Saturday, August 21, 2010

Civil War Veterans

I found some links for a couple of Brassfield's in the 8th Iowa Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. The time frame involved appears to mean they participated in The Battle of Spanish Fort in Alabama.

Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers In the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 1 By Guy E. Logan, 1908 ( see also IAGenWeb)

Eighth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry - Company "B"

Brassfield, Nicholas R. Age 18. Residence Monona County, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Nov. 30, 1864. Mustered Nov. 30, 1864. Mustered out June 21, 1865, Fort Gaines, Ga.

Brassfield, Wiley D. Age 37. Residence Woodbury County, nativity North Carolina. Enlisted Nov. 18, 1864. Mustered Nov. 18, 1864. Mustered out Nov. 22, 1865, Montgomery, Ala.

To connect to previous posts, Wiley D. Brassfield was the father of Elvis H. Brassfiled who was the father of Floyd Gipson Brassfield. Nicholas R. Brassfield was Wiley D. Brassfield's younger brother. Their parents were John Wiley and Sarah R. (Hill) Brassfield.

Historical Sketch - Eighth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry
The regiment remained in Memphis until in January, 1865, when it was ordered to New Orleans, where it was encamped for some time on the old battlefield eight miles below the city. It next took passage for Mobile and, shortly after its arrival there, joined General Canby's army. The regiment was now a part of the Third Brigade, Third Division of the Sixteenth Army Corps, and its brigade was under the command of its colonel, James L. Geddes, while the regiment was commanded by Lieut. Col. W. B. Bell.

The maneuvers leading up to the beginning of the siege of Spanish Fort were participated in by the Eighth Iowa; and in the siege operations, lasting from March 27th until April 8, 1865, when the assault was made and the fort captured, the regiment bore a most conspicuous part and suffered heavy loss. Lieutenant Colonel Bell gives a graphic account of the terrific fighting during the assault, and the desperate resistance made by the enemy. After describing in detail the passage of his regiment through an almost impassable swamp, during which it was under a heavy fire from the enemy.

Company B's Captain Fred Kettenring was wounded during the battle, so it would seem that the company Nicholas and Wiley were in saw some heavy fighting.