12th Iowa Infantry

Regimental History and Service Record

Organized at Dubuque and mustered in November 25, 1861. Moved to St. Louis, Mo., November 28-30. Attached to Dept. of Missouri until February, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Cairo, February, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of Tennessee, to April, 1862. (1st Union Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of Tennessee and District of Corinth, to December, 1862, Detachment.) Davenport, Iowa, to January, 1863. District of St. Louis, Mo., Dept. of Missouri, to April, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 15th Army Corps, Army of Tennessee, to December, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division (Detachment), Army of Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, to August, 1865. District of Alabama, Dept. of the Gulf, to January, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Benton Barracks, Mo., until January 27, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill.; thence to Smithland, Ky., January 27-31. Reconnaissance to Fort Henry, Tenn., January 15-25. Expedition up the Tennessee River February 5-6. Capture of Fort Henry February 6. Investment of Fort Donelson February 12-16. Capture of Fort Donelson February 16.

Moved to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., March 14-17.
April 6-7, 1862 - Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee
- Most of Regiment captured.
- Paroled October 26.
- Exchanged November 10.
Those not captured organized into a body known as the Army of the Tennessee / Union Brigade with remnants of the following units:
- - 58th Illinois Infantry
  - 2nd Iowa Infantry
  - 7th Iowa Infantry
  - 14th Iowa Infantry

Those not captured attached to Union Brigade and participated in the advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Pursuit to Booneville May 30-June 12. Duty at Corinth until August. At Danville, Miss., until October 1. Battle of Corinth October 3-4. Pursuit to Ripley October 5-12. Duty at Corinth until December 12. Ordered to Davenport, Iowa, December 12 to rejoin Regiment. While en route participated in the Defence of Jackson, Tenn., December 20, 1862, to January 4, 1863. Arrived at Davenport January 7. Reorganizing at Davenport and St. Louis, Mo., until April, 1863. Moved to Duckport, La., April 9-14. Duty there until May 2. Moved to Join army in rear of Vicksburg, Miss., May 2-14. Mississippi Springs May 13. Jackson May 14.

May 18-July 4, 1863 - Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi
- May 19, 1863 - Assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi
- May 22, 1863 - Assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi
February 3-March 2, 1864 - Expedition from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Meridian, Mississippi^[1]

Expedition to Mechanicsburg May 26-June 4. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Assault on Jackson July 12. Duty at Big Black until November. Expedition toward Canton October 14-20. Bogue Chitto Creek October 17. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., November 7-12, and guard duty at Chewalla and along Memphis & Charleston Railroad until February, 1864. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., February 1-6. Expedition to Canton February 25-March 4. Return to Memphis, Tenn.; duty there and at mouth of White River, Ark., until June. Skirmish at White River Station June 23 (Detachment). Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., July 5-21. Pontotoc July 11. Camargo's Cross Roads, near Harrisburg, July 13. Tupelo July 14-15. Old Town Creek July 15. Smith's Expedition to Oxford, Miss., August 1-30. Tallahatchie River August 7-9. Abbeville and Oxford August 12. Abbeville August 23. Mower's Expedition up White River to Duvall's Bluff September 1-7. March in pursuit of Price through Arkansas and Missouri September 17-November 15. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., November 23-December 1. Battle of Nashville, Tenn., December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. At Clifton and Eastport, Miss., until February, 1865. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss.; thence to New Orleans, La., February 6-25, and to Dauphin Island, Ala., March 7-8. Campaign against Mobile and its defenses March 8-April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8. Fort Blakely April 9. Capture of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery, Ala., April 13-22, and duty there until May 11. At Selma until September 23, and in the District of Talladega until December 26. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., December 26. Mustered out January 20, 1866.