Civil War Veteran
Co H 22nd Iowa Infantry
From Civil War Military records:
Benjamin F Berger
Age 19 of Jefferson,Iowa
Nativity Ohio
Enlisted Aug 5 1862.
Wounded severely May 22 1863 during ill-advised suicidal frontal assault of heavily fortified Ft Beauregard,Vicksburg,MS. Died Jun 3 1863 at Memphis,TN.
The following report of adjutant concerning frontal assault of Fort Beauregard,Vicksburg by 22nd Iowa: The enemy were on the alert and, as our colors rose above the crest of the hill, a thousand bayonets glistened in the sunlight above the parapet at Fort Beauregard.
The strong work against which the main attack was directed covered about half an acre of ground, the walls being about fifteen feet high, surrounded by a ditch ten feet wide. A line of rifle pits connected it with others of the same kind, each of which was so arranged as to enfilade the approach to the other. The regiment succeeded in reaching—under a concentrated fire of grape and musketry—an almost impenetrable abatis, forty yards from. the works, where it
became necessary to reform the line, the men having become separated in crossing the obstructions. They promptly rallied to the flag and were again led to the charge. Lieutenant Colonel Graham then assumed command and, with a few officers and about fifty men, succeeded in reaching the ditch surrounding the fort, but, having no scaling ladders, they were unable to enter the works. Sergeant Joseph E. Griffith, with some fifteen or twenty men,
succeeded—by raising one another up the wall—in gaining an entrance and capturing a number of prisoners, but the fire from the enemy's rifle pits in rear of the fort, and the lack of reinforcements coming to their aid, rendered the place untenable. Sergeant Griffith and David
Trine, of Company I, were the only survivors of this daring exploit. Among those who entered the fort were, Sergeants Joseph E. Griffith and N. C. Messenger, David Trine. W. H. Needham, Munson L. Clemmons, Alvin Drummond, Ezra S. Anderson, High Sinclair, Lieutenant Mathew C. Robb, John C. Robb, Samuel Lloyd, William Griffin, William P. Marvin, Hezekiah Drummond, John Hale. David Jordon, Allen Cloud. Abner Barnard, and Richard Arthur. One officer and eleven enlisted men were killed inside the Confederate works or on the parapet, to wit: Lieutenant M. C. Robb. William Griffin. John Hale. David Jordon, Ezra S. Anderson. Abner Barnard, Richard Arthur, Alvin Drummond, Hezekiah Drummond, John C. Robb, William P. Marvin and Samuel Lloyd. Lieutenant Robb was killed on the parapet, and fell back into the ditch. David Jordon was shot on the top of the parapet in the act of planting the
colors. He fell with one hand upon the flag staff. Two officers and ten enlisted men were wounded upon the parapet and fell back into the ditch. This was the last frontal assault of Fort Beauregard ever attempted. Afterwards Vicksburg was defeated using long term siege tactics.
None of the men here are listed in Vicksburg National Cemetery. However believe they may have been buried in a mass grave later being marked unknowns within the cemetery.
Co H 22nd Iowa Infantry
From Civil War Military records:
Benjamin F Berger
Age 19 of Jefferson,Iowa
Nativity Ohio
Enlisted Aug 5 1862.
Wounded severely May 22 1863 during ill-advised suicidal frontal assault of heavily fortified Ft Beauregard,Vicksburg,MS. Died Jun 3 1863 at Memphis,TN.
The following report of adjutant concerning frontal assault of Fort Beauregard,Vicksburg by 22nd Iowa: The enemy were on the alert and, as our colors rose above the crest of the hill, a thousand bayonets glistened in the sunlight above the parapet at Fort Beauregard.
The strong work against which the main attack was directed covered about half an acre of ground, the walls being about fifteen feet high, surrounded by a ditch ten feet wide. A line of rifle pits connected it with others of the same kind, each of which was so arranged as to enfilade the approach to the other. The regiment succeeded in reaching—under a concentrated fire of grape and musketry—an almost impenetrable abatis, forty yards from. the works, where it
became necessary to reform the line, the men having become separated in crossing the obstructions. They promptly rallied to the flag and were again led to the charge. Lieutenant Colonel Graham then assumed command and, with a few officers and about fifty men, succeeded in reaching the ditch surrounding the fort, but, having no scaling ladders, they were unable to enter the works. Sergeant Joseph E. Griffith, with some fifteen or twenty men,
succeeded—by raising one another up the wall—in gaining an entrance and capturing a number of prisoners, but the fire from the enemy's rifle pits in rear of the fort, and the lack of reinforcements coming to their aid, rendered the place untenable. Sergeant Griffith and David
Trine, of Company I, were the only survivors of this daring exploit. Among those who entered the fort were, Sergeants Joseph E. Griffith and N. C. Messenger, David Trine. W. H. Needham, Munson L. Clemmons, Alvin Drummond, Ezra S. Anderson, High Sinclair, Lieutenant Mathew C. Robb, John C. Robb, Samuel Lloyd, William Griffin, William P. Marvin, Hezekiah Drummond, John Hale. David Jordon, Allen Cloud. Abner Barnard, and Richard Arthur. One officer and eleven enlisted men were killed inside the Confederate works or on the parapet, to wit: Lieutenant M. C. Robb. William Griffin. John Hale. David Jordon, Ezra S. Anderson. Abner Barnard, Richard Arthur, Alvin Drummond, Hezekiah Drummond, John C. Robb, William P. Marvin and Samuel Lloyd. Lieutenant Robb was killed on the parapet, and fell back into the ditch. David Jordon was shot on the top of the parapet in the act of planting the
colors. He fell with one hand upon the flag staff. Two officers and ten enlisted men were wounded upon the parapet and fell back into the ditch. This was the last frontal assault of Fort Beauregard ever attempted. Afterwards Vicksburg was defeated using long term siege tactics.
None of the men here are listed in Vicksburg National Cemetery. However believe they may have been buried in a mass grave later being marked unknowns within the cemetery.
Civil War Veteran
Co H 22nd Iowa Infantry
From Civil War Military records:
Benjamin F Berger
Age 19 of Jefferson,Iowa
Nativity Ohio
Enlisted Aug 5 1862.
Wounded severely May 22 1863 during ill-advised suicidal frontal assault of heavily fortified Ft Beauregard,Vicksburg,MS. Died Jun 3 1863 at Memphis,TN.
The following report of adjutant concerning frontal assault of Fort Beauregard,Vicksburg by 22nd Iowa: The enemy were on the alert and, as our colors rose above the crest of the hill, a thousand bayonets glistened in the sunlight above the parapet at Fort Beauregard.
The strong work against which the main attack was directed covered about half an acre of ground, the walls being about fifteen feet high, surrounded by a ditch ten feet wide. A line of rifle pits connected it with others of the same kind, each of which was so arranged as to enfilade the approach to the other. The regiment succeeded in reaching—under a concentrated fire of grape and musketry—an almost impenetrable abatis, forty yards from. the works, where it
became necessary to reform the line, the men having become separated in crossing the obstructions. They promptly rallied to the flag and were again led to the charge. Lieutenant Colonel Graham then assumed command and, with a few officers and about fifty men, succeeded in reaching the ditch surrounding the fort, but, having no scaling ladders, they were unable to enter the works. Sergeant Joseph E. Griffith, with some fifteen or twenty men,
succeeded—by raising one another up the wall—in gaining an entrance and capturing a number of prisoners, but the fire from the enemy's rifle pits in rear of the fort, and the lack of reinforcements coming to their aid, rendered the place untenable. Sergeant Griffith and David
Trine, of Company I, were the only survivors of this daring exploit. Among those who entered the fort were, Sergeants Joseph E. Griffith and N. C. Messenger, David Trine. W. H. Needham, Munson L. Clemmons, Alvin Drummond, Ezra S. Anderson, High Sinclair, Lieutenant Mathew C. Robb, John C. Robb, Samuel Lloyd, William Griffin, William P. Marvin, Hezekiah Drummond, John Hale. David Jordon, Allen Cloud. Abner Barnard, and Richard Arthur. One officer and eleven enlisted men were killed inside the Confederate works or on the parapet, to wit: Lieutenant M. C. Robb. William Griffin. John Hale. David Jordon, Ezra S. Anderson. Abner Barnard, Richard Arthur, Alvin Drummond, Hezekiah Drummond, John C. Robb, William P. Marvin and Samuel Lloyd. Lieutenant Robb was killed on the parapet, and fell back into the ditch. David Jordon was shot on the top of the parapet in the act of planting the
colors. He fell with one hand upon the flag staff. Two officers and ten enlisted men were wounded upon the parapet and fell back into the ditch. This was the last frontal assault of Fort Beauregard ever attempted. Afterwards Vicksburg was defeated using long term siege tactics.
None of the men here are listed in Vicksburg National Cemetery. However believe they may have been buried in a mass grave later being marked unknowns within the cemetery.
Co H 22nd Iowa Infantry
From Civil War Military records:
Benjamin F Berger
Age 19 of Jefferson,Iowa
Nativity Ohio
Enlisted Aug 5 1862.
Wounded severely May 22 1863 during ill-advised suicidal frontal assault of heavily fortified Ft Beauregard,Vicksburg,MS. Died Jun 3 1863 at Memphis,TN.
The following report of adjutant concerning frontal assault of Fort Beauregard,Vicksburg by 22nd Iowa: The enemy were on the alert and, as our colors rose above the crest of the hill, a thousand bayonets glistened in the sunlight above the parapet at Fort Beauregard.
The strong work against which the main attack was directed covered about half an acre of ground, the walls being about fifteen feet high, surrounded by a ditch ten feet wide. A line of rifle pits connected it with others of the same kind, each of which was so arranged as to enfilade the approach to the other. The regiment succeeded in reaching—under a concentrated fire of grape and musketry—an almost impenetrable abatis, forty yards from. the works, where it
became necessary to reform the line, the men having become separated in crossing the obstructions. They promptly rallied to the flag and were again led to the charge. Lieutenant Colonel Graham then assumed command and, with a few officers and about fifty men, succeeded in reaching the ditch surrounding the fort, but, having no scaling ladders, they were unable to enter the works. Sergeant Joseph E. Griffith, with some fifteen or twenty men,
succeeded—by raising one another up the wall—in gaining an entrance and capturing a number of prisoners, but the fire from the enemy's rifle pits in rear of the fort, and the lack of reinforcements coming to their aid, rendered the place untenable. Sergeant Griffith and David
Trine, of Company I, were the only survivors of this daring exploit. Among those who entered the fort were, Sergeants Joseph E. Griffith and N. C. Messenger, David Trine. W. H. Needham, Munson L. Clemmons, Alvin Drummond, Ezra S. Anderson, High Sinclair, Lieutenant Mathew C. Robb, John C. Robb, Samuel Lloyd, William Griffin, William P. Marvin, Hezekiah Drummond, John Hale. David Jordon, Allen Cloud. Abner Barnard, and Richard Arthur. One officer and eleven enlisted men were killed inside the Confederate works or on the parapet, to wit: Lieutenant M. C. Robb. William Griffin. John Hale. David Jordon, Ezra S. Anderson. Abner Barnard, Richard Arthur, Alvin Drummond, Hezekiah Drummond, John C. Robb, William P. Marvin and Samuel Lloyd. Lieutenant Robb was killed on the parapet, and fell back into the ditch. David Jordon was shot on the top of the parapet in the act of planting the
colors. He fell with one hand upon the flag staff. Two officers and ten enlisted men were wounded upon the parapet and fell back into the ditch. This was the last frontal assault of Fort Beauregard ever attempted. Afterwards Vicksburg was defeated using long term siege tactics.
None of the men here are listed in Vicksburg National Cemetery. However believe they may have been buried in a mass grave later being marked unknowns within the cemetery.
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