The 37th Iowa Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Graybeard Regiment", was an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
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 conscript ...
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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
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 ...
.
Service
The 37th Iowa Infantry was organized at
Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine ( ) is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000. The county seat of Muscatine County, it is located along the Mississippi River. The lo ...
, and mustered in for three years of Federal service on December 15, 1862. The regiment was unique in that it was composed entirely of men not liable for military service. All men enlisted had to be at least 45 years old. It spent most of its service guarding prisoner of war camps and supply trains.
The regiment was created for political reasons as a way of proving that men well above normal military age were willing to volunteer. While most of its members were in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, it is recorded that a few were in their 70s and at least one man claimed to be 80. It was generally understood that the regiment was to be limited to light duties like guarding supply trains, but there was nothing official about this. Most of the 37th Iowa's members had sons and/or grandsons serving in other regiments, and none could list Iowa as their birthplace since all of them had been born before it was even settled (settlement of the region had begun in 1833).
The regiment was mustered out on May 24, 1865.
Total strength and casualties
A total of 1,041 men served in the 37th Iowa at one time or another during its existence.
[Logan, Guy E., ''Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 1''.]
While only 3 men from the 37th Iowa died in action, over 145 succumbed to disease.
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 o ...
George W. Kincaid
[Iowa Genweb Iowa in the Civil War Project after Logan, Guy E., ''Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 1''.]
See also
*
List of Iowa Civil War Units
*
Iowa in the American Civil War
The state of Iowa played a significant role during the American Civil War in providing food, supplies, troops and officers for the Union army.
Prelude to war
Iowa had become the 29th state in the Union on December 28, 1846, and the state continu ...
Notes
References
The Civil War Archive
Units and formations of the Union Army from Iowa
Military units and formations established in 1862
1862 establishments in Iowa
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865
1865 disestablishments in Iowa
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