This page is for descendants of men who fought at Milliken’s Bend in the 23rd Iowa Infantry. Only a portion of the regiment, about 125 men, was present at the fight.
This page is for descendants of men who fought at Milliken’s Bend in the 23rd Iowa Infantry. Only a portion of the regiment, about 125 men, was present at the fight.
My great great grandfather Charles Dudley Person fought in the Iowa 23rd and made it through the Civil War..Very proud of him. He was born in Meigs Co Ohio Jan 1838.. I was born in May of 1938. Never found a picture of him in Union uniform ..He was a company D or G
Dennis, thanks for stopping by and sharing this information. Should you have more details about his experiences at Milliken’s Bend, please feel free to share them here, if you wish.
Message:
My 3x great grandfather was First Sergeant Henry Crabtree, Co B, 23rd
Iowa Infantry of Polk County Iowa. He and his younger brother n law,
George Baker, were among the prisoner of war detail that took captured
Confederates from Battle of Black River Bridge to Memphis. It was on
their way back to Vicksburg that the Confederate Army from Texas was
advancing on the Union supply depot at Milliken’s Bend and they were
called into the fight. They were placed up front and center of the
battlefield as the only Union soldiers with battlefield experience.
They took the brunt of the attack and received over 50 percent
casualties. Henry Crabtree took a 69 cal. Round ball to the right
chest. His fellow soldiers thought he was dead and left him on the
field as they retreated to the cover of the dikes along the
Mississippi Rivers edge. Sometime later after the big guns of the
Union gunboats came to life and chased off the Confederate advance,
survivors of the battle walked back through the field to recover the
dead. It was noticed that Henry was still breathing. A pink foam was
coming out of his chest indicating the lungs were hit. He was carried
to the hospital steamer on the Mississippi River where the round ball
was removed from behind his right shoulder blade. Henry spent many
months recovering, first in the Union hospital in Memphis and then
at his home in Iowa. He rejoined the 23rd while they were deployed
along the coast of Texas and participated in the Red River Campaign.
He had never fully recovered from his injury and became sick while on
the Red River. This time he was sent home for good. George Baker
finished out the war with the 23rd and went back to De Moines where he
invented a machine to make barbed wire and started a company to
produce it known as “Baker’s Barbed Wire.”
I have the the infantry sword Henry Crabtree carried at Milliken’s
Bend.
Thank you so much for sharing this detailed account of Henry Crabtree’s experiences and survival. I always appreciate hearing from descendants of those who served at Milliken’s Bend, and learning more about their ancestor’s stories.
Thank you!
I have a photo of Henry Crabtree in Uniform if one is allowed to post it here.
Alan – Thanks for this info, and that’s exciting to hear! It looks like I will have to do some behind the scenes work to make this possible, but this is a great idea! You’re the first person who has asked to post an image in a comment field, but that is certainly something that I should set up, especially for these Descendants pages. I will have to look in to this.
Have you found a way to post an image?
Alan – So sorry. Not, not yet.
My GGGdad William Swallow and his younger brother Harrison were in company E. My GGGdad was discharged for disease in Iowa in late June 1863 and Harrison died in Milleken’s bend in July,1863 and is buried in Vicksburg. Did Company E fight in Milleken’s Bend?
Yes, at least some members of Company E were present at the battle of Milliken’s Bend on June 6, 1863. If you have not done so already, I would strongly recommend you reach out to the Iowa Historical Society/Iowa Archives – I believe they have very good records on the 23rd.
Hello all,
My great great grandfather is Henry Shane (Pvt., Company D). He mustered in when the regiment was formed and mustered out when it was dissolved. He did not keep a journal nor write letters to my knowledge. All I know is that he named his son Ulysses after the war, which illustrates his devotion to the Union and admiration for its leadership during the war. I did find a journal from a Captain Aquilla Sandiford, which describes much of what Company D experienced, and it paints a good picture of what Company D went through. Here is a link: http://www.carolyar.com/ASpart1.htm
John – Thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing the link to Standiford’s diary.