Henry F. Dachenbach was born on September 7, 1841 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. He died on February 16, 1881. Henry and his cousin Jacob both served in the Union Army during the Civil War. On August 21, 1862 Henry F. Dachenbach wrote from West Liberty, Iowa, to his cousin, Jacob M. Dachenbach of the 20th Iowa Infantry. Henry informed Jacob that he had enlisted for three years and would be leaving shortly for Camp Delaware in Ohio. Henry noted that he had his photograph taken and had sent a picture home, as well as enclosing one for Jacob.

Jacob M. Dachenbach was born in 1843 in Pennsylvania but was living in Le Clarie, in Scott County, Iowa, with his parents and siblings in 1860.1 Jacob (Daughenbaugh) on October 11, 1862, wrote from Gadfly, Missouri, to his mother, Mary A. Dachenbach. He stated that the 1st Iowa Cavalry was the best regiment he had ever seen and that they captured many prisoners. He noted that military life was difficult for some men who had never left their homes but stated “you learn more here in a week than you will at home in one year”.2 He complained about his rheumatism after being wet for too long and about the constant stealing by other soldiers.

The 20th Iowa Infantry participated in Schofield’s Campaign in Southwest Missouri October, 1862, to January, 1863. As Jacob Dachenbach mentioned in his letter to his mother the regiment would soon be moving to Arkansas to consolidate with other Union troops near Pea Ridge Arkansas and would fight in the Battle of Prairie Grove in December of 1862.

In a letter written to his father, Isaac Dachenbach, on December 24, 1862 Jacob said the Union boys had a good skirmish with the “Deviled” rebels at Prairie Grove, Arkansas, although he was not involved in the actual fighting.3 Not only did the Union men have to worry with fighting Confederate soldiers, but guerrilla fighters as well. “For you may go to a man’s house and he has papers that he is a good union man and at the same time he will get you the first opportunity he gets.”4 Also, the irregular pay schedule made survival in the army difficulty for both the men in both the blue and grey. Jacob’s regiment had not been paid in some time and did not know when they might be, so he asked for his parents to send stamps. The regiment continued to move through Arkansas and then returned north to Missouri or “Misery” as Jacob referred to it in his writings. Jacob hated having to stay in Missouri and wanted to head further east to help with Union’s campaign there. Eventually, he would get his wish and Company K of the 20th Iowa would go to Vicksburg, Mississippi in June 1863.

Dachnebach’s regiment had captured many Confederate prisoners while at Vicksburg, who reported that the Union had killed many of their men. Jacob described the enemy prisoners, “as some very smart men amongst them while there is some awful drunk and ignorant and don’t know what the devil they are fighting for; but they are not so dumb as the men we took in Arkansas.”5 By July 1863 Dachenbach was on a steamer headed out of Yazoo City, Mississippi, he had been very ill and unable to march with his unit. In the letter to his father he described the condition of the slaves and what actions the Union soldiers took when they encountered a Confederate household.

I would sooner see them stay where they are than to see them freed if it could have been so but anyway to end this rebellion if we have to kill the damned niggers masters and all but the masters skedaddle as soon as they hear of us coming and then we rummage their houses and anything we find valuable we keep it and destroy what is left.
-Letter from Jacob Dachenbach to Samuel Dachenback, July 18, 1863

Jacob hoped the war would end soon so that he could return to his family and see some Iowa women and partake in some Iowa grub.6 Unfortunately, Jacob would not get that opportunity; he died of disease in Port Smith, Louisiana in August 1863.

The Dachenbach Collection is quite extensive and highlights the journey of a Union solider through all five years of the war. The Dachenbach collection is housed at the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Museum in Republic, Missouri.

Contributed by the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

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1. 1860 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Le Claire, Scott, Iowa; Roll: M653_340; Page: 86; Image: 108; Family History Library Film: 803340.
2. Jacob M.Dachenbach Letter to Mary A. Dachenbach. 11 Oct. 1862. WICR 11900B, Dachenbach Family Papers, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.
3. Jacob M.Dachenbach Letter to Isaac Dachenbach. 24 Dec. 1862. WICR 11900B, Dachenbach Family Papers, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.
4. Jacbob Dachenbach to Isaac Dachenbach, At Camp in Arkansas, Stuck in the mud, Jan. 21, 1863, WICR 11900B, Dachenbach Family Papers, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.
5. Jacbob Dachenbach to his brother, Vicksburg, Mississippi, June 27, 1863, WICR 11900B, Dachenbach Family Papers, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.
6. Jacbob Dachenbach to Samuel Dachenbach, Yazoo City, July 18, 1863, WICR 11900B, Dachenbach Family Papers, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.