USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 19
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The grandest tributes, which could possibly be given mortal man, were embraced in these resolutions, which were unanimously adopted and copies of the proceedings sent to each of the county papers for publication and also a copy to the wife of the deceased.
A most eloquent, though unpremeditated tribute to the memory of this noble and inspiring character, was the departure of sixteen men to join Company E which occurred within a week after the funeral of the lamented Jordan. These sixteen men were recruited in Independence and the following is a list of their names :
John W. Stewart, John C. MeCray, William H. Williams, Charles Broekway, H. J. Whait, S. E. Rowse, G. M. Watson, John H. Ginther, John Bain, F. M. Guard, Foster Harris, William E Conway, John Minton, W. O. Morse, S. F. Turner, Daniel Beekley.
Of this number thus ready to step into the breach made by those fallen from the ranks of our country's defenders, John H. Ginther, a young man twenty-one years of age, and of remarkably sound, robust constitution, died of typhoid fever at Camp MeClellan, Davenport, while the company was waiting for uni- forms, preparatory to joining the regiment at New Madrid.
The spring of 1862 was signalized by brilliant successes on the part of the Union troops in the West and Southwest. But these were not achieved without a price. Muel sacrifice of life had been made and many existing military organ- izations required to be filled up with new recruits, thus to keep up the army's efficiency and be able to retain their acquired advantages. In June of this year
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a call was made by the President for 300,000 men to be "enrolled without delay, so as to bring this unnecessary and injurious war to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion."
Quite a number of recruits from the southern part of the county had enlisted in companies outside the county through operation of the bounty system. Be- tween twenty-five and thirty-five recruited into a Linn County company and several in a Benton County company in this way. They properly should have enlisted with the home companies and joined either Captain Noble's or Miller's company but the supervisors had not, as yet, offered a bounty. The United States Government was calling for 300,000 more troops and also was offering a premium of $2 for each accepted recruit., An agitation was aroused to get the board of supervisors into action. A publie war meeting was held at the courthouse August 2d, to take steps relative to making efforts for the further- anee of enlistments. L. W. Hart acted as chairman and J. Rich as secretary. Messrs. Woodward, Wilcox, and Tabor spoke as to the best course to pursue. A committee of six. which was afterwards changed to twelve. was appointed to wait upon the board of supervisors and present this resolution, which was unanimously passed : "Resolved, It is the sense of this meeting, that the super- visors of this county be earnestly requested to vote an appropriation of from fifty to one hundred dollars as a bounty to be paid to each volunteer required to make up the quota for this county." The committee was as follows: Doctor House, Edward Brewer, T. II. Bowen. L. W. Hart, J. D. Myers, J. M. Westfall, Judge Tabor, P. C. Wilcox, C. F. Leavitt, T. Scarcliff, J. S. Woodward, and J. M. Miller. A finance committee of three was appointed to solieit subscriptions to assist recruiting. Messrs. Wilcox, Stont, and Woodward were appointed as the committee. Remarks were made by Doctor House, and Messrs. Baker, Hart, Roszell, Bowen, Noble. Jones, Colonel Thomas, and Reverend Sampson.
It was ordered that the music committee, consisting of Messrs. Bowen, Ross, and Doctor House, as soon as possible, provide music for Mr. Noble's company. Another meeting was strongly favored and Messrs. Bullene, Roszell, and Doctor Ilunt were appointed as a committee on arrangements and a mass meeting was voted to be held at the courthouse on the Saturday following, August 9th. at 12 o'clock. Thereafter a petition was circulated requesting the board of super- visors to meet on the 13th of Angust, 1862, and praying them to offer a bounty. The meeting held on Saturday afternoon, August 9, 1862, was organized with James Rankin, Esq., acting as chairman, and II. C. Heminway, as secretary. A committee consisting of Messrs. Fulton, Hastings, and Chandler, was appointed to suggest the proper action to be taken, and resolutions were adopted, similar to those adopted by the first meeting, urging the importance of raising volun- teers to fill the entire quota required from this county, under the President's call for 300,000 volunteers and also under the order recently issued for a draft of a like number. requesting the board of supervisors to offer a bounty to volun- teers and to make adequate and permanent provisions for the support of the families of volunteers who had enlisted from this county. William Mills, of Dubuque, was to have been present to address the meeting, but was unable to be there. A letter from him was read.
A dispatch from Washington, dated July 29th, says that Governor Kirkwood had been authorized by the secretary of war to make a draft for soldiers when-
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ever and wherever he should think proper, in this state. This was done to reach ill-disposed traitors who were discouraging enlistments. Some of the states had abandoned the bounty policy and had commenced drafting soldiers into the service, but it was thought that Buchanan, having sent such a large proportion, would escape their drafting policy, but if she should be delinquent, undoubtedly Washington Township would be called upon to make up the deficiency, but she did not escape. Buchanan County's quota for the first regiment from this district was forty-eight as a minimum and sixty for a maximum.
Under the two calls, she was required to raise about two hundred and forty men, and that in a short time. Mr. Rich made a most earnest and magnanimous appeal to his political enemies to drop all party strife, and to unite in the further- ance of their country's cause. "Let them," he said, "show a genuine patriotism, forget party prejudice and join hands in this common cause-and make all the sacrifiees that free men and patriots fighting for the glorious heritage of freedom are in duty bound to make and enlist in the struggle. If there must be strife, let it be a friendly contest as to which political party shall furnish the most means and the most men for the conflict."
Alfred Ingalls had been appointed commissioner and Dr. George Warne, surgeon, to superintend the draft of this county. Sheriff Westfall promptly completed the draft and Commissioner Ingalls was ready to hear applications for exemption.
Accordingly, on Wednesday, August 13th, the board of supervisors met at the courthouse to take into consideration the subject of voting a bounty to volun- teer soldiers. There were present Messrs. Allen, Beach, Bemis, Cameron, Dickey, Flemming, Freeman, Hillman, S. T. Hovey, J. G. Hovey, Ironsides, Johnson, Lillie, Logan, and Ward.
Mr. Bemis offered the following resolution : Resolved, By the Board of Super- visors of Buchanan County, that there is hereby appropriated out of the county fund of said county, a sum of money sufficient to pay $25.00 to each actual resi- dent of this county, who is the head of a family, who shall be mustered into the military service of the United States for the term of three years or during the war, under the last two calls of the President of the United States; also the sum of $5.00 to each single man who is not the head of a family.
Mr. Logan offered the following as a substitute, and advocated its adoption. Whereas, a pressing necessity now exists for volunteers, to reinforce our army now in the field, and whereas, the governor of lowa, is ealling loudly for volun- teers, to aid in putting down the rebellion : Resolved, That the Board of Super- visors of Buchanan County, Iowa, in'special session, authorize the clerk of said board, to issue warrants on the county treasury to be paid out of any money, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $25 each, to each single man and $50 to each married man, of said county, who has or may enlist under the first call of 300,000 men, or under the second call.
Resolved, That we pledge the credit of the county, as far as absolutely necessary, to the families of those who have, or may hereafter, enlist under said calls.
Mr. Ward made an excellent patriotic speech in advocacy of the substitute. Messrs. Allen, Ironsides, and Johnson opposed the proposition on the ground of a want of power in the board.
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Mr. J. S. Woodward, on the part of a committee of the people, by permission, spoke in favor of voting the bounty.
Mr. llart followed in a short, earnest feeling appeal to the board to do what- ever patriotism could prompt in furtheranee of the cause of that Constitution which before and above everything else they have sworn to support. His speech was right to the point, and every word, "weighed in the scales of patriotism," according to the Guardian. When he conchided the question was ealled for and Mr. Logan's resolution was substituted for Mr. Bemis' and adopted. The vote stood nine ayes to six nays.
Mr. Dickey offered the following resolution which was not agreed to: Resolved, That the clerk of the supervisor's of Buchanan County, lowa, be authorized to borrow money on the credit of the county for the purpose of paying the appropriation made for bonnty to volunteers at 5 per cent. There was no further business so the board then adjourned. Later it was urged that the board of supervisors appropriate a county bounty to volunteers who had enlisted previous to the bounty system and had as yet received no favors from the county but the board refused to issne warrants when there was no basis to give them valuation.
All was not perfect harmony among the soldiers at the front. Often they forgot the purport of the great strife in the absorbing issue of petty affairs. Letters back and forth from the soldiers printed in the local papers showed considerable animosity at times and prove very interesting reading after fifty- two years. Everyone was accusing everyone else of being disloyal and unpa- triotie and even traitors to their country. Especially was the feeling manifest between the two political parties, many of the democrats eriticising the methods of the republican administration, also questioning the motives and policies of the leaders and the causes for war. These certainly were awful times, the dis- ruption of the Union itself and the continuons wrangling and opposition to all its proceedings. Even the loyal men at the front, Captain Lee, for example, was sorely criticised and maligned for his attitude on the slavery question. There was so much diversified opinion about the abolition question, but the real quarrel was, of course, confined to the different political parties. Between our own county papers, as well as in every other county, where there were strongly opposing political parties, there existed the most bitter and acrid antagonism. Every week found columns devoted to the most sarcastic and stinging criticism of each other and their political attitude sometimes so personal it would seem that only some very tangible settlement could pacify them and yet what could that profit them. The old quotation "the pen is mightier than the sword" proved true in this case, and retaliation with that more deadly weapon was entirely satisfactory and a great deal more interesting, especially to the voracious perusers of the Guardian and the Civilian. Each week the battle waxed more fnrions and hot, each week brought fresh, juicy morsels to the watering mouth of scandal.
One particularly exciting incident was when Mr. Rich, the editor of the Guardian, offered himself as a target for rebel bullets and guaranteed to find some good republicans to go with him if Colonel Thomas and Judge Roszell, or either of them, would also enlist. These two men, Thomas and Roszell, were leading democrats and strongly opposed and eriticised the administration, the
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republican party and particularly Mr. Rich, who was agitating the further progress of enlistments, bounties for soldiers, etc., all of which they opposed. Colonel Thomas replied to the proposition in a cleverly sarcastic letter, partly accepting the proposition and deelaring that if he were rejected by the United States offieer, when being mustered into service, that he would go and fight on his own hook, and if by the regulations of the War Department he was for- bidden to do that, he would then go as cook to his worthy townsman, Captain Noble, of the company then being raised.
In the same issue as appeared Colonel Thomas' letter was a petition signed by about a hundred citizens almost exclusively from Washington Township, begging Mr. Rich to reconsider his decision and stick by "the ship of state" at home, that his duty was to continne at the laborions, responsible and too often thankless post of conducting and publishing the paper which he had so ably and efficiently edited, "as an exponent of republican loyalty, as the vigorous defender of the war measures of the administration, as the friend and organ of our chivalrous volunteers, as the supporter of the principles of freedom in our county, in our judicial and in our congressional districts, and as the uneom- promising opponent of rebellion, treason, secession, and slavery in all their various disguises and forms." The discontinuance of the paper would be a publie calamity for our county. "Peace has her vietories as well as war," and there must be those who show their devotion to their country at home as well as in the "tented field," ete. Several other petitions were circulated through- ont the county and had their desired effect on the editor. He concluded to remain at his post of duty, not only for the sake of his subseribers, but on account of his duty to Mrs. Jordan, widow of his late partner, who had laid down his life for the canse and in view of the fact that his enlistment meant the entire destruction of his business and destroyed her sole means of support.
It was soon announced that enlistments were increasing at a rapid rate and as before Buchanan County was not slow in answering to the Government's call. Mr. J. D. Noble, a commission merchant of Independence, was the first to initiate steps for raising a company which at once met with encouraging success. .
Captain Bull of Company C, Ninth Regiment, had received an appointment of paymaster in the regular army of the United States, with the rank of major. Ile resigned his position as captain and left immediately for St. Louis, to the regret of his company, but every one was glad of the captain's promotion. Lieutenant Wright received the unanimous vote of the company to fill the vacancy. Word was received that Edwin Sparling of Washington Township and a member of Captain Power's company of the Ninth lowa Regiment had died in the summer of 1862 at Batesville, Arkansas. Captain Lee sent a copy of a general order issued by the commander of the army of the Mississippi requir- ing that all absentees from their companies should send a certificate of an army medical officer of their inability to rejoin their regiment within thirty days, or they would be reported as deserters. In this vicinity passes could be obtained of Colonel Allison of Dubuque or A. Brown of Cedar Falls.
There had been so many different enlistments for different periods and so many home on furlonghs and sick leave that it was difficult to keep track of them, and there had been so many desertions too.
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The Fourth this year, 1862, was celebrated in a very quiet manner; there was no lack of patriotie spirit but no one seemed inclined to go ahead and make the necessary arrangements. But the country people looked to Inde- pendence to furnish them the entertainment, so accordingly they flocked to town in large numbers, and an impromptu program was gotten up which proved both profitable and entertaining. The children were well amused by the antics of a negro, negro band, and a young "Cadets" parade. And in the afternoon, there was a gathering in the grove near the Methodist Church, where fine speeches were made by D. D. Holdridge and Jed Lake, Esqrs., which satisfied the grown- ups and reflected much credit on these gentlemen.
Captain Heege's Artillery Company had six horses attached to the old cannon belonging to the city and with its mounted escort looked very imposing. They fired several national salutes. The Cadets looked very splendid in their white pants, blue caps, and red scarfs, and marched well-they numbered twenty- five, carried a "nice flag" and were headed by a drum corps of boys who played very well for amateurs.
The spirit of the soldier had invaded and pervaded every youthful heart and was exemplified in even the games of the tiniest youngsters.
In the July 15th paper, we see where two more brave soldiers of Captain Lee's company had died, viz .: Jackson Rice of Jefferson Township and R. M. Walker of Fairbank Township. These men had been sick and in the soldiers' hospital and died very suddenly. Both were splendid soldiers. The Fifth Regiment was reported as having only 300 men fit for duty; they were then stationed near Rienzi, below Corinth, Mississippi, but expected to move soon. Simeon Mead, a member of Captain Lee's company, was sent home on account of physical disability.
Already it was mid-summer, the harvest almost past, and with the appro- priation of the bounty offered by the board of supervisors, and the month's advance pay granted by the Government, men of families were enabled to pro- vide for them at the beginning of their enlistment. This liberality produced a marked effect in the rapid increase of volunteers in this county and in fact everywhere the policy was adopted.
The good work was soon progressing not only at the county seat, under the direction of Mr. Noble, but also at Quasqueton under the supervision of Mr. Whitney and in Byron Township a company was being raised by Jacob M. Miller. The fire of patriotism had lost none of its ardor and at the first breath was again ablaze. Some of the most prominent men of the county responded to this urgent call: Messrs. W. G. Donnan and Jed Lake being among the number. Lieutenant Foster was in Independence recruiting for the old lowa regiments and Lieutenant Geary of the regular army had recruited at least fifty men for the regular service, from this county.
Eleven men had been reernited for Company C, Ninth lowa, then stationed at Jacinto, Mississippi.
Letters From Captains Lewis and Little of Companies E and C, of the Ninth and Fifth lowa regiments, respectively, urging men to enlist and fill up the old companies appeared in the September papers. Company E needed eight or ten and Company C' twenty to fill its quota.
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Captain Little writes that his company had numbered 101 while at St. Louis a few months previous, and now, July 28th, their aggregate was only 77, and several of that number were disabled, probably for life.
One of the really pleasant incidents of the war occurred on August 3, 1862, when in camp near Helena, Arkansas, the Ninth Iowa Regiment was presented with a flag of the regimental colors and one of the national flags by the women of Boston, Massachusetts, as an evidence of their interest in them as soldiers of the Union, and as a token of their grateful admiration for the valor and heroism dis- played by them on the memorable field of Pea Ridge. The flag was a beautiful thing made of white silk on one side and crimson on the other. The inseription on the white side was beautifully inscribed in gold letters, "Pea Ridge, Arkan- sas, March 7th and 8th." In the center, held by two greyhounds, was the scroll with the words "lowa Greyhounds." This was over the eagle which was in the center of the flag, with the lowa coat of arms; all of which was encircled with a beautiful gold border. On the opposite, erimson side, handsomely embellished in gold letters were the words, "From your country women of Massachusetts," with the coat of arms of the old Bay State, and the words, "Pea Ridge," again inscribed on the field under the coat of arms, with the same horder. On the flag staff was a fine gold bronzed eagle with a splendid gold tassel in his mouth. The staff was so arranged that the flag could be detached by a spring and folded in a moment.
The other was the national flag, with its blue field, and its broad stripes and one large star in the center of the field, encircled with thirty-four more in a gold ring or border, and with the words, "Pea Ridge, March 7th and 8th, 1862," inside the circle. The flag staff and tassel were the same as on the other. This made one of the finest stands of regiment colors in the army of the South- west. The "color guard" was composed of eight corporals and one sergeant, and was placed on the left of the right center, forming on the left of Company C (Captain Bull's company), and then the color company, and Sergt. Charles Curtis of Company C was the color sergeant; the corporals were taken one from each company. No wonder the Buchanan boys were proud of their honor to carry these beautiful tokens of appreciation and esteem on to victory.
Miss Phoebe Adams, of Boston, Massachusetts, presented the flags in a most gracious and beautiful manner. paying warm tributes and eulogies to the "lowa Greyhounds"-(we are unable to find whence comes this name, but it has con- tinued or rather a semblance of it, almost up until the present ).
The State Militia Company at Dubuque has always been known as the "Governor Greys," even before the Civil war.
Colonel Vandever, on behalf of his regiment, accepted the magnificent gift and responded in a most eloquent and touching reply, paying tribute to the Ninth lowa, which with a Missouri regiment and Captain Hayden's battery was assigned the post of honor and of danger on the morning of the first day of the battle of Pea Ridge. They were fighting greatly superior forces, and for hours were hotly pressed with a terrific fire. Of the small band of 565 of this regi- ment. that marched so valiantly into battle, 239 lay dead and wounded on the field, at the close of the contest. (We have previously told how Company C suffered.) And it shall not be forgotten that on the day preceding the battle
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they performed an almost unbelievable feat of marching forty miles between daylight and dark to reach the field of anticipated strife.
These colors were jealously guarded and cherished by the regiment all through the war, were horne many long weary miles, and on many a victorious field, riddled and torn with bullets, and covered with the many scars of battle, and afterwards were presented by the unanimous voice of the regiment, one to the original donors, and the other to Brevet Major-General Vandever, the old commander of the regiment, whom the men of his original command never ceased to hold in the warmest esteem.
The enthusiasm continued unabated and culminated in the enlisting of two companies. The members of both companies" gathered at Independence on the 18th and 19th of August with hundreds of their friends to bid them a sad fare- well. Again were the sad and tragic scenes of the former partings reenaeted except perhaps with a more intense feeling, because more and more did they realize what this parting meant. Both companies were filled to the maximum number. Captain Noble had 106 men enlisted and the character of the men was such as to promise the highest honor to the country, the state, their county and themselves. Captain Miller's company had eleven men rejected, while Cap- tain Noble had only one, by the mustering offieer at the examination and swear- ing in of the company at Dubuque. Jacob M. Miller was elected captain of the company by acelamation, but further organization was deferred by both eom- panies until they should be in camp at Dubuque. At first Captain Noble's whole company was quartered at the Graffert Honse and Captain Miller's in three different places but all in comfortable quarters, which would go into camp as soon as the Twenty-first Regiment left, which probably would be August 29th. Company Il held its election at the city hall, Dubuque, August 27th, it being an enthusiastic and harmonious election.
The roster of Company H, Captain Miller's, taken from the official report of the adjutant general is here appended. This regiment was attached to the Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Captain, Jacob M. Miller. First Lientenant, Otis N. Whitney. Second Lieutenant, William G. Donnan.
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
First Sergeant, Aaron M. Wilcox. Second Sergeant, Wesley G. Smyser. Third Sergeant, Charles W. Woolley.
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