Iowa History Project
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Pictures included in this chapter are: General John M. Corse and Lieutenant-Colonel. Jas. Redfield
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There were in Iowa large numbers of men past the age for
military service who were anxious to serve the country during the War of
Rebellion. They succeeded in obtaining authority through our State officials to
organize a regiment of men over the age fixed by military regulations, for the performance
of garrison and post service, which would relieve younger soldiers and thus add
to the active army in the field. No purer patriotism was ever exhibited than
that which prompted these men exempt by law, to thus serve their country in
this great extremity. In the month of August, 1862, Secretary Stanton at the
head of the War Department authorized the organization of such a regiment. The companies
were soon raised, made up of men from forty-five to sixty-four years of age. It
was officially known as the Thirty-seventh regiment but was universally called the
“Gray-Beard Regiment.”
Iowa
alone of all the States in the Union raised a regiment of “gray beards.” Every
Congressional District in the State was represented in the regiment. Stephen B.
Shellady, who was sixty-one years of age, and had been Speaker of the House of
Representatives, was a volunteer in its ranks. The field and staff officers
were: George W. Kincaid, colonel; George R. West, lieutenant-colonel; Lyman
Allen, major; David H. Goodno, adjutant; Prentice Ransom, quartermaster; John
W. Finley, surgeon, and James H. White, chaplain. They went into camp at
Muscatine but the regiment was not mustered into service until the middle of
December. Early in January, 1863, it was sent to St. Louis, and as it marched
through the streets General Curtis pronounced it one of the finest looking
regiments he had seen in the service. The regiment remained in the city until
the latter part of May guarding military prisons, when it moved out on the
Pacific Railroad. In January, 1864, it was sent to Rock Island to guard
prisoners at that place. In June the regiment was sent south to Memphis,
Tennessee, where it was employed in guard and picket duty. On the 5th
of July a detail of fifty men from the regiment, sent out to guard a supply
train on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, was attacked by guerillas and
Corporal Charles Young and Samuel Coburn were killed and two others wounded.
From Memphis the regiment was sent to Indianapolis, Indiana, whence five
companies were moved to Cincinnati under Colonel Kincaid, three under
Lieutenant-Colonel West being stationed at Columbus, and the other two at
Gallipolis, Ohio, where they remained until the middle of May, 1865, when the
regiment was united at Cincinnati. On the 20th the regiment was
united at Cincinnati. On the 20th the regiment started for Davenport,
where it was mustered out of the service on the 24th. During the two
and a half years of service the regiment had lost from death by disease one
hundred thirty-four members; two were killed in battle and three wounded. The patriotic
services were appreciated by the commander, as will be seen by the following
letter from General Willich, the last officer under whom they served:
Head-Quarters, Cincinnati, Ohio,
May 13, 1865
Brigadier-General L. Thomas,
Adjutant-General U. S. Army
General:--I
have the honor to submit the following for your consideration: The
Thirty-seventh Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, called the Gray-Beards, now on
duty at this post, consists exclusively of old men—none under forty-five years
of age and many over sixty. After the men of this regiment had devoted their
sons and grandsons, numbering 1,300 men, to the service of their country their
patriotism induced them to enlist themselves for garrison duty, thus enabling
the Government to send the young men to the front. Officers and men would
cheerfully remain in the service as long as they are wanted, though they are
very badly needed at home to save the next harvest, most of them being farmers.
I most respectfully submit to you whether there is any necessity now to hold
these old men under such heavy sacrifices. They have received the commendation
of their former post commanders. At this post they have very heavy duties,
which to perform would even have been difficult for an equal number of young
men. The high patriotism displayed by these men in devoting a few years of
their old age to their country’s service is unparalleled in history, and
commands the respect of every true republican.
I
therefore most respectfully recommend that the Thirty-seventh Iowa Volunteers
may be mustered out of the service immediately, with the honors and
acknowledgments of their services due to the noble spirit with which they gave
so glorious an example to the youths of their country.
Very respectfully, etc.
J. Willich, Brigadier-General, Commanding
General
Willich’s request was granted and the regiment was mustered out. The command
was disbanded; the patriotic survivors returned to their homes. Many members of
this noble regiment had broken down under the hardships of the field and camp
and survived but a short time. Their superb patriotism can never be forgotten
in the annals of Iowa. To the latest generation the story of the services and
sacrifices of the “Gray-Beards” in the War of the Rebellion will be an
inspiration to the young.
This
regiment was raised in the old Third Congressional District; four companies in
Fayette County, two in Winneshiek, two in Bremer, and the remainder in
Chickasaw and Howard. They went into camp at Dubuque in August, 1862, numbering
eight hundred thirty-two men. The regiment was not fully organized until early in
November. The field officers were Colonel David H. Hughes; Lieutenant-Colonel
Joseph O. Hodnutt; Major Charles Chadwick, and Adjutant H. W. Pettit. Having
remained in camp some time for drill the regiment was first sent to St. Louis, where
its equipment was received. On the 2d of January the regiment was sent to New
Madrid with orders to rebuild the barracks and put the town in condition for
defense. Her it remained undisturbed until June. On the 7th of that
month it departed for Vicksburg, joining General Herron’s Division. On the 15th
the command took a position on the left of the investing army and from that
time until the surrender was engaged in the duties of the siege. The position
of the regiment was on the borders of a cypress swamp, which proved to be a
very unhealthy place, producing a great among of sickness, resulting in many
deaths. On the12th of July the regiment embarked with General Herron’s forces
on the Yazoo city expedition was later sent to Port Hudson, where it was in
camp about three weeks during which time almost the entire regiment was prostrated
by sickness. At one time only eight officers and twenty men were fit for duty.
The encampment was for a long time merely a hospital filled with the sick and
dying. Among those who died were Colonel Hughes, Captain Henry A. Tinkham and
Lieutenant George H. Stephens, all gallant officers whose untimely deaths were
a great loss to the regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Hodnutt being absent on sick
leave the command was assumed by Major Chadwick. The remnant of the regiment
was moved from Port Huron about the middle of August and went into convalescent
camp at Carrollton, Louisiana, remaining about two months, regaining health and
strength. When General Banks began his Texas expedition the Thirty-eighth
joined Herron’s command and one the 23d of October embarked for Brazos
Santiago. From there the army marched to Brownsville and there remained on
garrison duty until the latter part of July when the town was evacuated by the Union
Army. The regiment returned by transport to New Orleans and was from there sent
to the army operating against Mobile. Here the command remained, taking part in
the siege, until some time after the surrender of Fort Morgan. The regiment
then returned to New Orleans and Lieutenant-Colonel Hodnutt was ordered to
Donaldsonville, Louisiana. On the 12th of December, 1864, General
Canby issued an order for the consolidation of the Thirty-fourth and
Thirty-eighth Iowa regiments into the Thirty-fourth Iowa Volunteers and the
Thirty-eighth Iowa is a sad and pathetic one, beyond that of any other that
went from our State. Before it had been in existence two years more than three
hundred members had died of disease in the unhealthy camps where it had been
stationed or on the march, and more than one hundred had been discharge on
account of illness. There were many long dreary weeks when disease and death
brooded over the camp and there were not enough well to care for the sick and
to bury the dead. Finally, with decimated ranks the regiment itself yielded to
a hard fate, passed out of existence and sadly saw its survivors transferred to
another. The Thirty-eighth was made up of as brave men as ever marched from Iowa,
but fate decreed that it should achieve no heroic deeds on the field of battle,
where amid shot and shell noble sacrifices are made and undying glory won; but
in dreary camps devoted men were stricken with disease which carried them to a
soldier’s lonely grave.
While
other more fortunate regiments have emblazoned upon their banners the names of
historic fields where fame was won in fierce, deadly strife, the martyr
regiment, deprived of these emblems, will not be forgotten by a grateful
posterity.
This
regiment was made up of two companies each from the counties of Madison, Polk
and Dallas, with one each from the counties of Clarke, Greene, Des Moines and
Decatur, although other counties were represented in most of the companies.
Nine of the companies went into camp near Des Moines in September, 1862, and
began drill, but the regiment was not organized until November. H. J. B.
Cummings was commissioned colonel; James Redfield, lieutenant-colonel; Joseph
M. Griffiths, major and George C. Tichenor, adjutant. On the 13th of
December the regiment started for the south, stopping for a few days at Cairo,
Columbus and at Jackson, Tennessee, marching from there to Trenton. Here two
brigades were organized to move against General Forrest. Colonel C. L. Dunham
of the Fiftieth Indiana commanded the Union army holding its position with
great bravery until General Sullivan came up with heavy reinforcements, when
the Confederates were routed the Thirty-ninth was under heavy fire for several
hours and fought bravely. Misapprehending an order at one stage of the battle,
the regiment was four killed, thirty-three wounded and eleven missing. Among the
wounded were Lieutenant-Colonel Redfield, Major Griffiths, Captain Brown and Lieutenant
Rawles. On the 29th about one hundred men of the regiment, worn out
on the march in attempting to return to Trenton, were captured at Shady Grove
and suffered an imprisonment of nearly ten months. In January, 1863, the
regiment moved to Corinth and was there assigned to the Third Brigade in the
division commanded by General G. M. Dodge of Iowa. Headquarters were in Corinth
for nearly a year, with an occasional march into the adjacent country. The
regiment was with Colonel Streight in his raid into Alabama, returning to
Corinth. Company H in April being sent a few miles from Corinth to guard a corral,
was surrounded by several hundred of the enemy’s cavalry, the captain and most of
his men captured. During the remainder of the year the regiment was employed in
Tennessee guarding lines of railroad and similar duties. In the spring of 1864,
the Thirty-ninth joined Sherman’s army at Gordon’s Mills, and from this time
until it reached Kingston our regiment marched and fought on the right wing. It
led the army in the flanking movement by Calhoun, which caused the evacuation
of Resaca by the Confederates. Here it was engaged with superior numbers and
was extricated form a position of great peril by the arrival of reinforcements.
The regiment remained at Rome doing garrison duty until October when, joining
the forces under General John M. Corse, it participated in the
General
Hood in command of the Confederate army was now moving northward and sent a
force of cavalry to cut Sherman’s communication near Marietta, while with the
main army he crossed the Chattahoochee and marched on Dallas. A large force of the
enemy, after destroying the railroad at Big Shanty, moved against Allatoona
Pass, where there were immense stores of rations for Sherman’s army guarded by the
Ninety-third Illinois under Lieutenant-Colonel Tourtelotte. General John M
Corse was at Rome with his division. General Sherman signaled him to reenforce
Allatoona Pass and hold it at all hazards. Early on the morning of October 5th
Corse was there with 2,000 men, including the Thirty-ninth Iowa under
Lieutenant-Colonel Redfield. Soon after daylight General French had the works
completely invested and sent Corse a summons to surrender, which was promptly
declined. An assault was then ordered and the Confederate army rushed upon the
outer works with the utmost fury. A deadly fire was opened upon them by the garrison
making great gaps in their lines which were promptly filled, and one of the
most deadly combats of the war ensued. The enemy charge by regiments and
brigades and the struggle over the rifle pits and outer works was of the most
desperate character. After three hours of hard fighting Sherman became anxious
as to the result and signaled from mountain top to mountain top “Hold the fort,
I will help you.” Corse signaled back his grim reply and the battle increased
in fury. Having failed to break our lines by repeated charges of brigades the
Confederates now came on in mass. Wrought up to the highest pitch of
desperation on both sides the combat became of the most deadly nature. Men bayoneted
each other over the rifle pits and officers thrust their swords into the bodies
of their foes. Corse received a severe wound in his face and became insensible,
when Colonel Rowell of the Seventh Illinois assumed command and directed the battle
with skill and courage until he, too, fell severely wounded. Corse having
revived, now resumed command and the garrison was driven into two forts. At two o’clock the crisis of the hard-fought
battle came. The garrison was weakened by long hours of the most desperate
fighting and the loss of many brave men, but there was no thought of surrender.
The Confederates now formed in compact masses for another assault. Our gunners
double-shotted their field pieces and waited until the enemy was within a few
paces, then opened upon the crowded ranks with grape and canister. Nothing
could stand against the deadly missiles; staggered and confused they halted,
then broke and finally turned and fled. The great victory was won but at a
fearful cost. More than seven hundred of the brave defenders fell in the heroic
struggle.
No
regiment at Allatoona Pass fought with greater gallantry than the Thirty-ninth Iowa.
In the early part of the battle it was posted some three hundred yards from the
principal forts which had been constructed for the defense of the place. Here the
enemy made the most determined attacks which were several times repulsed. At
length the regiment fell slowly back to cover of the forts, where it fought
with courage and obstinacy never surpassed. The losses in killed, wounded and
captured were one hundred and sixty-five and among the slain was the heroic
commander, Lieutenant-Colonel James Redfield. He was first wounded in the foot
but retained his command; a second shot shattered his leg but he still refused
to leave his post, and directed the fight encouraging his men by example and
words to hold their ground. A third ball pierced his heart and Iowa lost one of
its noblest and bravest officers. Lieutenants O. C. Ayers, A. T. Blodgett, N.
P. Wright and J. P Jones were also killed and O. D> Russell was severely
wounded. The Thirty-ninth was in the division with Corse in Sherman’s march to
Savannah and participated in that wonderful campaign to the end.
It
was in the grand review at Washington at the close of the war and was mustered
out of the service in that city on the 5th of June, 1865.