Description
Carte view identified as Lieutenant Colonel Salue Gottshall Van Anda of the 21st Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Salue would be commissioned a major with the 21st Iowa Infantry in September, 1862. The regiment’s first test was at the Battle of Hartville, Missouri, with 262 members of the regiment participating on January 11, 1863. Following the regiments expedition into Missouri, they would be joined with three other regiments to form the 2nd Brigade known as “Lawler’s Brigade” and would take part in the Vicksburg Campaign. The brigade would see action in Mississippi at Port Gibson, Black River Bridge and the Siege of Vicksburg. They were present during the May 16, 1863, Battle of Champion Hill but held out of action by General John McClernand. On May 17, 1863, the 21st and 23d regiments led an assault on entrenched Confederates at the Big Black River bridge, charging out of a meander to the enemy’s left flank causing the Rebel defenses at the Black River bridge to collapse and forcing them to retreat. The path to Vicksburg was now unimpeded resulting in Grant’s army enveloping the city. Lawler’s brigade distinguished itself again during the May 22, 1863, assault at Vicksburg. The brigade charged up the slopes toward the Texans waiting at the top in the railroad redoubt. After fierce fighting, the brigade controlled the ridge at the top for a few hours before being driven off. Gen. Grant abandoned his efforts to take Vicksburg by force and settled into a prolonged siege which ended with Gen. Pemberton’s surrender of his Confederate forces and the city on July 4, 1863. An impressive memorial near the redoubt honors the Iowans who fought and those who sacrificed themselves in the Vicksburg Campaign. It was here that Van Anda would be wounded. The following day he would be promoted to lieutenant colonel to fill the void of Lieutenant Colonel Dunlap who had been killed during the fight the following day. Despite the wounding, Van Anda would remain with the regiment. Following Vicksburg, the regiment was part of a force that marched on Jackson, MS. The regiment then took part in expeditions in Louisiana and then moved to the south coast of Texas at Matagorda Island, Indianola and other nearby locations. The regiment participated in the Mobile Campaign in the spring of 1865, but did not directly participate in the capitulations of Ft. Blakely and Spanish Fort before eventually being mustered out of service in July, 1865. Interestingly, this view shows Van Anda dressed in his double breasted frock. Absent however are his officers shoulder boards. A period ink signature across the front bottom reads “Truly S. G. Van Anda”. No back mark on this one and there is a very slight wrinkle in it.
