The reginent was mustered in at Burlington, 15 Jul 1861, and ordered to Keokuk 2 Aug, from whilch point they were sent into MO for a few days in pursuit of bushwhackers, after which they were sent to St. Louis, and from thence ordered to Jefferson City MO, and from there to Boonville, MO; thence followed the rebel army under Price to Springfield, MO and on their return encamped at Syracuse until the following February, when they were moved across the country to St. Louis, and transported to Cairo, where they remained a few weeks and were transferred to Cape Giradeau. They were then marched to New Madrid, where they had a skirmish with the enemy. After the fall of New Madrid, they crossed the Mississippi and marched to Tiptonville to intercept and capture rebels who were attempting to escape from Island No. 10. They were then ordered back to New Madrid, thence to a point above Fort Pillow, on the Mississippi, thence by way of Cairo and the Tennessee River to Pittsburgh Landing, to take part in the operations before Corinth.

Upon the evacuation of Corinth, they followed the rebels toRienzi and Jacinto until 18 Sept 1862, when they started for Iuka, where on the 19th, they took part in the battle of Iuka, where Co A went into a fight with 43 men, and had 27 killed and wounded. It was here that the regiment distinguished itself, so that it was complimented very highly by the Generals commanding. The position they held was in support of a battery, which in consequence of a superiority of numbers of the enemy, was at one time captured; but rallying to the rescue, the 5th Regiment retook the battery with the terrible loss above mentioned. They returned to Jacinto on the 21st of Sept., thence moved to Corinth to take part in the battle at that place. Engaged in the pursuit of the rebels after that battle, they remained in camp at Corinth until November, when they joined the expedition against Vicksburg, going by way of Holly Springs to Oxford, thence to Memphis, where they remained in camp until Spring of 1863.

From here they were ordered to Helena, thence in theYazoo Pass expedition. After their return to Helena they moved to Milliken's Bend, and through Louisiana to a point below Vicksburg, and thence by gunboat to a point below Grand Gulf, MS. From here they were ordered to Raymond and Jackson and back to the battle of Champion Hills.

After this they engaged in the pursuit of the rebels to Vicksburg, and took part in the charge on the 22 of May.

They then took their places in the siege of Vicksburg, where they remained in camp until the last of June, when they weere ordered to Black River, to confront the enemy coming to the relief of Vicksburg.

They returned to Vicksburg 1 July, and remained in camp until 1 Sept., when they were ordered to Helena for the purpose of joining the expedition against Little Rock, but were from there ordered to Chattanooga by way of Corinth, marching a considerable portion of the distance. They were then transferred to the 17th Corps, and took part in the battle of Chickamauga, where the regiment lost 30 men in killed and wounded, and 8 officers and 76 men taken prisoners, leaving only 65 men in the regiment who answered at roll call that evening.

They afterward went down the river to Stevenson and Huntsville, AL where they remained all Winter. In April, 1864, the veterans of the regiment went home on furloughs, and on their return were placed on the railroads to do guard duty, being most of the Summer at Kingston, GA. They pursued the rebel General Wheeler in the last raid to the rear of Sherman, in June 1864, traveling during the time nearly nine hundred miles, and being three weeks without blankets or change of clothing.

About the last of July, 1864, the non-veterans of the regiment were mustered out of the service, leaving 180 men, who, on applicationto the War Department were transferred to Fifth Iowa Cavalry, leaving 11 officers without a command, who were mustered out of service 28 Sept 1864, at Gen. Kilpatrick's headquarters, fifteen miles south of Atlanta, GA.