TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
The ten companies composing the Twenty-third Regiment were
ordered into quarters by Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood, on the 4th day of
August, 1862. The rendezvous designated in the order was "Camp
Burnside," Des Moines, Iowa. There, on the 19th of September, 1862, the
companies were mustered into the service of the United States, by
Lieutenant Charles J. Ball, of the Regular Army, and the organization of
the regiment was completed. In the subjoined roster will be found the
names of the original field and staff and company officers, together with
all the non-commissioned officers and privates, including the name of
every soldier who, at any time belonged to the regiment, with the
condensed record of his personal service, compiled for the records in the
office of the Adjutant General of Iowa and of the War Department at
Washington, D. C. These records are presumed to include all changes
which occurred, by promotion or other cause, and all casualties—in
battle, from disease or whatever cause. Great care has been taken in
transcribing the records and where it was evident that errors existed,
every effort has been made to correct them, when the necessary reliable
information would be obtained.. Notwithstanding these efforts, some
misspelled names, incomplete person records and other errors and
omissions in making reports and returns to the Adjutant General may still
be found, but it is believes that these have been reduced to the minimum
and that, in the main, the revised roster will be found correct. The
difficulties which Adjutant General Baker encountered in securing copies
of official reports from the commanding officers of regiments in the field
are described in the introductory article to this volume. The failure to
comply with his request is conspicuous, as applied to the Twenty-third
Iowa. Fortunately, the operations of the regiment were so intimately
connected with that of other Iowa regiments, at least for the greater and
most important period of its term of service, and the reports of the
brigade commander, under whom it served, make such frequent reference
to its operations and its conduct in battle, that the compiler, while
regretting the scarcity of official reports of the officers of the regiment,
believes he will be able to give a fairly complete condensed history of the
regiment in the following pages. Accurate dates as to the movements and
operations of the regiment are often found to be lacking, but in nearly all
cases the dates have been given as shown by the orders and reports of tits
brigade commanders. In some instances, however, only approximate
dates can be given.
The aggregate strength of the regiment at the completion of its
organization was 961 officers and men. This was about the average
number of the infantry regiments of Iowa, at the time of their muster into
the service. Two of its original field officers, as shown by the record,
had seen service in the field,--Colonel William Dewey, as Lieutenant
Colonel of the fifteenth Iowa Infantry, and Lieutenant Colonel William H
Kinsman, as Captain of Company B, Fourth Iowa Infantry. The regiment
was, therefore, in charge of officers who had won distinction and honor
in two of the great battles of the war: Colonel Dewey, who, while
gallantly performing his duty at the battle of Shiloh, in the thickest of the
fight, had had his horse shot under him and was commended for his
bravery and efficiency in the official report of the regimental
commander; Lieutenant Colonel Kinsman, who had fought bravely as
Captain of his company at Pea Ridge, and had received special mention
in the official report of Colonel Dodge, for the gallant and efficient
manner in which he had discharged his duty as a company commander.
Major Glasgow was yet to demonstrate his fitness and capacity for the
discharge of the duties of his office. But the official records show that he
did so at the first opportunity, proving himself a most courageous and
efficient commander. The regiment was thus highly fortunate in the
selection of its firs field officers, and also on those who were
subsequently promoted to fill the vacancies occasioned by the death of
Colonels Dewey and Kinsman.
Soon after the regiment was mustered into the service, it proceeded
to St. Louis, where it remained on duty for a short time, when it moved to
Rolla, Mo., and was on duty at Camp Patterson and, later, at West Plains,
Mo., until February, 1863. The first operations of the regiment against
the enemy are described in the official report of colonel Dewey. This
report reveals the fact that Colonel Dewey was selected for the command
of a very important expedition, and that he fully complied with his
instructions, accomplishing all that was possible, considering the
difficulties he encountered and the failure of the cavalry force to act in
conjunction with him at the point where he had hoped to cut off the
retreat of the rebel force, against which he was operating. For the
purpose of showing the energy and capacity for endurance of the troops
in this, their first, experience, (at least in so far as that portion of the
Twenty-third Iowa engaged in the expedition was concerned,) the report
of Colonel Dewey is here given:
HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT IOWA
VOLUNTEERS,
CAMP PATTERSON, Mo.,
Nov. 2, 1862.
COLONEL BOYD: In accordance with your order of the 24th ult.,
I left Camp Patterson at 6 o'clock on the morning of Saturday, the 25th of
October, with three companies of my regiment, (Twenty-fifth Missouri
Volunteers, under Captain O. P. Newberry, two companies of First
Missouri State Militia, a section of Strang's Battery, under Major
Jeinsch, and eighteen men of the Twelfth Missouri Volunteer Cavalry,
under Captain Leeper. At Morrison's, 12 miles from this place, I was
joined by three companies of the Twenty-fourth Missouri Volunteers,
under Captain Vaughn. My instructions were to march for Pitman's
Ferry, on currant River, which place I was to reach by 3 o'clock P. M. on
Sunday the 26th, form a junction with Lieutenant Colonel Lazare, and
attack any rebel force at that point. You informed me that Lieutenant
Lazare, had orders to meet me there at that time and co-operate with me.
The first day I marched 26 miles, to Black River, which I reached at 4
o'clock P. M. I found the stream wide and deep, and the crossing
difficult, but I was determined to get the infantry and baggage train over
that night. I placed the transportation of the troops under charge of
Captain O. P. Newberry, of the Twenty-sixth Missouri, with orders to
cross at all hazards. After an immense amount of labor, the untiring
energy of the captain was successful, and at 11 o'clock at night he
reported all safely over except the artillery and one company of the First
Missouri, left to guard it. The next morning at daylight Captain
Newberry commenced crossing the artillery. The ammunition was
shifted from the caissons and transported in wagons, and the whole train
crossed in safety. Ic ommenced the march from Black River at 8 o'clock
A. M., Sunday, 26th, and reached Vandover's after a march of twenty
miles. A mile this side of Vandover's my advanced guard of cavalry,
under Captain Leeper, drove in the enemy's pickets, all of whom
unfortunately escaped, and thus betrayed any advance.
I was now 17 miles from Pitman's Ferry, and it was important to
make a rapid march and gain possession of the boat. I accordingly
detailed Lieutenant Buzard, of the Twenty-fifth Missouri Volunteers,
with 40 picked men, to move rapidly forward with the cavalry and gain
possession of the ferry. They started at 1 o'clock on the morning of the
27th, and at two I followed with the reserve body. The men marched
without breakfast. Ten miles this side of the ferry, the advance guard
surprised a scouting party of the enemy and captured a captain and
thirteen men. Leaving these prisoners under guard, they pushed rapidly
forward and succeeded in surprising the guard at the ferry, which were
dispersed by a volley from Lieutenant Buzard's men. Private Richard
Lloyd, of Company F, Twenty-fifth Missouri, swam the river and
brought the boat over to his side. When about two miles from the river,
at 8 o'clock in the morning, I received information that the great object of
my anxiety, the ferry boat, was safe in our possession. When a mile from
the river, a messenger brought me word that the enemy was forming in
line of battle on the other side. I immediately ordered the artillery
forward at a gallop. The infantry, regardless of their long and fatiguing
march, followed at a double quick. I halted the column about 100 yards
from the river bank and formed line on each side of the road, the right
wing consisting of the Twenty-third Iowa under Lieutenant Colonel
Kinsman, the center consisting of the artillery and the two companies of
the First Missouri State Militia, under Major Jeinsch, and the left
consisting of the five companies of the Twenty-fifth Missouri Volunteers,
under Captain Newberry. The two companies of the Twenty-fourth acted
as a reserve and guard to the prisoners, under Captain Vaughn. Riding
forward to the front, Lieutenant Poser, commanding the artillery,
informed me that they enemy was planting a battery on the other side. I
ordered him to open upon them immediately, which he promptly did, and
after a few rounds the enemy scattered and dispersed. I then ordered
Lieutenant Miller of the Twenty-fifth Missouri to cross the river with his
company and deploy them as skirmishers, and follow the enemy as far as
practicable; and, to guard his retreat, I ordered Captain Houston of
Company A, Twenty-third Iowa, to form his company on the river bank
near the ferry, leaving the rest of the command in line of battle. At 12 M.
Lieutenant Miller returned and reported the enemy retreating.
I had been for several hours anxious to learn the whereabouts of
Lieutenant Colonel Lazare and his command. Everything depended upon
his co-operating with me. I knew that with my small force of infantry,
exhausted by a long and fatiguing march, and without food since the
previous night, it was folly for me to attempt a pursuit. Lazare's route to
join me led directly across the road by which the enemy retreated, and I
waited in deep suspense for some intelligence from him or for some
evidence of his presence. At noon I sent Leeper over the river with his
18 cavalrymen to scour the country and try to gain intelligence of Lazare.
After a fruitless search, he returned without any tidings and I reluctantly
ordered the men to camp. They had performed a forced march of 65
miles and had been 20 hours without food, and without murmuring.
They were still ready to go forward, f there was any prospect of
overtaking the enemy; but without Lazare's cavalry, pursuit would be
useless. I had hoped the sound of cannonading would reach him and
convey to him the tidings of my presence, but it did not. The next
morning, the 28th, I sent Captain Houston with his company up the river,
and Captain Rosensteen with his company down, both on this side, to
explore the country and ascertain the position and practicability of the
various fords. I also sent Captain Leeper, with such infantry as I could
mount, over the river, to explore the different roads leading to the ferry,
with instructions to find Lazare if possible, About 11 o'clock, I received
a dispatch from Colonel Lazare, directed to you, of which the following
is a copy:
October 26th, 4
o'clock A.M.
COLONEL BOYD: Yours of 7 and 10 o'clock, 24th, reached me
at ten last night. I cannot reach Pitman's Ferry and find out what is at
Thomasville before the 29th. Will be there then. We scattered Boon's
men in every direction yesterday, killing six or eight—18 prisoners, 25
guns, 12 horses. They have all come up but Crow's Company, which has
gone east of Currant River.
B. F. LAZARE,
Colonel Commanding.
I immediately recalled the scouting parties and crossed my
command, with the exception of the artillery and Captain Vaughn's men,
over the river. Late in the evening I received another dispatch from
Lazare, by Lieutenant Going, informing me verbally that he was
marching from the direction of Thomasville, on the Pocahontas road, and
would be ready to c0-operate with me at any time after midnight. This
road leads directly across the road to Yellville, by which the enemy
retreated, and they had already passed the point of intersection at least 36
hours before. Of course pursuit was now useless, and I directed
Lieutenant Going to rejoin Colonel Lazare, with orders to join me as
soon as possible on the Pocahontas road. On the morning of the 29th I
crossed the artillery over the river, and, leaving Captain Vaughn to guard
the ferry and the prisoners, I marched towards Pocahontas, and formed a
junction with Colonel Lazare at Bollinger's Mill, 15 miles from the ferry.
I immediately ordered a detachment of 50 cavalry, under Major Lippard,
to march to Pocahontas to search for horses and contraband goods.
Major Jeinsch accompanied the detachment. They dispersed a small
scouting party, capturing eight or ten horses, and found a number of
rebels sick in a hospital, whom Major Jeinsch paroled, and a list of whom
accompanies this report. The next morning October 30th, I commenced
my march back to Patterson, which point I reached at 6 o'clock P. M.
November 2d. Too much praise cannot be awarded the officers and
men under my command in this expedition. They performed a march f
65 miles to Pitman's Ferry, the first day through a severe storm, in less
than two days and a half, crossing a wide and deep stream. The last 20
hours they were on the march or in line of battle without food. On their
return they performed a march of 80 miles in four day, crossing two wide
and deep streams. I have no hesitiation in saying that, had the force
under Colonel Lazare been able to co-operate wiith me, by reaching the
road to Yellville, by which the enemy retreated, at the time I reached
Pitman's Ferry on the morning of the 27th, we would have routed the
entire rebel force and captured their baggage train and artillery. This
force I I estimate from reliable information at 100 cavalry, 500 infantry
and four pieces of artllery, under command of Colonels Burdage, Green
and Mitchell. It retreated toward Yellville, at which point I understand a
large force of the enemy is being concentrated, and where they have a
powder mill in operation. My thanks are especially due to the following
officers detailed on special duty: Captain Newberry, Twenty-fifth
Missouri, for efficiency in crossing the command over Black River; to
Lieutenant Waterbury, Twenty-third Iowa, Acting Adjutant; to
Lieutenant Brown, Twenty-third Iowa, Acting Quartermaster, and to
Lieutenant Buzard, Twenty-fifth Missouri, commanding advance guard
of infantry.
Very respectfully, etc,
Wm. DEWEY,
Colonel Commanding.
The roster of the Twenty-third Iowa shows that Colonel Dewey
was 51 years of age when he joined the regiment. No doubt the
hardships and exposure, to which he and the troops he commanded were
subjected upon the expedition described in his report, brought on the
illness which soon after culminated in his death. The regiment suffered
much from the ravages of disease during this early period of its service.
This was the common experience of all the new regiments, and
particularly of those whose first service was performed on the borders of
Missouri and Arkansas during those arduous campaigns in the late
autumn of 1862 and winter of 1863. The troops were exposed to the
inclemency of the weather on their marches in pursuits of their elusive
enemy. While the fatalities from disease were numerous. A much larger
number were incapacitated for further military service, many of whom
never fully recovered from the effects of the diseases with which they
were stricken. Upon the arrival of the regiment a West Plains, it was
assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division Army of Southeast
Missouri, consisting of the Twenty-first, Twenty-second and Twenty-
third Regiments of Iowa Infantry, under the command of Colonel
William M. Stone of the Twenty-second Iowa.
On the 9th of February, 1863, the regiment, with the other troops,
commenced the march which ended at Iron Mountain on February 26th,
This long march through the mountainous regions of the State, over
difficult and, at times, almost impassable roads, exposed to severe cold
and heavy storms against which there was no adequate protection, much
of the time with insufficient rations, put to the severest test the courage
and fortitude of the officers and men of the regiment, and subjected it to
greater ultimate loss than it subsequently sustained in some of the severe
battles in which it took part. Only m en imbued with the highest degree
of patriotism could have endured such suffering without murmuring or
complaint, as did these brave and hardy sons of Iowa.
The army remained encamped at Iron Mountain until the 9th of
March, when orders were received to join the army of General Grant,
then operating against Vicksburg, Miss. The march was then resumed
and, on the Mississippi River, and there encamped to await the arrival of
the fleet of transports which was to convey them down the river. On the
22d of March, the transports upon which the Twenty-third Iowa and the
other regiments of the Second Brigade had embarked proceeded to
Milliken's Bend, La., where they arrived and disembarked on March 27th.
A large number of troops were being concentrated at Milliken's Bend,
preparatory to the opening of General Grant's campaign against
Vicksburg. By April 1st, the remainder of the troops of the Army of
Southeast Missouri had arrived and, in the reorganization which
followed, that army lost its identity, the troops composing it being
assigned to the Thirteenth Army Corps, commanded by Major General
John A. McClernand. In this re-organization the Twenty-third Iowa
became a part of the Second Brigade of the Fourteenth division of the
Thirteenth Corps, commanded by Brigadier General Eugene A. Carr.
The other regiments composing the brigade were the Twenty-first and
Twenty-second Iowa and Eleventh Wisconsin, Colonel C. L. Harris of
the latter regiment being the senior officer in command. The brigade
received orders to march on the 12th of April and proceeded to
Richmond, La., and thence to Perkins' Landing, where it went into camp
to await the arrival of the remainder of the corps.
On the evening of April 27th, and on the morning of the 28th, the
embarkation of the troops of the Thirteenth Army Corps had been
completed, and the fleet of transports proceeded down the river, landing
opposite the mouth of Black River, near Grand Gulf, where the enemy
had erected heavy fortifications. On the morning of April 29th, the fleet
of gunboats commenced a bombardment of the enemy's fortifications,
which lasted for several hours but without success. The troops had been
held in readiness to supplement the attack of the gunboats; the position
being deemed too strong to be carried by assault, the gunboats
were withdrawn, but during the night ran past the rebel batteries. In the
meantime the troops of the Thirteenth Corps had received orders to
march, and moved down the levee three miles below Grand Gulf, where
they bivouacked until morning. On the morning of the 30th, the troops of
the Thirteenth Corps embarked on transports and gunboats and proceeded
down the river to Bruinsburg, sixteen miles below Grand Gulf, near the
mouth of Bayou Pierre, where they landed, and at 4 P. M. took up the
line of march towards Port Gibson, Miss. The Second Brigade of
General Carr's Division, to which the Twenty-third Iowa belonged, led
the advance of the army and marched in the following order: Twenty-
first, Twenty-second and Twenty-third Iowa, and Eleventh, Wisconsin.
Colonel Harris was taken sicke and, being unable to continue in
command of the birgade, was relieved by Colonel Stone of the Twenty-
second Iowa. The march was continued without interruption until one
o'clock A. M. on May 1st, when the advance guard was fired upon by the
enemy's pickets, about three miles from Port Gibson. The enemy's
batteries, which had been posted so as to enfilade the road, then opened
upon the advancing troops, but, owing to the darkness, did little
execution. It was evident that the enemy had taken position in strong
force and that a battle was impending. Skirmishing and exchange of
shots between the Union and Rebel batteries continued for two hours,
during which the relative positions of the contending forces were
developed, when the firing ceased on both sides until daylight, at which
time the batteries of the enemy resumed their fire with great vigor and
their infantry moved forwa4rd to the attack. The following extracts from
the official report of Colonel Stone of the Twenty-second Iowa, who was
in command of the brigade, will serve to show how well the Twenty-third
Iowa acquitted itself in the battle which ensued. After giving the details
of the engagement of the previous night, Colonel Stone proceeds to
describe with particularity of detail the operations and conduct of his
brigade in the battle of Port Gibson, May 1st, 1862. He describes the
opening of the engagement as follows:
Soon after sunrise the battle was renewed by the enemy,
who held their position during the night. Their batteries opened upon us
with great vigor, and their infantry moved forward to the attack. My
command was promptly in line, and Captain Griffith's vigorously
returned their fire with his admirable battery. Other brigades and
batteries were soon engaged on our right and left. Our position being in
the center of our line, I was ordered by General Carr to hole my infantry
in readiness to charge the enemy's lines when the decisive moment
should arrive. About 10 o'clock it became evident that the enemy were
massing their forces upon our immediate front, as their musketry was
increasing in volume and rapidly advancing toward us. At this juncture I
moved my brigade forward in double lines of battalions, for the purpose
of charging upon the advancing columns of the enemy. We were for the
purpose of charging upon the advancing columns of the enemy. We were
compelled to cross a deep hollow, thickly covered on both sides with
underbrush and cane, but my men moved forward with the spirit and
steadiness of veteran troops.
When the thicket was passed, and as we advanced into the
open field close to the enemy's lines, we opened fire upon them with
such rapidity and precision that, unable to resist it, they soon broke and
retreated in utter confusion. This ended the battle of the morning. Our
victory was complete. The dead and wounded of the enemy lay thickly
scattered over the ground, while their prisoners and small arms that fell
into our hands were counted by the hundreds. We remained but a few
minutes on the victorious field. I moved at once in pursuit of the
retreating foe, and, when about one mile from the late field, my advance
regiment, the eleventh Wisconsin, covered by two companies of
skirmishers from the Twenty-third Iowa, was fired upon from the timber.
I saw at once that the enemy had been strongly re-enforced and were
determined to make another stand. Their position was well chosen, on a
high hill covered with timber, and commanding the entire ground over
which were compelled to approach. My regiments were soon in line,
with Captain Griffith's battery in position, which opened with its usual
spirit upon the enemy. Simultaneously with this the rebel batteries also
opened with accurate range, and for about half an hour we sustained
alone the concentrated fire of their infantry and artillery. Finally other
brigades became engaged, and the battle raged with raged with terrific
fury along our lines. My command, however, remained in front during
the entire engagement, and all the time under the enemy's fire of their
infantry and artillery. Finally other brigades and batteries became
engaged, and the battle raged with terrific fury along our lines. My
command, however, remained in front during the entire engagement., and
all the time under the enemy's fire. They retired only after the battle had
ceased and the enemy had again retreated from the field. During these
five hours' hard fighting, I am proud to say that the officers and men of
this brigade acted with the utmost coolness, and with a determined
courage that would have done honor to veteran troops. They promptly
obeyed every command, and displayed a degree of exalted heroism
which nothing but the influence of exalted patriotism could have
produced. To Colonel Merrill of the Twenty-first Iowa, Lieutenant
Colonel Glasgow of the Twenty-third Iowa, Lieutenant Colonel Wood of
the Eleventh Wisconsin, and Major Atherton of the Twenty-second Iowa,
I am under a great obligations for the coolness and promptitude with
which they obeyed my orders in the various movements on the field.
Their associate officers, too, are entitled to great credit, as all of them, so
far as I have been able to learn, performed their duties nobly. To the
dauntless and heroic men of the ranks and the line officers all honor is
due. When the history of this was is fully written, they will be numbered
among the braves defenders of the Republic. Lieutenants Jackson, of the
Eleventh Wisconsin, and Waterbury, of the Twenty-third Iowa, acting
Aides, rendered me essential service, and they both displayed great
coolness and bravery in conveying orders under the hottest fire.
The total losses of the two brigades of General Carr's Division in
the battle of Port Gibson were 263 killed ad wounded; the total losses of
the Second Brigade were 101 killed and wounded; the loss of the
Twenty-third Iowa was 9 killed and 26 wounded,--the heaviest loss
sustained by any regiment in the brigade. Among the wounded were
Captain William R. Henry and Lieutenant D. P. Ballard.
The regiment took part in the various movements of its brigade and
division, which led up to the battle of Champions' Hill on the 16th of
May, 1863. In that hard fought battle, General Carr's Fourteenth
Division was held in reserve, until very near its close, when it was
ordered forward in pursuit of the retreating enemy and succeeded in
capturing a considerable number of prisoners and a large quantity of
army stores, but the order was not given in time ti enable General Carr to
cut off the retreat of the rebel armyt, which fell back to its strongly
fortified position on Big Black River, closely followed by the Fourteenth
Division, which led the advance. The march was conducted with great
vigor and, at 10 A. M., on May 17th, the pickets of the enemy were driven
in. The Second Brigade was now under the command of General M. K.
Lawler, from whose extended official report of the battle which ensued
the following brief extracts are taken:
I was instructed by the Brigadier General commanding the division
to move forward slowly and cautiously with my command, and develop
and press back, if possible, the enemy's left. Accordingly I ordered
Colonel c. L. Harris, Eleventh Wisconsin, who held the left of our new
position, to move his regiment forward through the woods in his front,
his skirmishers covering his advance, and the Twenty-third Iowa,
Colonel Kinsman, to follow him at a distance of 100 yards as a support.
At the same time I advanced the Twenty-first Iowa, Colonel Samuel
Merrill, into the cleared field skirting Big Black River, with instructions
to move forward on a line with the eleventh Wisconsin. The Peoria
Battery was left in position on the rising ground in the edge of the field,
and the Twenty-second Iowa in rear as a reserve and support. Meanwhile
there had commenced a spirited artillery engagement between the battery
of Benton's Brigade and the enemy's cannon in position behind their
works. The skirmishers of the First Brigade were actively engaged, and
those of the Eleventh Wisconsin, which regiment advanced steadily
forward through the timber to the field in front of the enemy's works, and
distant from them about 400 yards. Here I ordered it to halt, and move
down to the right through the field skirting the river, and take position in
the woods and brush lining this stream. This movement Colonel Harris
promptly executed, reaching the position designated without serious loss,
though exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy's sharpshooters. The
Twenty-third Iowa, Colonel Kinsman, having come up after the Eleventh
Wisconsin, was ordered to make a similar movement to the right, and to
move up under cover of the river bank and take position on the right of
the Eleventh Wisconsin and as close as possible to the enemy's works,
and the Twenty-first Iowa, Colonel Merrill, to take position on the bank
between these two regiments. I also directed the Peoria Battery to take
position in the open field in front of the left of the enemy and to open as
enfilading fire on their center batteries, with which the battery of
Benton's Brigade was engaged. At the same time the Twenty-second
Iowa, Colonel Stone, was ordered to move forward on the left of the field
to within supporting distance. These orders were quickly responded to,
and the position thus occupied by the brigade continued to be held
without material variation. During the greater part of the forenoon heavy
but ineffectual musketry firing was kept up by the enemy upon my men,
briskly responded to by our sharpshooters. Late in the forenoon, finding
it impossible to press farther forward along the river bank toward the
enemy, as I had intended, Colonel Kinsman, Twenty-third Iowa,
proposed to charge at once the enemy's works and drive them out at the
point of the bayonet, and asked my consent to the same. Foreseeing that
a charge by a single regiment, unsustained by the whole line, against
fortifications as formidable as those in his front, could hardly be
successful, at the same time I gave my consent to his daring proposition,
I determined that there should be a simultaneous movement on the part of
my whole command. Accordingly, the Twenty-first Iowa, Colonel
Merrill, was ordered to charge with the Twenty-third, the eleventh
Wisconsin following close upon them as a support, and the Twenty-
second Iowa, Colonel Stone,--which had in the meantime crossed the
field and taken position on the river bank on the right of the Eleventh
Wisconsin,--were ordered to move out into the field and act as a reserve
force. Orders were further given that the men should reserve their fire
until upon the rebel works. Finally the regiments that were to lead the
charge were formed, with bayonets fixed, in the edge of the woods on the
river bank. All things being in readiness, the command "Forward" was
given by Colonel Kinsman, and at once his noble regiment sprang
forward to the works. The Twenty-first Iowa, led by Colonel Merrill,
moved at the same instant, the Eleventh Wisconsin, Colonel Harris,
closely following. Through a terrible fire of musketry from the enemy in
front, and a galling fire from his sharpshooters on the right, these brave
men dashed bravely on. Kinsman fell, dangerously wounded, before half
the distance was accomplished. Struggling to his feet, he staggered a few
paces to the front, cheered forward his men, and fell again, this time to
rise no more, pierced through by a second ball. Colonel Merrill, the
brave commander of the Twenty-first Iowa, fell, wounded early in the
charge. Immediately Lieutenant Colonel Glasgow placed himself at the
head of the Twenty-third Iowa, and Major Van Anda led on the Twenty-
first. Undismayed by the loss of their Colonels, and by the perfect storm
of bullets, poured into them with destructive effect, the m en of the
Twenty-third and Twenty-first Iowa and Eleventh Wisconsin pressed
onward, nearer and nearer to the rebel works, over the open field and up
to the edge of the bayou. Halting here only long enough to pour into the
enemy a deadly volley, they dashed forward through the bayou, filled
with water, fallen timber and brush, on to the rebel works, with the shout
of victors, driving the enemy from their breastworks and entering in
triumph the rebel stronghold. Those of the rebels who were not captured
hastened to make good their retreat over the bridge. It is, perhaps,
worthy of remark that more men were captured by my brigade than I had
men in the charge.
Lieutenant Colonel S. L. Glasgow, of the Twenty-third Iowa, and Major
S. G. Van Anda, of the Twenty-first Iowa, who assumed command of
their respective regiments after the fall of their Colonels, deserve the
highest praise. They had the honor of leading their regiments into the
enemy's works, Captain Houston, Company A, Captain Brown,
Company I, and Lieutenant Rawlings, Company F, of the Twenty-third
Iowa, with their commands, broke the enemy's line in a swamp at the
edge of the timber, and poured an enfilading fire into the ditches that
routed the rebels in confusion. Lieutenant Rawlings captured the colors
of the Sixty-first Tennessee, wrestling them from the rebel color bearer.
Captain Houston captured the colors of the Twenty-first Arkansas.
Corporal John W. Boone, color bearer of the Twenty-third Iowa, fell,
severely wounded; Corporal J. T. Shipman then grasped the colors and
bore them gallantly to the front and through the whole charge.
Special and honorable mention should be made of A. M. Lyon, Esq.,
Sutler of the Twenty-third Iowa, a brave old man, who took a gun at the
commencement of the battle, went into the ranks, fought nobly, and fell
mortally wounded. The death of Colonel Kinsman of the Twenty-third
Iowa, whose brave and gallant conduct is the theme of universal praise,
fills the hearts of all who knew him with poignant sorrow. A splendid
soldier, a perfect gentleman, and a finished scholar, endowed in the
highest degree with the noblest qualities of true manhood, his loss cannot
prove less to this State and country than a public calamity. The officers
and soldiers of his command had learned to love and respect him with an
earnestness had devotion rarely equaled. His loss is irreparable, but he
fell as the true soldier wishes to fall, in the moment of victory, when his
country's flag waved in triumph over the stronghold of treason and
rebellion, and died as the true soldier wishes to die, with Christian,
resignation and fortitude. Finally, I cannot close this report without
expressing my admiration for the brave men in the ranks, to whose
steadness and determined courage is in a great measure due the glory of
the brilliant and decisive victory of Big Black Bridge. To them I return
my warmest thanks. A grateful country will see that their services are
appropriately rewarded.
The total loss of the Thirteenth Army Corps at the battle of the Big
Black River Bridge was 279, while the loss in General M. K. Lawler's
brigade alone was 221, and of this number the Twenty-third Iowa lost 2
officers and 11 enlisted men killed, and 3 officers and 85 enlisted men
wounded. Total loss of the regiment 101. The two officers killed were
Colonel Kinsman and Captain R. L. McCray and the four wounded were:
Captain John A. T. Hull, Lieutenant S. G. Beckwith, J. D. Ewing and
Washington Rawlings. Lieutenants Beckwith and Ewing subsequently
died from the effect of their wounds. The casualties of the Twenty-third
in this battle were exactly the same as those of the entire brigade at Port
Gibson. Had the military career of the Twenty-third Iowa ended with
this battle, its record would have been established as one of the best and
bravest regiments in the army of the United States.
The remainder of the 17th and all the next day after the battle were
spent in caring for the wounded, burying the dead, and collecting the
trophies of war,--the immense number of arms and accountrements left
on the battlefield and captured with the prisoners, 3,000 in number. To
the Twenty-third Iowa was assigned the duty of guarding the prisoners.
General Lawler, at the conclusion of his report, says: "The Twenty-third
Iowa Volunteers, which had borne so distinguished a part and suffered so
severely in the charge, was placed as a guard over the captured prisoners,
and, by order of Major General C. S. Grant, has since gone north with
them, thus losing to me for the time being the services of this command."
The regiment now marched to the Yazoo River, as guard to the
rebel prisoners. As soon as transportation could be procured, it
proceeded with the prisoners to Memphis. Ipon arriving at that place, the
prisoners were turned over to the Commander of the Post and the
regiment returned to Young's Point, La., where it arrived a few days
before the attack was made upon Milliken's Bend, where the garrison,
consisting of untrained negro troops, about 800 strong, was threatened
with attack by a full brigade of rebel troops, under command of the rebel
General McCulloh. General Elias S. Dennis was in command of the
Post, and from his official report of the engagement the following
extracts are made, to show the part taken by the Twenty-third Iowa.
After describing the preliminary movements and skirmishes of the negro
troops with the enemy, which occurred on June 6th, outside of his works,
General Dennis proceeds to describe the terrible contest which ensued in
the morning and forenoon of Jun 7, 1863.
I immediately started the Twenty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry to
their assistance, and Admiral Porter ordered the gunboat Choctaw to that
point. At 3 o'clock the following morning the enemy made their
appearance in strong force on the main Richmond road, driving the
pickets before them. The enemy advanced upon the left of our line,
throwing out no skirmishers, marching in close column by division, with
a strong cavalry force on his right flank. Our forces, consisting of the
Twenty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry and the African Brigade, (in all
1,061 men,) opened upon the enemy when within musket shot range,
which made them waver and recoil, a number running in confusion to the
rear; the balance, pushing on with intrepedity, soon reached the levee,
when they were ordered to charge, with cries of "No Quarter!" The
African regiments bein inexperienced in the use of arms, some of them
having been drilled but a few days, and the guns being very inferior, the
enemy succeeded in getting upon our works before more than one or two
volleys were fired at them. Here ensued a most terrible hand to hand
conflict of several minutes' duration, our men using their bayonets freely
and clubbing their guns with fierce obstinacy, contesting every inch of
ground, until the enemy succeeded in flanking them, and poured a
murderous enfilading fire along our lines, directing their fire chiefly to
the officers, who fell in numbers. Not till they were overpowered and
forced by superior numbers did our men fall back behind the bank of the
river, at the same time pouring volley after volley into the ranks of the
advancing enemy, who immediately disappeared behind the levee, but all
the time keeping up a fire upon our men. In this position the fight
continued until near noon, when the enemy suddenly withdrew. Our men
seeing this movement, advanced upon the retreating column, firing volley
after volley at them while they remained within gunshot. The officers
and men, deserve the highest praise for their gallant conduct, and
especially Colonel Glasgow, of the Twenty-third Iowa, and his brave
men. The enemy consisted of one brigade, numbering about 2,500, in
command of General H. E. McCulloch and 200 cavalry. The enemy's
loss is estimated at about 150 killed and 300 wounded. Inclosed please
find tabular statement of killed, wounded and missing; in all 652. Nearly
all the missing black will probably return, as they were badly scattered,
The Twenty-third Iowa had been so greatly reduced in numbers by
its heavy losses in battle and from disease that, at the time it went into the
battle at Milliken's Bend, it had less than 200 officers and men able for
duty. It was the only regiment of white troops engaged in that battle.
The statement of casualties referred to in the official report of General
Dennis is as follows: 11 officers and 90 men killed, 17 officers and 268
men wounded; total killed and wounded 386; captured or missing 2
officers and 264 men. Total loss 652 of the 1,061 engaged. The Twenty-
third Iowa had non captured or missing, and its loss was as follows: 2
officers and 21 enlisted men killed, and 41 enlisted men wounded; total
64. Among the killed were Captain John C. Brown and Lieutenant
William H. Downs, of the Twenty-third Iowa. The loss was probably
greater, in proportion to the number engaged, than that sustained by the
regiment, in any of the battles in which it had previously been engaged.
It had fully maintained its glorious record at Port Gibson and Black River
Bridge, and placed itself high on the roll of fame. The battle of
Milliken's Bend is memorable in the annal of the War of the Rebellion,
not only on account of the desperate character of the conflict, but because
of the avowed purpose of the rebel commander to take no prisoners, in
the event of the capture of the garrison. When the rebels advanced to the
attack with the cry of "No quarter!: it meant the death of every Union
soldier-white or black- who might be so unfortunate as to fall into their
hands. The adoption of such a savage and inhuman method of warfare
was for the purpose of terrorizing the negro soldiers and discouraging
them from entering or remaining in the service of the United States, and
to serve as a warning to the white officers in command of the negro
troops, as well as the white troops who fought by their side. It need not
be said that such inhuman methods were not successful, and, being in
contravention of the rules of civilized warfare, were soon abandoned.
The Twenty-third Iowa had now been in the service less than nine
months, and its remaining service extended over a period more than two
years longer. A considerable portion of its subsequent history, as will
appear, it not marked with as arduous service as that which has been
described in the preceding pages, and may therefore be condensed into
the briefer space which the limitation to which the compiler is subjected
renders necessary.
On the 18th of June, 1873, the Twenty-third Iowa rejoined its
brigade, then engaged in the siege of Vicksburg. The regiment had been
fearfully reduced in numbers by its heavy losses in battle and from
disease, but the survivors who were able for duty went cheerfully into the
trenches and performed their full share of arduous and hazardous work,
which continued until July 4, 1873, on which date the rebel stronghold
was surrendered to General Grant and his brigade and division, took up
the line of march towards Jackson, with the army under command of
General Sherman moving against the rebel army under command of
General Johnston. A few days later the rebel army had taken refuge
behind the strong works at Jackson. Another siege of but short duration
ensued, in which the Twenty-third Iowa performed its full share of duty,
and after the evacuation of Jackson, (which took place on the night of
July 16th,) the regiment was engaged, with the other troops, in the
extensive destruction of the railroad for a number of days, after which it
returned to Vicksburg, arriving there on the 24th of July and going into
camp with its brigade, which had now become a part of the First Division
of the Thirteenth Army Corps.
On the 13th of August, the regiment embarked on transports and
moved down the river to Carrollton, eight miles above New Orleans, and
went into camp at that place. It was soon after moved to New Orleans
and there embarked with its brigade on transports and proceeded to
Algiers. Landing there September 4th, the troops were conveyed by rail
to Bayou Beoff, where they arrived September 5th. From that place the
marched to Brashear City, on Berwick Bay, remaining there until
September 25th, when they were conveyed across the bay and went into
camp near what had been the town of Berwick, but which was then in
ruins. From that point the troops again marched, on the 2d of October,
and, passing through Iberia, Franklin and St. Martinsville, arrived at
Vermillionville on October 10th. On this march a considerable force of
the enemy was encountered near Iberia, but, after some skirmishing, the
rebel force rapidly retreated and the Union troops continued the pursuit to
Opelousas, at which point the pursuit was abandoned and the troops
returned to Berwick. The Twenty-third Iowa had participated in all the
movements of this expedition, but there is no record of its having met
with any loss in the skirmishes which occurred.
The First Division—now under command of General Washburn—
was ordered to proceed to Texas and, on November 16th, the Twenty-
third Iowa, with its brigade, crossed Berwick Bay and arrived at Algiers
the next day. On the 20th, the transports moved down the river and
crossed the bar into the Gulf of Mexico. After a stormy voyage the
transports arrived at the mouth of the Rio Grande, off Brazos de Santiage,
Texas. Here five companies of the Eleventh Wisconsin succeeded in
landing in small boats, but, during this mazardous undertaking, a storm
arose and the ships were compelled to put to sea again. On the evening
of the 27th, they arrived off Mustang Island, 70 miles from Matagorda
Bay, and, the storm having abated, succeeded in landing the troops in
safety. On November 29th, the regiment proceeded with the expedition
against Fort Esperanza, which commanded the entrance to Matagorda
Bay, crossed St. Joseph's and Matagorda islands, and arrived in front of
the fort on December 1st. the enemy had blown up their magazines and
abandoned the fort the night before, thus saving a contest for its
possession. The troops went into camp at Port Saluria, and on the next
day crossed Pass Cavallo, at the entrance of the bay, and went into camp
on the peninsula at De Cronu's Point, where they remained until January
3, 1864, on which date the Twenty-third Iowa, with the other troops,
embarked on transports and proceeded to Indianola. That town was
occupied by a force of rebels but, upon the approach of the vessels
conveying the Union troops, they abandoned the town and retreated to
the interior. The troops were quartered in houses in Indianola for about
three weeks, when the Second Brigade, to which the Twenty-third Iowa
belonged, moved to the town of Old Indianola and went into winter
quarters at that place, under command of General Fitz Henry Warren, the
former Colonel of the First Iowa Cavalry. The regiment was here
comfortably situated. The only notable events were occasional
skirmishes with small bodies of the enemy, by a detachment of 25 men
who had been provided with horses for the purpose of scouting in the
surrounding country. This detachment was made up of details from the
different regiments, and sustained quite a number of casualties, but the
records do no reveal the proportion of loss, if any, sustained by the
Twenty-third Iowa, during this period of its service. In the absence of
official reports of the movements of the regiment during the remaining
period of its service, other than those relating to the operations of the
troops with which it was known to be connected, and, which are revealed
through the reports of its brigade commanders, the compiler is only able
to give a summary of its history during the period which intervened
between the 21st of April, 1864, and the date of its muster out of the
service, July 26, 1865.
During the greater part of the winter of 1864, Major Houston of the
Twenty-third Iowa was assigned to the command of the Twenty-second
Iowa, on account of the absence of the field officers of that regiment. On
the 13th of March the regiment with the other troops left the winter
quarters at Old Indianola and returned to Matagorda Island, where they
were assigned to the defense of the coast at that point. On the 21 st of
April, the regiment, with other troops, under the command of General
Warren, participated in an expedition to Port Lavacca, 30 miles above
Indianola. Upon the approach of the steamers, the rebel troops stationed
at Port Lavacca abandoned the town and, before the troops could be
disembarked, had made good their retreat into the interior.. The enemy
was pursued until it became evident that they could not be overtaken,
when the pursuit was abandoned and the troops returned to Matagorda
Island.
On the 27th of April, the Thirteenth Army Corps was ordered to
report to General Banks, then engaged in the ill-fated Red River
Expedition. As rapidly as transportation could be furnished, the troops
got under way. The Twenty-third Iowa arrived at New Orleans on the 1st
of May, and, with one-half of the Twenty-second Iowa, together with
General Warren and his Staff, embarked on a river steamer and
proceeded to Fort De Russy, arriving at that place on May 6th. The
enemy having obstructed navigation of the river below Alexandria, the
boats could go no farther. They then returned to the mouth of Red River,
where the troops landed and went into camp. On the 15th of May the
troops again embarked and proceeded to Simsport on the Atchafalaya,
where General Banks' army had crossed on a bridge of transports. The
regiment arrived at Morganza, La., on May 22d, and went into camp. In
the reorganization of the army which soon followed, the Twenty-third
Iowa was assigned to a brigade to which the Twentieth Iowa was
attached and of which Lieutenant Colonel Leake, of that regiment, was
the commander. After a period of rest at Morganza, the regiment with
its brigade moved into the State of Arkansas, and was statined at Devall's
Bluff and Brownsville, its service consisting mainly of garrison duty and
labor upon fortifications at those points. There is no record of its having
met any considerable force of the enemy during this period of its service.
Early in 1865, the regiment, with its brigade, moved to the vicinity
of New Orleans and there awaited preparations for the closing campaign
of the war, in which it was to perform its full share of arduous and
effective service. On this campaign, Lieutenant Colonel Charles J. Clark
was much of the time in command of the regiment,--Colonel Glasgow
having succeeded to the command of the brigade,--but no copies of their
official reports were received by the Adjutant General of Iowa. It is well
known, however, that the regiment was prominently identified with the
operations of its brigade and division in all the movements that led up to
the siege and capture of Spanish Fort, and that in the charge, which
resulted in the capture of the fort, it sustained the high reputation for
gallantry and heroism it had gained at Port Gibson, Black River Bridge
and Milliken's Bend. The remainder of its service is well condensed at
the conclusion of its history, written soon after the close of the war, by L.
D. Ingersoll, in his work entitled "Iowa and the Rebellion," as follows:
"The brilliant and memorable operations of the regiment in the
campaign against Mobile ended its operations in the face of the enemy.
It is a remarkable coincidence that at Spranish Fort it met and whipped
the Twenty-third Alabama regiment, which it had met and whipped on
the occasion of its first going under fire, at the battle of Port Gibson. But
the regiment did not here end its campaigning. Remaining near the scene
of its latest renown a little more than two months, it embarked again for
Texas, arriving at Galveston on the 22d of June. Thence it moved by
Houston to Columbus, and went into encampment. Colonel Glasgow and
Lieutenant Colonel Clark being necessarily absent in New Orleans, and
Major Houston in command of the post, Captain J. J. Van Houten was in
command of the regiment. After about a month spent rather agreeably in
Texas, the regiment was honorably discharged the service on the 26th of
July, 1865."
The official records show that the regiment was mustered out of
the service of the United States at Harrisburg, Texas, July 26, 1865, and
that it was then conveyed to Davenport, Iowa, and was there disbanded.
The regiment numbered 417 officers and enlisted men at the date of its
muster out of service. The Twenty-third Iowa stands conspicuous among
the long line of splendid Iowa regiments, which its record of heroic
achievements. Its survivors may well feel proud of its history. Its Roster
contains the names of men who not only distinguished themselves as
soldiers but who have since won fame and honor in the public service.
Its survivors have proved themselves good and worthy citizens of the
State and Nation they fought so bravely to defend and save. The State
has done well in providing for the preservation of the history of the
regiment and of the personal record of its members.
SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES.
Total Enrollment 1,070
Killed 54
Wounded 135
Died of wounds 40
Died of disease 200
Discharged for disease, wounds or other causes 198
Buried in National Cemeteries 82
Captured 3
Transferred 42
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