2nd Iowa Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
and mustered into Federal service on May 27, 1861. Among its officers, several would reach the rank of general by the war's end. Samuel R. Curtis would become a major general; James Tuttle and Marcellus M. Crocker
would become brigadier generals; Hiram Scofield
, James Weaver, Norton Parker Chipman and Thomas J. McKenny, would become brevet brigadier generals.
The 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment fought throughout the course of the war. The soldiers of the 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment enlisted for three-year terms, with many soldiers fighting until the end of the war. Samuel Curtis
was a leader in this unit.
Highlights of the service of this regiment include distinguished actions at the Battle of Fort Donelson
and at the Battle of Shiloh
, where about 80 members of the regiment were casualties, either dead or wounded. The regiment fought in the subsequent Battle of Corinth and later in the Atlanta Campaign, including at the Battle of Atlanta, continuing on to South Carolina and to Goldsboro, North Carolina, in the Carolinas Campaign. With the surrender of the Confederate States Army under Joseph E. Johnston, the 2nd Iowa traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Grand Review of the Armies of the Union on May 23-24, 1865.
The regiment was mustered out on July 12, 1865 and discharged at Davenport, Iowa
on July 20, 1865.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Service
The 2nd Iowa Infantry was organized at Keokuk, IowaKeokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
and mustered into Federal service on May 27, 1861. Among its officers, several would reach the rank of general by the war's end. Samuel R. Curtis would become a major general; James Tuttle and Marcellus M. Crocker
Marcellus M. Crocker
Marcellus Monroe Crocker was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War most noted for his service in the Western Theater.-Biography:...
would become brigadier generals; Hiram Scofield
Hiram Scofield
Hiram Scofield was a lawyer and Union Army officier during the American Civil War. He entered the Army as a private in 1862 and mustered out as a brevet brigadier general in 1866.-Early life and career:...
, James Weaver, Norton Parker Chipman and Thomas J. McKenny, would become brevet brigadier generals.
The 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment fought throughout the course of the war. The soldiers of the 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment enlisted for three-year terms, with many soldiers fighting until the end of the war. Samuel Curtis
Samuel Curtis
Samuel Ryan Curtis was an American military officer, and one of the first Republicans elected to Congress. He was most famous for his role as a Union Army general the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.-Biography:Born near Champlain, New York, Curtis graduated from the United...
was a leader in this unit.
Highlights of the service of this regiment include distinguished actions at the Battle of Fort Donelson
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought from February 11 to February 16, 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The capture of the fort by Union forces opened the Cumberland River as an avenue for the invasion of the South. The success elevated Brig. Gen. Ulysses S...
and at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, where about 80 members of the regiment were casualties, either dead or wounded. The regiment fought in the subsequent Battle of Corinth and later in the Atlanta Campaign, including at the Battle of Atlanta, continuing on to South Carolina and to Goldsboro, North Carolina, in the Carolinas Campaign. With the surrender of the Confederate States Army under Joseph E. Johnston, the 2nd Iowa traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Grand Review of the Armies of the Union on May 23-24, 1865.
The regiment was mustered out on July 12, 1865 and discharged at Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
on July 20, 1865.
Total strength and casualties
The regiment suffered 12 officers and 108 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 4 officers and 159 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 283 fatalities.Commanders
- ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Samuel R. Curtis - Colonel James M. TuttleJames M. TuttleJames Madison Tuttle was a soldier, businessman, and politician from the state of Iowa who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He commanded a brigade and then a division in the Army of the Tennessee in several campaigns in the Western Theater of operations...
- Colonel James Baker - killed in action at the Battle of CorinthSecond Battle of CorinthThe Second Battle of Corinth was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. For the second time in the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William S...
- Colonel James Weaver