The 22nd Iowa Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Service

The 22nd Iowa Infantry, also known as the "Johnson County Regiment", was organized at

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, fifth-most populous c ...

and mustered in for three years of Federal service on September 9, 1862. Companies A, B, F, G, H, I, and K were credited to Johnson County. Companies C, D and E were credited to Jasper, Monroe and Wapello counties, respectively. After garrison duty in

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, the regiment served in Gen.

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

's Vicksburg Campaign of 1863 as part of the XIII Corps. The regiment was one of the first ashore in

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

after the river crossing on April 30, 1863, and was the only Union unit to breach the defenses of Vicksburg, MS, at the Railroad Redoubt, during the general assault of May 22, 1863. In late 1863 and early 1864, the regiment participated in operations on the Texas Gulf Coast and in Louisiana. In May 1864, it was ordered to Virginia and attached to the XIX Corps. The 22nd was one of only three regiments from Iowa to serve in Virginia, including during Gen.

Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...

's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of August–November 1864. It suffered heavy losses at the

Third Battle of Winchester The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confed ...

and the

Battle of Cedar Creek The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike. D ...

. After several months of occupation duty, the regiment was mustered out in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, on July 25, 1865. Sergeant Leonidas M. Godley of Company E was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

in 1894 for his actions during the assault on the Railroad Redoubt, outside Vicksburg, on May 22, 1863. Based on its casualties in service, the 22nd Iowa is listed as one of Lt. Col William F. Fox's "Fighting 300 Regiments" in his book, "Regimental Losses in the American Civil War".

Total strength and casualties

A total of 1084 men served in the 22nd Iowa at one time or another during its existence. It suffered 6 officers and 108 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officer and 135 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 250 fatalities. The 22nd Iowa’s losses at Railroad Redoubt were heavy – 27 killed, 118 wounded and 19 missing. Theirs was the highest single-action casualty toll suffered by any regiment of Grant’s army in the siege of Vicksburg.

Commanders

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

William Milo Stone, later Governor of Iowa (1864–68). * Colonel Harvey GrahamIowa Genweb Iowa in the Civil War Project after Logan, Guy E., Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 1

Other notable personnel

Lt. Col. Ephraim White, grandfather of football star and Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White. Sgt.

Isaac Struble Isaac Sterling Struble (November 3, 1843 – February 17, 1913) was an American politician who was a four-term Republican Party (United States), Republican U.S. House of Representatives, Representative of Iowa's 11th congressional district. ...

, attorney, and Congressman (1883–1891). Capt. Samuel D. Pryce, delegate to first GAR convention; author of regimental history
Vanishing Footprints: The Twenty-Second Iowa Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War.
Pvt. Upton Christian Holderman, Jr., father of Medal of Honor recipient Nelson Miles Holderman, of Lost Battalion fame.

References

External links