IOWA TROOPS IN THE SULLY CAMPAIGNS

The following contributions give much interesting information concerning the experiences of the troops on the Northwest Border during the time of the Civil War. Their purpose there was the protection of the settlements against depredations and outrages by the Indians such as those perpetrated by the Sioux in Minnesota in 1862.

Henry J. Wieneke and Amos R. Cherry were members of Company B, Fourteenth Iowa Infantry, while Josiah F. Hill was enrolled in Company A of the same regiment. These two companies, together with Company C, were mustered into service at Iowa City on October 23-25, 1861, companies D to K inclusive being mustered in at Davenport during the first week of November. The regiment was not united, however, for the three companies1 at Iowa City were ordered to Fort Randall, Dakota Territory, while the remainder of the regiment was later sent south.

On September 18, 1862, the three companies stationed at Fort Randall were withdrawn from the Fourteenth Regiment and were organized into a battalion which was intended to be the nucleus of a new regiment-the Fortyfirst Iowa Infantry. This plan was later abandoned and when the Seventh Iowa Cavalry was organized in April, 1863, the Forty-first Iowa Infantry Battalion was assigned to it as companies K, L, and M.

It was during the time the three companies were a part of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry that they participated in

1 For an account of the service of these three companies see the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion, Vol. II, p. 721, Vol. IV, p. 1253, Vol. V, pp. 1159, 1160.

the campaign of General Sully against the Sioux in 1864. Wieneke and Cherry were mustered out in October, 1864, at the close of their three year enlistment period. Hill had re-enlisted and served in Company K of the reorganized Seventh Iowa Cavalry, being mustered out on June 22, 1866. His letter has to do with events a year later than those described in the other manuscripts. In the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers the age of Josiah F. Hill is given as 24 at the time of his enlistment in 1861. This is an error, since Hill was born in 1827. In 1850 in company with two brothers, Lorenzo D. Dutton and Jerome Dutton, and others, Hill made an overland trip to California from Scott County, Iowa. A journal of this trip, kept by Jerome Dutton and edited by Claude W. Dutton, his son, was published, together with some letters, in the Annals of Iowa (Third Series), Vol. IX, pp. 447-483. The letter here published was written to Lorenzo D. Dutton and was sent to the State Historical Society for publication by Claude W. Dutton.

The extract from the diary of Henry J. Wieneke was presented to the Society by Mr. Wieneke himself who is still living at Iowa City, Iowa. The Cherry manuscripts are available for publication through the kindness of Mr. Cherry's son, Eugene Cherry of Iowa City. In preparing the manuscripts for the printers no attempt has been made to make uniform the capitalization and punctuation in the various letters, diaries, and narratives. In case of doubt capital letters have been retained for nouns, since there seems to have been a tendency to begin all nouns with capital letters, but there is much lack of uniformity in this. Capitals have been used to begin sentences even though they were not used in the original and in the diary capitals have been used to begin phrases and groups

VOL. XX-24

of words which present separate ideas, even though there are no complete sentences. Punctuation has been added only when necessary for the interpretation of the text. THE EDITOR

I

THE NARRATIVE OF HENRY J. WIENEKE

In fall of 1861 call was issued for 14th Iowa Inftry Regiment. Co A B & C 1st Battallion were enlisted at and in vicinity of Iowa City and sworn into service Oct 23rd 1861 and were ordered to Fort Randall Dakota to relieve Regular troops there, with promise that Ballance of Regiment would be enlisted during winter. In spring whole 14th Infantry would be sent South. Our Battallion started from Iowa City on afternoon of Oct 28th to march across State to Council Bluffs and up the Missouri Valley to Fort Randall Dakota.

Our Rations consisted of Bacon Flour Rice Beans & Coffee. We marched all day and baked & cooked near all night. We marched across the State to Council Bluffs weather getting cold and wintry and by time of reaching Sioux City were facing Blizzards and below zero weather. Nov 29th reached Vermillion the Capital of Dakota in Blizzard with heavy Snow 32° below zero. Dec 7th reached Fort Randall. Ground covered with Snow 1 foot deep. Camped on High Plain awaiting the withdrawal of Regulars. Fort Randall' is built of hewed Cottonwood Logs in oblong Square on west Bank of the Missouri River.

Here was spent wintr of 1861 and Summer of 1862 wait

2 Fort Randall was established in 1856 and abandoned on July 22, 1884. It was on the right bank of the Missouri River about one hundred miles above Yankton and two hundred and fifty miles by river from Sioux City.— South Dakota Historical Collections, Vol. VIII, pp. 84, 85.

ing orders to be relieved and go South. Instead on 1st of Dec 1862 Co B recd orders to move to Ft Piere3 a Trading Post of the American Fir Co on west Bank of the Missouri River. Meantime the Sioux Indians had massacred the White Setlers of Minnesota, taking women and children Prisoners carrying them into Dakota where they were terribly mistreated. Our march to the north was facing Snows and Blizzards for seven days. We marched through Snow Drifts with Thermometer below zero. When reaching Ft. Piere found Quarters too small. The Company was divided 28 men with Capt Mahanna went to Fort La Framboise a competing Fir Co where we camped out until the Logs were cut and draged across the Ice of Missouri River to build log walls of 6 ft high with Dirt Roof, for our winter quarters. In Spring of 1863 our Battallion was transferred to 41st Iowa Infantry thus frustrating any hopes of being sent South. During that winter we rescued and sent South 76 white women and children that the Sioux had carried from Eastern Minnesota to the Missouri River.

In Spring of 1863 our Company moved to east side of Missouri River taking charge of Sioux prisoners sent from

3 Fort Pierre, named in honor of Pierre Chouteau, was established near the junction of the Teton and Missouri rivers in 1832. In 1855 it was purchased from the American Fur Company by the United States government for a military post. It seems to have been virtually abandoned two years later and much of the material used in the construction of Fort Randall. The site, however, remained as a landmark and in 1859 a new stockade was built about two miles north of the old fort. It was probably at this new trading post that the Iowa troops were stationed.-Wilson's Fort Pierre and Its Neighbors in the South Dakota Historical Collections, Vol. I, pp. 203-311, 369-371.

4 Fort La Framboise was built as a fur trading station for La Barge, Harkness and Company in 1862.-South Dakota Historical Collections, Vol. I, pp. 362, 365, 366, 369, 370.

Minnesota and late in fall were set to building Fort Sully on the north east Bank of the Missouri River near where the city of Pierre now stands.

In spring of 1864 orders came transfering our Battallion Cos A, B, & C 41st Iowa Infantry to Cos K, L, & M 7th Iowa Cavalry and ordered to prepare to join 1st Brigade under Command of Genl Alf Sully for expedition against the Sioux nation.

On June 14th 1864 our Battallion was once more united by the arrival of Cos K & M (after two years separation)" June 26th our Horses arrived, and the 1st Brigade was formed

June 27th.

Started and mchd to Asneboin Creek our Co L on advance Guard. Capt Feilner Topographical Engineer accompanied by 2 Scouts passed to examine geological formations on Banks of Creek where Indians in ambush shot Capt Feilner instantly kiling him. The 2 scouts gallopd back reporting when Capt and part of Sioux

5 This is the old Fort Sully built on the north bank of the Missouri River just above the head of Farm Island only a short distance from Fort Pierre. It was established in 1863 and abandoned on July 25, 1866, for the new Fort Sully.-South Dakota Historical Collections, Vol. I, pp. 310, 311, 371, 372, 373, Vol. VIII, p. 87.

6 General Alfred Sully.

Company L had been stationed at Fort Pierre and Fort La Framboise. 8 John Feilner.-See Heitman's Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, 1789-1903, Vol. I, p. 416.