Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/509

 CHAPTER XXIX THE THIRD IOWA CAVALRY

HEN the war broke out in the spring of 1861 Cyrus Bussey, a member of the State Senate from Davis County, was appointed aid-de-camp on the staff of Governor Kirkwood. To him was assigned the duty of superintending the forces called out for the protection of the southern border of the State. He received authority from General Fremont to raise a regiment of cavalry for the United States service. On the 13th of August he issued a call for volunteers. On the 28th there were 1,000 men assembled at Keokuk, well mounted and ready to enter the service. They were promptly accepted and mustered in. The officers were Colonel Cyrus Bussey; Lieutenant-Colonel H. H. Trimble; Majors C. H. Perry, H. C. Caldwell, and W. C. Drake. The adjutant was John W. Noble. On the 4th of November, 1861, the regiment was sent to Saint Louis where drill was begun. On the 12th of December one battalion under Major Caldwell was sent to Jefferson City and was employed some time in the vicinity of Boonville, attempting to discover ammunition that had been secreted in various localities. In the spring of 1862 a portion of northeastern Missouri had been formed into a military sub-district, under command of Major Caldwell and his battalion was kept busy in suppressing disloyal bands. He had many sharp skirmishes