In April of 1861 the Civil War began when Fort Sumter in South Carolina was attacked. The citizens of Cedar Falls had been expecting that war might be possible and had already started to organize their men into fighting units before the fall of Fort Sumter. "The first meeting of men who wanted to start a military company in Cedar Falls was held on the evening of 19 January 1861." (1) The reasons for the belief that war was a possibility stemmed from the fact that "Lincoln’s election (in 1860) was unacceptable to the South. A republican victory meant a war for Southern independence, a civil war." (2) This early organization of men provided the foundation upon which the soldiers from Cedar Falls was built. The men who formed themselves into a fighting unit in early 1861 took the name the Pioneer Greys for themselves. By the middle of April 1861, the order had come from Washington that each state in what remained of the Union was to muster a specific number of troops to fight in the war, with the number varying from state to state. Thus, Cedar Falls had anticipated the outbreak of war and was able to respond immediately to the President's call to arms. The Pioneer Greys left Cedar Falls on June 4th, 1861, and headed for Keokuk, where they joined with other soldiers from Iowa. The Pioneer Greys were to become a significant part of the 3rd Iowa Volunteer Infantry. The 3rd Iowa infantry certainly did not befit the description of an army unit at first.

They were an odd looking regiment: they had no arms and no regular uniforms. The companies made the formation a patchwork quilt of colors and styles. The Pioneer Greys wore their grey trousers, navy blue shirts, and caps. Another company wore dark blue coats with green trim and light blue trousers and caps . . . Others, like the Union Guards, simply wore their civilian clothing. (3)

    It would be several months before the soldiers of the 3rd Iowa would receive their muskets, let alone proper uniforms and equipment.