7th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry



HISTORICAL NOTES: The 7th Iowa Cavalry was mustered into Federal service at Davenport, Iowa, for a three-year enlistment between April 27 to July 13, 1863.

On September 19, 1863, it was deployed to Omaha en route to the west. In 1864, three companies of the regiments were part of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel M. Pollock's 1st Brigade of Brigadier General Alfred Sully's District of Iowa. In this organization, these companies participated in the Northwestern Indian Expedition, fighting at the Battle of Killdeer Mountain and in the Battle of the Badlands. Units of the regiment were at Camp Rankin on the South Platte in January, 1865 when more than 1,000 plains Indians attacked the fort and stage station at Julesburg during the Sioux Wars following the Sand Creek Massacre. In the Battle of Julesburg, 14 men of the 7th were killed, including 4 non-commissioned officers. Company F of the regiment accompanied Colonel James H. Kidd's column of the Powder River Expedition in 1865 to the Powder and Tongue river valley's in Dakota Territory and Montana Territory.
OFFICERS: • Colonel Samuel W. Summers
• Colonel Herman H. Heath
ASSIGNMENTS: Organized at Davenport April 27 to July 13, 1863, Companies "A" to "H." Company "I" organized as Sioux City Cavalry November 14, 1861, and three Companies organized for 41st Iowa Battalion assigned as Companies "K," "L" and "M." Regiment moved to Omaha, Neb., June, 1863, and assigned to duty at various points in Nebraska and Dakota, as garrison, guarding lines of telegraph and travel, escorting trains and protecting Emigrants, having frequent combats with Indians in the Departments of Missouri, Kansas and the Northwest. SERVICE: Sully's Expedition against hostile Sioux Indians August 13-September 11, 1863. Actions at Whitestone Hill September 3 and 5. Niobrara December 4, 1863 (1 Co.). Sully's Expedition against hostile Sioux Indians July 25-October 8, 1864. Actions at Tah kah a kuty July 25. (Cos. "K" and "M"). Two Hills, Bad Lands, Little Missouri River, August 8 (Cos. "K" and "M"). Scout on Smoky Hill Fork, Kansas, August 1-5 (Co. "H"). Smoky Hill Crossing August 16 (Co. "H"). Operations against Indians in Nebraska August 11-November 24, 1864. Fort Cottonwood August 28 and September 18 (Co. "B"). Near Fort Cottonwood September 20. Detachment of Company "C." Operations against Indians in Nebraska and Colorado Territories September 29-November 30 (1st Battalion). Cow Creek near Fort Zarah December 4 (Detachment). Julesburg, Indian Territory, January 7, 1865 (Co. "F"). Rush Creek February 8 (Co. "D"). Mud Springs February 8-9. Rush Creek February 9. Boyd's Station June 3 (Co. "E"). Cow Creek Station, Kansas, June 12 (Co. "O"). Horse Creek, Dakota Ter., June 14 (Cos. "B" and "D"). Tongue River August 29 (Co. "F"). Duty on the plains until June, 1866. Mustered out June 22, 1866.
ROSTERS: The roster of this unit has the names of 2668 men.

This Unit was organized at Davenport April 27 to July 13, 1863, Companies "A" to "H." Company "I" organized as Sioux City Cavalry November 14, 1861, and three Companies organized for 41st Iowa Battalion assigned as Companies "K," "L" and "M."
BIBLIOGRAPHY:

REFERENCES: REF: Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
"The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 3