Polk County IA Archives History - Books .....Polk County In The War - 17th Iowa Infantry 1898
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Book Title: Annals Of Polk County, Iowa And City Of Des Moines

SEVENTEENTH INFANTRY.

   Polk County had good soldiers in Companies B, D, F and K, of this regiment,
which was organized at Keokuk and mustered into service April 16, 1862, and left
St. Louis for the front May 4, 1862. After engaging in the siege of Corinth and
other operations, the Seventeenth engaged in its first battle at Iuka. There,
through some blunder, which was not the fault of the regiment, and by which it
suffered greatly, it received censure from the commanding general, Rosecrans.
But in a short time thereafter the Seventeenth nobly redeemed itself at the
battle of Corinth, and General Rosecrans publicly thanked the regiment for
having so bravely redeemed itself from the first blunder at Iuka. The regiment
was kept busy for months; was in the Yazoo Pass expedition, and afterwards
fought gallantly at Jackson and Champion Hill, and at the latter place the
Seventeenth is credited with, by its gallantry and dash, having saved the army
from disaster. At Vicksburg it was in the noted crater, losing heavily. After
the close of the Vicksburg campaign the Seventeenth was with Sherman at
Chattanooga, and was in the battle of Lookout Mountain. Later on at Tilton,
Ala., the regiment was posted guarding the railroad, when an army of rebels
swooped down upon them. The Seventeenth was summoned to surrender, but refused
to do so. A desperate defense was made against overwhelming odds, but finally
was compelled to surrender. Being exchanged in the winter of 1864, the regiment
was sent north on veteran furlough. Subsequently it again went to the front,
joining Sherman's army at Goldsboro, N. C, and later joined in the triumphal
march through Washington. The following were the casualties during the war

   Officers—Killed, 2; died, 5; wounded, 20; resigned, 40; discharged, 1.

   Privates — Killed, 43; died, 116; discharged, 222; wounded, 225.

   Edwin J. McGorrisk, of Des Moines, assistant surgeon, resigned and was
promoted surgeon of the Forty-Second infantry, which was transferred to the
Seventh cavalry, and Dr. McGorrisk was commissioned surgeon of the Ninth
infantry January 4, 1863.

COMPANY B.   Enlisted in 1862, unless otherwise stated. 

   William H. Hoxie, captain, March 25; promoted from private company D, Second
infantry; resigned November 25, 1862.
   Rial Freeman, sixth corporal, February 25; promoted to third corporal; to
second corporal; discharged, date and place unknown.
   Thomas H. Cassida, eighth corporal; promoted to fourth corporal; to third
corporal; wounded at Champion's Hill, May 16, 1863; discharged August 26, 1864.

PRIVATES.

   *Alward, Benjamin P.
   Cassida, James R., March 9.
   Davis, A. S., March 1.
   Freeman, Malon, February 25; promoted to fifth corporal; wounded at Jackson,
Mississippi, May 14, 1863.
   Hastings, Thomas, February 10; wounded at Farmington, Mississippi, date unknown.
   Highland, Henry H., March 10; wounded at Jackson, Mississipi, May 14, 1863.
   Hardshaw, Daniel, March 10; wounded and captured at Jackson, Mississippi, May
14, 1863.
   Hanks, Jarvis, March 21; wounded at Champion's Hill May 16, 1863.
   *Hanks, DeWitt, March 10; wounded at Champion's Hill May 16, 1863.
   Johnson, John, March 5; discharged February 9, 1863.
   Kiser, Amos, March 8; killed at Jackson, Mississippi, May 14, 1863.
   *McCulloch, C. H., February 26.
   Merrill, William, February 10; discharged December 30, 1862.
   Phelps, Franklin P., January 26, from company B, Fifteenth infantry.
   Pursely, William H., October 1; promoted to sixth corporal; discharged
October 21, 1862.
   Rickabaugh, Wilson, February 11; died July—, 1862, at Farmington, Mississippi.
   Ragan, David S., March 22.
   *Smith, Charles P., March 10; wounded at Iuka September 19, 1862; promoted to
third sergeant September 12, 1862, for bravery.
   Smith, Thomas H., March 22; wounded at Missionary Ridge November 25, 1863;
died at New Albany, Indiana, December 13, 1864.
   Wakefield, Francis M., February 25; died at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri,
January 1, 1864.

ADDITIONAL ENLISTMENTS.

   Gipson, William M., died April 23, 1862.
   Reese, S. T., April 18, 1862; promoted to second lieutenant; resigned June
20, 1862.

   *Veteranized January 20, 1864.


COMPANY F.

   John H. Browne, second lieutenant, May 4, 1862, from private, Company D,
Second infantry; veteranized as captain June 3, 1863; captured at Tilton,
Georgia, October 13, 1864; mustered out March 15, 1865; wounded at Jackson,
Mississippi, May 14, 1863.

COMPANY K.   Enlisted in 1862, unless otherwise stated.

   J. W. M. Young, first corporal, April 7; died at Keokuk September 8, 1862.
   Franke, William, March 24; killed at Iuka September 19, 1862.
   Fullerton, John A., March 6; promoted to fifth corporal; wounded at Iuka
September 19, 1862; veteranized as sergeant March, 1864.
   Griffith, Selby S., February 7; discharged September 2, 1862.
   Gipson, William M., March 25; died at Keokuk April 23, 1862.
   Kessler, Jacob, February 26; promoted to eighth corporal; discharged October
13, 1862.
   McCready, William, March 2; discharged September 2, 1862.
   McCready, Martin F., March 6; wounded at Champion's Hill May 16, 1863;
veteranized as corporal, March 10, 1864.
   Mull, Adam J., April 14.
   Mercer, William, March 25.
   Sanford, Abraham, March 25; discharged July 12, 1862.
   Sherman, Samuel, April 7; wounded at Champion's Hill May 16, 1863; captured
at Tilton, Georgia, October 13, 1861.
   Thompson, Charles, April 7; discharged March 6, 1863.
   Wilson, Samuel W., March 21; wounded at Corinth October 3, 1861; wounded at
Jackson May 14, 1863; veteranized March 25, 1864.
   (Owing- to the loss of records by capture of the regiment at Tilton, Georgia,
the list of casualties is incomplete.)


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

ANNALS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA,
AND
CITY OF DES MOINES
BY WILL PORTER.

"And this volume, dedicated to its people, sets forth in attractive style all
the facts and incidents that go to make up the history of which all citizens are
justly proud."
—Major Hoyt Sherman.

GEO. A. MILLLER PRINTING COMPANY,
PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS,
DES MOINES, IOWA,
1898.

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