Iowa in the Civil War

United States     U.S. Military      Iowa      Iowa Military      Iowa_in_the_Civil_War



Iowa Military Units
Most units were numbered, however, some were named. See the table below for lists of the regiments, battalions, batteries, and other units.

The information in the lists of Iowa Military Units comes from the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors web site. That web site also can be searched by the name of a soldier.

Iowa Units by Number or by Name Union Units 1st-9th 10th-30th 31st-48th A to Z Iowa Units by Type of Unit Union Units Infantry Cavalry Artillery Other

Regiments

 * 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized at Davenport August and September, 1861. Mustered out February 15, 1866. Moved to Iowa February 19-March 12, and discharged March 16, 1866.


 * 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861) Organized at Keokuk for three months and mustered in May 14, 1861. Mustered out August 20, 1861.


 * 1st Independent Battery, Iowa Light Artillery Organized at Burlington August 17, 1861, and duty there till December. Mustered out July 5, 1865.


 * 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized in Iowa at large and mustered in at Council Bluffs, Ia., August 18, 1861. Mustered out August 7, 1865.


 * 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Keokuk and mustered in May 27, 1861. Mustered out July 12 and discharged at Davenport, Iowa, July 20, 1865.


 * 2nd Independent Battery, Iowa Light Artillery Organized at Davenport August and September, 1861. Mustered out September 19, 1865.


 * 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized at Keokuk August 30 to September 14, 1861. Mustered out August 9, 1865.


 * 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Keokuk and mustered in June 8, 1861. Veterans consolidated to a Battalion of three Companies July, 1864. Transferred to 2nd Iowa Infantry as Companies "A," "F" and "I," November 4, 1864.


 * 3rd Independent Battery, Iowa Light Artillery Organized at Dubuque and mustered in September 24, 1861. Mustered out Oct. 23, 1865.


 * 4th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized at Camp Harlan, Mount Pleasant, September to November, 1861. Companies muster in "A," "E" and "F" November 23, "B," "C," "D," "I," "K" and "M" November 25, "G" November 27, "L" December 24, and "H" January 1, 1862. Mustered out at Atlanta August 10, 1865, and discharged at Davenport, Ia., August 24, 1865.


 * 4th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Council Bluffs and mustered in August 8, 1861.


 * 4th Independent Battery, Iowa Light Artillery Organized at Davenport November 23, 1863. Mustered out July 14, 1865.


 * 5th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized as Curtis Horse by order of General Fremont. Cos. "A," "B," "C" and "D" organized at Omaha, Neb., September 14 to November 13, 1861; "E" at Dubuque, Ia.; "F" in Missouri, as Fremont Hussars, October 25, 1861; "H" at Benton Barracks, Mo., December 28, 1861; "G," "I" and "K" as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Independent Companies, Minnesota Cavalry, at Fort Snelling, Minn., October 29 to December 20, 1861; "L" as Naughton's Irish Dragoons at Jefferson City, Mo., and "M" as Osage Rifles at St. Louis, Mo., November 1, 1861. Mustered out August 11, 1865.


 * 5th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Burlington July 15, 1861. Mustered out July 30. Consolidated with 5th Iowa Cavalry August 8, 1864.


 * 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized at Davenport January 31 to March 5, 1863. Mustered out October 17, 1865


 * 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Burlington and mustered in July 17, 1861. Mustered out July 21, 1865.


 * 7th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized at Davenport April 27 to July 13, 1863, Companies "A" to "H." Company "I" organized as Sioux City Cavalry November 14, 1861, and three Companies organized for 41st Iowa Battalion assigned as Companies "K," "L" and "M." Mustered out June 22, 1866.


 * 7th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Burlington July 24 to August 4, 1861. Mustered out July 12, 1865.


 * 8th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized at Davenport September 30, 1863. Mustered out August 13, 1865.


 * 8th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Davenport August and September, 1861. Mustered out April 20, 1866.


 * 9th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry Organized at Dubuque and mustered in September 24, 1861. Mustered out July 18, 1865.


 * 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Dubuque and mustered in September 24, 1861. Mustered out July 18, 1865.


 * 10th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Iowa City and Montezuma August and September, 1861. Mustered out August 15, 1865.


 * 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Davenport September 28 to October 18. 1861. Mustered out July 15, 1865.


 * 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Dubuque and mustered in November 25, 1861. Mustered out January 20, 1866.


 * 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Davenport October 18 to November 2, 1861. Mustered out July 21, 1865.


 * 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Davenport November and mustered in November 6, 1861. Mustered out August 8, 1865.


 * 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Keokuk February 22, 1862. Mustered out July 24, 1865.


 * 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Davenport December 10, 1861, to March, 1862. Mustered out July 19, 1865.


 * 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Keokuk March 21 to April 16, 1862, and mustered in April 16, 1862. Mustered out July 25, 1865.


 * 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Clinton and mustered in August 6, 1862. Ordered to Little Rock. Mustered out July 20, 1865.


 * 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Keokuk and mustered in August 25, 1862. Mustered out July 10, 1865.


 * 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Clinton and mustered in August 25, 1862. Mustered out July 8, 1865.


 * 21st Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Dubuque August, 1862. Mustered out July 25, 1865.


 * 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Iowa City and mustered in September 9, 1862. Mustered out July 25, 1865.


 * 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Des Moines and mustered in September 19, 1862. Mustered out July 26, 1865.


 * 24th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Muscatine and mustered in September 18, 1862. Mustered out at Savannah, Ga., July 17, 1865.


 * 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Mount Pleasant and mustered in September 27, 1862. Mustered out June 6, 1865.


 * 26th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Clinton and mustered in September 30, 1862. Mustered out June 6, 1865.


 * 27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Dubuque and mustered in October 3, 1862. Mustered out August 8, 1865.


 * 28th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Iowa City and mustered in October 10, 1862. Mustered out July 31, 1865.


 * 29th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Camp Dodge, Council Bluffs, and mustered in December 1, 1862. Moved to New Orleans, La.; thence home. Mustered out August 10, 1865.


 * 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Keokuk and mustered in September 20, 1862. Mustered out June 5, 1865.


 * 31st Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Davenport and mustered in October 13, 1862. Mustered out June 27, 1865.


 * 32nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Dubuque and mustered in October 6, 1862. Mustered out August 24, 1865.


 * 33rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Oskaloosa and mustered in October 4, 1862. Mustered out July 17, 1865, and discharged at Rock Island, Ill., August 7, 1865.


 * 34th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Burlington and mustered in October 15, 1862. Mustered out August 15, 1865.


 * 35th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Muscatine and mustered in September 18, 1862. Mustered out August 10, 1865.


 * 36th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Keokuk and mustered in October 4, 1862. Mustered out August 24, 1865.


 * 37th Regiment, Iowa Infantry "The Greybeard Regiment" Organized at Muscatine and mustered in December 15, 1862. Mustered out May 24, 1865.


 * 38th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Dubuque and mustered in December 4, 1862. Consolidated with 34th Iowa Infantry December 12, 1864.


 * 39th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Des Moines and Davenport and mustered in November 24, 1862. Mustered out August 2, 1865.


 * 40th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Organized at Iowa City and mustered in November 15, 1862. Mustered out June 5, 1865.


 * 41st Battalion, Iowa Infantry Originally organized at Companies "A," "B," "C," 14th Iowa Infantry, October, 1861. Detached by order of General Fremont, and march from Davenport, via Des Moines, Council Bluffs and Sioux City, to Fort Randall, Dakota Territory, arriving December 5, 1861, and on special duty at that point till April, 1863. Permanently detached from 14th Iowa Infantry September 18, 1862, and designated 41st Iowa Battalion Infantry. Transferred to 7th Iowa Cavalry as Companies "K," "L" and "M."


 * 42nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Failed to complete organization.


 * 43rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry Failed to complete organization.


 * 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864) Organized at Davenport June 1, 1864. Mustered out September 15, 1864.


 * 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864) Organized at Keokuk May 25, 1864. Moved to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Memphis and Moscow, Tenn., and assigned to duty guarding Memphis &amp; Charleston Railroad till September, 1864. Mustered out September 16, 1864.


 * 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864) Organized at Davenport June 10, 1864. Mustered out September 23, 1864.


 * 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864) Organized at Davenport July 13, 1864. Ordered to Helena, Ark., and duty there and in District of Eastern Arkansas, 7th Army Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to September. Ordered to Davenport, Iowa, September 1. Mustered out September 28, 1864.


 * 48th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864) "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.


 * Sioux City Iowa Cavalry "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.


 * Unassigned Iowa Volunteers "Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.

Civil War, 1861–65
Iowa provided over 76,000 troops to the Civil War, of which 13,000 died. An index to the compiled military service records is:


 * Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Iowa This index lists each soldier’s name, company, unit, rank in, and rank out. There are also references to service in other units. The actual service records have not been filmed and are available only at the National Archives.

For lists of the soldiers by regiment, see volumes 1–5 of the following:


 * Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion: Together with Historical Sketches of Volunteer Organizations, 1861–1866 This book provides each soldier’s name, rank, and often the date and place he was mustered out. The soldiers are listed by company but not alphabetically. Volume 6 has names of soldiers from later wars, as well. An index to the six volumes is found in:
 * Index to Iowa Soldiers
 * For a list of the Civil War soldiers living in Iowa in 1886, see the book, List of Ex-Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, Living in Iowa, mentioned previously. The Civil War soldiers are listed by the state from which they served, then by their regiment and then alphabetically.


 * Civil War Pension Index Cards - A free Internet index to pension applications of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on FamilySearch Record Search. Each card gives the soldier’s name, application and certificate numbers, state of enlistment, and might include rank and death information. Other wars, of that time period, may be included.

After the Civil War, veterans formed the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). At its peak in the 1890s, the GAR had posts and members throughout Iowa. Post records give the name, birth date, birthplace (town and state), war record (regiment, enlistment date, date mustered out), wife’s name and sometimes, the names and residences of children and parents. For the index and post records, see:


 * Grand Army of the Republic. Grand Army of the Republic Records, ca. 1800–1962 The index cards generally provide the name of the person, his company and regiment, the state from which he served in the Civil War, and the number and city of the GAR post where he was listed. Often the cards also give the exact birth date, county of birth, exact death date and place, name and location of cemetery, and parents’ names. The forms are on microfilm, are listed by county, and often name the parents, spouse, and children. The original records are at the State Historical Society in Des Moines.

Regimental Lists. See a list of regiments and links to their histories.

Three guidebooks to Iowa Civil War information are:


 * Discovering Your Iowa Civil War Ancestry
 * Iowa in the Civil War: A Reference Guide This book mentions articles, reports, histories, letters, and diaries that have been published about the different regiments that were in the Civil War.
 * Iowa Colonels and Regiments: Being a History of Iowa Regiments in the War of the Rebellion and Containing a Description of the Battles in Which They Fought'