TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
The Twenty-seventh Regiment of Iowa Infantry Volunteers was
organized under the proclamation of President Lincoln dated July 2,
1862. The ten companies of which it was composed was ordered into
quarters by Governor Kirkwood on dated ranging from July 30 to Aug
26, 1862. The rendezvous designated in the order was Camp Franklin,
near Dubuque, Iowa, and there the companies, together with the field and
staff officers, were mustered into the service of the United States, by
Captain George S. Pierce, of the Regular Army, on dates ranging from
September 1 to October 3. 1862. At the completion of the muster of the
last company, the regiment had an aggregate strength of 940.
The regiment remained but a short time at Camp Franklin after the
completion of its
muster into the service. On October 11, 1862, Colonel Gilbert was
ordered to embark his regiment on transports and proceed to St. Paul,
Minn., and there report to Major General John Pope, then in command of
the Department of the Northwest. After disembarking at St. Paul, the
regiment marched to Fort Snelling and went into camp near the Fort. At
that time there were no hostile Indians in that vicinity. A few days after
going into camp, Colonel Gilbert received orders from General Pope to
march with six companies of his regiment to Mille Lacs, Minn., 125
miles north-west of St. Paul, for the purpose of superintending the
payment of annuities to the friendly Indians in that section of the State.
No hostile Indians were encountered on the march, and the object of the
expedition was successfully accomplished. Upon his return to Fort
Snelling, on November 4th, Colonel Gilbert was ordered by General Pope
to embark the six companies on transports and proceed to Cairo, Ill., to
which place the other four companies had been sent during his absence
on the expedition. Upon arriving at Cairo the regiment was reunited and
remained in camp until November 20th, on which date it again embarked
and was conveyer to Memphis, Tenn.
On November 27th the regiment joined the army under Major General
Sherman, with which it marched against the rebel army under General
Price, the occupying a strongly intrenched position on the Tallahatchie
River, below Waterford, Miss. This movement was mad to reinforce the
army under General Grant, then moving down the line of the Mississippi
Central Railroad, with Vicksburg as the objective point. General
Sherman succeeded the crossing the Tallahatchie and, by outflanking
General Price's army, compelled him to evacuate his formidable works
and retreat towards the south. The combined forces under General Grant
pressed forward in pursuit of the enemy. His forward movement was
suddenly checked, however, by the bold and successful raid of a force of
the enemy's cavalry, under command of the rebel General Van Dorn,
which succeeded in reaching and capturing General Grant's base of
supplies at Holly Springs, thus compelling the abandonment of the
expedition and the falling back of the army to the line of the Memphis
and Charleston Railroad. The Twenty-seventh Iowa, while participating
actively in all the operations of the troops with which it was associated
on this expedition, did not come into actual conflict with the enemy, and
suffered no casualties except from sickness, and the capture of eleven of
its men—who were in hospital—by a band of rebel cavalry. The men
were paroled, however, and returned to the regiment the next day.
On December 31, 1862, the regiment, with other troops, was making
a forced march to reinforce the troops under Genera Sullivan at
Lexington, Tenn. The men were without tents or shelter of any kind and
suffered intensely from exposure to the inclement weather. At the close
of the year 1862, the regiment had lost 69 men, who had either died or
been discharged as the result of sickness, while nearly 200 more were
lying in hospitals, the victims of disease, many of whom subsequently
died or were discharged on account of disability. It was the common
experience of new regiments. In the first few months of their service
disease claimed a far greater number of victims than the bullets of the
enemy.
On January 1, 1863, the Twenty-seventh Iowa reached Lexington,
after its long and arduous march, only to find that it was too late to
participate in the conflict, General Sullivan having succeeded in
defeating the rebel forces under General Forrest without the aid of
reinforcements. The combined Union force immediately marched in
pursuit of the retreating rebels, but did not succeed in overtaking them,
the rebel General Forrest having safely effected the crossing of the
Tennessee Rover at Clifton, and, upon the arrival of the Union troops at
that place, the pursuit was abandoned. The Twenty-seventh Iowa then
returned to Jackson, Tenn., where, for the greater portion of the time, it
remained, performing the duties of provost, picket and train guards, until
June 2, 1862. During this long period there were several short
expeditions into the surrounding country for the purpose of gathering
supplies, but there is no record of any portion of the regiment having
come into contact with the enemy. The post at Jackson was an important
one, however, and the regiment was performing important service while
on duty there. The most notable event during this period was the moving
of the regiment by rail to Corinth, Miss., early in February, 1863, which
place it occupied as a garrison, while the troops which had been stationed
there mad a successful expedition to Tuscumbia, Ala., under command of
General Dodge. The regiment was relieved from this duty and returned
to Jackson on February 28th. During the month of May the regiment was
engaged in guarding the line of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad,
from one to four of its companies being stationed at different points along
the line. When Jackson was evacuated, in the early part of June, the
regiment was conveyed by rail to Grand Junction, then to LaGrange,
from which place it marched to Moscow, on June 6th, and again entered
upon the duty of guarding the line of the Mississippi Central Railroad.
At this time Lieutenant Colonel Jed Lake was placed in command of the
important post at LaGrange, which was a distributing point for army
supplies. On July 19th, Colonel Gilbert was placed in command of the
Third Brigade, Third Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, with his
headquarters at LaGrange, and the command of the Twenty-seventh Iowa
devolved upon Major Howard. On August 15th, Colonel James M. True,
of the Sixty-second Illinois Infantry, returned from leave of absence and
resumed command of the brigade, relieving Colonel Gilbert, who
resumed command of his regiment.
On August 20th, the Twenty-seventh Iowa, with its brigade, marched
to Memphis, and, on August 24th, the brigade was detached from its
division and conveyed by transports to Helena, Ark., from which place it
marched to Brownsville, where it joined the Army of Arkansas,
commanded by Major General Steele. On September 10th, the brigade
moved with General Steele's army against Little Rock, and assisted in the
capture of that important post. As the brigade was held in reserve, and
only the battery belonging in it becoming engaged, none of its regiments
sustained any loss. The regiment was stationed at Little Rock until
November 15th, performing camp and picket guard duty when it was
moved by rail to Devall's Bluff, the regiment with its brigade embarked
on transports, moved down the white River to its mouth and thence up
the Mississippi to Memphis, where it again went into camp just south of
the city and remained there until January 28, 1864. Thus far the Twenty-
seventh Iowa had had a most remarkable experience as compared with
that of most of the other infantry regiments from its State. It had been in
the service over fifteen months, had faithfully obeyed ever order and
performed all the duties to which it had been assigned, but, so far, had
not come into direct conflict with the enemy; and yet its losses had been
heavy,--aggregating more than twenty-five per cent of the number borne
upon its rolls when it first took the field. Nine of its commissioned
officers had resigned, while 64 of its enlisted men had died of disease,
193 had been honorably discharged on account of being disabled by
sickness for further service, and 4 had deserted. At the close of the year
1863, the reports show that the regiment had 22 commissioned officers
and 486 enlisted men present for duty; total 508. Some of the absentees
were at home on furlough, but by far the larger number were sick in
hospitals. A good many of these recovered and subsequently rejoined the
regiment.
On January 28, 1864, Colonel Gilbert received orders to embark with
his regiment. The transport which conveyed the Twenty-seventh Iowa
was accompanied by a large fleet, all being heavily loaded with troops,
with orders to report to General Sherman at Vicksburg. Upon its arrival
at Vicksburg the Twenty-seventh Iowa was assigned to the Second
Brigade, Third Division, Sixteenth Army Corps and, on February 3,
1864, took up the line of march towards the interior of the State of
Mississippi, upon one of the most notable and successful expeditions of
the war. A division of cavalry led the advance of General Sherman's
army and had frequent engagements with the enemy's cavalry, which
constituted about all the fighting that was done during the expedition, the
rebel forces, under the command of General Polk, not being strong
enough to make a stand and risk a general engagement. At, Meridan,
Miss., (the objective point of the expedition,) immense quantities of
supplies for the rebel army were captured and destroyed, together with
many locomotives and cars. Many miles of railroad track were also
destroyed, and the damage thus inflicted upon the rebel army was very
great. During the march the troops lived mainly off the country through
which they passed, having started with but ten days' rations for the entire
army. The army returned to Vicksburg on March 4th, having been gone
over thirty days, and marched over three hundred miles. During the
greater part of the time General Sherman was cut off from
communication with General Grant and the War Department in
Washington. It was a new and bold military experiment, and its complete
success demonstrated the feasibility of that later splendid achievement of
General Sherman—the march from Atlanta to the sea.
In strong contrast with the success which had marked the Meridian
Expedition, the Twenty-seventh Iowa was now about to enter upon
another which, notwithstanding the valor and fortitude displayed by the
regiment and the other troops with which it was associated, was destined
to prove a failure on account of the incompetency of the General in
command. He was provided with a splendidly equipped army and had all
the elements of success placed at his disposal, but, being totally lacking
in the essential qualities of a great military leader and unwilling to act
upon the advice and suggestions of his subordinate officers, several of
whom were capable of assuming the chief command and successfully
conducting the campaign, the operations of his army resulted in a series
of discouraging defeats.
On March 10, 1864, the Twenty-seventh Iowa, with its brigade and
division, embarked on transports at Vicksburg and were conveyed to the
mouth of Red Rover and then to Simsport, on the Atchafalaya River,
where the troops disembarked. The Second Brigade was composed as
follows: The fourteenth, Twenty-seventh and Thirty-second Iowa
Infantry and the Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry, and was under the
command of its senior officer, colonel William T. Shaw, of the fourteenth
Iowa. At 6 A. M. on the morning of March 14, 1864, the brigade was
ordered to take the advance in line of march towards Fort De Russy,
twenty-eight miles distant. The March was conducted with great vigor
and, late in the afternoon, the brigade arrived at the town of Marksville,
two and one-half miles from the fort. At that point Colonel Shaw was
ordered to leave one regiment of his brigade to act as rear guard for the
army, and the Twenty-seventh Iowa was detailed for that duty. The
regiment was thus prevented from participating in the attack upon the fort
until just previous to the capture. After describing the fighting which had
occurred prior to the time the general assault was ordered, Colonel Shaw
says in his official report:
A general assault was now determined on, and I was ordered to
advance my brigade, when I heard heavy firing on the left. Colonel
Gilbert, commanding Twenty-seventh Iowa, had now arrived and, as my
skirmishers of the Fourteenth Iowa had exhausted their ammunition, I
ordered him to advance with his regiment to the ground occupied by
them. The heavy firing at this time commenced on the left and the
command forward was given, to all the regiments except the Twenty-
fourth Missouri, to which I had already dispatched my Aide-de-camp,
Lieutenant Berg, with the order, but just before his arrival the regiment
was ordered forward and led in person by Brigadier General Mower,
commanding division. The advance was, however, nearly simultaneous
with the whole brigade, the different regiments arriving at nearly the
same time at the works of the enemy. The Twenty-fourth Missouri, led
by General Mower in person, had the honor of being the first of my
brigade to plant their colors upon the walls of the fort, and, as for as my
observation went, the first that were raised on the works of the enemy.
At. 6 P. M. the enemy had surrendered. My command had in twelve
hours marched twenty-eight miles, been delayed two hours in building a
bridge, fought two hours, stormed and assisted in capturing Fort-De-
Russy—a good day's work.
Among the officers to whom Colonel Shaw tenders special thanks,
for prompt obedience to his orders and efficient service in the action at
Fort De Russy, are Colonel Gilbert and Captain Granger, of the Twenty-
seventh Iowa, the latter being a member of his personal staff. Owing to
the fact that the regiment did not rejoin the brigade until just before the
surrender of the fort, the only casualty sustained was one man very
severely wounded, who died a few days later from the effects of the
wound.
That part of the Red River campaign, in which the detachments
from the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps—acting independently
under the command of that able and energetic officer, Major General A.
J. Smith—were engaged, had this commenced with most favorable
results. A strong fort with its entire garrison had been captured after a
brief engagement in which only two brigades of the Sixteenth Corps
participated, with a total loss of thirty-eight in killed and wounded. Had
General smith then succeeded to the chief command of all the troops,
there is every reason to believe that equally good results would have
marked the subsequent progress of the campaign.
After dismantling Fort De Russy and effectually destroying it as a
work of defense, the troops again, embarked and moved to Alexandria,
La., which place was quickly evacuated by the rebel forces upon the
approach of the transports. General Smith had received orders to land his
forces at Alexandria and there await the arrival of Major General Banks
(the Commander-in-Chief of the expedition), with his troops. Upon the
arrival of General Banks the combined forces moved forward, General
Smith's troops taking the advance, and reaching Grand Ecore April 3d.
On April 7th, General Banks' troops took the advance, on the road
towards Shreveport leaving General Smith and his troops in the rear of
the transportation trains of the cavalry and of the Thirteenth and
Nineteenth Corps. The roads were bad and the trains moved slowly. On
the night of April 8th, General Smith's command went into camp about
two miles from Pleasant Hill. During the afternoon of the 8th, heavy
cannonading had been heard in front, indicating that the troops in
advance had become engaged with the enemy. General Smith sent one of
his staff officers forward, with the request that he be permitted to pass the
trains, with a portion or all of his command, and join in the engagement,
but he received no order to do so. He soon afterwards learned that the
cavalry and the Thirteenth Army Corps had met a heavy force of the
enemy, about eight miles beyond Pleasant Hill, and had been defeated,
with a loss of nearly half of the corps and all their artillery and wagons,
and that the enemy had only been checked by the coming of night and the
Nineteenth Corps.
On the morning of April 9th, by permission of General Banks,
General Smith moved forward with his command to Pleasant Hill, and
formed in line of battle to meet the attack of the enemy. In the meantime,
the remnant of that portion of General Banks' army which had been
defeated and driven back by the enemy had been ordered to proceed with
the trains to Grand Ecore, leaving on the field, to meet the attack of the
exultant and victorious enemy, only a part of the Nineteenth and two
divisions of the Sixteenth Corps. In the hard-fought battle which ensued,
the Twenty-seventh Iowa bore a conspicuous part and improved the
opportunity to place itself in the forefront of Iowa's gallant fighting
regiments. It had marched and toiled and had endured great hardships,
but up to this time had never participated in a great battle, and now was
called upon to go into action against great odds, to meet the enemy
flushed with victory, and, with its brigade and division, to retrieve the
disaster of the previous day and save the army from an overwhelming
defeat. In his official report of the conduct of his troops in the battle of
Pleasant Hill, General Smith makes the following statement: "The
opinion of Major General Banks, as to the action of the command and its
results, may be gathered from his own words to me on the field, just after
the final charge, when, riding up to me, he remarked, shaking me by the
hand: "God bless you, General; you have saved the army.'
The official report of the brigade commander, Colonel William T.
Shaw, describes, very fully the part taken by the brigade, and by each of
the regiments of which it was composed, in the battle of Pleasant Hill.
Limitation of space will permit only the quotation of such portions of the
report, as have reference to the Twenty-seventh Iowa and the positions
occupied by the brigade during the battle, which are here given as
follows:
At 10 A. M., April 9, 1864, I was ordered to report with my
brigade, consisting of the Fourteenth, Twenty-seventh, and Thirty-second
Iowa Infantry, and the Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry, to Major
General Banks. By him I was ordered to proceed with my command to
the front, and report to Brigadier General Emory, which I did at about
10:30 A. M. General Emory ordered me to relieve Brigadier General
McMillan, who was posted on the left of the Mansfield road and at right
angles to it, in a dense thicket, with an old field in front, dotted over with
small pines. About 100 yards to his front, and on his right, were four
guns of the Twenty-fifth New York Battery. Brigadier General Dwight's
command was posted on McMillan's right and diagonally to his rear. On
the right of the New York battery was a ridge, which completely
commanded McMillan's whole line and the town, and which also
covered the approach of the enemy. I therefore deemed it proper to
occupy this ridge with the Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry, and relieve
General McMillan, with the balance of my brigade. This was
accordingly done, and General Dwight's support, but, with this
disadvantage, I considered the position better than the one occupied by
the troops I had relieved. At this time General Smith came up, to whom I
pointed out the position of my forces, which was approved, except that he
ordered me to move my main line farther to the right, which brought
three companies of the Fourteenth Iowa in and on the right of the
Mansfield road: this, consequently, left a greater gap on my left. General
Emory was aware of the changes by my brigade, but I cannot learn that
he gave any orders for a corresponding change of Dwight's brigade.
General Emory at this time left the front and I saw no more of him till
after dark that night. These dispositions had brought Dwight's brigade in
the rear of my second regiment, and nearly perpendicular to my line of
battle. At this time my skirmishers were heavily engaged, and an attack
appeared imminent. I deemed it prudent to consult with General Dwight,
as General Emory had left that part of the field, and I could neither find
him, or any of his staff.
Continuing his report, Colonel Shaw states that he went along the
line until he came to the place where General Dwight's brigade flag was
located, but failed to find that General or any member of his staff. In the
meantime the skirmishers in front of Colonel Shaw's brigade were being
driven back and he found it necessary to reinforce them. As yet the main
line of the enemy had not advanced to the attack, although the skirmish
line had been engaged for a considerable length of time. At 3 P. M. the
enemy's skirmishers had passed to the right of Colonel Shaw's brigade,
and the situation was becoming critical. At this juncture Colonel Shaw
succeeded in finding General Dwight, who appeared to understand the
danger of the exposed position and the necessity of holding it. He
promised to send the necessary support, but, instead of doing so,
withdrew his troops still farther to the rear. At about 4 P. M. General
Stone—Chief of Staff to General Banks—rode to the front to examine
the positions of the troops. Colonel Shaw rode with him along his
brigade line, showing the changes, that he had made since relieving
General McMillan and the necessity for a corresponding change in
General Dwight's line, which General Stone approved, saying to Colonel
Shaw: "Your position is well chosen; it is admirable; it could not be
better. I will see that your flanks are properly supported, for this position
must be held at all hazards." The General then rode to the rear,
presumably to give the necessary orders to General Dwight, but, if the
order was given, it was not obeyed, as no support came and Colonel
Shaw was left alone with his brigade to hold the most important position
on the field. The enemy had been maneuvering all the afternoon behind
his heavy lines of skirmishers and had succeeded in fully developing the
positions of the Union forces and finding the best points against which to
direct his attack. The desperate conflict which followed is thus described
by Colonel Shaw, in the continuation of his report:
A few minutes before 5 o'clock the enemy opened heavily on me
with artillery, which was replied to feebly, for a few minutes, by the
Twenty-fifth New York Battery, when they limbered up and
disgracefully left the field, leaving one caisson and one gun in the road,
which were drawn off by Lieutenant Buell of my staff. At the same time
General Dwight fell entirely out of my sight to the rear. While my
battery was leaving, a dash was made by the enemy's cavalry to capture
it, but they were so well received by the Fourteenth Iowa and Twenty-
fourth Missouri that not a single man escaped, their leader, Colonel
Buchel, falling dead in the ranks of the Fourteenth Iowa. This attack was
followed by their Infantry, which advanced in two lines, extending
beyond both my right and left. They advanced steadily and in good order
across the open field in my front, until they got within easy range; then
my whole line opened upon them, stopping their advance but not
preventing them from replying vigorously to my fire, causing heavy loss.
My men held their ground, keeping up a steady and well-directed fire,
which soon compelled their first line to fall back in disorder. In the
meantime fighting had commenced on my left, and our line to my left
had fallen back, so as to enable the enemy to pass in rear of my left.
They had also passed around my right and were firing on my flank, when
their second line advanced, and I was again engaged along my whole
front. At this time I received an order from General Smith to fall back, as
the enemy was getting in my rear. My staff officers having all been
dispatched to different officers for support, and being myself on the right
of my brigade, I had to ride to the left in rear of my brigade to give the
order to withdraw. The brush and timber were so thick I could scarcely
see ten paces as I passed down the line. I gave the order to Colonel
Gilbert, Twenty-seventh Iowa, to fall back as soon as the regiment on his
right should commence retreating. I then pushed on to give the necessary
orders to Colonel Scott, Thirty-second Iowa, when I met the enemy's
forces entirely in his rear, preventing me from communicating with him.
I was therefore compelled to leave him to act without orders. Hurrying
back to the right, I found the Twenty-fourth Missouri had been compelled
to change its front to receive the attack from the right; also that the
enemy was pressing my front with overwhelming numbers. I therefore
considered it necessary to give the orders to fall back to the three
regiments with which I could communicate. My men had fought well,
holding their ground till ordered to retire, and, although my loss was
three times that of any other brigade on the field, they were still in such
condition that the commanding General saw fit to give them the
responsible post of covering the retreat of the army, which commenced at
1 o'clock the next morning, and was accomplished in safety. I cannot
speak too highly of my regimental commanders. Of Colonel Gilbert,
Twenty-seventh Iowa, and his regiment, I can say they did their whole
duty. Although they had never been under fire before, they gave their
fire with the coolness and precision of veterans, and fully sustained the
reputation of Iowa soldiers. Colonel Gilbert, although wounded early to
the action, remained in command of his men until the fighting ceases.
The long list of killed and wounded amounting to nearly 500, shows the
desperate valor with which my men fought.
The official report of Colonel Gilbert, showing the part taken by
and the conduct of his regiment in the battle of Pleasant Hill, embodies
substantially the facts stated in the report of the brigade commander,
from which the fore-going quotations were made. His description of the
bold and reckless charge of rebel cavalry, early in the engagement, the
terrible slaughter which ensued, when the gallant riders and their horses
went down like grass before the scythe, and the tremendous fire under
which the first line of the enemy's infantry melted away, coincides with
that of Colonel Shaw, and its reproduction here would only involve
repetition. Colonel Gilbert highly commends the conduct of his regiment
and, at the close of his report says: "I would like to mention the names of
some of the officers and soldiers who distinguished themselves, but all
conducted themselves so bravely and so well that I refrain from
mentioning any save Captain J. M. Holbrook, Company F, who, after
having received a severe wound, led his company with distinguished
gallantry, until a second severe wound was received, and the regiment
had reformed in the rear of the supporting column." The loss of the
regiment in this engagement was 4 enlisted men killed, 65 wounded, 14
missing in action (either killed or taken prisoners) and 5 commissioned
officers wounded; total 88. The loss of the four regiments composing the
brigade was as follows: Fourteenth Iowa, 89; Twenty-seventh Iowa, 88;
Thirty-second Iowa, 210; Twenty-fourth Missouri, 96; total 483. The
greater loss of the Thirty-second Iowa is accounted for by the fact that it
did not receive the order to fall back, and, becoming entirely isolated
from the brigade, was compelled to fight its way through the enemy's
lines. The Twenty-seventh Iowa had in this, its first, battle established a
record for bravery and efficiency commensurate with that of the other
splendid regiments of its brigade. Its subsequent history will show how
well it maintained the honor it had won.
Early on the morning of April 10, 1864, General Banks ordered a
retreat to Grand Ecore, during which the Twenty-seventh Iowa with its
brigade was placed in the position of rear guard. From Grand Ecore the
retreat was continued to Natchitoches, and thence to Alexandria. The
enemy had followed closely and Colonel Shaw's brigade occupied the
post of danger in the rear. From Alexandria the brigade was sent below
the town and occupied a position near Governor Moore's plantation,
where it had frequent skirmishes with the enemy. On May 13th
Alexandria was evacuated, and the army began its retreat down Red
River. On May 18th the Twenty-seventh Iowa, with its brigade, still
acting as the rear guard of the army, again came into conflict with the
enemy, at the battle of Old Oaks, La. In his official report of the part
taken by his regiment in this battle, Colonel Gilbert, after describing the
preliminary movements and positions of his regiment says:
At 3:00 P. M. we were ordered to move by the left flank at a
double quick about 500 yards, when we formed a line perpendicular to
our former line, and at this point were subjected to a very heavy fire from
the small arms of the enemy, but in about fifteen minutes succeeded in
repulsing him. We then changed front again by moving by the right flank
and filing right, and remained in this position nearly half an hour, when
we were ordered to advance. We moved forward about 1,000 yards
through a heavy piece of timber, driving the enemy before us, but, as we
came out on the open ground, the enemy opened on us with grape and
canister, forcing us to retire. We fell back to our former position in good
order, considering the roughness of the ground and the thickness of the
underbrush. We staid in this position about half and hour, when we were
ordered to fall back by the flank nearly half a mile, where we lay until
sunset. We were then ordered back to the position occupied by the
regiment the night before, where we lay all night. The loss of the
regiment was 3 killed and 14 wounded. Officers and men of my
command behaved with the greatest coolness and bravery. Where all did
so well is useless to particularize.
In his report of this engagement Colonel Shaw states that his
brigade captured nearly three hundred prisoners, and that the loss to the
enemy in killed and wounded was also heavy. He also states that while
his brigade and two others-of General smith's command-were fighting
the enemy in the rear, the balance of the army lay quietly three miles
distant, leaving these three brigades to fight the battle alone. On May 19th
the brigade lay in line of battle all day, and until 2 A. M. of the 20th,
when it again took up the line of march, and, on the 22d, reached the
mouth of Red River, where it embarked on transports and was conveyed
to Vicksburg, arriving there May 24, 1864. The operations of the
Twenty-seventh Iowa and the troops with which it was associated on the
Red River campaign will ever stand conspicuous in military history, for
true devotion to duty and that noble spirit of sacrifice which was shown
under circumstances of the most discouraging character. No troops
displayed greater heroism, in the face of repeated disaster, during the War
of the Rebellion.
The regiment remained at Vicksburg until June 5th, when it again
embarked, with its brigade and division, and proceeded up the river to
Greenville, Miss., at which point, and on the opposite side of the river at
Point Chicot, Ark., the rebel General Marmaduke, with a force of
infantry and artillery, was endeavoring to blockade the river, and had
inflicted much damage by his attacks on the federal transports.
Disembarking his troops on the Arkansas side of the river, on June 6th,
General a. J. Smith marched rapidly against the main force of the enemy,
under command of General Maraduke, and, in the engagement which
ensued at Ditch Bayou, the enemy was defeated and driven from the field
with heavy loss. In this engagement Colonel Gilbert was in command of
the brigade (Colonel Shaw being absent) and Major George W. Howard
commanded the Twenty-seventh Iowa. In his official report Major
Howard states that his regiment occupied a position on the left of the line
but little exposed to the fire of the enemy, and sustained no casualties. It
held its place in the line of battle, however, and, as always, obeyed every
order and acquitted itself with honor.
Having fully accomplished the purpose of the expedition, the
troops marched to Columbia, Ark., and, going aboard transports there,
were conveyed to Memphis, arriving there June 10th. The regiment
remained in camp at Memphis until June 24th, when, with its brigade and
division, it started on the expedition to Tupelo and Old Town Creek,
Miss. During this expedition the brigade was commanded by Colonel
Gilbert, and the regiment by Captain Amos M. Haslip, of Company A.
On July 14th the enemy was encountered, and again on July 15th. The
first engagement was at Tupelo, the second at Old own Creek. Captain
Haslip, in his official report of these engagements, describes the different
positions occupied by the regiment, the alacrity and good order with
which it moved against the enemy, and at the close of his report of the
first day's contest says: "The men made the fight bravely and well." Of
the engagement on the second day Captain Haslip says: "We had
encamped for the night after a fatiguing march from Tupelo. The enemy
approached on the Tupelo road. At 6 P. M. we were ordered out, and
participated in the long charge through the woods, across Old Town
Creek, and still on across an open field to the brow of the hill on which
the enemy had planted their guns, and from which they had shelled our
camp. My position was the left center of the Second Brigade,
commanded by Colonel James I. Gilbert. Some of the men were
overcome and exhausted by the extreme heat. The loss of the regiment in
these two engagements was one killed and twenty-five wounded. Among
the wounded was Lieutenant William S. Sims, of Company B. Although
the regiment had suffered heavy loss from disease and in battle, upon the
date of the return to Memphis, from this expedition, its losses had been
partially supplemented by recruits and by those who had recovered from
wounds or sickness and returned to duty. Under date of July 23, 1864,
Colonel Gilbert reports the aggregate strength 800—35 commissioned
officers and 765 enlisted men.
During the month of August, 1864, the regiment was most of the
time on the march with the troops under command of General A. J.
Smith, on the expedition to Oxford, Miss., returning to Memphis on the
30th. There is no record of casualties during the month. On September
5th the regiment left Memphis, was conveyed to Cairo, Ill., thence to
Jefferson Barracks, Mo., thence by rail to Mineral Point, Mo., and
returned to Jefferson Barracks on the 29th. On October 2d it marched
with the army under General a. J. Smith in pursuit of the rebel army
under General Sterling Price. This remarkable march extended to the
Kansas line. There is no record of the regiment having come into contact
with the enemy during this march, the strong cavalry force taking the
advance and doing most of the fighting. At the close of the month the
regiment had reached Pleasant Hill, Mo., on the return march, and from
thence marched to St. Louis, where it arrived November 18th. On
November 25th, the regiment, with the army under General Smith,
embarked on transports and proceeded to Smithland, Ky., thence up the
Cumberland River to Nashville, Tenn., where the troops landed on
December 1st, marched three miles south of the city and went into camp.
On December 15th the Twenty-seventh Iowa, with its brigade and
division, advanced with the army under General Thomas to the attack of
the rebel army under General Hood. The regiment was under the
command of Lieutenant Colonel Jed Lake, and the official report of that
officer describes in detail its movements during the battles of the 15th and
16th. At the beginning of the engagement on the 16th, Captain
Hemenway, with his company (B), was ordered to take position on the
skirmish line, the regiment following in line of battle on the left of the
brigade. The subsequent movements of the regiment, during the
engagement of the 15th, are thus described by Lieutenant Colonel Lake:
From 2 to 4 P. M. the cannonading was very severe on our right
and left, but my regiment was shielded by the woods and hills so that the
enemy's artillery was not directed at it. At about 4 P. M. Company B
joined us, having been relieved as skirmishers. I received orders from
Colonel Gilbert, commanding brigade, to wheel my regiment to the right
and in rear of the right of the Fourth Corps. At the same time the charges
commenced on the enemy's works. We followed close in the rear of the
Fourth Corps till the works were carried, then moved by the right flank to
the right, and encamped for the night. No casualties.
It will thus be seen that the Twenty-seventh Iowa was in its place
in the line of battle, ready to engage the enemy, on the first day at
Nashville, but was fortunately no placed that it suffered no lost. On the
next day, however, it had a different experience, and, while it did not
sustain a heavy loss, in proportion to the number engaged, acquitted itself
with honor and fully sustained the excellent record it had made in
previous engagements. Continuing his report, Lieutenant Colonel Lake
says:
On the 16th inst. at daylight we formed in line of battle. My
position was on the left center of the brigade. About sunrise, by orders
from Colonel Gilbert, we made a half wheel to the right, and moved
across an open field into the Granny White Pike, and thence across
another field, under fire of the enemy's guns, in all about one mile. We
were then moved by the right flank about half a mile into a ravine in a
cornfield, where we were ordered to lie down. Here the fire of the
artillery was very heavy, the missiles from the enemy's battery and our
own passing directly over my regiment. One man of Company I was hit
in hip by a spent musket ball while in this position. About 4 P. M. I
received orders from Colonel Gilbert to prepare for the charge. At the
command, "Forward, double quick, march," every man went forward
with a will. In passing between a house in our front and some
outbuildings, both flanks were thrown back and crowded on the center,
but on reaching the open field, about two hundred yards in front of the
enemy's works, immediately deployed and went over the parapet in good
style. The enemy were doing their best to escape, and we followed them
through the woods and across an open field to the foot and up the side of
the mountain, until men from the top hung out the white flag in token of
surrender. Every man and officer behaved with the greatest gallantry,
and it would be unjust to particularize.
The casualties were thirteen enlisted men wounded, two
dangerously and most of them severely.
On December 17th the regiment marched in pursuit of the enemy.
The pursuit was abandoned at Lawrenceburg, Tenn., on the 30th. On
January 1, 1865, the regiment marched to Clifton, on the Tennessee
River, and, embarking on steamer, proceeded to Eastport, Miss., where it
arrived on the 5th, disembarked and went into camp. On February 9th the
regiment again embarked on steamer, was conveyed to Cairo, Ill., and
thence to New Orleans, where it landed on the 21st and went into camp
near the city.
On March 7, 1865, the regiment embarked at New Orleans, on the
ocean steamship, Empire City, and was conveyed to Dauphin Island,
Ala., where it remained until the 20th, and was then conveyed to
Donelly's Landing, Ala. On March 25th the regiment, with its brigade
and division, again took up the line of march, and arrived at Sibley's
Mills, near Mobile, Ala., on the 26th, and went into camp. On April 3d
the troops advanced and joined the forces under General Steele, then
engaged in the siege of Fort Blakely. The Twenty-seventh Iowa
participated in the siege operations from the 4th to the 9th of April, on
which latter date it took part in the charge which resulted in the capture
of the fort, sustaining a loss of three men wounded. On the 10th, the
Second Brigade, Second Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, occupied Fort
Blakely. Major George W. Howard had the honor of commanding the
Twenty-seventh Iowa during the siege and capture of the fort, and wrote
the official report, in which he highly commended the conduct of the
officers and men of his regiment. On April 13th the regiment marched
towards Montgomery, Ala., where it arrived on the 27th and went into
camp, remaining there and at another camp four miles from the city until
July 15, 1865. On July 14th, 122 recruits—who had joined the Twenty-
seventh Iowa-were transferred to the Twelfth Iowa. On the 15th the
regiment received orders to proceed to Vicksburg, Miss., and there report
to the commanding officer for muster out and discharge from the service.
Transportation was provided by steamboat down the Alabama River to
Selma, thence by rail to Demopolia, Meridian and Jackson, Miss., from
which point the regiment marched to Black River Bridge and was
conveyed thence by rail to Vicksburg and, embarking there on steamer
"Commonwealth," was conveyed to Clinton, Iowa. On August 8, 1865,
the regiment was mustered out of the service of the United States at
Clinton, Iowa, was there disbanded and the officers and men returned to
their homes. During its term of service the Twenty-seventh Iowa
marched over 3, 000 miles and traveled by steamboat and railroad over
10,000 miles. In the long line of splendid military organizations which
the State of Iowa sent into the field during the great War of the Rebellion,
none have a record of more faithful and honorable service than its
Twenty-seventh Regiment of Infantry Volunteers.
SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES.
Total Enrollment 1,172
Killed 17
Wounded 142
Died of wounds 14
Died of disease 165
Discharged for wounds, disease and other causes 224
Buried in National Cemeteries 94
Captured 32
Transferred 47
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