The end is in sight ...

      On 6 May, the regiment joined Sherman and commenced the advance on Atlanta. It was engaged at Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, the various engagements in the vicinity of Atlanta; at Jonesboro and Lovejoy's Station, with a loss of about 80 men during the campaign. The regiment arrived at East Point, Georgia on 8 September 1864, where they remained until 4 October. The regiment was ordered to follow the rebel, General Hood, across the Chattahoochee River with his army. General Hood retreated and continued to elude capture even through several small skirmishes. On 21 October at the crossing of Little Creek, Alabama, the pursuit of Hood's army was abandoned. The troops started on the return march on 29 October halting at different points for rest. On 21 November 21 the regiment reached Griswoldville, Georgia, where they were engaged in a small skirmish.

            On 13 November the regiment reached Atlanta, Georgia. The regiments was engaged in a foraging expedition, forty miles in the interior, the day Sherman’s Army marched into the Atlanta and was not involved the capture of the city. In January 1865, the regiment marched with the army through the Carolinas, being engaged in numerous skirmishes and present at the capture of Columbia, South Carolina. Its last engagement was at Bentonville, North Carolina in March, after which it marched to Goldsboro and Raleigh, North Carolina and on to Washington, D.C.. where it was in the Grand Review. [1] Abraham served his country with honor and was released from service on 6 June 1865 at Washington, D.C.[2]

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[1] Abraham and George Newkirk, American Civil War Regiments. Ancestry.com [database on-line]. Accessed 8 November 2012; Abraham and George Newkirk, Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 3 By Guy E. Logan on-line http://www.ancestry.comdata downloaded 7 November 2012. 

[2] Abraham Newkirk Discharge paper, Civil War. Ancestry.com [database online], Bjhfturneradded this on 14 Oct 2009. Accessed 8 September 2012. 

Why this blog?

I suppose I should have explained the reason for creating this blog on the first post, but I did not. So, I will explain now. I am a senior at BYU majoring in Family History. This blog is required for one of my classes. I was amazed at how easy it was to creat a blog and how enjoyable it is to share the love I have for my third great grand father, Abraham Newkirk. I hope you have enjoyed the past blogs and will continue to enjoy future posts. In addition to this blog post, I have also added a pod cast about the Kansas dust storms that occured in the 1930s. Abraham was no longer living at this time, but his two brothers, Richard and James, and his son Richard were. They would have experienced these terrible dust storms caused by soil errosion due to poor farming techniques, which resulted in loosened soil, allowing the wind to pick it up and carry it away. In a family history written by Abraham's daughter, Estella, she mentioned how hard it was for her father to farm in Kansas due to drought, grasshoppers, and dust storms. [1] I admire these adventerous, brave, and diligent pioneers, and I am proud they are my ancestors.

If you are interested in seeing pictures of these devastating dust storms, please visit the following web site. I was not aware of how huge these dust storms were until I saw the pictures. They look like a pyroclasitc blast from a volcano. Many people chose to leave after these devastating dust storms. My ancestors stayed in Kansas.

http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/dustbowlpics.html

[1]    Abraham Newkirk family history, Hand written letter by daughter, Estella Eldora Newkirk Turner, Life at Roscoe, Graham, Kansas Page 5,  on-line <http://Ancestry.com>.

     After the fall of Vicksburg, the regiment camped at the Black River Bridge from 27th of  July to 23rd of September, 1863. The regiment suffered greatly from malaria while camped in this area, which caused considerable sickness among the men and officers. When orders were came to break camp, no one was sad to be leaving the area.[1] George Newkirk, younger brother of Abraham, was a member of the same regiment. He died of disease on the 9 June 1863 at Young's Point, Louisiana. This must have been a very sad and trying time for Abraham.[2] The Civil War Service Records for Abraham indicated that he was sick much of this time. It must have been a miserable experience. 

            From the 23rd of September, 1863 to the 9th of March, 1864, the regiment marched to Vicksburg, then took a transports to Memphis, Tennessee, rode by rail to Corinth, Mississippi, then marched to Iuka, Mississippi, and onto Tuscumbia, Alabama. The regiment then marched  across the Tennessee River at Chickasaw, then onto Chattanooga by way of Florence, Pulaski, Stevenson and Bridgeport. 

           The regiment had marched 315 miles since entering upon the campaign, much of the time without tents, over difficult roads, and across mountain ranges. The regiment engaged in several skirmishes and in three battles. Notwithstanding the hardships endured upon the march, the men's health improved under the more favorable climatic conditions.

           On the 9 March 1864, the regiment was ordered to move to Vienna, Alabama to establish an outpost. The regiment were involved in regular picket duty and patrolled the country along the Tennessee River.[3]

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[1] Abraham and George Newkirk, American Civil War Regiments. Ancestry.com [database on-line]. Accessed 8 November 2012, Document 105; Abraham and George Newkirk, Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 3 By Guy E. Logan on-line http://www.ancestry.com data downloaded 7 November 2012. 

[2] George S. Newkirk, Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 3,  Guy E. Logan, Historial Sketch of the Twenty-Sixth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Ancestry.com [on-line database]. Accessed 28 September 2012.

[3] Abraham and George Newkirk, American Civil War Regiments. Ancestry.com [database on-line]. Accessed 8 November 2012, Document 105; Abraham and George Newkirk, Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 3 By Guy E. Logan on-line http://www.ancestry.com data downloaded 7 November 2012. 

The war continues...

On January 13, 1863, the Twenty-sixth Iowa moved down the river to Young's Point, Louisiana four miles above Vicksburg, where they camped until the April 2nd. During this period, the regiment worked at building the canal, through which General Grant had expected to divert the course of the Mississippi River, but the undertaking did not accomplish the desired result. The sick list of the regiment rapidly increased and the number of officers and men able for duty was less than one-half the number shown upon the rolls. On 2 April 1863 the regiment, proceeded to Greenville, Mississippi where the troops landed and marched into the interior. The object of the expedition was to divert the attention of the enemy from the movements of General Grant's main army, but it accomplished more than that, in the capture of large quantities rebel troop supplies garrisoned at Vicksburg. The regiment was engaged in the skirmishes at Deer Creek and Black Bayou. The regiment returned to the vicinity of Vicksburg in the advanced column moving upon Jackson, Mississippi, during which they were engaged in the skirmish at Walnut hills and the assault of Vicksburg on May 22, 1863, losing nearly one-fourth of the number engaged.[1]

[1] Abraham and George Newkirk, American Civil War Regiments. Ancestry.com [database on-line]. Accessed 8 November 2012; Abraham and George Newkirk, Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 3 By Guy E. Logan on-line http://www.ancestry.com data downloaded 7 November 2012.