Civil War Principal Regiments for Howard County Ninth Iowa Infantry & Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantry The principal regiments in which Howard County men were enlisted were the Ninth Iowa Infantry and the Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantry. The Ninth was started in August, 1861, when Col. William Vandever of Dubuque received a commission to raise a regiment of infantry. Howard County contributed sixty-eight men for Company I of this regiment and four for Company H. The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States September 24, 1861, except Companies H, I and D, whose times of muster came before, respectively: H, August 21st; I, September 18th; and D, September 2d. On September 26th the regiment left Dubuque for St. Louis on the steamer Canada, and arrived there on the 30th. Here they remained for a long period. On January 25, 1862, the regiment was pronounced fit for duty and was removed by rail to Rolla, Mo., and assigned to the army then preparing to enter the field under Maj.-Gen. Samuel R. Curtis. The regiment was brigaded with the Twenty-fifth Missouri Infantry, Third Illinois Cavalry and Third Iowa Battery, all under command of Col. William Vandever. Throughout the war the Ninth played a conspicuous and prominent part, gaining especial honor at the battle of Pea Ridge. Their losses here were enormous. In addition to this engagement, the regiment took part in the fighting at Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, siege of Vicksburg, Ringgold, Dallas, Lookout Mountain, in the Atlanta campaign and subsequent march to the sea. The Ninth was mustered out of the service at Louisville, Ky., July 18, 1865. During the war the regiment lost ninety-three men on the field of battle or of wounds and 137 by disease. The Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantry was organized at Dubuque and mustered into the service November 4, 1862. The first campaign of importance in which this regiment participated was the siege of Vicksburg. After engaging in several minor campaigns, the regiment fought in the last battle of the war---the taking of Fort Blakely. The men were mustered out of the service at Houston, Texas, but did not disband until arriving in Davenport, Iowa. Practically all of Company I of this regiment were recruited from Howard County. (History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa, 1919) Back to Howard County Home   ©2009 Genealogy Trails