USA > Iowa > Story County > A history of Story county, Iowa: Carefully compiled, from the earliest settlement to the present, March 1, 1887. > Part 7
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58
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
try the experiment of burning coal. March 25, 1865, several teams started from Nevada freighted for Denver.
MILITARY HISTORY.
At the beginning of the war for the Union Story County was but sparsely settled, having a population of less than 800 voters. This was before the days of railroad and telegraph communication in this part of Iowa, and our only reliance for the news of the day was a semi-weekly hack line from Marshalltown to the Missouri River, leaving mail at Nevada, College Farm, and New Philadel- phia. It was several days after the firing on Fort Sumpter before our people were fully aware as to what had occurred, but on learn- ing the particulars their patriotism was at once awakened and all were alive to the duties of the hour. Men who had always acted in sympathy with the people of the South instantly changed, and were among the first to offer their services to the Government. Under the first call for three months' volunteers, the regiment assigned to Iowa could have been filled in Story County. A com- pany was organized under this call at Nevada, and Messrs. John John Scott, Paul A. Queal, and George Childs were appointed a committee to go to Des Moines and tender its services to the Gov- ernor. On reaching the Capital they found that the three months' regiment was already full and running over, but that another call had been made by President Lincoln for three years men, and that thereunder two regiments had been assigned to Iowa. Governor Kirkwood agreed to accept from Captain Scott a company for one of those regiments, and the committee then returned and reported the facts, when there was a great thinning out from the ranks of those who had offered their services. They could stand it for three months, but "three years, or during the war," was a different thing. However, a company of one hundred could have been easily raised within the borders of our own county. At that time Boone and Story Counties formed a kind of a partnership, and Captain S. B. McCall had raised a company at Boonsboro, and as only one com- pany would be accepted from this part of the State, he brought about forty of his men to Nevada and joined Captain Scott's com- pany, which then organized by the election of John Scott, Captain; S. B. McCall, First Lieutenant; and W. A. Wise, of Iowa Cen- ter, Second Lieutenant. There was quite a scramble for those offices, but the war lasted long enough to enable those who were disappointed on this occasion to satisfy their ambition by getting like positions in other organizations. This company was enrolled at Nevada, by order of the Governor, the twenty-first day of May, 1861, and designated as Co. "E," 3rd Regiment Iowa Infantry, and ordered into quarters at Keokuk same day. It left Nevada, Tues- day, May 28th, in wagons for Keokuk. At Iowa Center the citizens had prepared a bounteous supper and entertained the company in good style. Arrived at Keokuk June 1st, and was mustered into the United States service June 8, 1861, and the regiment was then organized and Captain Scott was then made its Lieutenant Colonel.
59
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
Lieutenant McCall was then made Captain of the company, and George W. Crossley, of Nevada, First Lieutenant. Lieutenant Crossley was afterwards promoted to be Major of the regiment. The regiment left Keokuk the last of June for the South, and from that time until the grand review at Washington in May, 1865, it was on the move and always in front. Its first battle was at Blue Mills, Missouri; its last in North Carolina. It was in the battle of Shiloh, siege of Corinth, and with Hurlbut on the Hatchie; with Grant at Vicksburg, and Banks on Red River; in Lauman's reck- less charge at Jackson, and Sherman's march to Meridian. It marched all the way with Sherman from Clifton, near Donnelson, on the Tennessee, to Washington, on the Potomac, via Chatta- nooga, Atlanta, Savannah, Columbia, Goldsboro, and Raleigh. It engaged in all the important events of that campaign, and during this march the regiment went out of existence. At Atlanta all its commissioned officers present were killed, and it was then consoli- dated with the 2d Veteran Infantry, forming Companies "A," " "F,"
and "P," of that regiment, Co. "E" being a part of Co. "A" as then organized. The Story County boys who went out in this company saw service in every State south of Mason and Dixon's line, except Florida; and out of fifty who enlisted from the county only ten returned with the company in July, 1865; others had preceded them, having been discharged on account of disease and wounds received in battle. But the following, who will always live in the memories of their friends and comrades, who went forth with strong hands and brave hearts but will never return, viz: Nathaniel Jennings, Elisha B. Craig, George W. Grove, Henry H. Halley, Wm. B. Taylor, Lewis M. Vincent, Asa Walker, Wm. R. White, Thomas Dent, and Thomas M. Davis. Some of them died in battle, others of disease, and one, the last named, succumbed to the horrible treat- ment at Andersonville Prison.
Our County being but sparsely settled offered a foraging field for recruiting agents from other counties and in consequence our volunteers were widely distributed in a large number of regiments. The 1st, 2d, 3d, 10th, 11th, 12th 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 23d, 32d, 37th, 40th, 44th, 47th, and 48th regiments of Infantry; the 2d and 4th Artillery; and 2d, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Cavalry -- all having more or less Story County men in them. In the 10th were quite a number scattered in three different com- panies, but not enough in any one to claim it as a Story County organization. ' Paul A. Queal raised about forty men who were as- signed to Co. "B," 2d Cavalry. of which he was made first Lieuten- ant and afterward Captain. This company was mustered into the United States service August 31, 1861, and during the fall and win- ter of that year, operated in Missouri. In the spring and summer of 1862 it did valuable service in the seige of Corinth, and suffered severely in the battle of Farrington. After the evacuation of Corinth it was busy scouting in Mississippi and Tennessee, and participated in innumerable skirmishes and raids, engaging the
V
60
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
Rebel General Forrest on several occasions. It was in the battle of Nashville in December, 1864, and lost heavily. It was among the best Cavalry organization in the army, and was busy until the close of the war. The only citizens of our county who lost their lives while in this company were Captain P. A. Queal, who died of disease, and Archilles M. See, who was taken prisoner and died from the effects of prison treatment after reaching our lines at Annap- olis, Md. James C. McHone, a member of this company deserted, and was never heard of afterwards. About one-half of Co. "A," 23d Infantry were Story County men, recruited by Deville P. Ballard, who was appointed First Lieutenant of the company. This organization was mustered into the United States service September 19, 1862, and went immediately to the front. During the fall and winter of 1862-3, it operated in Southern Missouri, and joined in the cam- paign against Vicksburg during the spring and summer of 1863. It fought nobly at Port Gibson, Black River Bridge and Milliken's Bend, meeting with great loss. It was also at Champion Hills and Jackson. After the capture of Vicksburg it went to New Orleans, and thereafter operated extensively in Louisiana and Texas, being several times engaged and always doing its whole duty. Among our noble citizens who went out in this company, but did not return, and whose remains repose on the banks of the Mississippi, from St. Louis to the Gulf of Mexico, and on the borders of the Gulf to the mouth of the Rio Grand, may be mentioned Harvey J. Heistand, Charles P. Miller, Geo. W. Smiley, James Bevington, Pierson Brown, Henry Barber, D. V. Foster, J. R. Foster, J. A. Grove, Thos. J. Harrison, Toor Hegland, J. P. Jenkins, A. Kintzly, Daniel M. McCoy, Christ Ness, Levi J. Stratton, O. Scott, O. Week, and Collins Snyder, all of Co. "A." Augusta B. Illingsworth, Elias Ersland, David A. Breezley and Wm. Sunday of Co. "E"; and Jno. Ballard and Wm. Mencer of Co. "B"; John Yocum, of Co. "C"; and John See, I. N. Shenkee. and Chas. E. Culver, of Co. "K." C. P. McCord was a member of this company, and lost a leg at Black River Bridge, and R. May, Co. "A" lost an arm at the same time. Company "K" of the 32nd Infantry was almost exclusively a Story County organization. Rev. Joseph Cadwallader was its first Captain, and Geo. Childs its 2nd Lieutenant. After about one year's service Capt. Cadwallader resigned to accept the position of Chaplain of regiment which was more in keeping with his calling, and Lieut. Gideon Wheeler, of Marshall County, was then made Captain, Lieutenant Childs, 1st. Lieutenant, and V. Tomlinson, 2nd Lieutenant. This company was mustered into service October 2, 1862, and immediately went south with the regiment, and for more than a year, until February 1864, did post duty at New Madrid, Island No. 10, Ft. Pillow, Columbus and other points along the Mississippi.
This was known as Scott's regiment, Col. John Scott, of Nevada, being its Colonel, who had command of the regiment until after the Red River expedition in May, 1864. Capt. T. C. McCall was its Quartermaster until promoted Captain and A. Q. M. in March
61
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
1864. Although the first year of its service was one of apparent in- activity it more than made up for this by extraordinary activity during the remainder of the war.
In the year 1864 it probably traversed as wide an extent of terri- tory, and was in as many engagements as any other regiment in the service. At the opening of this year it was stationed in de- tachments along the Mississippi, in Missouri, Kentucky and Ten- nessee. In February it made the march with Sherman to Meridian, which occupied the whole month. March, April and May were occupied with Bank's expedition up Red River, where it fought valiantly at Fort De Russy, Pleasant Hill, Cruthersville, Bayou Rolerts, Marksville and Yellow Bayou. It is conceded that it saved the day for the Federal troops at Pleasant Hill. In June it participated in the battle of Lake Chicot, Arkansas; and in July was engaged at Tupelo and Old Town Creek, Miss., and in August was in the raid on Oxford, Miss. In September and October it marched over seven hundred miles in driving Price out of Missouri. In November it joined Thomas at Nashville, Tenn., and was en- gaged in the battles at that place on the fifteenth and sixteenth of December. It distinguished itself on this last occasion by the capture of a battery of five guns and fifty prisoners. After resting a month at Eastport, Miss., it went to New Orleans and joined in the expe- dition against Mobile, and was in the assault on Ft. Blakely. It then went to Montgomery where it remained until ordered mustered out in August 1865.
That this organization nobly did its whole duty and was in the thickest of the fight is attested by its long mortality list in which appears the names of the following Story County men:
N. A. Mount, O. Egland, E. Modlin, F. M. Anderson, Wm. C. Ballard, D. J. Bloys, F. S. Daniels, H. Elliason, Peter Egland, H. B. Henryson, E. Hefley, J. R. Hand, Wm. L. Lemmon, Wm. Pierce, C. M. Sellers, J. Sorter, N. A. Tichenor and John S. Wood.
The Story County boys in the Tenth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Four- teenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Thirty-ninth Regiments of Infan- try, and Eighth Cavalry and other Regiments, did equally as good service, and were in as many hard fought battles as any of the organizations mentioned. They each have a history of thrilling interest, and in order to fully preserve it for the information of coming generations it should all be written out and published, but lack of space in a work of this kind forbids giving a full history of those organizations, or even making what has been attempted as full and complete as justice demands.
There are scores of individual cases entitled to special mention, and enough of entertaining matter might be written on those cases to fill a good sized volume, but we must desist from entering on that branch on this occasion. The list of dead belonging to our county, not already given, as near as I am able to ascertain, is as follows:
Wm. Crum and Wm. Tanner, Company A, Tenth Infantry; B. F. Craig and H. Howard, Company D, Tenth Infantry; S. Kelley,
62
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
Company K, Tenth Infantry; R. D. Casebolt, James T. Mount, S. D. Allen, Company E, Thirteenth Infantry; Sam W. Jenks, J. J. Aldrege, Thomas Snelling, John T. Shumaker, H. Spangler, J. L. Martin, George Lowell and Z. F. Martin, Company G, Fourteenth Infantry; E. Elliott, Company B, Fifteenth Infantry; H. Hunt, Company I, Nineteenth Infantry, (died in prison at Tyler, Texas); David C. Vail, Company G, Fourteenth Infantry, (died at same place); Marcus D. Cong, F. Lowell and D. Womack, Company B, Thirty-ninth Infantry; Thomas Fatland, Company F, Forty-seventh . Infantry; Wm. Keltner, Company G, Seventh Cavalry; A. G. Briley and S. P. Shaw, Company I, Eighth Cavalry; Wm. C. Evans, Com- pany H, Ninth Cavalry; Lieutenant Jason D. Ferguson, of the Twelfth Infantry, was killed at Shiloh.
THE DRAFT.
In casting up accounts in 1864, it was determined by the powers that be that Story County had not furnished her full quota of vol- unteers, and that a certain number must be forthcoming within a given time, or a draft would be necessary. This announcement caused great consternation among the home guards, and a regular epidemic appeared to have at once broke out all over the county among those who had heretofore been considered in good health. Doctors were in great demand, and they reaped a rich harvest. Nearly everybody turned agent and tried to prevail on his neighbor to enlist. Great was the running to and fro, and finally only twenty were wanting to make out the required number, and the draft was ordered, and that number of our patriotic citizens were drafted; some of the unlucky ones submitted to it gracefully, and some who had the funds hired substitutes. This ordeal having passed, quiet reigned. and people became more healthy. It was afterwards found that the draft was a mistake, as our county had already furnished more than its quota, but some sixty odd who had enlisted from this county had been wrongfully placed to the credit of adjoining coun- ties, and had the proper credit been given the draft would not have been a part of our history. On the whole, Story County may be well proud of her military record. Not an important battle was fought, nor an important event occurred during the whole war in which some of her citizens did not take an active part. They were with the immortal Lyon at Wilson's Creek; with Gen. Grant at Ft. Henry, Donnelson, Shiloh, and siege of Corinth; with Rosecrans at Inka and Chicamauga; with Sherman in his first attack on Vicks- burg, and in when it surrendered to Grant; with Hooker on Look- out Mountain, and with Thomas when he scaled the heights at Mission Ridge, and with Sherman from Chattanooga to the sea, and engaged in every battle in that memorable campaign, with brave Corse at Altoona Pass when Sherman signalled from Kenesaw to " Hold the Fort for I am Coming;" with Sherman at Columbia and Goldsboro, and with Grant at Appomattox. They experienced the horrors at Libby, Belle Isle and Andersonville, and joined in the triumphal march in the Grand Review at Washington. In all
63
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
these phases of the war the citizens soldiery from Story County sustained a conspicuous part, and returned at the end to their homes, resuming their quiet and peaceful vocations as though they had only been absent on a holiday excursion. The county provided liberally out of her revenues for all her volunteers. December, 1863, our Board of Supervisors passed a resolution giving to each volunteer who should thereafter enlist $100, and in case he was a married man $50 in addition thereto, and also to the family of each married man then in the service, was given one hundred dollars. Also in January, 1867, our board made a further appropriation, giving to each person who had been a soldier an amount equal to that received by those who had been paid under the first resolu- tion. Under all these appropriations there was paid out of the county treasury to soldiers' widows and orphans something over $46,000.
STATISTICS.
As showing the rate of improvement in the county, the follow- ing tables may be of interest. They are taken from the books of the County Auditor, and estimating the assessment at forty per cent we have total values in 1876 as follows:
Value of real estate
. $7,242,198
Value of personalty.
1,966,332
Paying annually in taxes about.
100,000
Having a present population, about 15,000.
ASSESSED VALUATION.
YEARS.
LANDS.
LOTS.
PERSONAL.
TOTALS.
1860.
$
1,026,237 $
62,189|$
125,247| $
1,213,675
1864.
1,155,669
42,227
215,351
1,413,247
1867.
1,422,469
74.818
314,301
1,811,588
1870.
1,977,681
117,428
476,604
2,571,703
1873.
2,520,182
165,739
450,534
3,146,455
1875.
2,706,060
187,104
589,950
3,473,114
1876.
2,709,375
'187,104
655,444
3,551,923
TOTAL TAXES AND POPULATION.
YEARS.
TAXES.
POPULATION.
YEARS.
TAXES.
POPULATION.
1855.
$
3,990.30
1,568
1866.
$ 46,228.14|
5,914
1859.
14,823.04
3,826
1870.
100,318 37
11,651
1862.
16,439.88
4,300
1873.
86,311.75
11,519
1864.
29,145.49|
5,000
1875.
97,683.06|
13,311
EXPLANATION.
The short notice I had that this labor would be requested of me, the haste with which the matter has been gathered from many sources, the necessity of placing it in the hands of the printer as soon as it could be collected, offering no time for comparison, cor-
64
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
rection or arrangement, the limited space afforded, and press of other business on my attention, must be my apology for the incomplete- ness of the treatment on this subject. It would be interesting to gather many additional facts that are now accessible if one had leisure to do so, but the " old settlers " will not write them, and therefore it would require considerable labor to get them in form. I am under obligations to Judge Evans, T. E. Alderman, J. A. Fitchpatrick, John R. Hays, T. J. Ross, T. C. McCall, Rev. J. Reid, Judge Mitchell, John Connelly, H. C. Wickham, R. H. Rob- inson, T. C. Davis, J. H. Talbott, Joshua Cooper, S. F. Balliet, John Evanson, A. Duff, N. R. Griffin and others for assistance and items. Also to Mr. Gallup for the files in his office. If there are many interesting facts not noted, and even whole neighborhoods un- noticed, it must be imputed to my having been unable to get any response to my appeals for help. (Signed.)
JOHN SCOTT.
65
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
A HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT
-- OF-
LAFAYETTE AND HOWARD TOWNSHIPS,
STORY COUNTY, IOWA,
BY R. W. BALLARD, ESQ.,
AN OLD AND TRIED CITIZEN OF THE COUNTY AS WILL HEREAFTER APPEAR.
Robert Bracken, George and Daniel Prime, John, Jesse and Sam- formerly from Indiana, as most of the early settlers were,) were were in the spring of 1852 from Appanoose county, Iowa, (but " The first men looking for a location above John H. Keigley's " STORY CITY, Iowa, April 1886."
uel Smith, and viewing the county up near what is now Story City.
Mr. Bracken and George Prime liking it well thought they would
move in in the fall, but the Smiths and Daniel Prime thought they
would look farther, consequently went west into Kansas and Ne-
late in the fall to find their claims (as Bracken and Geo. Prime braska, and not liking it west as well as they did here, returned
made claims) taken possession of by three families of Quakers who came in the last of August. They came from the south, stopping
they left, and leaving the first settlement to be made by Robert and ley's, there being too many for the Quakers and being non-residents does, he being the only settler between Squire Corey's and Keig- over a few days with Wm. Arra Smith who lived where he now
Lafayette Township, this county, none of them living here at Samuel Smith, all men of families who located in what became William Bracken, George and Daniel Prime, John, Jesse and
present, and only Robert Bracken residing here till death. They located on the following lands : Robert Bracken on nw & sec. 18, 85-23 ; Samuel Smith on the se } of same section ; Jesse Smith on the ne 4 sec. 19, 85-22 ; John Smith the se & sec. 13, 85-24 ; George Prime on ne } of the same section ; Daniel Prime on nw 4 sec. 6, 85-23. Following them came in the year
Isaac Blades, Jonah Griffith, H. L. Boyes, Joseph Brouhard, who more sons with him, James, Isaac and Fletcher, and a son-in-law, 1853 James C. Smith (father of the former Smith), bringing three
located on the following lands : Isaac Smith at Bear Grove, where he killed a black bear that gave the creek and grove their name, on
5
1
66
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
se 4 sec. 28, 85-23 ; James C. Smith on sw 4 sec. 18; Jonah Griffith on sw 4 sec. 19; Isaac Blades on se 4 sec. 30, all in 85-23 ; Joseph Brouhard on sec. 6, ne}, Milford township, at Spring Grove ; H. L. Boyes above Spring Grove, on Bear Creek, in Howard Township. The third corps of settlers that came in 1854, were N. N. Sheffield, La Count Lambert, the man who built the first house at Story City (formerly Fairview). The house was made by setting four crotches in the ground and covering with prairie grass, and siding up with quilts and carpeting. About this. time Geo. W. Sowers, a Mr. Brown and others came in, Mr. Brown building the first water-power saw-mill in this part of the county ; it was north and east of the artesian well at Story City. It never sawed but very little as the fall of water was not sufficient to give power to the water-wheel. From 1855 to 1857 will include most of the early settlers, some of whom, in '55 were John James, Sam- uel Bates, James McGee, Hiram Ferguson, R. W. Ballard, and others.
" One incident in Iowa I shall not forget : I had been here ten days, and living in my wagon, I was warned out to work the high- way which I thought made a citizen of me too soon. About this time J. C. Smith contemplated building a grist-mill, and, in the spring of 1856, commenced the work and had it in running order in November following. Now this was not a patent roller flouring mill,-I would not have you think it was not a flouring mill. To us it was a convenience not enjoyed by every community, for they came long distances to it. It was a water mill run by the water of Long Dick Creek one-half mile above its mouth. Its dimensions were about 16x20 feet, built of logs one-story higli, roof made of shakes or clap-boards, as some call them. The burrs were made from boulders found on the prairie, and would grind from five to twelve bushels per day, owing to what condition the dam and water were in, the dam being very difficult to keep in repair, consequently the first year was not a very successful year for the owner, yet it would crack two kernels of corn into three for one of them, after paying from $1.00 to $1.50 per bushel for the corn in the ear, providing yourself and team would work on the mill dam a day or during the time they were grinding your grist. Such were the privileges of the pioneers. During the year there was an influx of immigration. Our friends and neighbors, the Norwegians, came in, viz: Jonas Duea, Paul Thompson, Mons C. Grove, E. R. Sheldall and others, and in the meantime there had been a small store started at Fairview by one Jennis, and a steam saw-mill by a Mr. House. The mill remained but a short time, perhaps two or three months. It left between two days. Late in the year, or early in 1857, the post-office was established at Fair- view. Frederick W. Rhoads was the first postmaster.
" Henry Burham was the first justice of the peace in this part of the county. Noah Harding, township clerk. In the year 1858 he was a candidate again, myself the opposing candidate (he not want-
67
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
ing it), and up to one o'clock on election day nearly half of the votes were polled of which I had a large majority. About that time a man known as " Whisky Jim B-" arrived with a half barrel of whisky, and there was a general time of imbibing, and at the close of the election I was counted out by one majority against me. So much for the " whisky argument." "About this time, 1857, Samuel Bates was appointed postmaster of Sheffield post- office, which was located then in what is now Howard Township. This office was vacated in 1866.
" Of the early settlers buried in the cemetery at the Sheffield School House are Robert Bracken, died 1874, aged 67; Jonah Griffith, died 1877, aged 67; N. N. Sheffield, died 1871, aged 70; M. R. Ballard, died 1878, aged 76; D. L. Stultz, died 1881. aged 49 ; Mathew Bates, died 1885, aged 58; Hiram Ferguson, died aged 542. Mr. Ferguson was a millwright. He built the saw-mill for J. Miller at or near Bloomington, the first good mill run by water in Story county. R. W. BALLARD."
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