The ten companies assigned to the
Twenty-fourth Infantry were ordered into quarters by Governor Samuel J.
Kirkwood on dates ranging from the 16th to the 28th day of August, 1862.
The rendezvous designated in the order was "Camp Strong," Muscatine, Iowa,
where the companies were mustered into the service of the United States on
the 18th day of September, 1862, by Captain H. B. Hendershott of the
Regular Army. The aggregate number of the regiment at the completion of
its organization was 979 (1). The revised roster, which follows this
historical sketch, shows the names of the field and staff and company
officers at the completion of the organization of the regiment; it also
shows the changes which subsequently occurred, the additional enlistments
and the name of every officer and enlisted man who at any time belonged to
the regiment, together with the condensed record of their personal
service, compiled from the official records.
Great care has been taken in
making the transcripts and, where it was possible to obtain evidence to
complete records that were found to be incomplete, it has been done. No
doubt there are errors and omissions in the original records that have
been perpetuated in the revised rosters, but it is hoped that the number
has been reduced to the minimum and that, in the main, the records will be
found correct. Many of the official reports-so necessary to enable a
complete history of the operations of the regiment to be compiled-are
lacking, but in making up this condensed history the compiler has availed
himself of such sources of information, not found in the official records,
as could be considered reliable, and has been careful to avoid making any
statement not strictly in accord with the facts.
The regiment remained at
Camp Strong until the 19th of October, 1862, on which date it marched to
the levee at Muscatine and, embarking on transports, proceeded to St.
Louis, where orders were received to proceed at once to Helena, Ark. There
it arrived and disembarked on the 28th of October, going into camp just
south of the city and joining the brigade commanded by Colonel McGinnis of
the Eleventh Indiana. Many of the men had been attacked by sickness while
upon the boat, and the unhealthy locality in which the regiment was now
encamped added largely to the number upon the sick list. The privations
and hardships endured by the Twenty-fourth Iowa, while at Helena and when
engaged in the several expeditions in which it participated during the
winter of 1862-3, were the most severe in its history.
On the 17th of
November the regiment formed part of the force under General Hovey which
proceeded to the mouth of White River; upon its return it engaged in
another expedition to Coldwater, Miss., to co -operate with the movement
of General Grant against Vicksburg and, on the 11th of January, 1863, it
again formed part of a force engaged in another expedition up the White
River, this time under General Gorman. While no considerable body of the
enemy was encountered upon any of these expeditions, and no practical
results were accomplished by them, the troops suffered almost unendurable
hardships from exposure to storms of rain and snow, and the fatalities
which resulted were as great as those sustained in many of the hard-fought
battles in which the regiment subsequently participated.
The survivors of
the regiment always remembered that winter campaign as the most
discouraging of the many through which they passed in their long period of
service. Upon its return from the last expedition the regiment found its
camp ground flooded, compelling removal to higher ground, and the change
in location resulted in a decrease of the sick list, but many had died and
a still larger number had been incapacitated for further service and were
discharged. A considerable number of those who were thus discharged for
disability never fully recovered.
On the 15th of February, 1863,
the Twenty-fourth Iowa left Helena with its brigade, which formed part of
the force under General Washburn engaged in clearing out the obstructions
in Yazoo Pass and opening the same to navigation. This duty, while
arduous, gave the men active employment and relieved them from the
depressing effects of witnessing the daily depletion of their ranks from
disease, while lying idle in camp. Upon the return of the regiment to
Helena, in the early spring, the troops with which it was associated were
transferred to the Thirteenth Army Corps and ordered to join General
Grant's army, in its operations against Vicksburg, and were conveyed on
transports to Milliken's Bend, where they disembarked and marched, over
difficult and sometimes almost impassable roads, to Perkens' Landing.
Here, on the 28th of April, they again embarked on transports and barges
and moved down the river to a point about four miles above Grand Gulf,
where, without disembarking, they witnessed the tremendous artillery
combat between the gunboats and the rebel batteries at Grand Gulf, which
lasted for several hours. The troops had, in the meantime, been awaiting
orders to land and co-operate with the gunboats in their attack upon the
enemy's works, but, after prolonged bombardment, without apparent effect,
the gunboats withdrew, and the attack by land was also abandoned. The
troops disembarked and marched down the levee to a point three miles below
Grand Gulf, where they bivouacked until morning. During the night the
gunboats and a number of transports succeeded in passing the rebel
batteries.
The Twenty-fourth Iowa, with the other troops of the Thirteenth
Corps, now embarked on transports and gunboats and were conveyed down the
river to Bruinsburg, sixteen miles below Grand Gulf, where they landed and
took up the line of march toward Port Gibson. The Twenty-fourth Iowa had
been assigned to the Second Brigade of the Twelfth Division, Thirteenth
Army Corps. The brigade was composed of the Forty-seventh Indiana,
Fifty-sixth Ohio, and the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-eighth Iowa, and was
under the command of Colonel James R. Slack of the Forty-seventh Indiana,
from whose official report-in the absence of the report of the commander
of the regiment-the following extracts are made, showing the part taken by
the Twenty-fourth Iowa in the battle of Port Gibson, May 1, 1863.
After
describing the formation and position of his brigade prior to the
commencement of the engagement, Colonel Slack says:
During the
formation of our lines, the battle opened a short distance to our left and
front, and continued with great stubborness for an hour. When General
Hovey directed me to put my column in motion and support General Benton,
whose forces were being hard pressed by overwhelming numbers. The whole
column was immediately formed, and moved most gallantly to the point
indicated, with the Forty-seventh Indiana and Fifty-sixth Ohio on the left
and the Twenty-eighth Iowa on the right. These positions were respectively
taken under a severe fire of the enemy's infantry, and shell and canister
from the whole battery at a distance of about two hundred yards, yet the
several commands took their position in line without flinching, and
advanced to within eighty yards of the enemy's battery, immediately after
which General Hovey ordered Colonel Cameron of the Thirty-fourth Indiana,
to charge and take the battery, and ordered me to support the charge with
the Fifty-sixth Ohio, which was immediately to the left of the
Thirty-fourth Indiana.
While the fierce fighting which resulted in
the capture of the battery and 220 prisoners from the rebel troops
supporting it was in progress, the Twenty-fourth Iowa was held in reserve,
but was ready to advance the moment the order was received. It was the
regiments first battle, and its officers and men chafed under being placed
in reserve and not having their share of the fighting in this early period
of the battle. Later in the day, however, the Twenty- fourth and
Twenty-eighth Iowa were sent to the support of General Logan's division,
on the extreme left. They promptly moved to the new position assigned
them, as further shown by the report of Colonel Slack, in referring to the
order, as follows:
In the afternoon the Twenty-fourth and
Twenty-eighth Iowa were ordered to the rear and extreme left of the line,
to support Major General Logan's division, which was hotly engaged, and
there continued fighting like veterans, as the men of that gallant state
always have done, until the enemy was driven from the field and utterly
routed at every point, and the curtain of night closed the scene.
At the close of his report Colonel Slack says:
To the cool and
gallant conduct of all the field and line officers, and the persevering
determination of each and every one in my command, I cannot express too
much gratitude and admiration. To them belongs the glory of the triumph,
every officer and every man having done his whole duty. . . . The whole
number of casualties are: Killed 16; wounded, 62; missing, 11; total, 89
(2).
It will thus be seen that in its first experience in battle
the Twenty-fourth Iowa had acquitted itself with honor, and had shown
that, whenever the opportunity came, it could meet the enemy with that
same steady courage and determined bravery that it had exhibited while
enduring the hardships and suffering of the campaign in Arkansas, during
which it did not come into contact with the enemy in battle, but faced the
grim messenger of death, in the form of disease, with the same if not
greater fortitude than was requisite to face the death- dealing guns of
its rebel foes. The official report of General A. P. Hovey describes with
great particularity all the movements of the troops of his division
between the dates of May 2d and 16th, upon which latter date the battle of
Champion's Hill was fought.
(3) During these movements more or less
skirmishing with the enemy occurred, in which the Twenty-fourth Iowa had
its share; and in the battle which ensued, the regiment took the most
conspicuous part and suffered the greatest loss of any of the gallant
regiments of its brigade. Failing to find the official report of the
regimental commander, the compiler again has recourse to the reports of
the brigade and division commanders, Colonel Slack (4) and General
Hovey.(5) The following extracts are from the report of Colonel Slack:
On
the night of the 15th, we encamped on the Jackson and Vicksburg railroad,
near Bolton Station. In the morning we left camp about six o'clock, and
moved east about 7 miles, when we approached very nearly to the enemy,
drawn up in line of battle. In pursuance of orders of Brigadier General
Hovey, I formed the Second Brigade in two lines to the left of the road,
in the field of one Champion(6), with the artillery in advance. Soon
thereafter I placed my lines of battle in advance of the artillery, and
ordered two companies of the Forty-seventh Indiana, two companies of the
Fifty-sixth Ohio, and two companies of the Twenty-fourth Iowa, as
skirmishers, who covered the whole front of the line and advanced toward
the enemy.
Skirmishing soon began, and continued for about one hour, when
I advanced the whole line, with the Forty-seventh Indiana on the right,
and the Twenty-eighth Iowa on the left. The thick growth of underbrush and
vines, ravines and hills, made it very difficult to advance, but it was
accomplished with little disorder, until we reached the crest of the hill,
where we found the enemy in very heavy force, about 200 yards in front of
us, and under cover of a wood beyond a field. Then the battle began with
great fury, our troops advancing for the purpose of driving the enemy from
the cover of the woods, which was done at double-quick and in a most
gallant manner, the men loading and firing as they advanced, and
unfalteringly receiving a most deadly fire from the enemy; yet they
pressed forward, as men only can do who are prompted by intelligent
motives of patriotic devotion to a common country, until the rebel force
was driven from the covering and forced to fall back a distance of 200
yards, with terrible loss, the ground being literally covered with dead
and wounded rebels.
In this daring and determined charge all the regiments
lost most severely. The Twenty-fourth Iowa most gallantly charged upon a
rebel battery of five guns, and took it at the point of the bayonet,
killing many of the cannoneers and driving the remainder from their guns
and some fifty yards to the rear, when a new rebel line, which had not
been in action, appeared in treble our force, and opened a most murderous
fire upon our lines, which the unflinching and determined braves of the
Twenty-fourth Iowa resisted for fifteen minutes, but, because of the
overwhelming force brought to bear upon them, reluctantly retired from the
battery, but kept the rebel re-enforcements at bay by their incessant fire
and stubborn resistance. This battery was subsequently retaken, and is now
in our possession.
During
this terrific charge, Major Edward Wright, of the Twenty-fourth Iowa,
was severely wounded, immediately after which he captured a stalwart
rebel prisoner and made him carry him off the field. Our ranks being
badly depleted, I directed the whole command to retire gradually from
the field and take position near the crest of the hill where the rebel
lines were first formed, which was done in good order, at which time a
re-enforcement of one brigade came to our support, after few well
directed volleys, with the aid of the batteries, which General Hovey
had massed on the extreme right, the enemy was routed and fled in great
confusion and disorder from the field. Thus ended this unequal,
terrible and most sanguinary conflict.
For two long hours my brigade held in
check fully three times their number, and I hesitate not in saying that,
had they not so gallantly and determinedly resisted, the fortunes of the
day might have been greatly damaged, if not our glorious triumph turned
into a defeat. During the progress of the battle, my command took a large
number of prisoners, which were handed over to the Provost- marshal
without any account being taken of them. Major L. H. Goodwin of the
Forty-seventh Indiana and Major Edward Wright of the Twenty-fourth Iowa
were seriously wounded while gallantly leading their men, but I am more
than grateful to know that they are both rapidly recovering and will soon
be able to resume their respective positions.
To those brave officers and
men who fell in that sanguinary conflict and who resolved to do or die in
defense of and for the perpetuation of the best Government ever known to
civilization, we cannot do more than assure their friends at home that
they fell with their faces to the foe, in defense of the constitution of a
common country. . . The whole number of casualties (detailed lists of
which I herewith enclose) is as follows: Forty -seventh Indiana, killed
32, wounded 91, missing 17, total 140. Fifty-sixth Ohio, killed 20,
wounded 90, missing 28, total 138. Twenty-fourth Iowa, killed 35, wounded
120, missing 34, total 189. Twenty-eighth Iowa, killed 21, wounded 62,
missing 14, total 97. Missouri Battery, wounded 2.
It will thus be
seen that the entire loss of the brigade was 556, out of the four
regiments and one battery of which it was composed, of which number the
loss of the Twenty-fourth Iowa constituted one-third. Near the close of
his very full and complete report of the part taken by the two brigades of
his division in the battle of Champion's Hill, General Hovey says:
I
cannot think of this bloody hill without sadness and pride. Sadness for
the great loss of my true and gallant men; pride for the heroic bravery
they displayed. No prouder division ever met as vastly superior foe and
fought with more unflinching firmness and stubborn valor. It was, after
the conflict, literally the hill of death; men, horses, cannon, and the
debris of an army, lay scattered in wild confusion, Hundreds of the
gallant Twelfth Divisions were cold in death or writhing in pain, and,
with large numbers of Quinby's gallant boys, lay dead, dying or wounded,
intermixed with our fallen foe. Thus ended the battle of Champion's Hill,
and our heroes slept upon the field with the dead and dying around them.
I
never saw fighting like this. The loss of my division on this field alone
was nearly one-third of my forces engaged. Of the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin,
Twenty-fourth and Twenty-eighth Iowa, in what words of praise shall I
speak? Not more than six months in the service, their records will compare
with the oldest and best tried regiments in the field. All honor is due to
their gallant officers and men; and Colonels Gill, Byam and Connell have
my thanks for the skill with which they handled their respective commands,
and for the fortitude, endurance and bravery displayed by their gallant
men. Among the dead of the Second Brigade are the honored names of
Captains Silas D, Johnson, William Carbee and First Lieutenant Chauncey
Lawrence of the Twenty-fourth Iowa.
The total loss in both
brigades of General Hovey's division in the battle of Champion's Hill was
1,202, of the 4,180 engaged.(7) General Hovey places the loss of the
Twenty-fourth Indiana at 40 per cent of its number engaged, and gives that
as the maximum loss of any one regiment. Reference to the tabulated
statement shows this to be an error. The Twenty-fourth Iowa had 417
enlisted men and officers engaged in the battle, and its loss was 189,
over 45 per cent of the number engaged, and this was the heaviest
percentage of loss of any regiment of the brigade or division. There were
but nine companies of the Twenty-fourth Iowa engaged at Champion's Hill;
Company B, being at that time on detached duty at General McClernand's
headquarters, was not engaged.
The regiment had now been in the service
less than eight months, yet it had taken its place by the side of
regiments from other states which had participated in numerous battles and
had won the designation of Veteran, had fought with equal distinction, had
won the highest commendation of its brigade and division Commanders and,
at the very beginning of its experience under the fire of the enemy, had
established a record for bravery and efficiency second to none of the
gallant regiments from Iowa which had preceded it to the field.
The Twenty-fourth Iowa marched with its brigade from the
battlefield of Champion's Hill to Black River Bridge, but did not arrive
there in time to participate in the battle in which the Twenty-first and
Twenty-third Iowa regiments won such distinguished honor. Remaining at
Black River for a few days, the regiment continued its march to Vicksburg,
where it arrived on the 24th of May and at once took its position on the
line of investment in the center of General Hovey's division, where for
the succeeding forty days it endured the hardships, dangers and privations
incident to the siege of the rebel stronghold which surrendered to General
Grant on the 4th of July, 1863.
On the morning of July 5th, the regiment
marched with its brigade and division, a part of the army under General
Sherman, in the expedition against Jackson, Miss., and participated in the
operations which ensued, culminating in the evacuation of Jackson by the
enemy on July 16, 1863, and the end of the great Vicksburg campaign. The
total loss of the two brigades of General Hovey's division, from the
commencement of the siege of Vicksburg to the evacuation of Jackson, was
155 killed and wounded, while that of the Twenty-fourth Iowa, during the
same period, was 1 killed and 12 wounded. As there were twelve
organizations in the division, the loss of the Twenty-fourth Iowa was
about the same average as that of the other regiments of the division.
During the entire campaign the aggregate losses of the Twenty-fourth Iowa
in battle were 208.
Upon its return to Vicksburg the regiment was
allowed a brief period of rest in camp. Colonel Byam had resigned on the
30th of June, and Lieutenant Colonel Wilds had succeeded to the command of
the regiment. About the middle of August, 1863, the regiment was
transferred to a new field of operations. Embarking on transports, it was
conveyed to New Orleans, and from there proceeded to Algiers. From the
date of its arrival at Algiers, the compiler finds a carefully written
record of its subsequent operations, during the year 1864, prepared by
Major (later Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General (8))
Ed Wright for the Adjutant General of Iowa (9). Only brief quotations can
be made from this record and the copies of official reports which
accompany it, on account of limitation of space, but the compiler will
endeavor to include all the most important events which transpired during
this period of the service of the regiment.
Reference to the record will
show that the events which transpired during each month of the year are
carefully noted and the details given with great particularity, a large
part of which are necessarily omitted in this sketch. During the greater
part of the month of January, 1863, the regiment was in camp at Algiers,
La., being at that time a part of the Second Brigade of the Third
Division, Thirteenth Army Corps. The location of the camp was such that
the men suffered much hardship from the wet weather which prevailed. On
January 21st, the division was moved to Madisonville, La., on the north
side of Lake Pontchartrain, and there the regiment found the most
beautiful and attractive camping ground it had occupied since leaving the
State of Iowa.
There the regiment remained until February 26th, when it
returned to its former camp at Algiers, and there, on the 3d of March,
with its brigade and division, marched in review before General McClernand
and was especially complimented by the General for its fine appearance and
perfection in drill. On March 5th, the regiment was conveyed by rail to
Berwick Bay, La. From there all camp equipage that could possibly be
dispensed with and all extra baggage was sent back to New Orleans, and the
troops prepared for rapid marching as reinforcements to the army under
General Banks, then engaged in his unfortunate Red River Expedition. The
troops consisted of the Third Division of the Thirteenth Army Corps, which
included the brigade to which the Twenty-fourth Iowa belonged.
The
division marched rapidly to Washington, La., where it overtook the
Nineteenth Army Corps, under General Franklin. The march was continued,
with occasional halts for rest, when, on the 31st of March, the troops
arrived at Natchitoches, La., having marched 290 miles. The march was
resumed on the 6th of April and, on the evening of the 7th, the troops
arrived at Pleasant Hill, La., and found the cavalry engaged in a skirmish
with the enemy at the front. The brigade was ordered to move forward and
support the cavalry, but, after marching about one mile, found that the
enemy had retired. At daylight the next morning the march was renewed,
with the Fourth Division in advance. Five companies of the Twenty-fourth
Iowa were detailed as escort for the train in the rear. About 8 o'clock
a.m., the advance encountered the enemy, who, after a short skirmish,
retreated.
The Third Division halted to await the arrival of the
Nineteenth Corps, as the enemy was reported in strong force. At 2 P.M.,
the next day, the march was resumed. The troops marched very rapidly for
five miles, when the enemy, was discovered in force, the column was
halted, and the First Brigade formed line of battle on the right of the
road, with the Second Brigade in line on the left. The engagement which
ensued was generally known as the battle of Sabine Cross Roads, but has
sometimes been called the battle of Mansfield. Major Wright, who was in
Command of the Twenty-fourth Iowa, and who wrote the official report of
the part taken by that portion of his regiment which was engaged in the
battle, after describing the movements of his regiment and brigade prior
to the opening of the engagement, says:
The Twenty-fourth, about 130
strong, Companies A, D, I, C and H having been detailed as train guard and
left in the rear, under command of Capt. Martin, was ordered to form in
the rear as a reserve to the Second Brigade. The lines being formed, the
advance was ordered. The lines moved forward near a fourth of a mile,
when, coming to the edge of the field beyond the timber. a halt was
ordered, and the line immediately engaged the enemy. The Twenty-fourth,
about three hundred paces in the rear, was ordered to lie down. While in
this position, my command received a severe raking artillery fire from the
enemy's guns posted in front of the right of the brigade. Having remained
in this position about half an hour, during which time the front line was
firing rapidly, I was ordered to move my command to the front, which I did
by a left oblique movement, and came in on the left of the brigade, and
took position in a ravine, at the edge of the timber.
From the position
there occupied, I could see with my field glass at least 8,000 of the
enemy forming in the distance, but not within range of our muskets. The
enemy's skirmishers had advanced to the edge of the hill in our front, and
were protected by a battery immediately on their left, which had taken
position behind some large buildings, from which place it was impossible
for our weak line to dislodge it. The Fourth Division I could not learn
anything of, and the only force to oppose these heavy, columns of the
enemy was the Third Division, about 1,200 strong, and some straggling
cavalry. This position was held for near an hour, when, the enemy
advancing in heavy force-at least ten to one-and most of the command being
out of ammunition, we were overwhelmed by numbers and compelled to retire
from the field.
This, however, was no easy task, as the enemy's cavalry
was already far in our rear, both on the right and left, and we were
assailed at all points. I ordered my command to confine their movements to
the thick brush, as much as possible, and, by keeping in the woods between
the road and an open field on our left, which was occupied by the enemy's
cavalry, I succeeded in bringing the most of the command off the field,
and forming in the rear of the Nineteenth Army Corps, about three miles
from the battlefield, after which I procured ammunition for my men and
joined with the One Hundred and Sixty-First New York Volunteers, and
remained until after dark. The fight being over, I reported with my
command to General Cameron, and marched back to Pleasant Hill, arriving
there at sunrise on the morning of the 9th.
Casualties during the day were
34, a list of which is hereto appended. The officers and men of my command
all behaved well and stood at their posts until ordered to fall back,
delivering their fire with a precision not to be surpassed. I cannot close
this report without making some comments about the manner in which this
battle was managed. It was understood when the army arrived at St.
Patrick's Bayou that we had found the enemy in force, and why we should
have been sent forward in detachments, only to be demolished by superior
numbers, is a mystery to me. First the cavalry moved up and were repulsed,
next the Fourth Division was moved forward, and shared the same fate. Then
the Third Division moved forward on double quick for five miles, along a
road blocked by trains, only to come in contact with in overwhelming
force, before which it was compelled to retire. Who is responsible? I
leave the question for the historian to answer, believing it will be
answered correctly.
I have the honor to be, most respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
ED WRIGHT, Major Twenty-fourth Regiment
Iowa Infantry Volunteers.
N. B. BAKER, Adjutant General State
of Iowa.
The correct answer to Major Wright's question is readily
given. His was only one of a number of brave Iowa regiments which lost
heavily in that ill-fated expedition, through the utter incapacity of the
Commanding General, Nathaniel P. Banks. The verdict of all military
historians is unanimous with reference to the Red River Expedition and its
commander. Both were stupendous failures. Major Wright displayed great
skill and ability in being able to extricate his command from its perilous
situation, with a loss of little less than one-third of the number
engaged. While the loss was heavy, it is marvelous that, under the
circumstances, it was not much greater.
Had the other five companies of
the regiment been engaged, the loss would have been proportionately
greater. It was therefore fortunate that they were on detached duty. Upon
the return of the regiment to Pleasant Hill, Major Wright was placed in
command of the brigade and Captain Martin assumed command of the regiment.
The Third and Fourth Divisions of the Thirteenth Corps, under command of
General Cameron, (General Ransom having been severely wounded,) were
ordered to take charge of the train and proceed to Grand Ecore, on Red
River. Here the command arrived, on the evening of the 11th, and began the
construction of fortifications; Lieutenant Colonel Wilson, of the
Twenty-eighth Iowa, succeeding Major Wright as brigade commander.
The two
divisions left Grand Ecore on the morning of the 22d and reached Cane
River at 2 A. M., on the 23d, where the enemy was found strongly posted on
the opposite side of the river, for the purpose of contesting the crossing
of the Union troops. General Cameron did not attempt to force his way
across the river under the fire of the enemy, but, moving his troops up
the river, effected a crossing by wading, and thus outflanked the enemy
and drove him from his position. A bridge was then put down, over which
the army of General Bank had passed by 10 a.m. the next day, when the
line of march was again taken up and the army arrived at Alexandria on the
25th. The retreat had been conducted by forced marches and the troops,
marching day and night, were completely exhausted upon reaching
Alexandria. Company A, of the Twenty-fourth Iowa, had been detailed to
guard the steamer "Hetty Gilmore" from Grand Ecore down the river.
During
the trip a detachment of the enemy attempted to capture the boat but was
driven off. Two men of the company, Sergeant Charles Wager and Private
Rudolph McKinley, were severely wounded. The company returned to the
regiment at Alexandria. Lieutenant Colonel Wilds, who had been absent
since December 6th on recruiting service in Iowa, rejoined the regiment at
Alexandria and resumed command. Between the 25th April and the 13th of May
the regiment had several sharp skirmishes with the enemy, in which a
number of its men were wounded. General Banks commenced his retreat from
Alexandria on May 13th , and on the 22d his army reached Morganza Bend.
The Twenty-fourth Iowa had a skirmish with the enemy while engaged in a
reconnoitering expedition from Morganza, In which Captain B. G. Paul, of
Company K, was killed, and four enlisted men were wounded. The losses of
the regiment while connected with the troops commanded by General Banks
had reached the aggregate number of 48, and the results accomplished,
during that period of its service, were not only not commensurate with the
loss, but the officers and men of the regiment were fully justified in the
opinion that the sacrifice had been in vain, and they were rejoiced to
know that a change for the better was in prospect.
The regiment
left Morganza on June 13th, proceeded to Carrollton, La., and went into
camp near Greenville Station, on the New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad.
Leaving there on the 21st, it was subsequently stationed at Kennerville
and Thibodeaux, La., until July 6th , upon which date it proceeded by rail
to Algiers, where it received in exchange for the old Enfield rifles with
which it had been supplied since taking the field-new Springfield rifles
and accouterments. On the morning of July 22d the regiment embarked on the
transport "Star of the South" and, soon after, put to sea, with orders to
report to the commanding officer at Fortress Monroe, where, after enduring
the usual discomforts of a sea voyage, it arrived on the 29th, and at once
proceeded to Washington, D.C., arriving there at midnight and, the next
morning, proceeding by rail to Monacacy, Md., reached that place on August
1st, where it joined a detachment of the Nineteenth Army Corps under
command of General Emory. Colonel Wilds was placed in command of the
brigade to which his regiment was attached.
