Service
Known as Iowa's Martyr Regiment. The 38th Iowa Infantry was recruited for the most part in five counties, Fayette, Winneshiek, Bremmer, Chickasaw, and Howard. Rendezvous and initial training was conducted at Camp Franklin, Dubuque, Iowa and mustered in for three years of Federal service on November 4, 1862. The Regiment re-occupied New Madrid, Missouri on January 2, 1863. They remained at this location as the garrison at Fort Thompson patrolling the woods and swamps of New Madrid and Pemiscot counties. Although threatened many times with attack they were never assaulted. On June 6, 1863 the Regiment left for Vicksburg as part of Major General Francis Herron's Division.
The Regiment arrived in the vicinity of Vicksburg on June 11, 1863. General Ulysses S. Grant, in command of Union forces besieging the city, originally planned that Herron's Division should be placed between general's Hovey and Lauman's divisions, but due to rumors that rebel cavalry were moving from Yazoo City, Herron's division was ordered to a position on the southernmost portion of Grant's line. On June 14, 1863 the 38th crossed the river and camped on the bluff above Warrenton. On June 15 the 38th occupied a position on the extreme left of the line, extending from the river to a short distance across the Warrenton Road.
The regiment was ordered to be consolidated with the 34th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment on December 12, 1864. Consolidation was completed on January 1, 1865. More than 500 men will continue to serve.
On April 9, 1865, these men will participate in the last major battle of the civil war at Fort Blakely, Alabama. Charging over 500 yards against redoubt #4, one man will be killed and seven wounded from the old 38th. The charge was made just hours after Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered his army of northern Virginia to General Grant.
Read more about this topic: 38th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Famous quotes containing the word service:
“We too are ashes as we watch and hear
The psalm, the sorrow, and the simple praise
Of one whose promised thoughts of other days
Were such as ours, but now wholly destroyed,
The service record of his youth wiped out,
His dream dispersed by shot, must disappear.”
—Karl Shapiro (b. 1913)
“The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it NOW deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809)
“Mr. Speaker, at a time when the nation is again confronted with necessity for calling its young men into service in the interests of National Security, I cannot see the wisdom of denying our young women the opportunity to serve their country.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)