The men of Iowa in 1860, who had not even been living in their state for twenty years, had to make the decision to either be brave and fight in the Civil War, or stay at home with their families. “On May 3, 1861, President Lincoln called for an additional eighty-two thousands men, and Iowa responded with six additional regiments of volunteers.” One Iowa general (Grenville Dodge), along with two Iowa soldiers (Jacob Gantz and William Henry Harrison Clayton) all decided to go fight for the Union. All of these men, made a significant impact on Iowa’s participation in the war and contributed to the Union victory.
Grenville M. Dodge, a well-known Iowa general, was not born in Iowa on, but was born in Danvers, Massachusetts on April 12, 1831.…