Civil War in Lee County and Rosters of the Local Volunteers
Keokuk's Role in the Civil War

Compiled and Transcribed by Sally Youngquist & Barbara Scott  2001

Search IaGenWeb Civil War Project and you will find more information on each name.    http://www.iagenweb.org/civilwar/
 

While seemingly removed from the Civil War, Keokuk did in fact play a most important role. It was the central swearing-in point for all of the Iowa volunteers in the Civil War. At one time four camps were located here: Camp Ellsworth, 200 acres located in the area of Hawthorne, Decatur, and Messenger Road; Camp Rankin, named for Keokuk's Colonel J.W. Rankin, located between 11th and 12th Streets on Grand; Camp Halleck, located at 5th and Johnson; and Camp Lincoln, located in the Rand Park area, site of this Battle Reenactment. This camp held as many as 1,000 men at one time. Another of Keokuk's roles was to administer to the sick and wounded brought by boat from the southern battlegrounds. Seven Civil War hospitals were located in Keokuk with the largest, The Estes House, having 652 beds. The location of the Estes House was at 5th and Main Streets, now the site of Estes Park. Keokuk's National Cemetery is a direct result of the Civil War soldiers who died inroute to Keokuk or after arriving at one of the hospitals. Both Confederate and Union soldiers are buried in this National Cemetery, one of the original twelve established by Congress July 17, 1862. It is Iowa's only National Cemetery and the first established West of the Mississippi. Keokuk provided many Civil War heroes, both officers and enlisted men, and civilians. Well over a thousand Lee County residents volunteered for infantry or cavalry duty and most survived. Perhaps the most famous Keokuk Civil War hero was Major General Samuel Curtis, a former Mayor of Keokuk and a civil engineer who resigned his seat in Congress to lead the 2nd Iowa Regiment. Later given command of the "Department of Missouri", Curtis led the Union victory at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, which saved Missouri for the Union.


Iowa Southern Border Brigade
"State Militia"
This Company of Volunteers were not mustered into service by the United States Army. This company was formed to protect Iowa's border from the slave holding state of Missouri. The men were armed citizens ready to resist any attempt of the rebel forces to invade the State of Iowa.
State Militia 

The Thirty-seventh (37th) Infantry
"Grey Beards"This was a Volunteer unit of older men, 45 and up, who were not eligible to serve in the regular army. These men were assigned to guard and garrison duty. They were not to be put upon active service in the field, except in the event of an emergency.
Gray Beard 

Missouri Volunteers
Lee County Men 

Illinois Volunteers
Lee County Men

Lee County Volunteers

Engineer Regiment  

First (1st) Iowa Infantry 

Second (2nd) Iowa Infantry

Sixth (6th) Iowa Infantry 

Seventh (7th) Infantry

Fourteenth (14th) Iowa Infantry

Fifteenth (15th) Iowa Infantry

Seventeenth (17th) Iowa Infantry