4th Iowa Cavalry Regimental History

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. Duty at Camp Harlan till February, 1862. 1st Battalion moved to St. Louis, Mo., February 26, 2nd Battalion February 28 and 3rd Battalion March 3, 1862. At Benton Barracks, Mo., till March 10. Ordered to Rolla, Mo., March 10; thence to Springfield, Mo., and duty there till April 14. Attached to 2nd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, to July, 1862. District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. of Missouri, to December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. of Tennessee, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, 13th Corps, Dept. of Tennessee, to May, 1863. Unattached, 15th Army Corps, Army of Tennessee, to August, 1863. Winslow's Cavalry Brigade, 17th Corps, to May, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 16th Corps, to July, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, District of West Tennessee, to November, 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Wilson's Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of West Tennessee, to February, 1865. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to June, 1865. Dept. of Georgia to August, 1865.

SERVICE.  Expedition to Salem, Mo., March 12-19, 1862 (Cos. "F" and "L"). Ordered to join Curtis at Batesville, Ark., April 14. Skirmish at Nitre Cave, White River, April 18 (Detachment Cos. "G" and "K"). Talbot's Farm, White River, April 19 (Detachment Cos. "E," "F," "G" and "K"). Skirmish, White River, May 6. Little Red River June 5. (Co. "F" detached for duty with Chief Commissary and as provost guard at Helena, Ark., May, 1862, to April, 1863.) Mt. Olive June 7, 1862 (Co. "F"). Gist's Plantation July 14, 1862 (Co. "F"). March to Helena, Ark., June 11-July 14, Duty at Helena till April, 1863. Polk's Plantation September 20, 1862 (Detachment Co. "D"). Expedition from Helena to LaGrange September 26 (2 Cos.). Jones' Lane or Lick Creek October 11 (Detachment Cos. "A," "G" and "H"). Marianna and LaGrange November 8. Expedition from Helena to Arkansas Post November 16-21, and to Grenada, Miss., November 27-December 5. Oakland, Miss., December 3. Expedition to Big and Little Creeks March 6-12, 1863. Big Creek March 8. St. Charles and St. Francis Counties April 8. Moved to Milliken's Bend, La., April 28-30. Reconnoissance to Bayou Macon May 1-4. March to New Carthage May 5-8. (Co. "G" detached on courier duty at Young's Point, La., during May.) Fourteen-Mile Creek May 12-13. Mississippi Springs May 13. Hall's Ferry May 13 (Detachment). Baldwyn's Ferry May 13 (Detachment). Jackson May 14. Haines Bluff May 18 (Co. "B"). Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Engaged in outpost duty against Johnston between Big Black and Yazoo Rivers. Mechanicsburg May 24 and 29. Expedition from Haines Bluff to Satartia and Mechanicsville June 2-8 (Detachment). Barronsville June 18. Bear Creek or Jones' Plantation June 22 (Cos. "A," "F," "I" and "K"). Big Black River, near Birdsong Ferry, June 22 (Detachment). Hill's Plantation, near Bear Creek, June 22. Messenger's Ferry, Big Black River, June 26. Advance on Jackson July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Near Canton July 12. Bolton's Depot July 16. Bear Creek, Canton, July 17. Canton July 18. Raid from Big Black on Mississippi Central Railroad and to Memphis, Tenn., August 10-22. Payne's Plantation, near Grenada, August 18. Panola August 20. Coldwater August 21. Expedition to Yazoo City September 21-October 1 (Detachment). Brownsville September 28. Morris Ford, near Burton, September 29. Expedition toward Canton October 14-20. Brownsville October 15. Canton Road, near Brownsville, October 15-16. Near Clinton and Vernon Cross Roads October 16. Bogue Chitto Creek October 17. Robinson's Mills, near Livingston, October 17. Louisville Road, near Clinton and Brownsville, October 18. Expedition to Natchez December 4-17 (Detachment Cos. "C," "H," "I," "K," "L" and "M"). Near Natchez December 7. Meridian Campaign February 3-28, 1864. Big Black River Bridge. February 3. Raymond Road, Edwards Ferry, Champion's Hill, Baker's Creek and near Bolton's Depot February 4. Jackson and Clinton February 5. Brandon February 7. Morton February 8. Meridian February 9-13. Hillsborough February 10. Tallahatta February 13. Meridian February 14. Near Meridian February 19. Veterans on furlough March 4 to April 24. Reported at Memphis, Tenn., April 24. Non-Veterans at Vicksburg, Miss., till April 29; then moved to Memphis. Sturgis' Campaign against Forrest April 30-May 12. Sturgis' Expedition to Guntown, Miss., June 1-13. Ripley June 7. Brice's Cross Roads, near Guntown, June 10. Ripley June 11. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., July 5-21. Near Ripley July 7. Cherry Creek July 10. Plenitude July 10. Harrisburg Road July 13. Tupelo July 14-15. Old Town or Tishamingo Creek July 15. Smith's Expedition to Oxford, Miss., August 1-30. Tallahatchie River August 7-9, Hurricane Creek and Oxford August 9. Hurricane Creek August 13, 14 and 19. College Hill August 21. Oxford August 22. (Forrest's attack on Memphis August 21--Co. "G.") Moved to Little Rock, Ark., September 2-9. Campaign against Price in Arkansas and Missouri September 17-November 30. Moved to Batesville and Pocahontas, Ark.; thence to Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, Jefferson City and Independence, Mo., Trading Post and Fort Scott, Kansas, Pea Ridge and Fayetteville, Ark., Tahlequah and Webber's Falls, Ind. Ter., returning via Pea Ridge, Springfield and Rolla to St. Louis. Engaged at Brownsville September 28. Morris Bluff September 29 (Co. "D"). Little Blue October 21. Independence October 22. Westport, Big Blue and State Line October 23. Trading Post October 25. Marias des Cygnes, Osage, Mine Creek October 25. Charlot Prairie October 25. At St. Louis till December 9; then at Louisville, Ky., till February, 1865. (A detachment at Memphis, Tenn., September 1 to December 20, 1864. Scout near Memphis November 10. Skirmish on Germantown Pike, near Memphis, December 14, Detachments of Cos. "A" and "B." Grierson's Raid on Mobile & Ohio Railroad December 21, 1864, to January 5, 1865. Okolona, Miss., December 27, 1864. Egypt Station December 28. Franklin January 2, 1865. Rejoined Regiment at Louisville, Ky., January 15, 1865.) Dismounted men of Regiment moved from Memphis, Tenn., to Louisville, Ky., January 2, 1865. Moved to Gravelly Springs, Ala., February, 1865, and duty there till March 20. Expedition to Florence March 1-6. Wilson's Raid to Macon, Ga., March 20 to May 10. (Co. "G" escort to General Upton, Commanding Division.) Montevallo March 30. Near Montevallo March 31. Six-Mile Creek March 31. Ebenezer Church April 1. Selma April 2. Fike's Ferry, Cahawba River, April 7. Wetumpka April 13. Columbus, Ga., April 16. Capture of Macon April 20. Duty at Macon and Atlanta, Ga., till August. Mustered out at Atlanta August 10, 1865, and discharged at Davenport, Ia., August 24, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 51 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 5 Officers and 194 Enlisted men by disease. Total 254.

Source:  Dyers Compendium