USA > Iowa > Boone County > History of Boone County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 16
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Of the two boys left at home, one became so frightened that he fled down the Des Moines River to escape from the Indians. Lott had a young horse that the Indians were anxious to take away with them. They ordered the other boy to catch it or they would kill him. This frightened him so badly that he ran into the timber and secreted himself in a clump of brush on a nearby hill, from which vantage point he was able to see, by moonlight, what took place about the cabin. He often during the night saw his mother driven out of the house into the cold by the Indians. This boy remained in hiding until the Indians fled.
Lott and his stepson reached Pea's Point early the next morning, giving the alarm and telling a terrible story. Lott was then sent further south to secure more men. When he reached Elk Rapids he ran across Johnnie Green, a Pottawattomie chief, with whom he was acquainted. The Indian was encamped there with quite a number of his tribe. Upon hearing Lott's story, Johnnie Green held a coun- cil with his warriors and it was determined that the chief and about twenty-five of his braves would accompany the white men to Pea's Point, there to join others of the white force who were to complete the expedition against the Sioux.
All settlers in the neighborhood of Pea's Point assembled at the house of John M1. Crooks, who then lived on what is now known and called the Myers farm. The settlers, fearing that the Sioux might come down the Des Moines River and commit further depredations, were on the lookout for the foe. Late that afternoon Lott, with the chief, Johnnie Green, and his braves, together with a number of white men, came across the prairie from the east at full speed for Crooks' house. The Indians were in front with their war paint on and were yelling, as was their usual custom. The settlers supposed them to be the Sioux prepared for battle, and marched out to meet them, and were on the point of firing. When Lott saw what was about to happen he rode out from the rear with other white men, all
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of whom were soon recognized by the settlers. It is needless to add that the latter were much pleased to find the approaching whites and Indians were friends instead of enemies.
John Pea, Thomas Sparks and five or six other white settlers joined the relief expedition and with all possible haste marched to the Lott cabin, where they found that the family had not been killed, as Lott supposed, but that one of the boys, who had been left at home, was missing. The condition of things about the place indicated that the Sioux had robbed the family of nearly everything it possessed. It was also evident that when the Sioux left Lott's cabin they had gone north but a short time before the arrival of the rescue party. However, the conditions of the weather were such that it was con- sidered inadvisable and practically useless to follow the marauders. The Pottawattomies and all the white men soon returned south except Pea. Lott was much overcome when he saw the condition of his place and property. He found himself almost destitute of the necessaries of life, and with the further distress of mind in that he had a son missing, who perhaps might either be killed or a prisoner in the hands of the Sioux Indians.
There being snow on the ground, Lott and Pea were able to fol- low the trail of the boy. Soon they came upon his dead body, where he had frozen to death, near the now town site of Centerville. On account of the ground being frozen and the bitterly cold weather all that could be done with the body was to give it a temporary burial. Early in the following spring a more permanent interment was effected near where the unfortunate boy came to his untimely death.
By reason of the abuse and insults heaped upon Mrs. Lott by the Sioux, and exposure to which she was subjected during that dreadful night, disease overtook her and in about three months afterwards her body was laid in the grave, wasted away by hasty consumption. Soon after her death Lott and the two boys remain- ing, one a stepson, removed from the claim where they had met with so much misfortune, and located in or near Fort Des Moines. About a year later Lott married a girl by the name of McGuire. The step- son then left home and the pioneer, wife and son, in company with quite a few other families, returned to the locality near the mouth of Boone River. However, Lott did not again settle on the old claim, but located on another a short distance north and west of it.
By this time and soon after quite a few settlers had located claims in that neighborhood, one of which was my father's family. Hence,
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we became well acquainted with Lott and his family, as it appeared by his last marriage and which was comprised of twin girls and a son. Soon after the birth of the latter Lott's second wife died. He found a home for his motherless twin girls in a family by the name of Dickinson. Here they grew to womanhood. The son was adopted into a family by the name of White living in Webster County.
After the death of his second wife, Lott closed up all his business affairs and in the fall of 1853, accompanied by the son born to him by his first wife, went up the Des Moines River some distance above Fort Dodge to engage in hunting and trapping. They set their traps on what is, or was called, Lott's Creek, in Humboldt County. After being there some time Lott learned that old Chief Three Fingers, the Indian who was the cause of the death of his wife and son, was camped on another creek not very far away. Lott did not, as some writers claim, pretend to be friendly to Chief Three Fingers upon meeting him, but lost no time in locating his camp and making a survey of the surroundings. At an opportune time Lott and his son secreted themselves near a spot where the old chief made his daily visits to his traps, and when he came that way shot him to death. They then went to the Indian's camp and killed all of the family, except a girl about fourteen years of age, who escaped. Taking all of the chief's ponies and furs and property which they found of their own, the avengers made their way to Boonesboro, where they stayed three or four days.
When Lott and his son made ready to leave Boonesboro he made this remark to certain of his friends: "I am now going to leave this country, never to return. I am fully satisfied, and you will hear the reason not many days hence." Where they went I know not, but it has been the general understanding that they went to California.
What I have written was not gotten from Major Williams. The most of it was obtained from the lips of Lott and his son. From my personal acquaintance with the family I am led to raise this query: What did Lott do for which he should be condemned? Killing the chief's family only. The balance of his acts was the taking of life for life, and property for property. What would most any other man have done in that day and generation under the same circum- stances and surroundings?
CHAPTER XIV
BOONE COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR
On the 16th of April, four days following the assault on Fort Sumter, Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood, of lowa, received the following telegram from Simeon Cameron, secretary of war :
"Call made on you by tonight's mail for one regiment of militia for immediate service."
That very day the governor proclaimed to the people of Iowa that the nation was imperiled and invoked the aid of every loyal citizen in the state. The telegram above alluded to was received at Davenport. The governor was then residing at lowa City, but there was no telegraphic communication in those days between the two cities.
It was important that the dispatch should reach the eyes of the governor at once, and General Vandever, then a civilian, volunteered to take the message to lowa City. The governor was found on his farm outside the city by the self-appointed messenger, dressed in homespun and working in the field. Reading the dispatch, Governor Kirkwood expressed extreme surprise and exclaimed: "Why, the President wants a whole regiment of men! Do you suppose I can raise so many as that, Mr. Vandever?" When ten lowa regiments were offered a few days later the question was answered.
"Whether in the promptitude of her responses to the calls made on her by the general Government, in the courage and constancy of her soldiery in the field," said Col. A. P. Wood, of Dubuque, upon one occasion, "or in the wisdom and efficiency with which her civil administration was conducted during the trying period covered by the War of the Rebellion, lowa proved herself the peer of any loyal state. The proclamation of her governor, Samuel J. Kirkwood, responsive to that of the President calling for volunteers to compose her first regiment, was issued on the fourth day after the fall of Sumter. At the end of only a single week men enough were reported to be in quarters (mostly in the vicinity of their own homes) to fill the regiment. These, however, were hardly more than a tithe of the
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number who had been offered by company commanders for accept- ance under the President's call. So urgent were these offers that the governor requested on the 24th of April permission to organize an additional regiment. While awaiting the answer to this request he conditionally accepted a sufficient number of companies to compose two additional regiments. In a short time he was notified that both of these would be accepted. Soon after the completion of the sec- ond and third regiments, which was near the close of May, the adju- tant general of the state reported that upward of one hundred and seventy companies had been tendered to the governor to serve against the enemies of the Union.
"Much difficulty and considerable delay occurred in fitting these regiments for the field. For the First Infantry a complete outfit- not uniform-of clothing was extemporized, principally by the vol- unteered labor of loyal women in the different towns, from material of various colors and qualities obtained within the limits of the state. The same was done in part for the Second Infantry. Meantime an extra session of the General Assembly had been called by the gov- ernor to convene on May 15th. With but little delay that body authorized a loan of $800,000 to meet the extraordinary expenses incurred and to be incurred by the executive department in conse- quence of the new emergency. A wealthy merchant of the state- ex-Governor Merrill, then a resident of McGregor-immediately took from the governor a contract to supply a complete outfit of clothing for the three regiments organized, agreeing to receive, should the governor so elect, his pay therefor in state bonds at par. This contract he executed to the letter, and a portion of the clothing which was manufactured in Boston to his order was delivered at Keokuk, the place at which the troops had been rendezvoused, in exactly one month from the day on which the contract had been entered into. The remainder arrived only a few days later. This clothing was delivered to the regiments, but was subsequently con- demned by the Government for the reason that its color was gray, and blue had been adopted as the color to be worn by national troops.
"The first order for the lowa volunteers to move to the field was received June 13th. It was issued by General Lyon, then com- manding the United States forces in Missouri. The First and Second Infantry immediately embarked in steamboats and moved to Han- nibal. Some two weeks later the Third Infantry was ordered to the same point. These three, together with many others of the earlier organized Iowa regiments, rendered their first field service in Mis-
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souri. The First Infantry formed a part of the little army with which General Lyon moved on Springfield and fought the bloody battle of Wilson's Creek. It received unqualified praise for its gallant bearing on the field. In the following month (September) the Third Iowa with very slight support fought with honor the sanguinary engagement of Blue Mills Landing; and in November the Seventh Iowa, as a part of a force commanded by General Grant, greatly distinguished itself in the battle of Belmont, where it poured out its blood like water, losing more than half of the men it took into action. The initial operations in which the battles referred to took place were followed by the more important movements led by General Curtis of this state and other commanders, which resulted in defeat- ing the armies defending the chief strategic lines held by the Confed- erates in Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas, and compell- ing their withdrawal from much of the territory previously controlled by them in those states. In these and many other movements down to the grand culminating campaign by which Vicksburg was cap- tured and the Confederacy permanently severed on the line of the Mississippi River, Iowa troops took a part in steadily increasing numbers. In the investment and siege of Vicksburg the state was represented by thirty regiments and two batteries, in addition to which eight regiments and one battery were employed on the out- posts of the besieging army. The brilliancy of their exploits on the many fields where they served won for them the highest meed of praise both in military and civil circles. Multiplied were the terms in which expression was given to this sentiment, but these words of one of the journals of a neighboring state-The Iowa troops have been heroes among heroes'-embodies the spirit of all.
"At the beginning of the war the population of Iowa included about 150,000 men, presumably liable to military service. The state raised for general service thirty-nine regiments of infantry, nine regiments of cavalry and four companies of artillery, composed of three years' men, one regiment of infantry composed of 100 days' men. The original enlistments in these various organizations, includ- ing 1,727 men raised by draft, numbered a little more than 69,000. The reenlistments, including upward of 7,000 veterans, numbered very nearly 8,000. The enlistments in the regular army and navy and organizations of other states will, if added, raise the total to upward of 80,000. The number of men who under special enlist- ments and as militia took part at different times in the operations on the exposed borders of the state was probably as many as 5,000.
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"lowa paid no bounty on account of the men she placed in the field. In some instances toward the close of the war, bounty to a comparatively small amount was paid by cities and towns. On only one occasion, that of the call of July 18, 1864, was a draft made in lowa. This did not occur on account of her proper liability, as established by previous ruling of the war department to supply men under that call, but grew out of the great necessity that there existed for raising men. The Government insisted on temporarily setting aside in part the former rule of settlements and enforcing a draft in all cases where subdistricts in any of the states should be found deficient in their supply of men. In no .instance was lowa, as a whole, found to be indebted to the general Government for men on a settlement of her quota account."
BOONE ANSWERS THE CALL TO ARMS
It truthfully may be recorded that when the citizens of Boone County fully awoke to the terrible significance of the firing on Fort Sumter, there was hardly an able-bodied man of any importance in the community who was not ready and willing to meet upon the field of battle the enemies of his country, to fight for her honor, her integrity and the union of states for all time. And to her lasting fame and pride, it is a matter of enduring history, that during the whole struggle of the Federal Government for supremacy, but once was the draft put in execution in Boone County, and that only in two townships, to fill the quota of her troops.
When word reached Boonesboro that the South had declared war upon the North, there was some doubt among her citizens as to the accuracy of the intelligence; but later dispatches confirmed the dreadful tidings and a spirit of sadness, rather than of revenge, was in evidence on every hand ; and the dread of an internecine war was made manifest by leading men of the community, in private conversation and hastily called public meetings. However, the spirit of loyalty was uppermost and soon meetings were held in the various townships for the purpose of recruiting troops for the field. S. B. McCall, who was the organizing sheriff of Boone County, was the first to recruit a company for the service, securing men for the pur- pose in Boone and adjoining counties; not, however, in time to be assigned to a regiment under the first call. This mattered little, as the second call was soon sent throughout the land and Captain McCall's company was ordered by the governor to encamp at
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Keokuk, where it was mustered into the volunteer service of the United States June 8, 1861, as Company E, Third Infantry.
The second company raised in Boone County was recruited by W. P. Berry, who was ably assisted by W. J. Wheeler, William D. Templin and S. G. Moffatt. This body of men was mustered into the service in September, 1861, as Company D, Tenth lowa Volun- teer Infantry.
C. W. Wilson and Isaac J. Mitchell recruited the next company in Boone County. Wilson was elected captain and with his com- pany was mustered in at Davenport in January, 1862. The organi- zation was assigned to the Sixteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and became Company D.
The most popular military organization formed in Boone County was made possible by the patriotic and strenuous efforts of Dr. Theo- dore DeTar, W. L. DeFore and P. J. Shannon, who, by their deter- mined efforts in raising money, holding war meetings in various parts of the county and in personal appeals to the patriotic hearts of the citizenry, induced a sufficient number of willing and liberty loving men to enlist. Great enthusiasm and display of loyalty were manifest when these brave men left their homes and loved ones for the many unknown dangers confronting them. Public demonstra- tions were in order at the courthouse the day of their departure, a beautiful flag was presented by a delegation of ladies and leading citizens took it upon themselves to escort in wagons the soldier boys to Iowa City. At this point the company entrained for Dubuque, where it was mustered into the United States army, as Company D, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry.
The companies becoming a part of the volunteer forces of the United States army raised in Boone County have been mentioned, but these do not cover the full list of brave men who went into the Civil war from Boone County. Many others joined various com- panies, not only of the Iowa contingent, but of other states.
The data for this article were procured from the adjutant gen- eral's report, and every man's name obtainable by careful and dili- gent effort, has been preserved in the war archives of the state. The roster following contains, as near correctly as possible, the names of all serving in the Civil war from Boone County:
THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY E
Samuel B. McCall, first lieutenant; wounded at Shiloh. April 6, 1862; promoted captain June 26, 1861; mustered out June 18, 1864;
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appointed captain and C. S. U. S. V., March 11, 1865, and brevet major U. S. V., July 25, 1865.
John 11. Smith, second surgeon; killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862.
Thomas Mulvana, fifth surgeon; wounded at Blue Mills, Mis- souri, September 17, 1861 ; killed at Shiloh, AApril 6, 1862.
Henry M. Groves, fifth corporal; promoted to third corporal, September 1, 1862; reduced to ranks, June 16, 1862.
William H. Cummings, musician.
Privates- Atkisson, William K .; Atkisson, James, promoted to wagoner; Barrett, George W., wounded July 12, 1863, at Jackson, Mississippi; Bennett, Jesse, discharged December 15, 1862; Cham- bers, William C., promoted to eighth corporal, May 27, 1862; wounded at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; Castine, John, wounded at Shiloh; transferred February 16, 1864, to invalid corps; Gilmore, David B., promoted to third corporal, November 1, 1861; killed July 12, 1863, at Jackson, Mississippi; Hope, John H .; Harris, Lewis, captured February 27, 1864, near Pearl River, Mississippi; Harlan, Michael T., discharged December 18, 1861; Kirkendall, John W., discharged July 10, 1862; Mullen, Guilford, promoted to fourth corporal, April 6, 1862; Mitchell, James H., discharged May 3, 1862; Mitchell, James, died at Quincy, Illinois, November 17, 1861; Martin, Nathan G .; Marsh, Samuel, wounded at Meta- mora, Tennessee, October 5, 1862; discharged December 20, 1862, for wounds; Paynes, James R .; Pardee, Bartley N., wounded at Blue Mills, Missouri, September 17, 1861; wounded May 18, 1863, on steamer near Island No. 82; Paxton, William K., promoted to sixth corporal, October 16, 1862; Ross, Albert C .; Ramsey, M. Kennedy; Ramsey, George, Jr .; Spurrier, William A., promoted to sixth corporal, June 26, 1861; died at Saylorville, November 23, 1861; Spurrier, Joseph J., promoted to sixth corporal, November 16, 1861 ; wounded at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; promoted to fourth sergeant, April 6, 1862; Walker, Martin V., died at Macon City, Missouri, September 18, 1861; Ward, Obed R .; Zenor, Samuel P., wounded and captured at Shiloh, April 6, 1862.
TENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY D
William P. Berry, captain, enlisted July 11, 1861; resigned March 1, 1862.
William J. Wheeler, first lieutenant; enlisted July 11, 1861; resigned March 29, 1862.
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William Rankin, second lieutenant; reported but not commis sioned; enlisted July 11, 1861; discharged December 20, 1861.
John (Josiah) Fritz, first sergeant; enlisted August 1, 1861; died at Mound City, Illinois, November 11, 1862.
Stephen G. Moffatt, second sergeant; enlisted August 3, 1861 ; promoted to first lieutenant March 30, 1862; mustered out Decem- ber 26, 1864.
Isaac Stover, third sergeant; enlisted August 1, 1861 ; promoted to first lieutenant March 30, 1865, but not mustered; was mustered out as first sergeant; wounded at Mission Ridge November 25, 1863. George Meyers, fourth sergeant; enlisted August 3, 1861.
Alanson C. Eberhart, fifth sergeant; enlisted August 19, 1861; promoted to second sergeant February 1, 1864; to captain March 30. 1865, but mustered out as first sergeant.
Paschal D. Robertson, first corporal; discharged January 21, 1862.
Reuben Parcell, third corporal ; died March 8, 1863, at Memphis, Tennessee.
Jerome B. White, fourth corporal; promoted to sergeant; wounded May 16, 1863, at Champion's Hill, Mississippi; died June 18, 1863, of wounds at Champion's Hill; enlisted August 17, 1861.
Alexander Draper, fifth corporal; enlisted August 24, 1861 ; dis- charged November 10, 1862.
Oliver Lewis, seventh corporal, enlisted August 3, 1861; dis- charged November 11, 1862.
Privates-Blunk, Moses, enlisted August 24th, discharged Octo- ber 13, 1862; Coe, Samuel, enlisted August 20th; Doren, John V., enlisted August 18th, died December 24, 1861, at Bird's Point, Mis- souri ; Eads, James R., enlisted August 15th ; Gaston, Larne, enlisted October 28th; Goodman, Jacob, enlisted August 12th; Hornbuckle, George W., enlisted August 26th, promoted to second sergeant, killed at Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 25, 1865; wounded at Cham- pion's Hill, Mississippi, May 16, 1863; Hagan, John B., enlisted August 12th, discharged June 26, 1862; Holcomb, Charles L., en- listed September 2d; Hull, James, enlisted August 24th; Hurst, Andrew, enlisted August 13th, discharged December 11, 1862; Jesse, Samuel, enlisted August 12th; Joice, Peter, enlisted August 12th, wounded September 19, 1862, at Iuka, Mississippi; Kirby, George W., enlisted September 30th; Madden, Malen M., enlisted August 16th, died at Mound City, Ilinois, December 7, 1861 ; Marks, David,
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enlisted August 12th; Miller, Robert G., enlisted August 12th, dis- charged January 26, 1862; Myers, Delany, enlisted August 26th, dis- charged May 6, 1862; MeAnully, James L., enlisted October 28th; McCall, John, enlisted September 29th ; wounded at Mission Ridge, Tennessee, November 25. 1863; Needham, Melvin, enlisted August 12th, discharged January 26, 1862; Needham, Sylvester, enlisted February 23. 1864; Noland, Albert C., enlisted February 23, 1864; died April 16, 1864, at Huntsville, Alabama; Noland, Nathaniel, enlisted August 29th, promoted to corporal February 1, 1864; Phipp, William D., enlisted September 30th, promoted to corporal Janu- ary 1, 1864; Price, Israel, enlisted August 13th, promoted to sec- ond sergeant January 1, 1864; Radcliff, William, enlisted Septem- ber 30th; Sanford, Alonzo L., enlisted February 23, 1864; Sanford, John H., enlisted August 29th; Shockey, Henry, enlisted August 13th; Smith, Oliver, enlisted July 21, 1864; Sprague, William D., enlisted February 29, 1864; Starr, Edgar, enlisted August 20th, trans- ferred to invalid corps February 15, 1864; Stine, Isaac, enlisted August 12th, promoted to corporal January 1, 1864; Stone, Henry J., enlisted August 26th, wounded May 16, 1863, at Champion's Hill; Templin, William, enlisted August 24th, promoted October 21, 1861; resigned March 29, 1862; Upton, Jonas H., enlisted August 12th, discharged April 6, 1862; Wheeler, William J., en- listed August 19th; Wilson, Edward, enlisted August 18th.
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