soldiers. General Steele had been the first colonel of the Eighth Iowa, and his Assistant Adjutant-General was Captain John F. Lacey. Twelve Iowa regiments shared the honors of this brilliant campaign, which captured more than 5,000 prisoners and more than one hundred and fifty cannon, besides a vast amount of small arms, ammunition and other property. Beside the Eighth, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Bell, the following Iowa regiments were in the assault: the Twelfth, Major Knee; Nineteenth, Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce; Twentieth, Lieutenant-Colonel Leake; Twenty-first, Lieutenant-Colonel Van Anda; Twenty-third, Colonel Glasgow; Twenty-seventh, Lieutenant-Colonel Lake; Twenty-ninth, Colonel Benton; Thirty-third, Colonel Mackay; Thirty-fourth, Colonel Clark, and Thirty-fifth, Colonel Keeler. General Gilbert, Colonels Geddes and Glasgow commanded brigades.
These regiments all won high honors in this closing campaign of the war. It was conceded that Colonel Geddes’ assault on Spanish Fort, in which the Eighth took such a conspicuous part, was the most brilliant achievement of that notable campaign. Lieutenant-Colonel Bell and Lieutenant Henry Vinyard were especially commended for their gallantry. This was the last battle in which the Eighth took part, but it was not mustered out of service until April 20th, 1866. Colonel Geddes was made brevet Brigadier-General June 5, 1865, and Captain S. E. Rankin was promoted to major July 1, 1865.
