Polk County IA Archives History - Books .....Polk County In The War - 2nd Iowa Infantry 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 12, 2006, 2:23 am Book Title: Annals Of Polk County, Iowa And City Of Des Moines CHAPTER XII. POLK COUNTY IN THE WAR. THE part taken by Des Moines and Polk county in the civil war is most creditable and deserving of extended mention. At the outburst of the war in April, 1861, the city and county, having* recovered from the financial troubles of the few years previous, were in the full tide of peace and prosperity. Again the rush of immigration had commenced, and city and county were being rapidly increased in wealth and population. All were full of hope in the spring of 1861, the only cloud then being the unsettled condition of affairs at Washington about the time of the first inauguration of President Lincoln. Some there were who at that time and for some time previously, had feared these political and party convulsions might end in civil war, but even these had but a faint perception of the bloodshed which was to follow. The great mass of of [sic] the people of town and country had no fears whatever. They believed these political troubles would soon pass away, as had previous ones, and that peace would be preserved between the States, and the Union maintained. Not one had the most remote idea of the four long years of bloody and destructive war which were to follow. By the federal census of 1860 Polk county had a total population of 11,925. Of these it is estimated about 2,601 were voters. The number of men who volunteered during the war, and were credited to Polk county, were about 1,500. This was over ten per cent of the total population, and considerably over fifty per cent of the voters enumerated in 1860. Many of these volunteers, however, were at the time of their enlistment, under voting age, being from sixteen to twenty years old at the time. The population of the county and city also rapidly increased during the years of the war, notwithstanding the heavy drafts of men made upon them during these four years, and the heavy emigration from them to the states and territories farther west. The people of both city and county were eminently patriotic. They were all Union men. Party lines were for the time being ignored if not forgotten. All, with scarcely an exception, were for the preservation of the Union at all hazards. Fort Sumter was fired upon April 12, 1861, and the receipt of the news startled and excited the people here as it did in all the States. At first they could hardly realize the fact that the National flag and a National fort had been fired on by rebel citizens, and that war was upon us. Three days after the firing upon Fort Sumter, appeared the proclamation of President Lincoln, calling upon the loyal States for seventy-five thousand volunteer soldiers to aid in putting down this rebellion and executing the laws of the United States. This proclamation, it was ordained from on High, was to be followed by others calling for additional hundreds of thousands of volunteer soldiers. The excitement and enthusiasm elicited by this first call cannot be realized or understood by those who were not living in this county at that time. It was simply wonderful. Apparently war and military affairs had of late years, in a series of years of profound peace, become lost arts. The people's thoughts were all upon more peaceful pursuits, yet the military spirit was there; it was inherent and general; when needed, it came strong, powerful and intelligent. Some months previous to this the question of organizing a military company in Des Moines had been agitated, and to carry the project into effect a meeting was held in the law office of Casady, Crocker & Polk. The writer of this history presided at that meeting. A plan of organization was proposed and adopted, and the Capital Guards were duly organized. The officers then elected were as follows: Captain, Marcellus M. Crocker; First Lieutenant, N. L. Dykeman; Second Lieutenant, Noah W. Mills; Third Lieutenant, Edgar T. Ensign. Arrangements had been started to procure uniforms, drill rooms, etc., but had not been completed when this sudden call came for troops for actual service. A hasty meeting of the company was called, and it was promptly decided to tender the services of the company to the Governor for enlistment under the first call made by the President for three months' men. Under this call, the first, only one regiment was assigned to Iowa, and such was the zeal and promptness of other companies having better facilities than Des Moines for communicating with Governor Kirkwood at Iowa City, no place could be found for the Capital Guards in the First Regiment. This was a disappointment, but it was soon relieved. Shortly after came the second call from the president—this time for three years instead of three months men—and the Des Moines company was given a place in the First Regiment of Infantry organized under the first three years' call, becoming Company D, Second Iowa Infantry. The Capital Guards, as originally organized, became the nucleus around which the new company was formed. A number of the original members could not enlist for various causes, but their places were promptly filled, and the company brought up to the maximum number by the prompt enlistment of scores of young men, the very flower of the young city, who bravely and unselfishly filled the ranks of Des Moines and Polk county's first born and perhaps most beloved military company. A purely patriotic feeling made the men soldiers, and in the service caused them to win from the commanding general the enconium: "The bravest of the brave." Love of adventure and of change may have had some influence, but at that time there was no thought of pay, or any money consideration moving them to their action. Few of them knew or cared what their pay or subsequent bounty was to be. They took no thought of these matters. They enlisted to put down rebellion and preserve the Union, and for this they were willing to fight and if needs be die, as many of them subsequently did on southern battle fields. These being the first of the volunteers to leave the county, all were deeply interested in their departure. A number of "war meetings" had been held b3' the citizens since the "firing on of Sumter," but none before or since surpassed in interest the meetings held at the departure of these, their first soldiers of the war. Company D departed for Keokuk, bearing with them the high hopes and best love of all the men, women and children of the city and county. There the regiment was organized and duly mustered into the service of their country. Captain Crocker was promoted to be major of the regiment, and by the choice of a majority of its members, Lieutenant Mills became captain of the company. Hon. Samuel K. Curtis, a member of Congress from this, the First district, resigned his seat to become colonel, and Captain James M. Tuttle, then in command of a Van Buren county company, and for years after a prominent citizen of Des Moines, was chosen lieutenant colonel. Colonel Curtis was with the regiment but a short time when he was promoted brigadier and major general, and Lieutenant Colonel Tuttle took command of the regiment as colonel. The first service of the regiment was in Missouri, which state had by the war been thrown into a terrible state of disorder. Many of its citizens had joined the fortunes of the confederacy, which had the sympathy of many thousands of others, who remained at their homes. On the other side there were thousands of strong and determined Union men, who did not swerve in their allegiance. The state was overrun by the opposing forces, and many sections were cursed by swarms of guerillas and bushwhackers. For many months the Second Iowa was engaged in the disagreeable and often dangerous work of compelling peace in this much troubled state. When at St. Louis in the winter of 1861-2, the regiment hailed with delight the order sending them to the front to join the forces of General Grant, who was then preparing for an advance upon the enemy's works in Kentucky. Owing to the injury of some property in the St. Louis Medical College building, which the regiment had occupied, General Hallock sent the regiment off under the color of military disgrace. The officers and men smarted under this, by them deemed unjust treatment, but their vindication was to come early and nobly. The regiment was with the forces under General Grant at Fort Donelson on February 14, 15, 1862, and had participated in the marches and struggles of that campaign. And as has been written by another: "Here the regiment won its highest renown, when, as a forlorn hope, it made what was undoubtedly the most gallant, reckless and successful charge of the whole war. Fighting had been going on all the forenoon of the fifteenth, and the federal forces had been losing ground. The key to the rebel position lay in the crest of a steep hill, whose sides were obstructed by a dense thicket. In front of the earth works at the crest, about one hundred yards distant, was a formidable abatis, to pass which an assaulting column must break its lines and move by the flank in two divisions. Between the abatis and earth works were no obstructions. These works must be taken to secure federal success. The offer of this charge was tendered several regiments, hut declined. General Smith finally went to Colonel Tuttle, commanding the Second Iowa, and asked: "Colonel, will you take those works?" The colonel promptly replied: "General, support me promptly, and in twenty minutes I will go in." "He and his regiment went in. Dividing the regiment, he with the left wing began to scale the hill side. The abatis was reached by slow and toilsome tread, and not a gun was fired, but scarcely was the abatis passed and the gallant boys brought in line when the concentrated fire of three regiments belched upon them, and at the first fire nearly one-half of the gallant three hundred went down. With the heroism of desperation the fragment of three hundred closed up their shattered ranks and charged the enemy. Two rebel regiments quailed and fled. A Mississippi regiment remained, but the other column of the Second rapidly pushing forward compelled the remaining enemy to hastily retreat. The key of the rebel position was taken. The result was the next day counted up: Fifteen thousand prisoners, a large quantity of ordnance stores and other property and possession of this rebel stronghold. The commanding general and all the division commanders were made major generals and every brigade commander a brigadier general. The Second Iowa therefore made Grant, Smith, McClernand and Wallace major generals, and Lauman and ten others brigadiers. It broke the line of the enemy's defenses, extending from Bowling Green to Columbus; forced Johnson to evacuate Bowling Green; captured Buckner, and frightened Pillow into flight from Donelson; compelled Polk to evacuate Columbus on the Mississippi, and opened the whole country south of the Memphis and Charleston railroad! What marvel that it was given the post of honor in the Army of the Tennessee!" In the charge at Donelson two young soldiers of Company D were killed. They were Nathan W. Doty and Theodore G. Weeks. They were well known and popular young men. The latter was a son of Dr. J. F. Weeks, an old and prominent citizen who was at one time receiver of the United States land office at this place. The bodies of these two young heroes were brought home and given a public burial which will be ever remembered by those present. The war and its bloody sacrifices were brought home to the people. These were the first, but alas, not the last of military burials of those who had died that the nation might live. During the following three years the bodies of many dead soldiers were brought from southern battlefields and hospitals to be buried in the cemeteries of city and county near to their old homes. Hardly one of the older cemeteries of the county but contains one or more of these old soldier graves. It is fitting they should be ever remembered, and annually bedecked with flowers upon every recurring Decoration Day. The scope and extent of this history will not permit of a full military history of the different regiments to which Polk county men were connected, and the reader must be content with more brief summaries of the same. The Second was in many battles during the long years of service and sustained its high reputation to the end. It was at Shiloh, April 6 and 7; with the advance on Corinth, August 10 to 29; battle of Corinth, October 3 and 4. In this fight the Second lost two of its commanders, Colonels James Baker and N. W. Mills, the latter of Des Moines. Little Bear Creek, Ala., November 28; Town Creek, Ala., April, 1863; Resaca, Ga., May 13 and 15, 1863; Rome Crossing, Ga., May 16, 1864; Dallas, Ga., May 27, 28, 29, 1861; Kenesaw Mountain, June 10 to 30; Nick-a-jack Creek, Ga., July 4; at Atlanta July 20 to August 27, and in the terrible fight of July 22; Jonesboro, Ga., August 30; Eden Station, December 10 to 20; Savannah, Ga., December 21; Columbia, S. C, February 15 and 16; Lynch's Creek, S. C, February 15; Goldsboro, N. C, March 21 to April 10, 1865; and was in the triumphal march through the city of Washington at the close of the war, and as a special mark of honor was placed in front and was the first of the grand old Army of the Tennessee to enter the city. The regiment was mustered into the service at Keokuk, May 27, 1861, and mustered out at Louisville, Ky., July 12, 1865. Under the calls of 1861-2- 1268 men were enlisted in the regiment. On December 31, 1863, the strength of the regiment in officers and men was 568. By special orders of May 21, 1864, the regiment was reorganized, the non-veterans mustered out, and the veterans consolidated with the veterans of the Third Iowa, November 8, 1864, as the second veterans. The casualties during the war were: Officers—Killed, 8; died, 8; discharged, 3; wounded, 27; resigned, 31. Total, 74. Privates—Killed, 73; died, 169; discharged, 359; wounded, 2941. Total, 880. Polk county was represented on the staff as follows: N. W. Mills, colonel, promoted from Company D., Marcellus M. Crocker, major; promoted to lieutenant-colonel, George L. Godfrey adjutant; Edward L. Marsh, sergeant-major; Samuel H. Lunt, sergeant-major; Jared Warner, commissary-sergeant; John Lynde, commissary-sergeant; Ephraim P. Davis, hospital-steward; George W. Lyon, hospital-steward; Wm. D. Christy, quarter-master sergeant. COMPANY D. Enlisted May 4, 1861, unless otherwise stated. Marcellus M. Crocker, captain; promoted to major, May 31, 1861; to lieutenant-colonel, September 6, 1861; to colonel, Thirteenth infantry, October 30, 1861; to brigadier-general, November 29, 1862. N. L. Dykeman, first lieutenant; appointed first lieutenant in regular army, July 4, 1861. Noah W. Mills, second lieutenant; promoted to captain, June 1, 1861; to lieutenant-colonel June 22, 1862; to colonel October 8, 1862; wounded at Corinth, October 4, 1862; died of wounds at Corinth, October 12, 1862. Samuel H. Lunt, first sergeant; promoted to sergeant-major, June 13, 1861; to first lieutenant, July 31, 1861; resigned, December 5, 1861. Edgar T. Ensign second sergeant; promoted to second lieutenant, June 1, 1861; to first lieutenant, December 5, 1861; to captain, June 22, 1862; to major, Ninth cavalry, October 9, 1863; wounded at Donelson, February 18, 1862. Hiram C. Cook, third sergeant; promoted to second sergeant, June 13, 1861; died of congestion of brain at Hartford, Connecticut, March 25, 1862, effect of sunstroke. **Edwin Mitchell, enlisted May 27, 1861, fourth sergeant; promoted to third sergeant; discharged, July 10, 1861. **Unless otherwise stated, the discharge was for disability. George L. Godfrey, fifth sergeant; promoted to fourth sergeant, June 1, 1861; to second lieutenant, December 5, 1861; to first lieutenant, June 22, 1862; to adjutant, June 22, 1862; to lieutenant-colonel, First Alabama cavalry, October 18, 1863. Jared A. Warner, first, corporal; appointed commissary-sergeant, July 15, 1861; appointed wagon-master; discharged by special order at St. Louis. David M. Sells, second corporal; transferred to second lieutenant United States marines, September 10, 1861. Edward L. Marsh, third corporal; promoted to fifth sergeant, June 1, 1861; to fourth sergeant, December 5, 1861; to sergeant-major, February 15, 1862; second lieutenant, June 22, 1862; to first lieutenant, June 25, 1862; to Captain, October 29, 1863; resigned May 23, 1864. Robert Allen, Jr., fourth corporal; appointed second lieutenant, and subsequently first lieutenant First United States cavalry; died of wounds. Nathan W Doty, fifth sergeant; promoted to second sergeant, July 16, 1861; killed at Donelson, February 15, 1862. Leonard B. Houston, seventh corporal; discharged for promotion to captain, Company A, Twenty-third infantry. Andrew Slatten, eighth corporal; reduced to ranks at his own request, May 28, 1861; died at St. Louis, April 18, 1862, from wounds received at Donelson. Philo L. Case, musician. PRIVATES. Ayers, Samuel A., discharged at St. Louis, December 19, 1861. *Ayres, Henry O., promoted to fourth corporal, January 1, 1862; wounded at Corinth; veteranized first corporal. *Barnett, John. Barrie, William W. Bennett, Robert A., died May 6, 1862, at St. Louis. Bitting, William H. Bird, William K., discharged August 9, 1861. Browne, John H., discharged to accept commission as second lieutenant, Seventeenth infantry, March 13, 1862. *Brown, Harvey, wounded at Corinth, October 4, 1862. Burbridge, James W. Cullender, William. Childs, George H., discharged December 19, 1861. *Christy, Wm. D., promoted to quarter-master sergeant. *Cooper, Joseph, wounded at Fort Donelson, February 15, 1862. Davis, Ephriam P., promoted to hospital-steward; transferred to same position in Tenth infantry. *Davis, William L., promoted to eighth corporal, October 3, 1861; to fourth sergeant, July 1, 1862; veteranized as second lieutenant. Davis, James. Dickerson, John A., promoted to first corporal, July 16, 1861. Dreher, Peter, wounded at Donelson, February 15, 1862. Estle, William, discharged, October 6, 1861. Fales, Philetus. Fenn Dwight E., mustered out November 22, 1862. *Ferguson, John N.; veteranized as third corporal. Fleming, John A. *Gillett, Philander D., promoted to third corporal, October 3, 1861; to third sergeant, September 1, 1862; veteranized as first sergeant. Goodrich, Arthur; wounded at Corinth, October 3, 1862. Gordnier, John, promoted to second corporal, October 3, 1861; wounded at Donelson, February 15, 1862. Greene, George W., discharged April 23, 1863. Hayden, Joseph 8., wounded at Donelson, February 15 1862; discharged for wounds, June 28, 1862. Haskell, Joseph, discharged, April 2, 1862. Houghton, Douglas S., discharged as minor by United States district court, September 15, 1861. Hoxie, W. H., promoted to captain, Seventeenth infantry, March 25, 1862. Jones, Asbury C, discharged May 1, 1862. Jones, Tarpley T. *Kinsey, William A. Lamoreaux, Charles H. Lowe, Carlton, transferred to Second United States artillery as second lieutenant, November 13, 1861. Looby, John H., discharged for promotion, September 22, 1862. Lyon, George W., promoted to hospital-steward, May 1, 1862. Lynde, John, promoted to fifth corporal, July 16, 1862; to commissary-sergeant, May 1, 1862; to second lieutenant, June 23, 1862; served also as chief of ambulance corps, second division, Sixteenth Army Corps; resigned May 26, 1864. Mattern, Jacob H., discharged March 5, 1863. McKelvogue, John (reported also Hugh), discharged February 6, 1862. *McCollam, Isaac, veteranized as fourth corporal. *Mason, William B., killed at Atlanta, August 15, 1864. Moles, Jacob M., promoted to sixth corporal, March 1, 1862; killed at Corinth October 4, 1862. Morehead, Jacob. Nagle, John N., wounded at Donelson, February 15, 1862; discharged for wounds, July 11, 1862. Nims, Albert H., wounded at Donelson, February 15, 1862. Painter, Joshua C. *Price, John. Ragan, William, promoted to third corporal, July 16, 1862; to fifth sergeant, March 1, 1862; discharged for promotion, September 26, 1862; wounded at Donelson, February 15, 1862. *Riddle, William, wounded at Corinth, October 3, 1862; transferred to United States navy. Rush, Austin B., transferred to regular army for promotion. Robbins, James. Scott, Erastus, discharged April 18, 1862. Smith, Philander, wounded at Corinth, October 1, 1862, discharged April 3, 1863. Stewart, Calvin C., discharged June 3, 1862. *Swem, William A. Warnock, Newton. Watson, John H., transferred to Company D, Thirteenth infantry, November 7, 1861. Wheeler, John, discharged February 1, 1862. Whitmer, Samuel, promoted to fifth corporal, March 1, 1862; to fifth sergeant, September 3, 1862. Wylie, William D., discharged April 30, 1862; subsequently appointed hospital-steward, United States army. Yant, David, wounded at Donelson, February 15, 1862. Yonnt, Enoch, J., discharged July 29, 1862. Young, Armin, discharged August 19, 1861. *Zelle, Godfrey, veteranized as second corporal. * Veteranized December 23, 1863. ADDITIONAL ENLISTMENTS, 1861. Brubaker, John C., November 21; discharged December 3, 1862. Brady, Casper S., November 21; wounded at Donelson, February 18; died of wounds on the Des Moines River April 30, 1862. Birch, Thomas S., November 23; died August 8, 1862. *Chrystal, Benjamin F., December 16. Cree, Theodore G., wounded at Donelson, February 16, 1862; discharged for wounds, June 13, 1862. *Chrystal, James A., December 16; captured at Corinth October 4; 1862; veteranized as wagoner. Greene, William B., August 1; discharged, December 19, 1861. Houston, William L., November 20; discharged, July 29, 1862. Lott, W., November 20. Lasell, William J., November 27; discharged, February 1, 1862. *Nagle, Thomas, November 20; veteranized as second sergeant. Sharp, John, November 20; discharged November, 1862. Williams, John Z., wounded at Donelson, February 15, 1862; discharged October 19, 1862. Weeks, Theodore G., killed at Donelson, February 15, 1862. * Veteranized December 23, 1863. ADDITIONAL TO VETERANS, 1864. Cassius, Joseph, January 21. Cassius, James, January 21. Cole, Henry, January 16, 1865; company unknown. Gray, George B., September 29. Hunt, Zaccheus, December 23, 1863. Read, Andrew W., December 21, 1863. Jones, Anderson, January 21, 1865; company unknown. COMPANY K. Clark, David H., May 6, 1861; discharged October 13, 1862. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ANNALS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA, AND CITY OF DES MOINES BY WILL PORTER. "And this volume, dedicated to its people, sets forth in attractive style all the facts and incidents that go to make up the history of which all citizens are justly proud." —Major Hoyt Sherman. GEO. A. MILLLER PRINTING COMPANY, PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS, DES MOINES, IOWA, 1898. 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