HISTORICAL SKETCH
SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
The ten companies composing the Seventeenth Iowa Infantry were
ordered into quarters at Keokuk, Iowa, between the dates January 25 and March 14, 1862,
and were there mustered into the service of the United States by Lieutenant Charles J. Ball,
United States Army, between the dates March 21 and April 16, 1862. The original roster of
the regiment shows that is had an aggregate strength of 897 when the last company was
mustered, and that additional enlistments of 61 men gave it an aggregate of 958, rank and
file, before it left the state.
On the 19th of April, 1862, the regiment left its rendezvous at Keokuk and was
conveyed by steamer to St. Louis, Mo., arriving there on the 20th and going into quarters at
Benton Barracks, where it was provided with arms and the necessary equipage for active
service in the field. With but little opportunity for drill and instruction it was hurried to the
front, leaving St. Louis May 5th and proceeding by steamer to Hamburg Landing, Tenn.,
where it disembarked and marched to join the army then engaged in the siege of Corinth.
Miss. The regiment was abandoned, it returned to Corinth and, during the remainder of the
summer, was engaged in perfecting itself in drill and discipline, and in watching the
movements of the enemy, evidently making preparations to recover possession of Corinth
and to drive the Union army out of the State.
On the 18th of September, 1862, the regiment marched in the direction of Iuka, Miss.,
and on the 19th became engaged in the desperate battle which was fought there. In this, its
first battle, the regiment was subjected to an experience never repeated in its subsequent
splendid service. The official report of the conduct of the regiment in the battle of Iuka was
written by Captain John L. Young. He described the position occupied at the
commencement of the engagement; states that an order was given which one-half the
regiment failed to hear and which resulted in separating the right from the left wing, just as
the regiment came under the fire of the enemy. This was a critical situation for both men
and officers who had never been under fire, and one which demanded the most prompt,
capable and energetic leadership. But one of the field officers (Colonel Rankin) was present
for duty, and he was disabled by having his horse shot under him early in the engagement,
plunging him against a tree and rendering him incapable of remaining in command of the
regiment. Captain S. M. Archer then assumed command, but he soon fell, severely
wounded. The command then devolved upon Captain Young, who was with the right wing
and who urged the men to maintain their position under the heavy fire of the enemy, which
they did for a time, even advancing toward the rebel line. The following brief extracts from
his official report will show that the Captain and the subordinate officers who were with him
made a gallant effort to stem the tide of battle.
About the time I mention as having lost sight of Colonel Rankin our men retreated
without any command, which caused great confusion. They had not proceeded far to the
rear, however, until I succeeded in rallying them, and got them back to about where our line
was first formed. I then went to near the right of the right wing and urged the men forward.
We had proceeded but a short distance when a tremendous volley from the enemy caused a
panic in the battalion, and with all my efforts and assisted by Captain D. A. Craig (who was
the only Captain I saw after Colonel Rankin left the field) could not rally them until they had
retreated almost to the road near the old log church. I here succeeded in stopping them, got a
line partly formed and marched them forward. By the time I had got them to our former
line, I had, I should think, about 300 men, consisting of the right wing of our regiment and
stragglers from the Fifth Iowa, Eleventh Missouri, Fourth Minnesota, thirty-ninth Ohio and
some others. I now held them near where our first line was formed for about three-quarters
of an hour.
Captain Young then proceeds to describe in detail the movements which followed, to
the close of the battle. He shows that, owing to the blunder of some one higher in command,
the men under his command were subjected to the fire of both Union and rebel troops, which
caused another panic and retreat. He succeeded however, in again rallying the men and
keeping them in line until the retreat was sounded. In closing his report Captain Young
says:
It may be that the foregoing would not add much to the reputation of a regiment, but
this I cannot avoid. I give you a simple statement of the facts that came under my own
observation, hoping to be able to give a better account of the Seventeenth Iowa in the next
engagement. It is due to Captain Craig, company H; Lieutenants Garrett and Johnson of
company A; Lieutenants Rice and Snodgrass of company I; Lieutenant Hull, company E;
Lieutenant Morris, company F; Lieutenant Stapleton, company C, and one or two others,
probably, who were with me through the entire engagement, to say that they acted in a very
brave and unflinching manner and deserve great credit. I do not wish either to be understood
as casting any insinuations upon any officer in the regiment, but I only mention those whom
I saw in the engagement.
Brigadier General J. C. Sullivan, who commanded the brigade to which the
Seventeenth Iowa was attached, say in this official report: "The Seventeenth Iowa Regiment
was without a field officer and Captain Archer, the senior Captain, soon fell severely
wounded, when Captain Young assumed command and did his duty nobly." There is
nowhere a word of censure of the Seventeenth Iowa in the Bridgade Commander's report.
The unfortunate situation in which the regiment was placed,---without a field officer, its
senior Captain disabled by a severe wound at the very beginning of the engagement,
unskilled in war and sorely in need of a full complement of field officers to lead and direct
them,--these facts were well known to the Brigade Commander and led him to overlook the
failure of the regiment to measure up to the high standard of excellence of which he well
knew they would prove themselves capable under more fortunate conditions. Major General
Rosecrans, however, considered it his duty to administer a severe reprimand to the regiment.
He was soon to have an opportunity to do an act of justice in commending the bravery of the
officers and men of the Seventeenth Iowa, and in that order it will be observed that, in again
referring to the conduct of regiment at Iuka, he uses the fitting work "misfortune" instead of
the harsh and unjust terms contained in his previous order. At the conclusion of Brigadier
General Sullivan's report of the conduct of his brigade in the battle if Iuka, he makes the
following statement: "I enclose reports received from commanding officers of regiments,
together with a list of the killed, wounded and missing of my brigade. The regiments of my
brigade engaged were: Tenth Iowa, colonel Perczel; Seventeenth Iowa, Captain Archer;
Eighieth Ohio, Colonel Bartilson, and one section of the Twelfth Wisconsin Battery,
commanded by Lieutenant Immell."
The tabulated returns of casualties, by regiments and the aggregate loss of the brigade,
show that the Seventeenth Iowa sustained a loss greater than that of all the other regiments
of the brigade combined. In his history of the regiment, Colonel Clark R. Wever, referring
to its conduct in the battle of Iuka, makes the following statement: "In this our first real
battle, considering the stupidity, mismanagement and confusion which characterized the
greater part of the engagement, the regiment conducted itself in a manner of which all
engaged feel as truly proud as of any subsequent engagement notwithstanding the
opprobrium cast upon it in orders announcing the results of the battle.
The loss of the regiment at Iuka was one officer and three enlisted men killed , three
officers and thirty-five enlisted men wounded, and four enlisted men missing in action, a
total loss of 46, while the entire loss of the brigade was but 86. That the officers and men of
the Seventeenth Iowa acquitted themselves well in this battle—when the facts, as shown, are
taken into consideration—must be conceded.
Darkness put an end to the conflict at Iuka and during the night, the enemy retired
from the field, thus admitting defeat. The rebel general had not abandoned his intention to
make another desperate attempt to regain possession of Corinth, notwithstanding his failure
at Iuka. The concentration and movements of his army indicated his purpose to renew the
struggle, and the Union troops were concentrated in the vicinity of Corinth, where they
awaited the impending conflict. The Seventeenth Iowa, with the Second Brigade , Third
Division Army of the Mississippi, (the same command with which it had fought at Iuka,) lay
in camp at Corinth on the morning of October 3, 1862. Early that morning Captain John L.
Young, who was in command of the regiment, received an order from Brigadier General
Sullivan, the brigade commander, to move his regiment towards the north to meet the
enemy, reported to be advancing from that direction. While this order was being executed,
Major Jabez Banbury, of the Fifth Iowa Infantry, was ordered by General Hamilton
(commanding the Division) to take command of the regiment. Limitation of space will not
permit the reproduction of Major Banbury's official report in full, but the following extracts
will serve to show the splendid conduct of the regiment in the two days' battle of Corinth.
*HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH IOWA INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS,
CAMP AT HATCHER CHURCH, MISS., Oct. 9, 1862.
GENERAL: As directed by order of General Hamilton, I took command of the
Seventeenth Iowa on the morning of the 3d instant, after the regiment had been marched
about one-half mile north of Corinth by Captain Young. About 7 A.M. we were moved with
the rest of the brigade to the breastworks two miles north of town, and after changing
position, company A, at about 2 o'clock, under command of First Lieutenant Garrett, was
thrown out about three-fourths of a mile as skirmishers, and was engaged in a brisk skirmish
of about an hour, during which time it did good service, leaving quite a number of dead
rebels on the ground. Company B was also deployed as skirmishers in front of our regiment,
and while out the regiment changed position, and it did not get to the regiment until the next
day, after the battle on Saturday was over. This company under command of Second
Lieutenant Hull, of company E, deserves great credit for the brave and unflinching manner
in which it held its perilous situation until relieved. About 4:30 o'clock this regiment was
placed on the extreme right of the brigade and ordered forward in line of battle, and after
marching about half a mile we were net with heavy fire from the enemy's batteries which we
found were not more than 100 yards in our advance. We also found the enemy in large
force, supporting their batteries, which were three in number, and finding we were ne some
distance from the brigade and entirely unsupported, the enemy also having commenced a
flank movement to our right, we fell back to the road and there joined the balance of the
brigade.
The Major describes in detail the further movements of the regiment on the firing line
and in support of a battery, until the brigade was ordered inside the fortifications, where the
regiment was assigned to the duty of supporting batteries during most of the night. At an
early hour on the morning of the 4th it again advanced in line of battle with the brigade, but,
after proceeding some distance, was ordered to return and was given a new position on the
defensive line. After taking this position, Major Banbury describes the part taken by the
regiment during the remainder of the battle, as follows:
I remained in this position but a short time when I was ordered forward, just as the
troops on our right were falling back quite fast, and with the balance of our brigade I
marched the regiment forward to the brow of the hill, firing and driving the enemy before us.
After firing and driving the enemy for probably twenty minutes, we were ordered to charge,
which we did, taking quite a number of prisoners and capturing a rebel flag from the Fortieth
Mississippi regiment. Corporal King, of Company G, was the first to lay hands on the rebel
colors and took the bearer prisoner and brought him to the rear of our lines.
I cannot speak in too high terms of praise of both officers and men throughout
the regiment. Not a man in the entire regiment evinced the slightest inclination to shirk or
fall back, and ll, without a single exception, stood up to the work nobly and with an apparent
determination to drive the rebels back at all hazards.
As the regiment was under your immediate observation during the entire
engagement, I do not deem it necessary to mention any as deserving more mention, but wil
leave it for you to say whether any are entitled to more praise than that already received by
this report.
I am, General, your obedient servant,
J. BANBURY, Major,
Fifth, Commanding Seventeeth Iowa Infantry.
BRIGADIER GENERAL SULLIVAN,
Commanding Second Brigade, Third Division, Army of the Mississippi.
The following order was issued by General Rosecrans, commending the conduct of
the regiment in the battle of Corinth and to some extent, mitigating his harsh and unjust,
reprimand upon its conduct at Iuka:
General Orders No. 145.
Headquarters Army of the Mississippi
Third Div., Dist. Of West Tennessee.
Corinth, Miss., Oct 23, 1862.
The General commanding cannot forbear to give pleasure to many, besides the
brave men immediately concerned, by announcing, in advance of the regular orders, that the
Seventeenth Iowa Infantry, by its gallantry in the battle of Corinth, on the 4th of October,
charging the enemy, and capturing the flag of the Fortieth Mississiippi I, has amply atoned
for its misfortune at Iuka, and stands among the honored regiments of his command. Long
my they wear with unceasing brightness the honors they have won.
By order of MAJOR GENERAL W. S. ROSECRANS,
C. GODDARD, First Lieut, Twelfth Infty.,
Ohio Vols., Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen.
The loss of the regiment at Corinth was 25 killed and wounded, but, until the last of
the engagement, it was protected by breastworks and was able to inflict heavy loss upon the
enemy with comparatively light loss to itself. Thus far it had lost 71 men in battle.
The regiment participated in the pursuit of the retreating rebel army for several
days, when it was ordered to return to Corinth, remaining there until November 2d, when it
started with its brigade and division on the great Mississippi Central Expedition, which
General Grant had organized with Vicksburg as his objective point, and which penetrated far
towards the southern border of the State, but was finally compelled to turn back on account
of the raid of a large force of rebel cavalry which destroyed the immense stores of supplies
which had been accumulated at Holly Springs, Miss. The return march of the Union troops
was marked by great suffering on account of insufficient rations and forced marches. The
Seventeenth Iowa bore its full share of the hardships of this expedition.
On the 26th of December, the regiment with its brigade and division started
from Holly Springs as a guard to 625 wagons, with which they proceeded to Memphis,
loaded the wagons with provisions and returned as far as Collierville, Tenn., where they
were relieved by other troops who took charge of the wagon train and guarded it back to the
famishing army in the rear. Until February 8th, the regiment was engaged in guarding the
Memphis and Charleston railroad. It then marched to Memphis and, on March 2d, embarked
on steamer and proceeded to Grand Lake, La. On March 8th it again embarked and was
conveyed to Helena, Ark.
Its next expedition—a most difficult and arduous one, conducted on
steamboats—was through the tortuous windings of Yazoo Pass and on through the
Coldwater and Tallahatchie rivers to the vicinity of Fort Pemberton. General Grant then
changed the plan of his campaign and the regiment was ordered to return to Helena, where it
remained until April 17th, when it again embarked and was conveyed down the river to
Milliken's Bend, where it landed on the 26th and took up the line of march for Grand Gulf,
where it crossed the river on gun boats and moved rapidly to the front. It arrived at Port
Gibson just at the close of the engagement there and pursued the retreating rebels to Black
River.
The Vicksburg campaign was now fairly under way and battles were frequent. The
Seventeenth Iowa had been engaged in several skirmishes but did not meet the enemy in
force until May 12th, when it participated in the last of the fighting at Raymond and joined in
the pursuit of the enemy. May 14th the regiment engaged the enemy at Jackson and, during
the battle, executed a brilliant charge with fixed bayonets. Colonel D. B. Hillis commanded
the regiment during this battle and wrote the official report. After describing the different
positions his command occupied and its steadiness and good conduct as it advanced under
the heavy fire of the enemy, Colonel Hillis thus describes the manner in which the enemy
was dislodged from the ravine in his front and the capture of the fort:
"You then ordered me to take the ravine, which I did by a bayonet charge at a
double quick, breaking the enemy's lines, and pressing him up and over the crest of the next
hill. Having reached this crest I ordered the regiment to cease firing, and commanded a halt.
After having rested here some twenty minutes or more, I was ordered by you to throw
forward one company in front of my line as skirmishers at a double quick to investigate the
brush and woods in advance. This duty I intrusted to Company H, (Captain Craig) which
they did skillfully, discovering no enemy, as he had fled in great confusion, abandoning his
position, camp and fort, (containing four pieces of artillery.) which the captain entered, took
possession of, and held until ordered into Jackson by General McPherson. The Captain,
there fore, claims the honor of having first entered the works and taken possession of the
guns.
Colonel Hillis concludes his report as follows:
I went into the action with three hundred and fifty (350) men, and lost during the
engagement 16 killed, 60 wounded, 3 missing and one disabled by a shell, making an
aggregate of 80 men, or 23 per cent of my command. I cannot speak in too high terms of
praise of the gallantry and zeal displayed by the entire command. So well did all do their
part that none are deserving of special mention, unless it be Captain L. W. Houston, who,
while suffering from a very painful and severe wound through his left fore-arm, and away
from all assistance, seized a gun from one of three rebels, and brought the three into the
hospital; and to Lieutenant Colonel Wever, Captain Walden (who commanded the left wing,
and had his horse shot under him,) and Adjutant F. Woolsey, to all of whom I am indebted
for their coolness and assistance, and take pleasure in commending them.
The regiment had again demonstrated the fact that it had no superior among the
volunteer organizations from Iowa or any other State, and had established a battle record
which would have entitled it to lasting fame had its service terminated with the battle of
Jackson, It had now been in the service but little over a year, had been engaged in four
battles, many skirmishes and arduous marches, and was in the midst of one of the greatest
campaigns of the war, in which the valor, fortitude and endurance of its officers and men
was to be tested to the utmost.
On the day following the capture of Jackson the regiment marched in the direction of
Vicksburg and the enemy. The rebel army was stubbornly contesting against the advance of
the Union army, and it was evident that another great battle was impending. The wounded
were left at Jackson, in charge of Assistant Surgeon C. C. Biser, who was afterwards
captured and, with the wounded who were able to be moved, sent to Richmond, Va. In his
history of the regiment, Colonel Clark R. Wever describes the events which transpired
immediately preceding the next battle in which it participated:
At Clinton, we were detached from the corps, and ordered to remain to do picket and
personal guard duty for General Grant, who had established his headquarters there. Tired,
sore-footed and war-worn, we lay down at night congratulating ourselves upon our good
fortune in being allowed a short respite, while the rest of the army were still "marching on";
but scarcely had our reveille been sounded on the day following, (May 16th) when the angry
booming of a hundred cannon told but too plainly that there was more work to be done.
General Grant ordered us to move with the least possible delay. We were immediately in the
road, and marching in quick time for the theater of operations. The dust and heat were
almost insufferable, and the road in places literally blockaded with teams. Within three
miles of champion Hills, very discouraging reports were sent to the rear. Everybody
concurred in the opinion that the rebels had a very decided advantage, and bid fair to gain
the day. An aide to General Grant rode back to us and ordered the brigade (two regiments
only being present, the Tenth Missouri, and Seventeenth Iowa,) forward on the double quick.
The order was immediately given by Colonel Hillis, and the boys threw away knapsacks,
haversacks, blankets and everything (except guns and ammunition,) that could impede their
march; pushed forward on a brisk run, and soon reached the scene of conflict.
The regiment so greatly distinguished itself at Champion's Hill, that the compiler, at
the risk of having to give more meager description of future battles in which it was engaged,
gives here the entire official report of its conduct in that hotly contested engagement:
Headquarters Seventeenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry,
Before Vicksburg, Miss., May 24, 1872 .
CAPTAIN:---In compliance with Special Orders No. 27, from your headquarters, I
herewith submit the following report of the part taken by my regiment (Seventeenth Iowa
Volunteer Infantry) in the battle of Champion's Hill on the 16th inst. I arrived in the vicinity
of the hills on which the battle was being fought about 2 p.m., and without having time to
rest my men (who had that day marched 12 miles through dust, and under a burning sun,
with knapsacks on their backs,) was ordered forward at a double quick. I established my line
at a point midway up and on the north side of the hill, my right resting on the left of the
Vicksburg road, in the rear of the Ninety-third Illinois (Colonel Putnam) which was severely
pressed by the enemy's massed forces. In doing this my men suffered from the fire intended
for the Ninety-third. As soon as my line was formed, Colonel Putnam moved his regiment
out by the right flank, and left me fronting the enemy direct, some 40 or 50 yards only
intervening. This position I held under a well directed fire, which my gallant fellows
returned with interest for about fifteen minutes, when I ordered an advance, which was
executed with a heroism that I am proud of. This caused the enemy to give way, but he soon
rallied, and again gave way, and in this way I advanced, driving him slowly, inch by inch,
from the ravines and ditches in which he had effected a lodgement, up one declivity and
down another, and finally onto the summit of the ridge along which the road runs, and
charged him down the slope on the other (south) side, retaking four pieces of artillery, J. F.
Waddell's Alabama battery. This battery had been taken earlier in the engagement by the
Eleventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, but this splendid regiment had again to yield it, the
enemy having massed his forces against it. After this charge, I commanded a halt and
rectified my line, which had been somewhat deranged. All being quiet at this moment on
my front, I ran back a short distance to get a horse (mine having been shit early in the
engagement) but, being overcome by excessive labor and heat, I fell by the way, and by the
time I returned to my regiment, of Lieutenant Colonel Wever, routing the thirty-first
Alabama Regiment. In this charge a great many prisoners were taken, including the colors,
color bearer and guard of that regiment, which colors are now in my possession. The enemy
again rallied, but by this time the gallant Tenth Missouri was in position on my right, and we
gave him two more charges, which put him in perfect rout. This then ended the fight, o far
as we were concerned, and I think, entirely. My regiment then, wearied and worn, with
thinned ranks, rested on their arms until ordered into camp. Is I worthy of note that in this
engagement the regiment charged the enemy successfully five times, under the most galling
fire from musketry and shell, and over ravines, and ditches that are very difficult of passage,
and which afforded him excellent protection.
In conclusion, I feel that my command did their whole duty, and are worthy of all
commendation. To my Lieutentant Colonel (Wever) and Adjutant (Woolsey) I am greatly
indebted for their daring and assistance during the engagement. Both of these officers had
their horses shot under them early in the fight. I cannot forbear mentioning in this
connection specially for great bravery First Lieutenant C. W. Woodrow, company K; Second
Lieutenant George W W. Deal, Company g.; Second Lieutenant Tower, Company B.,
(whose gallantry resulted in the loss of his leg); First Sergeant Evan E. Swearngin,
Company F., and Private Albert G Trussell, Company g, who captured the colors and color
bearer of the Thirty-first Alabama. In the engagement I had nine companies, one company
(E) having been left back at Jackson on duty. My loss in killed, wounded and missing is 57
(25 per cent of the number engaged), as per list of casualties which I send with this report.
We captured 175 prisoners, mostly Alabama and Missouri troops.
D. B. HILLIS,
Colonel Commanding Seventeenth Iowa Volunteers.
CAPT. WILLIAM W. McCAMMON,
A. A. A. G., 2d Brig., 7th Div.
On May 20th the regiment reached Vicksburg and became part of the besieging force.
On May 22d it participated in the assault on the enemy's works, but, being on the reserve
line, lost but seven men. The assault was repulsed and the regiment was thereafter engaged
in the regular siege operations, furnishing details for the trenches and while performing this
duty, suffered slight losses from the enemy's sharpshooters. Later in the siege, however, the
regiment was ordered to perform a most hazardous and dangerous service, which is thus
described by Colonel Wever:
On the 26th of June, General Logan sent to our division for two regiments to assist in
holding and defending Fort Hill, which was then mined and in readiness for blowing up; the
Seventeenth was one of the two designated. Early in the afternoon the fort was blown up,
and the breach held by troops from General Logan's division, until 11 o'clock at night, when
we were placed in the broken parapet, which we held until 2'oclock A. M. of the 27th, with
musketry alone, while the rebels were continually hurling hand grenades (6 and 10 pound
shells,) into our midst. Here we lost 37 men killed and wounded; the killed were so charred
and mutilated that their friends could scarcely identify them, and the wounds were terrible,
very many afterwards proving fatal.
The regiment had now lost in battle, on the skirmish line, and in siege operations, an
aggregate of 268. Its losses by death from disease and by discharge for disability had also
been heavy, but, undismayed, it was ready to go forward in the discharge of its duty, no
matter how great the suffering and sacrifice it might still be called upon to endure. On the
4th of July, 1863, the long siege came to an end, Vicksburg had been surrendered and the
Seventeenth Iowa entered the city and went into camp. Here it remained, doing garrison
duty, until the 9th of September.
Upon the date last mentioned the regiment with its brigade and division proceeded to
Helena, Ark., and on September 29th was ordered to Memphis, Tenn. There it joined the
fifteenth Army Corps, under command of General W. T. Sherman. On October 10th, the
regiment, now a part of Sherman's army, moved to Glendale, Miss., and on October 17th
started on the long march to Chattanooga, Tenn. Thirty-two days later—November 19th—
the army reached its destination. At 2 A. M. November 24th, Sherman's army crossed the
Tennessee river on pontoon boats and took position in readiness for the impending conflict.
The Seventeenth Iowa, under command of Colonel Clark R. Wever, participated in the
preliminary operation on the 24th, and on the 25th of November, 1863, was in that
magnificent line of battle which swept Mission Ridge from base to crest, steadily driving the
enemy and performing one of the greatest achievements of the war. In this battle the
regiment fully maintained its splendid record for bravery and efficiency. Its loss was 12
killed, 32 wounded and 14 missing, total 58, thus increasing its aggregate loss in battle to
326. At the conclusion of his official report. Colonel Wever makes special mention of the
gallant conduct of Adjutant Woolsey, and first Lieutenant Geo. W. Deal. November 26th,
the regiment joined in the pursuit of the enemy to Greyville, Ga., from which point it
returned to Chattanooga, arriving there on the evening of the 29th.
On December 2d the regiment marched to Bridgeport, Ala., where it remained in
camp until the 22d, and then marched to Huntsville, Ala., where it remained during the
winter and spring of 1864, part of the time engaged in guarding large supply trains,
collecting grain and provisions, and provisions, and watching the movements of the enemy.
On the 1st of April 1864 a large majority of the regiment had re-enlisted as Veteran
Volunteers, and it now became a veteran organization in name as well as in fact. It had a
that time an aggregate strength of 352 present for duty, with 127 absent, including the sick in
hospitals, and those on detached service, on leave of absence and furlough, making a total of
470 still borne upon the rolls of the regiment—just one-half the number with which it had
left Iowa on the 19th of April, 1862—less than two years before.
While at Huntsville, Colonel Wever was in command of the Post. He was
subsequently detailed to take command of another brigade, and greatly distinguished himself
by the manner in which he defended the Post at Resaca, Ga., holding out against superior
numbers until reinforcements reached him, and the enemy was compelled to abandon the
siege. In the meantime Lieutenant Colonel Archer was in command of the Seventeenth
Iowa, which had been moved to Scottsville, thence to Stevenson, where its division was
again concentrated and was moving to join the main army at the front, when the Seventeenth
Iowa was again separated from its brigade and rdered to return to Tilton, where it arrived
July 2d. Here it was assigned to the duty of guarding the railroad between Dalton and
Resaca, a distance of fifteen miles, except at a point near Reseca where two companies of
another regiment belonging to its brigade (the Tenth Missouri) were stationed. The regiment
here had a most difficult and dangerous service to perform during the remainder of the
summer. This duty was faithfully executed, and trains bearing supplies for the main army
continued to pass over the road until the 13th of October, 1864, on which date the little
garrison at Tilton found itself surrounded by a largely superior force of the enemy and, after
a most gallant and heroic defense, was compelled to surrender. Captain William Horner of
Company G (subsequently commissioned Major and Lieutenant Colonel) was on picket duty
at the time the enemy appeared, and, being cut off from his beleaguered comrades, escaped
with the thirty-one men under his command to the forest-covered mountains. These men,
with those who subsequently escaped from their captors, constitute the number enrolled
upon the worn and faded but distinctly legible old war paper which lies before the compilier
of this historical sketch. It is entitled: "Return of the Seventeenth Regiment of Iowa Veteran
Volunteer Infantry, Army of the United States, for the month of October, 1864." This old
return is regularly made out, in compliance with military regulations. It is dated at Reseca,
Georgia, October 31, 1864, and signed "William Horner, Capt, commanding the Regiment"
and "E. e. Swearngin, First Lieutenant and Acting Adjutant." It shows three commissioned
officers and forty-one enlisted men present for duty. In the proper places upon the return the
following notations are made:
"During the first part of the month of October, 1864, the regiment was encamped at
Tilton, Ga., on the A. and W. R. Railroad, At that point nothing of interest occurred until the
13th inst., when a corps of Rebel infantry, commanded by Lieutenant General Stewart, made
their appearance around the command. The defense consisted of a Block House capable of
holding 70 men; the remainder of the men, numbering 210, were placed outside in the
trenches. An insolent demand for surrender, accompanied by a threat to massacre the entire
garrison, if not acceded to, was made by the Rebel General, to which Colonel Archer made
the brief and pointed reply: "If you want me and my men come and take us." Eleven guns
were placed in position by the enemy (12 and 32 pounders) and opened on the Block House.
After holding the place seven hours, and with the block House ready to fall and crush the
whole force, it was surrendered to the enemy, and everything destroyed by them. Lieutenant
Colonel Archer and Adjutant Woolsey were paroled. Several officers and men have since
escaped. The regiment became veteran seven months ago and have just received the order to
go home. Forty-four men are left to accept of the furlough."
"The regimental and company record having been captured and destroyed by the
enemy at Tilton, Ga., on the 13th of October, 1864, it is therefore impossible to give the
names of absentees. Three hundred, and one enlisted men missing in action."
The names of the officers missing action (13 in number) are given on the return.
Opposite the names of two of the officers notations are made, as follows:
{Captured at Tilton, Ga., Oct. 13, 1864, escaped below
E. E. Swearngin {Rome, Ga., and got through safe to our lines."
{Captured Oct. 13, 1864, by the enemy, escaped Oct.
{19, 1864. Drowned Oct. 21, 1864, near Rome, Ga., in
"Capt. S. E. Hicks { attempting to get to our line in company with
{ Lieutenant Swearngin."
Pathos and tragedy are combined in these brief notations. The closing scene in that
unequal conflict shows that the Block House had been reduced to such a state of ruin that it
was about to fall upon the crush its gallant defenders. With ammunition exhausted, and with
the sword and bayonet the only means of defense against the overwhelming numbers of the
enemy, there was therefore fully justified in surrendering himself and his command, with the
stipulation that they were to be treated as prisoners of war.
At the time of re-enlistment, the men had been assured that they would be sent to their
homes and given a furlough of thirty days, to date from the time of their reaching the State
of Iowa. They had eagerly and hopefully expected the fulfillment of that promise, but the
exigencies of the campaign which ensued became so great that every soldier in General
Sherman's army,who was ale for duty, was needed at the front. The great majority of these
faithfl men of the Seventeenth Iowa were thus compelled to relinquish the hope of again
seeing their homes and loved ones until the end of the war. It was only to the little band who
had escaped capture or death that the promise was fulfilled. Of those who were carried into
captivity, many died from wounds received before their capture, and from disease. The
remnant of this gallant regiment, under Colonel Wever, subsquently joined Sherman's army
at Savannah, marched thence to Washington, and took part in the Grand Revier. Finally,
with the exchanged or released prisoners, these veteran survivors of the Seventeenth Iowa
were conveyed to Louisville, Kentucky, where, on the 25th day of July, 1865, they were
mustered out of the service of the United States. They then proceeded to Davenport, Iowa,
where the regiment was disbanded and the men returned to their homes.
Among all the spelndid regiments which the State of Iowa sent into the field, not one
has a more honorable record of service than the Seventeenth. Tp those of its members who
still survive, to their families and to all who sahll come after them, this brief history is
dedicated, with the hope and belief that; in connection with the revised roster of the regiment
which follows, it will serve the purpose intended by the General Assembly of the State, in
enacting the law providing for the preservation of the history of its military organizations,
and the personal record of its soldiers.
SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES.
Total Enrollment 1,085
Killed 45
Wounded 246
Died of wounds 24
Died of disease 97
Discharged for disease, wounds or other causes 293
Buried in National Cemeteries 73
Captured 315
Transferred 28
SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Term of service three years
Mustered into service of the United States at Keokuk, Iowa, April 16, 1862, by
Lieutenant Charles J Ball, United States Army.
Mustered out of service at Louisville Ky., July 25, 1865.
Roster of Field, commissioned and Non-Commissioned Staff Officers at muster in of
organization, together with subsequent appointments from civil life.
COMPANY "G"
Warner, Charles P. Age 20. Residence Big Rock, nativity Vermont. Enlisted Dec. 16,
1863. Mustered Dec. 16, 1863. Mustered out July 25, 1865, Louisville, Ky. See Company
G, Thirty-First Infantry.
Wood Benjamin F. Age. Residence Clinton, nativity Illinois. Enlisted Feb. 28, 1864.
Mustered Feb. 28, 1864. Mustered out July 25, 1865, Louisville, Ky. See Company G,
Thirty-first Infantry.
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