History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 62

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574

USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 62

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

HI. C. HEMENWAY.

THE WOMEN OF BUCHANAN COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

The war chapter of our history would be both incom- plete and unjust without a further recognition of the achievements of Buchanan county women. It is true that their unwearied efforts, during our Nation's trial, were emphatically a labor of love, and that every city, town, and hamlet of the loyal north exhibited the coun- terpart of their self-sacrificing devotion. But this does not detract from the honor which is their due, the record of which should be held as the proudest inheritance of their children.

The untold material wealth, represented by the accu- mulations of hospital stores, collected mainly through the agency of woman, was not disproportionate to the vast operations of the Government in that great struggle. How much these labors and this lavish outlay influenced the final result it is impossible to say; but of their adapt- edness to ameliorate the sufferings inseparable from war, there is no doubt. And when it is considered that wherever any portion of the Union army was sent, there the sanitary commission found means to follow, with hos- pital stores, nurses, and all the appliances for the care of the sick and wounded, what language can adequately ex- press the beneficence of woman's work in the great Re- bellion?

The mothers, wives, and daughters of the Union had, in giving up husbands, sons, and brothers, offered their choicest treasures to the Nation. Was it strange that the lesser gifts should not be withheld? The mother could not seek her fever-smitten boy in the distant military hospital ; nor could the wife minister to her stricken husband, though cruel wounds had paralyzed the strong arms and made him helpless. Such cases as these were not iso- lated. The land was filled with mothers and wives whose yearning anxiety, left to prey upon their hearts, would have consumed them. Happily this painful solicitude found its solace and its natural expression in labors which should surround the suffering loved ones with something of the atmosphere of home. Difficulties there were, but love laughs at impossibilities, and in obeying the impulse to do what it can, often performs miracles. There should be no lack of the numberless accessories which often make of the sick room at home a shrine where each member of the household offers constartly his choicest gifts. First, there must be a wealth of soft garments, suitable for the sick and convalescent. And how these were multiplied till in number they were as the sands upon the sea shore, or the leaves in the forest (and like the leaves of that tree by the "pure river of water, clear as crystal," there was healing in their touch). let the un- numbered associations under the title of Soldiers' Aid societies and the unfailing stream of supplies which met the demand for hospital stores wherever made, and the condition of our hospitals, which challenged the admira- tion of the civilized world, answer.

The women of Buchanan county were not behind their sisters in other counties of the State, nor did the women in any part of Iowa dishonor the record of the brave men she had sent forth to battle for a righteous

208

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

cause, by backwardness in these labors of love. Iowa soldiers were eminent where all were brave, and the women of Iowa, by their patient, persistent, heroie labors, left the world in no doubt as to the cause of the pre- eminence of her men.

SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETIES.

These organizations were to be found in almost every neighborhood in the county. For, as in every neighbor- hood there were families from which the father, or one, two, and in some cases three sons, had gone into the army. The whole population was, in fact, made up of organizations from which material supplies in some form were constantly flowing. To trace, through a period of four years, the operations of one of these sources of be- neficence, though perhaps the most subordinate in means and results, would be beyond the scope of this chapter, were the data for such a record at hand. A few sugges- tive titles and statistics are all that will be aimed at, but these will be sufficient to give the thoughtful reader the factors concerned in producing that sum total, before which the world stood amazed.

THE NUMBERS ENGAGED IN THE WORK.

And here, as in other departments, our statistics must be of necessity, approximate. In the earlier pages of this chapter, the work of the women of Independence in preparing uniforms for the first companies that left the county for the seat of war, before provision had been made either by the State or General Government for the outfit of enlisted men, has had honorable mention. For- tunately the names of those noble women, who, limited in time for the accomplishment of a great and necessary labor, and recognizing the warrant of Him who "went about doing good," continued their work through the day of rest, have been preserved ; and we are not only able to transmit them to future generations, but to add the assurance that the zeal and self-devotion of this heroic band, which was so conspicuous in this inauguration of work for the soldiers, knew no abatement until armed rebellion had ceased. And it may be questioned, whether as co-workers with others like-minded throughout the State, their holiest work was not done after that event. The opening of homes for the orphans of soldiers, in recognition of that sacred duty to be a "father to the fatherless," was done mainly through the self-sacrificing labors of women. It is true that many, both men and women, and that, too, among the most exalted in station as well as in culture and piety, gave to the cause of the widow and orphan freely of their influence, their time, and their means. But we have the testimony of one who had interested himself in collecting informa- tion in regard to the history of the establishment of the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' home, that, "In the origin and general success of this enterprise, the greatest credit is due to the women of Iowa."

To this roll of honor, which will be read with ever in- creasing pride, no whit less reverent than that which stirs the pulse at the mention of Revolutionary heroines, should be added perhaps an equal number, who, during the next four years, bore the heat and burden of the day,

but were prevented from taking part in this first scene of the first act of the drama which filled the land with woe, and brought the keenest sorrow to many households of Buchanan county.

We give the list as published by an admiring editor, Mr. Barnhart, of the Independence Civilian, who, for- tunately for us, and for those who had to follow us, look- ing in upon the inspiring seene, on that memorable Sun- day, was moved to make a record of the names of those patriotic women, who, forgetting weariness, were giving a fine exhibition of the self-abnegation which should characterize those who had given themselves to their country in her hour of need. And it is a pleasant thought that the heroism, especially of some of those youthful heroes whose names are an honor to the county and the State-a Jordan, a Lewis, a Rice, and the most youthful of them all, the gallant Little-received a higher inspiration during those last days at the county seat, a higher estimate of the value of their imperilled Govern- ment and of the duty of her defenders.

Mrs. E. B. Older, Mrs. M. V. Bush,

" C. L. Patrick,

" C. M. Dunham (and machine),

H. P. Henshaw,

" James Whait,

A. J. Bowley,

" William Scott,

Rev. John Fulton,

" R. P'Jane,

= D. P. Daniel,

" C. B. Kandee,

Dr. George Warne,

.. R. W. Wright,

T. A. Wilson,

George Whait,

= William Morris,

J. G. Freeman,

A. B. Clark, E. W. Purdy.

S. S. McClure, / .. B. C. Halle,

= S. S. Clark,

H. Edgecomb,

J. B. Myers,

S. P. McEwin,

.. H. Connelly,

M. GIllett,

Harvey Mead,

.. E. Roby,

William Stanley,

O. M. Pond,

= William Barker,

J. M. Hord,

C. F. Leavitt,

Carrie Simmons,

= Jed Lake,

Dr. Hunt,

- Harvey Lovejoy, R. Campbell,

T. B. Bullen,

John Whait.

.. H. I. Brown,

J. H. Young,

R. A. Kent,

.. S. Ercanbrack,

R. S. Brown,

Alexander Smith,

E. H. Gaylord,

Dr. Parsons,

= J. M. Westfall,

Dr. Tabor,

Allen Few,

Charles Taylor,

-- Baldwin,

= - Holmes,

= H. Sparling,

R. Bartle,

Dr. House, - Barnhart,

- N. M. Brooks,

= M. B. Tims,

H. A. King,

= E. P. Baker,

- Judge Tabor,

A. Dudley, Parker,

Dr. Bryant,

H. Shaw,

B. S. Rider,

: J. Haywood,

= B. D. Reed,

- Kimball,

.. John Campbell,

- - Young,

P. B. Wilcox,

J. H. Morgan,

- Fisher,

.. Heman Morse,

G. W. Bemis,

M. D. Smith,

= G. Sauerbier,

.. C. F. Herrick,

= M. Hazelton,

Miss Carrie Patrick,

Miss Ellen Henry,

= Carrie Curtis,

Amelia Parker,

M. Barnhart,

E. Putney,

M. Allen,

F. Brockway.

Thos. Oliver (and machine),

E. M. Alexander,

D. T. Randall,

Sarah Sturtevant,

.. Althea Chandler,

A. Conolly,

Rachel Freeman,

= D. S. Dunham,

Dr. E. Brewer,

.. Lettie Wilcox,

209

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

Miss Hattie Crippen,

Miss Annie Kingsley,

" Helen Judd,

Emma Woodward,

C. Morse,

M. Hathaway.

.. Gertrude Edgecomb,

.. Libbie Chandler,

Mary Chandler,

.. Lizzie Patterson,

= Jennie Patterson,

.. Eliza Barnhart,

Rosa Forbush,

Mary Deering,

= C. Deering,

Delia Clark,

Emma Allen,

C. Schwartz,

E. Wattles,

E. Sauerbier,

Hattie Horton,

- - Bowker,

.. S. L. Jackson,

Maggie Brockway.

SOME DATA FOR ESTIMATES OF VALUES COLLECTED.

Not long had the Buchanan county companies been in active service, before appeals were being made from the sanitary committee of the army, from Quartermaster General Meigs, from the governor of the State, and from private sources, setting forth the necessity for sup- plies which the Government could not provide, and which, most naturally, must be the product of loving labor of the friends of the soldiers at their own homes and by their own firesides. And woman with that won- derful intuition which is a part of her spiritual constitu- tion, entered upon the duties of this avocation as though her previous life had been a training in which its details had been reduced to the most exact rules, and its diffi- culties, apprehended and vanquished, had been arranged as convenient stepping stones by which she was to cross the wide and turbulent rapids to gain the farther shore. Everywhere warm hearts and willing hands were at once engaged in devising and preparing liberal things, not only for the sick and wounded, but, as far as possi- ble, it was the aim to provide such a variety in diet, and such ample protection against exposure as would effect- ually guard against disease; and thus, while making lib- eral provision for the soldier in the hospital, no pains or expense were spared to keep him out of the hospital.

The first organization of a soldier's aid society in In- dependence was effected at a meeting held in Morse's hall, on Friday, the twenty fifth of October, 1861, when the following officers were elected: Mrs. D. S. Lee, presi- dent; Mrs. J. C. Loomis, vice-president; Mrs. G. W. Bemis, secretary; Mrs. G. C. Jordan, treasurer; Mrs. Dr. Warne, depositor.

The society asked for donations of yarns for knitting mittens and socks, cloths, flannels, muslins, blankets, quilts, pillows, etc., jellies, arrow root, corn starch, farina, preserved, dried and canned fruits, and other delicacies for the sick, not forgetting money for the purchase of material to be made up. The meetings were weekly, and all were invited to aid the work by attending, and by contributions of material and money.

The receipts of the third and fourth meetings, as pub- lished at the time, were as follows: In money, given in small sums by various citizens, eight dollars and fifty cents; Mrs. Allison, towel and pillows; Mrs. Dr. Chase, one pound yarn, one paper cocoa; Mrs. Mary Wright, one comfort ; Mrs. Marinus, one pair pillows with cases; Mrs. Brown, cloth for comfort; Mrs. A. Ingalls, three towels; Mrs. I. G. Freeman, one comfort, with feathers and cases for six pillows; patch-work for comfort, by Emma Taylor and Lydia Mccullough; sixty blocks for

comfort, pieced by Master Alphonso Reed; ten yards calico, by several persons; Mr. Candee, four pint cups, clerk, one ditto; Mrs. Bush, Mrs. Glynn, Mrs. Edgecomb, Miss Ella Sauerbier, patch-work for quilts; Mrs. Morse, two pairs socks; Mrs. Woodruff and Miss Homans, ma- terial for two quilts; Mrs. Wilson, six pounds batting; Mrs Jordan, one quilt; Mrs. James Brown, six hair cushions and one paper of corn starch; Mrs. Morgan, one pair pillow-cases; Mrs. Freeman, material for two quilts, and feathers with cases for six pillows; Mrs. War- ren, one quilt ; Mrs. Parsons, one quilt; Mrs. James Poor, one quilt; Mrs. Dr. Hunt, one quilt; Mrs. P. C. Wilcox, one quilt, six spools of thread; Mrs. Dr. House, one quilt, one pair of sheets; Mrs. Ingalls, one quilt ; one quilt pieced by Katharine and Melissa Wilson, Au- gusta Noble and Addie Wilcox.

At their fifth regular meeting the money receipts were about eight dollars, and at the sixth Mrs. I. G. Freeman gave feathers for eleven pillows, making a donation in three weeks of seventeen pillows. Surely, "the blessing of him that was ready to perish" must have made hers a pillow of down.

The first boxes were packed and sent, one to the Iowa Fifth, and the other to the Ninth regiment, on the thir- teenth of December. In the first were sent five straw ticks, twenty-one pillows, nineteen pillow slips, nine towels, two flannel blankets, thirteen cotton shirts, three cotton flannel shirts, two pairs cotton flannel drawers, two fine shirts, seventeen pairs socks, four pairs of cotton sheets, one linen sheet, one parcel old linen, one roll of flannel, four pairs of mittens, three hair cushions, six linen hand- kerchiefs, one roll of cotton for bandages, twelve com- forts, three tin cups, three bottles of wine, one can cur- rant jelly, three papers corn starch, one paper of rice, one paper of cocoa.

To the Ninth Iowa volunteers, in which was Captain Hord's company, the following articles were sent: Five straw ticks, twenty three pillows, nineteen pillow slips, one blanket, two pairs of cotton flannel drawers, four cotton flannel shirts, sixteen cotton shirts, one fine shirt, one parcel of linen, seven cotton sheets, one linen sheet, eight towels, one roll of cotton for bandages, sixteen pairs of socks, three pairs of mittens, six linen handker- chiefs, two hair cushions, twelve comforters, two tin cups, three bottles of wine, one can of preserved tomatoes, three papers of corn starch, two papers of dried grapes, one paper of farina, one can of plum jelly, three dozen magazines.

At a meeting on the day following the sending of these first fruits of a tree which proved to be perennial, a vote of thanks was tendered to Dr. and Mrs. Warne, and also to the officers of the society, for a large amount of extra labor performed, and to Charles W. Taylor for carrying boxes to the depot, loading and unloading Iree of charge.

Let it be remembered that this was the result of about six weeks' labor, and that, at least twice the amount must have been sent from other organizations in various parts of the county, as at Quasqueton, Jesup, Littleton, and other places, and that there was no cessation in this

210

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

work during the succeeding four years, and the amount and value of similar supplies forwarded from the county of Buchanan, will be seen to have been almost incom- putable. And then, too, in emergencies, as after great battles, special efforts were made, and the amount of hospital and other stores greatly increased. At seasons when such articles could be safely forwarded, immense quantities of vegetables, eggs and fruits were sent to ac- cessible points for the comfort and health of the brave men whose lives were imperilled, not alone by the burst- ing shell and the deadly bullet, but by forced marches in burning heat, and in driving storms of snow-from the malaria which poisoned the air they breathed and the water they drank.

CHAPTER XVI.

BUCHANAN COUNTY SCHOOLS .*

THE records of our county schools, previous to 1858, are exceedingly meagre, and the few there are, are so scattered and disarranged as to be practicably unavail- able, unless to a historian who, unlike myself, may have abundant leisure for explanation and collection.

The school system of Iowa-if system it may be called -previous to 1859, was by no means favorable to com- pleteness and accuracy of record, and still less to a care- ful preservation and arrangement of such records as were made. The only county school officer previous to 1858 was the school fund commissioner, and his duties, as the title indicates, pertained rather to the care of the school land and funds than to any supervision of the schools themselves. The records, which he had little induce- ment to keep, I have had as little leisure to search for ; and, in the superintendent's office, there are absolutely none. I must, therefore, depend entirely upon personal recollection for whatever I may say of the early history of our schools.

That recollection dates back to the year 1850, or twenty-three years ago, at which time there were only three civil township divisions of the county, and I think not more than four school districts. Washington town- ship included the whole north half of the county, and a little more ; and though there may have been more than one district therein, there certainly was but one school- house, and that was near where John Boone resided then, and yet resides. In Independence there were three families, and only two children old enough to attend school. There were three families near where Thomas Barr now lives, but no children over five years of age ; and three families on Otter creek, at what is now called Greeley's Grove, in Hazleton township, but not more than one child over five years of age, while in what is now called Buffalo township there were but two families.

In what is now called Liberty township (then Spring), there were probably a dozen families, and, I think, a school-house on Pine creek, about one mile south of the Dubuque road. At Quasqueton there were probably twelve or fifteen families, and they doubtless had a school building, though I don't remember to have seen it; and I think there was another school-house near where Sol- omon Swartzell now lives.

In what is now Newton township there were a few families, but no school-house, and the same is true of Jefferson township and possibly Cono. The townships now called Madison, Fairbank, Perry, Byron, Fremont, Middlefield and Homer were as trackless and houseless as the ocean, as was also Sumner, with the exception of one building, occupied by Isaac Ginther.

The architecture of the school buildings was, of course, the rudest. All built of unhewn logs-unless, possibly, the one built at Quasqueton may have been framed. Board seats next the wall on three sides, fronted by long desks of rough bass wood, as being soft and easily worn smooth by friction of arms and books, and, possibly, more convenient to whittle. These back seats and desks were reserved for the larger scholars, while the smaller were accommodated by inner rows of benches, made of oak slabs for strength and durability. The fourth side was devoted to the ample fireplace, flanked on either side by the entrance door and the wood pile. I need not, however, dwell upon the description of these houses, for the type has hardly yet disappeared, and is not un- familiar to even the youngest of my auditors. Who taught the first schools I am unable to say. But though the names of Egyptian builders are lost, the pyramids and ruined temples remain as monuments of their skill; and though the names of the first teachers are not re- membered, yet the results of their labors are perpetuated.

[The names of nearly, if not quite, all the first teachers in the several townships will be found in the township histories .- C. S. P.]

In the winter of 1850-51 a school was taught in the school-house near Boone's for three months, as I remem- ber, with an attendance of from twenty to twenty-five pupils, coming from a radius of two miles or more; and it will serve as an illustration of the interest even then felt in the subject of education by these early settlers, to state that an evening spelling school brought the people together-old and young-not only from Otter creek and Pine creek, but from Hazleton and Quasqueton. And a few attempts by the teachers to lecture upon such subjects as the operation of steam and the steam engine, methods of calculating, the velocity of light, etc., filled the house to overflowing, and that at a time when there were only seventeen families in the whole north half of the county.

During that same winter, I believe, there was a school taught in the house on Pine creek, near the old Heam place, also one at Quasqueton. The next winter there were not only schools in all these places, but also one in Independence, two or three families having arrived here during the year 1851. This latter school was taught in a log building formerly occupied by Rufus B. Clark, the

* A historical sketch delivered before the County Normal Institute, Tuesday evening, August 12, 1873, by Hon. O. H. P. Roszell.

21I

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

first settler here, and original proprietor of the town site; and the building stood a few rods south of where now is the residence of Dr. J. G. House. It stood in the street -Mott street-but streets and lots were then alike un- shorn of their native bushes, and only the surveyor could distinguish lot from street. The school was taught by Mrs. William Bunce, still a resident of Hazleton town- ship, in this county, and a very estimable and intelligent lady. Evening schools were common, and, being oc- casions of social reunion of parents and scholars, were always well attended by both, and all took part in the spelling. I remember attending and gaining some ap- plause for being able to spell most of the words in the spelling book correctly, and especially for being able to detect when a word was pronounced, not found in the English vocabulary, as was sometimes done by mistake, which is not surprising when we remember that kerosene lamps were not, and that the only light the pronouncer had was a tallow candle, held in the hand.

During the year 1852, still more families arrived and settled in this place and vicinity, and I think it was in 1852, that the first school-house was built in Indepen- dence-to William Brazelton belongs the honor of its erection-at his own expense. It was not very large nor very elegant, being only twelve by sixteen, built of bass- wood logs; but the logs were hewed on two sides, and even divested of bark, regardless of expense; for its builder was determined that Independence should boast of a school-house worthy of its name. Providence seemed to smile on the undertaking, for the State super- intendent, Hon. Thomas H. Benton, jr., visited Inde- pendence just as the house was nearly completed and lectured in the new building. Every citizen turned out . to hear him, the house was half filled, and that was a proud day for Independence. I had the honor of teach- ing the first school in that house, and I believe there were twelve pupils on my school roll. The building stood on the lot now occupied by Thomas Sherwood, and very near the site of his present residence.

From this time (though I do not mean to assert, or even insinuate, that our new school-house was the cause), the tide of immigration began to set strongly toward Iowa, and this county received its share of the immi- grants. They followed, in their locations, the streams, or rather timber which followed the course of the streams. Settlers located up the fiver at Fairbank, at Littleton, down the river between here and Quasqueton, and below Quasqueton, on the Buffalo in the east part of Newton, and on the branches of the Maquoqueta, in east Madison, on Otter creek from its mouth to Gree- ley's Grove, and on Lime Spring creek in Jefferson; and . wherever they located they built school-houses with little delay. As early as 1855 or '56, there was a school-house built in Madison near the residence of Silas Ross; one on Spring creek in the south part of Newton; one near Brandon on Lime creek; another in the western part of Jefferson; one near Fairbank, and one a few miles be- low; still another in the north part of Hazelton, and at Buffalo Grove ; one of brick at Independence, and an ad- ditional one at Quasqueton. Immigration still continued

and increased, spreading out on the open prairie in every direction, till 1857, and additional houses contin- ued to be erected, many of them framed ones; not only because the increase of population and wealth deman- ded and enabled people to build better houses, but be- cause on the prairies logs were neither the most conven- ient nor the most inexpensive material with which to build. I am not able to remember precisely, when or where schools were taught during these years, and there are no records readily accessible, from which such facts may be ascertained. There was no such office as county superintendent; and I find no report showing the num- ber of schools, or school children, or houses. Such re- ports were made to the school fund commissioner, but are not at hand.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 62

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers Number of Pages: 574

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574