CIVIL WAR LADDER BADGE CO. F 33 IOWA VOL INFANTRY

Civil War Ladder Badge for the Company F of the 33rd Iowa Infantry Volunteer Infantry. The badge is a four place badge and in excellent condition. In pencil written on the back of each piece are Tuesday, Aug 28th, Chicago 1900. Excellent. Thirty-third Infantry. Cols., Samuel A. Rice, Cyrus H. Mackey; Lieut.- Cols., Cyrus H. Mackey, John Lofl and; Majs., Hiram D. Gibson, Cyrus B. Boydston. This regiment was mustered into the service at Oskaloosa Oct. 4, 1862 and on Nov. 20 set out for the front, being first placed on duty in St. Louis. On July 4, 1863, at the bravely won battle of Helena, Ark., the 33rd fought its first fight and fought it valiantly. The regiment, in this baptismal battle, lost heavily, and the regimental colors planted on the breastworks were cut by 27 bullets. Cos. B and G were in a charge that captured three or four times as many prisoners as there were captors. Sickness from malaria and loss in battle had reduced the numbers of the regiment by this time to 285 effective men. On April 4, 1864, the regiment was within hearing of the engagement at Elkin's Ferry, and at Prairie d'Ane, it played its full part. On April 14 Gen. Rice's brigade, to which the 33rd was attached, was ordered on a forced march to a cross road. There was advancing and fighting all day, in what is called the battle of Camden. The regiment also participated in the combats at Poison springs and Marks' Mills. On the night of April 25 began the retreat -- a retreat fraught with danger and great suffering from cold, hunger and fatigue -- interrupted on April 30, by the sanguinary battle of Jenkins' Ferry. The 33rd was in the hottest of that long fight and displayed unsurpassed bravery and endurance. On the further retreat the 33rd was train guard, and after almost incredible suffering reached Little Rock, where the regiment had its headquarters until Feb. 1865, when it was sent to participate in the Mobile campaign. After Spanish Fort was invested and taken the regiment moved with its command to Fort Blakely, arriving just as the assault had succeeded. The following day at Whistler's Station there was a slight skirmish, and then the 33rd was ordered to Texas. On July 4 it reembarked for New Orleans, where on July 17, 1865, it was mustered out. It lost in killed in battle and died from wounds 67; in deaths from disease, 200: wounded, 177: discharged, 145.