Charles Austin Howland (1821 - 1877)

Born 10 May 1821 in Somerset, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 2 Nov 1877 at age 56 in Magnolia, Harrison, Iowa, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mark Hamilton [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Howland Name Study.

Private Charles Howland served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: August 5, 1862
Mustered out: August 21, 1862
Side: USA
Regiment(s): B Company, 23rd Iowa Infantry

Family lore is that he fought for the Union in the civil war. We have what is supposed to be his portrait with him wearing a Union uniform, and Marcie Hamilton possess a tin army canteen that was passed down through the family with his name on it. More recently we've discovered a certificate that seems to be a copy of his enlistment form, which confirms the information I found on NPS. I searched the NPS records (https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm) and found one Chares A Howland in Iowa: The NPS data is a follows:

BATTLE UNIT NAME: 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry SIDE: Union COMPANY: B SOLDIER'S RANK IN: Private SOLDIER'S RANK OUT: Private ALTERNATE NAME: FILM NUMBER: M541 ROLL 13

However, in doing further research I found a website with an excerpt from "ROSTER AND RECORDS OF IOWA SOLDIERS, WAR OF THE REBELLION HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS, VOL. III" (http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan/mil507.htm) regarding the 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry. It had the following to say about Charles A. Howland:

"Howland, Charles A. Age 39. Residence Polk City, nativity Maine. Enlisted Aug. 5, 1862. Mustered Aug. 21, 1862. Discharged for disease Sept. 6, 1864, Keokuk, Iowa."

This makes things more likely. The age is extremely close: Charles Howland would have been 39 when the war broke out. However, the regiment didn't muster until September 19th, 1862, when he would have been 41. Still, it's pretty close and I might have his birthdate wrong. More compelling is that his "nativity" is listed as Maine, yet he was living in Iowa at the time, which matches our timeline. I'm going to say this is probably him, and that he probably served for the Union. Especially since this matches his paper enlistment record, which indicates that he was discharged for "Chromic Diarrhoea".

If it is him, and he was discharged in 1864 from disease, then this is what the regiment saw between his enlistment and mustering out:

Skirmish at Pitman's Ferry (11/2/1862)

The crossing to Iron Mountain (many casualties from weather)

Battle of Port Gibson

Battle of Champion's HIll

Battle of Black River Bridge

Battle of Milliken's Bend

Siege of Vicksburg

Siege of Jackson

An expedition into Texas that mostly involved chasing rebels.

Red River Expedition

The regiment saw especially hard fighting in the lead up to Vicksburg, at Port Gibson and Black River Bridge. Below is my summary of events.

As Grant made his way to the city he crossed the Mississippi at Port Gibson, where a detachment of Confederates were waiting up the road. The enemy was set up on a hill so that Grant's men would be forced to hack their way through a thick canebreak before they could reach them, leaving them open to rifle fire. The commander in charge set up a plan where a few regiments would slog their way up the canebreak as a frontal assault while other regiments flanked them and took the enemy by surprise. The 23rd was part of that frontal assault that slowly fought through the canebrakes while the other regiments maneuvered. They saw a lot of action that day and had the most casualties of their Division, but were commended for professionalism under fire.

Next Grant fought the enemy at Champions Hill, where the enemy army tried to push Grant back before being forced to retreat to Vicksburg. At Champions Hill the 23rd were held in reserve and moved up when the Confederates retreated, which put them in the front lines at the Battle of Black River Bridge. As the Confederates retreated they set up a rearguard force to guard the bridge and slow down the Union forces so that the Confederates would have a chance to reassemble on the other side of the river. They set up a long fortified line on a ridge overlooking swampy bayou terrain. The 23rd and several other regiments fought hard but were held back by the enemy fortifications, until the order was given to charge the enemy with bayonets. They took volley after volley without breaking and the enemy was sent into retreat. Here is an excerpt from General M. K. Lawler’s battle report:

“Late in the forenoon, finding it impossible to press farther forward along the river bank toward the enemy, as I had intended, Colonel Kinsman, Twenty-third Iowa, proposed to charge at once the enemy's works and drive them out at the point of the bayonet, and asked my consent to the same. Foreseeing that a charge by a single regiment, unsustained by the whole line, against fortifications as formidable as those in his front could hardly be successful, at the same time I gave my consent to his daring proposition, I determined that there should be a simultaneous movement on the part of my whole command. Accordingly, the Twenty-first Iowa, Colonel Merrill, was ordered to charge with the Twenty-third, the Eleventh Wisconsin following close upon them as a support, and the Twenty-second Iowa, Colonel Stone, which had in the meantime crossed the field and taken position on the river bank on the right of the Eleventh Wisconsin, were ordered to move out into the field and act as a reserve force.... Orders were further given that the men should reserve their fire until upon the rebel works. Finally the regiments that were to lead the charge were formed, with bayonets fixed, in the edge of the woods on the river bank. All things being in readiness, the command "Forward" was given by Colonel Kinsman, and at once his noble regiment sprang forward to the works. The Twenty-first Iowa, led by Colonel Merrill, moved at the same instant, the Eleventh Wisconsin, Colonel Harris, closely following. Through a terrible fire of musketry from the enemy in front, and a galling fire from his sharpshooters on the right, these brave men dashed bravely on. Kinsman fell, dangerously wounded, before half the distance was accomplished. Struggling to his feet, he staggered a few paces to the front, cheered forward his men, and fell again, this time to rise no more, pierced through by a second ball. . . . Immediately Lieutenant Colonel Glasgow placed himself at the head of the Twenty-third Iowa, and Major Van Anda led on the Twentyfirst. Undismayed by the loss of their Colonels, and by the perfect store of bullets poured into them with destructive effect, the men of the Twenty-third and Twenty-first Iowa and Eleventh Wisconsin pressed onward, nearer and nearer to the rebel works, over the open field and up to the edge of the bayou. Halting here only long enough to pour into the enemy a deadly volley, they dashed forward through the bayou, filled with water, fallen timber and brush, on to the rebel works, with the shout of victors, driving the enemy from their breastworks and entering in triumph the rebel stronghold.... Those of the rebels who were not captured hastened to make good their retreat over the bridge. . . . It is, perhaps, worthy of remark that more men were captured by my brigade than I had men in the charge.... Lieutenant Colonel S. L. Glasgow, of the Twenty-third Iowa, and Major S. G. Van Anda, of the Twenty-first Iowa, who assumed command of their respective regiments after the fall of their Colonels, deserve the highest praise.... They had the honor of leading their regiments into the enemy's works.... Captain Houston, Company A, Captain Brown, company I, and Lieutenant Rawlings, Company F, of the Twenty-third Iowa, with their commands, broke the enemy's line in a swamp at the edge of the timber, and poured an enfilading fire into the ditches that routed the rebels in confusion. Lieutenant Rawlings captured the colors of the Sixty-first Tennessee, wresting them from the rebel color bearer. Captain Houston captured the colors of the Twenty-first Arkansas. Corporal John W. Boone, color bearer of the Twenty-third Iowa, fell, severely wounded; Corporal J. T. Shipman then grasped the colors and bore them gallantly to the front and through the whole charge.... special and honorable mention should be made of A. M. Lyon, Esq., Sutler of the Twenty-third Iowa, a brave old man, who took a gun at the commencement of the battle, went into the ranks, fought nobly, and fell mortally wounded. The death of colonel Kinsman of the Twenty-third Iowa, whose brave and gallant conduct is the theme of universal praise, fills the hearts of all who knew him with poignant sorrow. A splendid soldier, a perfect gentleman, and a finished scholar, endowed in the highest degree with the noblest qualities of true manhood, his loss cannot prove less to his State and country than a public calamity. The officers and soldiers of his command had learned to love and respect him with an earnestness and devotion rarely equaled. His loss is irreparable, but he fell as the true soldier wishes to fall, in the moment of victory, when his country's flag waved in triumph over the stronghold of treason and rebellion, and died as the true soldier wishes to die, with Christian resignation and fortitude.... Finally, I cannot close this report without expressing my admiration for the brave men in the ranks, to whose steadiness and determined courage is in a great measure due the glory of the brilliant and decisive victory of Big Black Bridge. To them I return my warmest thanks. A grateful country will see that their services are appropriately rewarded.”

At Big Black Bridge the 23rd Iowa suffered 101 casualties, mostly wounded. This was nearly half of the Casualties for the XIII Army Corps as a whole. 3,000 prisoners had been captured, and the reduced 23rd Iowa was detached to guard them and escort them north to Memphis. This meant they were not at Vicksburg for the two failed assaults in May. On their return route they were near Miliken’s Bend when it was attacked, and they rushed to reinforce the outnumbered garrison. The enemy outnumbered them and pushed them hard. They weathered a bayonet charge, but were forced to retreat when the enemy flanked them and poured fire into their flanks. The arrival of gunboats forced the enemy back, and after taking potshots at each other from cover for some time the enemy retreated and the Union forces chased them down. Here is an excerpt from General Dennis’s report:

“Our forces, consisting of the Twenty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry and the African Brigade, (in all 1,061 men,) opened upon the enemy when within musket shot range, which made them waver and recoil, a number running in confusion to the rear; the balance, pushing on with intrepidity, soon reached the levee, when they were ordered to charge, with cries of "No quarter!" The African regiments being inexperienced in the use of arms, some of them having been drilled but a few days, and the guns being very inferior, the enemy succeeded in getting upon our works before more than one or two volleys were fired at them. Here ensued a most terrible hand to hand conflict of several minutes' duration, our men using their bayonets freely and clubbing their guns with fierce obstinacy, contesting every inch of ground, until the enemy succeeded in flanking them, and poured a murderous enfilading fire along our lines, directing their fire chiefly to the officers, who fell in numbers. Not till they were overpowered and forced by superior numbers did our men fall back behind the bank of the river, at the same time pouring volley after volley into the ranks of the advancing enemy. The gunboat now got into position and fired a broadside into the enemy, who immediately disappeared behind the levee, but all the time keeping up a fire upon our men.... In this position the fight continued until near noon, when the enemy suddenly withdrew. Our men, seeing this movement, advanced upon the retreating column, firing volley after volley at them while they remained within gunshot.... The officers and men deserve the highest praise for their gallant conduct, and especially Colonel Glasgow, of the Twenty-third Iowa, and his brave men”

After this the remnants of the 23rd, badly reduced by these battles, joined the Siege of Vicksburg and did their part in the trenches until the city surrendered.

Sources

Family documents https://www.myheritage.com/names/ada_howland https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/93714934/charles-austin-howland

Buried in Linnwood Cemetery, Harrison County, Iowa, USA