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Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 1

By Guy E. Logan

HISTORICAL SKETCH

FOURTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY

The Fourth Iowa Infantry was organized under the proclamation of the President, dated May

3, 1861. The companies composing the regiment were mustered into the service of the United

States at Camp Kirkwood, near Council Bluffs, Iowa, and at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis,

Mo., on different dates, ranging from August 8, 1861, to August 31, 1861. The discrepancy in

the dates and places of muster in of the companies is accounted for by the official records in the

office of the Adjutant General of Iowa, which show that Colonel Dodge was ordered to employ

the companies which first reached the designated rendezvous at Council Bluffs, in an expedition

to the southern border of Iowa, to repel a threatened rebel invasion of the State. In his official

report, the Colonel states that the rebel force, that was being organized, disbanded and scattered

upon the approach of the Iowa troops, and the object of the expedition was accomplished without

a convict. In the meantime the other companies, as they arrived at rendezvous, were ordered to

proceed to St. Louis, in pursuance of orders from General Fremont, the exigencies of the service

requiring the rapid concentration of troops at that place. By the 15th of August, all the

companies, except I and K, had reached Benton Barracks. Colonel Dodge further reports that the

eight companies which had reached the barracks left there on the 24th of August, for Rolla, Mo.,

where they joined the troops being concentrated there, and became a part of the Army of the

Southwest under General Curtis. The remaining companies—I and K—were not mustered into

the service until August 31st and did not leave Benton Barracks until September 13th, when they

were sent forward to Rolla, where the full ten companies composing the Fourth Iowa Infantry

were for the first time in camp together.

It will thus be seen that—as a full regiment—it had lacked even the brief opportunity for drill

and instruction which the three regiments which were first organized in Iowa had been given

while in their camps at Keokuk, and that it had to acquire such instruction after taking the field,

and in the presence of the enemy. Detachments, consisting of one or more companies of the

regiment, were sent out upon reconnoitering expeditions, from time to time, while encamped at

Rolla, but no important movement against the enemy was undertaken until January 22, 1862,

when the regiment started upon a winter campaign which was to put to the severest test its

fortitude, courage and endurance of hardships.

General Curtis was in command of the Union troops, and by vigorous marching endeavored

to overtake the rebel army under General Price. It was confidently expected that a battle would

occur at Springfield, Mo., but the enemy continued to retreat towards the Ozark mountains, with

the Union army following closely in his rear. At Sugar Creek, the advance of General Curtis

came up with the rear guard of the enemy, and a brisk engagement ensued, in which the Fourth

Iowa—with the brigade to which it belonged— supported the cavalry and artillery which led the

advance, and drove the enemy from the field. After repeated maneuvers to gain advantage of

position, the two armies at last confronted each other, and it became evident that a great battle

was impending. The rebel army, having reached its chosen ground—a strong position at Cross

Hollows, near the town of Fayetteville, Ark.—and being reinforced by fresh troops, and bands of

savages from the Indian Territory, halted, and awaited the attack of the Union Army. But, instead

of making a direct attack, General Curtis, by a skillful movement, succeeded in completely

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flanking the enemy's position, and making it untenable, and the rebel army was again compelled

to retreat.

Subsequently General Curtis' troops were stationed, by divisions, at considerable distances

apart, in order to obtain supplies from the surrounding country, and the enemy, taking advantage

of this situation, was preparing to attack these separated forces and prevent them from being

concentrated. They succeeded in passing the extreme right flank of the Union army during the

night of March 6th, but General Curtis was apprised of the movement in time to change front and

partially concentrate his forces, and, on the morning of March 7, 1862, the two armies again

confronted each other, on the high ground of Pea Ridge, and, after some preliminary

maneuvering on both sides, the battle began, and continued during that day and part of the next,

ending in a complete victory for the Union army. The following extract from the official report

of the part taken by the Fourth Iowa Infantry in the battle of Pea Ridge shows how well the

regiment acquitted itself, and how nobly it maintained the honor of the State of Iowa on that

field:

On the morning of the 7th of March, it was known that the enemy was advancing and

attacking our army in the rear, when the regiment, in pursuance of orders from Colonel Dodge,

marched about two miles from camp, and took position near the Elkhorn Tavern, on the right of

the brigade, and to the right of the Springfield road going north, near the southern outlet of the

Ozark Pass. Two companies were deployed as skirmishers to the front, and soon became

desperately engaged with the enemy, who poured shot, shell and minie balls into their ranks

incessantly, for two hours, but owing to the dense timber, our loss at this point was not very

great. The left wing of the division, and also the left of Colonel Dodge's brigade, was now

desperately engaged. Colonel Dodge ordered his lines to be closed, and awaited the attack, in the

meantime keeping his skirmishers, and one section of the First Iowa Battery at work until about

2 o'clock, when the enemy ceased firing and drew back. Colonel Dodge changed front to the

right, which left the regiment on the extreme right of the brigade, as well as of the whole army.

The line being formed and our skirmishers drawn in and in their places in line of battle, the

regiment in common with others awaited the concentrated attack of the enemy, whom we saw

preparing for it. We did not wait long. The attack was made with apparently ten times our

number, accompanied with the most terrific cannonading with grape, canister, solid shot and

shell. For full three hours the regiment stood under this terrible fire, which dealt death to its

ranks. The regiment being flanked on the right by a greatly superior force of the enemy, and their

artillery being in a position to completely enfilade its lines, and the left wing of the division

having fallen back to the open fields, leaving the left exposed, which was also flanked, it was

compelled to fall back obliquely to the right, which it did in good order, fighting its way out,

hard pressed by the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, to the open fields, where it was met by

General Curtis who ordered it to fix bayonets, and charge back upon the enemy, which it did

gallantly, eliciting from the General in his official report this highest need of praise. "This

regiment won immortal honors." It being now dark, and the enemy having ceased firing, the

regiment, after having lost in killed and wounded almost one-half of those actually engaged,

marched back to camp, partook of a scanty repast and immediately commenced preparations for

the deadly conflict impending for the succeeding days, filling their cartridge boxes, and cleaning

their guns, which had become very foul. This being done, the regiment was marched back, and

bivouacked on the field until daylight, soon after which the fight was resumed by artillery. The

regiment took its place again to the extreme right, marching forward in line of battle, pursuing

the enemy, who commenced retreating early. It pursued the enemy until it had orders to halt.

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Soon after this orders were given to march back to the battle ground of the previous day and go

into camp. The mention of individual acts of bravery could not be made without being invidious,

The report from which the above extract is made was written by Col. J. A. Williamson who

succeeded Lieutenant Colonel Galligan, who commanded the regiment, and was wounded in the

battle. Colonel Dodge, in his Official report as commander of the First Brigade, says:

The list of killed and wounded in the brigade shows that it fought against fearful odds, and

disputed the field with great stubbornness, Every field officer in the brigade was disabled, and

had to leave the field, and only two Lieutenants were left in the battery.

Lieutenant Colonel Galligan rendered efficient service in holding the Fourth Iowa firm, no

part of which gave an inch, until the whole was compelled to fall back. I wish to mention

especially the bravery and valor of Capt. H. H. Griffith (acting Major) and of Lieut. J. A.

Williamson, Brigade Adjutant; also of private, J. W. Bell, Adjutant's clerk, Fourth Iowa, who fell

mortally wounded while nobly doing his duty. The conduct of the above named officers came

under my personal observation. All did well and fought nobly, in winning a great battle. Capt.

W. H. Kinsman with Company B, Fourth Iowa, and two companies of the twenty-fourth

Missouri, were detached from the brigade and deployed as skirmishers on the extreme left of the

division, holding the high ridge on our left flank, which he did efficiently, and with great good

judgment, against a greatly superior force of the enemy.

After the battle of Pea Ridge, the regiment remained in camp for several weeks. Col. G. M.

Dodge was promoted to Brigadier General shortly after the battle, and Adjutant J. A. Williamson

succeeded him as Colonel of the regiment and Captain Burton succeeded Lieutenant Colonel

Galligan, who had resigned. The regiment marched with the army to Helena, and participated in

all the hardship and suffering of the succeeding campaign. It remained at Helena during the

greater part of the summer and autumn of 1862. It subsequently joined General Sherman's army

in the movement down the Mississippi River, against Vicksburg, in which it bore a most

conspicuous part. On December 28 and 29, 1862, it participated in the desperate fighting at

Chickasaw Bayou, suffering severe loss, and duplicating its record of gallantry at Pea Ridge. On

the 10th and 11th of January, 1863, it again engaged in battle at Arkansas Post, after which it

returned to Young's Point, landing there January 22, 1863, remaining there and below there at

Gregg's Plantation until April 2, 1863, when it went 150 miles up the Mississippi River to

Greenville, and from there engaged in the Deer Creek Valley Expedition. Returning to Milliken's

Bend, it started on the active campaign against Vicksburg by way of Richmond, La., and Grand

Gulf, Miss., to Jackson, Miss., and thence moved to Vicksburg, and became part of the investing

force on May 18, 1863.

It engaged actively in the siege operations until the surrender July 4th, then it marched to

Jackson and participated in the siege operations there, until the evacuation by the enemy July 16,

1863. After the fall of Jackson, the regiment went into camp on Black River, fourteen miles in

rear of Vicksburg where it remained from July 29, 1863, until September 22, 1863, when it

embarked on steamer and proceeded to Memphis, Tenn., from which place it began the march

ending at Chattanooga, Tenn., where it arrived November 23, 1863. The regiment participated in

the battle of Lookout Mountain, November 24, 1863, in the battle of Missionary Ridge,

November 25th, and in the battle of Ringgold on the 27th. On the 3d day of December, 1863, it

went into camp at Bridgeport, Ala., and later moved from there to Woodville, where it remained

in camp until the 26th of February, 1864, when it was ordered to proceed to Des Moines, Iowa,

and report through the Governor of the State to the superintendent of recruiting service, for

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furlough and reorganization, and at the expiration of the thirty days' furlough—to begin after the

regiment reached Des Moines—the regimental commander was ordered to report to Brigadier

General Osterhaus, commanding First Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, in the field. In

compliance with this order, the veteran soldiers of the Fourth Iowa returned to their State, and

enjoyed to the fullest extent the brief respite from the toils and dangers of war, at their own

homes, and with their families, and the loyal friends of the cause for which they had suffered and

endured so much and for which they would continue to suffer and endure, until the enemies of

the Union should be completely conquered, and a lasting peace secured. At the expiration of its

furlough, the regiment returned to the field, and rejoined its brigade and division at Nashville,

Tenn., from which place It moved forward and participated actively in the great campaign which

led up to the siege and culminated in the fall of Atlanta.

From Atlanta began the remarkable campaigns in Georgia and the Carolinas, and the march

with Sherman to the sea, in which the Fourth Iowa Infantry had its full share. The regiment

participated in the battles of Columbia, S. C., and Bentonville, N. C., and continued on the march

to Richmond and thence to Washington, where it marched, with many other Iowa regiments, in

the grand review of the battle scarred and war worn soldiers of the armies of the West.

After remaining for some time in camp near Washington, the regiment proceeded to

Louisville, Ky., where it was mustered out of the service July 24, 1865, having served nearly

four years. The compiler of this brief historical sketch of the service of this splendid Iowa

regiment has made diligent search among the official records, and has found a mass of reports,

and correspondence connected directly with the history of its service, which—but for the

limitations under which he is working—would enable him to increase this sketch to the

proportions of a good sized volume. In response to the request of the Adjutant General of Iowa,

near the close of the war, Col. J. A. Williamson wrote a condensed report of the operations of the

regiment, which extended over a very wide field, in many southern states, but could not give a

list of "posts" occupied. He says, "I can hardly realize the meaning of the term as connected with

this regiment. We have stopped from time to time to rest, after an active campaign, but never had

charge of any post, or fixed camp, from the time the regiment was really equipped for the field at

Rolla, Mo., in the fall of 1861." Only those who have had the same experience can realize the

feeling, which old soldiers had in common, that it was useless to make definite calculation upon

remaining even a single day in one locality. While troops did remain in the same camp,

sometimes for weeks, or months, they never knew how quickly a change would be made, and

therefore, in time of war, the soldier's life is very much the same as that of the Nomads, ready to

break camp and to move upon the shortest notice. Such was, in a most pronounced degree, the

experience of the Fourth Iowa Infantry during its long period of service from 1861 to 1865.

The subjoined roster, summary of casualties, list of those buried in National Cemeteries, and

of those who were captured by the enemy and confined in rebel prisons, have been carefully

compiled from the official records.

The paragraph after each name in the roster gives briefly the history of the service he

rendered, and the descendants of the soldiers of this gallant regiment may here learn how well

and faithfully they served their country in her hour of greatest need, and know that a great and

grateful commonwealth has herein discharged a high duty to the memory of her brave sons.

Inseparably connected with the history of this regiment is that of the man who first

commanded it, and under whom it won its first glorious victory. Subsequently he won high

honor as a General and enjoyed the personal friendship and confidence of President Lincoln and

General Grant. Since the close of the war, he has achieved fame and distinction in civil life.

Through all his career he has cherished the memory of the men of his old regiment, and has—

from time to time—given evidence of his abiding friendship for them. This is therefore an

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appropriate place to record the official military history of Iowa's most distinguished soldier. The

record is compiled from the files of the War Department in Washington and of the Adjutant

General's office of the State of Iowa, and is therefore officially correct.

MILITARY RECORD OF MAJOR GENERAL GRENVILLE M. DODGE.

Captain Council Bluffs Guards July 15, 1856.

Appointed Colonel Fourth Iowa Infantry June 17, 1861, and ordered into camp at Council Bluffs.

Commissioned Colonel Fourth Iowa Infantry July 6, 1861.

During July marched with part of his regiment to Missouri State line against Poindexter, who,

with 1,200 Confederates, was threatening Southwestern Iowa. Poindexter retreated when Dodge

approached.

Reported at St. Louis with Fourth Iowa Infantry August 13, 1861.

Proceeded to Rolla, Mo., August 24, 1861.

Assigned to command of post at Rolla, October 9, 1861.

Commanded expeditions to Houston and Salem, November 1, 1861. Enemy defeated in both

engagements.

Wounded in left leg, December 15, 1861.

Assigned to command of First Brigade, Fourth Division, Army of Southwest January 21, 1862.

Advanced to Springfield. That place occupied February 13, 1862.

In engagements at Sugar Creek, February 17, 1862, and Cane Creek, February 20, 1862.

Defeated Gates' command at Blackburn's Mills, February 27, 1862.

Battle of Pea Ridge, March 6, 7 and 8, 1862. Wounded in right side.

Commissioned Brigadier General of Volunteers, March 31, 1862.

Reported to Major General Halleck at Corinth, June 6, 1862, and ordered by him to report to

Brig. Gen. W. F. Quimby, commanding District of Columbus, to rebuild Mobile & Ohio

Railroad.

June 28, 1862, assigned to command of Central Division, Army of Tennessee with headquarters

at Trenton, Tenn.

Finished rebuilding Mobile & Ohio Railroad in August and built stockades and earthworks at all

its important bridges and stations.

During the time in command at Trenton the captures of Dyersburg, Huntington and O'Brien were

made, and Villipigue was defeated on the Hatchie River.

September 29, 1862, by order of Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, was assigned to the command of the

District of Columbus, Ky.

Captured Colonel Faulkner and his command at Island No. 10. Also captured the State troops

and conscripts, some 1400 in number, twenty-three miles west of New Madrid.

October 30, 1862, assigned by order of Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant to command Second Division

Army of Tennessee, at Corinth, Miss.;

November 15, 1862, assigned to command of the District of Corinth, by order of Maj. Gen. U. S.

Grant.

Extensive fortifications and important works in and around Corinth finished while holding that

command.

December 1, 1862, a combined movement was made from Holly Springs and Corinth in which

his troops captured Tupelo and Okolona, Miss., defeating the enemy and capturing the stores at

those places.

December, 1862, by order of Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, moved to Lexington and Spring Creek,

Tenn., driving Forrest across the Tennessee River.

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February, 1863, attacked Van Dorn's column at Tuscumbia, Ala. Place was captured with its

stores, artillery, etc.

April, 1863, in command of Second Division, part of Fifth Division and portion of Cavalry

Division of the Sixteenth Army Corps. Made expedition in Northern Alabama, defeating the

forces of the enemy in the Tuscumbia Valley. During the movement the fights at Bear Creek,

Cherokee, Burton Station, Leighton and Town Creek occurred. Immense quantities of stores for

Bragg's army were captured and destroyed.

April, 1863, Chalmers and Ruggles were attacked and defeated at Tupelo.

June, 1863, crossed the Tennessee River at Savannah. Moved into Van Dorn's rear. Captured the

town of Florence, defeating its garrison.

June 19, 1863, attacked Furgeson's command on Big Muddy, and stopped raid on Memphis &

Charleston Railroad. Fighting was severe and loss considerable.

July 8, 1863, assigned to command of left wing Sixteenth Army Corps with headquarters at

Corinth.

July 14, 1863, defeated a portion of Roddy's command at Jackson, Tenn., and captured a large

number of prisoners.

August 15, 1863, made raid on Granada, Miss., capturing a large number of locomotives, cars,

railroad stocks, stores, etc., and defeated the enemy at Water Valley and Granada.

While in command at Corinth organized and mustered into the service First West Tennessee

Cavalry, First Alabama Cavalry, First Alabama Colored Infantry, and several companies of

colored troops for siege artillery.

October 30, 1863, command was attached to command of Major General Sherman then moving

into Middle Tennessee.

During months of November and December, 1863, rebuilt Nashville & Decatur Railroad, also

pontoon bridges across Tennessee River at Decatur, Ala., and the Duck and Elk rivers, and

constructed good and substantial earthworks and stockades at all the important bridges and

points. During this time the command had several engagements with the enemy, and captured

and fortified Decatur, Ala.

January, 1864, organized and mustered into service Second and Third Regiments Alabama

Colored Infantry.

May 5, 1864, in command Sixteenth Army Corps in the field at Atlanta campaign. Took part in

the battles and engagements at Ships Gap May 6th, Snake Creek Gap May 9th, Resaca May 11th

Estounula River May 12th, Kenesaw Mountain, Roswell, Decatur July 21st, Atlanta July 22d,

Ezra Church July 28th.

Commissioned Major General June 7, 1864.

Wounded in head August 19, 1864.

October 14, 1864, ordered to City Point, Va., to visit General Grant.

November 3, 1864, assigned to command of District of Vicksburg and to command of left wing

Sixteenth Army Corps.

December 2, 1864, assigned to the command of Department