"Samuel Day the the 22nd Iowa"
by
Chapter 10
The Siege of Jackson, Mississippi
After 47 days of hard duty in the Union trenches, the 22nd Iowa left their fortifications for a long awaited tour of downtown Vicksburg. Afterward, the regiment prepared to move with the division on a march to Jackson, Mississippi, to intercept the army of General Joseph Johnston. Of the one-thousand plus members of the 22nd Iowa, only about 150 officers and men were healthy enough to make the march to Jackson. Still recovering from the wound he received on the parapet of Fort Beauregard, Colonel Stone relinquished command of the 2nd Brigade, 13th Corps, to Lieutenant Colonel L. H. Whittlesey of the 11th Wisconsin Infantry. Portions of Lieutenant Colonel Whittleseys report describe the movements of the 22nd Iowa toward Jackson(123):
VICKSBURG, MISS., July 26, 1863.
LIEUTENANT: For the information of the colonel commanding the brigade, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Eleventh Wisconsin Infantry in the late march and attack on Jackson, Miss., and their subsequent movements up to this date:
On the morning of July 5, conformably to orders issued the day previous, we marched from our old camp and trenches in rear of Vicksburg at 6 a.m. out on the Jackson road to Clear Creek, near Black River, marching about 10 miles that day under a clear burning sun, but, fortunately, finding good water at our camp.
July 6.¾ We marched at 4 a.m., crossing the Big Black 1½ miles from our camp on Clear Creek, and proceeded some 4 miles to a plantation near Edwards Depot, where we lay upon our arms for the night. The weather was very hot, which, with poor water combined, caused some suffering among the troops.
July 7.¾ We broke camp at 7 a.m.; marched about 8 miles, camping near the forks of the Raymond and Clinton roads. At 5 a.m. we formed line of battle, and bivouacked for the night.
July 8. ¾ We marched at 6 p.m.; proceeded 4 miles and camped.
July 9. ¾ Marched at 6 a.m.; passed through Clinton to within 8 miles of Jackson.
July 10. ¾ Marched at 5 a.m., and arrived before Jackson at 9.30 a.m., where we rested till evening, and then moved into position in the line, about 1,600 yards from the enemys works.
July 11. ¾ In the morning, Company B, of the Eleventh, together with one company each from the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Iowa Infantry, were thrown forward as skirmishers, the whole under the command of Captain Remick, Company B, Eleventh. Advancing across an old field, some 300 yards in width, they came to the woods in our front, and developed a force of the enemy, estimated at about 800 strong, who attacked our skirmishers in front and on the right flank, and repulsed them with a loss to my command of 2 killed and 1 severely wounded. We, however, held possession of a house and out-buildings between our front and the enemy, and from that point kept his skirmishers well back under shelter of the woods that covered the ground between us and the enemys works.
July 12. ¾ The brigade was formed for an advance in the following order: A line of skirmishers and supports, under the immediate command of the brave Major Houston, of the Twenty-third Iowa Infantry; a line of battle, composed of the Eleventh Wisconsin and Twenty second Iowa, under my command, and a third line of reserves, comprising the Twenty-first and Twenty-third Iowa, under command of Brigadier-General Lawler. The object of the advance was to obtain possession of the woods in our front. The troops moved up in beautiful order, and obtained possession of the woods without resistance, the enemy retiring at our advance. We thus gained a position some 600 yards nearer than the one occupied the day previous.
July 13. ¾ The enemy shelled us vigorously, bursting a number of shells just in rear of my regiment, but without damage, except the wounding of a couple of artillery horses, belonging to Captain Davidsons battery: which was posted immediately on my left.
July 17. ¾ I was ordered by General Lawler to move forward and occupy the works of the enemy in front of the Second Brigade, he [the Confederates] having abandoned Jackson the night previous. This I did, remaining on duty there during the day and until relieved by order of General Lawler, when I returned to camp.
July 18. ¾ Marched at 7 a.m. to a new camp, 2 miles distant, and at 2 p.m. moved down to the railroad near Byram, and began destroying the track of the Mississippi Central Railroad, as ordered.
July 19. ¾ Destroyed railroad track.
July 20. ¾ Marched from our bivouac, near Byram, to our new camp near Jackson, a distance of 6 miles.
July 21. ¾ Marched at 7 a.m. to Raymond, 14 miles.
July 22. ¾ Marched at 6 a.m. 10½ miles, camping on Bakers Creek.
July 23. ¾ Marched at 5 a.m. to within 7 miles of Vicksburg.
July 24. ¾ Marched to our old camps in rear of Vicksburg, thence to camp just below the city, via Warrenton road, a distance of about 10 miles, where the regiment is now encamped.
I append herewith a list of the killed and wounded of my command, before referred to.*
All of which is respectfully submitted.
L. H. WHITTLESEY,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.
S.C. Jones wrote a brief account of his experiences during the siege of Jackson,
On the 11th, we were moved to the right and closer to the Confederate works. We can see the forts and the rifle pits in the front of our line. On the 12th, we were ordered still closer to the fortifications. Before we moved to this position, a detail of skirmishers, from our regiment, under my command, drove the Confederates from the edge of the woods on the opposite side of an open field. We then placed our advanced pickets some distance away in this woods. A fine large house was now in front of us. It was torn down for the convenience of a battery. Near where this house stood our battery was stationed.
On the 14th, an armistice of two hours was agreed to, so that General Lauman on our right could bury the dead, those who were killed the day before in his fruitless charge.** I was an officer on picket duty during this armistice. When the Confederates in front of us learned of it they come over to us, and we had quite a little visit. They said they were from Arkansas. They expressed themselves as if they were not much interested in the war, and wished it would be over, and thought it would be much more reasonable if the politicians who brought on the war and are still pushing it forward, were made to do the fighting part, rather than to put them to do the fighting who hardly know what fighting is about. Thus we conversed until we received orders to resume hostilities and in a very few moments we were shooting at each other with intent to kill. The last remark made was for us not to shoot until they got within their rifle pits, a request that was always held sacred on both sides on the line.
Today is the 16th, and I am in command of the sharpshooters. We are very close to the enemys rifle pits. We have only the trees to protect us. The zip zip is as frequent as it is familiar. The boys have a way of locating their enemy by putting their hats on the muzzles of their guns, and pushing them a little out from behind the trees, when zip goes a bullet through them. The smoke of his gun locates the enemy, then it is his turn to take care of himself. Thus we are engaged in killing and maiming. This is war.
About 10 a.m. on the 17th, we were surprised to learn that the Confederates had evacuated Jackson during the night. Then it was that many of the men on the picket line remembered they had heard during the night, a continual rumbling noise, and some explosions. It was the wagon trains and artillery and cavalry forces crossing the bridge over Pearl River. General Joe Johnston was not going to be caught in the trap that General Sherman was laying for him. For sure enough Sherman was tightening the cords that would bind him as Grant did Pemberton. A sufficient number of men were left to destroy all property they could not take along and that would be of any service to us. As soon as it was possible for me to leave my Company, I went over into town. Much of it was surely a blackened heap. There were very few of the white element in sight, they had no doubt hid themselves or followed the Confederate Army(124).
After the siege of Jackson, the 22nd Iowa spent several days destroying Confederate railroad tracks. In his diary, Switzer described the method used by Union troops to destroy railroad tracks:
The method of destroying a railroad might be described here, as the effectiveness with which it is done has a great deal to do with the benefit derived from the destruction. If the track is simply torn up and destroyed, the enemy can re-lay the rails about as quickly as the can be torn up. So a systematic method was employed to render the rails entirely useless. A Company of soldiers would be detailed and deployed along the railroad on one side; they would take hold of the end of the ties and, taking a long section of track, lift it up and tip it right over off the road bed; then the ties were wrenched loose, piled up and a big fire made. The rails are laid across the fire until red hot in the middle; a detachment of soldiers would take the rails at the ends and twist them around the trees and fence posts or in any way so as to render them entirely useless for railroad purposes until they were again taken through the rolling mill(125).
After destroying several miles of railroad track, the 22nd Iowa made the long return march to Vicksburg where they set up camp on the Mississippi River, just below town. Colonel Stone, who had rejoined the regiment during the siege of Jackson, tendered his resignation to run as the Republican nominee for Governor of Iowa(126). The men of the 22nd Iowa expressed sorrow at the loss of their beloved commander.
Participating in four long marches, two sieges, and several battles in a hot and humid Mississippi summer took a serious toll on the health of the men. Both Switzer and Jones remarked about the poor health of the regiment while in camp below Vicksburg. From July 24 to August 10, the 22nd Iowa remained quietly in bivouac, allowing some soldiers to return to Iowa on furlough. Many remained in camp because they were simply too sick to make the journey home. Quite a number were on the sick roll, unable to perform regular duties. After two months of constant marching, fighting and siege, the 22nd Iowa was loaded onto several river barges and sent to Carrollton, Louisiana, just above New Orleans, for a well-deserved rest.
- 123. Official Records, Vol XXIV, Part 2, pgs 616-617.
- * Official Records, Vol XXIV, Part 2, p. 617. The list shows only 3 casualties with 2 killed and 1 wounded.
- ** Sherman later relieved Lauman of his command.
- 124. Jones, 22nd Iowa, pgs. 44-46.
- 125. Switzer, History I, pgs. 349-350.
- 126. Gue, History of Iowa. Vol IV. p. 253. Colonel Stone ran against Colonel James M. Tuttle and won the election by a 38,000 vote majority to become Iowas sixth Governor. He was subsequently reelected to a second term.
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