15th Iowa Infantry Regiment

15th Iowa Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered into service on February 22, 1862, at Keokuk, Iowa, with 1,046 men, and was composed of volunteers from Iowa's Lee, Van Buren, Davis, and Appanoose counties. The regiment was part of the XVI Corps and XV Corps and fought in several key battles, including the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Chickamauga, alongside other notable regiments such as the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment and the 14th Brooklyn Regiment. The regiment's service was marked by its participation in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, where it interacted with other units, including the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Cumberland.

● History

The 15th Iowa Infantry Regiment was formed in response to the Emancipation Proclamation and the growing need for troops in the Union Army. The regiment was mustered into service at Keokuk, Iowa, and was initially composed of men from Iowa's southern counties, including Lee, Van Buren, Davis, and Appanoose counties. The regiment was trained at Benton Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, and was equipped with rifle muskets and other standard issue equipment, similar to the 22nd New York Infantry Regiment and the 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment. The regiment's history is closely tied to that of the Western Theater of the American Civil War, where it fought alongside other notable units, including the 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment and the 7th Iowa Infantry Regiment.

● Organization

The 15th Iowa Infantry Regiment was organized into ten companies, each with its own unique history and composition. The companies were designated as follows: Company A, Fort Donelson; Company B, Fort Henry; Company C, Cairo, Illinois; Company D, Birds Point, Missouri; Company E, Mound City, Illinois; Company F, Columbus, Kentucky; Company G, Paducah, Kentucky; Company H, Hickman, Kentucky; Company I, Mayfield, Kentucky; and Company K, Fulton, Kentucky. The regiment was commanded by Colonel Hugh T. Reid, who had previously served in the 1st Iowa Infantry Regiment, and was known for his bravery and leadership, similar to other notable commanders, such as Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman. The regiment's organization was similar to that of other Union regiments, including the 14th Illinois Infantry Regiment and the 20th Illinois Infantry Regiment.

● Service

The 15th Iowa Infantry Regiment served in the Union Army for three years, from February 1862 to July 1865. During this time, the regiment participated in several key battles and campaigns, including the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, and the Battle of Chickamauga. The regiment was part of the XVI Corps and XV Corps, and fought alongside other notable regiments, including the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment and the 14th Brooklyn Regiment. The regiment's service was marked by its participation in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, where it interacted with other units, including the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Cumberland, and was influenced by the strategies of notable generals, such as George B. McClellan and Ambrose Burnside.

● Battles_and_Campaigns

The 15th Iowa Infantry Regiment participated in several key battles and campaigns during the American Civil War, including the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, the Battle of Stones River, the Battle of Chickamauga, the Battle of Missionary Ridge, the Battle of Resaca, the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, the Battle of Atlanta, the Battle of Jonesborough, and the Battle of Bentonville. The regiment fought against several notable Confederate States Army units, including the Army of Tennessee and the Army of Mississippi, and was influenced by the leadership of notable Confederate generals, such as Robert E. Lee and Braxton Bragg. The regiment's battles and campaigns were marked by their intensity and brutality, similar to other notable battles, such as the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of Antietam.

● Casualties

The 15th Iowa Infantry Regiment suffered significant casualties during the American Civil War, with over 200 men killed or mortally wounded, and over 500 men wounded or captured. The regiment's casualties were highest during the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Chickamauga, where the regiment suffered heavy losses, similar to other notable regiments, such as the 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment and the 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The regiment's casualties were also influenced by the prevalence of diseases, such as Typhoid fever and Dysentery, which were common in the Union Army during the war, and were addressed by the efforts of medical personnel, such as Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix.

● Commanders

The 15th Iowa Infantry Regiment was commanded by several notable officers during the American Civil War, including Colonel Hugh T. Reid, Lieutenant Colonel William W. Belknap, and Major John H. Smith. The regiment's commanders were known for their bravery and leadership, and played a significant role in the regiment's history and service, similar to other notable commanders, such as Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. The regiment's commanders were also influenced by the strategies and decisions of higher-ranking officers, such as Henry Halleck and George Meade, and were part of the larger command structure of the Union Army, which included other notable units, such as the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Ohio. Category:Union Army regiments