USA > Iowa > An illustrated history of the state of Iowa, being a complete civil, political, and military history of the state, from its first exploration down to 1875; > Part 75
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*Mr. Le Clair was a remarkable liu- guist, considering his early opportui- ties for study, speaking a dozen dif- ferent Indian tongues, besides French and English, and served as interpre- ter in some seven different Indian treaties. In 1835, he sold to Col. George Davenport a portion of the town which bears the name of Daven-
*Annsis of lowa, 1863.
port; and from time to time he made additions to the original plat, till he became one of the greatest proprietors in Iowa, perhaps the largest, includ- ing the site of Le Clair, which also grew to a large town. In 1836, he built the hotel which bears his name, to which, addition to addition has been made, including the whole side of the hlock. And to every branch of business, he has extended aid by helping worthy and enterprising men, as also to the churches of the city, for to them he was particularly liberal, es- pecially to those of his own creed, he being a Roman Catholic. Mr. Le Clair died on the 25th of Sept., 1861, suddenly, at last, with a third attack of a paralytic disease. His funeral was attended by a multitude of citi- zens and old settlers of the county.
Geo. L. Davenport, Esq .- George L. Davenport is the oldest son of Col George Davenport, being born on Rock Island, in 1817, and the first white person horn in this region. His earliest playmates were Indian boys, whose language he learned almost as soon as his mother tongue, the Eng. lish. He was very early adopted among the Sac and Fox Indians, ac- cording to the custom with favorites, and named "Musquake." After one year's schooling away from home, in Cincinnati, at ten years of age, he was put into the store of the American Fur Company, at Rock Island, where he continued ten years, and till it was removed to the Des Moines river. He made frequent trips thither, and to trading posts along that river, with goods; and, in 1837, accompanied the Sac and Fox delegation of Indians to Washington, and other eastern cities. The first "claim " in Iowa was made by him, in 1832. On his return from the east, he resided on it, to secure the right of preëmption; and, in 1838, entered the store of Messrs. Daven- port and Le Clair. In 1839, he was married, and began business for hin- self, which he pursued constantly for several years. In 1850, with Mr. Le Clair, he erected the first foundry and machine shop in the city of Daven- port, but subsequently sold his inter- est and retired from active business. As a capitalist, he has done mnuch for the improvement of the city of Dav- enport, by building a fine block, by a
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liberal encouragement of every good enterprise, by courtesy and informa- tion freely bestowed on visitors to this country. His acquaintance with In- dian tongues must have made him serviceable to the United States gov- ernment, and the country, in quelling the Indian troubles in Minnesota, and in averting the savage warfare of the Indians against the white population.
Willard Barrows, Esq .* Willard Barrows was born at Munson, Mass., in 1806. He received a thorough edu- cation in the common schools and ac- ademies of New England. In 1827, he settled in Elizabethtown, N. J., where he taught school for several years; and was married in 1832. Se- lecting the pursuit of engineering and surveying, he engaged in a contract with the government to finish the sur- veys of the Choctaw Indian Purchase, in the cypress swamps and canebrakes on the Yazoo and Sunflower rivers. In 1837, he was occupied in the first surveys of Iowa by the government, and spent the winter on the Wapsi- pinicon river, and in July, 1838, he settled with his family in Rocking- ham, five miles below Davenport. In 1840, Mr. Barrows surveyed the islands of the Mississippi, from the mouth of the Rock river to Quincy, Ill. In 1841-2, the public surveys being sus- pended, he engaged in farming, and held the office of justice of the peace. of postmaster and notary public, at Rockingham, in which he continued till 1843, when he entered upon the survey of the Kickapoo country, north of the Wisconsin river. Afterwards, Mr. Barrows traversed northern Iowa, then in possession of the Indian tribes, with a view to a knowledge of the re- gion. "Barrow's New Map of Iowa, with Notes," was published, in 1854, by Doolittle & Munson, Cincinnati, and it was considered of so much im- portance that the legislature of Iowa ordered copies of it for the members of both houses, and also for the state officers. This work, together with let- ters published in the Davenport Demo- crat, from California, whither he went in 1850, by the overland route, endur- ing almost incredible hardships, and returning by Mexico and Cuba, and also some communications for the press, of a scientific character, consti- * Annals of Iowa, 1863.
tute, along with the History of Scott county, Iowa, published in the Annals of Iowa, the chief literary productions of Mr. Barrows, all descriptive of new parts of our country. At intervals, Mr. Barrows has turned his attention to land business, with success. His sub- urban residence and grounds are situ- ated southwest of' Davenport, where he enjoys the fruits of his past activity and enterprise.
Hon. Hiram Price. Hon. Hiram Price, of Davenport, Iowa, was born the 10th of January, 1814, in Wash- ington county Pennsylvania. At five years of age he was taken to Mifflin county ; and three years after to Hun- tington county in the old Keystone state, whence in the autumn of 1844, he removed to Davenport, which has ever since been his place of residence. On coming to Davenport, his capital of trade, as a merchant, was only one hundred dollars. But his business talent, his stern integrity, his resolute perseverance and entire temperance, made him successful in accumulating a handsome fortune from his small pecuniary beginning, continuing his mercantile pursuit only until 1848. In 1847, he was elected the first school fund commissioner of Scott county, which office he held for nine years. In 1848, he was chosen recorder and treasurer of Scott county, filling that position for eight years, and then de- clining a reelection. Mr. Price was connected from the first, with the en- terprise of the Mississippi and Mis- souri railroad, procuring the right of way along the route from Davenport to Council Bluffs, and raising up friends for the great undertaking. For several years he was treasurer of the corporation, having in charge its con. struction as well as director of the same, being one of its original corpo- rators. In 1862, he was the success- ful candidate for representative to congress, in the district where Daven- port is located. Mr. Price is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a firm supporter of re- ligion and all benevolent institutions of the day, as well as of the temper- ance cause, in which he has been an early and efficient actor.
Col. D. S. Wilson. Col. D. S. Wil- son was born at Steubenville, Jefferson
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county, Ohio, in 1823, and emigrated | tionary sires, his grandfathers on the to Dubuque, in the territory of Iowa, while a boy. Before the age of twenty- one, he was the editor of the Miners' Express, one of the earliest papers pub- lished in Iowa. Just after reaching his majority, he was elected to the house of representatives of the territo- rial legislature. He served several sessions while the capital was at Iowa City, always being placed as chair- man on important standing commit- tees, and acting a prominent part in the legislation of the state. In 1846, in connection with others, he raised a company of volunteers, and tendered their services to go to Mexico. Being unable to get this company into service for the Mexican war, it was sent to Fort Atkinson, in Iowa, where they relieved the late lamented Gen. Sumner, who then went with the regulars under his command, to Mexico. Col. Wilson and his com. pany remained at Fort Atkinson, in charge of the Winnebago Indians, for two years and several months, and re- moved these Indians to Long Prairie, Minnesota. Several of our respected citizens were at Fort Atkinson with him, then Lieut. D. S. Wilson. Lat- terly Col. Wilson has devoted himself to the practice of law at Dubuqne, and the law firm, with which he has been connected as senior partner, has done as large a business as any in the state. From 1860 to 1862, Col. Wilson repre- sented Dubuque county in the senate of the State. In the revision of the code in 1860, he took an active and important part. In the extra session of 1861, after the breaking out of the rebellion, Col. Wilson, with other democrats, rose above party, and pat- riotically voted for all supplies deemed necessary to carry on the war. Col. Wilson was commissioned by Secre- tary Stanton to raise a regiment of cavalry in Iowa, and was sent to the warfare with the hostile Indians, on the western frontier. For this he was admirably fitted by his acquaintance with Indian character and military experience.
Brig. Gen. Benjamin Stone Rob- erts. This officer was born in Man- chester, Vt., on the 18th of November, 1810. His father, Gen. Martin Rob- erts, was a native of the same town. He is descended directly from revolu-
father's and mother's side having been soldiers in the war of the revolution. Gen. Roberts was educated at West Point, graduated in 1835, and was commissioned 2d lieutenant in the 1st regiment of dragoons. He resigned in 1839, and was appointed by the governor of New York principal en- gineer on the Ogdensburg and Cham- plain Railroad. In 1840, he was ap- pointed assistant geologist of the state of New York, and assigned especially to the mineralogical survey of Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. He entered the law office of Gen. Skinner at Plattsburg, N. Y., and there devot- ed all his leisure hours to the study of law, with a view to that profession for life. In 1842, he was induced to visit Russia, under assurances that his ser- vices would be accepted by the em- peror on the great railroads then in process of construction, but Gen. Roberts could not make satisfactory terms with the Russian government owing to the requirement of the oath of allegiance. In the spring of 1843, he completed his law studies, and the following year was admitted to the practice of law, and established him- self at Fort Madison, Lee county, Iowa, and thus became one of the first and oldest settlers and citizens of Iowa. In 1846, at the breaking out of the Mexican war, he was by President Polk, appointed 1st lieutenant in the regiment of mounted riflemen. With that regiment that bore a more than notable share in the hardships, glories and successes of Gen. Scott's cam- paign and conquest of Mexico, he was not the least distinguished of its officers. Gen. Roberts was brevetted a major and lieutenant general in the regular army, by President Polk, in consideration of his services in Gen. Scott's campaign. He was presented by the legislature of Iowa, in 1849, a resolution of thanks for his services in the capture of the city of Mexico, and afterwards with a sword of honor, pre- sented by its representatives in con- gress at the capitol in Washington. At the breaking out of the rebellion, Gen. Roberts was on duty with his regiment in New Mexico, and by his prudence, energy and foresight, the designs of the commanding officer of that department and his traitorous ac- complices, to turn that country over
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to the southern confederacy, with its troops, arms, forts, and supplies, were defeated. Our limits forbid our en- tering into the details of the military history of Gen. Roberts. The follow- ing extract from the official report of Gen. Pope will show in what estima- tion his services were held, during that memorable campaign of the army of the Potomac, in eastern Virginia, in which Gen. Roberts bore so con- spicuous a part. "To Brig. Gen. Roberts, in particular, I am indebted for services, marked throughout by skill, courage, energy and judgment, and worthy of the solid reputation as soldier, he has acquired by many pre- vious years of faithful and distin- guished militaty service."
Hon. G. C. R. Mitchell. Judge Mitchell was born December 26, 1803, at Danbridge, Jefferson county, East Tennessee. He was educated at East Tennessee College (now "East Ten- nessee University "), in Knoxville, Tenn., and was a member of its first graduating class in the fall of 1822. His parents having removed to Law- rence county, Ala., he proceeded thither after graduating, and com- menced studying law with Judge A. F. Hopkins, now of Mobile, and was admitted to practice in 1825. He practiced in Alabama until 1834, and spent a winter in a tour among the eastern cities, and in the spring of 1835. came west, after visiting St. Louis, Chicago, Galena and Dubuque. Liking this portion of the country, and anticipating the results of its ad- mirable location, he purchased a squatter's right, the tract of land upon which he at present resides. He erect- ed a cabin, which stood on Fifth street, just west of De Soto street, and resided in it until 1837, or two years. At that time, what now constitutes Iowa was attached to Michigan, and until Wisconsin was formed, there were neither laws nor officers of any kind west of the Mississippi. For several years the principal profession- al business of lawyers in the territory was limited to litigation in regard to claim titles, or "squatters' rights." Judge Mitchell added to this species of practice, somewhat, in the courts of Rock Island county, which were at that time organized. In 1843, he was elected to the house of representa-
tives of the Iowa territorial legisla- ture. He was nominated as congres- sional representative from the state in 1846, but was defeated. He was elect- ed mayor of Davenport in 1856, and in April, 1857, was nominated by a meeting of the bar, and elected judge of the 14th judicial district, composed of the counties of Scott, Clinton and Jackson. He was elected to this office by a handsome majority, although the republican party nominated and ran a party opposition candidate, and had a large majority upon almost every one of their ticket. He filled this office until the fall of 1857, and then resign- ed, owing to ill health, and with a de- sign of removing to a warmer climate. Judge Mitchell was always a whig un- til that party dissolved, or became in- ducted with free soilism, and other of its modern characteristics; since then he has acted with the democratic par- ty in full faith in its nationality. As a jurist, Judge Mitchell takes a high position - he is profoundly discrim- inative, a keen, careful analyst, and one whose deductions are always re- liably correct.
Capt. Hosea B. Horn. Capt. Hosea B. Horn was born near Harrodsburg, the seat of Justice of Mercer county, Kentucky, on the 3d of December, 1820. His father, named John, and his grandfather, Phillip Horn, were of German descent, and natives of Frederick county, Maryland. Both were farmers, the grandfather having fought in the army of the Revolution, and both of them were one year in the war of 1812, and at the battle of New Orleans, after their removal to the country near Harrodsburg, Ky., where the family settled, in the year 1800, when John was six years old. The mother of Capt. Horn was the daugh- ter of Turner Bottom, of English pa- rentage and birth, in Henrico county, Virginia, whence he emigrated to Mercer county, Ky., in 1794, where she was born the following year. As Ken- tucky afforded but few facilities for education, during young Horn's boy- hood, he never had the advantages of common school education, nor of at- tending any school, being chiefly in- structed by his mother at home, and self taught by reading and study, till apprenticed to Mr. Jesse Head of Har- rodsburg, Ky., in the printing bus-
44
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iness, at the age of fifteen. In the | printing office, he had some assistance from others in the same employment, and by personal attention to books through early life, he acquired what may well be termed self education. His father having removed to Iudiana, in 1839, being a young man of nineteen, he entered the office of the clerk of the circuit court of Bartholemew coun- ty, in that state, where he remained about five years. In the spring of 1844, with Mr. H. C. Child, he edited and published a weekly political news- paper in Columbus, Ind., devoted to the cause of the whig party, and advo- cating the election of Henry Clay to the presidency of the United States. In the autumn of 1845, he disposed of his interest in that paper, removed to Davis county, Iowa, where he was ad- mitted to the bar. He was married Dec. 9, 1847, to Miss Margaret Weaver, daughter of Judge Abram Weaver. In 1850, he made a trip overland to California; his notes of travel were publishsd as " Horn's Overland Guide to California." On his return to Bloomfield, Davis county, Iowa, he engaged in mercantile business till 1860. In 1852, he was houored with the nomination for the office of state treasurer. In 1854, while engaged in merchandising, he found leisure to prepare and publish a Form Book for Justices of Peace and Constables, the first work of the kind issued in this state. In 1855 and 1856, Mr. Horn also edited the American Newspaper at Bloomfield, and the republican paper there in 1858. During the sum- mer of 1862, when the southern border of the state was in danger of invasion, Gov. Kirkwood gave Mr. Horn spe- cial authority to organize the militia of Davis county. And immediately after, the general assembly authorized the organization of the "Southern Border Brigade." Mr. Horn was com- missioned as captain of company A, in the second battalion, and the com- panics composing that battalion se- lected him as major, or officer of the highest rank in the brigade. But Gov. Kirkwood, from motives of economy, etc., concluded to have no higher rank than captain commissioned. It may be added that Mr. Horn held the office of postmaster at Bloomfield, and has been justice of the peace there; com- missioner to superintend the draft in
Davis county, in 1862, and enrolling officer in 1863.
Brig. Gen. Samuel A. Rice. Samuel Allen Rice was born in the village of Olean, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1828. He was the sixth of a family of cight children. His preparation for college was chiefly acquired at an ex- cellent seminary at Wheeling, W. Va., and he entered the state university of Ohio, at Athens, and graduated in reg- ular course. He then attended Union College, at Schenectady, N. Y., and graduated in 1849. His choice of a profession was that of law, and he at- tended Fowler's Law School, and af- terwards read law in the office of Z. Jacobs, Esq., at Wheeling, Va. Hav- ing acquired sufficient kuowledge of law to enter upon his profession, he went to Iowa, in 1850, and commenced to practice at Fairfield, in Jefferson county. Here he also edited, or as- sisted in the editing of a journal which advocated the principles of the whig party. In 1852, he went to Os- kaloosa, then a small village, and made that place his home. Herc he entered into partnership with Lieut. Gov. E. W. Eastman, and speedily gained an honorable position at the bar, and a lucrative practice. In 1854, he was married to a daughter of the Rev. James Alexander. Upon the for- mation of the republican party, he at once identified himself with the new organization. In 1856, and again in 1858, he was elected attorney general of the state. In 1862, he was nomi- nated as candidate for congress, but was defeated. He received the com- mission of colonel of the 33d Iowa infantry, Aug. 10, 1862, and within a month the regiment was fully organ- ized. We have not space to give Gen. Rice's military history in detail, but refer the reader to Annals of Iowa for Jan., 1865, for further information. His death, which occurred July 6, 1864, was the result of wounds received at the battle of Pine Bluff.
James L. Langworthy. The an- cestors of James Lyon Langworthy were originally from Wales, in the west of England. His father, Dr. Stephen Langworthy, resided at Windsor, in that state, and James, the eldest of his children, was born there ou the 20th of January, 1800. While
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a youth, his parents removed to St. Lawrence county, N. Y., thence to Erie county, Penn., subsequently to Ohio, and, in the year 1820, to Ed- wardsville, Ill. James accompanied the family in these several migrations, but though cooperating thus far, cheerfully as a pioneer with his father, he longed to start out in life for him- self, and try his fortunes in the far west. Leaving the parental roof in 1821 or 1822, young Langworthy en- tered upon a career of his own, thus manifesting at an early period, that enterprise, activity, decision, and en- ergy, which afterwards formed the distinguishing traits of his character. In 1824, having learned of the lead mines of the northwest, he made his way to Galena, performing a large part of the journey on foot. Galena was then a small settlement, contain- ing four or five houses and a few shanties, all occupied by miners. Mr. Langworthy immediately engaged in mining, and thence forward identified himself with the mining interests of the northwest. In 1827, Mr. Lang- worthy was employed by the U. S. government to visit the different bands of Winnebago, Sac and Fox Indians, at the portage of the Fox and Wiscon- sin rivers, for the purpose of negotiat- ing a treaty with them, and to induce them to remove to other hunting grounds westward of the Mississippi. He accompanied Gen. Henry Dodge, who was subsequently governor of Wisconsin, and senator in congress from that state. The Indians assem- bled, and a treaty was entered into, which secured to the United States all northwestern Illinois and south- western Wisconsin. Mr. Langworthy returned to Galena, and engaged in mercantile pursuits, and afterwards in mining and smelting at Buncome- an almost forgotten locality, a few miles northeast of Galena, and sixteen miles from Mississippi river. In the latter business he was associated with his brother-in-law, Orrin Smith, Esq., afterwards known as one of the most successful pioneers in steamboat com- merce on the upper Mississippi. In 1829, Mr. Langworthy resolved to visit the famous Dubuque mines. Crossing the Mississippi at a point now known as Dunleith, in a canoe, and swim- ming his horse by its side, he landed at a spot now known as the Jones
street levee. Before him spread out a beautiful prairie, on which now stands the city of Dubuque. Two miles south at the mouth of Catfish creek, was an Indian village of Sacs and Foxes. Thither our adventurer pro- ceeded. Employing two young In- dians as guides, he traversed the whole region lying betwen the Ma- quoketa and Turkey rivers. In 1830, James L. Langworthy, his brother Lucius, and others, with the consent of the Indians, crossed the Missis- sippi and commenced mining in the vicinity around Dubuque. They con- tinued to work successfully until the winter of 1831, when the government ordered the miners to desist, and to remove from the territory west of the Mississippi. Mr. L. and his co-labor- ers obeyed the order, and abandoning their claims for a season, went to Galena. The Black Hawk war soon after broke out, and Mr. L. immedi- ately joined the volunteer force under Gen. Dodge, and rendered valuable services as a scout. He served through the whole campaign. After the treaty of Rock Island, Mr. L. and his brother pioneers took possession of their well earned mineral prospects and their homestead claims. In 1840, Mr. Langworthy married Miss Agnes Milne, a native of Edinburgh, Scot- land. The issue of this marriage is a son and three daughters, all of whom survive. From his permanent settlement in Dubuque, in 1833, he has been identified with every move- ment that was wisely designed to pro- mote the prosperity of our city. His death was sudden, unexpected, and occurred March 14, 1865.
Gen. G. M. Dodge. Grenville M. Dodge was born April 12, 1831, at Danvers, Massachusetts. He had the advantages of the common schools during the winters, and between the ages of ten and seventeen, worked in the summers at gardening and farm- ing, and as clerk in a general mercan- tile store. He occupied his leisure hours, during these seven years, in fitting himself for college, and, in 1847, entered the Norwich Military Univer- sity, of Vermont. In 1851, at the con- clusion of his studies, he emigrated to the west, and settled at Peru, Illinois, as a civil engineer. He participated in the construction of the Illinois Cen-
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tral, Chicago and Rock Island, and Peoria and Bureau Valley railroads, and in 1853, was appointed assistant engineer of the Mississippi and Mis- souri railroad of Iowa, now the Chica- go, Rock Island and Pacific railroad. He made the preliminary surveys of the latter road, across the state of Iowa, under the direction of Peter A. Dey, and upon the completion of the first line, moved into the state and located at Iowa City. In 1853, he made a reconnoissance west of the Missouri river, with a view of deter- mining the location of the great Pa- cific railroad of the future. So well satisfied was he of the course of the road, and its starting point on the Mis- souri river, that he determined to make his permanent location in Coun- cil Bluffs, Iowa, and November 11, 1854, he moved there with his wife. In the same month he made a claim, and opened a farm on the Elkhorn river, at the old ferry and military crossing, moving there February 1, 1855, and remaining until August 1, 1855, when the Indians drove him out, and he returned with his family to Council Bluffs. During portions of 1855, 1856 and 1857 he continued the survey and construction of the Mis- sissippi and Missouri railroad. In the mean time he took a prominent part in the growth and prosperity of Council Bluffs, where he was engaged in banking, real estate and mercantile business, and during his residence there he organized a military com. pany, called the Council Bluff's Guards. At the breaking out of the war in 1861, Capt. Dodge tendered the services of this company to the governor, as the nucleus of the 1st Iowa infantry. The governor declined to take any troops from the exposed western border of the state, but accepted his individual services, and sent him to Washington to arrange for the arming and equip- ment of the Iowa troops. His mission was successful, and while there, the secretary of war offered him a regi- ment. The governor of the state ap- proving, he raised the 4th Iowa in- fantry regiment, of which he was commissioned colonel, and also the 2d Iowa (Dodge's) battery. He marched in July, 1861, with this com- mand to northwestern Missouri, to drive out the confederate leader, Poin- dexter, who was threatening southern
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