USA > Iowa > Jackson County > Annals of Jackson county, Iowa, Vol 1-6 > Part 14
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On Rocky cliffs, in rebel land, Where naught but forests grow, There came a fierce and warlike band With cautious tread and slow.
With savage eye and darkened brow Proclaiming well their hate; They aimed the deadly cannons prow, Nor thought to find its mate.
But see! There comes a chosen few In Union's proud array, Whose trust in God full well they knew, Would help them win the day.
The carnage opens and the hail Falls thick and fast around: And o'er their heads the bomb shells sail, Or bursting shake the ground.
Among the foremost in the fight Was he who led our clan ; Who called us on to show our might, Nor flinch a single man.
The first he to raise his voice Against the Southern mob: Who seemed to show it as their choice To murder and to rob.
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But ah! A deadly musket ball Must pierce his manly breast, And with a kind farewell to all He sought the soldier's rest.
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Tell wife I bless her as I die, Was last our Captain said; And soon his noble form did lie Inanimate and dead.
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And now when martial notes do start Our blood to finger tips, We don't forget 'twas sad to part With the hero Captain Drips.
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Col. J. W. Jenkins, a Soldier and Pioneer.
(Written by Harvey Reid for the Jackson County Veteran Association.)
When the great calls for help to the armies came in the summer of 1865, Jackson county as a part of the loyal North, was thrown into a great fer- ment of patriotic ardor and excitement and her young men thronged to the recruiting stations in droves. The first companies that tilled, one in the southeast corner of the county and the other in the west, became A and I of the Twenty-fourth. Then the Clinton county 26th drew into its ranks almost an entire company (B) and several detached squads from Jackson county. But another company in Maquoketa, one in Andrew and one in Bellevue were also soon ready and were al! assigned to the 31st as F, I and K of that regiment. Three companies from one county in a regiment seem- ed in justice to demand that one, at least, of its field officers should be from that county. Gov. Kirkwood promptly recognized that demand and was not long in choosing a man whose quality and attainments conspicuously point- ed him out as fit for high command. He commissioned Hon. Jeremiah W. Jenkins, a prominent lawyer of Maquoketa, recently state senator from Jackson county, Lieutenant Colonel of the Ist Iowa Infantry, under date of Sept. 16, 1862.
Colonel Jenkins was born in Warren county, New York, in 1825, was graduated in a state normal school and had then studied law and been ad- mitted to the bar in his native state. About 1850 or 1851, he followed to Iowa two uncles, Alex and Jed H. Jenkins, who had become farmers near Maquoketa. Soon after the admission of Iowa as a state-about 1847-48-a project was approved by the new legislature to establish three state normal schools, one at Mt. Pleasant, one at Oskaloosa, and one at Andrew, Jackson county. It was required that each locality provide the necessary building without expense to the state. A small one story concrete building was erected at Andrew (it was afterwards used as a blacksmith shop but has been demolished) and the school ran for several years, but the promised state aid proved insufficient support and it was abandoned.
To the charge of this school young Jerry Jenkins was called soon after his arrival in the county. I have not been able to ascertain exact dates, but he was teaching there in 1853, and that was not his first year. As early as 1855, however, we find him established in law practice in Maquoketa. and he soon won the reputation of being the leading practitioner there. He had also become an active politician, attiliating with the Whig party. In 1852 he received, at the hands of the state convention of his party, the nomination for secretary of state and the voting that year was so close be-
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tween the parties that for some days he was reported as elected. The suc- cessful democratic candidate was George W. McCrary, afterwards member of Congress, (1869 to 1877) from Keokuk and Secretary of War under Presi- dent Hayes. He received 16,922 votes and Jenkins 15, 032.
The first organization of the republican party in Jackson county was when a convention met February 16th, 1856, at the old Third ward school house in Maquoketa to nominate delegates to a state convention, and J. W. Jenkins was one of those who officiated. Later in the year he was nominat- ed for state senator and at the state election in August he was successful by a majority of seven votes. although the democrats carried the county at the presidential election in November by 169 majority. The republicans had some aid from the American or "Know Nothing" party.
When Gov. Kirkwood therefore cast about to find a man in Jackson county to honor with a field commission he found to his hand a man whom he knew to have just closed a successful term as state legislator; who was conspicuous for his ardent patriotism and loyalty to the war measures of the administration; and, who, although not a trained soldier, had imbibed much knowledge of military art and routine from the fact that his older brother, Leonidas Jenkins, had been an officer in a New York regiment dur- ing the Mexican war and was son-in-law to the distinguished regular, Major General Edwin V. Summer. That the governor's contidence was not mis- placed cannot better be told than by quoting from the recent tribute to the Colonel's memory by Capt. Milo P Smith of Cedar Rapids, an officer in his regiment:
"Col. Jenkins commanded the regiment the most of the time as Col. Smith was on detached service a good deal. Upon the latter's resignation, he was in the early fall of 1864, promoted to the colonelcy. In the assault on the works of Vicksburg on the 22nd of May, 1863, Col. Jenkins was badly wounded in the leg, and when he was able to travel compelled to go home for a while on leave of absence. He returned to take command in the fall of 1863, and marched from Memphis to Chattanooga on the 22nd of Novem- ber and on the 24th he led his men gallantly through the battle of Lookout Mountain, and on the next day headed the charges on Mission Ridge. When the Atlanta campaign opened the next spring, Jenkins assumed his place with the column, which was projected by General Sherman through Snake Creek Gap, on Resacca under the command of Gen. McPherson. In the first engagement at Resacca the colonel was badly wounded again while accom- panying the regiment in a charge on the enemy's works. He was this time struck on the shoulder by a piece of shell. From this wound he never fully recovered. I saw him a few years ago in Kansas City and noticed the droop of the shoulder and he told me it pained him at times yet. Again he was compelled to go to the rear, but courageous as ever he returned to the front as soon as he was able, which was about the time of the fall of Atlanta. He commanded the regiment thence on to the close of the war, and had the pleasure of leading it, not only in the famous march to the sea, but in the grand parade or review at Washington. He made a splendid officer and was a good soldier. He was brave and steady under fire. He had red hair and always wore eye glasses. He had an 'artillery look' as the boys used to say,
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when in battle that meant fight. No remaining member of the old 31st will learn of the death of Col. Jenkins without recalling his good qualities as a man, his splendid courage as a soldier, and his gallant leadership of the reg- iment."
Almost immediately after his muster out, Col. Jenkins removed to Kan- sas City, where he engaged with success in the practice of his profession. served for a time as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and where he died June 24th, 1903, from the effects of injuries received in an assault by a street robber a few months previous. We claim the Colonel as affiliated with Jackson county veteran organizations, not only from his service with our own companies in the field but also because in 1886 he appeared as one of the speakers at the reunion of the Eastern Iowa Association at Maquoketa; in 1890, he accepted the invitation of A. W. Drips Post at Maquoketa to deliver the address on Memorial day; and again in 1900 he performed like service at the dedication of the soldiers' monument in that city.
VALUABLE RELICS.
J. W. Ellis received from Littleton, Mass., a box containing 26 relics for his historical collection taken from as many historical places. The donor, Mrs. Ella Hildreth, is a cousin of Mrs. Ellis and with her mother and sister visited the Ellis family in the summer of 1904. The grandfather of both Mrs. Hildreth and Mrs. Ellis, Samuel Waldo was first cousin to Waldo Em- erson. The following interesting letter explains the various relics contribut- ed.
Mr. Ellis,
Littleton, Mass.
Dear Cousin: I am sending to you the pieces of Historic wood that I wrote you about, I feel that they are hardly worth sending, although near- ly all of them came from buildings or places of historic interest. I suppose you have added many new relics to your collection since we were there. I have wished that I had taken notes and a description of some of the things in your collection. I think with notes one can recall what one has seen so much more readily. I saw so many things of interest while out in the west it has been confusing to try and tell what I saw there, but hope to come again and see you all as well as the relics.
We received the book you sent which we all greatly enjoyed reading. You spoke about publishing another book on the same subject if you do hope you will kindly remember to send us one. The early settlers must have passed through many hardships in settling the West, but do not think the country was so hard to bring under cultivation as New England. Go through our New England towns and see the miles of stone walls which the early settlers laid, first digging the stones from the ground, and then laying them into walls to dispose of them, besides this part of the country was nearly all covered with forests, which had to be removed before the land could be cultivated. When I think of the hardships and discouragements that the men and women had in those early days to meet and conquer, I do not wonder that the race became strong in character and frugal in their mode of living. But that old New England type is fast passing away. In the
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past 20 or 30 years, we have had such an influx of foreigners and inter- marrying as they have, it is hard, especially in the manufacturing cities and larger towns to find a person of genuine Puritan blood Probably if the west had been discovered and settled first our dear rock bound old New England would have remained barren or nearly so, to this time. Of course for some time to come , at least, this part of the country will remain the manufact- uring center but we must look to the west for our food supply.
Sincerely yours,
ETTA L. HILDRETH.
No 1. Piece of wood from Faneul Hall, Boston, Mass; built 1742; burn- ed 1761; rebuilt same year and made fire proof in 1898. It was built by Peter Fanuel and presented to the town of Boston for a town hall and called the "Cradle of Liberty," as the first movements which led to the war of the Revolution were inaugurated here.
No. 2. Piece of wood from Jesse Putman house, Danvus, Mass., built 1730. He was a Col. in war of 1812 and a cousin of Isreal Putman.
No. 3. Piece of wood from Isreal Putman house Danvus, Mass., built 1748. The original part built 1648. He fought in the French and Indian war. Took part in the attack on Ticondereoga under Abercrombie. Also took part in the capture of Havanna. In 1762 he fought at Lexington and Bunker Hill, and in 1777 was appointed to the defense of the Hudson River Highlands. In 1778 he made his famous escape from Tryon's drag- oons by riding down a steep pair of stairs, where the British dared not fol low.
No. 4. From piece of the new Maine U. S. warship built to take the place of the Maine sunk in Havana harbor.
No.5. From flagstaff Acton monument built to commemorate the memory of the soldiers' of the Revolution, Acton, Mass.
No. 3. From Wright Tavern, Concord, Mass, built 1747. Major Pit- cairn stayed at this inn on the morning of the battle of Concord. He stir- red his brandy with his bloody fingers saying, "He would thus stir the damned Yankee's blood before night."
No. 7. From church at Temple, New Hampshire, where in 1775 Minis- ter Webster preached. He was informed at the door of his church by a mes- senger, that he (the messenger) and his company were marching on to Tic- onderoga. A Loyalist replied that, "He heard a voice not to respond." Minister Webster said "That voice was from hell, but I hear a voice from Heaven, saying, Boys take those guns and follow me to the front." The next morning Minister Webster with thirty-one men at his command was on his way to Ticonderoga. He died in a short time after this and was buried at Temple, N. H.
No. 8. From home of Asa Pollard first man killed at Bunker Hill. He was killed the night before the battle while at work in the trenches. Col. Prescott said, "He was the first man killed and the only one to be buried that night.
No. 9. From the old South church, Boston, Mass., built 1730. In 1775 it was used as a riding school by the British. In 1877 the sum of $430,000 was raised to preserve the church to posterity. It contains many rare relics.
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No. 10. From U. S. Cruiser, Chicago, where the ancients and honora- bles of London were received and entertained in 1903.
No. 11. From Dorothy Quincy house, Quincy, Mass., built in 1635. In 1716 the house was raised and inlarged from that time until the present it has remained the same. In the parlor of this house is the wall paper that was brought from Paris for the wedding of Dorothy to John Hancock. Be- fore the wedding day arrived the Revolution broke out, and John Hancock had to flee to keep his head on his shoulders. His Dorothy followed him, first to Lexington and Concord and finally to Fairfield, Conn., where they were married. The house has entertained Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Hancock, Judge Sewell, Sir Henry Vane, Benjamin Frankiln and Sir Charles Henry Krankland.
No. 12. From Elm on Lexington common where the first blood was shed in the Revolution.
No. 14. From Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Mass., built 1680, and run by some member of the Howe family as an inn for 150 years. The real name of the inn in the long ago days was the "Red Horse Tavern." and it stands in the old town of Ludbury, 30 miles from Boston. It is one of the oldest inns now standing in our country. It is on the old post road between Boston and the Connecticut river, and in the old stage coach days travelers who left Boston in the morning dined at noon at the. "Red Horse." Longfellow relates, that his first visit to the inn, he has immortalized in verse, was made under these circumstances. On that 19th day of April, 1775, when the minute- men were marching from Worcester with Timothy Bigelow at their head, stopped here for a brief rest before going on their way.
No. 15. From piece of Ash tree in front of "Old Manse," Concord, Mass., the home of the Emerson family for many years. From the cham- ber window of this house, the grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson watch- ed the fight at Concord bridge. On the land belonging to this estate, the three British soldiers that were killed at the bridge were buried. Haw- thorne lived here and wrote his "Mosses from an Old Manse."
No 21. From piece of the Walter Kittridge house, author of "Tenting on the old Camp Ground."
No. 22. Nail from old shiphoouse Charleston Navy Yard, where the Merrimac and other famous ships were built.
No. 23. From the old office on Bunker Hill, torn down by the B. H. historical society, and a new one built costing $30,000.
No. 24. From Fort Sewell, Marblehead, Mass., built by the British in 1742.
No. 25. Faulkner house at South Acton. The place was occupied at the time of the Revolution by Col. Francis Faulkner, and he was aroused by Paul Revere, who shouted, "Col. Faulkner, rouse your minutemen, the British are marching on Lexington and Concord." Col. Faulkner tired his gun three times to arouse the neighborhood.
No. 26. From a piece of wood from the home of Capt. Barrett, Concord. Mass., who ordered the attack on the English troops at the bridge.
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OLDEST IOWA PIONEER PASSES AWAY.
Joseph McElroy, Who First Came to lowa in 1837, Dies at Ripe Old Age.
Through the courtesy of Editor Lambert of the Sabula Gazette, we are enabled to produce the following life history, with cut, of Joseph McElroy one of Iowa's oldest settlers, and to be made a part of the annals of the Jackson County Historical Society :
The death of Joseph McElroy at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. F. Schramling, in this city, Monday morning, marks the passing of Iowa's old- est pioneer, for such Mr. McElroy undoubtedly was having come to Sabula in 1837, the year that our little city was laid out in town lots. The other sturdy pioneers who braved the wilds of virgin Iowa at that early date or within, we dare say, tive years of that time have all passed to the better world.
Joseph McElroy was born on a farm two miles from the city of Erie. Pa., on September 2, 1815, and at the time of his death was 90 years, 5 months and 17 days old. He was a son of Hugh and Margaret (Duncan) McElroy. natives of Cumberland county, Pa., and his father served as a soldier in the war of 1812. He participated in several active engagements and was wounded at the battle of Lundy's Lane, a ball passing through his liver. Notwithstanding this fact he recovered and lived to the advanced age of seventy-three years. To him and his excellent wife were born thirteen children, of whom the subject of our sketch was the last to pass away, and he was the eldest of the family.
The earlier years of Joseph McElroy's life were spent in his native coun- ty, but in 1837 he decided to investigate the then far west and set out for the Territory of Iowa. He reached Sabula during that year and finding the country to his liking went back to Pennsylvania for his folks and returned to this county in 1838 and entered 200 acres of land in Iowa township, west of the town of Sabula. In an exchange afterward with Mr. Grant he came into possession of the quarter section of land which he owned to the time of his death. When gold was discovered in California, Mr. McElroy and a number of other Sabula men organized a party and in 1849 made tl.e hazardous overland trip to that state and engaged in mining until 1852, when they re- turned to their homes. The return trip was made by way of the Pacitic ocean, crossing the isthmus of Panama and the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi river to St. Louis.
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On Sept. 22, 1853, he took unto himself a wife and helpmate, Mrs. Mary A. Winsor, a daughter of G. Gilroy, then a resident of Jackson county. The fruit of this union were four children. They are George, of Malvern; Margaret, who died in infancy; Mrs. J. F. Schramling, of this city, and Joseph, of Norris, Montana. Three step-children who were reared to man- hood and womanhood by the deceased, also survive him-Mrs. G. A. Buzza, of Marion; Mrs. G. A Hatheway, of Magnet, Neb., and Wm. Winsor. The esteemed wife and mother passed away on November 1, 1872, and soon after- ward Mr. McElroy moved to a home he purchased in town, where he lived until the past few years when he has made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Schramling.
At the time of the rush to Pike's Peak, about the year 1849, Mr. McEl- roy and Clarke Cook (deceased) started for Colorado, but after getting as far as the Platte river returned. Of the Sabula party of 'Forty-niners, " Mr. McErloy was the last survivor and he was also the last original member of the Sabula Pioneers' Association to pass away. This association was formed on Nov. 22, 1872, by J. G. Sugg, E. A. Wood, James Murphy, J. S. Dominy, George Canfield, Robt. C. Westbrook, Royal L. Westbrook, Jos. McElroy, John Scarborough and Oliver Emerson. All of these gentlemen with the exception of Joseph McElroy passed away over ten years ago. The latter was always a familiar figure at the annual picnics of this association until the last one held when he was confined to his bed in his last sickness, the general breaking down caused by old age. On this occasion several of the older settlers called and spent a short time visiting with him and the part- ing of these old friends of the early days was a very pathetic one.
For the past three years Mr. McElroy has felt the weight of years and his health gradually failed until last February he was obliged to take to his bed and although his condition varied from better to worse it could be seen by those around him that he was gradually nearing the close of a well spent life. Sunday he conversed with the family and appeared brighter than usual, but at 6:25 the end came and his last moments were marked with peace and contentment and thus he passed away.
Eulogies to the life and character of this "grand old man" are needless; he was here before any of us and his life is like an open book, one with pages white and clear. He was not a member of any church, but in relig- ious views was a Universalist, believing in the free and universal salvation of all. He was honest in all his dealings and treated all of his fellow men as he would be done by. His company was greatly enjoyed by both old and young and he could tell many stories of pioneer life in this town when it was known as Carrolport, then Charleston and later Sabula.
The funeral services were held at the M. E. church at two o'clock Wed- nesday afternoon and were conducted by Rev. T. H. Sheckler of Marble Rock, former pastor of the church here. A large number of friends gather- ed to pay their last respects, among them being Henry Seeman, of Sprague- ville, and Geo. Helfert, of Almont, old pioneer friends of the deceased. The remains were laid to rest in Evergreen cemetery.
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Who was First White Child?
L. H. Steen, of this city, has the distinction of being the first white child born in Jackson county, having first seen the light of day in this vil- lage the 27th day of February, 1838. Mr. Steen believes that he may also have been the first white' child born in Iowa, at any rate the matter would be worthy of investigation and the facts would prove of historical value. Now brother editors if there are any early, real early, natives in your parts kindly publish the dates that an important item in the early history of Iowa may be furnished .- Sabula Gazette.
Came to Iowa in 1835.
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We were evidently at error in stating in the obituary of Jos. McElroy that he was the earliest pioneer of the state at the time he passed away, for Ramey Kindred informs us that he first came into what is now the state of Iowa on October 10th, 1835. Mr. Kindred's father was born in Tennessee and his mother was a native of Kentucky. Shortly before Mr. Kindred's birth his parents started north and upon reaching Indiana settled there for a short time. Here Ramey Kindred was born and when he was but a babe the parents proceeded westward, crossing the Mississippi river at Burlington on October 10th, 1835. Iowa was then known as Black Hawk territory. The Kindred family aterward went to Galena, then to Bellevue and came to Sabula in 1840 and since that year Mr. Kindred has been a resident of this city for the greater part of the time .- Sabula Gazette.
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