Lieutenant Colonel August Wentz.

August Wentz.

Birth: 1824, Germany
Death: Nov. 7, 1861, Belmont Landing, Mississippi County, Missouri.
Burial: Oakdale Memorial Gardens, Davenport, Scott County, Iowa.

The death of Lieutenant Colonel August Wentz, as taken from the Seventh Iowa Regimental History.

The following is an extract from a letter from Lieut. J. F. Warner of Co. "K", who was one of the boat guards during the battle which was published in the Charles City Intelligencer Nov. 21st, 1861.

"Lieut. Col. August Wentz was killed by a bullet hitting him in the side he fell mortally wounded. At that time the enemy had received the reinforcements which compelled our forces to retire, and they had just fallen back from the camp. Col. "Wentz, but a short time previous, was urging his men to deeds of valor by referring to the battle of Wilson s Creek, saying: "The Iowa first did well at Springfield, but the Seventh are equaling them." When he fell mortally wounded, the men sprung to bear him away, when he forbade them, saying: "Let me alone, boys, I want to die on the battle held." These were his last words.

The next day the wife of Col. Wentz obtained a pass from one of the staff officers, and went to Columbus on the steamer Memphis for the body of her husband. Every courtesy the occasion demanded was paid her by the rebel officers. A Lieut. Col. of one of the regiments accompanied her to the battle field, where she found the body, robbed of its clothing, and ordered it taken to the boat, on which it returned to Cairo."