Baptism of Fire at Pea Ridge: The 9th Iowa Infantry

Since my previous posting was about the battle of Pea Ridge, I decided to feature next a regiment that experienced combat at that battle. The 9^th Iowa Infantry, one of William F. Fox’s “300 Fighting Regiments,” had the unfortunate distinction of suffering higher casualties than any regiment at Pea Ridge. This gallant unit went on to serve with distinction in the Vicksburg campaign, the Atlanta campaign, and the March to the Sea. Fox’s sketch of the unit from Regimental Losses In The American Civil War, 1861-1865 (1898) is included below.

For more information about these Hawkeyes see the following:

Iowa in the Civil War: includes a history of the regiment and a partial roster

University of Iowa Libraries: a digitized copy of John C. Brown’s diary is available

“Thayer's Brigade —Steele's Division--Fifteenth Corps.

（1) Col. William Vandever; Bvt. Major-Gen.

（2) Col. Frank J. Herron; Major-Gen.

（3) Col. David Carskaddon.

companies.		killed and died of wounds.			died of disease, accidents, in Prison, &c.			Total Enrollment.
		Officers.	Men.	Total.	Officers.	Men.	Total.
Field and Staff					2		2	16
Company	A	3	13	16		20	20	122
	B	1	11	12		18	18	118
	C	2	14	16		27	27	118
	D		15	15		32	32	130
	E	2	14	16		26	26	123
	F	1	9	10		31	31	133
	G	2	16	18		19	19	112
	H	1	19	20		16	16	124
	I		17	17		16	16	120
	K		14	14		25	25	113
Totals		12	142	154	2	230	232	1,229

154 killed == 12.5 per cent.

Total of killed and wounded, 571.

Battles.	K. & M. W.	Battles.	K. & M. W.
Pea Ridge, Ark.	74	Rocky Face Ridge, Ga.	1
Chickasaw Bluffs, Miss.	1	Resaca, Ga.	4
Arkansas Post, Ark.	1	Dallas, Ga.	6
Brandon Station, Miss.	1	Kenesaw Mountain, Ga.	5
Siege of Vicksburg, Miss.	13	Atlanta, Ga.	5
Assault on Vicksburg	29	Jonesboro, Ga.	2
Missionary Ridge, Tenn.	5	Bentonville, N. C.	2
Ringgold, Ga.	2	Place unknown	1
Claysville, Ga.	2

Present, also, at Sugar Creek; Jackson; Cherokee Station; Tuscumbia; Chattahoochie,; Lovejoy's Station; Griswoldville; Macon; Eden Station; Congaree Creek; Columbia.

Notes.--Mustered in at Dubuque, September 24, 1861, it left the State on the 26th, 1,007 strong, and proceeded to Benton Barracks, St. Louis. Four months of active service were passed in Missouri, and then it joined Curtis's Army of the Southwest, having been assigned to Vandever's Brigade, Carr's Division. It fought at Pea Ridge, withstanding a severe attack and sustaining the heaviest loss of any regiment on that field, its casualties amounting to 38 killed, 176 wounded, and 4 missing,--a total of 218 out of 560 engaged. The regiment arrived at Helena, Ark., in July, 1862, remaining there five months and then embarking in December, 1862, for Chickasaw Bayou, where it was under fire. The spring of 1863 was passed in camp at Young’s Point, on the Mississippi, where its ranks were sadly depleted by disease. The Ninth was actively engaged at the Siege of Vicksburg, losing there 121 killed or wounded. In the assault on Vicksburg, May 19th, it lost 4 killed and 12 wounded; in the assault of May 22d, it lost 18 killed and 60 wounded. In January, 1864, 287 men reenlisted, received the customary furlough of one month, and returned accompanied by 125 recruits. The Ninth served during the Atlanta campaign in Osterhaus's (1st) Division, Fifteenth Corps, losing in that campaign,--from May 1st to September 1st,--14 killed, 70 wounded, and 6 missing. While on the March to the Sea, it was in Stone's Iowa Brigade, C. R. Wood's (1st) Division, Fifteenth Corps” (Fox, p. 408)