USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 59
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Afterward, the regiment being increased to 450 men by an exchange of prisoners and drafted men, they started from Atlanta, November 15, for Savannah, where they arrived December 10, where they were en- gaged in the siege of the city until its evac- uation.
On January 6, 1865, they started for Beaufort, South Carolina, and actively en- gaged in the campaign in the Carolinas, and finally camped at Raleigh on the 6th of April, where they remained till May 2. The war being closed, they marched for Washington, where they took part in the grand review May 24, 1865.
TWENTY-FIRST INFANTRY.
The Twenty-first went into service un- der Colonel Samuel Merrill, afterward Gov- ernor of Iowa. It was engaged at Harts- ville, Missouri, January II, 1863, and was at Port Gibson, losing sixteen men. It lost eighty-three at Black River bridge, and was in the charge on Fort Beauregard. It was at the capture of Vicksburg, after which it
was ordered to New Orleans, and thence to Texas. March 5, 1865, it was transferred to Mobile, and served in the engagements in that vicinity. It was at Fort Blakely, and was then sent up Red River, and thence to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where it was mus- tered out July 15, 1865.
THIRTY-FIRST INFANTRY.
This regiment was mustered into service at Davenport, by Captain Hendershott, October 13, 1862, and, under command of Colonel William Smyth, took transport and moved down the river November I, arriv- ing at Helena, Arkansas, on the 20th. On the 27th they started on an expedition to the Cold Water River, in Mississippi, returning to Helena, December 7. Two weeks later they started on the Yazoo River expedi- tion,and the regiment was partially engaged in the battle at Chickasaw Bayou, on the 27th, 28th and 29th of December.
On the 2d of January, 1863, they started for a point near Arkansas Post, where they arrived on the 9th inst., and on the night of the Ioth marched through swamps and mire to the rear of the enemy's works, where, on the 11th, they hotly engaged in the capture of the place.
From this point the regiment was ordered to Young's Point, Louisiana, where they remained in camp until April 2, when they moved again up the river to Greenville, Mississippi, and after some skirmishing and considerable foraging for mules, cattle, horses, hogs, and even negroes, returned to Young's Point, on the 26th of the same month. From here they moved with Grant's whole army toward Grand Gulf, arriving May 7, when they again moved toward Jackson, Mississippi. The regiment was under fire at Raymond on the 12th; was at the taking of Jackson on the 14th; and again under fire at Black River on the 16th, reaching the rear of Vicksburg on the 18th, where it was engaged on the 22d in a terrible
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
but successful charge on the enemy's works, and was from this time steadily under fire till the fall of Vicksburg, on the 4th day of July.
The regiment, under General Sherman, started for Jackson, Mississippi, on the 5th of July, being under fire until the second evacuation of that place, when it was moved to Canton, Mississippi, where it was again engaged, when it went into camp at Black River until the 22d of September. From here it moved to Vicksburg, thence to Memphis, then to Corinth, Mississippi, where it remained till October 11 ; thence marched to Iuka, and to Cherokee the 20th, and on the morning of the 21st had a severe engagement with rebel cavalry. On the 26th and 27th had a running fight with the en- emy, again returning to Cherokee Station. On the 24th of November was in the bat- tle of Lookout Mountain, and on the fol- lowing day had equally hard fighting at Mission Ridge, and on the 27th was again engaged at Ringgold and Taylor's Hills, where the regiment suffered severely. Here they remained until December I, when, moving by way of Chattanooga and Bridge- port, they reached Woodville, Alabama, on the 27th inst., and went into winter quar- ters, where they remained until the Ist day of May, 1864.
On the morning of May I moved east, reaching Snake Gap, Georgia, on the 9th inst., where they encountered the enemy in force. On the 13th had a severe fight at Resaca, in which Lieutenant-Colonel Jenkins was severely wounded. The regi- ment laid in camp at Kingston, Georgia, from the night of the 19th until the morn- ing of the 23d awaiting supplies; then moved on, encountering the enemy at Dal- las on the night of the 26th, and the follow- ing morning, after a short but sharp con- flict, the enemy was driven back ; and again, on the 28th, the enemy charging on their works, were driven back. The fighting
lasted during the 29th, 30th and 31st. On the Ist of June the regiment moved to New Hope Church and occupied rifle pits, under fire of the enemy, until the 6th, when the regiment moved to Ackworth, remain- ing there until the 10th, when they marched to Big Shanty, ten miles distant, again en- gaging the enemy in force. Guarded wagon train until the 15th, when they moved into rifle pits near Kenesaw Mountain, and were constantly under fire until the evening of July 3, when the enemy evacuated Kene- saw Mountain.
July 4 they again encountered the en- emy at Chattahoochie River, and, building works, remained under fire until the 11th, when they moved to Roswell, Georgia. From here they went to Vining Station, thence to a point near Atlanta. August 26 they moved toward Jonesboro, on the Macon Railroad. On the 3Ist the enemy made a desperate fight, and the regiment was again under fire until the 2d of Septem- ber, when Jonesboro was evacuated. On October 4 the regiment, with a large por- tion of Sherman's army, moved north in pursuit of Hood, skirmishing with him at Resaca, Snake Gap, Little River, etc .; after this went to Atlanta, November 15 ; thence into the heart of Georgia. Marching about fifteen miles per day, they reached the rear of Savannah on the Ioth of December, 1864, and ten days later the whole army entered that city. By this victory the army was severed into three parts, and the enemy compelled to loosen its grasp over a vast territory. The Thirty-first was actively engaged in the North Carolina campaigns from this time till March 8, when General Grant's famous dispatch, "Let us finish the job now," was announced, when the final blow was soon struck, and the year which. promised to be so full of bloody strife was the end of the war of the Rebellion.
The Thirty-first was mustered out of ser- vice at Louisville, June 27, 1865, and came
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CRUSHING THE REBELLION.
to Davenport, where the men were paid off and disbanded.
THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY.
The Thirty-second Infantry was organ- ized at Dubuque, October 6, 1862, and on 15th and 17th was moved to Davenport. Left Davenport, November 21, for St. Louis, Mo. November 25, Companies. B, C, E, H, I and K, with regimental headquarters, went to New Madrid, Missouri, and Com- panies A, D, F and G, for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and were so separated until March 4, 1864. The New Madrid portion left De- cember 29 for Fort Pillow, Tennessee; April 1, 1863, Company B was ordered to Fulton, Tennessee, and on June 20 the de- tachment was ordered to Columbus, Ken- tucky. July I Company C was mounted and attached to the Fourth Missouri Cav- alry. September I Companies H and K were ordered to Island No. 10; January 15, 1864, Company C was dismounted ; January 20 the detachment left Columbus for Vicks- burg, Mississippi, and was assigned to Sec- ond Brigade, Third Division, Sixteenth Army Corps; February 3, marched with General Sherman's forces, to Meridian, Mississippi, and returned March 4. The detachment under Colonel Eberhart gar- risoned at Cape Girardeau until March 14, 1863, when it took a scout to Bloom- ington, Missouri, and returned on the 24th; on 28th joined in pursuit of Mar- maduke's forces, returning May 5; July 10, 1863, moved to Bloomington, Mis- souri, and was assigned to Reserve Brigade, First Cavalry Division; on 19th moved southward, arriving at Clarendon, Arkansas, August 8, leaving on 13th, on gunboats, going to mouth of Red River. Companies A and K captured two Confed- erate transports. In destroying pontoon bridges, lost several men in an engagement. On 16th drove enemy's pickets to Harrison's Landing; joined division the 18th. August
27th, had 160 men which were put in wag- ons; found the enemy and repulsed them, and reached Little Rock, September II, with hardly a man fit for duty, on account of two months of such fearful exposure and hardships; arrived at Memphis, Febru- ary 5, and at Vicksburg the 9th, and there joined the balance of the regiment. On Ioth started for Red River, and disembarked at Limeport, La. Assisted in the capture of Fort De Russey. On 16th camped at Alexandria, La., and marched to Grand Ecore April 3. On 7th marched for Shreveport, and was attacked at Pleasant Hill; loss, thirty-eight killed, 116 wounded, fifty-six missing. After several tedious marches went into camp at Memphis, June 15. June 24 went to Moscow, Tennessee, and on the 27th to La Grange. July 14 was attacked by enemy at Tupelo, and on the 15th at Old Town Creek. Arrived in Holly Springs, August 4, and Memphis, 30th. From September 5 to October 18, was on the move and landed at St. Louis. On the 25th moved by transports to Nashville, Tennessee. In battle of Nashville, the Thirty-second did nobly, capturing Burgu- chond's battery of five guns and fifty pris- oners. December 31, 1864, embarked for Eastport, Mississippi.
The regiment traveled 5,594 miles, 2,332 on foot. Aggregate mustered into service, 9II. Has received since muster in, 277 re- cruits. Lost 93 men in battle, 177 by dis- ease, 122 discharged, 29 transferred and I missing.
FIRST CAVALRY.
The First Cavalry was recruited during the summer of 1861. Its services began during the following winter. Its first action was at Silver Creek, Missouri, where the rebel camp was attacked and routed. In February, 1862, a detachment from the First helped surprise and capture General Price at Warsaw. Another detachment had a brush with guerrillas near Montevallo in
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
the following April. During the next few months the regiment had skirmishes with rebels near Clinton, Big Creek, Clear Creek and Newtonia. December 7 the first and third battalions participated in the battle at Prairie Grove. That month the command assisted at the capture of Van Buren, where a number of steamboats, several hundred prisoners and a large amount of stores fell into the hands of our forces. April 26, 1863, the most of the regiment was concerned in a night attack upon a portion of Marma- duke's forces, breaking up the camp and in- flicting heavy loss. August 26 and 27 the regiment did gallant service at White River. From September 10 until the following Jan- uary the First was stationed at Little Rock. April 24, 1864, the command repulsed a charge of the enemy at Mono River, and had a share in the battle at Jenkins' Ferry on the 30th. The regiment continued do- ing scout service until January, 1865, when they were sent to Dardanelle, and had a brush with Colonel Cooper, driving him off the field. They went thence to Pine Bluff, and to Memphis. From this place they made two incursions into Mississippi. Af- ter the war closed, much to the disappoint- ment of the men, the regiment was ordered to Texas under Custer. On the route two or three of the regiment committed some depredations on the inhabitants, contrary to specific orders from General Custer, who was in command. A few of the men were detected and ordered to be flogged. This order created much bitterness of feeling toward Custer, which had hardly disap- peared when he came to his tragic end on the plains.
THIRD BATTERY, LIGHT ARTILLERY.
This battery was organized by Captain M. M. Hayden under special authority from the Secretary of War, during the months of August and September, 1861, at Dubuque, under the name of the Dubuque.
Battery, and was attached to the Ninth Reg- iment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Colonel William Vandever commanding. On the 3d of September, 1861, the first detachment of the battery was mustered in by Cap- tain Washington, William H. McClure, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, being mustered as First Lieutenant, under whose charge the detach- ment was placed in Camp Union, near Du- buque.
The battery was speedily filled up by re- cruits, and on the 24th of the same month the final muster-in as a battery took place, the following officers having been chosen: Captain, M. M. Hayden; Senior First Lieutenant, W. H. McClure; Junior First Lieutenant, M. C. Wright; Senior Second Lieutenant, W. H. Crozier ; Junior Second Lieutenant, Jerome Bailey. The battery, with the Ninth Iowa Infantry, left Camp Union, on the steamer Canada, Septem- ber 26, for St. Louis. Were immediately marched to Benton Barracks (then in pro- cess of completion). Requisitions for guns, horses and harness were made.
On the 13th of November they were or- dered to Pacific City, Missouri, where they remained during the greater part of the winter. Guns and equipments were re- ceived about the Ist of December.
The battery consisted of four six-pounder bronze guns and two twelve-pounder how- itzers. On the 25th of January they moved by rail to Rolla, where they were assigned under General Curtis. On the 28th of the same month they marched from Rolla in the direction of Lebanon.
February 9, marched to Springfield, Mo. Participated in the famous race after Price's fleeing army, making some almost unprece- dented marches, and ending in the battle of Pea Ridge.
The suddenness of their final attack, with the meagerness of our support, compelled us to leave two of our guns upon the field. These guns, however, were not abandoned
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CRUSHING THE REBELLION.
until they were spiked, and every horse had been killed and every man serving with them either killed or wounded. We fell back some 400 yards, where, support com- ing to our aid, we kept up fire with the re- maining guns until darkness put an end to the engagement.
Our entire loss in the two days' engage- ment was two men killed, two officers and fifteen men wounded, twenty-three horses killed and three guns captured, and fired
during the engagement over 1,200 rounds of ammunition.
Marched to Batesville, Arkansas. Ar- rived at Helena, July 12, and made several reconnoisances from that point. Was in the Little Rock expedition.
In January, 1864, the battery re-enlisted and went home. Returned in May and re- ceived new guns and outfit and did efficient service during the rest of the war. It was mustered out at Davenport, October 3, 1865.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
rr
THE PRESS
HE pen is mightier than the sword " is a saying that is so trite that one is almost ashamed to quote it, yet it is worth urging upon the attention of un- observant people that the rapid progress of humanity in the nineteenth century is due, more than to any other one agency, to improved facilities of travel and com- - munication. Railroads, mails and newspapers have become necessities to man- kind, though many are now living who are older than the oldest railroad, and to whom a daily paper once seemed a useless ex- travagance. Even now changes are made yearly, and improvements discovered of such moment that the future value and function of the newspaper cannot yet be estimated.
Types were first used to reproduce only the Bible, and such books as were de- manded in large numbers. Then came the periodical and pamphlet. The reviews and magazines increased in number and fre- quency of publication, and then the weekly
newspaper was established, to be supple- mented in time by the daily journals. At first only large cities could support papers; now it is a poor village that cannot have one or more, and a small county that has not its half dozen. One of the most im- portant changes in the development of the country newspaper occurred from 1860 to 1870. Before the former date home news, locals and correspondence were not con- sidered worth printing, but the reading matter was composed of reprints from the great journals, news from Europe, proceed- ings of Congress, and heavy editorials on national politics. Now these are sup- plied by the large city papers, which are brought to every village by those annihila- tors of distance, the railroads, and the home paper is largely filled with home news. The best county paper now is the one which gives the most space to town and county news, correspondence from every postoffice, and the proceedings of local organizations.
In Black Hawk County, to-day, are pub- lished eight newspapers, while as many more have been issued that are now de- funct, by change of name or suspension. Generally speaking, the editors have been men of intelligence and enterprise, while
-
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THE PRESS.
to-day the members of the press are con- ceded to be far above the average in ability and scholarship.
First, we will mention the papers of
CEDAR FALLS,
which city had the first paper published in the county. It was in 1854, when the vil- lage was yet the county seat, that the
CEDAR FALLS BANNER
was deemed a necessity to advertise the advantages of the place. Accordingly, Wm. H. McClure and Dr. Meredith pur- chased at Tipton a six-column hand press and the necessary outfit of material, both having seen hard service, but capable of more, and on the usth of July the first number of the Cedar Falls Banner was issued. A. F. Brown was the editor ; Sam- uel C. Dunn and Joseph Farley, printers. The sheet was a six-column folio, " inde- pendent in all things." In October follow- ing, Dr. Meredith sold his share to S. H. Packard, Esq., who assumed the editorial duties. McClure & Packard afterward sold to Hill & Ball, who were succeeded by Wm. H. Hartman, in 1857 or 1858, who soon after removed the material to Water- loo, and began the publication of the Waterloo Courier.
The Banner had a circulation of about 600 copies, being sent to every State in the Union, and one or two to China. It was a most useful little paper, and was of material help in calling attention to the material advantages of Iowa as a home for immigrants and attracting settlers hither. A file of the Banner was kept, and was in- troduced in evidence in a case being tried at Waterloo some years ago. Its owner, who prized it highly, not finding it con- venient to take the bulky package home with him, left it in the clerk's office for a more convenient occasion. The clerk con- scientiously used up the entire file for 57
kindling fires, very much to the regret of all the early settlers.
The Valley City was then for two years or more without a paper. The citizens were presented with the
CEDAR FALLS GAZETTE
for the first time on Friday, March 16, 1860, by H. A. and G. D. Perkins, publishers and editors. In the " salutatory," the edit- ors say: "We come with a strong deter- mination to work with a will for your interests, to leave no honorable means un- tried to enhance your prosperity, promote your interests, and give publicity to the many natural and artificial advantages with which this point is favored." The politics of the new paper was defined to be in accord with the Republican platform of 1856. The paper was a folio sheet, seven columns to the page. Four years after- ward it was enlarged one column to the page. During the war George D., the younger brother, enlisted in the volunteer service, but was discharged for disability after a year's service. In 1865 Henry A. Perkins was appointed postmaster at Cedar Falls. July 13 of the following year the brothers sold the paper ard material to Rev. S. B. Goodenow, who had just with- drawn from the Independence Guardian. This gentleman retained control till March 22, 1867, when he disposed of the property to Messrs. C. W. Snyder, of Clinton, and A. C. Holt, of Cedar Falls. Mr. Holt re- mained with the paper until the summer of 1868, when he disposed of his interest to E. A. Snyder. Early in 1869 the Snyder brothers sold to George K. Shaw and L. D. Tracy. In two short weeks the partners disagreed, and the firm was dissolved, C. W. Snyder buying out Shaw, who took possession of the Grundy County Atlas. For two or three weeks the Atlas and Gazette were fairly sulphurous with epi- thets, the doughty Shaw, among other
.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
things, challenging Rev. Mr. Tracy to fight a duel with him. The latter gentle- man retired April 15, 1869, when E. A. Snyder again stepped into his old place. The Snyder brothers continued its owner- ship until 1877, when Mr. Merchant pur- chased of them a one-third interest. In January, 1880, the latter gentleman retired, and W. H. Hurd bought a half interest.
The Gazette has since been published by Snyder & Hurd. It is an cight-column quarto, and appears on Friday of each week. The subscription price is $2 per year. It is the only English paper now issued at Cedar Falls, though there have been others. One of these, the
NORTHWEST DEMOCRAT,
was established by a stock company at Cedar Falls, and the first number issued in June, 1862. Its first editor was a warm partisan, and his management drew down on the sheet the ire of the Republican por- tion of the community to the extent of threatening to suppress the paper. Early in 1863, the owners of the paper decided to conclude its brief life until the kindly touches of time should allay the bitter feel- ing then existing. The
CEDAR FALLS RECORDER
was begun in October, 1872, by S. G. Sher- burne. It was a good sized quarto sheet, Democratic in politics. Mr. Sherburne re- mained as proprietor till February, 1874, when he sold out to H. C. Shaver, who had been foreman of the office. In November, 1875, Mr. Shaver sold to L. Hawkins, who converted it into a semi-religious paper ; but finding the experiment a hazardous one, he disposed of the property, six weeks afterward, to J. B. Abbott & Co., who made it a Republican paper. It soon passed back to H. C. Shaver, who changed its pol- itics to its original attitude. In May, 1877, Isaiah Van Metre purchased a half interest
and assumed editorial control. These gen- tlemen continued it until 1879, when it ceased publication, and the material was removed to Waterloo to be used in the Tribune office.
It was latterly an eight-column folio, all printed at home, and had a large circula- tion among the Democracy. Two other journals have been published at Cedar Falls-the Record, by A. C. Holt, in 1866, and the Real Estate Journal, by T. L. French & Co., two or three years after. Both were advertising papers.
CEDAR FALLS JOURNAL.
This paper was started in August, 1883, by T. W. Bishop, and was sold in August, 1885, to Hand & Boehmler. In January, 1886, they sold the subscription list to the Gazette publishers, and the office material was removed to Wisconsin. It was a seven- column quarto, Republican in politics.
DANNEVIRKE
is the name of a Danish weekly, which was established in Shelby County in 1880, by Rev. Kirkeberg. He subsequently removed it to Racine, Wisconsin, whence Rev. Jen- sen brought it to Cedar Falls, January I, 1882. In January, 1883, M. Holst purchased a half interest in the paper, and in July fol- lowing N. U. Christianson bought Rev. Jensen's interest. The firm is now Holst & Christianson. The paper is issued on Wednesdays, at $1.50 a year, and is politi- cally independent. Mr. Holst also pub- lishes a semi-monthly Sunday-school paper, entitled the Boernevennen, and a weekly called the Kirkelig Samler is printed at this office for the Danish church. At
WATERLOO,
the county seat there are now published three English weeklies and one German. The first paper at this point was short lived. It was entitled the
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THE PRESS.
IOWA STATE REGISTER AND WATERLOO
HERALD,
and made its appearance on Saturday, De- cember 15, 1855, Wm. Haddock, editor and proprietor. It was an eight-column folio, and, for the time, a very handsome and creditable sheet. In his salutation to his readers, the editor says : " In politics, our paper will be independent, and not merely neutral;" and further on, that he is a firm , believer in " the doctrine of State rights, and that the South ought to be permitted to hold slaves unmolested so long as there is no help for it under the Constitution." But he was opposed to extending slavery into the territories, and in the struggle growing out of the Kansas - Nebraska bill, the paper took Republican grounds, and then, like most independent jour- nals, was everything by turns and nothing long.
In the latter part of its life the paper missed frequent issues, the business of the office was neglected and dissatisfaction was manifested by the patrons in various ways, in hopes of spurring up the publisher to better things ; but all without avail. After repeated threats of encouraging the start- ing of another paper, the citizens did finally extend material aid to Hartman & Inger- soll, which resulted in establishing the Courier, which soon proved a formidable competitor. In October, 1859, the Register was discontinued and the material was sold to parties in Waverly, who were about to start a Democratic paper there. The oldest paper now published here is the
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