USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Biographical and historical record of Wayne and Appanoose counties, Iowa, containing a condensed history of the state of Iowa; portraits and biographies of the governors of the territory and state; engravings of prominent citizens in Wayne and Appanoose counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of Wayne and Appanoose counties > Part 54
USA > Iowa > Appanoose County > Biographical and historical record of Wayne and Appanoose counties, Iowa, containing a condensed history of the state of Iowa; portraits and biographies of the governors of the territory and state; engravings of prominent citizens in Wayne and Appanoose counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of Wayne and Appanoose counties > Part 54
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" After resting a few days my regiment with several others was ordered across the bay to Cedar Point. Soon after landing at this point it was found impracticable to occupy it. It is only a salt marsh without any solid surface except a shell road, which has been made from this point to the city of Mobile, a distance of about fifteen miles. Unable to find water fit to use or ground suitable to camp on, we abandoned this point after occupying it about forty-eight hours. We moved back to Mobile Point, where we stayed about two weeks, en- gaged in destroying the works we had con- structed in our operations against Fort Morgan.
" I was ordered then to report with my regiment at New Orleans, which I did about the middle of September. Without disembarking I was ordered to proceed to Morganzia, Louisiana. A few days after
arriving there the regiment was sent out on the Atchafalaya River, where it re- mained for four weeks on out-post duty. While there Lieutenant Walton and one enlisted man were severely wounded in a skirmish with the enemy. Soon after we arrived at Morganzia, I made application to General Canby for a detail of officers to be sent to Iowa on recruiting service for the regiment, stating that it was reduced below half the maximum, and that I desired it either filled up or consolidated. General Lawler, then commanding at Morganzia, gave my application a very cordial endorse- ment. He stated, among other things, that ' the Thirty-fourth Iowa was an excellent regiment and finely officered, and he greatly desired to see it filled up.' My request was granted and the following named officers were sent on recruiting service to lowa: Colonel G. W. Clark, Captains Boyles, Clark, Waters and Her- ring and Lieutenant Clawson. Before we reached Iowa, however, volunteering was discontinued, and the draft enforced. We failed to get any men for the regiment, and in accordance with my wish, expressed in my application for the recruiting detail, an order was issued by Major-General Reynolds, consolidating the regiment into a battalion of five companies. In the mean- time the regiment had been brought from Morganzia to the mouth of White River, Arkansas."
The Thirty-eighth Infantry was now con- solidated with the Thirty-fourth. The consolidated regiment was then engaged in minor movements in the Southwest un- til the close of the war. It was mustered out August 13, 1865, at Houston, Texas.
FORTY-SIXTH INFANTRY.
This was a 100-days regiment, contain- ing nearly one company from Wayne County. The following history of the organization is from the pen of Colonel D.
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
B. Henderson, at present a Congressman from this State:
"The Forty-sixth Regiment Iowa Infantry was organized at Davenport, Iowa, and mustered into the United States service on the 10th day of June, 1864, to serve for the term of 100 davs.
" On the 11th of June the regiment was' armed and clothed, and on the 14th we took the cars for Cairo, Illinois, at which place we arrived on the 15th.
" Immediately upon my arrival in Cairo, I dispatched a letter to Major-General Washburn, commanding at Memphis, and on the morning of the 17th of June I received orders from General Wash- burn to report with my regiment at Mem- phis.
"On the evening of the 17th of June I embarked the regiment upon the John D. Perry, and arrived in Memphis on the morning of the 20th, when I was ordered into camp two miles east of the city. We remained in camp at Memphis until the 27th, performing heavy picket duty during that time.
"On the morning of the 27th of June 1 was ordered to move my regiment to Coll- iersville, Tennessee, take command of that post, and throw out detachments east and west on the railroad, and was also ordered to guard the railroad against the interfer- ence of the rebels, who had recently been firing upon the trains in the vicinity of Colliersville.
"On the 28th of June I sent Lieutenant- Colonel L. D. Durbin, with two companies, A and 1, Captains Guilbert and Wolf, to Camp Lookout, a post three miles west of Colliersville, and situated on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. On the same day, Major George L. Torbert, with Companies E and K, Captains Harrison and Palmer, moved to Camp Henderson, two and a half miles east of Colliersville. Both of these detachments performed their duties faith-
fully, and not another train was disturbed while they guarded these posts. While the regiment was stationed at Colliersville and outposts, the men performed very heavy picket duty, being upon guard each alternate day. I partly compensated the men for this by inaugurating a generous system of foraging.
"The enemy did not disturb us but once during the two months that we were sta- tioned at Colliersville. The event that I allude to occurred about the middle of Au- gust. Lieutenant-Colonel Durbin was in- formed that a band of guerrillas had captured two men of the Sixth Illinois Cavalry near his camp. He promptly sent out Captain Wolf with sixteen men, to re- lieve the prisoners if possible. When about a mile from camp the party was fired upon by some thirty guerrillas, lying in ambus- cade, and Captain Wolf and three of his men were brought down at the first volley, the Captain and one , man seriously wounded, the others slightly. The men returned the fire, killing one and wounding three of the rebels. The Captain having been shot and supposed to be killed, and being outnumbered two to one, the men retreated to camp.
"On the Ist of September we were ordered to Memphis, where we remained until the roth, when we were ordered to embark on the Golden Era for Cairo, at which place we arrived on the 14th of Sep- tember. Taking the cars the same day, we started for Davenport, Iowa.
"On the evening of the 16th of Septem- ber we reached Davenport, at which place we were mustered out and paid off, on the 23d of September, 1864."
CAVALRY REGIMENTS.
Both the Third and Eighth Cavalry regi- ments. contained a number of Wayne County boys. They also included a num- ber from Appanoose County, and in the
521
THE CIVIL WAR.
history of that county are given sketches of the regiments.
MAIL ROBBERY BY BUSHWHACKERS.
The bit of history best remembered by the home guards in Wayne County is best told in the report of Captain Taylor to the Adjutant-General, in the following lan- guage :
" You ask me for a statement of the par- ticulars of the recent outrages in this county. I have the honor to report them, as nearly as I can, from the information before me. A week ago last Saturday two men came, passengers in the stage from the west, going east, to this place. Two men took passage here on the same day. The two that took passsage here had been here for a day or two. At the next station east of here, ten miles, two more got on. When the stage got about twelve miles east of this place, one of these men, who was riding outside with the driver, drew a revolver, ordered the driver to stop, and compelled him to drive to one side of the road. They then (and these six men were the only passen- gers) took possession of the mail bags, cut them open, took possession of all the letters and mail matter, took the stage horses (four), and unharnessed them. While en- gaged in this work a farmer of this county, with his son, who lived west from this point, came along, going home, with a two- horse wagon. They stopped them, took their horses, and robbed the son of $25, and kept them there. Soon after, the stage com- ing west came along. They stopped that, robbed the passengers and the mail. They then took six of the stage horses and started West; robbed several persons on the way, one man of $200, and then took three citizens of this county prisoners, to guide them, as they said. One escaped, the others they kept. They made their way to Missouri. The robbing of the mails
took place about an hour before sundown, on Saturday night. I did not learn the fact until early Sunday morning, and at once called every man of my company and commenced the pursuit. We traced them into Missouri, recovered the horses and considerable amount of the mail mat- ter, and got back the boys they took, and, I guess, compelled the fellows to take the oath. I have written this, General, very hastily, and expect imperfectly, but have endeavored to give you the main facts. I would suggest, and inform you, that this part of the State is overrun with refugees (rebels) from the South, with drafted ske- daddlers and other fellows of that sort. We are on the alert, and prepared to mete out even-handed justice to them ; yet we think that you and the authorities ought to authorize somebody in each county to em- ploy and pay a small force to be always on the look-out for these fellows, and ready at any moment to go after them. I need not say more to you on this subject. I think it ought to be done."
THE VETERANS.
For four years and more the notes of the fife and drum and bugle and the tramp of armed hosts were continually heard, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Gulf of Mexico to British North America, and the clash of arms was borne north ward on every breeze from the sunny but blood-drenched plains of the South. For four years and more "grim-visaged war" had waved its crimson banners over the fair fabric the Fathers had erected, in a vain endeavor to hurl it from its foundations. In this terrible and gigantic struggle, Wayne County had borne its full part, and many a brave volunteer from its beautiful prairies had laid down his life on the battle-field or starved to death in the rebel slaughter pens at Andersonville and Macon.
But now Sherman and his "brave boys
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
in blue" had made their memorable and historic march to the sea, Lee had surren- dered to the victorious army of the Union under Grant, the war was ended, peace re- stored, the Union preserved in its integrity, and the patriotic sons of Wayne County who were spared to witness the final vic- tory of the armies of the Union returned to their homes to receive grand ovations and tributes of honor from friends and neighbors who had eagerly and jealously and anxiously watched and followed them wherever the varying fortunes of war had called them.
Exchanging their soldiers' uniforms for citizens' dress, most of them fell back to their old avocations-on the farm, in the mines, at the forge, the bench, in the shop, in the office, or at whatever else their hands found to do. Their noble deeds, in the hour of their country's peril, are now and always will be dear to the hearts of the people whom they so faithfully served. Brave men are always honored, and no class of citizens are entitled to greater re- spect than the brave volunteers of Wayne County, not simply because they were sol-
diers, but because, in their association with their fellow-men, their walk is upright, and their character and honesty without reproach.
" Their country first, their glory and their pride; Land of their hopes -- land where their fathers died; When in the right, they'll keep their honor bright; When in the wrong, they'll die to set it right."
The wondrous deeds of daring and glo- rious achievements of the Army of the Union, during the war of the Rebellion, will always be cherished by all patriotic hearts. But there are scenes, incidents and accidents, the memory of which will shade with sadness the bright reflections engendered, by the contemplation of a heroism, devotion and sacrifice the like of which the world never saw before. But the memory of those who fell in the stu- pendous struggle is still familiar to the present people of Wayne County; and fifty years hence, when the fathers and mothers of to-day shall have passed on to their cternal home, they will be remen- bered by posterity more as matters of tra- dition than of absolute written history.
523
THE PRESS.
THE PRESS.
N
AYNE County is blessed with a good- ly number of news- papers, considering her limited popula- tion. There are six now published, and there are as many more on the " defunct" list. Two are located at the county seat and one at each of the four villages of Allerton, Seymour, Lineville and Humes- ton. The first paper ever printed in the county was the
SOUTH TIER DEMOCRAT.
established in 1858 by D. B. Cutler and A. O. Binkley. This was at Corydon. About 1861 the firm became Binkley & Esteb, and after another change the names of Binkley & Morrett appeared as publishers. These partners could not agree very well, and during one quarrel Binkley is said to have hidden some necessary part of the press, so as to prevent the publication of the paper. Binkley finally obtained possession of the office material and moved it to Princeton, Missouri, during the latter part of the war. Just before this, in 1863, a stock company was formed at Corydon to start a Republi- can paper. A committee was sent to Chariton, where there was a printing office in financial trouble, to secure the same. They did this, and also arranged with 52
Charles H. Austin, then living at Chariton, to come to Corydon and take charge of the mechanical department of the
CORYDON MONITOR,
as the new paper was called. William Hartshorn was employed as editor, and af- terward became owner. He died in 1867, and for some time his widow owned the paper, employing George Albertson as ed- itor. In August, 1871, E. E. Clark became editor. In the same year Martin Read pur- chased the paper and published it about one year. He then sold to Lewis Miles and C. F. Le Compte. Soon after O. G. Allen bought Miles' interest, and early in 1874 the paper was removed to Allerton, where it was published for eleven years as the
WAYNE COUNTY REPUBLICAN,
with C. F. Le Compte as sole proprietor from 1875, in which year he bought Mr. Allen's interest. The first issue in Aller- ton was dated February 26. In the mean- time, in August, 1875, the
CORYDON TIMES
had been established by S. W. Miles, a brother of Lewis Miles. In September, 1877, Dotts & Walker assumed control, but a year later the Times passed back into Mr. Miles's hands. In January, 1883, the paper was sold to Tedford & Miles (Lewis) ; but by midsummer following S. W. Miles was once more in charge. In January, 1884, he
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
sold to Dr. E. J. Dickinson and H. H. Lush- er, who published the Times during that year. In December, 1884, the Times was consolidated with the Republican, of Aller- ton, and the first number of the
TIMES-REPUBLICAN
appeared at Corydon on the nineteenth of that month. Since then W. M. Littell and C. F. Le Compte have been publishers, the latter being editor and manager. It is an eight-column folio, issued on Thursdays, at ȘI per year, and its politics corresponds with its name. It is the most prosperous of all the papers now published in the coun- ty, and is one of the two papers which ob- tain all the county printing. The
LINEVILLE INDEX
was established early in 1870, by H. M. Bel- vel, who removed the office to Corydon and there published it as a Republican paper until the autumn of 1872, when he sold his subscription list to the Republican publish- ers. Mr. Belvel immediately after started the Wayne County Liberal, three numbers of which he issued before the general election of 1872. After that disastrous ending of the Liberal movement, he changed the name of the paper to the
NEWS.
He published this for five years as a Democratic paper, and was succeeded by Samuel Wright, who commenced its publi- cation in 1877 as a Greenback journal. In May, 1881, the establishment was sold to the Allerton News Company, including among its stockholders S. L. Vest, R. Z. McCoy, E. L. Hart and Hon. D. M. Clark. The News has since been published at Al- lerton by this company. E. L. Hart was employed as editor from May, 1881, to May, 1882. D. D. Shirley was at the same time local editor, and at the latter date men- tioned became sole editor and manager, which position he has held since. The News is a five-column quarto, published on
Thursdays, at $1 per year. Itis Democratic in politics, and has been one of the main factors in changing the county from Re- publican to slightly Democratic. The
LINEVILLE TRIBUNE
was established by Miles & Le Compte, of the Wayne County Republican, in 1872, and C. W. Bolster was employed as editor and manager. In 1873 Lewis Miles became owner, and March 18, 1874, he sold to Charles H. Austin. Since then there has been no change in its ownership, except that the firm name is now Austin & Son. The Tribune is an independent Republican paper, and is published on Fridays (former- ly Thursdays), at $1.25 per year. Mr. Austin is the oldest newspaper man in Wayne County and is amply fitted for the conduct of a good paper which the Tribune has come to be.
Seymour has had a more complicated newspaper history than any other village in the county. The
SEYMOUR SENTINEL
was established as a five-column monthly early in 1873, when the town was less than two years old. H. S. Gilliam and Charles A. Conger were editors and publishers by turns, each taking charge of it every other month. Both gentlemen were merchants and only projected this enterprise for the good of the town. In the autumn follow- ing, Al. S. Hickman purchased the paper and began its issue as a weekly, the first number being dated October 13. About a year and a half later C. W. Bolster took it and changed its name to the
ENSIGN.
Changes in ownership and name now rapidly followed, H. S. Belvel coming next, as the publisher of the
HEADLIGHT.
He was succeeded by S. K. Ball, who called his paper the
THE PRESS.
525
ENTERPRISE.
He published this till his death when the material was claimed by the parties who had originally owned it. Wright Brothers continued the publication of the Enterprise for a short time and then moved it away. Seymour was then without a paper until May 1, 1884, when the
LONE TREE PRESS
was established by L. W. Lewis and Will M. Sanger. The paper was named, not from mere fancy, but in recognition of a tall tree near Seymour which has been since the earliest settlement of the county the principal landmark of the pioneers for many miles around. In October, 1885, Mr. Sanger went to Florida, where he is now employed on the Florida Intelligencer, so that Mr. Lewis is now sole proprietor and editor. The Press is issued on Fridays, at $I per year, and is independent in politics.
A separate edition is printed for Promise City, under the name of the Promise City Press, with about four columns of matter pertaining to that village.
CORYDON DEMOCRAT.
On the 17th day of April, 1879, the ini- tial number of the Corydon Democrat was published by the Democrat Publishing Com- pany, with H. M. Belvel as editor and A. N. Rooks as manager. It continued under this management for a short time only, when Mr. Rooks became proprietor, and finally its editor in chief.
On the 29th day of January, 1880, Mr. Rooks sold the Democrat to J. S. Shepherd & Bro., under whose management it con- tinued down to December 3, 1885, when it was sold to D. G. Duer, who published a few numbers only. March 1, 1886, the Democrat was purchased by J. W. Frame, its present editor and proprietor.
The paper is now in its eighth ycar, has the full patronage of its party, and is the official paper of Wayne County. It has a
circulation of about 1,300, and a good adver- tising patronage. The Democrat is a seven- column folio, published on Thursday of each week, at $1.00 per year.
HUMESTON NEW ERA.
This was established September 1, 1880, under the name of The Era, by Heck San- 'ford and S. L. Dailey. Six months later, Mr. Sanford sold his interest, on account of delicate health, to his partner, who re- mained in charge until the beginning of 1884. The office was then purchased by Heck Sanford, Harry Sanford and W. L. Livingston, and the last named acted as editor until July I of the same year. On that date R. K. Thomas bought Mr. Living- ston's share in the concern, and Heck Sanford was installed as editor, which po- sition he has filled continuously since. In September, 1884, W. G. Hine purchased the interests owned by R. K. Thomas and Harry Sanford, and a year later he in turn disposed of the same to Mr. Barnes, the junior member of the present firm of San- ford & Barnes.
The New Era was Republican in politics until Mr. Sanford became editor, and since then has been strictly non-political. It isa local news paper, containing no "padding," and restricted to Iowa news. It is a five- column quarto, published on Thursdays, at $1.25 per year.
WAYNE COUNTY TEACHER.
This is a three-column quarto, published by the teachers of Wayne County, at 50 cents per year. It was begun in August, 1885, and is a monthly. C. W. Martindale is managing editor.
HUMESTON INDEPENDENT.
This is the youngest of the papers pub- lished in Wayne County, and its first num- ber bears date of March 13, 1886. It is a four-column quarto, published by Rock- well & Co., with Dr. T. M. Wall as editor.
526
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
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#THE BARK
IT ITIF IT
HE biographies of the members of the pres- ent bar are given in the biographical por- tion of this work; but there are a num- ber who belong to the past-who have come and gone or died in the county -and these deserve men- tion. Most of these, of course, were residents of
CORYDON.
The first resident attorney here was John Hayes, a native of Ohio, who came to this State from Illinois in 1852, and resided here un- til 1884, when he went to Kansas. He is there in practice with his sons. He was considered by his associates here as a man of good judgment, and a well-read lawyer, but he was of an evasive, secretive disposi- tion, and generally failed to produce the desired impression upon either judge or jury. Temperate in habits, he was a good citizen except for his unsympathetic nat- ure. He was politically a Democrat, and served a term as recorder and treasurer of Wayne County. He entered the army during the late war, and became a Captain.
M. T. Kirk came in 1854 from Pennsyl- vania, and on the breaking out of the war offered his services to his country. He died in the army. He was a shrewd, sound lawyer, and enjoyed an excellent practice.
W. E. Taylor came here about 1855 from Indiana, and was a popular citizen until his death. He was elected county judge in 1856, and was State Senator in 1860-'61, though these official positions did not at all interfere with his legal practice. On the breaking out of the war he raised a company of volunteers, which became Company I, Fourth Iowa Infantry. After two years' service as Captain he resigned on account of his eyesight. Captain Tay- lor was a good, honorable citizen, of con- siderable force of character. After his army life he was known to drink to excess, and two or three years after the war he died, while in the South. He was politi- cally a Democrat.
Thomas M. Bowen, a native of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, came here shortly after Captain Taylor, and was certainly here as early as 1856. He remained here until about 1860, in the practice of his profes- sion, and represented this county for one term in the Legislature. He was at that time a Democrat. He was very young, and during the campaign preceding his .
527
THE BAR.
election it was claimed by his political op- ponents that he was not of age. After leaving Corydon he went to Western Iowa, where, on the breaking out of the war, he raised a company for the Fourth Iowa Vol- unteer Infantry. Taking offense at his treatment by the authorities, he took his men across the Missouri River into Ne- braska, where, it is said, he obtained $500 for his recruits. Bowen became a Captain, then a Colonel, and was finally made a Brigadier-General. He was next promi- nent as supreme judge in Arkansas, and he is now a United States Senator from Col- orado, in which State he has become wealthy through fortunate mining invest- ments.
J. N. McClanahan came here from Ohio in 1859, and practiced until 1880. Retir- ing from practice, he traveled in various States for a time, and then returning com -. menced farming, four miles from Corydon. He has been locally prominent, and stood well among the members of his profession. During the war he was Captain of Com- pany F, Thirty-fourth Iowa Volunteers.
Samuel L. Glasgow came here from Ohio, and was admitted to the bar in 1859, at the same time with Messrs. J. W. Free- land and J. N. McClanahan. When the war came on, he left for the front as First-Lieu- tenant of Company I, Fourth Iowa In- fantry. He shortly resigned and returned home, but afterward raised a company for the Twenty-third Iowa Infantry. He was chosen Captain of his company, but on the organization of the regiment was made Colonel. He was afterward commissioned as Brigadier-General. After the war he was appointed consul to Havre, France, which position he held for six years. Re- turning, he located at Burlington, this State, where he is now in practice.
E. E. Clark was admitted in 1871 at Iowa City, and then practiced at Corydon until 1875. He followed banking for the next
three years, was then clerk of the District Court for two terms, and then received an appointment as clerk in the Pension De- partment at Washington. He is now prac- ticing law at Des Moines.
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