 Iowa In the Civil War |
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Fighting Hawkeyes 4th Iowa Infantry Regiment Unit History
The Fourth Iowa Infantry was organized under the proclamation of the President, dated May 3, 1861. The companies composing the regiment were mustered into the service of the United States at Camp Kirkwood, near Council Bluffs, Iowa, and at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, Missouri, on different dates, ranging from August 8, 1861 to August 31, 1861. That portion of southern Iowa, usually called "the Missouri slope," contributed most of the troops to the formation of this distinguished regiment, and all its members, or very nearly all, came from counties now within the Fifth Congressional District. Company A was from Mills County; Company B, from Pottawattamie, Harrison, Cass and Shelby; Company C, from Guthrie and Dallas; Company D, from Decatur and Clarke; Company E, from Polk, Warren and Dallas; Company F, from Madison and Warren; Company G from Ringgold; Company H from Adams and Union; Company I from Wayne; Company K from Taylor and Page. The first field officers were: G. M. Dodge, colonel, who--at the time here spoken of--was a civil engineer, only known to a few "railroad men," and who--from want of brass--might have been still engaged in the quiet pursuit of his profession--for the fact that Governor Kirkwood happened to discover the energetic qualities which were concealed under a modest demeanor--he gave Dodge a colonel's commission, where from resulted one of Iowa's best regiments and one of the country's best major-generals; John Galligan, lieutenant-colonel; W. R. English, major; J. A. Williamson, adjutant; Phineas A. Wheeler, Quarter-master; M. W. Robbins, Surgeon; and W. S. Grimes, Assistant Surgeon. The Captains of the different companies were as follows:
Company A - Thomas H. Head Company B - W. H. Kinsman Company C - Thomas Seeley Company D - George Burton Company E - Henry H. Griffith Company F - Henry J. B. Cummins Company G - Samuel Rice Company H - Elmer Y. Burgan Company I - William E. Taylor Company K - Joseph Cramer
All the companies had not reached the rendezvous at Camp Kirkwood, near the principal city on the Missouri River, when a threatened invasion across the southern border demanded immediate attention. Two hundred picked men, being twenty-five from each of the companies present, marched to the relief of the threatened locality. They went as far as Clarinda, the county-seat of Page county, and were reinforced on the way and at that place, by companies of Home Guards; the whole presented a warlike front against which the marauders could have accomplished nothing. Struck with a wholesome dread of several hundred determined men, well armed, all of whom came from a locality where the lightest punishment for horse-thieves was hanging without benefit of law or clergy, the bands of Missourians dispersed, and the soldiers leisurely returned to Camp Kirkwood. The regiment left Council Bluffs by steamer about the close of the first week in August, and proceeding down the Missouri to St. Joseph, there took cars for Hannibal, whence the journey was made on the Mississippi to Jefferson Barracks. Here and at St. Louis, near by, the regiment remained drilling a short time, and then, armed and equipped, moved by rail to Rolla. The regiment at Rolla was only partially uniformed. It was armed with old Prussian musket, and when they were fired thirteen of them burst. It was with great difficulty that Colonel Dodge obtained the clothing necessary to put the regiment in presentable order. He had to go to St. Louis himself to obtain the clothing, arms, and equipment, etc. At this place the command first settled down into the monotony of camp life and drill, and here waited, as thousands elsewhere waited, untill the rebellion had gained such gigantic proportions, that mere physical power, was entirely unable to suppress it. The period was improved by officers and men fitting themselves more thoroughly for the life and duties of soldiers, and was, therefore, beneficial; but many of the men here died of diseases incident to the camp. "Good and true men," says a correspondent, "who amid the rush of praise for the living I fear will not receive the honor due them." When the sultry days of summer had given way to the cold winds that foretold a severe winter, the men built barracks for themselves, but the health and comfort of the troops was not increased by being crowded within their too contracted walls. Two expeditions made during the winter did much more to recuperate the health and spirits of the troops than all the in-door comforts of their winter quarters. One of these was a march to Licking, in Texas county, some distance southwest of Rolla which resulted in the dispersion of a considerable rebel force and the capture of much property, with which were a number of horses, cattle, and mules. Another march was made to Dry Glaze, in La Clede county, which, though resulting in no material profit to the government, served a good purpose upon the health of the troops. General Curtis arrived at Rolla on the 27th of December, to take command of the Army of the Southwest. The Army of the Southwest was organized in January, in which the 4th Iowa was a part of the 1st Brigade, commanded by Col. G. M. Dodge; of the 4th Division, commanded by Col. E. A. Carr of General Curtis' army. The regiment turned out to receive the General in military style, and there was a fine display on the occasion. During the ceremonies, Colonel Dodge's pistol, in his saddle-holster, was accidentally discharged, and inflicted a severe wound in his thigh--the first in the regiment--which kept him from duty for some time. General Curtis with his gallant little Army of the Southwest, moved from Rolla on the 23rd of January, 1862, with the purpose of giving battle to Price, then encamped, with a largely superior army, at Springfield. Halting at Lebanon a few days, it did not reach the vicinity of Springfield untill the 12th of February, on the evening of which day the advanced guard of cavalry attacked the enemy's outposts and a brisk skirmish ensued. The regiment was called into line, and quickly forming, marched to the front, and here for the first time came under fire. The rebels were soon driven; however, and the men went into bivouac. By three o'clock of the following morning, General Curtis had his army in motion, in three columns, designing to attack at daylight. The Fourth Iowa had the advance on the left. The Fourth moved to Springfield, Missouri, and lined up in front of that city about three o'clock A.M., supposing that the enemy were in the city. Gen. Seigle, who was on the extreme right opened his cannon. Colonel Dodge put out a skirmish line, Co. E. of the 4th Iowa, to find the enemy, and about one hour later, he tried to find them and not being able to do so, was greatly alarmed, thinking perhaps they had fallen into the hands of the enemy, but Co. E. had skirmished into Springfield and captured it about day-light. They came out mounted on a lot of crobates, mules, etc. which the enemy had left there, and with all kind of toggery on them, to the great amusement of the regiment. From Springfield the army followed General Price in his retreat; he halted at every stream and the Fourth lined up to fight him. The men stripped off their nap-sacks, threw away their provisions which they had foraged for until about the third time that the men lined up. When the Colonel called upon the men to strip to cross the river, several hollered out, "No you don't, Colonel; we ain't going to lay down anything now. We have fed that 36th Ill. long enough." The 36th Illinois was following the Fourth and of course gobbled up all the chickens, sweet potatoes, etc. which the Fourth Iowa had thrown down. On this campaign, the regiment had as their quarter master Captain Phil Sheridan. When he first came to the regiment at Rolla, he went to Colonel Dodge, as Commander of the Post, and asked him to issue an order stripping every regiment of its transportation, leaving, two wagons to each regiment. Dodge issued that order and it brought a protest from every command at Rolla; they not only protested to the colonel, but they telegraphed their Governors and members of Congress protesting against the outrage. Dodge saw that he had a difficult problem on his hands. Captain Sheridan was watching to see how Dodge would solve it, whether he would lay down or carry it through. The Colonel went out and stripped his own regiment first, turning over all the wagons except two or three. They made no protest. Then Dodge called upon the others to do the same, sending a very sharp note to the commanders of the regiments, and they followed suit. Dodges actions pleased Captain Sheridan very much. On the marches, Captain Sheridan fed the men by calling for details from each regiment in all the commands, but the Germans refused to make the details and General Curtis did not seem disposed to enforce it, so that Sheridan, who generally tented with Dodge, would finally come to him, and Dodge would detail for him out of the 4th Iowa to make up what he was lacking. Sheridan showed his great ability as a soldier in the way he fed the men. He had details out at every mill. He foraged over the country for fifty miles, and it was sparsely settled. Even if you travel over it today, you will wonder how 12,000 men could be supplied as they marched through the land. The army had to be fed mostly off of the country. There were no railroad or water communications and the men marched four or five hundred miles into the enemy's country. Sheridan in his Memoirs, pays a very high compliment to Colonel Dodge. He says:
"Colonel G. M. Dodge so greatly sustained me with General Curtis by strong moral support and by such efficient details from his regiment--the Fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry--that I shall bear him and it great affection and lasting gratitude." |
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