IAGenWeb - Marion County |
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Introduction of Slavery into the United States - Its Prominence as a Political Issue - The Missouri Compromise -
The Omnibus Bill - Political Campaign of 1860 - Secession of the Southern States - Organization of the
Southern Confederacy - Star of the West Incident - Fort Sumter - Call for Volunteers - Iowa's Response -
Brief Histories of the Regiments in Which Marion County was Represented -
Rosters of Marion County Companies - Miscellaneous Enlistments - General Summary - The Work at Home
Not long after the English colony was planted at Jamestown, Virginia, a Dutch ship arrived there with twenty Negro slaves, which were sold to the tobacco planters. Thus was introduced an institution that afterward became a “bone of contention” between the North and South and a dominant issue in American politics. In 1808, the earliest date at which such action could be taken under the Federal Constitution, Congress passed an act abolishing the foreign slave trade. Slavery had been introduced into each of the thirteen original colonies prior to the Revolution. The cotton, tobacco and sugar planters of the South found slave labor profitable, but by 1819 the seven northern colonies had abolished slavery within their borders.
Up to that time Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama had been admitted as slave states, and Vermont, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois as free states, making eleven of each. This was the situation when Missouri sought admission in 1820. The question of admitting Missouri was made the subject of a lengthy discussion in Congress, in which the debaters frequently used language “more forcible than elegant,” but the state was finally admitted under the provisions of the act known as the “Missourie Compomise,” which stipulated that Missouri should be admitted wothout any restrictions as to slavery, but that in all the remaining portion of the Louisiana Purchase north of the line marking 36 degrees 30’ slavery should be forever prohibited.
Both sides to the dispute were now apparently satisfied and for more than a quarter of a century the slavery question was allowed to rest. But the Mexican War gave to the United States a large tract of country to which the advocates of slavery laid claim and the controversy was revived. Some of the opponents of slavery argued that the “Omnibus Bill,” or Compromise of 1850, was a violation of the line of 36 degrees 30’, and the Kansas-Nebraska Bill of 1854 awakened anew all the old-time animosities. The passage of this bill was one of the most potent influences that led to the organization of the republican party, the cardinal principles of which were opposed to any extension of slavery beyond the territory where it already existed.
In the political campaign of 1860 - one of the most bitter in the country’s history - some of the southern states declared their intention of withdrawing from the Union in the event of Abraham Lincoln’s election to the presidency, but the people of the North seemed to regard such announcements as so many idle threats, made solely for political effect. through the division in the democratic party Mr. Lincoln was elected and South Carolina took the initiative in the secession movement. Delegate were elected to a state convention which met at Charleston on December 20, 1860, and passed an ordinance declaring all allegiance to the United States at an end. Mississippi followed with a similar ordinance on January 9, 1861; Florida, January 10th; Georgia, January 19th; Louisiana, January 26th, and Texas, February 1, 1861.
Delegates from all these states except Texas met at Montgomery, Alabama, on February 4, 1861, and adopted a tentative constitution for a new government. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was elected provisional president, and Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, provisional vice president of the Confederate States of America. These officials were inaugurated on February 22, 1861, the anniversary of the birth of George Washington, and when Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, he found seven states, with an organized government, in opposition to his administration. Still President Lincoln, and the people of the North generally, clung to the hope that open conflict between the North and South might be avoided and that the seceded states could be persuaded to return to their allegiance - a hope that was soon to be rudely dispelled.
Early in January, 1861, Maj. Robert Anderson, then in command of the harbor defenses at Charleston, South Carolina, quartered at Fort Moultrie, spiked the guns there and quietly removed his garrison and supplies to Fort Sumter to be in a better position for defense. The Confederates insisted that this was a movement in violation of an agreement previously made with President Buchanan, but the press of the North upheld Anderson and demanded that supplies and reinforcements be sent to him. So persistent became this demand that the steamer Star of the West, with 250 men and a large stock of provisions and ammunition was ordered to Fort Sumter. On January 9, 1861, as the vessel was passing Morris Island, she was fired upon by a masked battery and forced to turn back. In the official records this incident is regarded as the beginning of the Civil war, though the popular awakening did not come until about three months later.
The failure of the Star of the West to reach Fort Sumter left Major Anderson and his men in a rather precarious condition. By April 1, 1861, his supply of provisions was almost exhausted, and General Beauregard, in command of the Confederate forces at Charleston, opened negotiations looking to the evacuation of the fort. On April 11, 1861, major Anderson advised Beauregard that he would abandon the fort on the 15th, “unless ordered by the Government to remain and the needed supplies are received.” To General Beauregard this provision seemed to contain some hidden meaning and, fearing that reinforcements were on the way, he sent word to Anderson at 3:20 A.M. on Friday, April 12, 1861, that fire would be opened on the fort within an hour. At 4:30 Capt. George Janes, commanding a battery at Fort Johnson, fired the signal gun, the shell bursting almost directly over Fort Sumter. A few minutes later a solid shot from a battery on Cummings Point went crashing against the walls of the fort. The great Civil War had begun.
The little garrison responded promptly and all day the bombardment continued. Fire broke out in the fort and the Confederates increased their cannonading, hoping to force a surrender. Against the desperate odds Anderson held out until Sunday, the 14th, when he was permitted to evacuate the fort with all the honors of war, saluting his flag with fifty guns before hauling it down.
With the fall of Fort Sumter all hope of conciliation was abandoned. Political differences in the North were forgotten in this insult to the flag. On Monday, April 15, 1861, President Lincoln issued the following proclamation:
“Whereas, The laws of the United States have been and are now being opposed in several states by combination too powerful to be suppressed in an ordinary way, I therefore call upon the militia of the several states of the Union, to the aggregate number of 75,000, to suppress said combinations and execute the laws. I appeal to all loyal citizens for state aid in this effort to maintain the laws, integrity, National Union, perpetuity of popular government, and redress wrongs long enough endured.
“The first service assigned forces will probably be to repossess forts, places and property which have been seized from the Union. The utmost care should be taken, consistent with our object, to avoid devastation, destruction and interference with property of peaceable citizens in any part of the country, and I hereby command persons commanding the aforesaid combinations to disperse within twenty days from date.
“I hereby convene both houses of Congress for the 4th day of July next, to determine upon measures for the public safety as its interests may demand.
“ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
“President of the United States.
“By W. H. SEWARD,
“Secretary of State.”
On the 16th Governor Kirkwood, of Iowa, received two telegrams from the secretary of war. The first was as follows: “Calls made on you by tonight’s mail for one regiment of militia for immediate service.” It is said that when this message was received by the governor he expressed some doubt as to Iowa’s ability to furnish an entire regiment. The second telegram, which was received late in the day, read: “It will suffice if your quota of volunteers be at it rendezvous by the 20th of May.” The next day the governor issued the following proclamation:
“Whereas, The President of the United States has made a requisition upon th executive fo the State of iowa for one regiment of militia, to aid the Federal Government in enforcing its laws and suppressing rebellion:
“Now, therefore, I, Samuel J. Kirkwood, governor of the State of Iowa, do issue this proclamation, and hereby call upon the militia of the state immediately to form, in the different counties, volunteer companies with a view of entering the active military service of the United States for the purpose aforesaid. The regiment at present required will consist of ten companies of at least seventy-eight men each, including one captain and two lieutenants to be elected by each company. Under the present requisition only one regiment can be accepted, and the companies accepted must hold themselves in readiness for duty by the 20th of May next at the farthest. If a sufficient number of companies are tendered their services may be required. If more companies are formed and reported than can be received under the present call, their services will be required in the event of another requisition upon the state. The nation is in peril. A fearful attempt is being made to overthrow the Constitution and disever the Union. The aid of every loyal citizen is invoked to sustain the general Government. For the honor of our state, let the requisition of the President be cheerfully and promptly met.
“SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.
“Iowa City, April 17, 1861.”
From all over the state came a ready response to this proclamation. Men of all classes and ages laid aside the implements of peaceful industry and hurried to the nearest recruiting station. Under the call for 75,000 men, the First Iowa Infantry was mustered into the United States service for three months. It was soon discovered by the national administration that more troops would be necessary to put a speedy end to the war, and on May 4, 1861, President Lincoln issued his second call for volunteers. Under this call the Third Regiment was organized, being the first in which Marion County was represented. It was mustered in at Keokuk on June 10, 1861, as the
Upon the regimental staff were three men from Marion County at the time of muster in, viz.: Benjamin F. Keables and John W. Schooley, assistant surgeons, and Prosper H. Jacobs, chaplain. Company B was organized in Marion County and was mustered in with William M. Stone as Captain; Daniel P. Long, second lieutenant; Albert Hobbs, second lieutenant; Benton A. Mathews, first sergeant; John L. Ruckman, second; John C. Woodruff, third; S. Sylvester Howell, fourth; Caleb Core, fifth; Francis M. Zuck, first corporal; Joseph Ruckman, second; John F. Norris, third; William H. Sumner, fourth; Oliver H. S. Kennedy, fifth; Thomas R. Smith, sixth; William A. Stuart, seventh; Henry H. Shearman, eighth; George Darrow and Andrew Gemmil, musicians, and George Henry, wagoner.
Privates - Wallace G. Agnew, William H. Allender, James Andrews, Henry Armstrong, John M. Bains, Herman F. Bousquet, Daniel Brobst, Andrew T. Buller, William Bussey, Hiram F. Cecil, Barrett W. Clark, Thomas L. Collins, William H. Conwell, Morton S. Cook, Henry E. Coons, George Cowan, Leonard A. Cowles, Thomas J. Cowman, Augustus Darrow, William Dawson, Jeremiah H. Dennis, John Farley, Tillman P. Gregg, Peter M. Hart, William F. Hart, William Hendrix, Peter S. Horn, Oscar L. Johnes, Alonzo F. Keables, Reuben K. Kline, Edwin R. Latham, Eliphalet L. Lewis, Eli H. Lindsey, Madison McClelland, James E. McCorkle, Henry McKinnis, Theodore Metz, Jacob Meyer, Thomas L. Molesworth, Napoleon B. Moore, Francis M. Nutter, Warren Olney, William O. Parrish, James M. Paul, James L. Petit, Emanuel Ream, Isaac Ream, James F. Rhoads, Thomas W. Robertson, William J. Shepherd, Aaron Smith, Emery F. Sperry, Miles F. Stanwood, Melvin Stone, George R. Taylor, Philip Taylor, William R. Totten, Peter Van Rooyen, Joseph Vos, Joseph B. Waggoner, Rufus Waggoner, George Welchouse, Darwin E. Wells, James L. Wilson, John W. Wilson, Josiah M. Woodruff, Samuel M. Wright, William E. Wright, Alexander Young, Robert M. Young.
Recruits - John J. Bousquet, John T. Burch, Richard M. Burch, Hazel F. Cecil, John H. Kellenberger, Elias L. Nichols, Newton H. Nichols, Adin Norris, Orson B. Parrish, John W. Simpson, Asbury Stanfield, Goldbury B. Stanley, Sanford Taylor, George M. Williams.
On July 1, 1861, the regiment left Keokuk for Missouri, poorly equipped, having old-fashioned Springfield rifles of the pattern used in the war with Mexico, not a round of ammunition, no rations and not a commissioned officer above the rank of captain. Its first engagement was at a place called Hagar’s Woods, where it was under the command of Colonial Smith of the Sixteenth Illinois, but the first real battle in which it participated was at Blue Mills on September 17, 1861. The regiment remained on duty in Missouri until in March, 1862, when it was ordered to join General Grant’s army in Tennessee, and on St. Patrick's day it reached Pittsburg Landing. Here it was assigned to Williams’ Brigade, Hurlbut’s Division. Captain Stone was promoted to the rank of major on July 6, 1861, and at the Battle of Shiloh was in command of the regiment. Of the 450 men of the Third that went into that battle more than two hundred were killed or wounded. The gallant stand made by the regiment saved Grant’s Army from defeat, but Major Stone was captured. After Shiloh came the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi, after which the regiment joined General Sherman for the march to Memphis, Tennessee, and was the first regiment to enter that city. In the spring of 1863 it returned to Mississippi and participated in the Siege of Vicksburg, the capture of Jackson and a number of minor engagement. Late in the year 1863 many of the men re-enlisted and came home on veteran furlough. The spring of 1864 found the regiment with Sherman for the advance upon Atlanta, where it suffered heavy losses in the battle of July 22, 1864. One of the most dramatic incidents of the Civil war occurred shortly after this battle. The colors of the regiment, with a number of the men, was captured. When the prisoners saw their captured standard borne through the streets of Atlanta by a squad of Confederate Cavalry, they broke away form their guards and , unarmed, recaptured the flag and tore it into shreds rather than see it in the hands of an enemy.
The Third Iowa then formed part of General Sherman’s forces in the historic march to the sea and the campaign of the Carolinas, which resulted in the final defeat and surrender of the Confederate Army commanded by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. On July 8, 1865, being reduced to 318 men, it was consolidated with the Second Infantry. Four days later it was mustered and Louisville, Kentucky.
This was the next regiment to which Marion County contributed any considerable number of men. company E was raised in Marion and was mustered in with the following officers: John L. McCormack, captain; Henry B. Cooper, second lieutenant (the first lieutenant, David Ryan, was from another county); Walter Ream, William W. Ferguson, Alexander M. Clark and John Q. Bishop, sergeants; Benjamin F. Wolfe, John H. Patterson, Joseph C. Finley, Charles McCollough, Albert Groom, Lemuel Kinkead, Augustus B. Stanfield and David W. Rea, corporals; George Fort and William Jacob, musicians.
Privates - Harlan Allen, Thomas R. Andrews, William Bacon, Benjamin F. Banta, Francis M. Boughman, Albert Brewer, Andrew J. Catrell, Jesse W. Clark, Philip A. Cloe, Josiah G. Coats, Joseph R. Conwell, David Croy, Henry G. Curtis, Melvin H. Deem, Stephen L. Druse, John C. Ferguson, Zelina H. Fowler, William Garton, Robert A. Henderson, Thomas Hughes, Abel Inman, Solomon P. Jessup, William Lawhead, Nicholas M. Long, William M. McFarling, John McMillan, Israel McNeil, Edward H. Mark, Peter H. Mark, Cyrus Marsh, Alexander S. May, Henry B. May, Alfred Mitchell, John E. Mitchell, Daniel Neeley, Henry Neeley, Joseph Neeley, William H. Neill, David Newman, Isaiah E. Newman, James A. Nicholson, Thomas Nutter, John H. Parker, Lawton B. Parker, James Patterson, James R. Pershall, Nathaniel Pettit, John Petty, Albert C. Ralph, John Reed, William Richardson, Newton P. Rigg, William Roebuck, Lewis Scott, Ernest Seley, Francis H. Sherwood, Joshua Shoey, Vanness Starr, Samuel S. Sweezy, Charles B. Thompson, Thomas Vanderkolk, John Vanderley, Thomas J. Vinyard, J. Lewis Warren, John Y. Welch, William H. Wolfe, T. J. Woodward, Edmund F. Wright.
Recuits - William H. Carlisle, Robert H. Dollarhide, John Griffin, Henry G. Groves, Thomas R. Lemmon, Aaron Newman, Sidney Smith, Louis Walter, William P. Wilkin, Jacob Wyman.
John C. Ferguson whose name appears in the above list of privates, was promoted to major on September 23, 1861, soon after the regiment left the state, and on February 7, 1861, he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the regiment.
In addition to Company E, William F. Harlow, John E. Owen, James B. F. Reed, William M. Ridpath, John G. Spaner and Robert C. Spaner were enrolled as privates in Company H, and William McGrew, Lyman Osborne, John Puitt and David Stotes, in Company I.
The Eighth Infantry was organized at Davenport early in September, 1861, and later in the month was ordered to Missouri. It remained at St. Louis for two weeks, until the men received their equipment, after which it was on duty in Missouri and Arkansas until the following spring. In March, 1862, it was ordered to join General Grant in Tennessee, and arrived at Pittsburg Landing just before the Battle of Shiloh, which was it first actual battle. In this engagement, while supporting a battery, Colonel Geddes was severely wounded in the leg and taken from the field. The command then devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Ferguson, who received special mention in the reports of superior officers for his bravery and skill in handling his men. Late in the afternoon of the first day’s battle Prentiss’ line broke and left the Eighth Iowa alone upon that part of the field. The regiment could have saved itself from capture by retreating, but its commander believed in obeying orders and remained to defend the battery until it was completely surrounded. Part of Companies I, C, and H cut through the enemy's lines and escaped capture. The loss in killed and wounded was nearly two hundred men. Company B lost seven killed and eleven wounded and all the other members of the company were captured. The prisoners were confined in various places in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia for about three months, when they were taken to Libby Prison at Richmond. Late in the fall they were exchanged and furloughed home until December, when the regiment was reorganized. Early in the year 1863 the Eighth joined General Grant’s Army at Milliken’s Bend, where it was assigned to the Third Brigade, Third Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, with which it took part in the Siege of Vicksburg. The greater part of the year 1864 was spent on provost duty at Memphis, Tennessee, and in the spring of 1865 was ordered to Alabama. It took part in the Siege of Mobile and especially distinguished itself in the assault on Spanish fort, April 8, 1865, being the only regiment to engage the enemy inside the works. It captured 450 prisoners, three stands of colors and five pieces of artillery. It then remained on duty at Mobile until the spring of 1866. On April 20, 1866, it was mustered out at Selma, Alabama.
In this regiment Samuel Johnson, of Marion County, served as a private in Company A, and the following were enrolled in Company E: Benjamin F. Bremen, Willis, P. Clark, George H. Cooper, Thomas T. Cowman, William Darnell, Benjamin Dixon , William Ebright, John Harris, William Houseman, William McWilliams, Alvis L. Miller, James Moss, John M. Pendroy, George Phifer, Thomas J. Prentice, George R. Preston, William Sowers and Joseph R. Thomas.
The regiment was mustered in by companies in the latter part of October and the first week in November, 1861. The companies first mustered in were assigned to duty at Fort Randall, North Dakota, until the regimental organization was completed. Under command of Col. William T. Shaw, a veteran of the Mexican war, it took part in the campaign against Forts Henry and Donelson, and was actively engaged at the Battle of Shiloh. Then, after a varied service in Alabama and Mississippi, it was transferred to the Department of the Gulf and was with General Banks on the Red River expedition in the spring of 1864. Next it was part of Gen. A. J. Smith’s forces in Tennessee. Those whose time had expired were mustered out at Davenport on November 16, 1864, when the reenlisted men and recruits were organized into a battalion, which was mustered out at Davenport on August 8, 1865.
This regiment was raised under the call of July, 1861, for 500,000 men and was mustered in at Keokuk on February 22, 1862. Marion County furnished the greater part of Companies G and K and was represented in Companies A, C and I. At some period of the regiment's service the county was also represented on the staff by William T. Cunningham as major and lieutenant-colonel; Rufus H. Eldridge as quartermaster sergeant; Elisha Elliott as commissary sergeant; Cornelius Englefield as hospital steward; Henry Metz as drum major, and T. H. Cunningham as fife major.
Two Marion County men were enrolled as privates in company A, viz.: John Martin and Marinus Rhynsburger, and six were enrolled in Company C. They were Simon P. Autry, Edward Fry, James Gibbs, Francis M. Hartley, Laccus Van der Linder and Henry Van Morrell.
Company G was mustered in with William T. Cunningham as captain; Romulus L. Hanks, first lieutenant; William M. Cathcart, Amos H. Gray, Isaiah M. Welch and Joseph W. Stanfield, sergeants; Clark D. Mathew, Martin v. Stanfield and Nathan S. Hays, corporals; Henry Metz and T. H. Cunningham, musicians.
Privates - Joseph Amon, John A. Bates, William H. Beebout, William Bidgood, Hurston Booth, John F. Booth, Joseph Booth, Albert M. Brobst, David H. Bunn, Edwin P. Bye, Samuel Copeland, Marion Caulkins, John G. Davis, George W. Denny, James W. Duncan, Rufus H. Eldridge, Elisha W. Elliott (promoted to commissary sergeant), Alexander Essex, Hiram Essex, Granville Feagins, James W. Glenn, Jesse V. Glenn, John F. Gray, John Hannon, John Harger, James B. Heatley, Lyman H. James, Thomas Jeffers, Alfted Lawhead, Robert M. McClure, Alexander McGilvery, Jacob McVay, Alfred McNeal, Marion Mart, Draper May, Charles Metz, Bartholomew Middlesworth, William Newell, David Nitheron, Stephenson Overton, Henry Owen, James A. Ralph, Timothy Ridlen, John W. sanders, Richard Sanders, William T. Sherwood, Enos Shoemaker, Samuel C. Smith, Darwin Spencer, Matthias W. Stalcup, Samuel Stanfield, Truman Stone, Daniel Swaggart, John Toverea, Charles Walker, James L. Welch, John A. Welch, John White.
Recruits - Martin Adkins, John C. Clark, George H. Cooper, Jerome Davis, Jesse M. Estes, James T. Griffin, George W. Henry, George Hitton, James Larew, Andrew Lee, James A. Lee, George B Leibey, Anderson McNeal, Benjamin F. Miller, David F. Miller, George B. Phifer, Byron South, Houston Waggoner, John F. Wells, Marion Whaley.
In Company I Daniel Verrips held the rank of corporal, and the following privates were credited to Marion County: G. W. Colenbrumler, Garrett W. Hall, Simon Neromiah, Peter Van Roogen, Cornelius Wooborvus.
Company K was mustered in with Rufus H. Eldridge, who had been transferred from Company G, as first lieutenant; Edwin Davis, second lieutenant; Frederick Christofel, David Myers and Joseph W. Stanfield, sergeants; Joseph S. Molesworth, John Chrismore and Joshua P. Davis, corporals, and the following:
Privates - Theodore Ables, Hurston Booth (transferred from Company G), John Brady, Albert Brown, Marion Caulkins, Osborn Carruthers, Joseph Chrismore, John W. Clark, John S. Clearwater, William S. Clearwater, John L Coffman, Edward Conrey, Marion Conrey (promoted corporal), T. H. Cunningham (transferred from Company G), John G. Davis, Ephraim Dillon, Henry Dillon, William C. Dixon, James W. Duncan (transferred from Company G), David Elson, Cornelius Englefield, William H. Gibson, William S. Grove, Albert Horne, William Jackson, James M. Long, Frederick B. Mathis, William A. Mathis, Benjamin F. Momyer, Cyrus I. Momyer, James L. Neill, David Patton, Hiram D. Pope, John T. Pope, Levi Randolph, James L. Richey, George W. Rogers, Philip Rose, Jacob Shuey, Francis M. Shular, John W. Shular, Edward Smith, Matthias W. Stalcup (transferred from Company G), Andrew B. Stone, Freeman Stone, Charles Walker, John H. Woods, Hazael Wycoff, Milton M. Young.
Recruits - George A. Huff, Andrew King, Perry A. Momyer and Samuel Petty.
Of all the Iowa regiments none made a better record than the Fifteenth Infantry. The regiment left Keokuk on March 19, 1862, and moved via St. Louis to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, where it joined the army under General Grant. It was assigned to Prentiss’ Division and received its baptism of fire in the Battle Shiloh, where it lost 186 men in killed, wounded and missing, and its flag we literally riddled with bullets. After Shiloh the Eighth took part in the Siege of Corinth, the battles of Bolivar, Iuka and Ripley, and spent the winter in Tennessee, where it was frequently engage with the enemy. In the spring of 1863 it joined General Grant’s forces at Milliken’s Bend and went through the Siege of Vicksburg. It was next employed in Alabama and Louisiana until early in 1864, when it joined General Sherman for the Atlanta campaign. After the fall of Atlanta it formed part of the army in the march to the sea, and in the campaign of the Carolinas it was in a number of engagements. This campaign ended at Goldsboro, North Carolina, where General Johnston surrendered to Sherman’s victorious hosts. The regiment then proceeded to Washington, D. C., where it took part in the Grand Review, after which it was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky, and was there mustered out on July 24, 1865, having carried its battle-flag nearly eight thousand miles through the enemy’s country.
Marion County was represented in Companies C, G, H and I of the Seventeenth. In Company C Joseph W. Stanfield served as fourth sergeant, having been transferred from Company K, Fifteenth Infantry, and Ephraim Dillon, William Jackson, Isaac Jordan and Aaron Whittel were enrolled as privates.
Company G was mustered in with William Horner as captain; Abraham H. Barnes, first lieutenant; Oliver H. P. Smith, Alvin White and William D. Hudson, sergeants; Samuel V. Duncan, Perry J. Shank, John King, Andrew J. Cottrell, Francis M. Stuart and Bennett Acklin, corporals in the order named.
Privates - William H. Allen, Richard M. Anthony, David Bacon, Henry E. Belt, Levi W. Calkins, Abraham L. Coffman, Stillton H. Compton, James Cox, John W. Cox, Joel J. Crandall, Benjamin Crumpacker, William E. Dixon, Thomas Dolton, Frederick M. George, James W. George, James Hardin, John D. Hartley, Stephen T. Hayes, Samuel A. Hook, Samuel A. Hutchins, John Jones, John W. Kelley, John Lashbaugh, Joseph A. Loudenbach, William H. McBride, George W. McCoy, Carey Marsh, Giles Marsh, Robert Miles, James Miller, Abraham Penland, John H. Peyton, Joseph Pressely, Nathan Reed, Alexander Rinehart, Abraham Roby, Gilbert E. Ross, George W. Shelledy, Cornelius Silver, Fridolin Spalti, Lewis Springer, Albert G. Trussel (promoted corporal).
Recruits - Lorenzo B. Bryant, Robert Bryant, Rollin A. Snethius, John Stillwell and William A. Swain.
In Company H Andrew M. Vance and John A. Crozier were enrolled as sergeants; George Butler, William Burdick, Henry J. Hassenlink, Milton H. Pickerell, Geibert Steinhook and James Butler as corporals.
Privates - Samuel E. Burdick, George W. Burk, Dominic Carr (promoted to first sergeant), Josiah Cavin, Noah A. Clodfelter, Samuel Cobb, William H. Cummings, Alexander Edinger, Newton Edinger, John Eubanks, Charles W. Forsyth, Levi Gibson, James S. Glenn, Sylvaster H. C. Grubb, James Harville, Alexander King, George King, Jeremiah King, Harmon Kolenbraden, Price B. Lee, William Lust, Thomas J. Pearson, Henry Roorda, Leibert Simons, James Smith, Samuel Smith, Martin Swain, Ezra T. Vance, James Webb, Benjamin F. Wicks.
John J. Koolbeck was mustered in as fifth sergeant of Company I, in which the following Marion County men served as privates: Garrett Brink, Jacob Keegel, David McReynolds, G. Paardekooper, William Paardekooper, Egidius Rysdam, Garrett Schell, Covert Scheffers, Leander Verhoeff.
The Seventeenth was mustered in at Keokuk on April 16, 1862, with John W. Rankin of that city as colonel. Three days later it left Keokuk for St. Louis and soon afterward joined the army in front of Corinth. After the battle of Iuka (September 19, 1862) it was ordered to Vicksburg and was actively engaged in the Battle of Champion’s Hill, where, with less than five hundred men in line, the Seventeenth Iowa and Tenth Missouri turned the tide of battle at a critical moment and saved the Union forces from defeat. It participated in the Siege of Vicksburg and suffered a heavy loss at the blowing up of Fort Hill. After the surrender of Vicksburg the regiment was ordered to Chattanooga, Tennessee. It joined the Fifteenth Army Corps, commanded by Gen. W. T. Sherman, at Memphis and marched to Chattanooga, taking a position under Lookout Mountain. It was engaged in the military operations about Chattanooga, particularly the Battle of Missionary Ridge, after which it was employed for some time in guarding the Atlantic and Western Railroad. From the spring of 1864 to the close of the war it formed part of the forces under General Sherman and its history during that time is practically identical with that of the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry already noted. It was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, July 25, 1865.
Upon the muster rolls of the Eighteenth Iowa Infantry the name of George W. Dill appears as a private in Company C; Henry C. Adams, David S. Dalton, John Decou, John W. Donnel, Fountain W. George and Joshua Pearson served in Company F, and a majority of the members of Company G came from Marion County.
Company G was mustered in with Daniel P. Long as captain; J. D. S. Jordan, first lieutenant; William P. Cowman and William F. Welch, sergeants; James M. Williams, Samuel H. Worthington, Curtis W. Scoles and Jacob Bennett, corporals, and Houston Waggoner, musician.
Privates - Henry Addington, Isaac A. Allison, Benson C. Bellamy, Socrates N. Bellamy, Flavius J. Brobst, John Carr, William Christolear, Lewis Convers, Joseph Dean, John W. Ellsworth, Jesse C. H. Estes, Francis M. Flanders, William Goleaner, William Harvey, James B. Hodges, Joseph W. Houseman, William Jumper, Alfred King, Andrew M. McConnaghay, John McKinsey, George McMillen, William D. Middleton, John M. Miller, Rudolph Miller, William H. Moore, P. V. Murphy, Alonzo Niles, Samuel S. Petty, David C. Rigg, Joseph R. Rogers, William A. Rogers, John M. Settle, Leonidas M. Shappell, Willett Willis, William B. Young.
Recruits - Walter A. Geer, Elijah M. Estes, Seymour McKenzie and Winfield S. Young.
The Eighteenth was organized under the call of July 4, 1862, for 300,000 men and was mustered in on August 6, 1862, with John Edwards as colonel. Its service was chiefly in Missouri and Arkansas. Perhaps its most notable engagement was the one at Springfield, Missouri, January 8, 1863, when the regiment with only about five hundred men defeated a Confederate force of nearly four times that number under General Marmaduke, winning a decisive victory. On various occasions the Eighteenth conducted itself in such a manner as to call forth words of commendation from the superior officers in their official reports. During its term of service it marched 4,160 miles. It was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, August 5, 1865.
Of the 980 men that constituted the strength of this regiment on October 1, 1862, when it was mustered into the United States service, 283 were from Marion County. On the regimental staff were Hiram D. Gibson, major; Andrew F. Sperry, fife major, and William M. Scott, assistant surgeon. Major Gibson resigned on April 22, 1864, and the next day Capt. Cyrus B. Boydston, of Company A, was appointed to the vacancy. Companies A, G and I were practically raised in Marion County.
Company A was mustered in with Cyrus B. Boydston as captain; Samuel S. Pierce, first lieutenant (promoted to the captaincy on April 24, 1864); Erastus K. Wooddruff, second Lieutenant; James M. Cooper, Joshua T. Curtis, Lodrick C. Collins, Abijah W. Bishop and Thomas J. Wallace, sergeants; Oliver Schee, John McKinney, Ephraim Cooper, John M. Welch, Daniel Fort, Jacob Levan, Hugh W. Patterson and William T. Chrisman, corporals; James H. Chrisman, musician, and Nathaniel T. Richardson, wagoner.
Privates - William Antrim, Benjamin Barnhill, James S. Barnhill, James A. Beaver, Samuel W. Bellamy, Isaac Brees, Henry D. Brewster, George Brown, Wilson L. Brown, George L. Burdick, Daniel Busenburg, William Chambers, William R. Chambers, Zephaniah Chambers, William W. Craddick, John Craig, Francis Curtis, Hiram C. Day, George S. Downing, James T. Duncan, Leonard B. Feagins, David Fort, William Gibson, Stephen A. Gose, John Grant, Enoch G. Gregory, John W. Gregory, Alfred Hager, Greenville C. Hammond, Henry I. Hammond, Michael R. Harned, James L. Heaton, Samuel Heaton, Hiram P. Henry, Lewis Hiatt, James Hicks, Milton J. Hodges, William W. Hodges, Joseph Hunter, John Inman, George R. Ivey, John S. Johnston, Albert Jolliffe, John C. Kendrick, John P. Kennedy, John McElroy, William McGuire, William J. McKern, Jacob McPheeters, Alexander P. May, Hiram Miner, Milton Miner, William I. Morrow, William J. Mottern, John B. Nichols, Ozias D. Nichols, Layton H. North, Clark Reeves, Henry H. Reeves, Lorenzo D. Richey, James M. Roan, Thomas T. Roan, David W. Rowland, Levi J. Sampson, Jesse F. Sherwood, Jacob Shawver, George W. Smith, Hamilton E. Smith, John Snider, Jonathan S. Tindall, Jacob P. Todd, John H. Vandyke, Thomas I. Vandyke, Elijah Vernon, Simon Walker, Peter Walters, William J. Walters, James Wilkinson, James Willis, Thomas M. Wilson, James H. Wycoff, John W. Wycoff.
Recruits - Justus C. Baker, Jesse L. Booth, Maxwell H. Browning, John W. Harding, John Jeffers, Americus Kendrick, Peter McKinney, Robert A. Millen, William Miner, Joseph W. Nichols, David C. Ralston, James Smith, James H. Spurgin, William B. Strait.
The officers of Company G at the time of muster in were as follows: Lauriston W. Whipple, captain; John C. Klijn, second lieutenant; Lewis P. Cory and John S. Morgan, sergeants; Warnerus Sleyster, Henry C. Herbert, Gysbert Versteeg, Henry G. Ulsh, Geritt Van der Kamp, Nicholas Schippers and Lucien Reynolds, corporals; Thomas W. Cox and Andrew F. Sperry, musicians, and John G. Van Steenwyk, wagoner.
Privates - Samuel A. Baldwin, Hendrick Bauman, Jacob L. Bauman, William E. Beard, Jonathan M. Black, Henry L. Bousquet, Kryne de Bruijn, Cornelius Canine, William O. Downes, W. H. H. Downing, Joseph Dungan, Marin Englesma, John K. Fidler, James H. Ford, John Garrison , John Groen, Joseph D. Hamilton, William W. Hamilton, Allen Hamrick, John Q. Haven, Peter J. Haze, John Henry, Martinus Hol, Cornelius Klyne, Stephanus de Kock, Jacob Lemmons, Andrew J. McCollum, William S. McCullough, David McMichael, Valentine Mathes, John Metz, Jacob Miller, Nathan O. Moore, John Niermeyer, Sr., John Niermeyer, Jr., Julius M. A. Peters, Gilmore Price, Francis M. Pruit, John I. Rhynsburger, George c. Richardson, Herman D. Rubertus, Jacob H. Shull, Richard P. Shull, Sjoerd R. Sipnia, William P. Smiley, James S. Smith, John Squiers, Luke Stallard, Jacob Taylor, Theodore F. Thomas, William H. Thomas, Dirk Tol, George W. Towne, Daniel G. Ulsh, G. Van Steenwyk, S. S. R. P. Van der Meulen, Evert Van Beenschoten, Thomas I. Vineyard, Sanford Vorhies, Thomas D. Wallace, Martin Walraven, Herman Wheeler, Thomas Williamson, Daniel Wiser, Enos M. Wood.
Recruits - Henry D. Aikins, Tennis V. Blackland, James H. Davenport, David Dingeman, John W. Dingeman, Cornelius Dunnick, William H. Earp, Samuel Hansel, Larkin Martin, Levi Martin, Alexander Moore, Frank Nelson, charles Robbins, Charles M. Shull, Benjamin F. Steadman, Robert H. Steadman, Henry Swain, Henry J. Vandermaa, William Vorhies, Benjamin F. Ward, Thomas J. White, John W. Wycoff.
Company I was mustered in with Paris T. Totten as captain; John Henderson, first lieutenant; John Reichard, second lieutenant; Alpheus W. Gibson, Joseph M. Clark, Samuel I. Strong, John s. Hessenflow and Joseph Fisher, sergeants; John Y. McCorkle, Hans Ferguson, Henry J. Gunter, Levi Carrothers, James A. Gafford, Oscar L. Jones, John W. Mears and Preston A. Reed, corporals; John F. Hessenflow and Daniel Hutchison, musicians; Drewry S. Stevens, wagoner.
Privates - John D. Allison, John H. Anderson, George W. Applegate, Smith Banta, Sylvanus Baughman, John Bennett, Peter K. Bonebrake, Joseph Brobst, Josiah Brobst, Henry Carder, William I. Carrothers, George Conwell, William P. Coura, Azariah Dennis, Henry S. DeWitt, Smith Dunlap, Henry Farley, Isaac N. Funk, William P. Funk, Ephraim C. Gaston, James A. Gaston, Thaddeus Godfrey, William Goff, Eri Goodenough, Nathan P. Goodwin, William Graham, William H. Graham, Peter E. Hannan, James H. Hart, Jacob M. Hayes, Clayton Haynes, John M. Henderson, William M. Henderson, John Henry, Lewis P. Horn, Jacob Hornback, Arnold B. Hutchinson, William Irons, Hubbard Jacobs, John Layton, Frederick Lemburger, John M. McClelland, Joseph L. McCorkle, Samuel McMillen, Samuel Manor, Solon S. Neal, James A. Newman, Enoch Palmer, William H. Parker, Ira A. Pearson, Young Pearson, Joseph P. Pitts, William W. Pope, Andrew M. Rankin, Harvey Rankin, Walter Ream, Josiah Richards, Joseph A. Riddell, John H. Ridgway, William Rowland, Alexander Scott, John N. Shepherd, David S. Smith, George J. Smith, Thomas Smith, John S. Snyder, Hezekiah Sphon, John Sphon, George W. Stanfield (promoted to sergeant), James W. Strong, George R. Teed, John S. Vandlah, Andrew Welch, David T. Welch, James I. Welch, Damon D. Willey, Nathaniel D. Willey, William W. Wolf, James M. Wolfe, Calvin Woodward, Jacob Woodward.
Recruits - Jacob B. Gibson, John W. Long, John W. McCorkle, John W. Maddy, William G. Reed, Edgar F. Seims, John Templin.
In addition to the above, the following Marion County men enlisted in the Thirty-third Infantry and served in other companies: John V. Auten, Daniel Bacon, Francis H. Brown, William D. Brown, William P. Campbell, Orville R. Dunnington, Harvey Fisk, Joseph B. Foster, Jacob B. Gilson, William H. Harding, George Houghan, Vincent Leach, Alexander McMillen, Henry McMillen, John H. Miller Josiah Miner, Charles D. O’Neal, Evans B. Penland, Ezra H. Perkins, George E. Persons, John Richards, John Shilling, Freeman H. Stone, Thaddeus Sturdefant, Dennis Terry, John T. Vernon, William Vernon.
The Thirty-third Infantry was organized by Gen. Samuel A. Rice and left Iowa on November 20, 1862, for St. Louis. From there it was ordered to Columbus, Kentucky, where it remained engaged in building earthworks until January 8, 1863, when it embarked for Helena, Arkansas. From that point it took part in several expedition into the surrounding country. With only about five hundred men it defeated a force of over two thousand commanded by General Hood, who had boasted that he would eat his dinner in Helena on the Fourth of July. In this action the Thirty-third captured as many prisoners as it had men engaged. Hood fell back toward Little Rock, the Union forces following, and on September 10, 1863, that city was captured. Here the regiment remained in log barracks until in March, 1864, when it formed part of the expeditionary forces into Southwest Arkansas, after which it marched with General Steele to Camden. It was engaged at Prairie d’Ane, Jenkins’ Ferry, Elkins’ Ford and several minor skirmishes, and on April 15, 1864, entered Camden. The only rations received here were four ears of corn for each man daily. This they ground in hand mills and made into cakes. The regiment was ordered back to Little Rock early in May and remained on garrison duty there until the following February when it was ordered to New Orleans. It was then on duty in Alabama for several months. In June, 1865, it was ordered to Brazos Island, Texas, but returned to New Orleans and was there mustered out on July 17, 1865, except the recruits, who were assigned to the Thirty-fourth regiment.
Twenty-six Marion County men were enrolled in Company E of this regiment. Louis G. Carter was mustered in as eighth corporal; Moses E. Thorpe, musician; James W. Stout, wagoner, and the following served as privates: John F. Cain, Samuel Carpenter, Daniel Dalrymple, John W. Dingeman (transferred from the Thirty-third), John Estes, Willis A. Graves, Thomas L. Hall, Thomas W. Holloway, James Leeper, Samuel Lough, George W. McGlothlen, Amos Mason, William J. Moon, Charles W. Mumford, Newber Newbern, Joseph E. Salyards, George Sams, John W. Vickroy, David Wasson, Noah M. Webb, Pleasant Williams, Isaac C. Wood, W. H. H. Young. There were also a few Marion County men in Companies D and G, but their names appear on the muster rolls of those companies in such a way that they cannot be distinguished.
The Thirty-fourth rendezvoused at Burlington, where it was mustered in on October 15, 1862. It soon became known as the “Star Regiment,” on account of its perfection in drill and the discipline that prevailed among the members. Soon after it was mustered in it was ordered to Helena, Arkansas, where it joined the Thirteenth Army Corps for the Yazoo Pass expedition. Later it distinguished itself in the capture of Arkansas Post. After that engagement it was detailed to guard some five thousand Confederate prisoners enroute to Camp Douglas, Chicago, and on the way small-pox broke out among the prisoners. Several of the regiment contracted the disease and a few deaths occurred. Upon rejoining the army in front of Vicksburg the regiment was assigned to General Herron’s Division and was in the trenches on the extreme left of the Union Line until the city capitulated. The Thirty-fourth was then transferred to the Department of the Gulf and in the spring of 1864 constituted part of General Banks’ forces in the ill-fated Red River expedition. In July, 1864, it aided in the reduction of the forts at the mouth of the Mobile River, after which it was ordered to Texas. In December, 1864, its numbers were augmented by consolidation with the Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantry, though it retained its number, and in July, 1865, it was again augmented by the addition of the recruits of the Thirty-third. It was mustered out at Houston, Texas, August 13, 1865.
A considerable portion of Company D, Thirty-sixth Infantry, came from Marion County. Simeon Liggett and Ira B. Sharon served as sergeants, Francis M. Epperson held the rank of third corporal, and the following were enrolled as privates: Jacob F. Coder, Watson W. Coder, Isaac Crumpson, Amhurst M. Darnell, William H. Darnell, Daniel T. Fall, Joseph Griffis, John Huntley, Parker Jones, Mervin T. Keernan, Charles L. Ladd, Henry C. Lyman, Horace M. Lyman, James R. McGruder, Frantz Marquardt, Curtis Moffatt, David F. Newsom, Lucien L. Parker, John W. Robinson, Stacy Sinclair, John Stillwell, Abram Umbenhower, Francis Whitinger, Andrew J. Willsey.
Recruits - Howard R. Allen, Hiram L. Boner, Moses R. Buster, Harvey Carr, Francis M. Danetz, Abner W. Lyman, Charles Moulton, William B. Noel, George E. Scott, Christopher C. Sharon, Philip Sinclair, Sydney F. Tyrrell, Peter M. Willsey.
The regiment was mustered in at Keokuk on October 4, 1862, and soon afterward was ordered to report to General Curtis at Helena, Arkansas. It took part in the Yazoo Pass Expedition and assisted in the defeat of Hood’s forces at Helena on July 4, 1863. Early in August, 1863, it joined General Steele for the march to Camden and on this expedition it fought at Elkins’ Ford. Prairie d’Ane, Mark’s Mills, Jenkins’ Ferry and Camden. At Elkins’ Ford a portion of the Thirty-sixth saved the day by a charge that routed the enemy “horse, foot and dragoons.” On April 26, 1864, the brigade to which the regiment was attached was attacked by a vastly superior force at Mark’s Mills and after a stubborn resistance of several hours was overpowered and captured. The prisoners were taken to Tyler, Texas, where they were kept - subjected to starvation and almost inhuman treatment - until the spring of 1865, when they were exchanged. The regiment was mustered out at Duvall’s Bluff, Arkansas, August 24, 1865.
This organization was commonly called the “Grey Beard Regiment,” because it was composed of men over forty-five years of age and therefore not really subject to military duty. It was organized under special orders of the War Department, dated August 11, 1862 with the distinct provision that the regiment should be employed only in post and garrison duty and should not be required to make long marches or undergo the exposure of actual field service. Owing to age of the members, quite a number of counties in the state were represented. Marion County furnished eight men for Company E, of which Edwin Davis was second lieutenant; Hartzell Wycoff, fifth sergeant, and the following served as privates: Hugh Logan, Jacob Neeley, Alexander H. Porter, David Ross, Samuel H. Strahan and Allen Sumner.
The regiment was mustered in at Muscatine on December 15, 1862, with George W. Kincaid as colonel. It was stationed at St. Louis, Alton, Memphis, Rock Island and other points and was rarely employed in a body. In July, 1864, fifty men of this regiment were detailed to guard a supply train on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. On the way the train was fired upon by bushwhackers and two men were killed. The “old boys” then hit upon the expedient of making the enemy do guard duty. The train was halted and forty prominent citizens in the locality were arrested and taken aboard. Each day twenty of these citizens were placed in plain view and the enemy could not attack the train without the risk of killing some of their friends. The plan was continued until the attacks on the train ceased. During the entire term of service the regiment lost but three men killed in action and four wounded. It was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, May 24, 1865.
Marion County was represented in six companies of this regiment - A, F, G, H, I and K - and five men from the county served on the regimental staff, to-wit: Admiral B. Miller, quartermaster; James R. Broderick, quartermaster sergeant; Hamilton J. Scoles, assistant surgeon; Norman R. Cornell, transferred for the Twenty-third Regiment for promotion to surgeon; and Samuel F. C. Garrison, chaplain.
Company A was mustered in with Martin V. B. Bennett, captain; Thomas J. Anderson, first lieutenant; William Blain, second lieutenant; George F. Burzette, first sergeant; Samuel Graham, second; Bartlett F. Ballard, third; James C. Jarman, fourth; Wilson S. Whaley, fifth; Reuben A. Clearwater, first corporal; Archibald Liggitt, second; Pinkney S. Miller, third; Thomas P. Thornburg, fourth; David Clearwater, fifth: Charles W. Brandon, sixth; Alexander Copeland, seventh; Solomon Benson, eighth.
Privates - Isaac C. Allen, Theodore B. Allen, Peter Aulman, Samuel Bacon, William Benson, Henry Bowman, Leroy Brannon, Alexander V. Campbell, John H. Childers, Willis W. Clearwater, Josiah Clifton, Lord S. Coffman, Morris Coffman, James E. Dowd, Marsenia S. Everett, William Farr, Henderson Fenton, William H. Glenn, John W. Godfrey, William Head, George W. Hegwood, John Hegwood, Wiley Hegwood, William E. Hyer, Charles M. Howard, Jackson Howard, Peter Howard, William A. Johnson, John A. Johnston, James G. Kinkaid, Jackson Knotts, Fridolin Kubli, Benjamin Lee, John Lee, Josiah Lee, William Lee, Thomas J. Lock, Samuel H. Lyons, William McLaughlin, Monroe C. Martin, Sylvester S. May, Jeremiah Moore, Tilford H. Mullen, Charles H. Newbury, Richard H. Nicholas, Benjamin M. Parsons, Samuel H. Parsons, Nathaniel Porter, William Prouty, James R. Reynolds, John Reynolds, John S. Reynolds, Treanor Reynolds, Delavan B. Roberts, James A. Rusk, Henry Shoemaker, David Simmons, Hosea Simmons, Jake Simmons, James C. Smith, Asa Staley, Alexander Stroud, Willis Stroud, Sylvester Vanderford, Robert Vernon, William H. Webb.
Recruits - Henry C. Adams, Samuel Anderson, William D. Bayless, John Brannnon, David Chrisman, John E. Lewis, James M. Smith, Joseph Thompson.
The following officers of Company F, at the time of muster in, were from Marion County: Ebenezer W. Ridlen, captain; Oliver H. S. Kennedy, first lieutenant; William W. Veigler, first sergeant; Alexander Kinkaid, second sergeant; Israel Yarger, fourth sergeant; Jefferson Hunt, first corporal; Aaron Roebuck, sixth corporal.
Privates - Samuel Agan, William Agan, Josiah Brown, Richard Brown, John H. Carpenter, Beverly Carter, Philip Carter, Columbus Chambers, Jacob Christmore, Jacob Colclasure, James L. Cox, Elijah Croy, John Dyer, Elijah England, Milton Etcher, Ambrose J. Flanagan, Thomas H. Fink, Elijah P. Hill, Abraham Hillis, George W. Horton, James A. Horton, John J. Horton, Francis P. Howan, Samuel Hunt, Darius Jackson, Joseph Jennings, William T. Kinkaid, Joseph Landon, James A. Lawhead, William London, Harrison L. Lounsburg, Charles B. Lutz, James R. McKenzie, James H. McLain, Jonathan McLain, Abraham M. Macomb, Isaiah L. Mason, James R. Mason, Josphus Mason, Francis A. May, Henry Miller, Allen Mitchell, James M. Newby, Calvin C. Ridlen, Joseph Roebuck, George T. Smith, George W. Smith, James A. Smith, Robert S. Thomas, Stephen H. Thomas, Andrew J. Wade, Thomas Wilson.
Recruits - Joseph H. Adams, Isaac Cooley, Timothy M. Horton, A. McConnaughey, Christopher C. Macomb, William B. Mason, Alvin M. Neal, Thomas K. Pearce, John W. Rich, Moses Smith, John Stradley, Andrew B. Stone, Joseph Walker, T. Israel Williams.
Company G, when it entered the United States’ service, was officered by Thomas Jenkins, captain; David C. Jordan, first lieutenant; Henry B. Keefer, second lieutenant; Josiah P. Dennis, William T. Baird, Thomas Canady, Jackson A. Brewer, sergeants in the order named; John F. Fee, first corporal; William S McKinney, second; Alfred H. Eaton, third; John H. Taggart, fourth; Jerome T. Gibbs, fifth; William Carle, sixth; Francis M. Walker, seventh; William W. Hardin, eighth.
Privates - W. W. Adams, Hugh J. Allison, Edward Arnold, Stephen S. Arnold, William Askern, William Bailey, William Barpee, James R. Broderick, Henry C. Brown, George A. Burnett, David M. Butcher, Daniel F. Coats, John M. Cooper, D. W. Cunningham, Seth Davies, William M. Dotson, Lewis T. Evans, John S. Everett, Alexander J. Fee, Henry Ferguson, John A. Fight, James N. Flanagan, William B. Freeman, Thomas M. Greenman, Thomas M. Gresham, Ernest Hartz, Eli H. Hoshaw, John G. Headley, Arthur J. Hubbart (transferred to Sixteenth Kentucky Calvalry as quartermaster), Joseph C. Jenkins, Theodore J. Johnson, William F. Jones, William M. Jordan, Henry J. Lawhead, George Lee, Nathaniel M. Lee, William T. Lehigh, Ransom Long, John A. Loveless, A. M. McConnaughey, Andrew McMicken, Eli Moon, Abraham Oakes, Alfred N. Overton, Ora O. Owen, Robert Patton, George W. Pettit, Asa Polson, John P. Polson, Daniel Pope, William H. Pope, Hugh G. Richards, John Ricket, John N. Rossin, Emory A. Sage, Jacob Schlotterback, Charles Schrader, William H. Shappel, Samuel P. Shaw, Jacob Sherman, Jesse S. Sherwood, David L. Shiner, Martin V. Silvers, Henry C. Smith, Jacob F. C. Smith, John M. Smith, Wellington South, David Speer, Peter Sprey, Wilson F. Stradley, Silas Taylor, James Thompson, Samuel P. Thomas, James T. Thrasher, Gabriel Webber, Eugene L. Wines, Melancthon E. Young.
Recruits - James M. Auld, Josiah Bivins, George F. Buzzard, James Ford, James Harvey, Nathaniel Hopkins, John G. Hunt, Abraham C. McConnaughey, Andrew J. McConnaughey, John A. Seams, Daniel W. Stone, Levi J. Thrasher, William Thrasher, William Turley.
Company H was mustered in with Peter M. Johnson as captain; Nathan Richards, first lieutenant; Caleb J. Amos, second lieutenant; Elsbury J. Stamper, first sergeant; John H. Dawson, second sergeant; John Carr, third sergeant; Samuel F. C. Garrison, fourth sergeant; Robert J. Simmons, fifth sergeant, and Elisha Reese, Edmund White, William Williams, Thomas B. Amos, Benjamin Ford, William Vanandol, John C. Core and John M. Karr as corporals in the order named.
Privates - Thomas Scott, George Sellers, Elias T. Simpson, Elijah Stephens, Meindert Tillema, Gideon A. Towne, Oliver H. Towne, Thomas C. Van Pelt, Wilton K. Walker, John W. Wikle, Hardin M. Williams, Thomas W. Worth, Mordecai Yearns.
Recruits - James M. Cannon, Andrew C. Chestnut, William Clark, Franklin DeMoss, Thomas DeMoss, Joseph Hollingsworth, Benjamin M. Hyatt, Henry A. Jarnagin, William H. Knotts, John Lancaster, Hugh Logan, Isaac McConnaughey, Homer D. Martin, William F. Moor, Thomas M. Norris, Nathaniel Shonkwiler, Francis M. West.
In Company I, Orin W. Avery was enrolled as first sergeant and Charles S. Powers as a private. Nineteen Marion County men were enrolled as privates in Company K, to-wit: John Ballard, John W. Band, John Brannon, Samuel Carr (transferred from Company C), David E. Homan, Seth Jones, Benjamin T. Kennedy, James F. Kennedy, Anthony Kesler, Giles M. Mothorn, David E. Shauer, Isaiah Sheeler, James M. Sittuth, Jacob R. Smith, Payne Smith, George W. Stephens, John Stradley, Joseph Thompson, Jesse Walker.
Two men - George D. Karr and Amos Polson - are known to have enlisted from Marion County, but the companies in which they served are not known for certain. Altogether, 341 Marion County men served in the Fortieth Infantry at some period of its history.
The regiment was mustered in on November 15, 1862, and was immediately ordered to Columbus, Kentucky, where it spent the winter. Early in March, 1863, it was ordered to Paducah, Kentucky, and on the last day of that month received orders to proceed at once to Vicksburg and join the army commanded by Gen. U. S. Grant. During the siege of Vicksburg it was stationed at Haines’ Bluff, where a number of the men died on account of the climate and bad water they were compelled to use. After the surrender of Vicksburg the regiment was ordered to Helena, Arkansas, where it soon afterward joined General Steele’s expedition against Little Rock. In the spring of 1864 it formed part of General Steele’s expeditionary forces against Camden. On this expedition it was engaged at Okalona, Prairie d’Ane, Jenkins’ Ferry and a number of slight skirmishes, in all of which the men of the Fortieth gave a good account of themselves. Just before the battle of Jenkins’ Ferry colonel Garrett, commanding the regiment, addressed the men as follows: “Boys, we will probably have a little fight. Remember your own good name and the fair fame of the glorious young state which sent you to the field. Don’t tarnish it. Do you see that flag? Follow and defend it. Don’t shoot at the sky; there are no rebels up there. That climate does not suit them. Aim low and send them where they belong. That’s all.”
In this action the regiment had about six hundred men engaged and lost six killed and thirty-four wounded, several of whom afterward died. Four men were reported captured and one missing. Not long after this battle the regiment returned to Little Rock where it remained until February, 1865. It was then assigned to General Bussey’s command at Fort Smith, that officer having requested the War Department to send him a “first rate regiment.” Subsequently the Fortieth was sent to Fort Gibson, where it remained on duty until mustered out on August 2, 1865.
In the spring of 1864, when the War Department and the generals in the field were planning the three great campaigns that ended the war, the governors of some of the Mississippi Valley states held a meeting and suggested the advisability of calling out a large number of men to serve in garrisons, etc., for a period of one hundred days, thus relieving veteran troops that might be used in the field. Accordingly, April 21, 1864, President Lincoln issued his proclamation calling for 100,000 men to serve for one hundred days. The Forty-seventh Iowa Infantry was the state’s response to this call. Although Marion County up to this time had furnished more men than her quota, there were still many who were willing to take up arms in defense of the Union, and a large part of Company A was recruited in the county. That company was mustered in with the regiment on June 10, 1864, at Davenport, with the following officers:
John L. McCormack, captain; Melvin Stone, second lieutenant; Ellison R. Wright, first sergeant; Addison R. Byers, second sergeant; Chester L. Collins, third sergeant; Samuel Mills, fourth sergeant; Morgan H. Beach, first corporal; Oliver P. Wright, second corporal; Charles Englefield, third corporal; William P. Sherwood, seventh corporal; John M. Settle, eighth corporal; William P. Patton, musician.
Privates - Harrison P. Allen, Wilson S. Bonebrake, L. G. Boydston, charles Brous, Albert O. Burch, Leonard Chrisman, Lysander W. Clark, Van M. Coffman, John J. Counsil, William Cowman, James H. Deen, Thomas R. Dennis, John A. Gibson, John H. Hart, Adam Hays, Simon Henry, Albert Hockett, Thomas Horn, James W. Jackson, William T. Johnson, James H. McCorkle, James McKee, James N. Mathers, Joseph K. Moon, Alpheus D. Phelps, Frank I. Quick, Nathan W. Reed, Adin W. Rouze, Oliver Schee (promoted sergeant-major), John W. Smith, Payton A. Smith, Arthur Tennis, George W. Ungles, John Wagoner, William Wall, John B. Watts, Oscar W. Watts, George A. Wikle, John W. Wolfe, Robert L. Worth, Allen V. Wright (promoted to principal musician), William M. Wycoff, Alvin Young, James B. Young.
Thomas L. Collins served as fifth sergeant in Company F, and George W. Barker, who enlisted as a private in Company I, was promoted to sixth corporal on June 29, 1864.
On the regimental staff of the Third Cavalry, Franklin M. Warford served as assistant surgeon until January 26, 1864, when he was transferred to the Fourth Arkansas Cavalry as surgeon. Company K was raised in Marion County, and at the time it was mustered in was officered as follows: Jacob F. Miller, captain; Martin Cherrie, first lieutenant; George W. Stamm, quartermaster sergeant; John H. Palmer, second sergeant; Charles W. Sherman, third sergeant; James H. W. Riggs, fourth sergeant; Charles Quick, fifth sergeant; James Huff, first corporal; James B. Brown, fifth corporal; Henry T. Smith, seventh corporal; John T. Spillman, eighth corporal; Peter M. Jumper, farrier; Wesley Woodward, saddler.
Privates - Henry Adams, Wilson Angel, Morris Askins, William H. H. Barker, James V. Deacom, Judson Bunn, Orrin Canfield, James Carr, Robert H. Chambers, John Fox, Matthew B. Gray, Henry C. Hall, W. H. Himes, David Hodgson, James W. Honnold, Newton C. Honnold (promoted to second lieutenant), William Horner, William A. Kelly, Jacob L. Kirk, Richard Liike, George W. Lemmon, James Logan, Jacob H. McVey, James Marsh, Stanton B. Millan (promoted to battalion saddle sergeant), Josephus Miller (promoted to commissary sergeant), James Mumford, Conrad Newsom,
William Pack, Marcus Packard, Israel W. Randel, William J. Richardson, James Roberts, John W. Simpson, George Smith (promoted to sergeant and later to farrier), Almer D. Steele, Patrick H. Steele (promoted to bugler), Francis M. Terry, John Wall, Samuel L. Ward (promoted to battalion sergeant-major), Thomas Wasson, Robert L. West, John Williams, David E. Wilson, Pleasant Wilson, Asher P. Wykoff.
Recruits - S. W. Bellamy, Joseph Caffrey, Wilber E. Campbell, Daniel H. Debord, Allen W. Forsythe, Rollin Gardner, Jesse V. Glenn, George F. S. Griffin, George Harlow, Solomon L. Hart, Elias Hoover, Samuel Inman, George W. Jumper, James P. Kelly, Silas King, William T. Logan, Leopold Liike, Newton Lyons, Thomas J. Marshall, James Miner, Alexander Montgomery, George W. Morrisey, Bennett I. Pack, Wesley PRingle, Hiram Randall, Hiram Reynolds, Martin J. Reynolds, Albert Spaur, George H. Tabor, Albert E. VanHouten, Joseph Vos, James W. Waln, Horace G. Williams.
The Third Cavalry was mustered in at Keokuk on September 14, 1861, and its first service was in protecting the southern border of Iowa against an invasion from Missouri. Early in November it was ordered to St. Louis and arrived at Benton Barracks with 1,100 men. Here it was fully equipped and for some time served by detachments, the men literally “living in the saddle.” Part of the regiment was engaged in the skirmishes at Moore’s Mill, Florida and Kirksville, but the first real battle in which it took part was a Pea Ridge, Arkansas, March 7, 1862. For some time before this the regiment had been engaged in scouting and reconnoitering for the enemy, who was concentrating a large force in the direction of the Boston Mountains. At Pea Ridge the Third was surrounded and cut off from the main body of the Union forces, but by a desperate hand-to-hand fight the men cut their way out and rejoined the brigade. This was the most severe engagement of the regiment during its entire term of service. During the summer of 1862 it was employed in scouting about Batesville and Helena, Arkansas, but in December it was assigned to the cavalry division of the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Gen. C. C. Washburne. In June, 1863, it joined General Grant’s army in front of Vicksburg and during the siege of that city it was engaged in watching the fords and ferries on the Big Black River. It formed the advance of Sherman’s forces against Jackson, Mississippi, after the surrender of Vicksburg, and then returned to Arkansas. Subsequently it participated in the pursuit and defeat of Price’s army in Missouri and later was with Gen. J. H. Wilson’s cavalry in Tennessee and Georgia until mustered out at Atlanta, August 9, 1865.
This regiment rendezvoused at Mount Pleasant, where it was mustered in on January 1, 1862, with Asbury B. Porter as colonel. It was composed for the most part of young men and was one of the best mounted regiments in the service. Colonel Porter was a good judge of a horse, and his motto seemed to be “The best is none too good.” Fifteen Marion County men were enrolled in Company F. John Anthony held the rank of third corporal, and the following served as privates: Jacob Blatner, Solomon Bremen, George A. Burnham, John G. Carson, Cornelius Carter, Henry A. Cole, Newton J. Earp, Thomas B. Frazier, John Koolbeck, William Langerak, William McCabe, Peter Van Rooyen, Nathaniel D. Walton, Solomon Weaver.
In Company L Seven men from Marion were enrolled as privates, viz.: George W. Black, William M. Clutter, Henry J. Croll, Wilson B. George, Joseph H. Jones (promoted to corporal), Hezekiah J. Phelps and Lamrick C. Vinyard. There were also a few in Companies G and K, but there is no way of distinguishing their names on the muster rolls.
The regiment remained in Camp Harlan at Mount Pleasant until March 10, 1862, when it received orders to move at once to Rolla, Missouri. From there it was sent to Springfield, and a little later to Helena, Arkansas. During the early service of the regiment the companies were engaged chiefly in the performance of detached duty, scouting and occasionally skirmishing with the enemy. Company F captured a steamboat loaded with sugar and molasses, and a train of about one hundred wagons loaded with provisions. Late in November, 1862, the regiment was united and joined General Hovey’s expedition toward Grenada, Mississippi. During this movement several miles of railroad were destroyed. On the last day of April, 1863, the Fourth joined General Grant’s army at Milliken’s Bend and started on the campaign that ended with the surrender of Vicksburg. It was nest in the battle of Jackson, Mississippi, then in the expedition to Memphis, formed the advance of Sherman’s forces in the movement against Meridian, Mississippi, and was with General Grierson on the raid through that state. During the year 1863 it took part in thirty engagements and traveled over two thousand miles. Its last service was with General Wilson on the raid to Macon, Georgia, in the spring of 1865. On this raid the regiment captured over two thousand prisoners, 1,650 stands of arms, 21 pieces of artillery, 10 battle flags, 738 horses and 142 mules. It also destroyed a large amount of property, including the great military supply depot of the Confederacy. It was mustered out at Atlanta, Georgia, August 10, 1865.
This regiment was organized at Davenport in the spring of 1863. Marion County was represented in six companies. Peter McKinney and William Utterback served as privates in Company A; Alexander C. Bates and Marcus L. Noftsger, in Company B; Harrison Smith and Franklin Gordie, in Company C; James H. May and Seneca M. Tefft, in Company D; Israel Gibson and Joseph Walker, in Company E; George A. Barker and John T. McKinney, in Company G.
Soon after the regiment was mustered in it was ordered to the country west of the Missouri River to aid in the subjugation of the hostile Indians in that section. This was a disappointment to the men, who wanted to fight secessionists. It is impossible to give a connected history of the regiment for the reason that the companies were nearly always on detached duty, scouting, chasing Indian war parties, burning Indian camps and villages, fighting bushwhackers or hunting horse thieves. So well did the men perform the arduous duties assigned them that they became known as the “Hiowa ‘ell ‘ounds,” a sobriquet first given to the regiment in a spirit of facetiousness, but it characterized its fighting qualities and stuck. The Seventh was mustered out by detachments, the last to leave the service being mustered out at Leavenworth, Kansas, May 17, 1866.
The Ninth Cavalry was organized at Davenport and was mustered into the service of the United States on the last day of November, 1863. Seventeen Marion County men enlisted in Company I - William H. Gibson, as sixth sergeant, and the following as privates: James S. Angel, John E. Cavin, George R. Dalrymple, James Gibson, Johnathan Gibson, Jacob E. Haines, William H. Jamazin, Henry C. Knapp, William K. Lonsbury, James McCoy, Andrew J. Newberry, Lucius H. Phillips, George W. Shular, Charles Walker, Lorenzo W. Waln, John H. Worth.
During the winter of 1863-64 the regiment was quartered at Benton Barracks, St. Louis. In April, 1864, it was ordered to Little Rock, Arkansas, and its entire service from that time was in that state. It was active in scouting, breaking up guerrilla bands, etc., though it took no part in any severe engagements. It was mustered out by detachments at Little Rock during the months of February and March, 1866.
In addition to the Marion County men who served in the above enumerated organizations, there were quite a number who served in other regiments. Following is a list of those enlistments, which it is believed is as complete as can be made from the adjutant-general’s reports of the Civil war:
Simeon C. Babcock, William J. Roth, Henry A. Todd, Wilson S. Vernon, Garrett C. Wicklie, Samuel Wilkins, Sixteenth Infantry; Thomas J. Donaldson and Jeremiah Gullion, Twenty-second Infantry; Calvin Otterson, John Phifer and William Phifer, Twenty-third Infantry; William Atkinson and Joseph L. Wilson, Thirty-fourth Infantry; Noah Kelso, Thirty-seventh Infantry; John M. Collier, Thirty-ninth Infantry; Joseph R. Duncan, Daniel S. Poush and William Z. Taylor, Forty-sixth Infantry; A. B. Botsford, John F. Graffe and Wiliam Lough, Forty-eighth Infantry.
William C. Phillips, Enos Luckadoo and Samuel Mitchell were enrolled as members of the First Colored Infantry, a regiment of colored troops raised in the fall of 1863, to which Iowa contributed 106 men. It was known as the “First Infantry of African Descent.”
In the cavalry service William Shaklee served in the Second Regiment; Stewart Nichols, Timothy Redlin and Joshua Shuey, in the Third; William Rose, in the Fourth; William b. Lydick and Frederick Outcult, in the Eighth, and Samuel L. Beaver and Samuel Sherwood, in the Seventh Missouri Cavalry.
According to the United States census, the population of Marion county in 1860 was 16,318. The number of votes cast for secretary of state in that year was 3,127. Under the various calls for volunteers the county furnished 1,372 men, or 562 more than the actual quota required by the War Department. This was one soldier for every twelve inhabitants, and considerably more than one-third of the voting population. No draft was necessary at any time to secure the necessary number of men assigned to the county. What county in the Union can show a more honorable record?
Of the 1,372 men that enlisted from Marion, 34 served as regimental staff officers, 35 held the rank of captain, 33 served as first lieutenants, and 35 wore the shoulder straps of second lieutenant. A few of the old veterans are still living, and it is a source of congratulation to them, as well as to the sons of those who have answered the last roll call, that the word “deserter” is hard to find in the official records after the name of a Marion County man. They came from a newly-settled country, many of them were inured to the hardships of the frontier, and they stood the hardships of the long march, the camp and field better than many troops from the older states east of the Mississippi. Their record is one of honorable duty, well performed.
Scarcely had the echoes of the footsteps of the first company that marched to the front died away when it became apparent that some systematic aid should be extended to the families of some of those who had volunteered. To meet this condition a meeting was called at the courthouse in Knoxville on May 22, 1861, “for the purpose of taking action in regard to making provisions for the families of persons who have volunteered for the present war,” etc.
At the meeting a committee, consisting of James Matthews, R. B. Allender and Joshua Swallow, was appointed to formulate a plan by which soldiers’ families might receive the necessary aid. This committee presented a petition to the county board of supervisors, asking for an appropriation to cover expenses already incurred and further to extend assistance to those who stood in need. The petition was referred to the finance committee of the board, which on June 7, 1861, submitted the following report:
“That in pursuance of the authority vested in the committee appointed by said meeting, to procure clothing, uniforms, &c., for the Knoxville volunteers, they have expended for those purposes $659.50, for which specified accounts have been placed in our hands; and it further appears, by satisfactory evidence, that there are three families of volunteers left in the Town of Knoxville, two of whom are quite destitute and will have to be supported by the aid and liberality of the county in its aggregate capacity, or by uncertain charity, and the other family will need some pecuniary aid. We think if there is any subject which could be presented for our action more important and more worthy of our serious consideration than another, it is the one submitted to your committee.
“A policy which would leave in poverty and destitution the families of persons who have volunteered to serve as soldiers in defense of the Constitution and the flag of our common country, to jeopardize their lives to war against flagrant rebellion and treason, would be totally unworthy of the loyalty and patriotism of the people we represent, and, believing the object prayed for by the petition to be within the general powers of this board of supervisors, we recommend the adoption of the following resolutions:
“1. That orders be issued upon the county treasurer of Marion County for the sum of $659.50 to meet the expenses of uniforms, clothing, &c. for the volunteers and that they be issued in such sums as may be convenient to pay the several items exhibited to your committee.
“2. That orders be issued as aforesaid to the amount of $340.50, to be issued and drawn in such sums and at such times as may be actually necessary for the support of the families mentioned in said petition, said appropriation and support to be afforded to each of said families only so long as the head thereof shall remain in service in the present war.
“3. That James Matthew, R. B. Allender and Joshua Swallow be a committee to carry into execution the last named resolution, with full powers in the premises, and that they report their doings to the next meeting of the board.”
The resolutions were adopted by a vote of seven to five. The five members who voted in the negative did not do so because they were opposed to granting relief to the needy families, but merely because they questioned the legality of such an action on the part of the board. The majority took the view that in extreme cases extreme action was necessary and that the course of the board could be legalized afterward if it was found that existing laws did not cover cases of this character. They believed that the patriotism of the Iowa people was such that no legislature would refuse to legalize the acts of a board of county supervisors in granting relief to the families of those who had taken up arms to sustain the Federal Government in its dire distress.
On July 9, 1861, the relief committee - Messrs. Matthews, Allender and Swallow - reported expenditures of $122.38 for the support of the families mentioned in their petition, and the board ordered warrants drawn for the several amount shown by the bills presented. This was the beginning of the relief work in Marion County - a work which went on until the close of the war. Just how much the county expended for charitable purposes in its official capacity would be difficult to ascertain. At nearly every meeting of the board of supervisors during the war orders were drawn to meet the calls for relief. And it would be still more difficult to estimate the amount given in individual offerings by the large-hearted and charitably - inclined people of the county. No doubt the aggregate of these offering ran into the thousands of dollars. It was the kind of charity that “let not the left hand know what the right hand doeth,” and no accounts were kept. Many a basket of provisions or bundle of clothing found its way without ostentation to the home of some soldier’s wife. Sons and daughters of volunteers were given preference int he matter of employment by many of the citizens. Shoes, mittens, school books, etc., were provided for soldiers' children, and in many other ways relief was afforded to those who had sent their loved ones to the front to preserve the Union. And it is greatly to the credit of these noble women that they accepted these charitable offerings without being humiliated with the thought that they were paupers. They realized the fact that such assistance was but the throb of the great, loyal heart of the American people - a recognition of their sacrifice in giving up the defenders of their home to become the defenders of the nation.
Transcribed by Mary E. Boyer, February 2007, reformatted by Al Hibbard 10 Oct 2013