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The History of Clayton County (1882) and the state’s Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers, Volume VI (1911), indicate that, during the Civil War, numerous county residents enlisted in the Engineer Regiment of the West, also known as Bissell’s Engineer Regiment of the West.
ELI COLE
Eli was born in Canada and was twenty-two years old when he enlisted on October 12, 1861, as an “artificer,” someone who did engineering work or was a craftsman such as a blacksmith, farrier or leather worker. The regiment was unique in that its ten companies were separately organized in multiple states - Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri. They were mustered in on various dates from July 10 to October 31, 1861, all in St. Louis. Company I, with Eli and George, was one of three mustered in on October 31, 1861.
The regiment served in numerous sites in the South with one or more Companies often detached from the regiment for separate service. Company I's early service was at Sedalia, about 190 miles west of St. Louis. It rejoined the regiment on January 29, 1862.
It was detached again for service at New Madrid, a militarily important town located on a large horseshoe bend of the Mississippi River, 340 miles southeast of Sedalia. On May 8, 1862 it rejoined the regiment, this time a Corinth in Mississippi. While there it participated in the siege until its conclusion on May 30, 1862.
Its next major campaign was with General Grant during his successful campaign to capture Vicksburg, the "key" to the Mississippi. Eli's Company I was engaged early, starting in February of 1863 and continuing through the surrender of the city on July 4th. During the campaign they were engaged in important engineering operations at Baxter's Bayou and Bayou Macon, part of Grant's early efforts to open navigable waterways west ofthe Mississippi, and they constructed artillery batteries at Young's Point.
Company I also performed arduous fatigue duty at Duckport and built drains at Richmond, capital of Madison Parish. On April 30, 1863 Grant's infantry crossed the Mississippi River, from Disharoon’s plantation on the west bank to the Bruinsburg landing on the east bank, and began its movement east toward Jackson, while the Engineer Regiment, on May 9th, moved to Milliken's Bend. At Hayne's Bluff above the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg, the engineers worked on fortifications that would be required for the forthcoming operations against the city itself, but before long they were south of the city, this time at Warrenton.
Meanwhile, the state’s 21st Infantry had been the point regiment as the army moved inland from Bruinsburg, fought numerous engagements, and taken its position on the siege line at the rear of Vicksburg. Jim Bethard, who had worked a farm along Robert's Creek before enlisting in the regiment was on the siege line when, on June 15th, he wrote his weekly letter to his wife, Caroline. He had visited with numerous friends and relatives but, he said, "I have not seen George Fay and Eli Cole yet I cannot find out where they are." By the following week he had located their regiment but, he said, "have not got time to see them yet."
The siege ended on July 4, 1863, but Eli's regimentremained until January 15, 1864 when it was ordered to Nashville. The regiment would cease to exist on February 17, 1865 when it was consolidated with the 25th Missouri Infantry to form the 1st Regiment of Missouri Volunteer Engineers about which little is known.~written by Carl Ingwalson
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GEORGE FAY
George W. Fay was born in Virginia and was twenty-one years old when he enlisted as an artificer on October 16, 1861 in the Engineer Regiment of the West, also known as Bissell’s Engineer Regiment of the West. Artificers were workers or craftsmen doing engineering work, but also sometimes worked as a blacksmiths, farriers, and leather workers.
Unlike state infantry and cavalry regiments organized within a single state, the Engineer Company was composed of companies separately organized in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri. The ten companies were then mustered in on various dates from July 10 to October 31, 1861, all in St. Louis. Company I was organized in Iowa and mustered in with the others on October 31, 1861.
The regiment served in numerous sites in the South with one or more companies often detached from the regiment for separate service. Company I's early service was at Sedalia, about 190 miles west of St. Louis. It rejoined the regiment on January 29, 1862. It was later detached for service at New Madrid, a militarily important town located on a large horseshoe bend of the Mississippi River, 340 miles southeast of Sedalia. On May 8, 1862 it again rejoined the regiment, this time at Corinth in Mississippi. While there it participated in the siege until its conclusion on May 30, 1862.
Its next major campaign was with General Grant during his successful campaign to capture Vicksburg, the "key" to the Mississippi. George's Company I was engaged early, starting in February of 1863 and continuing through the surrender of the city in July. They performed engineering operations at Baxter's Bayou and Bayou Macon (part of Grant's early efforts to open navigable waterways west of the Mississippi) and they constructed artillery batteries at Young's Point.
Company I also performed arduous fatigue duty at Duckport and built drains at Richmond, capital of Madison Parish. On April 30, 1863 Grant's infantry crossed the Mississippi River to Bruinsburg and began its movement east toward Jackson while the Engineer Regiment, on May 9th, moved to Milliken's Bend. At Hayne's Bluff above the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg, the engineers worked on fortifications that would be required for the forthcoming operations against the city itself, but before long they were south of the city, this time at Warrenton.
The strenuous work west of the river, with men often standing in waist deep water, was hard on all of the men, but they had little time to rest as the campaign was moving rapidly. George Fay was one of many who became ill and, at Warrenton, on June 14, 1863, he died.
Jim Bethard, who had worked a farm along Robert's Creek before enlisting in the state's 21st Infantry, was on the siege line at the rear of Vicksburg. On June 15th, the day after George's death, Jim wrote his weekly letter to his wife, Caroline: "I have not seen George Fay and Eli Cole yet I cannot find out where they are." By the following week he had located their regiment but was still unaware of George’s death and wrote, "I have not got time to see them yet."
The siege ended on July 4, 1863, but George's regiment remained until January 15, 1864 when it was ordered to Nashville. The regiment would cease to exist on February 17, 1865 when it was consolidated with the 25th Missouri Infantry to form the 1st Regiment of Missouri Volunteer Engineers.
~written by Carl Ingwalson
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MARTIN KLINGMAN
Martin Klingman, is a native of Baden, Germany, born Feb. 24, 1935, and was a son of Martin and Roseana (Schumaker) Klingman. He attended school until his fourteenth year, then worked on a farm three years, when he came to the United States with his father, one brother and sister. They landed in New York, and from there went to Lake County, Ohio.Martin, Jr., learned the cabinet-maker's trade at Madison, Ohio, and in the spring of 1855 he came to Clayton County, where he followed his trade until 1867; since that time has engaged in farming.
He enlisted in September, 1861, in the Engineer Regiment, Company I, Missouri Volunteers, and was discharged in January, 1863, on account of disability. He re-enlisted in 1864, in Company G, Sixteenth Iowa Infantry, and served until the close of the war.
He was married on Dec. 25, 1873, to Laura Johnson, who was born near Christiana, Norway, and was a daughter of Charles and Maria Johnson, nee Benson. Four children have been born to them, viz.: Alice, Charley, Albert and Nora. Mr. Klingman owns a finely cultivated farm of 210 acres, on section 7, Highland Township, where he resides, and is engaged in raising grain and stock.
He is one of Clayton County's early settlers and enterprising men. He is a Republican in politics.
~History of Clayton County, Iowa, 1882, p. 839-840
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ALVAH R. PRESCOTT
Post master, Postville; born in Maine in 1834, his parents immigrated to Winnebago Co., Ill, in 1846, and in the spring of 1852, he came to Allamakee Co., Iowa, his parents following in the fall.He engaged as clerk in a general store at McGregor in 1853; in 1854 in a surveying expedition in Minn., and in 1855 went to Floyd Co., Iowa, where he was elected County Surveyor in 1856.
He followed teaching and surveying till in 1861, when he enlisted in Co. I of an engineer regiment of Missouri Volunteers; was conductor of the gun car train on the Memphis and Charleston and Mobile and Ohio Railroads eighteen months; was mustered out in 1864 as 2d Lieut.
Returned to Allamakee Co., and farmed for two years; then came to Postville and engaged in the hardware business; sold out in 1879; was appointed postmaster 1877; has served as County Surveyor one term, and as deputy twelve years; was also a candidate for representative in 1873; married Lydia A. Easton, of N. Y., Nov. 1, 1865; they have three children, Mael, Sarah H. and Alba R.; have lost one daughter, Theodosia.
~History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties, Iowa; by W.E. Alexander; Western Publishing co.; Sioux City, Iowa; 1882, pg 524