24th Iowa Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Iowa

“The Methodist Regiment”

The 24th Iowa Infantry Regiment lost 9 officers and 119 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 212 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

1862
July-August The 24th Iowa Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Strong, near Muscatine, Iowa. It was recruited as the “Iowa Temperance Regiment”  composed of “men of temperance principles and temperance habits—that is to say, of men who touched not, taste not, handle not spirituous or malt liquor, wine or cider.”
September 18 Mustered in for three years Federal service under the command of Colonel E.C. Byam, Lieutenant Colonel John Quincy Wilds, Major Ed Wright and Adjutat C.L. Byam.

Company A, Jackson County – Captain Henderson
Company B, Cedar County –  Captain Stephen W. Rathburn
Company C, Cedar County – Captain Silas D. Johnson
Company D, Johnson County – Captain Casbeer
Company E, Tama County – Captain Leander Clark
Company F, Linn County – Captain William C. Dimmitt
Company G, Linn County – Captain Vinson
Company H, Linn County – Captain William Carbee
Company I, Jackson County – Captain James W. Martin
Company K, Jones County – Captain Jones
October 20-28 Moved to Helena, Arkansas on the steamboat Hawkeye State. Attached to District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept, Missouri
November 16-21 Expedition from Helena, Ark., to Arkansas Post
November 27-
December 5		 Expedition to Grenada, Miss.
December Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, then 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. Tennessee. Captain Stephen W. Rathburn of Company B resigned and was replaced by Captain Benjamin F. Forbes.
1863
January 13-19 Gorman’s Expedition up White River
February Attached to 2nd Brigade, 12th Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. Tennessee
March 5-12 Expedition up St. Francis and Little Rivers
March 9 Skirmish at Madison
March 13-April 5 Yazoo Pass Expedition and operations against Fort Pemberton and Greenwood. The regiment mustered 600 men.
April 13 Moved to Milliken’s Bend
April 25-30 Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf
May 1
Battle of Port Gibson

The regiment lost six men wounded, one mortally, in its first battle.
May 2-3 Bayou Pierrie
May 12-13 Fourteen Mile Creek
May 16
Battle of Champion’s Hill

The regiment charged and captured a six gun battery, but suffered heavily due to the “total incapacity” of Colonel Byan. It suffered 195 casualties out of 417 men engaged. Forty-three men were killed and 40 were mortally wounded, and 30 maimed for life. Captains Silas D. Johnson and William Carbee and Lieutenant Chauncey Lawrance were killed, and Major Ed Wright was badly wounded and Captain Leander Clark was lightly wounded.

Colonel Byan resigned shortly after and Lieutenant Colonel John Quincy Wilds took over command of the regiment.
May 17 Big Black River Bridge

Lieutenant Jeremiah C. Gue was promoted to captain of Company C.
May 18-July 4

Siege of Vicksburg, Miss.
May 19
Assault on Vicksburg
May 22
Assault on Vicksburg
July 5-10 Advance on Jackson, Miss.
July 10-17

Siege of Jackson

Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. Tennessee
August 2 Ordered to New Orleans, La.
August 5 Captain Benjamin F. Forbes of Company B died in the hospital at Vicksburg and was replaced by Captain William T. Rigby.
August –
September		 Duty at Carrollton and Brashear City
October 3-
November 20

Western Louisiana Campaign
November 3 Vermillionville, Carrion Crow Bayou

Captain Jeremiah C. Gue of Company C was killed by a guerilla. He was replaced by Captain Edwin H. Pound.
November-
December		 At New Iberia
1864
January 17 Moved to New Orleans then to Madisonville and duty there
March 14-May 22

Red River Campaign
March 14-26 Advance from Franklin to Alexandria
April 8
Battle of Sabine Cross Roads

Only five companies of the regiment were engaged under the ommand of Major Wright, while the rest were assigned guard duty with the train. Thirty four men were wounded or captured. Captain Wilbur C. Dimmitt of Company F was mortally wounded and captured.
April 9 Pleasant Hill
April 22-23 Cane River Crossing
April 26-May 13 At Alexandria. Lieutenant Colonel Wilds rejoined the regiment from revruiting service in Iowa.
April 30-May 10 Construction of dam at Alexandria
May 5 Graham’s Plantation
May 13-22
Retreat to Morganza

Captain B.G. Paul was killed and several men wounded.
May 16 Mansura
May 30-June 6 Expedition from Morganza to the Atchafalaya River
July 2-13 Moved to Fort Monroe, Virginia.
July 30 Moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division
August Moved by train to Monocacy, Maryland, and then to Harpers Ferry. Attached to 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Army Shenandoah
August 7-
November 28

Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)

The regiment lost 74 men killed, wounded or captured. Captain Joseph R. Gould of Company D and Lieutenant Sylvester S. Dillman were killed. Adjutant Daniel W. Camp and Lieutenants W.W. Edgington and Royal S. Williams were wounded. Major Leander Clark was lightly wounded.
September 22
Fisher’s Hill

The collapse of Early’s Army of the Valley was caused by maneuver rather than severe fighting, and the regiment lost only five men wounded. Captain McKinley was badly wounded in the pursuit after the battle.
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek

Nearly 100 men became casualties in the dawn surprise attack on the Federal camps. Lieutenant Colonel John Q. Wilds, in command of the regiment, was wounded in the arm. The wound became infected and, shortly after receiving the news that his wife and two dauhters had died of disease back in Iowa, Lieutenant Colonel Wilds died in a hospital in Winchester.
October-December Duty in the Shenandoah Valley
December Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Army Shenandoah.
1865
January 6-7 Moved by rail to Baltimore, Maryland.

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Ed Wright, Major Leander Clark and  Adjutant William H. Smouse, Surgeon, Doctor Henry M. Lyons and Quartermaster A.B. Eshelman.

Company A – Captain Seymour J. McKinley
Company B –  Captain William T. Rigby
Company C – Captain Edwin H. Pound
Company D – Captain Charles A. Lucas
Company E – Captain James Rokes
Company F – Captain C.B. Bradshaw
Company G – Captain William W. Smith
Company H – Captain A.R. Knott
Company I – Captain James W. Martin
Company K – Captain Aaron W. Loomis
January 14-20 To Savannah, Geotgia. Attached to 3rd Brigade, Grover’s Division, District of Savannah, Dept. South
March 4 To Hilton Head, South Carolina. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Army Ohio
March 6 To Wilmington, North Carolina.
March 8-10 To Morehead City and Newberne
March 12 To Morehead City
April 9 To Goldsboro
April 16 Captain Edwin H. Pound of Company C resigned. First Lieutenant Anderson J. Scott took over command of Company C.
May 1-6 To Savannah, attached to District of Savannah, Ga., Dept. South
May 11 Moved to Hamburg, S.C.
May 31 To Augusta
June 20 To Savannah
July 17 Mustered out at Savannah, Ga.
July 20-August 2 Moved to Davenport, Iowa and disbanded there.