History of the First Iowa Cavalry

    Within the limited space assigned, it is of course impossible to give anything near like a complete history of this brave and intrepid cavalry regiment. To do so would require a volume in itself.

    In making this sketch, the writer has obtained his information from various sources—by personal inquiries, the Adjutant-General's Records, and from a perusal of Chas. H. Lathrop's very elaborate and accurate "History of the First Iowa Cavalry."

    When the First Iowa Cavalry was organized for the United States service in 1861, the field and staff was composed as follows: Fitz-Henry Warren, colonel; Chas. E. Moss, lieutenant-colonel; E. E. Chamberlain and Jas. O. Gower, majors; M. B. Cochran, surgeon; D. B. Allen, assistant-surgeon; Jas. Lathain, chaplain; Dr. J. E. Stone, adjutant; M. L. Morris, quartermaster.

    Of the twelve companies composing the regiment, Company A was enrolled in Lee County and organized at Keokuk,

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with W. M. G. Torrence as captain. He was afterwards promoted to major; and was also promoted to colonel of the 30th Iowa Infantry.

    Company B, the "Hawkeye Rangers," was also organized in the spring of 1861, with W. E. Leffingwell as captain. Later he was succeeded by Sam'l F. Burdett. This company was enrolled chiefly from Clinton and Jackson counties.

    Company C was enrolled from the counties of Des Moines, Louisa, and Lee, with Levi Chase as captain.

    Company D was enrolled from Warren and Madison counties, and organized with P. G. Bryan as captain.

    Company E was organized in Henry County, with William Thompson as captain. He afterwards commanded the regiment.

    Company F was enrolled chiefly in the counties of Washington and Johnson, with Jas. O. Gower as captain. He afterwards rose to major and then colonel.

    Company G, known as the "Hardin Rangers," was enrolled from the counties of Hardin, Dubuque, Black Hawk, Jones, and Delaware, with Jas. D. Thompson as captain.

Daniel Anderson, Col. First Iowa Cavalry
(click on image for larger size)

    Company H was enrolled in the counties of Monroe and Lucas, and organized at Albia, with Dan'l Anderson as captain, afterwards colonel of the regiment; Riley Wescoat

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as first lieutenant, afterwards captain; and Wm. S. Whisemand as second lieutenant, afterwards captain and major.

    Company I went from Wapello and Keokuk counties, with a few from Hancock County, Ill. I. W. Caldwell was elected captain and rose to the rank of major and lieutenant-colonel. Dr. David C. Dinsmore was first lieutenant and W. H. Kitterman second lieutenant; Dinsmore was promoted to captain.

    Company K, or "Union Rangers," was enrolled in Clayton, Allamakee, and Winneshiek counties, with Robt. L. Freeman as captain.

    In pursuance of an order from the Governor, these companies were directed to meet at Ottumwa, June 5, 1861, to organize into a regiment. An organization was accordingly completed and Fitz-Henry Warren was chosen colonel.

    At this time no call had been made to Iowa for cavalry, and, indeed, but one regiment of cavalry had been called, and that was the First Illinois Cavalry. It was mustered into the United States service but a few days before.

    By an act of Congress approved in July of that year, the number of companies constituting a cavalry regiment was raised from ten to twelve. This added to the First Cavalry Companies L and M.

    The men of Company L were from Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones counties. H. H. Heath was captain.

    Company M was called "The Black Plume Rangers," and the men were mostly from Clinton County. It was organized with W. H. Ankeny as captain. The Iowa Legislature tendered this regiment to the Secretary of War as an independent regiment. The men of the regiment owned their own horses, and after having been mustered into the service at Burlington and taken a temporary position at Keokuk, Col. Warren offered his regiment to Major-General John C. Frémont, whose headquarters were at St. Louis. Frémont declined to accept the regiment unless they would sell their horses to the Government for $119 a head for all that would pass inspection. They were fine horses and were worth much more at that time. Besides, the Government allowed the owner of a horse forty cents a day for use and risk of his animal. An appeal was taken to the Secretary of War, and a preemptory order was issued from the War Department directing Frémont to receive the regiment with their horses and horse equipments, and to pay the owners of the horses forty cents per day for their use.

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    The regiment was then assigned to Camp Benton, near St. Louis, being conveyed thither on board boats. Six of the companies were carried as far as Montrose on board the Jennie Whipple, and from there the Hannibal City took them to St. Louis. The other four companies went down on the next boat about forty-eight hours later, leaving Companies L and M at Burlington, to await their equipments. They remained until October 13th.

    While the first section of the regiment was on its way down the river, and while passing Alton, Ill., a man on bluff fired at the boat, but the ball fell short and imbedded itself in a barge, among the horses. The shot was evidently aimed at a group of troopers sitting around the pilot-house.

    On October 18th, Companies A, B, F, and G, under command of Captain Leffingwell, were ordered to join Pope, and embarked on Missouri River steamers, which transported them to Camp Price, near Jefferson City, and afterwards joined Pope at Humansville and became his body-guard.

    On November 1st a forced march was made to Springfield to receive a threatened attack by General Price on the 3d, but Price did not put in an appearance. He was hovering around Springfield, but a few miles south of the town, and Frémont's army was anxious to make a dash at his rebel hordes. They were doomed for bitter disappointment, however, for on November 2d General Hunter, arriving to re-inforce Frémont, was ordered to supersede the latter. Hunter, in taking command, evacuated Springfield and fell back to the Missouri River. This left the southern part of Missouri to the mercy of Price's army. A short time later General Halleck succeeded Hunter.

    A short time after the first battalion of the regiment took the field, Companies C and H, under command of Captain Levi Chase, were ordered to Rockport, via Jefferson City. Here they joined Prentice in his campaign in northern Missouri, after which they returned to Jefferson City to spend the winter.

    About this time, Companies D and I were ordered out, under command of Captain Caldwell, to join General Pope. They joined the first battalion at Syracuse, a small town in Morgan County. After a series of marches and skirmishing now and then, the regiment finally got its real taste of war at the battle of Blackwater, on the 19th of December, 1861. In this engagement the enemy surrendered uncondi-

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tionally, after making a running fight. In this fight Companies A, D, F, and I, and small detachments of B and G, were absent on scout duty, but 350 men of the First Cavalry, under command of Torrence, and 75 men from the Fourth United States Cavalry, together with a section of Missouri Light Artillery, all under the command of Colonel Jefferson C. Davis, of Indiana, captured 11,900 of the enemy, including officers and men.

    Early in 1862 the First Iowa Cavalry was divided into several small detachments, some doing cavalry guard duty, others scouting, skirmishing now and then, and drilling whenever not otherwise engaged.

    On January 8, 1862, the First Battalion of the First Iowa Cavalry, a portion of Merrill's Horse, commanded by Major Hunt, and a squadron of Ohio Cavalry, were ordered by General Pope to attack some rebel camps in the vicinity of Silver Creek, in Randolph County, Missouri. The rebel force consisted of about 800 men, under command of the noted Poindexter. The army fled after a short encounter, leaving about 60 of their number killed; 100 wounded, and all their equipage and 200 horses to the Union forces. The latter lost 5 killed and about 20 wounded. The Union force engaged in the battle of Silver Creek was 520 men.

    At the end of 1862 the regiment had to send for 275 recruits to fill up its depleted ranks.

    On April 21, 1863, a detachment of 500 of the regiment, and 250 of the 8th Missouri Cavalry, all commanded by Major Caldwell, of the First Iowa, joined Vandever in an attack on General Marmaduke in southwestern Missouri.

    On the morning of May 2st the command attacked the

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rear of the enemy at a place about 40 miles from Chalk Bluffs, and, after a running fight which lasted all day, the enemy was finally driven out of the State.

    In June the regiment, in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, took up a march to join General Davidson at Pilot Knob, in his contemplated move against Little Rock. It was a tedious march of nearly two hundred miles, mostly through the swamps of the White and St. Francis rivers, which were infested with guerrillas.

    On the 9th the command reached White River, near Clarendon. The regiment participated in almost continuous operations. They had a fight with the enemy at Montevallo, Mo.; another at Lot's Peach Farm; and another at Big Cliffs. At this latter place Judge Dashiell, of Monroe County, then a quartermaster of the Second Battalion of the First Iowa Cavalry, was dangerously wounded in the lungs. Several companies of the regiment next participated in a skirmish at Clear Creek, St. Clair County, Mo.

    In the autumn of '62 Colonel Warren was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and the command of the regiment fell on Captain Jas. O. Gower.

    On September 20, 1862, the regiment took up a line of march for Springfield, the city having been threatened by the enemy. It arrived on the 27th.

    In October the regiment, with brigade and division marched southward to join Blunt and Brown in a contemplated attack on the enemy of 13,000 under Cooper, near Newtonia. The enemy retreated on their arrival.

    On the 16th of November the regiment was transferred to General Herron's division.

    It is impossible to follow minutely the operations of the regiment while under General Herron, as space is limited, but we find that they were a fire-brand to the guerrilla hordes of Missouri, and usually fought greatly superior numbers, and nearly always got the better of them.

    On August 18, 1863, the regiment, with the brigade and division, crossed the White River, and on the 25th it was skirmishing with Marmaduke's cavalry, driving it to its stronghold at Bayou Metoe.

    The charge at Bayou Metoe was led by Colonel Dan. Anderson, commanding the First Iowa Cavalry. It was made to save the only bridge across the stream, and the regiment was galled terribly by the rebel batteries and infantry

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on either side of the stream. The enemy, finding they could not hold the bridge, set fire to it and it burned. In this determined charge Colonel Anderson had his horse shot from under him, and the regiment lost several killed and 36 wounded.

    The regiment proved of efficient service to Steele in the capture of Little Rock.

    During the campaign Lieutenant Sam'l T. Craig was detached on staff duty with General Davidson.

    Following is a report of his, concerning movements in the vicinity of Helena:

"Devall's Bluff, August 26, 1863

"Brigadier-General J. W. Davidson:

    "Dear Sir,—In compliance with your special order, I took charge of the steamboat Progress at Clarendon, Arkansas, and proceed down White River and thence up the Mississippi, arriving at Helena, Arkansas, at midnight on the 17th inst.

    "I delivered your dispatch to the Adjutant-General at post, to be forwarded to General Steele in the morning, he having moved his forces for Clarendon, Arkansas, the 15th inst.

    "We took coal and proceeded to Memphis, Tenn., arriving there on the 18th inst., at ten o'clock, and delivered your letter and presented requisitions for ammunition to Lieutenant-Colonel Benmore, assistant adjutant-general Sixteenth Army Corps, District of Memphis; the steamer Progress being much damaged, caused by its running into the river banks and breaking its wheel.

    "The steam, White River, is so crooked and narrow, and the captain and pilot either had determined to sink the boat or were so frightened that they caused the boat to run at such a rate of speed that she could not make the bends of the river at many places without striking the bow and then whirling round; and being a stern-wheel boat, she was much damaged. Captain Sweet required to the 20th instant to repair her.

    "Having ascertained from the Ordnance Department at Helena and Memphis that Lieutenant Hubbard did not procure ammunition for the batteries on account of the informalities in the requisition, I reported to General Hurlbert and informed him of the necessity of your getting the ammunition, and he ordered the Ordnance Department at

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Memphis to issue ammunition upon my requisition for batteries and small arms required by the division.

    "The steamer being repaired and landed, we proceeded down the Mississippi at 3 o'clock p. m., on the 20th inst., arrived at Helenea on the 21st, at 6 o'clock a. m. Quartermaster Noble, of the post, took charge of the steamer and loaded her with convalescent soldiers of the Twenty-seventh Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers and commissary stores.

    "We proceeded from Helena on the 33d inst. at 6 o'clock a. m., arrived at the mouth of White River at 3 o'clock p. m., and were ordered by the Admiral in charge of the gun-boats and convoys to assist the steamer Sallie List in towing two barges of hay up White River, but refused to furnish us with a convoy.

    "We proceed up White River, and our cargoes being wide, and the river narrow, and the night very dark, we attempted to anchor, but our anchors being insufficient to hold our cargoes (the hay barges being placed between the steamers, the front barge extending about half its length in front), with some difficulty we steamed up the river until we arrived at a point where the banks of the stream were low and marshy. We tied p at the cut-off about two miles below St. Charles Landing on the night of the 23d instant, and by placing lumber on the shore, we were able to put out a picket guard; but were not molested during the night, for it was impossible for our enemy to approach us on account of the marshy ground.

    "At daylight we proceeded, and while passing Crockett's Landing, about 7 o'clock a. m., the enemy fired into our boats several volleys with small arms from the north bank of the river, and wounded six men on the steamer Progress.

    "The lieutenants in command of the convalescent soldiers not showing any disposition to command, notwithstanding they outranked me, I took command, and, with the assistance of my ordnance sergeant, rallied the convalescent, and forming protection for the men, by placing boxes of hard-tack around the outer railing of the boat, and placing their knapsacks on the same, they were caused to kneel down and fire upon the enemy without waiting further orders. There being two surgeons on the Sallie List, the wounded were taken below, and are doing well and properly cared for.

    "Having one section of the Fifth Ohio Battery on board I placed the gun on front of the barge of hay, which extended

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in front of the boats about half its length, and the sergeant in charge of the gun was able to shell the timber in which the enemy were concealed. This had the desired effect and dispersed them.

    I had placed guards over the pilots, from the fact that the one piloting the Progress had threatened to turn our cargo over to the enemy before we returned. But it so happened that when we were fired upon, Captain Sweet was at the wheel and stood unflinchingly at his post, notwithstanding that his pilot-house was pierced by the enemy's bullets, showing the dangerous position he occupied.

    "The pilot-house of the steamerSallie List was well protected with sheet-iron, but the pilot deserted his post, and the mate of the same had suffered or allowed the boat to be cut partially loose from our own, so that she was dragging us ashore—evidently planned so that the enemy could board our boats. But with the assistance of the ordinance sergeant, with revolvers in hand, we went on board of her and demanded that the mate make her fast to our boat, which he did immediately, and, with the untiring energy and efficiency of Captain Sweet, we steamed up the river; and, under my directions, the sergeant in charge of the piece of artillery shelled the banks of the river on the south all the way up to Clarendon wherever the banks were sufficiently high for the enemy to approach the river. A squad of colored people at one place approached and made signs for us to land, but I did not think it was prudent.

    "Our loss was six wounded—three severely and three slightly; one was Brown, clerk of the sutler of Merrill's Horse; the other five were of the Twenty-seventh Wisconsin Infantry. We arrived at Clarendon, Ark., on the 24th inst., and were ordered by the commander of the post to wait for convoy.

    "We proceeded from Clarendon with convoy on the 25th, and arrived at this place at 7 o'clock p. m. on the 26th, and at once commenced loading on wagon-train all the ordnance, for the purpose of transporting the same to your command at Brownsville, Ark.

    "Hoping that the above and foregoing report will be sufficient for my seeming delay. I have the honor to be, General,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) "Sam'l T. Craig,
"2d Lt. Co. H, 1st Iowa Cav. Div.,
"Department of the Missouri."

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    On October 1, 1863, Colonel Anderson, by order of General Davidson, was placed in command of the Second Cavalry Brigade, Major Caldwell being in command of the regiment, and on the 15th of the same month it went into camp for the winter a couple of miles further down the river.

    In 1864 the First Cavalry waived its right to a furlough, and joined with General Steele in the Camden expedition, which was really to coöperate with Banks in the Red River expedition. A part of the regiment, having lost their horses, marched as a dismounted battalion of infantry, Captain A. U. McCormack, of Monroe county, commanding one of these companies.

    On the 23d, Colonel Daniel Anderson having been placed in command of the post at Little Rock by order of General Steele, the command, numbering about 7,000, went on a skirmishing expedition to the south of Little Rock. They encountered the enemy almost daily. Their first encounter was at Benton; then, on March 9th, at Arkadelphia; April 2d, at Spoonville; April 3d, near the town of Antoine; the 3d and 4th, at Elkins' Ford; the 10th and 12th, at Prairie de Anne; the 14th, at White Oak Creek; the 15th, at Camden Cross roads and the capture of Camden; the 25th, at Mono Creek; the 30th, at Jenkin's Ferry.

    After the Camden campaign, the veterans crossed the Arkansas River on their homeward march for a furlough, arriving at St. Louis on May 9, 1864. From St. Louis the veterans came on to Burlington on the 16th, and departed for their homes on a furlough.

    On the 23d their furlough expired, and they returned to St. Louis on the 25th. At this time Colonel Anderson resigned, and Major Wm. Thompson was promoted colonel of the regiment.

    Soon after their arrival, the veterans were mounted on horses and ordered to northern Missouri, where they performed considerable scout and skirmish duty until October, when they were ordered to Jefferson City to oppose the entrance of Price into Missouri.

    For a time the regiment encountered frequent collisions with guerrillas and border ruffian hordes, and in a large measure checked the operations of these lawless bands.

    On September 27th Bill Anderson captured Centralia and also the express train from St. Louis, After robbing the express, baggage, and passengers of #30,000, he found a

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squad of the First Cavalry boys on the train. There were 23 of them, and they were separated from the passengers, arranged in a line, and shot.

    On the 27th Major Johnson, commanding detachments of Missouri Militia, in all 147 men, followed the the trail of the guerrillas to Centralia, and attacked the combined forces of Bill Anderson and those of the Todds, Pools and Thrailkill.

    Johnson did not know their exact numbers, and rashly attacked them against the advice of loyal citizens of the town. Johnson and his men were nearly all killed, except Lieutenants Jaynes, Gill, and Moore, and 20 of the men. The guerrillas lost but 3, and 10 wounded. Johnson was scalped and many of his men were mutilated in various ways. Frank James, the noted outlaw, was one of Anderson's men.

    When General Price, at the head of 25,000 rebels, composed o guerrillas and soldiers of the rebel army, occupied a position in the vicinity of Jefferson City, in his memorable raid into Missouri, the First Iowa Cavalry and the Thirty-ninth Missouri Infantry were ordered to that place to combat his forces. They participated in almost daily brushes with the enemy on their march to unite with the other Federal forces. With Rosecrans' and Pleasantson's forces, the regiment harassed Price's army from place to place until about the 25th of the month, when it was totally defeated and demoralized. Marmaduke, Crawford, Cabill, and other noted rebel leaders were captured.

    After the defeat of Price's army, the Union forces retraced their course into Missouri, and part of the regiment returned to Jefferson City and participated in the election of Lincoln; a part of the regiment accompanied Rosecrans, as train guard, to St. Louis; and the remainder went to Jefferson City, but was also transferred to St. Louis by steamer on the 15th and 16th of November.

    The regiment remained in St. Louis until the 16th of December, when it again went out for active service. It revisited the region of the White and St. Francis rivers, the scene of its first conflicts, and from thence went to Little Rock.

    On the 14th of January, 1865, Major Jenks, with a force consisting partly of a detachment of the First Cavalry, was ordered to attack General Cooper with a force of 1,600 men up the Arkansas River. They went by boats, and killed and wounded 90 of the enemy.

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    On the 22d an expedition under General Carr, consisting of the First Iowa, First and Third Missouri, and Tenth Illinois Cavalry, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, and the Twenty-fifth Ohio Battery, was sent below Camden to attack the rebel general Greene. colonel Wm. Thompson commanded the Second Cavalry Brigade, and Major John McDermott commanded the regiment; Lieutenant Sam'l T. Craig, of the First Cavalry, also acted as brigade quartermaster.

    On their march they passed Mark's Mills, and passed through the battle-field where General (now Governor) Drake, with the Thirty-sixth Iowa INfantry, had a desperate encounter with a superior force, and was defeated on account of the overwhelming number of the enemy. The bodies of the dead soldiers had been placed in shallow graves, and the hogs and other animals had dug many of them from their resting places, exposing their skulls and bones to view.

    After engaging in several skirmishes with the enemy, the regiment, on February 1, 1865, was detached from the brigade and ordered to Memphis.

    While stationed at Memphis the following named officers of the regiment were assigned to special duty: Captain R. M. Reynolds, acting assistant inspector-general; Lieutenant Sam'l T. Craig, acting assistant adjutant-general.

    The next move was an expedition into the Mississippi, in which the command had frequent skirmishes with the enemy, but sustained no serious loss.

    The regiment returned to Memphis on March 11th, and then, in company with other regiments, went on a tour into Tennessee.

    At about this time Richmond had fallen, and the First Iowa Cavalry, the Fifth and Twelfth Illinois, Second Wisconsin, and Seventh Indiana Cavalry regiments were ordered to Texas on June 15th. They were transferred by boat, and arrived at Natchez on the 25th.

    At Alexandria, General Custer took command of the troops, and here began a series of abuses and ill treatment on the part of Custer, towards the regiment, which is a lasting blemish to the character of the long-haired hero, who in after years met a terrible fate in the Little Big-horn massacre.

    The First Iowa had been recommended to him as the next best in efficiency of any regiment in the United States

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service, the first being one in the regular United States service.

    Yet, notwithstanding the special recommendation of Generals Herron, Schofield, Blunt, Rosecrans, Davidson, Steele, Carr, and others, besides that of the Military Bureau at Washington, General Custer seems for some strange reason, to have visited on this regiment all the indignities and abuses of which the most insolent martinet could conceive. About this time Custer issued an order against foraging, imposing severe penalties against any caught confiscating cattle belonging to the inhabitants of the country. Private Clure, of the First Iowa, was accused of knowing who killed two beeves that had been killed by a foraging party and brought in from the country. He did not know who killed them, yet his head was shaved and he was given twenty-five lashes on suspicion that he did know. The indignation of the regiment was so great that Surgeon Chas. H. Lothrop, of the regiment, states, in his history of the regiment, that good Colonel McQueen, a strict Presbyterian, swore like a trooper, threatening that "if Custer again attempts to lay violent hands on a First Iowa soldier, I will here say his hide will not hold corn, by God!"

    Governor Stone laid the case before the Iowa Legislature, and a rousing resolution was passed, denouncing the outrage on the part of Custer. The matter finally went to Major-General Sheridan, who ordered the insult rectified. Custer, in vindication of the act, accused the entire command of infamy and insubordination.

    The war was now over, and while the command remained at Hemstead, the time was mostly taken up in horse-racing. Custer was fond of the sport, and had a horse which he called Jack Rucker, on which he and his friends bet a great deal of money; but one day the boys brought into camp a strange nag, which outran that of the general, and the result was that he was out considerable money.

    On November 19th General Custer sent Assistant Quartermaster Sam'l T. Craig to Galveston to procure supplies for the troops.

    From Hempstead the command was transferred to Austin, where the troops remained until January 24, 1866, when, by a general order, the First Iowa, Third Michigan, and Seventh Indiana regiments were mustered out of the service.

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    All the troops entertained a wholesome hatred towards Custer. His acts of insolence were doubtless rendered more unbearable from the fact that his command felt that the war was over, and that there was no further necessity for their presence in Texas. Custer complained that he could not induce them to wear pants, but Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. McQueen, of the First Iowa, says that in many instances they had none to wear; some had to go shirtless, and others barefooted.

    Previous to the mustering out of the regiments, General Custer and his staff had been mustered out of the service by order of the War Department, and Brigadier-General S. D. Sturgis assumed command, and Colonel and Brevet Brigadier-General Wm. Thompson was placed in command of the First Brigade.

History of the Sixth Iowa Infantry