page_title: 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment
section_title: At Fort Donelson
hierarchical_section_title: 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment / At Fort Donelson
caption_attribution_description: English: Medal of Honor Recipient Voltaire P. Twombly
context_page_description: The 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
context_section_description: On February 14, 1862, the Iowans arrived at Fort Donelson.  There, the 2nd Iowa would become legendary in one of the most crucial battles of the war.  Strategically, the capture of Fort Donelson meant navigability for steamers along the Cumberland River, a direct path to the rear of Confederate forces in Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as a hold on valuable supply and communications lines.  After the defeat at Fort Donelson, confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston wrote, “The blow was disastrous and almost without remedy.”
  Fort Donelson was defended with twenty-eight regiments of infantry, two independent battalions, one regiment of cavalry, artillerymen for six light batteries, and seventeen heavy guns.  This added up to approximately 18,000 defenders.  The Federal army, under the leadership of General Ulysses S. Grant, managed to create an attacking force that numbered approximately 20,000 soldiers. Along the line fierce fighting without much success for Federal troops was still occurring upon the arrival of the 2nd Iowa.  During the fighting the previous day, a brigade advanced on the extreme left, where the 2nd Iowa was eventually placed, and suffered severe losses before retreating back to the skirmish line. After their arrival on February 14, 1862, the 2nd Iowa was placed at the extreme left of Grant's force as a part of General Charles Smith's division, and Colonel Tuttle sent companies A and B ahead as skirmishers.  The rest of the regiment spent a night on the line without tents or blankets to protect them from the brutal winter weather.
  On February 15, the Confederate forces counterattacked the right wing of Grant's forces and the Federal troops were pushed back.  When told of this, General Grant said, “Gentlemen, the position on the right must be re-taken” and rode off to give instructions to General Smith. Those instructions were to attack with the brigade on the left, which were the 25th Indiana along with the 2nd, 7th, and 14th Iowa.  Colonel Tuttle and the 2nd Iowa led the gallant charge.
  John A. Duckworth recorded the words of Colonel Tuttle just before the charge.  Tuttle told his men, “Now, my bully boys, give them cold steel.  Do not fire a gun until you have got on the inside, then give them hell!  Forward my boys!  March!” At 2:00 p.m. Colonel Tuttle led the advance toward the enemy stronghold.  As ordered, the 2nd Iowa marched in silence, without firing a shot.  The regiment marched in line over the open meadow, through a gully, over a rail fence, and up a hill cluttered with broken trees when suddenly the enemy came into sight and a steady rain of lead poured into the ranks of the brave men.  The 2nd Iowa answered with a deafening roar and continued to advance toward the Confederates despite their losses.  The march was challenging and costly as volley after volley leveled the men of the 2nd Iowa Infantry.  Continuing to absorb the damage from the enemy, the 2nd Iowa marched across the difficult terrain.  Colonel Tuttle and Lieutenant Colonel Baker were both injured in the charge, yet they remained on the field throughout the charge.  Company captains Jonathon Slaymaker and Charles Cloutman were killed in the charge.  When Captain Slaymaker fell and his men tried to help him, he yelled, “Go on! Go on! Don’t stop for me!”  At least five members of the color guard were wounded or killed before Corporal Voltaire Twombly would take the flag and be hit in the chest by a spent ball.  However, he would rise again and charge with the colors until the day was done.  Twombly would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.  Acts of bravery like those mentioned were normal for the men of the 2nd Iowa during the charge.  Despite running for 200 yards under enemy fire, the 2nd Iowa would successfully charge and cross into the enemies works without firing a single round from their muskets.
  Once inside the enemy breastworks, the men of the 2nd Iowa opened fire on the Confederate soldiers, most of whom fell back to the next trench.  Those who refused to retreat were put down by the men's bayonet.  The men o
caption: Voltaire Twombly
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