6th Iowa Cavalry | Spared & Shared 23

The following letter was written by Thomas Benton Hobbs (1842-1910) of Delhi, Delaware county, Iowa, who enlisted on 17 September 1862 to serve as Commissary Sergeant of Co. G, 6th Iowa Cavalry. He was mustered in on 10 November 1862 and promoted to 2nd Sergeant on 21 February 1864. He mustered out of the regiment on 17 October 1865 at Sioux City, Iowa. His older brother Charles Francis W. Hobbs (1833-1883) also served in the same company.

Thomas was the son of Charles Warfield Hobbs (1805-1878) and Mary Eliza Wilson (1803-1855).

The 6th Iowa Cavalry was organized at Davenport January 31 to March 5, 1863. Moved to Sioux City, Dakota, March 16-April 26, 1863. Operations against hostile Indians about Fort Randall May and June. Moved to Fort Pierre, and duty there till July. Sully’s Expedition against hostile Sioux Indians August 13-September 11. Actions at White Stone Hill September 3 and 5. Duty at Fort Sully, Fort Randall and Sioux City till June, 1864. Sully’s Expedition against hostile Sioux Indians June 26-October 8. Engagement at Tah kah a kuty July 28. Two Hills, Bad Lands, Little Missouri River, August 8. Expedition from Fort Rice to relief of Fisk’s Emigrant train September 11-30. Fort Rice September 27. Duty by Detachments at Fort Randall, Sioux City, Fort Berthold, Yankton and the Sioux and Winnebago Indian Agencies till October, 1865. Mustered out October 17, 1865.

For those interested in the war experiences of Co. G, 6th Iowa Cavalry, you may want to explore “The Civil War in the Dakotas: A Soldier’s Diary” by Jacque H. Schmiedt.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

*Fort Berthold as it looked in 1865* *(Newberry Library)*

Fort Berthold
February 19th 1865

Dear Friend Helen,

I received your kind and welcome letter of Nov 27th last mail and will try and interest you in this answer. Well Helen, we are all well here at present. There is nothing new here at present that would interest you. We have had warm pleasant weather here all this winter.

I am truly sorry that you wont excuse me about not answering your letter sooner and that I must keep civil when I come home. Well Helen, I expect that it will be hard for me to act civil then. I will be a true “Injin” by the time we get out of this God forsaken land Dakota.

You say my friend Mr. Clark has returned after killing three Indians. Oh, ain’t that “rich”—he killed three Indians. Did he bring their scalps home? Perhaps it was “Grey Backs” instead of Indians. I suppose he is quite a hero there now, isn’t he?

Well old Abe is elected sure, and I hope he will make everyone that voted for him go and smell gunpowder and see how they like war. Then I should think help was scarce when the girls have to turn out to help.

I had heard of the death of little Annie Sheldon and of little Mary, but Helen, you have one thing to console you in this your great loss—that they are now with God in that happy land above—free from the cares of this wicked world.

I suppose those returned soldiers have a fine time there now. My time will come soon. Eleven months more to serve. I had heard of “Hanks” good luck in becoming a gentleman. I see “Miss Eliza” (as Spangler would say) wrote some in your letter. Where is she? Tell her to accept of my best respects and if she thinks it worth the time, I would be pleased to hear from her.

But I must stop now. Excuse scribbling and all mistakes for I have written in haste. Give by respects to your Father and Mother and all. Accept the same yourself while I remain your friend, — Tom Hobbs

Write soon. In haste.

*I could not find an image of John but here is one of Henry Heath who served in Co. H, 6th Iowa Cavalry*
*(Iowa Civil War Images)*

The following letter was written by 19 year old John Teague of Fayette County, Iowa—an emigrant from England. John enlisted in Co. C, 6th Iowa Cavalry on 22 September 1862 and mustered in on the same day. He was promoted to Eighth Corporal on 28 May 1865 and mustered out on 17 October 1865 at Sioux City, Iowa.

The Sixth Regiment of Iowa Cavalry was organized under a special order of the War Department, dated September 9, 1862. The twelve companies of which the regiment was composed were ordered into quarters by the Governor, on dates ranging from about the 1st of November, 1862, to near the last of February, 1863. The rendezvous designated in the order was Camp Hendershott, near Davenport, Iowa, where the companies were-mustered into the service of the United States, by Captain H. B. Hendershott, of the Regular Army, on dates ranging from January 31 to March 5, 1863. Upon the muster in of the last company the regiment had an aggregate strength of 1,125, rank and file.

Transcription

Camp Hendershott ¹
[Davenport, Iowa]
February 12, [1863]

Dear Sister,

Your letter of the seventh came to hand today and very glad I was to receive it too. I was glad to hear that you are all well. I am well at present with the exception of a cold. It is rather lonesome here at present, there being only a few of us, about forty, being furloughed—Jesse and I being amongst the lot. I expected to come home when Jesse came but they could not spare me but I shall have a chance and if you wish me to come home, send down by Jesse and let me know and I will come home. But if you do not wish me to come home, I shall not come.

We had a fine fall of snow last night. it fell to the depth of four inches and you may bet the sleigh bells were jingling, it being the first time this winter down here. But I suppose you have plenty of snow up there.

The barracks tonight are almost as quiet as if no one [was] here. I am kept quite busy every day having to see to the feeding, cleaning, and the rest of the work around forty-eight horses, the Orderly having put me in as boss and therefore it keeps me busy.

I hope you have fine times up there as we do down here. We were mustered the last day of last month and received twenty-seven dollars. We are expecting thirteen dollars more every day and just as soon as I receive that, if you want me to come home, I will come. I sent six dollars home by Jesse, that being all I could spare this time. I lent Jesse six dollars and owed the sutler eight dollars so that I only had seven dollars left. We drawed our sabres and rifles the other day so that we are practicing the manual of arms everyday.

I have seen John [Sheldon] Stearns two or three times since we have been home and he has told me how dull the times is up there and all about the girls and the rest of the news. And I must come to a close. You must excuse my poor writing mistakes and all the rest of it for the reason that I am in an awkward place and a poor light. Give my respects to all enquiring friends. Write soon.

I received a letter from William and he said he was well. I remain your affectionate brother, — John Feuga

¹ Camp Hendershott (1862 – 1863) was located between 13th, Locust, Ripley, and Scott Streets in Davenport, Iowa. It was named for Capt. Hendershott who was the Govt. Superintendent of State Recruiting in Iowa.