12th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment
HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Twelfth Infantry was recruited late in the Summer of 1861, and organized at Camp Union, Dubuque, Iowa, and mustered into the service of the United States Nov. 25, 1861, by Capt. Washington, Thirteenth United States Infantry.
A large portion of Companies F, H and K were Delaware County men. Company F. was recruited at Manchester, H at Colesburg and Dubuque, and K at Hopkinton almost compelled the college at that place to suspend for want of students. The first active service in which the regiment was engaged was at Fort Donelson, and was engaged in the battles of the 13th, 14th and 15th of February, which resulted in the capture of the Fort and its garrison on the 16th, the enemy surrendering themselves prisoners of war. During most of the time, the boys were exposed to a cold rain and sleet, and, not being permitted to have any fire, suffered very much from cold.
At Shiloh, the Twelfth was brigaded with the Second, Seventh and Fourteenth Iowa regiments, called the Iowa Brigaded, commanded by Gen. Tuttle, Second Iowa Infantry, Gen. W. H. Wallace commanding the division, and were in position near a field beyond Gen. Hurlbut's headquarters. Here it remained in line of battle from 6 o'clock A. M. until about 4 P. M., during which time the enemy made several bold charges, and was repulsed with great loss in killed and wounded. The Twelfth and Fourteenth being in support of a battery and having no orders to fall back, and not having notice that the left had given way, were allowed to be surrounded, and after several hours' desperate fighting, in which three or four regiments contended against the whole rebel force; the Twelfth having its commanding officer, Col. Woods, severely wounded, with sixteen men killed and ninety-seven wounded, with all hopes of retreat or succor cut off, was obliged to surrender at 6 o'clock P. M. Number of men captured from regiment, about 400.
The men of the Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth Iowa regiments, who were not captured, were organized into a regiment called the "Union Brigade," of which regiment the Twelfth formed companies E. and K. The Union Brigade was engaged and took very prominent part in the battle of Corinth, Oct. 3d and 4th, 1862, the Twelfth Iowa losing three killed and twenty-five wounded out of eighty men engaged. After pursing the enemy as far as Ripley, Miss., the regiment returned to Corinth, where it was engaged in building fortifications until Dec. 18th, 1862, when orders were received from the War Department discontinuing the organization known as the Union Brigade, and ordering men of the Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth Iowa to proceed to Davenport, Iowa, to re-organize their regiments, prisoners having been paroled Oct. 18th, 1862, and exchanged Nov. 10th, 1862. The detachment of the Twelfth Iowa arrived at Jackson, Tenn., where it was found that Forrest had destroyed the railroad from Uniontown, and was threatening Jackson. The detachment was at once ordered to the defense of the place, and remained four days, when it was ordered to open the railroad to Columbus, Ky., which delayed the detachment until the 4th of January. It arrived at Columbus on that day and was ordered once more to Davenport, where it arrived on the 7th of January, 1863, and from there it was ordered on the 27th of March to proceed to St. Louis, Mo., there to rejoin the regiment, and soon as organized was ordered to report to Gen. Grant in the field, near Vicksburg, Miss., and served during the entire siege, participating in all the principal engagements until the 22d of June, when it was sent to Black River to guard the rear from an attack by Johnson. Vicksburg surrendered July 4th.
The Twelfth was engaged in the battle near Tupelo, Miss., on the 13th, 14th and 15th of July 1864, losing nine men killed, fifty-four wounded and one missing out of 200 engaged.
In June, 1864, Companies A and F, numbering fifty-five men, under command of Capt. J. R. C. Hunter, Co. , while stationed at the mouth of White River, Ark., were attacked by 600 rebels of Marmaduke's command, about daylight, on the 22d of June, but taking refuge behind a slight stockade the repulsed the enemy, he leaving twenty killed and mortally wounded on the field. The loss of Companies A and F was one killed and four wounded.
The regiment fought bravely in the battle of Nashville, and received special mention by brigade and division commanders for good service. Corp. Luther P. Kaltenbach, of Co. F, and Private A. J. Sloan, of Co. H, each captured a rebel flag, for which they were rewarded with medals by the Secretary of War.
The regiment marched in pursuit of Hood with the army to Clinton, on the Tennessee River, thence by steamer to Eastport, Miss., arriving there on the 7th of January, 1865. Here Lieut. Col. John H. Stibbs got a leave of absence for thirty days to visit Iowa, for the purpose of recruiting up the regiment. He remained in Iowa but a short time, when he went to Washington and through the influence of friends secured a position on a military commission. Where he remained until after the war closed. Major Samuel G. Knee assumed command of the regiment, and retained it during the remaining period of service. From Eastport the regiment was ordered to New Orleans, then embarked with the forces under Gen. Canby on the expedition against le; was in the front line during the siege of Spanish Fort, which was the last service rendered by the regiment. During its service, the gallant Twelfth was in twenty-three battles, was under fire 112 days and had ninety-five men killed in battle. S. G. Knee, who entered service and went to the front as First Sergeant of Co. H, returned as Lieutenant Colonel, and breveted Colonel.
The regiment was mustered out at Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 20, 1866. Officers not otherwise accounted for were mustered out as with the regiment.
OFFICERS:
Cols., Jackson J. Wood, John H. Stibbs; Lieut. -Cols., John P. Coulter, Samuel R. Edgington, John H. Stibbs; Majs., Samuel D. Brodtbeck, Samuel R. Edgington, John H. Stibbs, Edward M. Van Duzee, Samuel G. Knee.
ROSTERS:
Company A - enrolled in Hardin County
Company B - enrolled in Allamakee County
Company C - enrolled in Fayette County
Company D - enrolled in Linn County
Company E - enrolled in Black Hawk County
Company F - enrolled in Delaware County
Company G - enrolled in Howard County
Company H - enrolled in Linn County
Company I - enrolled in Jackson County
Company K - enrolled in Delaware County
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
REFERENCES:
REF: Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
The History of Delaware County, Iowa , Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1878, pgs 442-444.
A large portion of Companies F, H and K were Delaware County men. Company F. was recruited at Manchester, H at Colesburg and Dubuque, and K at Hopkinton almost compelled the college at that place to suspend for want of students. The first active service in which the regiment was engaged was at Fort Donelson, and was engaged in the battles of the 13th, 14th and 15th of February, which resulted in the capture of the Fort and its garrison on the 16th, the enemy surrendering themselves prisoners of war. During most of the time, the boys were exposed to a cold rain and sleet, and, not being permitted to have any fire, suffered very much from cold.
At Shiloh, the Twelfth was brigaded with the Second, Seventh and Fourteenth Iowa regiments, called the Iowa Brigaded, commanded by Gen. Tuttle, Second Iowa Infantry, Gen. W. H. Wallace commanding the division, and were in position near a field beyond Gen. Hurlbut's headquarters. Here it remained in line of battle from 6 o'clock A. M. until about 4 P. M., during which time the enemy made several bold charges, and was repulsed with great loss in killed and wounded. The Twelfth and Fourteenth being in support of a battery and having no orders to fall back, and not having notice that the left had given way, were allowed to be surrounded, and after several hours' desperate fighting, in which three or four regiments contended against the whole rebel force; the Twelfth having its commanding officer, Col. Woods, severely wounded, with sixteen men killed and ninety-seven wounded, with all hopes of retreat or succor cut off, was obliged to surrender at 6 o'clock P. M. Number of men captured from regiment, about 400.
The men of the Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth Iowa regiments, who were not captured, were organized into a regiment called the "Union Brigade," of which regiment the Twelfth formed companies E. and K. The Union Brigade was engaged and took very prominent part in the battle of Corinth, Oct. 3d and 4th, 1862, the Twelfth Iowa losing three killed and twenty-five wounded out of eighty men engaged. After pursing the enemy as far as Ripley, Miss., the regiment returned to Corinth, where it was engaged in building fortifications until Dec. 18th, 1862, when orders were received from the War Department discontinuing the organization known as the Union Brigade, and ordering men of the Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth Iowa to proceed to Davenport, Iowa, to re-organize their regiments, prisoners having been paroled Oct. 18th, 1862, and exchanged Nov. 10th, 1862. The detachment of the Twelfth Iowa arrived at Jackson, Tenn., where it was found that Forrest had destroyed the railroad from Uniontown, and was threatening Jackson. The detachment was at once ordered to the defense of the place, and remained four days, when it was ordered to open the railroad to Columbus, Ky., which delayed the detachment until the 4th of January. It arrived at Columbus on that day and was ordered once more to Davenport, where it arrived on the 7th of January, 1863, and from there it was ordered on the 27th of March to proceed to St. Louis, Mo., there to rejoin the regiment, and soon as organized was ordered to report to Gen. Grant in the field, near Vicksburg, Miss., and served during the entire siege, participating in all the principal engagements until the 22d of June, when it was sent to Black River to guard the rear from an attack by Johnson. Vicksburg surrendered July 4th.
The Twelfth was engaged in the battle near Tupelo, Miss., on the 13th, 14th and 15th of July 1864, losing nine men killed, fifty-four wounded and one missing out of 200 engaged.
In June, 1864, Companies A and F, numbering fifty-five men, under command of Capt. J. R. C. Hunter, Co. , while stationed at the mouth of White River, Ark., were attacked by 600 rebels of Marmaduke's command, about daylight, on the 22d of June, but taking refuge behind a slight stockade the repulsed the enemy, he leaving twenty killed and mortally wounded on the field. The loss of Companies A and F was one killed and four wounded.
The regiment fought bravely in the battle of Nashville, and received special mention by brigade and division commanders for good service. Corp. Luther P. Kaltenbach, of Co. F, and Private A. J. Sloan, of Co. H, each captured a rebel flag, for which they were rewarded with medals by the Secretary of War.
The regiment marched in pursuit of Hood with the army to Clinton, on the Tennessee River, thence by steamer to Eastport, Miss., arriving there on the 7th of January, 1865. Here Lieut. Col. John H. Stibbs got a leave of absence for thirty days to visit Iowa, for the purpose of recruiting up the regiment. He remained in Iowa but a short time, when he went to Washington and through the influence of friends secured a position on a military commission. Where he remained until after the war closed. Major Samuel G. Knee assumed command of the regiment, and retained it during the remaining period of service. From Eastport the regiment was ordered to New Orleans, then embarked with the forces under Gen. Canby on the expedition against le; was in the front line during the siege of Spanish Fort, which was the last service rendered by the regiment. During its service, the gallant Twelfth was in twenty-three battles, was under fire 112 days and had ninety-five men killed in battle. S. G. Knee, who entered service and went to the front as First Sergeant of Co. H, returned as Lieutenant Colonel, and breveted Colonel.
The regiment was mustered out at Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 20, 1866. Officers not otherwise accounted for were mustered out as with the regiment.
The History of Delaware County, Iowa , Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1878, pgs 442-444.