Known as Iowa's Martyr Regiment. The 38th Iowa Infantry was recruited for the most part in five counties, Fayette, Winneshiek, Bremer, Chickasaw, and Howard. Rendezvous and initial training was conducted at Camp Franklin, Dubuque, Iowa and mustered in for three years of Federal service on November 4, 1862. The Regiment re-occupied New Madrid, Missouri, on January 2, 1863. They remained at this location as the garrison at Fort Thompson patrolling the woods and swamps of New Madrid and Pemiscot counties. Although threatened many times with attack they were never assaulted. On June 6, 1863, the Regiment left for Vicksburg as part of Major General Francis Herron's Division. The Regiment arrived in the vicinity of Vicksburg on June 11, 1863. General Ulysses S. Grant, in command of Union forces besieging the city, originally planned that Herron's Division should be placed between general's Hovey and Lauman's divisions, but due to rumors that rebel cavalry were moving from Yazoo City, Herron's division was ordered to a position on the southernmost portion of Grant's line. On June 14, 1863, the 38th crossed the river and camped on the bluff above Warrenton. On June 15 the 38th occupied a position on the extreme left of the line, extending from the river to a short distance across the Warrenton Road. The regiment was ordered to be consolidated with the 34th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment on December 12, 1864. Consolidation was completed on January 1, 1865. More than 500 men will continue to serve. On April 9, 1865, members of the 38th participated in the last major battle of the civil war at Fort Blakely, Alabama. They charged over 500 yards against redoubt #4, one soldier was killed and seven were wounded from the old 38th. The charge was made just hours after Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered his army of northern Virginia to General Grant.
Total strength and casualties
A total of 1037 men served in the 38th Iowa at one time or another during its existence. The Regiment suffered 1 enlisted man killed in action at Vicksburg on July 16, 1863, when he was shot through the head, and one other who died of his wounds there on July 1 after being struck by pieces of an exploding shell. Four officers and 311 enlisted men died of disease, for a total of 317 and losses from all other causes had been 180. Most of these men died or were discharged due to disease from mid-July 1863 to mid-October 1863. The mortality loss alone amounted to over thirty percent of the total number enrolled, while the aggregate number of its casualties constituted nearly fifty per cent of its total enrollment. The regiment, without having had the opportunity to participate in any one of the great pitched battles of the war, passed through a frightful struggle with disease and death, only surpassed by other regiments whose conflicts with the enemy involved the loss of so many lives in addition to those claimed by disease. This period, when the Regiment lost more men to disease than any other Iowa regiment will come to symbolize the Regiment,s place in Iowa's civil war history.
Commanders
Colonel William Brush - Thirty-five-year-old Brush was commissioned by Governor Kirkwood on September 12, 1862, and served as the commanding officer of the Regiment until October 26, 1862, when his commission was revoked by the Governor for incompetence.
Colonel D. Henry Hughes - Thirty-two-year-old Hughes was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to replace Brush on October 27, 1862. He was a native of New York, he lived in Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa, for seven years before the war. Referred to as a man of commanding stature, fine presence, and the soul of honor. He had the respect of the community as a war Democrat and a lawyer of considerable repute. He died of disease August 7, 1863, at Port Hudson, La.
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph O. Hudnutt - Thirty-seven-year-old Hudnutt was a Civil Engineer from Sumner Township in Bremer County, and served as the last commander of the Regiment, from about January 7, 1864, until December 31, 1864, when he was mustered out upon consolidation of the regiment with the 34th Iowa Infantry.
Major Charles Chadwick - Forty-four when he was commissioned. He served as commander of the Regiment in Hughes stead, from about August 1, 1863, until he resigned from the Army on January 7, 1864.
