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Iowa and the Rebellion
CHAPTER XIV.Lurton Denham Ingersoll Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1866 FIFTEENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
ORGANIZATION AT KEOKUK—MOVE TO THE FRONT—BATTLE OFSHILOH—THE SIEGE OF CORINTH—QUIET—A MIDSUMMER'S CAMPAIGN— BATTLE OF IUKA—BATTLE OF CORINTH— THE CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN—WINTER AT "MEMPHIS AND BELOW"—THE CAMPAIGNS OF VICKSBURG AND OF JACKSON—A MARCH IN HOT WEATHER The Fifteenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, composed of more than a thousand men, from more than a score of counties in the state, recruited in the fall of 1861 and the winter of 1861-2, was as slow in its enrollment as the contemporaneous movements of the Army of the Potomac, which, but for its splendid parades, would have appeared to stand still and quiet like a stockade. The rendezvous was at Keokuk, whither some of the companies proceeded in the autumn of 1961, and where, from time to time between the first of November and the latter part of February, 1862, all the companies were mustered into the service of the general government. But it was in the month of March that the regiment was fully organized, and became a recognized part of the grand volunteer army of the Union. Hugh T. Reid, of Lee County, was the commanding officer, William Dewey, of Fremont, lieutenant-colonel, and William W. Belknap, of Lee, major. The 2d of November these troops moved in the direction of Grand Junction, our regiment reaching that place on the evening of e 5th. Whilst the army was gathering at this place for the winter's campaign against Vicksburg, there was much drilling of the troops in large bodies, the division to which our regiment belonged being now for the first time practically instructed in all the different movements incident to brigades in line of battle by division. The campaign began the latter part of November. Joining therein, the regiment moved into central Mississippi, as far as Yocana station Falling back upon the abandonment of the enterprise by General Grant, It reached Holly Springs the 22d of December, and resuming the march on the 30th, reached the Memphis and Charleston railroad at Lafayette, Tennessee, the next day. At this place the command remained about a fortnight, in guard of the railway, when it moved to Memphis, and went into camp, the weather being intensely cold. The 18th of January, 1863, the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa regiments were embarked on the steamer "Minnehaha"—the same on which the former had moved from St. Louis to Pittsburg Landing in April, 1862 and on the 20th started down the river, the fleet conveying the division consisting of fifteen vessels. Disembarking at Milliken's Bend, the command went into camp. Here details from the Iowa Brigade made several reconnoissances in the direction of Richmond, but on February 8th the command was again embarked on steamers, and soon on its way to Lake Providence, where it remained, performing some labor on the "canal," but otherwise in pleasant quietude till the 8 campaign of Vicksburg opened in earnest. Early in April, Brigadier-General Lorenzo Thomas, adjutant general of the army of the United States, arrived in camp. He and others addressed the troops on the subject of forming an army of negro soldiers, and it is stated that Colonel Reid's, whose speech concluded the proceedings of the meeting, was one of the most convincing arguments ever uttered in behalf of the policy which Thomas was practically inaugurating. About this time Captain J. M. Hedrick, who after a long captivity had rejoined the regiment just after the central Mississippi campaign, received his commission as major, in the place of Cunningham, resigned. The 21st of April, the regiment left Lake Providence, and arrived that night at Milliken's Bend. Early in May General Crocker took command of the Seventh (Quinby's) Division, Seventeenth Corps, and Brigadier General Hugh T. Reid, late colonel of the Fifteenth, having at Lake Providence assumed command of the First Brigade, Sixth Division, Colonel Hall, of the Eleventh, in the absence of Colonel Chambers, Sixteenth, the senior officer, assumed command of the Iowa Brigade. Lieutenant-Colonel Belknap, who for some time had been on staff duty, was in command of the regiment. And it may be well enough to state here that before the close of the campaign he was promoted to the colonelcy, Major Hedrick succeeding as second in command, and Adjutant Pomutz being appointed major. The 26th, our regiment took up line of march in the campaign of Vicksburg. The history of the Iowa Brigade in this grand campaign, as well as its connection with the campaign of Jackson promptly following, has been set forth in my account of the Thirteenth regiment, so that I need only state here that in all the operations there noted, the Fifteenth took its full part. It is a remarkable fact, that though the regiment was often under fire—though details therefrom as from all the other regiments engaged in the siege were in trenches by night and engaged by day; though at one time the entire command was under a direct and heavy fire of grape and canister; though it sharply skirmished at Mechanicsville and Messenger's Ferry—it did not have a single casualty to report during the entire siege. 4 General Hugh T. Reid—The direct connection of this officer with the Fifteenth Iowa ceased at Lake Providence. Without any of what we call the military lair, or style, he was nevertheless an excellent officer.. file dud not trouble his head about mere military formulae—the words of command as laid down in the books—but he knew how to take care of his men as well in battle as out of it almost to perfection. Except as to the forms, he was a superior soldier. His promotion to the rank of general officer was a deserved recognition of his services and of his ability. He raised the Fifteenth regiment at a time when, on account of the Potomac quietude, it was difficult to recruit troops in Iowa. He had been constantly with it since its organization, leading it through bloody battles and active campaigning with great success, and had on several important occasions commanded the brigade. His great energy, and courage, and decision of character were universally acknowledged. he continued in the service some time after the Vicksburg campaign and retired with dignity and honor, to serve the public in another capacity. The latter part of July, the command moved from camp near Messenger's Ferry over Big Black River, and marched to Vicksburg, where encampment was established north of the city, between Sherman's old line of investment and the rebel fortifications, and less than one mile from the Mississippi River. Here officers and men of regiment and brigade were paid off by Major Thaddeus H. Stanton, no less known in the army as a faithful, obliging officer, than he had been in Iowa as a scholar, thinker, writer, legislator. The command remained here till August 21st, when it started on General Stevenson's illstarred expedition to Monroe, Louisiana. On this march and countermarch Major Pomutz was detailed as division picket officer. |