Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/444

 of the Thirty-fourth were prostrated by sun-stroke. The next movement was down the Mississippi to Port Hudson, where the regiment remained three weeks, from there proceeding to the beautiful and healthful encampment among the grand live-oaks of Carrollton, just above New Orleans, where the Thirteenth Corps was waiting. While here the army was reviewed by Generals Grant and Banks. On the 7th of September the regiment was sent to Morganza, a small town above Port Hudson, where it remained a month. At the engagement near Sterling Farm on the 29th of September, which resulted in the defeat and capture of the Nineteenth Iowa, the Twenty-sixth Indiana and other troops under Lieutenant-Colonel Leake, the Thirty-fourth lost Lieutenant Walton, five men captured and one mortally wounded. On the 25th of October the regiment embarked with the army for Brazos Santiago, Texas, and after moving from place to place finally joined General Washburn’s expedition against Fort Esperanza. The fort was attacked on the last day of November and, after several hours’ defense, the enemy at night spiked the guns, blew up the magazine and escaped. The regiment remained in that vicinity for nearly five months. On the 20th of April, 1864, the army embarked for New Orleans and was at once sent to reënforce General Banks at Alexandria. It joined in the retreat and was in camp at Baton Rouge for six weeks. In July orders came to Colonel Clark directing him to join the army ordered to Virginia. But when the regiment reached Algiers its destination was changed and it joined General Granger’s expedition against the forts at Mobile Bay. The forces under General Granger landed on Dauphin Island the 2d of August and marched to within two miles of Fort Gaines, where they threw up intrenchments. The object of the expedition, coöperating with the navy, was the capture of the forts which commanded the entrance to Mobile Bay. There were three forts protecting the city of Mobile from attack by our naval fleet under Admiral Farragut. Fort Gaines