12TH IOWA INFANTRY REGIMENT AT SHILOH MEMORIAL

THE IOWA 12TH, PART OF TUTTLE’S BRIGADE, WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NORNETS NEST ON APRIL 6, 1862. THEY HELD OFF REPEATED CONFEDERATE ATTACKS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE REGIMENT COMMANDER, COL. JOESPH WOODS, REPORTED “AGAIN AND AGAIN DID HE ATTACK US, TRYING VAINLY TO DRIVE US FROM OUR POSITION. HE FAILED TO MOVE US ONE INCH FROM OUR POSITION. ON THE CONTRARY, WE REPULSED EVERY ATTACK OF THE ENEMY AND DROVE HIM BACK IN CONFUSION.” LATER IN THE AFTERNOON THE CONFEDERATES FLANKED AND SURROUNDED THEIR POSITION AND THE REGIMENT WAS FORCED TO SURRENDER. OF THE 479 IN THE REGIMENT, 33 WERE KILLED OR MORTALLY WOUNDED, 59 WERE WOUNDED AND 387 WERE CAPTURED. OF THOSE CAPTURED, 33 WERE WOUNDED AND 16 SUBSEQUENTLY DIED AS A RESULT OF THESE WOUNDS. A TOTAL OF 71 DIED IN PRISON.