April 17, 1861 – When the Civil War broke out on April 12th, the news didn’t reach Iowa until April 16th. The very next day, Governor Kirkwood pledged full support from our state.
When the War Department issued a call for volunteers, asking for one regiment from Iowa, Kirkwood was uncertain if he could raise the number of volunteers necessary to meet its quota, but so many Iowans enlisted, there was enough to form ten regiments! In total, Iowa furnished 48 infantry regiments, 9 cavalry regiments and 4 batteries of artillery. The Hawkeye State also furnished one black regiment and one thousand replacement troops to the Union cause.
A Day-by-Day Calendar of Historical Events In Iowa, William J. Petersen, State Historical Society of Iowa, 1946, p 38
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