The 1st Iowa Cavalry Regiment was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Service

The first Iowa Cavalry was organized at

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

in August and September 1861 and mustered in for three years of Federal service. Unusually for a Union cavalry regiment, the members of the regiment provided their own horses and equipment. The first Iowa was the first three-year

accepted for Federal service during the war. The regiment was mustered out on February 15, 1866, while on

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

duty in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, and discharged for state service on March 16, 1866.

Detailed Service

This famous regiment was organized June 5, 1861, and ordered into quarters at

Benton Barracks Benton Barracks (or Camp Benton) was a Union Army military encampment, established during the American Civil War, in St. Louis, Missouri, at the present site of the St. Louis Fairground Park. Before the Civil War, the site was owned and used by th ...

near St. Louis about the middle of October in the same year. It was composed of twelve companies, aggregating 1,095 men, and by additional enlistments soon numbered 1,245. The middle and western portion of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

was the highway to the so-called Southern Confederacy for recruits, sympathizers and bushwhackers, and during the entire winter of 1861, eight companies of the regiment were engaged in patrolling this region. Ever on the alert, their engagements and skirmishes were numerous. The first battle in which the regiment was engaged occurred on Black River (called Blackwater), where Cos. A, B. D, F. G and I, with about 60 of the 4th U. S. cavalry, attacked and captured about 1,300 Confederate recruits, 1,000 stands of arms and all the camp equipage. On January 8, 1862, a Confederate camp was attacked and destroyed on Silver Creek, Mo., and a week later the regiment was in a raid to

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, where it attacked and captured the Confederate pickets, charged into town and captured several prisoners. All of the early part of the following summer the regiment spent in scouts and raids, with here and there an important skirmish. In July the notorious guerrilla chief Quantrill was encountered by a few companies of the 1st cavalry on the wooded cliffs of Big Creek in Cass County. The regiment swept down on him like a whirlwind and in less than 30 minutes Quantrill and his band were scattered in all directions, the loss of the 1st IA being 2 killed and 10 wounded. A small detachment, sent out to capture some beef cattle belonging to Confederates, encountered a large band of guerrillas in the timber on Clear creek, about 2 miles from Taberville, and a short but spirited engagement ensued, in which the detachment was victorious, with a loss of 4 killed and 14 wounded. In December the 1st took part in an important expedition to Van Buren, Ark., resulting in a defeat of some Confederates and the capture of immense stores. On August 18, 1862, the army crossed the White River at Clarendon, Ark., and on the 27th was fought the Battle of Bayou Meto, in which the regiment took a prominent part, driving the enemy across the bayou and making a dashing charge to save the only bridge across that deep and miry stream from destruction. In this charge the regiment lost 1 killed and 36 wounded, 1 mortally. The regiment then took the advance of the cavalry in the move on

Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

. On December 8 a force of 260 men, with detachments of other regiments and a section of artillery, marched toward Arkadelphia. A few miles south of

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, they encountered a force of the enemy numbering 800. The 1st IA cavalry being in the advance, dismounted and drove them from their position, taking 39 prisoners, together with arms and camp equipage. In Jan., 1864, 500 of the regiment reenlisted and on March 23, waiving their right to a veteran furlough at that time, joined the 7th Army Corps and took a prominent part in all the operations of the Camden Expedition. In this movement the regiment engaged and routed Gen. Price's forces at Elkin's Ferry, losing in killed and wounded 11 men. It was again in the advance from this place to Prairie d'Ane, a distance of 12 miles, skirmishing with the enemy the entire distance. Being on the right in the engagement which followed, it was the first to enter the Confederate works. It was again ordered to the front and engaged the enemy at Camden Cross-Roads, about 15 miles from Camden, at 7 o'clock in the morning. The fight lasted for six hours, when Brig-Gen. Rice ordered up the dismounted men of the regiment to deploy as skirmishers, and the enemy, stubbornly contesting the ground, was driven back through the city of

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

on the evening of the same day. On the 17th a detachment of the regiment, with detachments of other regiments, marched about 20 miles down the

Washita River The Washita River () is a river in the states of Texas and Oklahoma in the United States. The river is long and terminates at its confluence with the Red River, which is now part of Lake Texoma () on the TexasOklahoma border. Geography The ...

and captured a steamboat laden with corn and other quartermaster and commissary supplies. The loss of the regiment during this whole campaign was 5 killed, 3 taken prisoners and 25 wounded, a number severely, who died a few days afterward. The campaign being now virtually ended, the veteran portion of the regiment, 520 strong was relieved from duty and ordered home on veteran furlough. On their way to Pine Bluff they were attacked by a column of Confederates at Moro Creek. After a heroic resistance they fell back to Steele's main army on its way to Little Rock, and with him engaged in the Battle of Saline River. On June 20 the regiment, its; furlough expired, again left the state for the front and on July 28 was at Macon, Mo. On January 14, 1865, a detachment of the 1st IA and other regiments, was ordered by boat about 100 miles up the Arkansas river to Dardanelle, at which place they engaged a Confederate force of 1,600 men under Gen. Cooper, killing and wounding 90. By Feb. 17 the regiment had gone to Memphis, in the vicinity of which city it remained, scouting occasionally, till June 15, when Gen. Grant ordered the command to march from

Alexandria, La Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the prin ...

., to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. On January 31, 1866, orders were received for muster-out.

Total strength and casualties

A total of 2115 men served in the 1st Iowa at one time or another during its existence. It suffered 2 officers and 56 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 2 officers and 233 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 293 fatalities.

Commanders

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Fitz Henry Warren Fitz Henry Warren (January 11, 1816 – June 1878) was a politician and a Union Army general during the American Civil War. Early life and career Warren was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts.Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High ...

* Colonel James O. Gower * Colonel Anderson * Colonel William Thompson *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Alexander G. McQueenIowa Genweb Iowa in the Civil War Project after Logan, Guy E., Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 1 *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

William M. G. Torrence - commanded a battalion of the 1st Iowa Cavalry and ranking Union officer at the battle of Roan's Tan Yard

Notes

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References