Our Civil War Ancestors
Joseph Myers "D" Company, Iowa 25th Infantry
We know very little about the life of Joseph Myers and quite a few people are actively searching for his ancestry. Click here to see what we know about the Myers family thus far. A friend of mine with a subscription to “Historical Data Systems, Inc. @ www. civilwardata.com” obtained the following information for me:
Residence Burlington, IA; 44 years old. On September 12, 1862 he mustered into “D” Company, Iowa 25th Infantry. He was discharged for disability on March 4, 1863 at St. Louis, Missouri. Other information: Born in North Carolina.
Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of Rebellion © Historical Data Systems, Inc. @ www.civilwardata.com
Some more information is available here
I also found conflicting information at The Iowa in the Civil War Project:
Myers, Joseph. Age 44. Residence Burlington, nativity North Carolina. Enlisted Aug. 21, 1862.
Mustered Sept. 12, 1862. Discharged for disability March 4, 1863, St. Louis, Mo.
COMPANY "E"
I found a fascinating account of Joseph's time with the 25th Infanty at the Iowa Civil War Project:
Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol.
3
By Guy E. Logan
HISTORICAL SKETCH
TWENTY-FIFTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER
INFANTRY
The Twenty-fifth Regiment was organized under the proclamation of President Lincoln,bearing date July 2, 1862. The ten companies of which it was composed were ordered into quarters by Governor Kirkwood, on dates ranging from August 2 to September 1, 1862. The place of rendezvous designated in the order of the Governor was Camp McKean, near Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and there, on the 27th of September, 1862, the companies and the field and staff officers of the regiment were mustered into the service of the United States, by Captain George S. Pierce of the United States Army. At the completion of the muster the regiment had an aggregate strength of 972 men, including the field, staff and company officers. There were 23 early additional enlistments, which brought the total number of the regiment to 995, at or about the time it left the State for the field of active military operations. 1 The commander of the regiment, Colonel George C. Stone, had won honor and distinction in his previous service as First Lieutenant of Company F, First Iowa Infantry and, later, as Major of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry. Under the instruction of this very capable and energetic officer, the regiment improved to the utmost the time it remained in rendezvous and, by the time it left the State, had acquired a fair knowledge of the drill and discipline so essential to effective service in the field.
1. Report of, Adjutant General of Iowa, 1865, Vol. 1, page VIII, and the Original Roster of the Regiment, Vol. 1, pages 884 to 317 inclusive. Early in November the regiment proceeded to St. Louis, and thence down the Mississippi River to Helena, Ark., where it went into camp. During its stay at Helena, detachments from the regiment accompanied reconnoitering expeditions to White River and elsewhere, but the record does not show that these expeditions encountered any considerable force of the enemy. The regiment was assigned to the Second Brigade of the First Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, the brigade commanded by General Hovey, and the division by General Steele On the 22d of December, 1862, the regiment embarked on transports and moved down the Mississippi with the forces under command of General Sherman, and participated in that notable but unsuccessful movement against Vicksburg, by way of Chickasaw Bayou, in which it lost one man killed, seven wounded and two captured or missing. 2 Returning from this expedition, the regiment, with its brigade and division, comprising part of the Fifteenth Army Corps, under command of Major General Sherman, with the Thirteenth Army Corps, commanded by Major General McClernand, moved down the Mississippi River to Arkansas Post. On January 11, 1863, the Twenty-fifth Iowa participated in the battle which resulted in the capture of that rebel stronghold. he conduct of his regiment in the battle is described in the official report of Colonel Stone as follows:
2. War of the Rebellion official Records, Series 1, vol. 17,
Part 1, page 625, Chickasaw
Bayou.
HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-FIFTH IOWA INFANTRY,
CAMP AT ARKANSAS POST, ARK., Jan. 12, 1863
GENERAL: I herewith hand you the report of the part taken by my regiment in the action yesterday. I was ordered by our brigade commander, General Hovey, to form the regiment in the rear of the Seventy-sixth Ohio, Colonel Woods, the leading regiment, and sustain him in a bayonet charge on the enemy's fortifications, My command, to that effect, was promptly obeyed, and the two regiments, with yells creditable to Indians, started over an open space of ground for some 500 yards, exposed to the grape and canister of a rebel battery, of 6 pounder Parrott guns, and the rifles of five Texas Infantry regiments. The clear space was passed over with some loss and we then had some 200 yards more to make, 100 of which was through abatis and ditches. The Seventy-sixth Ohio had cleared everything but the last 100 yards of open ground that separated it from the breastworks, we following 20 yards in their rear, when the fire was so terrific, and the men so much exhausted, that the first line was compelled to halt, and we then for the first capped our rifles and responded to the enemy's fire, constantly advancing till the last line of defense for us was reached, and, after three hours fighting, the rebel flag was struck and the white one displayed, indicating that the enemy had surrendered. Some 5,000 prisoners, with several batteries, siege guns, and ordnance stores, small arms, etc., are a part of the fruits of this truly great victory. My regiment was complimented by the Texas Colonel in front of us, who remarked he was almost sure they must be Iowa troops. The casualties are as follows:
3 . . .
Adjutant S. Kirkwood Clark was wounded severely by a gunshot
wound through the left leg, just
below the knee. I do but justice when I notice the Adjutant
in this report, for his cool and gallant
conduct as well in this fight as the one in the vicinity of
Vicksburg. He has received and has well
earned the praise of the entire regiment. I also must notice
Privates Hiram Payne of Company B,
and Ben F. Weaver of Company C, who, on account of the Color
Sergeant being sick,
volunteered for the duty of carrying the colors, and right
nobly did they perform it. We were the
second regiment in the rebel fortifications.
Very respectfully, General,
GEO. C. STONE, Colonel Commanding.
ADJUTANT GENERAL N. B. BAKER, Davenport, Iowa. 4
3. War of the Rebellion Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 17,
Part 1, page 718.
Casualties of
the Twenty-fifth Iowa at Arkansas Post: Killed, enlisted men
10; wounded, officers 5, enlisted
men 41. Total 56. The names of the killed and wounded
included in Colonel Stone's report of
this battle will be found noted in the subjoined revised
Roster of the Regiment, together with the
names of the killed and wounded, and those who died from
wounds or disease, during the entire
term of its service.
4. Report of Adjutant General of Iowa, 1864, pages 473, 4.
Adjutant Clark died from the effect of his wound, and
was succeeded by First Lieutenant Samuel W. Snow, of Company E. The regiment
returned to the vicinity of Vicksburg, and went into camp near Young's Point for
the remainder of the winter. During its first campaign, the Twenty-fifth Iowa
had suffered much from sickness, having much the same experience as all new
regiments in that respect; but the records show that the fatalities from disease
were not as great as in most of the other Iowa regiments which were encamped in
the same unhealthy locality. Colonel Stone was noted for the care with which he
looked after the health of his men, and provided everything available for their
comfort, while exercising strict discipline and requiring them to observe such
sanitary regulations as were possible under the conditions in which they were
placed during that gloomy winter of 1863. In the meantime, General Grant was
making active preparations for the beginning of another aggressive campaign, to
commence as soon as the necessary number of troops could be concentrated under
his command.
The only other information we have concerning Joseph is from his obituary: