The National tribune., 1892-04-07
The Cd Iowa Cav.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Please pub
fish short history of the % Iowa Cav, my old
regiment.-THos. NJ. SKAGGs Sturgeon, Mo.
THE 2d Iowa Cav. was mustered into service
at Davenport. August %, 1861, with Washing
ton L. Elliott, OF the Regular Army, as Colonel.
He was promoted shortly after going to the
field. In March, 1862 the regiment was help
ing Gen. Pope in the campaign against New
Madrid and Island No. 10, doing excellent SER
vice, and some of the men of this regiment were
the first to enter the works at Island No. 10.
Col. Elliott led the rest of the regiment at this
place, and helped to secure the great guns
there captured. They went with Pope to the
siege of Cornith, and Col Elliott took COM
mand Of a brigade composed of his own regi-
ment and the I'd Mich. Cav, and Lieut.-Col.
Edward Hatch commanded the I'd Iowa. The
Majors of the regiment were VIM. p Hepburn,
now Solicitor General Of the Treasury; Datus
L. Coon, and Hiram w. Love. The regiment
made a famous charge on the 9th of May, 1862,
at Pennington, and captured battery. Maj
ors Coon, Hepburn, and Love were mentioned
for gallantry. About this time Gen. Sheridan
was made Colonel of the I'd Mich, and took
command of the brigade, and fought the battle
of Bonneville, which promoted Sheridan TO
Brigadier-General. The two regiments whip
ped Chalmers and 5000 troops. Some two
months after they whipped Faukner's com
part in the battles of Iuks and Cornith, Sep
TENDER 10 and October 3 and 4. 1862. They
took prominent part in Grants movement
through Mississippi. and lost 90 killed and
wounded at the battle of Coffeeyille. In April,
1863, the regiment went on the famous Grierson
raid through Mississippi. COL Hatch led a col
umn 500 strong which separated from Grierson,
and fought their way back to La Grange, Tenn,
inficting great damage to the enemy. They
also were on the raid to 0kalona, and made
one to Grenada also, where they destroyed so
locomotives and large amount of army sup
plies. Lieut.-Col. Hepburn led the regiment
against rebel column, threatening Collier
vile, Tenn, where the rebels fed, after fight,
leaving 200 dead and wounded on the fold
They were also in the affair at Moscow, where
Gen. S. d. Lees rebel army was defeated. They
were on the Sooy Smith raid in February, 1864,
where they did some very hard fighting. This
was disastrous raid, but the Cd Iowa Cav. COW
cred itself with glory, and in the retreat of the
command was ar-guard. Alter being ordered
to fall back, it remained on the field, fighting
to save the army, losing heavily. The regi-
ment re-enlisted in March, 1864, and went home
on furlough. The Summer Of 1864 was spent
in raiding through Mississippi and Tennessee,
and they participated in the Tupeo campaign.
They did gallant service in resisting Hoods
advance into Tennessee, fighting him step by
step from Florence to Nashville. at which place
they fought dismounted, capturing forts, breast
works, and many prisoners. In the retreat
which followed, Coon's Brigade, to which the
I'd was attached, captured more than 1000
prisoners and 10 cannon and many flags.
The regiment was mustered out Of service in
October, 1865 They lost one officer and SO
men killed and two officers and 20z men died
OF disease, ctc.-EDIToR NATIONAL TRIBUNE