22 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



He had commenced studying law before he entered the 

 service, and upon his return to Oskaloosa resumed his 

 legal studies, under the already civilly distinguished 

 Samuel A. Rice. In August, 1862, Rice himself entered 

 the service and was commissioned colonel of the Thirty- 

 third regiment of Iowa Infantry, and young Lacey again 

 laid down his law books to enlist as a private under the 

 command of his preceptor, in Company D of that regi- 

 ment. He was soon made sergeant-major of the regi- 

 ment, and in May, 1863, was promoted and commissioned 

 first lieutenant of Company C, and later served as acting 

 adjutant of the regiment. Upon the promotion of Colonel 

 Rice to the position of brigadier-general, Adjutant Lacey 

 was promoted to a position on his staff, and continued as 

 such officer until the death of General Rice, resulting from 

 the mortal wound he received at the battle of Jenkin's 

 Ferry. When the general received that wound Major 

 Lacey was by Ins side and helped to carry him from that 

 bloody field. He was then appointed on the staff of Gen- 

 eral Frederick Steele as adjutant-general and served in 

 that capacity until after the fall of Richmond. During 

 this service he was brevetted major for gallantry on the 

 field of battle at the siege of Mobile, Alabama. This 

 special promotion was made at the personal request of 

 Major-General Canby. Shortly after the fall of Rich- 

 mond, General Grant, anticipating some trouble with 

 Mexico by reason of circumstances not necessary here to 

 relate, sent an army of about 40,000 men under General 

 Steele to make observations on the Rio Grande. Major 

 Lacey accompanied this expedition as assistant adjutant- 

 general. The headquarters of the Army of the Rio 

 Grande was Brownsville, Texas. From there Major 

 Lacey was transferred to the staff of General Phil Sheri- 

 dan, commanding the Division of the Southwest, at New 

 Orleans. In releasing Major Lacey from his staff, Gen- 



