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Chapter VII
Chapter XXI
Picture included in this chapter
is: Colonel Milo Smith
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The Twenty-fifth Iowa Infantry
Four companies from Henry
County, three from Des Moines, two from Washington and one from
Louisa made up the Twenty-fifth regiment. The field officers were
Colonel George A. Stone, Lieutenant-Colonel Fabian Brydolph, Major
Calvin Taylor, Adjutant S. K. Clark.
It was
mustered into the service on the 27th of September,1862, with nine
hundred seventy-two men. For a month the regiment remained in camp
undergoing thorough instruction in drill and discipline, rendering
it one of the most efficient at the commencement of service. On the
17th of November the regiment landed at Helena,
accompanying several expeditions into Arkansas and Mississippi. On
the 22d of December the Twenty-fifth attached to the Second Brigade
under General Hovey, First Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps,
moved down the rive with the expedition under General Sherman to
Chickasaw Bayou to which was unsuccessful, meeting with but slight
loss. Soon after the army withdrew and was sent to Young’s Point to
cooperate with General McClernand. The Twenty-fifth was engaged in
the campaign which, on the 11th of January, 1863,
terminated in the battle and capture of Arkansas Post. The regiment
lost about sixty men killed, wounded and captured in this action.
Among the wounded and captured in this action. Among the wounded
were Adjutant Clarke (mortally), Captains Palmer and Bell and
Lieutenants Stark and Orr.
Soon
after the regiment returned to Young’s Point remaining several
months. In April it was in General Steele’s expedition into the
interior of Mississippi, where large quantities of stores were
captured and the attention of the enemy diverted from the important
movements of the campaign. It joined Grant’s army at Grand Gulf and
participated in the brilliant campaign which drove Pemberton’s army
behind the intrenchments of Vicksburg, but was not engaged in any of
the battles until May 22d. In the assault of that day it lost thirty
men, among whom was Captain J. D. Spearman, severely wounded. During
the siege which followed its losses amounted to about thirty more.
The regiment was sent with General Sherman against Jackson, and
returning, went into camp on Black River. In September it was with
General Sherman in his march through Tennessee to the relief of
Chattanooga and it took part in the battle near Cherokee, where
Osterhaus engaged and defeated a Confederate army under Lee and
Rhoddy. On the morning that the Twenty-fifth reached Lookout
Mountain it went into the battle above the clouds, under General
Hooker, and supporting a New York battery, met with no losses but
gathered up many prisoners. It was engaged in the Battle of Ringgold
on the 27th and lost twenty-nine men. Of the twenty-one
officers in the battle, seven were wounded. Colonel Stone was soon
after placed in command of a brigade and regiment. Near the close of
December it went into winter quarters at Woodville, but was sent on
several expeditions during that time. The Twenty-fifth was now
assigned to the Second Brigade made up of the Fourth, Ninth,
Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first Iowa regiments, under command of
Colonel J. A. Williamson of Iowa and called the “Iowa Brigade.”
Ingersoll says of this famous brigade:
“There
was no brigade in the Fifteenth Army Corps which performed more
eminent services in the grand campaign of Atlanta than Williamson’s
Iowa Brigade. It met the enemy at Resaca on the 11th of
May and from that time until the 5th of September at
Lovejoy Station, two marches beyond Atlanta, it was nearly every
hour of the time within sound of the enemy’s guns under fire. It met
the foe in heavy skirmish and in battle on all of the last five days
of May at Dallas. On the 28th, when the division on its
right was about giving way before overwhelming numbers, it was
Williamson’s Iowa Brigade that saved that division and the day by a
daring charge. It was engaged in the movements and heavy fighting
which preceded the assault on Kenesaw Mountain and the evacuation of
that strong position by the Rebels. It was again most conspicuous in
the corps at the great Battle of Atlanta on the 22d of July. Here
again did Williamson’s Iowa Brigade make a bold charge under the eye
of General Sherman himself, restored the line of the Fifteenth Corps
which had been broken, drove the enemy from our works and recaptured
the guns which had been taken from us. Again at the Battle of Ezra
Church it fought finely and suffered heavily. So also at Jonesboro
and Lovejoy. Everywhere and at all times, on the march by day or by
night, in the trenches of a besieged army, or in battle, it
faithfully, bravely, nobly did its part in that remarkable
campaign.”
The Twenty-fifth was in all of the
engagements here mentioned, except at the Battle of Dallas, where
its position was such that it did not take part in the charge. When
Marietta was captured, Colonel Stone was made commandant and his
regiment was detailed as provost guard. Its losses during the
campaign were considerable, but do not appear in any of the official
reports. Early in October it joined in the rapid pursuit of Hood’s
army and had a skirmish with Wheeler’s cavalry, putting it to
flight. On the 21st of December the Twenty-fifth entered
Savannah and there went into camp. While here Colonel Stone took
command of the Iowa Brigade and Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer commanded
the regiment. In the campaign through the Carolinas, which began on
the 10th of January, 1865, and lasted until the 26th
of March, the Iowa Brigade performed hard marches and labor and was
in several battles, among which were the engagements at Little
Congaree on the 15th of February; at the capital Columbia
two day later, at Cox Bridge on the 20th of March and the
following day at Bentonsville. The Twenty-fifth was in all of these
conflicts.
The Capture of Columbia
The Iowa Brigade took a prominent
part in the capture of Columbia. Early in the evening of February 16th,
Colonel Stone received orders to cross the Broad River on pontoon
boats two miles above the city He landed his troops on an island
early on the morning of the 17th and erected earthworks
which ere attacked by sharpshooters. As reinforcements were
preparing to come to the assistance of the enemy, Colonel Stone
ordered an assault upon his lines at once. The Thirtieth Iowa led,
following by the Twenty-fifth, supported by the Fourth. They moved
forward rapidly, wading the bayous and scattering the enemy, took
many prisoners. The way now open to the city, but before reaching it
Colonel Stones was met by a carriage bearing a flag of truce in
which wee the mayor and aldermen who came to surrender the city.
Colonel Stone received the unconditional surrender and with Major
Anderson of the Fourth Iowa joined the officials in the Stars and
Stripes above it. During the night the city was set on fire in
several places and more than one-third of it was destroyed. The
fires were believed to have been started by some of our released
prisoners and negroes. Every possible effort was made to save the
city but a strong wind carried the flames into the cotton warehouses
and a vast amount of property was destroyed. Colonel Stone reported
the capture of forty pieces of artillery, 5,000 stands of small arms
and two hundred prisoners. Soon after the capture of Columbia the
army continued its march northward meeting the enemy at Cox Bridge
on the 20th of March, where the Twenty-fifth Iowa was in
the thickest of the fight. It had about thirty men killed and
wounded, among the latter Captain William G. Allen, acting major,
who lost his right leg. The next day at Bentonsville the entire
brigade fought bravely and received the commendation of superior
officers. This was the regiment’s last battle. The losses during the
campaign were seven killed, sixty-four wounded and twelve missing.
The command forming the rear of the army reached Goldsboro on the 26th
of March. From there it moved on to Raleigh and, after the surrender
of Johnston’s army, by way of Richmond to Washington. The Iowa
Brigade was in the grand review of the Union army on the 23d and 24th
of May, where it attracted general attention from the martial
bearing of its veteran regiments. The Twenty-fifth Iowa went into
camp at Crystal Springs near the city, where it was mustered out on
the 6th of June, returning to Davenport, where it was
soon after disbanded. On the 13th of March Colonel Stone
was commissioned Brigadier-General.
The Twenty-sixth Iowa Infantry
This regiment was made up
of Clinton County men, although Jackson and Jones counties made
contributions to the ranks. It was mustered into the service at
Clinton on the 30th of September, 1862. The field
officers were Colonel Milo Smith, Lieutenant-Colonel S. G. Magill,
Major Samuel Clark, Adjutant Thomas G. Ferreby. Very little time was
given for drill before the regiment was ordered South, going to
Helena on the 38th of October. Its first service in the
field was under General Hovey on the White River expedition. Two of
its prominent field officers, Lieutenant-Colonel Magill and Major
Clark, were so unfortunate as to be captured at Helena and both
resigned on the 2d of December. After a march into Mississippi, in
support of General Grant’s first movement against Vicksburg, the
regiment was assigned to the Third Brigade, First Division of the
Fifteenth Army Corps. With General Sherman in his bloody defeat at
Chickasaw Bayou it suffered no loss. On the 2d of January, 1863, it
was sent down the river to the mouth of Yazoo River, where General
McClernand was in command of the army. Soon after the regiment moved
against the enemy occupying a strongly fortified position on the
Arkansas River about fifty miles from the mouth. This was the key to
central Arkansas, had a fine armament of heavy Parrott guns and
columbiads; the garrison numbered about 7,000 well disciplined
troops under command of General Churchill.
Battle of Arkansas Post
General McClernand moved
his army by transports up the Arkansas River and disembarked on a
swampy bank a few miles below the little village of Arkansas Post.
Dispositions for the attack were promptly made. General Morgan
commanding two divisions of the Thirteenth Corps on the left and
Sherman with two divisions of the Fifteenth Corps on the right moved
forward over ground greatly obstructed by swamps and bayous. A
brigade under Colonel Lindsay was landed below the Post on the
opposite side of the river to prevent the escape of the enemy in
that direction. Admiral Porter with a fleet of gunboats was
cooperating with the land attack. Finally after much difficulty the
lines were drawn around the Post under a heavy fire of artillery
from the fort and of musketry from the earthworks and rifle pits.
The fleet soon opened fire, which was kept up until after dark when
the troops passed a cold and gloomy night in swampy bivouac without
fires. The next day a heavy fire was opened on the works from the
gunboats and land artillery under cover of which the infantry
advanced to the attack. The brigades of Hovey, Thayer and Smith
gained a position in the woods near the enemy’s rifle pits, but met
such a terrible fire of artillery and musketry that they were
compelled to seek shelter for a time. Again they advanced supported
by Blair’s Brigade, to within short musket range and took position
in deep wooded ravines. The infantry of Morgan’s Corps advanced and
gained a position close to the works. The battle now raged with
great fury all along the lines, the enemy making a desperate
defense. The guns of the fort had been silenced by our heavy
artillery, but the musketry fire of the enemy never slackened.
General McClernand now decided to order an assault. The brigades of
Burbridge, Smith and Sheldon pushed forward under a deadly fire and
several of the regiments swept over the intrenchments. Sherman’s
command at the same time stormed the works in front in an equally
brilliant manner, the victory was won and soon the Union flag was
raised over Fort Hindman. There was captured with the Post 5,000
prisoners, seventeen pieces of artillery, 50,000 rounds of
ammunition, six hundred horses and mules, 5,000 muskets and a large
amount of other property. The Iowa regiments engaged in this battle
were the Fourth, Ninth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, Thirtieth,
Thirty-first and the Thirty-fourth. This was the first battle in
which the twenty-sixth met the enemy in mortal combat, and no
regiment contributed more to win the great victory. Its loss was one
hundred twenty men. Lieutenants P. L. Hyde, J. S. Patterson and
James McDill were slain, and among the wounded were Colonel Smith,
Adjutant Ferreby, Captain N. A. Merrill and Lieutenant Svendsen.
Soon after the battle the Twenty-sixth was sent down the river and
stationed a few miles below Vicksburg, where it remained until the
2d of April—then accompanying General Steele’s expedition to
Greenville, Mississippi, where five men were captured.
Toward
the last of the month it went into camp at Milliken’s bend and early
in May joined Grant’s army then moving out on the Vicksburg
campaign. The regiment participated in the capture of Jackson and on
the 16th moved with the troops toward Vicksburg. During
the siege it was on the left of Thayer’s Brigade in General Steele’s
Division and took part in the assaults of the 19th and
22d of May; its losses during these engagements and the siege were
six killed and thirty-three wounded. The Twenty-sixth was in the
second expedition against Johnston’s army, in which Colonel Smith
commanded a brigade, and Adjutant Ferreby who had now recovered from
his wound was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and in command of the
regiment. At the close of the campaign it returned to Black River,
remaining in camp about two months. In the latter part of September
it was sent to Memphis and on to Corinth, where Osterhaus’ Division
was engaged in repairing the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Early
in November Osterhaus’ command joined General Sherman’s army the
moving on toward Chattanooga. The Twenty-sixth reached Lookout
Mountain the evening before the battle and took part in the
engagement. Lieutenant-Colonel Ferreby was again severely wounded.
Under Hooker’s command, which followed the retreating enemy, the
Twenty-sixth was in the battle near Ringgold where it did excellent
service. Captain J. L. Steele was here mortally wounded and
Lieutenants N. D. Hubbard and William Mickel were severely injured.
During the month the regiment marched over three hundred miles of
the rough mountain country of Alabama and took part in three
battles. About Christmas time it went inot winter quarters at
Woodville, reduced in numbers to about one-half of the original
strength, and during the winter it did patrol duty along the
Tennessee River where eight men were captured. Early in May the
Twenty-sixth joined General Sherman’s army at Chattanooga and fort
he next four months participated in the marches, skirmishes, sieges,
battles and exhausting labors of that famous campaign. The regiment
lost eighty men in the various battles at Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw
and Atlanta. After a month’s rest at East Point it joined in the
march northward early in October in pursuit of Hood, and on the 16th
lost five men in battle at Taylor’s Ridge. In December the regiment
was with the army in Savannah and In January, 1865, started on the
march through the Carolinas, sharing the labors, hardships and
battles of that campaign and at Bentonsville ended its brilliant
fighting career. Marching on northward to Raleigh, and from there to
the National Capital on the 6th of June it was mustered
out of the service. The flag of the “Clinton County Regiment” bears
upon its folds the names of the numerous battles in which honor is
reflected upon the State by gallant conduct. Chickasaw Bayou,
Arkansas Post, Jackosn, Vicksburg, Cherokee, Tuscumbia, Lookout
Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Ringgold, Resaca, Dallas, Big Shanty,
Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Ezra Church, Jonesboro, Lovejoy,
Savannah, Columbia and Bentonsville make a formidable list of
engagements where this noble regiment won its proud place in our war
history.
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