SECTION IX.
MILITARY HISTORY
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CIVIL WAR REGIMENT HISTORY & ROSTERS
submitted by Linda Stoddard, February 23, 2011, pages 386-388

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

THE THIRTY-FIRST INFANTRY.

Was mustered into service at Davenport by Capt. Hendershott, on the 13th day of October, 1862, and under command of Col. Wm. Smyth, took transport and moved down the river Nov. 1, arriving at Helena, Ark., the 20th inst. On the 27th of the same month, they started on an expedition to the Cold Water River, in Mississippi, returning to Helena Dec. 7. Two weeks later, they started on the Yazoo River expedition, and the regiment was partially engaged in the battle at Chickasaw Bayou, on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of December. On the 2nd of January, 1863, they started for a point near Arkansas Post, where they arrived on the 9th inst., and on the night of the 10th marched through swamps and mire to the rear of the enemy's works, where on the nth, they hotly engaged in the capture of the place.

From this point the regiment was ordered to Young's Point, La., where they remained in camp until April 2, when they moved again up the river to Greenville, Miss., and, after some skirmishing and considerable foraging for mules, cattle, horses, hogs, and even negroes, returned to Young's Point on the 26th of the same month. From here they moved with Grant's whole army toward Grand Gulf, arriving May 7, when they again moved toward Jackson, Miss. The regiment was under fire at Raymond, on the 12th; was at the taking of Jackson on the 14th, and again under fire at Black River on the 16th, reaching the rear of Vicksburg on the 18th, where it was engaged on the 22nd, in a terrible but successful charge on the enemy's works, and was from this time steadily under fire till the fall of Vicksburg, on the 4th day of July.

The regiment, under Gen. Sherman, started for Jackson, Miss., on the 5th of July, being under fire until the second evacuation of that place, when it was moved to Canton, Miss., where it was again engaged, when it went into camp at Black River until the 22nd of September. From here they moved to Vicksburg, thence to Memphis, thence to Corinth, Miss., where it remained until Oct. 18; thence marched to Iuka, and to Cherokee on the 20th, and on the morning of the 21st had a severe engagement with the rebel cavalry.

On the 26th and 27th had a running fight with the enemy, again returning to Cherokee Station. On the 24th of Nov., was in the battle of Lookout Mountain, and on the following day had equally hard fighting at Mission Ridge, and on the 27th was again engaged at Ringgold and Taylor's Hills, where the regiment suffered severely. Here they remained until Dec. 1, when, moving by way of Chattanooga and Bridgeport, they reached Woodville, Ala., on the 27th inst., and went into winter quarters, where they remained till the 1st day of May, 1864.

On the morning of May 1, moved east, reaching Snake Cap, Ga., on the 9th inst., where they encountered the enemy in force. On the 13th, had a severe fight at Resaca, in which Lieut.-Col. Jenkins was severely wounded. The regiment lay in camp at Kingston, Ga., from the night of the 19th until the morning of the 23rd awaiting supplies; then moved on, encountering the enemy at Dallas, on the night of the 26th, and the following morning, after a short but sharp conflict, the enemy was driven back. The fighting lasted during the 29th, 30th and 31st.

On the 1st of June the regiment moved to New Hope Church and occupied rifle pits under fire of the enemy until the 6th, when the regiment moved to Ackworth, remaining there until the 10th, when they marched to Big Shanty, ten miles distant, again engaging the enemy in force. Guarded wagon train until the 15th, when they moved into rifle pits near Kenesaw Mountain and were constantly under fire until the evening of July 3rd, when the enemy evacuated Kenesaw Mountain. July 4th they again encountered the enemy at Chattahoochie River, and, building works, remained under fire until the nth, when they moved to Roswell, Ga. From here they went to Vining Station, thence to a point near Atlanta.

August 26 they moved toward Jonesboro, on the Macon Railroad. On the 31st the enemy made a desperate fight and the regiment was again under fire until the 2nd of September, when Jonesboro was evacuated. On Oct. 4 the regiment, with a large portion of Sherman's army, moved north in pursuit of Hood, skirmishing with him at Reseca, Snake Cap, Little River, etc.; after this went to Atlanta Nov. 15; thence into the heart of Georgia. Marching about fifteen miles per day, they reached the rear of Savannah on the 10th of December, 1864, and ten days later the whole army entered the city.

By this victory the army was severed into three parts, and the enemy compelled to loosen its grasp over a vast territory. The Thirty-first were actively engaged in the North Carolina campaigns from this time until March 8, when Gen Grant's famous dispatch, "Let us finish the job now," was announced, when the final blow was struck, and the year which promised to be so full of bloody strife was the end of the war of the rebellion.

The Thirty-first was mustered out of service at Louisville, June 27, 1865, and came to Davenport, where they were paid off and disbanded.

COMPANY C.

Capt. Milo P. Smith, com. sergt. maj. Aug. 16, 1862, prmtd. 2nd lieut. Aug. 16, 1862, prmtd. capt. March 31, 1863, resd. Sept. 27, 1864.

COMPANY G.

First. Lieut. David Rorick, e. as private Aug. 15, 1862, prmtd. 1st sergt., then 1st lieut. Sept. 1, 1863, wd. at Jonesboro, Ga., Sept. 1, 1864.

Second Lieut, Hannibal C. Freeman, com. Oct. 13, 1862, resd. Dec. 29, 1862.

Sergt. J. P. Ferguson, e. Aug. 6, 1862, disd. April 7, 1863, disab.

Corp. Allen T. Ayers, e. Aug. 7, 1862.

Corp. Jos. Blakeslee, e. Aug. 6, 1862.

Corp. S. A. Swan, e. Aug. 12, 1862, disd. Jan. 9, 1863, disab.

Corp. T. Robinson, died March 12, 1863, at Young's Point, La.

Corp. Jno. A. Gerard, e. Aug. 6, 1862, died March 12, 1863, on hosp. boat.

Musician Henry Aldrich, e. Aug. 12, 1862, disd. Dec. 22, 1863, at Helena, Ark., disab.

Austin, Thos., e. Aug. 8, 1862.

Ball, Lewis W., e. Aug. 11, 1862.

Bugers, Geo. B., e. Aug. I1, 1862.

Boggs, A. J., e. Aug. 11, 1862, died March 28, 1863, in St. Louis.

Ballou, A. J., e. Aug. 11, 1862, died March 19, 1863, in Memphis, Term.

Dubois, Walter, e. Aug. 12, 1862.

Evans, Jos. H., e. Aug. 15, 1862.

Farguson, Wm., e. Aug. 6, 1862.

Farguson, John, e. Aug. 6, 1862, died May 22, 1863, at Vicksburg, Miss.

Humphry, S. P., e. Aug. 8, 1862. disd. March, 1864, disab.

Jackson, A., e. Aug. 7, 1862, died April 28, 1863, on steamer.

Kellogg, Ethel, e. Aug. 6, 1862, died March 17, 1863, at Memphis, Tenn.

Kinneston, R. F., e. Aug. 9, 1862.

Mitchell, Thos. B., e. Aug. 11, 1862.

Myers, John, e. Aug. 8, 1862, disd. May 5, 1863, disab.

Miller, Jno. M., e. Aug. 8, 1862, disd. March 23, 1863, disab.

McClure, David, e. Aug. 12, 1862, died Nov. 9, 1862, at Davenport.

Nash, Augustus, e. Aug. 7, 1862, died Dec. 31, 1862, at Johnson's Landing.

Rolling, C. W., e. Aug. 11, 1862.

Robinson, A. B., e. Aug. 9, 1862.

Rorick, Samuel, e. Aug. 15, 1862.

Simpson, Wm. B., e. Aug. 15, 1862, died Nov. 2, 1862, at Davenport.

Simpson, Jno. C, e. Aug. 14, 1862, disd. April 22, 1863, at Davenport, disab.

Woodard, Jas. F., e. Aug. 12, 1862, trans. to invalid corps.

Wood, Jas., e. Aug. 9, 1862.

Zeck, J. G., e. Aug. 11, 1862.

Lieut. Col. James H. Rothrock, com. Aug. 10, 1862, resd. Aug. 7, 1863.

Sergt. Chas. L. Chambers, com. Sept. 1, 1862, resd. Aug. 14, 1863.

Asst. Surg. Emanuel C. Reigart, com. Sept. 16, 1862, resd. Sept. 11, 1863.

Chaplain Wm. Bagley, e. as private Co. H, Aug. 20, 1862, prmtd. Chaplain Dec. 23, 1864.