IOWA RALLIES TO THE COLORS "Whether in the prompitude of her responses to the calls made on her by the general government, in the courage and constancy of her soldiery in the filed," said Colonel A. P. Wood, of Dubuque, upon one occasion, "or in the wisdom and efficiency with which her civil administration was conducted during the trying period covered by the war of the rebillion, Iowas proved herself the peer of any loyal state.  The proclamation of her governor, Samuel J. Kirkwood, responsive to that of the president calling for volunteers to comprise her first regiment, was issued on the fourth day after the fall of Sumter.  At the end of only a single week men enough were reported to be in quarters (mostly in the vicinity of their own homes) to fill the regiment.  These, however, were hardly more than a tithe of the number who had been offered by company commanders for acceptance under the president's call.  So urgent were these offers that the governor requested on the 24th of April permission to organize an additional regiment.  While awaiting the answer to this request he conditionally accepted a sufficient number of companies to compose two additional regiments.  In a short time he was notified that both of these would be accepted.  Soon after the completion of the second and third regiments, which was near the close of May, the adjutant general of the state reported that upward of 170 companies had been tendered to the governor to serve against the enemies of the Union. "Much difficulty and considerable delay occurred in fitting these regiments for the field.  For the First infantry a complete outfit-not uniform-of clothing was extemporized-principally by the volunteered labor of loyal women in the different towns, from material of various colors and qualities obtained within the limits of the state.  The same was done in part for the Second infantry.  Meantime an extra session of the general assembly had been called by the governor to convene on May 15th.  With but little delay that body authorized a loan of $800,000 to meet the extraordinary expenses incurred and to be incurred by the executive department in consequence of the new emergency.  A wealthy merchant of the state-Ex-Governor Merrill, then a resident of McGregor-immediately took from the governor a contract to supply a complete outfit of clothing for the three regiments organized, agreeing to receive, should the governor so elect, his pay therefor in state bonds at par.  This contract he executed to the letter, and a portion of the clothing, which was manufactured in Boston to his order, was delivered at Keokuk, the place at which the troops had rendezvoused, in exactly one month from the day on which the contract had been entered into.  The remainder arrived only a few days later.  This clothing was delivered to the regiments, but was subsequently condemned by the government for the reason that its color was gray, and blue had been adopted as the color to be worn by national troops. Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L FAMILY=