USA > Iowa > Audubon County > History of Audubon county, Iowa; its people, industries, and institutions > Part 81
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A well-known citizen of Sharon township, Jorgen Jorgensen is well entitled to the esteem and confidence he enjoys, which have been freely bestowed upon him by his neighbors and by the host of friends he has made in Audubon county. He is a worthy citizen of the great Hawkeye state.
HANS A. BLADT.
Among the prosperous, enterprising and skillful farmers of Sharon township, Audubon county, Iowa, is Hans A. Bladt, the owner of three hundred and seventy-five acres of land in Sharon township, who was born on May 8, 1878, in Schleswig, Germany, and who died a son of Jacob and Anna Margaret Bladt, natives of Denmark and of Germany, respectively. After their marriage in Germany, where Jacob Bladt, who was a laborer, came with his wife to America in 1903, and located in Audubon county. They are now living in Sharon township, having retired from active work. Their children were, Jacob, Fred, Hans A., Peter, Rasmus, Nels, Marie and John.
Hans A. Bladt received his education both in the schools of Germany and Denmark, and after leaving school came to America, locating in Sharon township, Audubon county, Iowa, where for five years he worked as a farm hand. Subsequently, he rented a farm of eighty acres for a number of years, and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres in this township. He is now the owner of three hundred and seventy-five acres, all in a high state of cultivation and he also carries on mixed farming. Mr. Bladt feeds about one and one-half carloads of cattle every year and, approximately, one hundred and fifty head of hogs. He keeps thorough-bred Shorthorn cattle, and raises about one hundred and fifty acres of corn, which averages fifty bushels to the acre and eighty acres of small grain, as well as ten acres of alfalfa, and fifty acres of hay, and altogether Mr. Bladt has invested more than eight thousand dollars on his farm. He has improved the soil by care- ful fertilization, drained the land and built hundreds of rods of the best fences.
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In 1898 Hans A. Bladt was married to Carrie Olesen, the daughter of Ole Olesen, and to this union four children have been born, Marie, Anna, Ole and Emma. Mrs. Bladt was born in Illinois, although her parents were natives of Denmark, who came to this country shortly after their marriage and located in that state. Later, they moved to Iowa, locating in Audubon county, where her father farmed until his death. Her mother is still living on the old home place in this township. Mrs. Bladt is one of two children born to her parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Hans Bladt are faithful and earnest members of the Danish Lutheran church, in which they are actively interested, and to the support of which they are liberal contributors. Politically, Mr. Bladt is a Republican, and he is a public-spirited, enterprising and genial man, a pro- gressive citizen and is well entitled to the high regard of his neighbors. Year by year he has gone on performing his day's duties with the zest of a man who is earnest in his work, and as a toiler who has been carefully trained in husbandry, and he well deserves the admiration which is accorded him by the people of his neighborhood and county.
H. P. LAURITZEN.
H. P. Lauritzen, a very successful farmer and stockman of Sharon township, Audubon county, Iowa, was born on March 23, 1872, in Schles- wig, Germany, the son of Claus and Anna (Mortensen) Lauritzen, the former of whom was born in December, 1832, and passed away on August 17, 1904, and the latter, born on October 3, 1839, passed away on July II, 1912.
Claus Lauritzen and his wife came to America from Denmark, where he was a farmer, in 1881, and located in Shelby county, Iowa, where they purchased seventy-three acres of land at fifteen dollars an acre. After improving the place in various ways, especially by the erection of a small house, fourteen by fourteen feet, and farming in that county until 1899, they removed to Audubon county, and located in Sharon township, where lie purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land. This farm he improved in various ways and here he lived until his death in 1904. They had six chil- dren, H. P., N. P., Claudie, Sine, Mary and Hannah.
H. P. Lauritzen, who was educated in Germany and in Shelby county,
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Iowa, after leaving school took up farming with his father, and remained with him on the home farm until thirty-one years of age.
In 1904 Mr. Lauritzen was married, at the age of thirty-one, and after his marriage purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land and began farming for himself. The farm was greatly improved under his ownership and management, and in 1910 he purchased the place upon which he now lives, consisting of three hundred and twenty acres. Here Mr. Lauritzen has invested about two thousand dollars in improvements. He raised approx- imately one hundred and twenty acres of corn every year, which yields an average of fifty bushels to the acre; fifty acres of small grain, sixty-five acres of hay, and feeds all these products to hogs and cattle. Mr. Lauritzen finds it necessary, in order to feed two hundred and twenty-five head of hogs and six carloads of cattle, to purchase in addition to what he raises from four to five thousand bushels of corn every year. He has been very successful in farming and is considered one of the most prosperous farmers in this section.
H. P. Lauritzen was married on January 27, 1904, to Cecelia Arp, daughter of Joachim and Margaret (Nelson) Arp. To this happy union four children have been born, as follow: Anna, Clarence, Edward and Florence. Mrs. Lauritzen is a native of Shelby county, Iowa, a daughter of native-born German parents, her father having been a farmer, who came to America unmarried, and who settled in Shelby county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm and farmed until his death, January 25, 1891. His wife, born on January 10, 1858, is still living at Elkhorn, Iowa. They had four children, Mrs. Lauritzen, Charles, Fred and Elvena.
Mr. and Mrs. Lauritzen are members of the Lutheran church, in which both take a prominent part. A Republican in politics, H. P. Lauritzen for- merly served as township trustee of Sharon township and discharged the duties of this office to the satisfaction of the people of the township.
Not only is Mr. Lauritzen one of the largest farmers in this community, and one who maintains on his farm a barn large enough for one hundred and twenty head of cattle, besides other buildings for hogs and other live stock, but he is considered very successful in the cultivation of corn and other grains and cereals. He has always taken a keen interest in the educa- tional development of Audubon county, and believes strongly in the very best educational facilities for his children and the children of his neighbors. ·Upon matters affecting the public welfare Mr. Lauritzen's counsel and advice are freely sought, and his assistance in all worthy movements can always be depended upon. He is popular in the neighborhood where he lives.
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HON. HENRY FRANKLIN ANDREWS.
Henry Franklin Andrews, son of Jacob and Martha Phinney (Ham- blen) Andrews, was born at Lovell, Maine, Thursday, June 27, 1844. He was married at Atlantic, Iowa, by the Rev. M. Hughes. February 27, 1871, to Jennie Maria, daughter of William Canfield and Ruth Harriet (Thayer) Norton, of Oakfield, Iowa. Jennie Maria Norton was born in Springfield township. Allen county, Indiana, June 21. 1850. She returned with her parents to Springwater, New York, from whence they had moved to Indiana, and came with her parents to Oakfield, Iowa, in 1856. Before marriage she had become a successful school teacher in Audubon county. They separated in 1898, and were divorced December 13, 1902. Both unmarried 1915. She lives with her children near Shoshone, Wyoming. He is a lawyer and genealogist.
Henry Franklin Andrews lived with his parents in Lovell. Stoneham, Portland, and again in Lovell, Maine, except two summers in Naples, Maine, until 1862. He was reared a farmer and lumberman. He attended the public school up to and including the winter of 1861. but was employed at work for his father in the summer seasons after he was twelve years old.
On July 18, 1862, Henry Franklin Andrews enlisted as a private in Company D, Sixteenth Regiment Volunteer Infantry, joined his company at Augusta, Maine, and was mustered into the United States service on August 14, 1862. The regiment went by rail on August 19, via Portland and Boston to Fall River, Massachusetts, thence by the steamer "Bay State" to Jersey City, arriving there August 20, and at Philadelphia the following day, and was entertained there with refreshments at the "Cooper Shop"; thence again by rail via Baltimore and arrived at Washington on August 22. The regiment marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and crossed Long Bridge into Virginia the next day and camped at Fort Tillinghast, near the Lee mansion on Arlington Heights, just across the Potomac from the White House.
On September 2, Companies D and I were detailed to serve at Fort Corcoran, and the other companies to other forts in the vicinity. At Fort Tillinghast was heard the first sounds of war and real fighting while the battle was on at Chantilly. The "long roll" called them out there in the night for the first time in their long arduous service. On September 7 the regiment was consolidated and marched away on the Maryland campaign ; and on September 9 it was assigned to Hartsuff's Brigade, composed of
Att ant Ew3
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the following named regiments : Eleventh Pennsylvania, Ninth New Hamp- shire, Twelfth and Thirteenth Massachusetts and Sixteenth Maine, Rick- ett's Division, Hooker's First Army Corps, under Gen. George B. McClel- lan, Army of the Potomac.
Mr. Andrews marched with the regiment on the first day, but was taken violently sick with fever, and on the morning of September 8 was sent back to Harewood Hospital, Washington. As soon as he could stand and walk he attempted to find his regiment, and after various delays joined it at Sharpsburg, Maryland, in October. From there he marched with the regiment across the South Mountains, crossed the Potomac at Berlin, thence via Waterford, Hamilton, Middleburg, White Plains, Warrington, etc., to Rappahannock Station, and then to Brook's Station, Virginia; being sick and unfit for duty during the entire march. To add to the hardship and suffering, the men had left their knapsacks at Washington when starting on the campaign, and were without overcoats or change of clothing from September 7 to November 27; and during that period encountered severe weather and hard storms, so that a large per cent. of the men were sick and off duty. About this time Comrade Andrews was detailed as "cattle guard." and to shoot the beeves for the brigade, which relieved him from drill, picket and guard duty and other hardships incident to the regular service, and permitted marching without carrying a heavy load. During the battle of Fredericksburg he took a bunch of beeves to the battlefield and slaughtered them for food for the troops of the brigade.
On the "Burnside mud march" he was serving with the "cattle guard," but soon afterwards voluntarily returned to his company and put in the remainder of the winter at regular duty; drilling, on picket and camp guard, having partially recovered his health.
Mr. Andrews served with the regiment at the second battle of Freder- icksburg and at Chancellorsville, May, 1863, where he suffered a severe relapse and contracted an illness from which he never fully recovered. However, he started from near Fredericksburg on the Gettysburg cam- paign, and completely collapsed and was sent from Centerville to Fairfax Seminary Hospital in June, 1863, suffering from debility and fever. He joined the regiment again at Rappahannock Station in time to participate in an engagement there on August 1, 1863, and continued to serve in the fall campaign in the advance of the army to the Rapidan river; and on the retreat of the army back to Centerville in October, 1863; where he was again prostrated with a severe illness and sent to the field hospital, but
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went on duty again before recovery and participated in the battle of Mine Run in November, 1863.
During the fall and winter of 1863-4, on account of ill health, he was relieved from drill, picket and guard duty, and detailed as company clerk.
In May, 1864, Mr. Andrews marched with the regiment and partici- pated in the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania. The Sixteenth Maine was a fighting regiment from start to finish, commanded by the gallant, brave Col. Charles W. Tilden, afterwards brevet brigadier-general ; and by Lieut .- Col. Augustus B. Farnham, brevet colonel, and the adjutant, Abner R. Small, was of the best in the army, afterwards major. The regi- ment suffered heavy losses. It bore upon its rolls the names of one thousand nine hundred and sixty-two officers and men, of whom one hundred and. seventy-eight were killed in battle or died of wounds, two hundred and eighty-eight were wounded in action, fifty-two missing in action, some of whom were probably killed, two hundred and seventy-one died of disease, and two hundred and seventy-seven were discharged for disability; a large number were captured by the Rebels in battle and were confined in prisons, where many perished. At Fredericksburg the regiment lost fifty-four per cent. of the men who went into the fight, killed and wounded. At Gettys- burg after a hard fight and losing heavily the first day, it was ordered to hold its position "at all hazards," to enable the remainder of the division to retreat from the field and gain a new position. The order was faith- fully and literally obeyed, that gallant handful of men held the line until the Rebels swarmed around them, overwhelmed and captured most of them. Only two officers and fifteen men escaped and remained for duty at the close of the battle. The remainder, except those killed and wounded, were captured by the Rebels and taken to prison at Richmond, Virginia, includ- ing Colonel Tilden, who had the proud record of escaping through the tun- nel from Libby Prison the following winter.
The various organizations to which the regiment belonged were as fol- low : It was assigned to Hartsuff's Brigade as before stated. In October General Hartsuff was succeeded by Gen. Nathan Taylor in command of the brigade, and soon afterwards the Sixteenth Maine was transferred to the First Brigade, same division, composed of the Twelfth Massachusetts, Ninety-fourth and One Hundred and Fourth New York, One Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania, and the Sixteenth Maine, commanded by Col. Adrian R. Root, of the Ninety-Fourth New York, who assumed command on No- vember 19, 1862. Gen. John Robinson took command of the Second Divi- sion, and Gen. John F. Reynolds commanded the First Army Corps. About
-
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October, 1862, General McClellan was relieved from command of the Army of Potomac and was succeeded by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside who fought the first battle of Fredericksburg. He was relieved about March, 1863, by Gen. Joseph Hooker, who fought the second battle of Fredericksburg and the battle of Chancellorsville in May, 1863. He was relieved in turn the last of June by Gen. George G. Mead, who fought the battle of Gettysburg, July, 1863, and commanded the army until the close of the war.
After General Reynolds was killed at Gettysburg, the First Corps was commanded by Gen. John Newton until March, 1864, when it was con- solidated with the Fifth Corps, commanded by Gen. G. K. Warren, until the battle of Five Forks, and afterwards by Gen. Charles Griffin. General Robinson commanded the Second Division, First Corps until March, 1864, when it was consolidated and became the Second Division of the Fifth Corps. At the battle of Spottsylvania, May 8, 1864, he lost a leg, and Col. Dick Coulter had temporary command of the division. On May 10, the brigade was temporarily assigned to the First Division under Gen. Lysamis Cutler. On June 8, 1864, the brigade was transferred to General Craw- ford's Third Division, Fifth Corps. It had various commanders at differ- ent periods. Colonel Root conimanded at Fredericksburg, both battles, and at Chancellorsville. It went into the battle of Gettysburg under Gen. Gabri- elle Paul, who had both eyes shot out, and was succeeded, respectively, by Colonels Root, Leonard and Coulter, who were all wounded. This little brigade lost over one thousand men the first day at Gettysburg. Colonel Leonard commanded during the fall and winter of 1863-4, and up to the battle of Spottsylvania, May 8, 1864. Col. Thomas F. McCoy seems to have been in command at the battle of Weldon Railroad, Virginia, August 18, 1864. On August 21, 1864, the Sixteenth Maine was transferred to General Baxter's Second Brigade.
The First Brigade during the winter of 1863-4 was stationed at Mit- chell's Station, Virginia, on the Orange and Alexandria railroad, between Culpeper and the Rapidan river, south of Slaughter's Mountain.
As before stated, Comrade Andrews suffered from repeated attacks of sickness, which seriously mitigated against his success and advancement as a soldier. Notwithstanding which, and without solicitation, he was ten- dered promotion by Captain Plummer, which was promptly declined against the earnest protest of the captain, on the ground that it would deprive other comrades, who had performed better service, from merited promotion. On account of continued ill health and disability for further active duty in the
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field. he was again sent to the hospital at Washington, the last part of May, 1864, from which he never returned to duty with the regiment. After con- valescence he was detailed as a clerk at Mount Pleasant United States Hos- pital. Washington, where by close attention and fidelity to duty he became chief clerk of the hospital a year later, with fifty clerks and ward masters under his direction. By order of the war department he was directed to be transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps for duty, which was barely escaped by the close of the war. He served out his time as chief clerk, and was dis- charged for disability at Washington, July 13, 1865. After discharge he continued his position a month longer to assist his commanding officer to discharge and muster out the men who were inmates of the hospital, and to close out the post.
Without solicitation Comrade Andrews received the following certifi- cates of service from his commanding officers :
"WATERFORD, MAINE, September 20, 1864.
"This may certify that Henry F. Andrews, a private of Co. D. 16 Me. Vols. has, during his two years of service, shown himself to be not only a true soldier, but a young man possessed of more than ordinary business capacity. He has a greater portion of the time been employed by me as company clerk, and by his strict and close attention to his duty has proved himself to be an able and efficient person to perform all such labors imposed upon him.
"I would, therefore, cheerfully recommend him for some better posi- tion which his talents, industry and general character eminently deserve.
"(Signed) S. K. PLUMMER, "Capt. Co. D, 16 Maine Vols."
"Mt. Pleasant Hospital, Washington, D. C., .
July 16, 1865.
"As the time draws near when the hospital will close. I should be doing injustice to my feelings were I not to express to you my gratification for the efficient manner in which you have performed the duties of chief clerk of the main office.
"Your character has always been most exemplary. After your honor- able discharge you returned to the hospital and resumed your old duties, although no provision had been made for your employment-an action worthy of all praise, and in marked contrast to the selfish course pursued by others. I consider that the promptitude with which I was enabled to
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muster out and discharge the convalescent soldiers was due in no small degree to your labors-and you are entitled to the gratitude of your former comrades as well as my own thanks. Wishing for you every success,
"I remain very truly your friend, (Signed) "H. ALLEN, "Asst. Surg. U. S. A., In Charge. "HENRY FRANKLIN ANDREWS, "Late Co. D. 16 Maine."
The following certificate was given by the officer last named in response to a request for a recommendation for an appointment in the War De- partment :
"Mount Pleasant Hospital, Washington, D. C., "July 16, 1865.
"Sir-In reply to your request that I would give you my opinion as to your fitness for the position of clerk at the War Department, I would say that I have rarely met in the service with one more devoted to his duties than yourself, or who was less disposed to secure promotion at the expense of the interests of his fellow soldiers. I can also affirm to your efficiency as a clerk, for you have assumed charge of the main office of this hospital to my entire satisfaction. I hope that in the disposal of the appoint- ments, the claim of those who have already rendered faithful service to the Government will be considered.
"(Signed) H. ALLEN, "Ass't Surg. U. S. A. In Charge."
"HENRY FRANKLIN ANDREWS, "Late Priv. Co. D, 16th Maine Vols."
The foregoing documents were from a regular army officer, command- ing a post of three thousand sick and wounded men and convalescents, embracing every branch of the army service, guarded by three companies of the Veteran Reserve Corps, with thirty surgeons or more, and numer- ous stewards, wardmasters, clerks, attendants, etc., under his command, equalizing the command of a division in the field. It was an unusual act for such officers to present a volunteer enlisted man such compliments. The service which suggested this action was such as had merited his special approval.
Instead of accepting a clerkship Comrade Andrews retired to civil life. He came to Exira on October 3, 1865, whither his parents had moved
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while he was in the army, where he has since principally resided. During the winters of 1865-6 and 1866-7, he taught schood, and worked at farm- ing and carpentering in the summer months. He served as county recorder, 1867-8; county judge, 1868; was admitted to the bar 1870. He was deputy United States marshal, and enumerated for the eleventh United States census for the counties of Audubon and Shelby, in 1870. In 1872 he attended one term at the school of the law department, Iowa State Univer- sity. Admitted to the supreme court of Iowa, 1884. and to practice before the United States department of the interior the same year, and to the United States district and circuit courts in 1886. Employed as county attor- ney, 1884-6. He was state senator, 1892-5; notary public for many years; mayor of Exira, 1894-5: justice of the peace, 1905-8. He has been a mem- ber of the Free Masons: Knights of Pythias, in which he held the office of chancellor commander; Improved Order of Red Men: Modern Woodmen of America; Iowa Legion of Honor; Grand Army of the Republic, in which he held nearly every office in the post. Four times colonel and aid-de- camp on the staff of the national commander, Grand Army of the Republic. He devoted much time in assisting the old veteran comrades to obtain pen- sions and claims for army and navy services from the government.
Mr. Andrews was chairman of the military committee in the Senate of Iowa at the time of building the Iowa soldiers' monument at Des Moines; was author of the bill which placed the Grand Army of the Republic head- quarters in the state house; author of bill granting aid to indigent soldiers; author of the plan placing the sixth judge on the supreme court of Iowa; an active supporter of the historical department of Iowa. He has given liberally of his time in promoting various associations for the reunions of the veterans of the Civil War. Colonel of the Audubon County Veteran Regiment, 1904; general of the Nishua Botna Veteran Association, 1905; general of the Western Iowa Veteran Association; 1906; member and active supporter of the National Association of Civil War Musicians. A leading and successful member of the Audubon county bar, and has been engaged in many business enterprises. He has been an extensive landowner, land agent and dealer in real estate, farmer, stock grower, fruit grower, mer- chant, dealer and shipper of grain and live stock.
One of the founders of the town of West Exira, 1879. He built the first brick building in Audubon county in 1873. The county records and newspaper files of Audubon county show that Mr. Andrews has been a busy man since 1865, and that he has ever been devoted to the interests of the people among whom he has lived.
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Henry Franklin Andrews is the author of "The Andrews Family," published in 1890; "The Hamlin Family," 1894; "The Hamlin Family," 1900; "The Hamlin Family," 1902 ; and other publications. And author of the "History of Audubon County."
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