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| Photo by Jason Mrachina/Flickr Creative Commons |
Thousands of young Iowa men, many in their teens, faced Christmas away from home and family for the first time during December of 1861 as Civil War engulfed the nation. Many still were encamped along the Mississippi at Davenport, Burlington, Keokuk and elsewhere in training or awaiting deployment; many more already had been transported downriver to Missouri, alighting as a rule at St. Louis, then marching to Benton Barracks (or Camp Benton).
This vast training camp had been built earlier in the year in north St. Louis on what had been the city's fairgrounds.
While most of these young men wrote home regularly, a few wrote to their hometown newspapers, too, as representatives of their units. The two letters here this morning were published in The Daily Gazette, Davenport, on Jan. 1, 1862. We don't know who wrote them because the authors were not identified specifically.
It's a challenge to find the right superlatives for these men, of whom we should be extraordinarily proud still after more than 150 years. They were tough --- hardened but not soured by life on the frontier; resourceful; good-hearted; not easily discouraged. Iowans went on to play a huge role in holding Missouri for the Union before moving on to fight elsewhere.
And in December of 1861 they shared the general optimism, without basis as it turned out, that this would be a relatively brief war.
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The Second Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, all three-year volunteers and nearly a thousand strong, were gathered into quarters between 20 July and 4 September, 1861, at Camp Joe Holt, Davenport, and shipped out for St. Louis on 7 December. So when the following letter was written, they were very green.
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Benton Barracks, Dec. 25, '61
Editor Gazette: There is a remarkable contrast between Christmas in Davenport and Christmas in Camp Benton or Camp anybody else. The usual exercises of the day have been suspended, and consequently everybody is idle, and a more lazy and forlorn-looking set of men you never beheld. Squads of men may be seen strolling in every direction, apparently in search of some passing event (but I am of the opinion that it didn't pass). I have been strolling over the grounds in the hope of finding some kind of amusement, but alas! I found none; except I was once a little amused at seeing a couple of dogs pass me a double quick with an oyster can attached to each of their narratives.
"A merry Christmas to you" from mothers, brothers and sisters --- not mentioning roast turkey, chicken, pies, cakes, apples, &c., which would naturally follow suit --- were today unknown to us; but were partially replaced by the greetings of each other as fellow soldiers. Christmas calls (except Stable calls, dinner calls, &c.) and Christmas gifts are strangers to us; even "Santa Claus" did not see fit to visit in this our "winter of discontent." However, were are, as a usual thing, the most contented creatures in the world.
Last night, about midnight, we were awakened suddenly by the sound of "turn out, boys; marching order!" and out we turned, all expecting to be off before daybreak, but the mystery was soon solved. The fact of the business was, some thirty or forty scoundrels had run the guards, and it was thought best to call the roll and see who had gone.
We are now favored with the presence of about 1,200 distinguished gentlemen from the southwest, they being known as (Gen. Sterling) Price's police guard, and having advanced as far as St. Louis, they have concluded to spend Christmas here (as they previously boasted they would do), and after Christmas they will in all probability again advance as far as the Alton Penitentiary, which would be a very suitable place for them, for such an ignorant, dirty, ragged set of scamps you never saw; and I am told a part of them still persist in huzzaing for the arch demon, Jeff Davis, in the face of the whole Union army. The 2nd Iowa infantry have been taken to the city to guard against these scoundrels until they can be put in more safe keeping.
The Iowa troops here are as follows: A part of the Iowa 1st and 3d cavalry, the 7th and 14th infantry, and last, but not least, the 2nd Iowa cavalry. There are also three Iowa batteries here. One of them, Dodge's, leaves for northwestern Missouri today, for the purpose of guarding railroads.
The general health of our regiment since our arrival has been very good, and the men most of the time have been in high spirits, and ready for anything which may turn up. A few cases of measles have recently made their appearance; but am not able to say to what extent they will affect us. The 2d Iowa cavalry have so far a good reputation in camp, and can turn out more good-looking, able-bodied men than any other regiment on the grounds. This you may think is saying considerable, but still it is true.
We are in receipt of a letter from our Colonel, stating that he would return to his command in a few days, and also that he had been making efforts to remove this regiment to the Potomac, and if not then to Kentucky or Tennessee, either of which would please every man in the regiment.
Yours truly,
Company C, 2nd Iowa Cavalry
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The "1,200 distinguished gentlemen" mentioned in the letter probably were a lesser number of Confederate prisoners of war taken during the Dec. 19 Skirmish at Blackwater Creek in central Missouri and moved to St. Louis for safekeeping.
The mention of measles is ominous. An epidemic of the measles and other communicable diseases swept through Camp Benton before the 2nd Iowa was redeployed during February, claiming numerous lives.
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While the men of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry were awaiting deployment in St. Louis, companies of the 11th Iowa Volunteer Infantry already had been moved to Jefferson City as part of the effort to protect St. Louis and hold Missouri for the Union. Five of the unit's companies had been redeployed to nearby California in that effort.
The 11th Infantry, called into camp between 20 August and 20 September at Camp McClellan, Davenport, had traveled to St. Louis aboard the steamer John Whipple in mid-November.
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California, Mo., December 24, 1861
Editor Gazette: Christmas Eve is upon us again bright and beautiful. Our soldiers enjoy the change from the cold of last Sunday very much. They would enjoy it still more if they could make the usual contribution for baby's stocking, and for the other loved ones of home. Who will be their bountiful "Kriss Kringle" now?
Our detachment here consists of companies A,B,E,H and K, of the 11th Iowa, under Lieut. Col. Hall. We are twenty-five miles west of Jefferson City, on the Pacific R.R., in the county seat of Moniteau county. The place had about 1,500 inhabitants before the war. Many have moved out and many of the men are in Price's army, consequently there are a great number of vacant houses, in three of which we soldiers are quartered for the present.
Today a squad of men under Capt. Foster, acting under orders of Col. Hall, closed up the liquor establishments of the town and seized some 17 bbls. and 5 kegs of rifle whisky, all of which is now under lock and key and in charge of our commissary. Secesh will suffer thirst tomorrow.
Our force had rather a hard jaunt here on the cars from Jefferson City, though words fail to convey the various phelinks of our soldiers on the occasion.
We had orders to pack up for marching at two o'clock p.m. on Sunday (by the way what a blessed day is Sunday --- so convenient for starting out on a march) and in one hour we were ready to march; waited two hours in the cold snow and then marched to the depot, which took about one hour more; then for three hours we waited in the increasing cold without fire or supper except the dry hard crackers and raw ham. We had been told that we should have box cars and plenty of straw; but at 9 o'clock we embarked on board open hog cars, with no roof, no siding except open slat work, and no flooring which a hog would willingly accept, and no straw.
Once on board cars we waited three hours, then ran a mile and waited an hour. Then whistled, jerked forward, rang a bell, and jerked backward and waited. Some few wrapped up in blankets dozed off into dreamland. Your correspondent thinks that he slept for a few moments and dreamed of home and the loved ones chased by an iceberg, then the dreamer was the iceberg and couldn't reach the "happy land of Canaan" where cords of wood and cozy stove-warmed parlors were waiting. Thermometer nearly at zero. So the night wore on and at the early dawn we reached our destination, having made twenty-five miles in eight hours on the railroad, hungry and shivering. In a few moments we took possession of three churches and had rousing fires started to warm the men.
We were all church goers. Co. E. (Capt. McLonny) were good Catholics. Cos. H and K (Beach and Marvin) attached themselves to the O.S. Presbyterians; while A and B joined (on probation of course) the Methodist Episcopal Church South. I think no serious harm was done to the soldiers and we are now in good spirits and waiting for action. I think we shall have something to do here, as this neighborhood has been a favorite crossing place for Price's recruits.
Yours truly, Lex
Co. B, 11th Reg. Iowa. Vol.
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By mid-March 1862, Union commanders felt sure enough about the situation in Missouri to transport the 11th Infantry to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, where it arrived on March 23.
The great battle called Shiloh followed on April 6-7 and the 11th distinguished itself, but 33 of its men were killed and 160 wounded.
We have no way of knowing if these Christmas correspondents of ours made it safely through the war to come home to Iowa and celebrate again with their families.
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