|
5th Iowa Infantry
History of the 5th Iowa Infantry
Compiled By Charles F. Larimer,
Great Great Grandson of Lt. Colonel Ezekiel Silas Sampson
March 15, 1998
|
Date
|
Event
|
| July 15, 16 and 17, 1861. |
The regiment was mustered with William H. Worthington as Colonel and Charles L. Matthies as Lieutenant Colonel.
Matthies was a Prussian who had escaped the European revolution of 1848. He still had a strong Prussian accent.
Samuel H. M. Byers was Quartermaster, and then later Adjutant of the 5th Iowa. Byers, a poet and writer, was to become the most famous member of the 5th Iowa.
|
| |
Shortly after muster the 5th Iowa went to Keokuk, where they received arms. They then moved into Missouri to prevent an anticipated invasion of Iowa by Confederate troops. |
| August 11, 1861 |
Left for St. Louis on steamboats. They spent some time in Jefferson Barracks before proceeding to Jefferson City, Missouri. |
| August 18 September 1, 1861 |
Occupied Jefferson City, Missouri. |
| September 1, 1861 April 28, 1862 |
Covered territory in Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee, but mostly in Missouri. Participated in New Madrid, March 14, 1862 and the bloodless capture of Island Number 10 on April 7, 1862, under command of General John Pope. |
| April 28 May 30, 1862. |
The 5th Iowa participated in Hallecks move between Hamburg Landing, Tennessee and Corinth, Mississippi. Confederate Beauregard evacuated Corinth without fighting. Corinth was an important railroad junction, located in northeast Mississippi. |
| May 22, 1862 |
Worthington, an unpopular leader, was "accidentally" killed 1862 near Corinth, Mississippi by a picket of the 5th Iowa. The picket was immediately arrested, tried and acquitted. Matthies was promoted to Colonel and Captain Ezekiel Silas Sampson of Company F was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Worthingtons death was probably not an accident, but a fragging. |
| June 411,1862 |
In camp near Booneville, Mississippi, then returned to Corinth. |
| June 27, 1862 |
In camp near Corinth until this date, then ordered to Holly Springs, Mississippi. The 5th started toward Holly Springs, but when they reached Ripley, their orders were changed to go to Rienzi, Mississippi. |
| July 10, 1862 |
Remained in Rienza until this date, then returned to Corinth. |
| July 10 August 5, 1862 |
In camp near Corinth |
| August 5 September 19, 1862 |
In camp in Jacinto, Mississippi. |
| September 19, 1862 |
The 5th Iowa participated in the bloody Battle of Iuka under command of Generals Grant, Rosecrans and Hamilton. The purpose of this battle was to drive Confederates, led by General Sterling Price, out of the area before he had a chance to combine forces with General Earl Van Dorn. Rosecrans (including the 5th Iowa) was to attack Iuka from the south, with General Ord (and Grant) attacking from the north in a pincer like movement. But Grant and Ord did not participate in the fighting, not hearing the action because of the "acoustic shadow effect."
Grant had tried to buy extra time by exchanging messages with Price, telling Price of recent Union victories (Antietem), and asking for Price to lay down his arms. Price sent back his refusal with an aide de camp. Lt. Colonel Sampson rode out to meet Prices messenger, and then turned over the response to General Hamilton. Fighting soon broke out with the 5th Iowa on the front line of Rosecrans attack.
This was a Union victory, but as with many victories in the Civil War, the winning party did not actively pursue the defeated. Grant later criticized Rosecrans for not pursuing Price.
Of the 482 men of the 5th Iowa who went into this battle seven commissioned officers were killed, and eight were wounded. Enlisted men had 34 deaths and 168 wounded.
|
| October 1, 1862 |
After the Battle of Iuka the 5th Iowa returned to Jacinto until October 1, when it moved back to Corinth |
| October 3-4, 1862 |
The 5th participated in the Battle of Corinth, again under the command of Rosecrans and Hamilton. Confederate Van Dorn had combined his army with that of Sterling Price, and led a Confederate attack against the Union Army in Corinth. The Federals successfully held off the Confederate attacks. The 5th suffered no casualties in this battle. The Union had some pursuit of the defeated Confederates, but soon returned to Corinth. |
| November 2, 1862 |
Remained in camp at Corinth |
| November 29, 1862 |
Colonel Matthies was promoted to Brigadier General. Lt. Colonel Sampson commanded the regiment. |
| December 31, 1862. |
Moved to Memphis, then down the Mississippi to join Grants Vicksburg campaign. On the way to Memphis they marched through Grand Junction, TN; Davis Mills, TN; Moscow, TN; Lumpkins Mills, MS; Oxford, MS; Yocona Creek; back to Lumpkins Mills, then to Memphis, TN. |
| January 2-31, 1863 |
Stationed in Germantown, TN outside Memphis. |
| February 1- March 2, 1863 |
Stationed in Memphis, TN, then left down the Mississippi River toward Vicksburg. The 5th Iowa was in the 17th Army Corps commanded by James Birdseye McPherson, who reported to Grant, commander of the Army of the Tennessee. The other corps in the Army of the Tennessee were the 15th, commanded by Sherman and the 13th, commanded by McClernand. |
| March 4-7, 1863 |
Stationed near Grand Lake, Arkansas |
| March 8-22, 1863. |
Moved back up river, toward the mouth of the Yazoo River. |
| March 21 April 10, 1863. |
Participated in the Yazoo Pass Expedition (February 3 April 10, 1863). This was one of several unsuccessful expeditions conducted by Grant to find an approach to Vicksburg. The Yazoo Pass Expedition was led by Brigadier General Leonard Ross (13th Division) from Feb 15-March 21, and Brig General Isaac Quinby (7th Division) from March 21-April 10.
Command Structure
Army of the Tennessee, Major General U. S. Grant
17th Army Corps, Major General James McPherson
Seventh Division, Brig General Isaac F. Quinby (leading Yazoo Pass Expedition)
2nd Brigade, Charles Matthies
3rd, Brigade, Col George B. Boomer
93rd Illinois Col. H. Putnam
5th Iowa, Lt. Col E. S. Sampson
10th Iowa, Col W. E. Small
26th Missouri, Maj C. F. Brown
|
| April 15-25, 1863 |
Stationed at Millikens Bend (south of the Yazoo, north of Vicksburg) |
| April 25 |
Started on Grants movement south of Vicksburg: Perkins Landing; Hard Times, Bruinsburg, MS; Port Gibson, MS |
| May 12, 1863 |
Battle of Raymond, MS |
| May 13, 1863 |
Clinton, MS |
| May 14, 1863 |
Battle of Jackson, MS. Jackson is the capital of Mississippi. |
| May 16, 1863 |
Battle of Champion Hill. This was the largest of the battles leading to Vicksburg. The 3rd Brigade, commanded by Boomer, was lent to General Charles Hovey of the 15th Army Corps during this battle. The 5th Iowa sustained losses of 19 killed and 75 wounded. Boomers brigade had losses of 111 killed and 388 wounded, the greatest loss of any Union brigade in this battle.
Before this battle US Grant had a brief conversation with Lt. Colonel Sampson, who after talking with Sampson, leaned against his horse and smoked a cigar.
During the Battle of Champion Hill Sampson had his horse shot out from under him.
|
| May 18, 1863 |
Battle of Big Black River |
| May 19-July 4, 1863 |
Siege of Vicksburg. Participated in failed Union assaults of May 19 and May 22, where Colonel Boomer, commander of the brigade was killed. Several weeks later Matthies was transferred back from the 15th Army Corps, where he had served briefly, and assumed command of the 3rd Brigade. Confederates surrender Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. |
| June 23-July 6, 1863 |
Stationed at Messingers Ford.
Major Jabez Banbury was promoted to Colonel and took command of the regiment.
|
| July 6-13, July 22-24, 1863 |
Stationed at railroad bridge across the Big Black River |
| July 17-22 |
Stationed at Champion Hill |
| July 24- September 12, 1863 |
Stationed at Vicksburg |
| September 15-November 20, 1863 |
Confederate Braxton Bragg routed Union troops commanded by Rosecrans at Chickamauga, just south of Chattanooga, TN. Rosecrans and his forces retreated to Chattanooga, where they were held under partial siege by the Confederates.
Grant was promoted to command all Western Union armies. Sherman was promoted to command of the Army of the Tennessee. The Army of the Tennessee left Vicksburg to go to Chattanooga, to help break the siege.
The 5th Iowa moved up river to Helena, Arkansas; Memphis, TN; Glendale, MS; guarded Memphis and Ohio Railroad between Burnsville and Iuka; Iuka, MS; Dixons Station, AL; then to Chattanooga, TN on November 20th.
|
| November 25, 1863 |
The Battle of Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga, TN. The 5th Iowa participated Shermans failed Union assault on the northern end of Missionary Ridge. Grant had planned on Sherman and the Army of the Tennessee achieving the greatest Union glory of the Chattanooga campaign, but Confederate Pat Cleburne put up stiff resistance and stymied Sherman.
The 5th, although in the 17th Army Corps, had been temporarily placed in the 15th Army Corps. The 5th Iowa and its brigade, commanded by Matthies, were to be held in reserve, but were suddenly placed on the front. In a confusing situation, a colonel commanding the adjoining brigade from the 15th Army Corps started to give orders to Brig General Matthies.
During this battle Col Putnam of the 93rd Illinois was killed, and Brig General Charles Matthies was wounded in the head. Jabez Banbury, Col of the 5th Iowa, assumed command of the brigade, and Lt. Col Ezekiel S. Sampson assumed command of the regiment. Shortly after this succession in command, Confederates led by Cleburne charged down the hill, overwhelming the 5th Iowa. Out of 217 men of the 5th Iowa entering this battle, 80 men were captured. Of those 80, only 16 survived the war.
One of the 5th Iowa that were captured was S. H. M. Byers, who spent time in several Confederate prisons. While in Columbia prison he wrote a song "Shermans March to the Sea." Byers smuggled this song out of Columbia in a hollowed out wooden leg of another Union prisoner who was exchanged. This song became a huge hit in the North, and several people, including Sherman, credited Byers as having named Shermans famous march. This song was so well known that when Sherman and his army captured Columbia, South Carolina in February 1865, upon learning that Byers was one of the freed prisoners, Sherman had him brought to his headquarters. Byers then became a member of Shermans staff. In one assignment for Sherman, Byers delivered a message to Grant. This meeting with Grant led to big things for Byers. After the war, when Grant became president, he appointed Byers to US Consul to the Vatican, and then to US Consul to Switzerland. Both Sherman and Grant spent time with Byers in Switzerland during their later world tours. Sherman included Byers "Shermans March to the Sea" in his Memoirs.
Many articles about Iowa during the Civil War include references to S. H. M. "Marsh" Byers.
|
| November 26-27, 1863 |
Participated in pursuit of retreating Confederates. |
| December 5-April 1, 1864 |
Stationed in Bridgeport, TN; Larkinsville, AL; Huntsville, AL |
| April 1, 1864 |
Furlough.
Sherman began his Atlanta Campaign at this time. The 5th Iowa was now part of the 15th Army Corps, commanded by General Logan, but they were in Smiths Division, which was held back for garrison duty during the Atlanta Campaign.
|
| May 14 September 18, 1864 |
Returned from furlough. Garrison duty in Decatur; Huntsville, AL; Kingston, GA; |
| |
Most of the men who did not re-enlist were mustered out July 30, 1864. Those that re-enlisted were transferred to the 5th Iowa Cavalry. |
| |
Total Enlistment 1067
Killed 65
Wounded 299
Died of disease 91
Died of wounds 29
Discharged for wounds, disease, other causes 243
Buried in National Cemeteries 83
Captured 103
Transferred 50
|
Contributed by
Descendant's Roster
If you have any additional information you would like to add to the record of the 5th, please contact .
|
Iowa During the Civil War
