Search Surnames

1890 Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Story County, Iowa

Story Co. Home Page
Page 170 of 460

into service in some regiment, and, like other Iowa men, were among the brave in the thickest of the fight. Says the leader among them: " Not an important battle was fought, nor an important event occurred during the whole war in which some of her citizens did not take an active part. They were with the immortal Lyons at Wilson's Creek ; with Gen. Grant at Fort Henry, Donelson, Shiloh, and the siege of Corinth ; with Rosecrans at Iuka and Chickamauga; with Sherman in his first attack on Vicksburg, and in when it surrendered to Grant; with Hooker on Lookout Mountain, and with Thomas when he scaled the heights of Mission Ridge; with Sherman from Chattanooga to the sea, and engaged in every battle of that memorable campaign; with brave Corse at Altoona Pass, when Sherman signaled from Kenesaw to 'Hold the fort, for I am coming;' with Sherman at Columbia and Goldsboro, and with Grant at Appomattox. They experienced horrors at Libby, Belle Isle and Andersonville, and joined in the triumphal march in the Grand Review at Washington. In all these phases of the war the citizen soldiery from Story County sustained a conspicuous part, and returned at the end to their homes, resuming their quiet and peaceful vocations as though they had only been absent on a holiday excursion."

They were scattered in so many regiments that no attempt will be made to trace any regiments but those to which the four Story County companies were assigned, and in the order of the companies' dates of muster. These were the Third Iowa Infantry, to which Capt. Scott's company was assigned, as Company E ; the Second Iowa Cavalry, of which Capt. Queal's men were Company B; the Twenty-third Iowa Infantry, which Lieut. Ballard's men joined in Company A, and the Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, Col. John Scott, of which Capt. Cadwalader's men formed Company K.

The Third Iowa Volunteer Infantry was organized at Keokuk, from June 8 to 10, 1861. Nelson G. Williams, of Dubuque County, was made colonel; John Scott, lieutenant-colonel, and W. M. Stone, of Marion, mayor.

On June 29 they went to Hannibal, Mo., and were generally engaged in that region. Lieut.-Col. Scott was in command of the regiment for a time, and led it in the battle of Blue Mills Landing. He "was in the midst of the fight, conspicuous for coolness and bravery. His horse was hit several times, and several bullets passed through his uniform." Lieut. Crosley, of Company E, and others received special mention. They were returned to St Louis, and in April, 1862, were at Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh, where they suffered greatly. They were next at Corinth and the battle of Hatchie, where they were notable. During 1862 and early 1863 they were in Mississippi. Lieut. Crosley was promoted major. In May they moved toward Vicksburg, and were, in the siege and the campaign following, the most conspicuous Iowa regiment. They suffered great loss, and during early 1864 were on the Meridian raid. During the year the veterans, under Maj. Crosley, were allowed a furlough, and the non-veterans, after a campaign with Gen. Banks,were discharged at expiration of enlistment. The veterans of the " old Third " kept together, and at Atlanta, July 22, the " battalion literally fought itself out of existence." Those left were given prominent positions in other commands. It was a noble regiment, and Story County furnished its share of the noble. It was consolidated largely with the Second Veteran Infantry, as Companies A, F and P, those from Story County being in Company A, and with Sherman to the close. Out of fifty who enlisted from the county, only ten returned with the company in July, 1865; others had preceded them, having been discharged on ac-

Page 170 of 460

© 2012–2024 Mark Christian
[Search Surnames] [Introduction] [Story Co. Home Page ] [Table of Contents]