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History of the Crocker's Brigade
Part One
Crocker's Brigade was formed on April 27, 1862. From this day until the end of the war these four regiment served together. They had different officers towards the end of the war but the men and history held on to the name "Crocker's Brigade."
Although the brigade was formed after Shiloh I still feel the need to mention the battle because all four regiment were there and participated in the fight. For most of the men this was their first battle.
The 11th arrived at Pittsburgh Landing on April 4, 1862. It was assigned to the First Brigade of First Division of the Army of the Tennessee, Gen. John McClernand commanding the division and Col. A.M. Hare of the 11th Iowa was in command of the First Brigade. The 11th was detached from it's brigade at the very beginning of the battle and during the day received it's orders directly from Gen. officers and at no time was the regiment directly connected with any other organization during the battle except Dresser's Battery which it supported.
The 13th Regiment arrived at Pittsburgh Landing March 23, 1862 and was assigned to First Brigade First Division Gen. John McClernand commanding. This brigade consisted of the 11 and 13 Iowa and 8 and 18 Illinois Battery D 2nd Illinois Light Division Artillery. At 4:30 of the first day of battle the 13th got separated from it's brigade and attached it's self to the division commanded by Colonel Tuttle of the Second Iowa Volunteers and formed with this division in front of the encampment of the 14th, 2nd, and 7th Iowa Volunteers where it sustained a heavy fire from the enemy's battery until dark and there remained during the night on their arms. The second day they stayed with Colonel
Tuttle's division.
The 15th and 16th Iowa arrived at Pittsburgh Landing the morning of April 6, 1862. Col. Hugh T. Reid, was commanding the 15th regiment. His orders were to proceed at once to General Prentiss, but this officer and his command already under fire from the enemy. The 16th Iowa was commanded by Col. Chambers. (From here on out the 15th and 16th would remain together, or as much as any regiments could stay together during this terrible battle.) As fast as the regiment could disembark and
reach shore they formed in line of battle, ammunition was distributed, and guns loaded for the first time since the men had received them. Their first order was to try and prevent stragglers from the battlefield from reaching the landing. After an hour of this they were ordered to the front to support General McClernand's division. The 16th Iowa was also included in this order. The two regiments moved promptly forward under the direction of a staff officer of General McClernand. A great many soldiers were met, retreating from the battlefield, while the roar of battle in front indicated that a desperate conflict was in progress, in which the enemy was succeeding in pressing the Union forces toward the river. The situation was such as to test to the utmost the courage of these men who were fresh from their homes, unused to the dreadful scenes transpiring about them, with the boom of cannon and the crash of musketry sounding nearer each moment, and with the panic-stricken and wounded streaming to the rear; yet they pressed steadily forward. The 15th and 16th Iowa fought for the rest of the day and the next with McClernand's division.
Some Quotes and stories from the battle of Shiloh from the 11th, 13th 15th and 16th Iowa.
First Day
C.F. Boyd, 15th Iowa, aboard the "Minnehaha".
"At 7 o'clock we ate breakfast on board the Minnehaha, at which time we could hear the noise of cannon..... Brother Matt of the 3rd Iowa came in... His regiment has been out on the front for some days.... About this time rumor came that the Rebel General Beauregard. has attacked our pickets, who are being driven back. The men of the 3rd say it does not mean anything as the firing is of daily occurrence and is only the pickets."
Cpl. Goodrell, 15th Iowa:
"I was detailed... to go after ammunition and assist in issuing it to the men...While engaged in that duty, Colonel H.T. Reid, standing near me, was approached by a man who ...said: After the men have had their coffee and received ammunition, to move to the top of the bluff and stop all stragglers and await further orders. Colonel Reid looked at him, when the man said, 'I am General Grant.'"
Boyd, 15th Iowa:
"We started on the double quick in the direction of the heavy firing...the field officers were mounted on horses and we tried to keep up with them and to do it we had to run and then the front would halt
and the rear would telescope into them."
Capt. James G. Day, 15th Iowa:
"We were met by flying horseman and artillery, and hundred upon hundreds on foot, singly and in squads of from three to a dozen, some wounded, others unhurt, many without guns or accouterments, all in a state of the most deplorable panic, hurrying to the rear."
One man of the 11th Iowa was shot through his hat. Impressed with the close call he had he stuck his hat on his ramrod and waved it in the air to show his comrades. Instantly rebel fire was trained upon the hat and the solider was killed.
William Fultz, 11th Iowa
"While we were hotly engaged a section of Dresser's Battery came up and unlimbered close in our rear and opened fire on the enemy. The wooden blocks that they place behind the shells in loading the guns allways flew among our ranks wounding the men and we were ordered to fall back so as to be in line with the battery and in doing so I exchanged places with Peter Craven who was soon after killed by a musket ball entering his brain from the top of his head.
Night of April 6.
Boyd, 15th Iowa
"The darkness was impenetrable, except when the lightning flashed. The groans of the wounded and dying could be heard in the dim of the tempest... Wounded horses... floundered upon the ground and came running through the darkness."
Dr. Gibbon, 15th Iowa, tending wounded aboard the "Minnehaha" "About midnight we were completely exhausted, and many of the sorely wounded men had fallen asleep... Our boat was passing backward and forward across the river, carrying the advance of Buell's command."
April 7, the second day
Boyd, 15th Iowa
"Federal and Confederate lay alternately scattered over the ground. Some of them and so near dead from exposure that they were mostly insane."
Boyd, 15th Iowa
"Our place was in the reserve...About 3 o'clock there was precipitate haste to the front, and the fire seemed to slacken and the volleys of musketry were getting more distant towards the south. Soon
the glad news came that the enemy was retreating...Every coward who had slunk under the river bank was out of his hole."
1st Sgt. Muir, 15th Iowa
"I agree with (Col.James M.) Tuttle when he says an officer would have been laughed out of camp had he proposed to build works for the defense of our army at that time. We wanted a square, stand up, open fight. We got what we wanted of it, and no soldier who took part in the two days engagement at Shiloh, ever spoiled for a fight since."
Bibliography
Eyewitnesses at the Battle of Shiloh by David R. Logsdon
Iowa Journal of History Jan. 1957
Roster and Record of the Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion
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