Iowa Almanac
Iowa Almanac -- Monday, July 15, 2024
Reporting for duty. More from the Iowa Almanac in a moment. Eat up the summer with an Iowa Soybean Association Farmer membership powered by the soybean check-off. Access timely industry info, engage in on-farm research, and join producer programs all designed to support your operations' unique needs. Activate or confirm your membership before August 31st and be entered to win one of many unique prizes, including a solo stove. Visit isoybeans.com today to learn more. The Iowa Soybean Association driven to deliver for Iowa's nearly 37,000 soybean farmers. Iowa did not become a state until December 1846, but Iowans answered the call to duty to serve the nation before seeing their star added to the American flag. The land we now call Iowa was originally part of the Wisconsin Territory, and in 1838 part of that land was re-designated as the Iowa Territory. On July 15th, 1846, less than six months before Iowa became a state, a group of Iowans reported for duty to represent the U.S. in the Mexican War. The war started over boundary disputes between the U.S. and Mexican governments in the current state of Texas. In addition to increasing the regular army, Congress authorized the recruitment of 50,000 volunteer soldiers from the states and territories in May 1846. Iowa Territory organized 12 companies of men, but only three were called into federal service. One of them, Captain James Morgan's Company of Iowa Infantry Volunteers, served from July 15th, 1846 to July 15th, 1847. The group was then reconstituted as Captain James Morgan's Company of Iowa mounted volunteers, serving from July 5th, 1847 to September 11th, 1848. Morgan was from Burlington, and his company of volunteers was unique. Records are not complete, but it appears that of 135 who served, only three died and none during battle. Two more deserted and the fate of three is not certain, but that means 127 were either discharged or mustered out safely. Captain James Morgan died in Burlington in 1862, but his Company of Iowa Infantry Volunteers reported for duty on this state in 1846. And that's Iowa Almanac for July 15th. There's more online at IowaAlmanac.com. Until tomorrow, I'm Jeff Stein.