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Iowa and the Rebellion
CHAPTER XVIII.Lurton Denham Ingersoll Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1866 NINETEENTH INFANTRY.
ORGANIZED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1862—RENDEZVOUS AT KEOKUK—MOVE TO ST. LOUIS—CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS—BATTLE OF PRAIRIE GROVE—CAPTURE OF VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS—RETURN TO MISSOURI—ACTIVE OPERATIONS IN THAT STATE—JOIN THE ARMY UNDER GRANT BELEAGUERING VICKSBURG—ACTIVE OPERATIONS AFTER THE CAPITULATION Under the proclamation of July 2d, 1862, twenty-two full regiments of infantry were raised in Iowa, of which the Nineteenth was the first. Enrolled in the counties of Lee, Jefferson, Washington, Louisa, Van Buren, and Henry, in the First Congressional District, the different companies moved to the regimental rendezvous at Keokuk, where the organization was completed during the latter part of August. The regiment numbered at the time of its organization, nine hundred and eighty-two, officers and men. Benjamin Crabb, of Washington county, who had been a captain in the Seventh Infantry, was appointed colonel; Samuel McFarland, of Henry, who had likewise been a captain in one of our regiments recruited in the earlier part of the war, the Eleventh, was commissioned lieutenant-colonel; and Daniel latent, Of Van Buren, major. Grandville G. Bennett was chosen, adjutant, James Bennett, quartermaster, and Reverend Dennis Murphy, chaplain. Doctor Philip Harvey, of Burlington, one of the most noted physicians, as well as political writers of the State, was the first surgeon, having for his assistants, Doctors L. M. Sloanaker, and D. A. Hurst. ' remained encamped at Salem until the 3d of June, when they marched to Rolla, and there taking cars moved to St. Louis, whence they embarked for Vicksburg with the forces under Major General Herron, to reinforce the army under Grant, beleaguering that Stronghold. On the 11th of June the regiment disembarked from steamers near Young's Point, Louisiana, marched across the peninsula, and crossed the Mississippi at Warrenton on the next day; the next, marched out in rear of the line of investment, to a point some three miles from Warrenton; and on the 14th took position on the right of General Herron's Division, which was on the left of the beleaguering army. From this time until Pemberton was forced to surrender, the picket and fatigue duties of the regiment were incessant and severe, and accompanied by continual skirmishing between the advance and the enemy in his rifle-pits. Nevertheless, the regiment suffered but one casualty, in the wounding of Private Thomas Pender. The promptness and fidelity of the officers and men of the regiment. in the performance of their onerous duties during the siege are highly complimented by Lieutenant-Colonel Kent, who makes especial mention of the constant and untiring energy of Major Bruce. On the 4th of July, the regiment joined in the triumphant march of our army into the captured city. There it remained in the occupation of a portion of those works which had given our gallant army so much trouble to capture, for about one week, when it moved with the force under General Herron to Yazoo City, and participated in all the labors, marches, and heat of that successful campaign, returning to Vicksburg on the 21st, and going into its old place of encampment. Two days afterwards it again went aboard of transports, and, moving down the river to Port Hudson, pitched tents there, where the whole army greatly suffered from unhealthfulness. The regiment halted at Port Hudson little more than a fortnight, during which period a large proportion of the command became sick, and many died. |