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Fourth Cavalry.
Company B,
of the Fourth Cavalry, was mainly
recruited at Delhi, this county having
seventy-nine men in the regiment. The
serious business of the regiment began
January 14, 1863, and continued for over
three months, the command being
stationed near Helena, Ark. The regiment
occupied the advanced in Sherman's corps
while moving from Milliken's Bend to
Vicksburg.
The Federal
lines were thrown around the rear of
Vicksburg on the 18th day of May, 1863,
under command of Gen. U. S. Grant, who
found himself in command of about sixty
thousand men -- cut off from supplies,
and his rations almost exhausted. The
fortifications of Haines' and Snyder's
Bluffs on the Yazoo River effectually
cut off all communications between the
right flank and the supply boats on the
Mississippi, while Gen. Price rendered
land transportation impracticable.
On the evening
of the 18th of May, Gen. Grant
determined to send the cavalry to
reconnoiter in the direction of Haines'
and Snyder's Bluffs, and if possible,
open communication with gunboats on the
Yazoo River. The Fourth Iowa was ordered
on this expedition, and started early on
the morning of the 19th, but moved very
slowly, as they were constantly picking
up the foot-sore and disabled soldiers
of the rebel army that had escaped from
the battle fields of Champion Hill and
Black River Bridges; and by 2 o'clock P.
M. they had only made about twelve
miles, reaching a point where the
Brownsville road crossed the one on
which the column was marching. The
reports received from captured soldiers
and negroes placed a command of some
four thousand rebels a short distance up
the Brownsville road, and estimated the
garrison at Snyder's Bluff at four
thousand more, which would make it
extremely hazardous for a small command
to cross the Brownsville road. At this
juncture, Col. Swan, commanding the
regiment, determined to return. Seeing
the regiment reversed and marching back
was the first intimation Capt. Peters
had of the movement, as he was at the
rear. He immediately hastened to Col.
Swan and endeavored to dissuade him,
justly arguing that they could not
return and make a satisfactory report,
without at least attempting to execute
the instructions. Unable to change the
Colonel's determination, he urged to be
allowed to take his old company and make
an attempt to look into the rebel
fortifications. His offer was at first
refused, and the proposition looked upon
as wildly desperate and reckless; but,
after moving back for a mile or two, the
Colonel finally consented, agreeing to
throw his regiment into line, await his
return, and render what assistance the
occasion might require. Capt. Peters
then rode to Company B and called for
volunteers, when the whole company, to a
man turned out. He selected only such
horses as in his judgment would carry
their riders ten miles at a fast gait,
and found but twenty-three men, his two
Lieutenants and Lieut. S. P. Kelly, of
Company A., who volunteered to take his
place in the ranks and accompany the
expedition. They started at the gallop,
and in twenty minutes came upon a
convalescent camp containing some two or
three hundred rebel soldiers. They
next surprised and catured an Irishman,
in citizen's dress and well mounted. The
Captain charged him with being a rebel
soldier and belonging to the
fortifications and offered him his
liberty and a free pass to St. Louis if
he would conduct him into the
fortifications by a route the would
avoid the rebel pickets. This
proposition was accepted, and as the
column had all the time been riding at a
fast gallop, they were soon at the foot
of Snyder's Bluff. The guide here
pointed out a by-path, through the brush
and timber, capable of the passage of
troops in single file. Entering this
path, the party soon arrived at the top
of the bluff, and came out upon a broad
military road leading into the
fortifications, and formed in a column
of fours, and at a sharp gallop turned
the corner leading into the
fortifications, sloping from their feet
gradually down to the Yazoo River. The
guard left by the evacuating rebels
endeavored hastily to form a line across
the road, but the column of cavalry
charged down upon them so suddenly that
not a shot was fired, and in an instant
they threw down their arms and
surrendered. The cavalrymen were
immediately dismounted and dispersed in
every direction, in squads of threes and
fours, so that in less than twenty
minutes the whole rear guard of
evacuating rebel forces were moving,
disarmed toward the landing on the Yazoo
River. An unsuccessful attempt was then
made to signal the gunboat "DeKalb,"
lying some four miles down the river.
After a few moments, Capt. Peters
ordered Lieut. Clark and two men to go
down the river and communicate with the
gunboat, and, directing Lieut. Parsons
to look after the prisoners, he took
three men and started for Haines' Bluff,
situated some three miles up the river.
Here he found no troops, and after
counting the guns and making
observations until dark, he returned to
the landing at Snyder's Bluff. The
gunboat "DeKalb" had arrived, the
prisoners were received on board, the
cavalrymen were eating their supper, the
first, "square meal" for fourteen days,
and Capt. Peters was taken from the
saddle and carried to the officer's
deck, where a sumptuous repast was
awaiting. After eating supper --
in regular gunboat style -- and
directing an orderly boat to communicate
the capture to the transport on the
Mississippi, he and his men re-mounted
and started back to join their command,
but found it gone. Continuing their
march, they arrived, t 2 o'clock A. M.,
at the camp they had left the previous
morning. Here Capt. Peters learned that
Col. Swan had reported to Gen. Grant the
failure of his expedition, and that
Capt. Peters and his small command had
been either killed or captured. He
immediately mounted a fresh horse, rode
to Gen. Grant's headquarters and
reported the true state of things, and
by daylight in the morning the mule
teams were bringing army stores from the
Chickasaw Bayou to feed the sixty
thousand hungry soldiers.
The Fourth
(under command of Lieut. Col. Peters)
accompanied Gen. Sherman on his
expedition to Meridan in February, 1861,
in which it had a daily skirmish for
twelve successive days, and preformed
many daring exploits near Memphis and at
Tupelo in the following months. The
regiment was transferred to Arkansas in
September, whence the command marched
into Missouri under Gen. Mower, and had
a severe engagement with Price's forces
near Independence. In October, Gen.
Pleasanton, by general orders,
authorized the regiment to place on its
colors "Big Blue" and "Osage," the
Fourth having done especial service in
both engagements. Ina subsequent order,
Gen. Pleasanton said: "Winslow's brigade
of cavalry being about to leave for
another department, the Major General
commanding takes this occasion not only
to express his regrets in seperating
from such glorious troops, but also to
recall the splendid manner in which this
regiment fought at Osage, capturing five
pieces of artillery from the enemy, with
a large number of prisoners, and
conspicuous position on that brilliant
field." The regiment returned to St.
Louis November 29. In March, 1865, the
regiment was again at the front, Col.
Peters having rejoined and taken
command. March 31st, the regiment
repulsed an attack by two regiments of
the enemy, driving him two miles. April
2d, the regiment captured the defenses
of Selma and the city itself, including
1,500 prisoners, besides an immense
amount of war material. The regiment was
present at the taking of Columbus, Ga.,
April 16th, capturing one of the
strongest defenses of that city. The
command then marched toward Forsyth,
destroying railroad property until the
21st, where the armistice concluded its
labors, and the regiment returned to
Macon, thence to Atlanta, where it was
mustered out August 8, 1865.
As a
brilliant, dashing and successful
cavalry officer, Colonel Peters had few
if any superiors in the Western army,
and successfully led many a perilous
expedition which, though necessary,
required an officer possessing cool
judgment, bravery and indomitable pluck
to execute. A universal favorite among
his associates and companions in arms,
he was nevertheless often considered
reckless and foolhardly, although he
never failed to prove, by his
oft-repeated successes, that he was led
by judgment rather than impulse.
Such was his popularity with the
soldiers of the command, that he could
always secure more volunteers than he
wished to accompany him on any extra
hazardous expedition, no matter how
dangerous or hopeless it might seem.
[NOTE: ~~ This regiment was mustered out
at Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 10, 1865.]
Officers
|
Surname |
First Name |
Rank
Enlistment |
Notes |
|
Peters |
John H. |
Lieut. Col.
Commissioned:
Nov. 8, 1862 |
com. capt., Co. B. wd. Nov. 8,
1862, prmtd. major June 20,
1863, prmtd. to lieut. col.
Sept. 2, 1863 |
|
Cummings |
Stephen |
Asst. Surg.
Commissioned: July 2, 1863 |
- |
|
Reid |
Geo. W. |
Third B. C. S.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
disd, May 14, 1862, disab. |
|
Crawford |
C. A. |
Third B. C. S.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
- |
Company
b
|
Surname |
First Name |
Rank
Enlistment |
Notes |
|
Clark |
Alonzo |
Capt.
|
com. second lieut. Aug. 16,
1861. prmtd. to first lieut.
Dec. 7, 1863, prmtd. to capt.
Sept. 27, 1864. |
|
Parsons |
Geo. B. |
Capt. |
com. 2d lieut. Nov. 23,, 1861,
wd. at Helena, Ark., May 1862,
prmtd. to second lieut March
1, 1864, prmtd. first
lieut. Sept. 28, 1864 |
|
Gamble |
Joseph |
Sergt.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 12,
1863, kld. Dec. 1, 1864 in
battle near Memphis. |
|
Vesey |
Joseph |
Sergt.
Enlistment: Sept. 26, 1861 |
re-enlisted as
vet. Dec. 12, 1863. |
|
Corbin |
John W. |
Sergt.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
wd. at Helena, Ark., May 1862,
(record says 1872) and at
Mechanchanicsburg, Miss. Jun
29, 1863. |
|
Stoner |
Cyrus |
Sergt.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
- |
|
Henry |
Thos. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
- |
|
Peak |
Wm. W. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
disd. May 15, 1862, disab. |
|
Saunders |
I. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
disd. July 23, 1862 |
|
Smithers |
Wm. T. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
14, 1863 |
|
Graham |
Wm. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 25, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
14, 1863 |
|
Behan |
David |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 25, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
14, 1863 |
|
Marvin |
O. H. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 25, 1861 |
reduced to ranks Aug. 1, 1862 |
|
Lees |
Wm. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
12, 1863 |
|
Reeder |
Jas. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
reduced to ranks Aug. 1, 1862 |
|
Eldridge |
C. |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
12, 1863 |
|
Washburn |
Levi |
Corp.
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
14, 1863; captd. near Memphis,
Dec. 14, 1864 |
|
McElmeel |
Peter |
Corp.
Enlistment: Nov. 7, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
12, 1863; wd. at Pilot Knob
Sept. 1864. |
|
McNulty |
J. |
Bugler.
Enlistment: Nov. 7, 1861 |
re-enlisted as veteran Dec.
12, 1863; captd. June 11,
1864, died at Milan, Ga. Nov.
18, 1864. |
|
Tuffs |
Chas. W. |
Bugler.
Enlistment: Nov. 2, 1861 |
- |
|
Barker |
James |
Farrier
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 14,
1862 |
|
Ward |
Peter |
Farrier
Enlistment: Nov. 7, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 14,
1862 |
|
Walker |
Jas. A. |
Teamster
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 12,
1863 |
|
Watkins |
I. |
Teamster
Enlistment: Oct. 9, 1861 |
|
|
Coates |
Chas. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
died Nov. 15, 1863 |
|
Dutton |
P. |
Enlistment: Sept. 30, 1861 |
disd. July 14, 1862, disab. |
|
Dutton |
H. |
Enlistment: Sept. 30, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 12,
1863 |
|
Ellis |
Levi |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
- |
|
Gaffney |
Patrick |
Enlistment: Sept. 30, 1861 |
died June 7, 1862, at
Batesville, Ark. |
|
Gray |
Jas. A. |
Enlistment: Oct. 28, 1861 |
wd. Oct. 11, 1862. |
|
Griffin |
Wm. H. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 14,
'63. |
|
Halsted |
John L. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
disd. for disability Jan. 15,
1863. |
|
Johnson |
Thos. |
Enlistment: Nov. 3, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 12,
1863. |
|
McNulty |
F. |
Enlistment: Nov. 3, 1861 |
- |
|
Millard |
Thos. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 19,
1863. |
|
Marvin |
Oscar |
Enlistment: 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec.
21, 1863 |
|
Price |
Henry |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 14,
1863. |
|
Ramsey |
C. D. |
Enlistment: Sept. 30, 1861 |
desrtd. Dec. 31, 1862,
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 19,
1863 |
|
Reid |
D. |
Enlistment: Sept. 30, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 14,
1862 |
|
True |
Geo. |
- |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 14,
1863 |
|
Ireland |
Jno. |
- |
kld. near Jackson, Miss. Sept.
1864 |
|
McNulty |
Thos. |
- |
wd. battle Tupelo, July, 1864 |
|
Turner |
E. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
disd. June 30, 1862 |
|
Wellman |
L. D. |
Enlistment: Sept. 25, 1861 |
- |
|
Walker |
Mely |
Enlistment: Sept. 33, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 12,
1863; wd. in action Dec. 14,
1864 |
|
Williams |
O. J. |
Enlistment: Oct. 30, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 12,
1863 |
|
Taylor |
M. B. |
Enlistment: Jan. 11, 1862 |
- |
|
Allen |
J. W. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
prmtd. to musician, disd.
April 9, 1862, disab. |
|
Brayton |
H. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
prmtd. to musician |
|
Hampton |
Jas. A. |
Enlistment: Dec. 19, 1861 |
disd. Dec. 23, 1862 |
|
Lawrence |
H. J. |
Enlistment: Dec. 13, 1861 |
- |
|
Pierce |
L. |
Enlistment: Dec. 19, 1861 |
- |
|
Shreck |
J. P. |
Enlistment: Dec. 18, 1861 |
- |
|
Washburn |
Cyrus |
Enlistment: Oct 9, 1861 |
captd. June 22, 1863, rear of
Vicksburg, re-enlisted as vet.
Dec. 12, 1863 |
|
Griffin |
G. G. |
Enlistment: Dec. 19, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 19,
1863 |
|
Gibbs |
John F. |
Enlistment: Dec. 18, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 18,
1863 |
|
Guthrie |
A. A. |
Enlistment: Dec. 19, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 18,
1863 |
|
Guthrie |
Jos. |
Enlistment: Dec. 19, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Feb. 29,
1864 |
|
Healey |
Chester |
Enlistment: Dec. 19, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 19,
'63 |
|
McCallum |
John |
Enlistment: Dec. 19, 1861 |
re-enlisted as vet. Dec. 19,
1863; wd. at Black Bridge,
Feb. 3, 1864 |
|
Blackburn |
A. H. |
Enlistment: Oct. 10, 1861 |
- |
|
Barnes |
Geo. F. |
Enlistment: Oct. 8, 1863 |
- |
|
Council |
Edward |
Enlistment: Sept. 28, 1863 |
wd. near
Memphis Dec. 14, 1864 |
|
Cole |
Thos. J. |
Enlistment: Oct 11, 1863 |
kld. in battle
at Little Blue River, Kan.,
Oct. 23, 1864 |
|
Delancey |
Wm. F. |
Enlistment: Oct. 8, 1863 |
- |
|
Dillen |
Edward |
Enlistment: Sept. 18, 1863 |
- |
|
Dufo |
Watson |
Enlistment: Oct. 8, 1863 |
- |
|
Douglas |
J. N. |
Enlistment: Oct. 8, 1863 |
- |
|
Evens |
Jas. H. |
Enlistment: Sept. 28, 1863 |
- |
|
Flinn |
John H. |
Enlistment: Nov. 22, 1863 |
- |
|
Fitch |
James |
Enlistment: Sept. 18, 1863 |
- |
|
Gaffney |
Thos. |
Enlistment: Sept. 18, 1863 |
- |
|
La Grand |
Geo. |
Enlistment: Dec. 21, 1863 |
- |
|
La Grand |
Melvin |
Enlistment: Dec. 21, 1863 |
- |
|
McBride |
Benj. |
Enlistment: Oct. 8, 1863 |
- |
|
McKee |
Miller |
Enlistment: Oct. 6, 1863 |
- |
|
Bust |
John B. |
Enlistment: Oct. 24, 1863 |
kld. in battle
near Memphis, Dec, 14, 1864 |
|
Spears |
Robert |
Enlistment: Oct. 8, 1863 |
capt. Dec. 14,
1864, near Memphis. |
|
Van Clear |
Jas. H. |
Enlistment: Oct. 1, 1863 |
- |
|
Akers |
John W. |
Enlistment: Feb. 29, 1864 |
capt. Dec. 14, 1864, near
Memphis. |
|
Bowman |
Josiah |
Enlistment: Nov. 21, 1863 |
capt. Dec. 14, 1864, near
Memphis. |
|
Clapp |
Geo. W. |
Enlistment: Feb. 25, 1864 |
capt. Dec. 14, 1864, near
Memphis. |
|
Cronan |
Timothy |
Enlistment: March 24, 1864 |
- |
|
Dennis |
Daniel |
Enlistment:
March 12, 1864 |
died Aug. 29,
1864 |
|
Fierstine |
Jos. |
Enlistment: Feb. 15, 1864 |
- |
|
Linkin |
Jonathan |
Enlistment: Nov. 4, 1863 |
- |
|
Littlejohn |
L. J. |
Enlistment: Oct. 8, 1863 |
taken prsr.
June 11, 1864, at Ripley,
Miss. died at Andersonville
prison. |
|
McCormack |
Marshall |
Enlistment: Dec. 1, 1863 |
died at
Paducah, Ky. Feb. 12, 1865 |
|
O'Brian |
John L. |
Enlistment: Dec. 28, 1863 |
trans. to Co. A
March 18, 1864 |
|
Phillips |
H. C. |
Enlistment: Dec. 1, 1863 |
- |
|
Smith |
Geo. D. |
Enlistment: Feb. 10, 1864 |
- |
|
Washburn |
Lewis |
Enlistment: Oct. 5, 1864 |
- |
|
Young |
Wm. W. |
Enlistment: Feb. 24, 1864 |
- |
Company H
|
Surname |
First Name |
Rank
Enlistment |
Notes |
|
Taylor |
S. C. |
Enlistment: Sept. 23, 1861 |
- |
Company K
|
Surname |
First Name |
Rank
Enlistment |
Notes |
|
Fox |
Danl. K. |
Enlistment: March 13, 1864 |
- |
Company Unknown
|
Surname |
First Name |
Rank
Enlistment |
Notes |
|
McCarty |
John |
Enlistment: Sept. 10, 1864 |
- |
|
Clark |
Wm. |
Enlistment: Sept. 10, 1864 |
- |
|
| |
|
~ source: The
History of Delaware County, Iowa , Chicago: Western Historical Co.,
1878, pgs 451-452.
~ Transcribed by Constance Diamond for
Delaware County IAGenWeb
|
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United We Stand
