Captain Cree in the Civil War: Iowa Time Machine September 19, 1864

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 19, 1864, Alfred B. Cree of Iowa City was wounded while serving as a Captain with the 22nd Iowa Infantry in Virginia. A thrice-injured member of the military, Cree served valiantly in critical engagements throughout the American Civil War.

Born in Pennsylvania, Cree headed west at 25 and spent a stint in Muscatine before settling in Iowa City. While in Johnson County, Cree worked as a carpenter on several early University of Iowa buildings and met his wife, Martha “Mattie” A. Smith. When the American Civil War started, Cree enlisted with the 22nd Iowa Infantry, Company F, in August 1862.

After a stint at Iowa City’s Camp Pope, Cree and 22nd found themselves under the direction of Ulysses Grant for the Vicksburg Campaign. The only American regiment to breach Confederate defenses at Vicksburg, the 22nd proved its mettle under fire almost immediately. Following Vicksburg, the regiment ended up operating along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Alabama. From there, the 22nd headed to Virginia to serve under Sheridan in the Shenandoah Campaign.

First injured at Vicksburg, Cree suffered from a shot to the right shoulder in September 1864. The following month, the Captain from Iowa City again found himself injured, this time with a wound in his right leg. Despite the injuries, Cree suffered less than many others in the 22nd: over the course of the war, at least 250 men. Many of Cree’s memories are preserved through letters he sent back to his wife, Mattie, in Iowa before mustering out in the late summer of 1865. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar