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Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 2

By Guy E. Logan

HISTORICAL SKETCH

THIRTEENTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY

The Thirteenth Iowa Infantry was ordered into quarters by Governor Kirkwood, under the

proclamation of President Lincoln bearing date July 23, 1861, the organization of this regiment

having completed the quota of the State up to that date. The ten companies of which the regiment

was composed were ordered into quarters on dates ranging from Sept. 17 to Oct. 11, 1861. The

rendezvous designated in the order was Camp McClellan, near Davenport, Iowa, and there the

companies were mustered into the service of the United States on dates ranging from Oct. 15 to

Nov. 2, 1861, by Capt. Alexander Chambers, United States Army. The total enrollment at muster

in was 890, but this number was soon increased by additional enlistment to 898. The regiment

was exceedingly fortunate in the choice of its first commander. Col. M. M. Crocker was gifted

with rare military genius. He had the advantage of military training at West Point, and, while

some of the officers and most of the men of his regiment did not fully appreciate the necessity

for his rigid enforcement of discipline from the day he assumed command, it did not take them

long to discover that he was just the kind of man they needed to instruct them, and to fit them for

the performance of the stern duties of soldiers who were about to enter upon active service in one

of the greatest wars in the history of mankind.

The regiment remained only a short time in Camp McClellan. It was transported down the

Mississippi river to St. Louis, and went into quarters at Benton Barracks, where troops were

being concentrated and fitted as rapidly as possible for an active campaign against the enemy.

Here it was armed and equipped, and, on December 11th, was ordered to proceed by rail to

Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri, where it remained until early in March, 1862, when it was

ordered to return to St. Louis. While the regiment was at Jefferson City it was mainly engaged in

preparation for the great campaign which was being planned, and which was to begin in the early

spring. There was no considerable body of the enemy in the vicinity of its camp, and the official

records do not show that it met with any loss except from disease, but the death rate from this

cause was large on account of the men being unused to the hardships incident to camp life in

winter. In addition to the deaths from disease, many became incapacitated for further service and

were discharged. This was the common experience of all troops during their first year of service.

From St. Louis, the regiment was conveyed by steamer to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., where it

arrived March 23, 1862. Here it went into camp and was assigned to the First Brigade of the First

Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand. The brigade consisted of the Eighth

and Eighteenth Illinois, the Eleventh and Thirteenth Iowa, and Battery D, Second Illinois Light

Artillery, and was under the command of Col. A. M. Hare of the Eleventh Iowa, who was the

senior officer present for duty. The concentration of the Union army under Maj. Gen. U. S.

Grant, at Pittsburg Landing, the presence of the rebel army under Maj. Gen. A. S. Johnston, at

Corinth, Miss., and the fact that a distance of only twenty miles intervened between the two

armies, indicated that a great battle was impending.

The compiler of this sketch, while fully realizing the importance of the service rendered by

the Thirteenth Iowa in subsequent battles, feels that, in describing the part it took in its first great

battle, he is justified in going into greater particularity of detail than the limitation of space under

which he is working will permit when he comes to deal with its later achievements.

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On the morning of the 6th of April, 1862, the rebel army, which had been advancing during

the previous afternoon and night, with the purpose of making an attack before further

reinforcements could reach the Union army, was hurled against the advanced lines of General

Grant's forces, and one of the greatest battles of modern times was in progress. In his official

report, Colonel Crocker describes the part taken by his regiment, as follows:

HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH REGIMENT IOWA INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS, CAMP

NEAR PITTSBURG LANDING, TENN., April 8, 1862.

SIR,—I have the honor to report the part taken by the Thirteenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer

Infantry in the engagement with the enemy on the 6th and 7th inst.

Early in the morning of the 6th, the alarm was given, and heavy firing in the distance

indicated that our camp was attacked. The regiment was formed in front of its color line, its full

force consisting of 717 men, rank and file. It was at once ordered to form on the left of the

Second Brigade, and proceeded to that position at a double quick, and was then formed in line of

battle in a skirt of woods bordering on an open field to the left of a battery. Here it remained for

some time inactive, while the enemy's guns were playing on our battery. In the meantime, a large

force of the enemy's infantry were filing around the open field in front of our line, protected by

the woods, and in the direction of our battery, opening a heavy fire of musketry on the infantry

stationed on our right, and charging upon the battery. The infantry and battery to the right having

given way, and the enemy advancing at double quick, we gave them one round of musketry and

also gave way. At this time, we—as, indeed, all our troops in the immediate vicinity of the

battery—were thrown into great confusion, and retired in disorder.

Having retired to the distance of 100 or 200 yards, we succeeded in rallying and forming a

good line, the Eighth and Eighteenth Illinois Volunteers on our left, and, having fronted to the

enemy, held our position there under a continual fire of cannon and musketry until after 12 o

clock, when we were ordered to retire and take up a new position. This we did in good order and

without confusion. Here, having formed a new line, we maintained it under incessant fire until

4:30 o'clock P. M., the men conducting themselves with great gallantry and coolness, and doing

great execution on the enemy. repulsing charge after charge, and driving them back with great

loss.

At 4:30 P. M., we were again ordered to fall back. In obeying this order, we became mixed

up with a great number of regiments falling back in confusion, so that our line was broken up

and the regiment separated, rendering it very difficult to collect it, but finally, having succeeded

in forming, and being separated from the brigade, we attached ourselves to the division

commanded by Colonel Tuttle of the Second Iowa Volunteers, and formed with his division in

front of the encampment of the Fourteenth, Second and Seventh Iowa Volunteers, where it

sustained a heavy fire from the enemy's battery until dark, and there remained during the night

on our arms. During the day, we were under fire of the enemy for ten hours, and sustained a loss

of 23 killed and 130 wounded.

On the morning of the 7th, we were ordered to continue with Colonel Tuttle's division and to

follow up and support our forces that were attacking and driving back the enemy. We followed

them up closely, moving to support the batteries until the enemy was routed, after which we were

ordered to return to the encampment that we had left on Sunday morning, where we arrived at 8

o'clock P. M.

Our total loss in the action of the 6th and 7th is, killed 24, wounded 139, missing 9, total 172.

The men for the most part behaved with great gallantry, and the officers exhibited the greatest

bravery and coolness; and I call especial attention to the gallant conduct of my field officers,

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Lieutenant Colonel Price and Major Shane, who were both wounded in the action of the 6th, and

acknowledge my great obligations to my Adjutant, Lieutenant Wilson, who during the entire

action exhibited the highest qualities of a soldier.

Respectfully, Etc.,

M. M. CROCKER,

Colonel Thirteenth Iowa Infantry.

•C. Cadle, Jr., A. A. A. G., First Brigade, First Division.

Col. A. M. Hare, in his official report as commanding officer of the brigade, makes special

mention of the gallant commander of the Thirteenth Iowa as follows: "To Col. M. M. Crocker of

the Thirteenth Iowa Volunteers I wish to call especial attention. The coolness and bravery

displayed by him on the field of battle during the entire action of the 6th, the skill with which he

maneuvered his men, and the example of daring and disregard to danger by which he inspired

them to do their duty and stand by their colors, show him to be possessed of the highest qualities

of a commander, and entitle him to speedy promotion."

The compiler of this sketch has a vivid personal recollection of the scenes of confusion

described by Colonel Crocker, at the time the Union lines fell back to the point of last resistance.

He was in command of his regiment (the Third Iowa Infantry) and joined the Thirteenth Iowa at

its last position in support of the batteries which checked the enemy's advance and decided the

result of the first day's battle. Every officer and man of those regiments, who was able for duty,

was there in line, determined to resist the assault of the enemy to the last extremity. If that line

had given way, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to have retrieved the disaster. By

its splendid service in this great battle the Thirteenth Iowa laid the foundation for its future great

achievements. By this bloody baptism it was consecrated, and, as will appear in its subsequent

history, the regiment repeated its glorious record at Shiloh in all the battles in which it was

afterwards engaged.

After the battle of Shiloh, the Thirteenth Iowa was assigned to the Third Brigade of the Sixth

Division. The Brigade was composed of the Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth

regiments of Iowa Infantry, and was under command of Colonel Crocker. This organization

remained intact until the close of the war. Except when upon detached duty, the operations of

each of the regiments were identified very largely with those of the brigade, and, therefore, the

history of each of these four Iowa regiments is almost inseparably interwoven with that of the

brigade.++ The regiment, with its brigade and division, took part in the advance upon and siege

of Corinth, and performed its full part in those important operations which ended in the

evacuation of that rebel stronghold on the 30th of May, 1862. It then constituted a part of the

garrison left in charge of the works at Corinth, until about the middle of July; and then

participated in various expeditions, and was for a time stationed at Bolivar, Tenn., but the official

records do not show that it came into contact with any considerable body of the enemy during

the remainder of the summer.

War of Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Part 1, Vol. 10, Page 131.

+War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Part 1, Vol. 10, Page 124.

++After the close of the war, a semi-military organization, composed of the survivors of this

brigade, was organized under the title of "Crocker's Iowa Brigade." This organization is still

maintained. It holds biennial re-unions. Gen. W. W. Belknap was its first commander: at his

death Col. H. H. Rood succeeded him and at this date (1908) remains in command of the famous

organization

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On the 12th of September, the regiment and brigade were again at Corinth and, a few days

later, marched to join the forces under Major General Rosecrans near Iuka. In the battle of Iuka,

which was fought on Sept. 19, 1862, the Sixteenth Iowa was detached from the brigade and took

an active part in that fierce engagement, while the other regiments—Eleventh, Thirteenth and

Fifteenth— were held in reserve, and did not participate in the battle. Soon after the battle the

brigade was ordered to return to Corinth. The rebel forces were being rapidly concentrated for an

attack, and it was evident that another battle was soon to occur at or near that place. It was also

evident that the enemy would make a desperate struggle to regain possession of Corinth, and all

the available Union forces were ordered to concentrate for its defense. The Thirteenth Iowa with

its brigade, was engaged in the battle which was fought there on the 3d and 4th of October, 1862.

While the Thirteenth Iowa performed its whole duty in these two days of battle, the positions

to which it was assigned did not bring the entire regiment into close contact with the enemy,

hence its loss was comparatively light. Lieutenant Colonel Shane in his official report says that

companies A and G were the only part of his regiment actually engaged. Company A, under the

command of Captain Kennedy and Company C. commanded by Captain Walker were on the

skirmish line on the first day of the battle, and sustained a loss of one man killed and fourteen

wounded. He further says that the officers and men of those companies behaved in a highly

creditable manner, and that the rest of the regiment was held constantly in readiness to engage

the enemy, had they received orders to advance. Colonel Crocker, who commanded the brigade

describes the positions occupied by the different regiments, gives full credit to all for having

complied with his orders, and explains the discrepancy in losses as resulting from the fact that

the Fifteenth Iowa sustained the brunt of the attack on account of its advanced position. The

entire loss of the brigade in killed and wounded was 149, and the loss by regiments was, in the

Eleventh 21; Thirteenth, 15; Sixteenth, 27, and Fifteenth, 86. In a later report, dated at camp near

Corinth, Miss., Oct. 15, 1862, he describes the part taken by his brigade in the pursuit of the

defeated enemy. That the conduct of every regiment—both in the battles and the subsequent

pursuit—met with his cordial approval, is indicated in the following extract from his report: *

* Reports in war of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Part 1, Vol. 17,

The brigade, during the protracted movements of the battle and pursuit, encountering every

hardship and privation incident to such campaigning, behaved with great fortitude, meeting every

danger and hardship cheerfully; and I acknowledge my obligation to all the field officers for their

cheerful, hearty and intelligent cooperation.

The regiment with its brigade joined in the pursuit of the retreating rebel army but did not

succeed in overtaking it. After an arduous march, the pursuit was abandoned at Ripley, Miss.,

and the troops returned to Corinth, reaching their camp on the evening of October 11th. After a

rest of about three weeks they again took up the line of march with the forces under General

Grant and moved south along the line of the Mississippi Central Railroad, the objective point of

the expedition being Vicksburg. The object of the expedition was defeated, however, by the

capture and destruction of the depot of supplies at Holly Springs by the rebel General Van Dorn,

who, by a skillful movement of his cavalry, succeeded in getting in the rear of the Union army

and compelling the surrender of the troops which had been left to guard the supplies. Thus forced

to retreat to avoid starvation, the regiment, together with the entire Union army, marched toward

Memphis, suffering greatly for want of sufficient rations. They finally reached Memphis and an

abundant supply of food on the 131h day of January, 1863. Here the regiment and brigade

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embarked on steamers and started down the river January 20th, reached Duckport, La., on the

25th, moved thence to Milliken's Bend, where they landed and went into camp. Here they

remained but a short time, and then moved to Lake Providence and engaged in the work of

cutting the canal which was to connect the lake with the Mississippi river. That work was not

completed until March 16th, when the great campaign for the reduction of the rebel stronghold at

Vicksburg may be said to have begun.

During the entire campaign, which ended with the surrender of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, the

Thirteenth Iowa with its brigade performed most arduous and important service. It was moved

from point to point, was part of the time engaged with the army of observation, in the rear of the

lines of Union troops engaged in the siege, watching the rebel force under General Johnston who

was constantly threatening an attack for the purpose of raising the siege, and part of the time with

the investing forces in the intrenchments, assisting in the prosecution of the siege, but

everywhere doing its full duty and sustaining its well won reputation for bravery and efficiency.

During this campaign Colonel Hall of the Eleventh Iowa was in command of the brigade,

Colonel Crocker having been promoted to Brigadier General and placed in command of a

division in another part of the army. Colonel Shane was in command of the Thirteenth Iowa

throughout the campaign.

During the remainder of the summer the regiment engaged in various expeditions, the longest

and most arduous of which was that under General Stevenson, against Monroe, La. While the

troops suffered the greatest hardships upon this expedition, marching through a swampy and

malarious region, the results accomplished were not commensurate with the suffering endured.

Upon returning from this expedition, Sept. 3, 1863, the regiment went into camp at Vicksburg

where it performed garrison duty for the next five months. The official records show that from

Nov. 30, 1863, to March 11, 1864 there were 404 men of the Thirteenth Iowa Infantry who Reenlisted

and were re-mustered into the service of the United States, for a period of three years or

during the war, from the date of the expiration of their original term of service, thus giving to the

regiment the title of a veteran organization. *

*See Adjutant General of Iowa Report for year 1865, Vol. 1, Pages 356 to 366 inclusive.

On Feb. 4, 1864, the regiment started on the famous Meridian expedition, which penetrated

into the heart of the State of Mississippi and resulted in the destruction of many miles of railroad

track, locomotives and rolling stock, besides great quantities of supplies which had been

accumulated at Meridian for the use of the rebel army. During the expedition there was much

fighting between the Union and rebel cavalry, but the infantry did not become engaged to any

considerable extent, and, aside from the hardships incident to a winter campaign without tents,

and living for the most part upon such food as could be procured from the country through which

they marched, the suffering and loss of the infantry was small, as compared with that of the

cavalry, which led the advance. The regiment returned to Vicksburg March 4th, and, on the 7th,

those who had re-enlisted received the welcome order to embark for their homes in Iowa, they

having been given a furlough for thirty days, to begin upon reaching the State. The nonveterans

—those who had not re-enlisted—were left at Vicksburg and subsequently rejoined the

veterans upon their return from furlough.

Upon the expiration of their thirty days in Iowa, the veteran portion of the regiment reassembled

at Davenport, the designated rendezvous, accompanied by a large number of recruits,

and proceeded to Cairo, Ill., thence to Clifton, Tenn., where they landed and took up the line of

march across the State of Tennessee and part of Alabama and on to the mountains of Georgia to

re-enforce Sherman. At Decatur, Ala., May 27, 1864, the regiment, with the rest of the Crocker

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Brigade, was attached to the Fourth Division of the Seventeenth Army Corps. General Crocker,

who had commanded the division, was compelled on account of poor health to relinquish his

command, and was succeeded by Gen. W. Q. Gresham. The regiment now moved forward with

this command to Rome, Ga., arriving there June 5th, and thence by way of Kingston and

Allatoona to Ackworth, where on June 8th the Seventeenth Army Corps took its place in line

with the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Gen. James B. McPherson, and became a part

of the great army commanded by Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman, consisting of the armies of the

Tennessee, the Ohio and the Cumberland. One of the greatest campaigns in the history of

warfare had now begun and, through it all, the Thirteenth Iowa was destined to bear a

conspicuous and honorable part.

From June 11th to July 20th, the regiment and brigade were in front of Kenesaw Mountain,

participated in the operations there and at Nickajack Creek, and on across the Chattahoochee

river to Sandtown, and then, passing to the extreme left of the line on the 20th of July, after a

heavy skirmish with the enemy, took position about three miles from Atlanta. In all these

movements the regiment had lost a number of men, killed and wounded, on the skirmish line, but

had not been engaged in close combat with the enemy. Now, however, it was again to participate

in a series of battles that would leave it decimated in numbers, and place it in the foremost rank

with the military organizations of the Union army engaged in that tremendous struggle for the

possession of the fortified city of Atlanta. In the first of these battles, the gallant Major Walker

was in command of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Wilson being at that time on detached

duty, and Colonel Shane having succeeded Colonel Hall as brigade commander, that officer

having assumed temporary command of the division when General Gresham fell, severely

wounded. The conduct of the regiment in this battle is well described in the brief report which

follows:

HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH IOWA VETERAN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, IN THE

FIELD BEFORE ATLANTA, GA., July 21, 1864. Lieut. O. D. Kinsman, A. A. A. General 3rd

Brigade 4th Division 17th Army Corps.

SIR,—I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Thirteenth

Iowa Volunteer Infantry in the engagement of July 21, 1864:

At 8 o'clock A. M., the regiment was in position in front of the brigade, with the Fifteenth

Iowa Infantry on its left, and supported by the Sixteenth Iowa Infantry; its front was protected by

temporary works thrown up on the night of the 20th.

About 8 o'clock A. M. I received orders from Col. John Shane, commanding brigade, to

advance at once on the double quick to the front, to assist Brigadier General Force, commanding

a brigade in the Third Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, who was fighting for the possession of

a high hill in his front and to the left of this regiment. The men seized their arms and sprang

promptly over the works, advancing in good order to the crest of a hill less than one hundred