regiment then numbered 500, while Company K numbered 54, with about 48 in the ranks. The next business of the regiment was to assist in the pursuit of Wheeler, and in driving Forrest back from his invasion of Tennessee in the fall of 1864. They were next engaged in the front of the rebel General Hood, in his advance upon Nashville, to which the regiment with other forces fell back.

At Duck River, Tenn., Captain Dance, with the first battalion, consisting of Companies A, G, K and D, was directed to hold the fords, seven in number, at and near Columbia, "as long as possible," until orders came to retreat. This battalion held the fords until after the infantry had gone and the pursuing rebels had closed in around them, when Captain Dance, finding it impossible to get orders, and having a good knowledge of the country, undertook to pass through the enemy's line, who were pursuing General Schofield's forces. By personating Major Williams, of Forrest's cavalry, and claiming to have been sent by Forrest to attack the "d—d Yankees," he was enabled during the night, to pass through the midst of the enemy, traveling six miles by the side of a rebel battery, and reported his command safely to General Johnson, who had given him up for lost.

The regiment joined in the attack upon Hood, at Nashville, and in the pursuit of his forces out of Tennessee. They then went into quarters at Waterloo, Alabama, until the 15th of March, when they joined the Wilson raid through Alabama, and were mustered out at Macon, Ga.

Major John Dance, com. Capt. Co. K, Sept. 30, 1863, com. maj. Aug. 22, 1865, m. o. as a capt. before promotion.

COMPANY C.

Shurley, F. M., Aug. 15, 1863.

COMPANY K.

First Lieut. Jno. S. Robertson, e. as 1st. sergt. July 11, 1863, captd. at Newman, Ga., July 30, 1864, com. 1st lieut. June 16, 1865.

Second Lieut. Smith H. Beeson, com. Sept. 30, 1863, resd. March 22, 1864.

Second Lieut. Jacob T. Haight, e. as 1st sergt., prmtd. 2nd lieut. March 23, 1864, m. o. May 15, 1865.

Second Lieut. Ephraim L. Beeson, com. Aug. 22, 1865, m. o. as regt. com. sergt. before promotion.

Corp. Giles Vanhooser, e. July 31, 1863.

Corp. A. D. Coleman, e. Aug. I1, 1863.

Farrier Wm. H. Ives, e. Aug. 15, 1863, wd. and captd. July 30, 1864, at Newman, Ga.

Wagoner Jacob Henning, e. Aug. 11, 1863.

Callahan, C. W., e. Aug. 19, 1863.

Collins, J. W., e. July 4, 1863.

Craighead, Jas. S., e. July 16, 1863.

Edmiston, E. C, e. Aug. 24, 1863.

Frisbie, David C, e. Aug. 5, 1863.

Gillilan, Delaney, e. Aug. 25, 1863.

Grewell, Daniel T., e. Aug. 11, 1863.

Harris, Hiram, e. Aug. 8, 1863.

Hawley, I. G., e. Aug. 23, 1863.

Johnson, Jos. S., e. Aug. 11, 1863, wd. July 29, 1864, at Lovejoy Station.

Kisenger, Philip, e. Aug. 10, 1863, captd. July 30, 1864, at Newman, Ga.,

died March 25, 1865, at Annapolis, Md.

Long, Alfred, R., e. Aug. 24, 1863.

Lyons, Morris, e. Aug. 5, 1863.

Macy, Cyrus F., e. Aug. 11, 1863, wd. and captd. July 30, 1864, at Newman, Ga., died Oct. 29, 1865, at Davenport.

Millett, Wm. W., e. Aug 10, 1863.

Pruitt, Thos., e. Aug. 11, 1863.

Rider, David O., e. Aug. 18, 1863, died Oct. 29, 1863, at Davenport.

Rucker, Samuel, e. Aug. 15, 1863.

Schooley, I. N., e. July 10, 1863.

Slater, Geo., e. Aug. 10, 1863.

Smith, Jno. C, e. Aug. 23, 1863.

Ward, Jas., Sr., e. July 16, 1863.

Ward, Jas., Jr., e. July 16, 1863.

Wright, Wm. T., e. Aug. 19, 1863, captd. July 30, 1864, at Florence, S. C

Wright, V. H., e. Aug. 6, 1863.

Young, L. D., e. Sept. 1, 1863.

NINTH CAVALRY.

COMPANY D.

Capt. John W. Farmer, e. as sergt. Oct. 3, 1863, com. 1st lieut. March 9, 1865,

prmtd. capt. Jan. 1, 1865, com. revoked, m. o. Feb. 28, 1866.

Farrier Basil H. Wiggins, e. Oct. 1, 1863.

Freeman, Hull, e. Oct. 12, 1863, disd. April 25, 1864, disab.

COMPANY E.

Chapman, Wm. H., e. Sept. 15, 1863.

COMPANY C.

Q. M. S. Jackson D. Mitchell, e. Sept. 1, 1863.

Clark, D. W., e. Sept. 26, 1863.

McCroskey, C. B., e. Oct. 1, 1863, died Sept. 5, 1864, at Duvall's Bluff, Ark.

Snyder, Henry, e. Oct. 1, 1862.

Tiller, T. J., e. Sept. 25, 1863.

Van Meter, Wm. L., e. Oct. 1, 1863.