In September Conday, Duffy and O'Brien recruited for the Irish regiment. The Iowa Army Sanitary Commission had a branch here in September. The Dubuque Herald said the progressive steps of Abolitionism were emancipation, confiscation, extermination and damnation. By September 2 the Twenty-seventh Regiment was full. Large sums of money were paid out for bounty. V. J. Williams became colonel of the Twenty-seventh; he had fought at Wilson's Creek. The pass system to catch "skedaddlers" from the draft was enforced again at the levee early in September; but the exodus continued at night in yawls. In September, 1862, the county board refused to make an appropriation for the support of soldiers' families. An immense emancipation meeting early in September, called by Rev. Holbrook and others, was largely attended and very urgent and enthusiastic. Bailey, Langworthy, Bissell and Cram prepared a petition to President Lincoln to free the slaves. D. S. Wilson became colonel of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry. County bounty fifty dollar warrants were worth about forty-five dollars. On September 16 the Twenty-first Regiment left Dubuque in a drenching rain; thousands gathered to see them depart. The Irish regiment was called the Forty-second; George M. O'Brien became its colonel. On September 16 Governor Kirkwood announced there would be no general draft. A mass meeting of men opposed to emancipation was held about the middle of September. Mr. Mahony, it was announced, was obliged to wait until a military commission had been appointed to try his case. W. B. Allison, in a public speech, called Mahony a traitor, whereupon the Dubuque Herald lampooned Allison. George W. Beaubien made saddles, bridles, spurs, etc., for the troops.

By September 20, 1862, Dubuque had furnished the following volunteers: First Iowa, two companies under Captains Herron and Gottschalk; Third, one company under Capt. R. G. Herron; Ninth, a company under Captain Thomas and Hayden's Battery of one hundred and forty men; Twelfth, two companies under Captains Plater and Vanduzee; Curtis' Horse, two companies recruited here; First or Second Cavalry, one company under Captain Coon; Sixteenth, two companies under Captains Ruhl and Newcomb; Twenty-first, four companies under Captains Greaves, Swivel, Horr and Harrison. Captain David raised about seventy men for the Twenty-first Iowa Battery. Regular army: two companies secured by Lieutenant King, one company by Lieutenant Newberry, one company by Lieutenant Dewey, two companies by Captain Washington, one company by Captain York; Captain Woodman was now raising another company. Not all of the above companies came from Dubuque county; particularly those for the regular army came from all parts of this congressional district. Mark Smith made clothing for the soldiers. W. H. Peabody bought horses for the army. Late in September three regiments partly completed were at Camp Franklin. Markell and Williams raised sharpshooters in September and October. Trouble between Colonel Brush and the Thirty-eighth Regiment caused Governor Kirkwood to put Lieutenant Colonel Hughes in command in October. By October 5 Sixth Cavalry had six full companies. The Twenty-seventh Regiment was ordered to Spirit Lake in October to hold the Sioux in check; they received 750 muskets, 120 Enfield rifles, and 87,000 rounds of ammunition. Four companies left for St. Paul to reinforce General Pope; the others followed a few days later; all went by the steamers Northern Light, Itasca and Flora.

"The time has come when we can no longer shut our eyes and hope for better things at the hands of the dominant party. This war is to be waged for partisan purposes. To save the Union is not a part of their design, but to divide and destroy it is their aim. This war, which we are told by Abolitionists, is being conducted to put down the rebellion, is in reality to further their mad schemes of negro emancipation and negro equality."

--(Dubuque Herald, October 8, 1862)