USA > Iowa > Webster County > Fort Dodge > History of Fort Dodge and Webster County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 14
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Rood, James, age twenty-five; residence, Otho; nativity, New York ; enlisted, August 15, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; killed in action, March 14, 1864, Fort De Russy, Louisiana. Buried, National Cemetery, Alexander, Louisiana, section 1, grave 49.
Rosil, Moses, age thirty-three; residence, Columbus, Kentucky; enlisted, 'September 2, 1863, as under cook; mustered, September 2, 1863; mustered out, August 24, 1865. Clinton, Iowa.
Rowley, James A., age twenty-six ; residence, Dakotah; nativity, New York; enlisted, August 22, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; promoted eighth cor- poral, December 23, 1863; seventh corporal, March 30, 1864; wounded fatally and taken prisoner, April 9, 1864. Pleasant Hill, Louisiana ; died of wounds, April 20, 1864, Pleasant Hill, Louisiana.
Rowley, Mathew, age eighteen ; residence, Waterloo; nativity, Pennsylvania ; enlisted, January 11, 1865; died of disease, July 19, 1865, Montgomery, Ala- bama; buried in National Cemetery, Marietta, Georgia, section L, grave 573.
Ruscoe, George, age thirty-nine; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, New York; enlisted, January 2, 1864; mustered, January 2, 1864; transferred to Company B, Eighth Infantry, July 29, 1865.
Russell, Francis W., age twenty-four; residence, Dakotah; nativity, Wiscon- sin ; enlisted, August 20, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862 .; discharged for dis- ability, March 29, 1863, Fort Pillow, Tennessee. See Company D, Ninth Cavalry.
Russell, James, age twenty-one; residence, Webster county; nativity, Iowa; enlisted, January 14, 1865; mustered, January 14, 1865; transferred to Com- pany B, Eighth Infantry, July 29, 1865.
Russell, John W., age twenty-eight; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Ire- land; enlisted, August 22, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Salisbury, William J., age nineteen; residence, Emmet county ; nativity, Michigan ; enlisted, January 4, 1863 ; mustered, January 4, 1863; taken prisoner, April 9, 1864, Pleasant Hill, Louisiana; transferred to Company B, Eighth Infantry, July 29, 1865.
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
Scherff, Peter, age twenty-nine; residence, Webster county; nativity, Ger- many; enlisted, January 10, 1865; mustered, January 10, 1865; transferred to Company B, Eighth Infantry, July 29, 1865.
Snodgrass, Andrew W., age twenty-three; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Indiana ; enlisted, August 22, 1862 ; mustered, October 7, 1862; promoted, sev- enth corporal, July 4, 1864; fourth corporal, December 5, 1864; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Thomas, James H., age forty ; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, New York; enlisted, August 19, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; mustered out, June 2, 1865, St. Louis, Missouri.
Timmons, Anderson, age twenty-one; residence, Columbus, Kentucky ; nativity, Tennessee; enlisted, November 4, 1863; mustered, November 4, 1863; deserted, December 1, 1864, Nashville, Tennessee.
Timmons, William T., age twenty-two; residence, Columbus, Kentucky ; nativity, Tennessee; enlisted, November 4, 1863; mustered, November 4, 1863; deserted, February II, 1865, Paducah, Kentucky.
Tod, George A., age sixteen; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Pennsylvania ; enlisted, August 22, 1862, as drummer ; mustered, October 7, 1862; taken pris- oner, February, 4, 1864, Big Black River, Mississippi; mustered out, July 10, 1865, Montgomery, Alabama.
Trusty, Joseph S. M., age twenty-four ; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Illi- nois; enlisted, January 2, 1864; mustered, January 2, 1864; transferred to Company B, Eighth Infantry, July 29, 1865.
Vancleave, John S., age twenty-one; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Indi- ana ; enlisted, August 22, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; died of disease, March 28, 1863, Fort Pillow, Tennessee; buried in Mississippi River National Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee, section I, grave 78.
Vancleave, Silas, age twenty-seven ; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Indiana ; enlisted, August 13, 1862 ; mustered, October 7, 1862; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Vandevender, John, age twenty-eight; residence, Webster county; nativity, Ohio; enlisted, August 13, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; taken prisoner, April 9, 1864, Pleasant Hill, Louisiana; mustered out, July 15, 1865, Mont- gomery, Alabama.
Vincent, Beth, age eighteen; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Pennsylvania ; enlisted, August 20, 1862; mustered, October 29, 1862; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Welchle, Jacob, age forty-four; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Germany; enlisted, August 22, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Williams, George P., age twenty-two; residence, Webster county; nativity, Indiana; enlisted, August 12, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862 ; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Williams, James B., age twenty-five; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Penn- sylvania ; enlisted, August 22, 1862, as third sergeant; mustered, October 7, 1862; promoted, second sergeant, May 30, 1864; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Williams, Thomas J., age twenty; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, Indiana :
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
enlisted, August 22, 1862 ; mustered, October 7, 1862; discharged for disability, March 13, 1864, Mound City, Illinois.
Wilson, Joel B., age twenty-five; residence, Webster county ; nativity, New York; enlisted, August 15, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; promoted, eighth corporal, May 30, 1864; fifth corporal, July 4, 1864; third corporal, December 5, 1864; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Young, Ezra C., age twenty-four ; residence, Webster county; nativity, New Jersey; enlisted, January 11, 1865; mustered, January II, 1865; transferred to Company A, Eighth Infantry, July 29, 1865.
Young, Lemuel L., age nineteen; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, New Jersey ; enlisted, August 22, 1862; mustered, October 7, 1862; mustered out, August 24, 1865, Clinton, Iowa.
Young, Levi G. C., age twenty-four; residence, Fort Dodge; nativity, New Jersey ; enlisted, August 22, 1862 as fifth corporal; mustered, October 7, 1862; promoted, fourth corporal, October 6, 1862; third corporal, December 23, 1863 ; second corporal, May 30, 1864; died of disease, June 29, 1864, Fort Dodge, Iowa.
COMPANY A, ELEVENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY
Webster county furnished a company of cavalry for service in the Union armies. This company was originally raised for Colonel Josiah Harlan's "Inde- pendent Cavalry," but afterward was sent east and became Company "A" of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry. While the company was considered an Iowa company, and was credited as such by the War Department on Iowa's quota, yet but little reference is made to it in the records of the adjutant general of Iowa. The commissions of the officers were, however, issued to the officers by the authorities of Iowa, at the request of the general commanding the divi- sion in which the company was at the time of the organization of the regi- ment. At the completion of its organization the company numbered eighty- three men, rank and file. Soon after the organization of the cavalry company, the patriotic ladies of Fort Dodge decided to present the volunteers with a flag. They accordingly collected over $40 by subscription, and soon sent the money to Dubuque where the proper material of which to make the flag was purchased.
The presentation took place September 13, 1861. The flag was about six and one-half feet in length and about five and one-half feet in width and was made of silk. The ceremony of presentation took place about four o'clock in the afternoon, and was held at the courthouse, in the presence of a large gathering of people from the town and county. The flag was presented by Miss Cruikshank, who on behalf of the ladies, spoke briefly, as follows :
"Volunteers of the Iowa Light Cavalry. In behalf of the ladies of Fort Dodge, I present you this banner, the much loved emblem of our country's glory, for the maintenance of whose integrity and honor you have offered your lives. We grieve to part with you, yet are proud and happy that you have thus nobly responded to the call of duty. Our prayer is, that peace and har- mony may soon be restored to our loved country, and that you may return to us in safety. But should it be the fate of any of you to fill a soldier's grave, far from home and friends, your memories will be sacredly and affectionately Vol. I - - S
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cherished by those in whose behalf I address you. Nowhere can dust to dust be consigned so well as where,
"Heaven its dews shall shed On the martyred patriot's bed.
"Take your banner, may it wave Proudly o'er the good and brave. When the spear in conflict shakes, And the strong lance quivering breaks, Guard it! God will prosper you.
"In the dark and trying hour, In the breaking forth of power, In the rush of steeds and men, May His right arm protect you then."
1
The presentation speech was replied to on behalf of the company by J. H. Holloway. Woolsey Welles, on behalf of the Webster County Bible Society, then presented each of the officers with a Bible and each of the privates with a copy of the New Testament. George S. Ringland was then called upon and made a brief address. In the course of his address he referred to the hostility, which had been shown towards the company by certain parties in the city and county, and denounced the authors of this opposition as traitors. His remarks were greeted with applause.
In the absence of official data concerning the history of this company, it has been necessary to consult other sources, and the editor has availed himself of an article published a number of years ago in the "Annals of Iowa," and written by Mr. George L. Cruikshank, the first sergeant of the company. Omitting some of the less important details, the history is herewith quoted as follows :
"Company A, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, was organized at Fort Dodge, Iowa, in August, 1861. When the news of the battle of Bull Run was received, a number of young men, who had been drilling during the spring and summer, resolved to organize a company for the service, and messengers were sent up the Des Moines river as far as Spirit lake. September 2, 1861. the company met at the courthouse in Fort Dodge, and, before electing its officers, was sworn into the service of the United States, by James R. Strow, justice of the peace. Franklin A. Stratton was elected captain ; G. S. Ringland, first lieutenant, and George W. Bassett, second lieutenant. The company went by stage to Cedar Falls, and thence by railroad to Dubuque, where, on September 21, 1861, it was mustered into the service of the United States by Captain Washington. It left Dubuque October 6th, and reached Washington, D. C., October 10, 1861. One of its members, Peter Bowers, was killed in a railroad accident near Lewis- ton, Pennsylvania, and was buried there.
"At Washington, D. C., the company joined the regiment then known as Harlan's Independent Regiment of Light Cavalry. Colonel Josiah Harlan was a relative of Senator James Harlan of Iowa, and it was through his influence that Company A joined that regiment. Later, the secretary of war, finding he
S. M. SHERMAN At one time postmaster at Fort Dodge
MAJOR JONATHAN HUTCHINSON Captain of Company I, Thirty-second Towa Volunteers
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
1 1.OX AND
, NDATIONS.
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
had no authority to accept independent regiments, the name was changed to the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, that state having the largest number of troops in the regiment. On the 16th of October it left its camp on Seventh street, and crossed the Potomac to Ball's Cross Roads, Virginia. In November it marched to Annapolis, Maryland, and thence proceeded to Fortress Monroe, Virginia, by steamer. Here stables were built for the horses, and the regiment was thoroughly drilled.
"On March 8, 1862, when the Merrimac sank the Cumberland, and the Con- gress was burned, the regiment was on picket duty on Newmarket Creek, and, on the morning of the 9th, saw the beginning of the fight between the Monitor and the Merrimac. The company was under fire for the first time on the old battle-ground of Great Bethel, in March, 1862. On May 7th, the regiment was reviewed by President Lincoln. On May 15th, Companies A, E, G, H, and L were sent to Norfolk, Virginia, and soon after to Suffolk. Company A was detached from the battalion and placed under the immediate orders of General Mansfield. Captain Stratton was a civil engineer and, under the direction of the general, made maps of all the routes between Suffolk and the Black Water. * In August, the part of the regiment that had been on the Peninsula with McClellan came to Suffolk. On December 2, 1862, the com- pany was in the mounted charge at Beaver Dam Church, in Virginia, where the enemy was routed and a number of prisoners were taken. On January 30, 1863, Company A led the advance in the attack on the Deserted House, in which Gen- eral Prior was defeated. During the year at Suffolk the command was con- stantly employed on scouting and out-post duty. In June, 1863, the regiment, with other troops, was sent by steamer to the White House, on the Pamun- key river, and from there to Hanover Court House, where a wagon train was captured. At South Anna Bridge a mounted charge was made, by Companies A and G, upon an earthwork, and the work captured. The object of the raid was to break up the railroad communications north to Richmond. On the expe- dition the rebel, General Fitzhugh Lee, was captured.
"In July, a second expedition, under General Getty, was made against the Richmond and Manassas Railroad. The command returned to Norfolk and, on the 9th of August, a raid on the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad was made. It was hard service, and but little was accomplished. In October, an expedi- tion went to Matthew's Court House, to break up the contraband trade. Soon after, Company A was detached from the regiment and was placed on provost guard duty at Norfolk, Virginia. In the following February, the company returned to the regiment, and was sent to Williamsburg and participated in General Wistar's famous expedition against Richmond. The expedition got no further than Bottom Bridge, on the Chickahominy. On the return of the regiment to Williamsburg, Company A was detached and stationed at Glouscester Point, opposite Yorktown.
"During the winter, General Lee's army was encamped on the Rapidan river, and many of his men, especially cavalry, were furloughed for the purpose of recruiting their ranks. At different times during the winter twenty-five of the Gloucester company were captured. In March, 1864, General Kilpatrick made a raid on Richmond. A part of his command, under Colonel Dalghren, became separated and, while attempting to make their way to our forces at Gloucester
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
Point, were ambushed in the night. Colonel Dalghren was killed, and the command scattered. A sergeant and five men made their way to our camp. A force sent out under Major Wetherill found none of Dalghren's command but captured one man of the Fifth Virginia Cavalry, and one from the Ninth Virginia Infantry. * *
"April 9, 1864, we crossed the York river and marched to Newport News, on the James river, took transports to Portsmouth, and were soon at Camp Getty, where the cavalry division, under General August V. Kautz, was organ- ized. It consisted of the Third New York, Fifth Pennsylvania, Eleventh Pennsylvania and the First District of Columbia regiments. The last were armed with the Henry repeating rifle, and two guns of the Eighth New York Battery were attached to the division. On May 5th, a beautiful spring morn- ing, the division moved out of Camp Getty for the last time. Everything in the way of baggage or incumbrance was left behind. * * The march was toward Petersburg, crossing the Black Water River near Wakefield Station, on the Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad. The advance struck the Weldon Railroad at Stony Creek Station, and captured the guard. The next day Jar- ratt's Station, with a guard of seventy men, was captured. The railroad bridge across the Notoway was burned, and Companies A and D were sent to destroy a wagon bridge to the left. From there the march was continued to City Point, which was in possession of General Butler and his colored troops. On May IIth, we crossed the Appomattox at Bermuda Hundred. Raids, in which bridges were burned, railroads torn up, and much valuable property destroyed, were in constant progress, the division sometimes marching three hundred miles in six days. So constantly were we kept on the move that on the night of June Ist when we reached the lines in front of Petersburg, the men took off their clothes to rest for the first time since leaving Camp Getty on May 5th. The company had taken part in destroying a large amount of railroad track on the Danville, the South Side, and the Weldon Railroads.
"At Pittsburg the regiment was dismounted and manned the breastworks, performing infantry duty. On the 9th of June, an attack was made on the Jerusalem plank roads. After some artillery fire, a charge was made and the lines carried. If General Gilmore had made any attempt to carry out his part, by an attack on the east line of the rebel works, Petersburg would have been captured. On the 15th of June, another attack was made on the lines of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad. The regiment was under severe fire for some time, but failed to carry the works. On the 21st of June General Kautz's Division again left camp along the breastworks and crossed the Appomattox to Zion's Church, where it joined the Third Division of General Sheridan's cavalry, under General J. H. Wilson, in a raid, the 'object of which was the destruction
of the Danville Railroad. * * This was accomplished. For thirty miles not a vestige of railroad remained. The extreme heat of the fire, added to that of the sun, prostrated a number of the men. After a march, in which the men and horses suffered severely, the command reached the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad at Stony Creek Station. Here it met a strong rebel force. After sharp skirmishing, it marched north to Reams' Station, where the rebel infan- try with bayonets, and our cavalry with sabers, came to a hand to hand con- test. By outflanking the rebels, General Kautz's Division reached our lines at
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
Petersburg that night. The column was led by the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cav- alry, with Colonel Stratton in command, Company A taking the advance of the regiment.
"General Wilson retreated south, and was four days in reaching our lines. After this the Eleventh Cavalry was on picket duty in Prince George county. It was with General Hancock in the attack on the Weldon Railroad, August 22, 1864, where Company A had one man killed and one wounded. The picket duty in Prince George county was hard service. On the 20th of September, 1864, the members of the original Company A-except those who had re- enlisted-were mustered out of the service of the United States, at General Butler's headquarters, on the Appomattox.
"On reorganizing the company, the officers were chosen from the veterans who had reenlisted, as follows: Captain, E. P. Ring; first lieutenant, William A. Barber ; second lieutenant, Oscar S. Matthews. In October, 1864, they were with the cavalry in the actions north of the James river, where Lieutenant Barber was wounded and taken prisoner. He died in Richmond. The com- pany was with General Sheridan at Five Forks. In the cavalry charge on the enemy's line, Lieutenant Matthews was killed. On the memorable 9th of April, the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry was in the front line. Iowa was there rep- resented by the officers in command of the few remaining of grand old Company A. The regiment was mustered out of the service of the United States at Camp Cadwalader, Philadelphia, August 13, 1865. At that time there were but three of the original Iowa company left, Lieutenant Lucius L. Carrier, James Lindsay and Oscar S. Slosson."
It will thus be seen that this splendid Iowa company, while assigned to and serving with a regiment from another state, nobly maintained the honorable record which was made by Iowa soldiers everywhere, throughout the great War of the Rebellion. Its first captain, Franklin A. Stratton, became major, lieutenant colonel. and colonel of the regiment, and brevet brigadier general of volunteers, at the close of the war. . He was twice wounded. Many of the mem- bers of the company have since achieved success in various avocations, both as private citizens and in official positions.
In the autumn of 1864, Governor Stone appointed Hon. Charles Aldrich as the Iowa commissioner to take the vote of the Iowa soldiers serving in the eastern army at the time President Lincoln was reelected. Among the troops visited by Mr. Aldrich, while in the discharge of his official duty as election com- missioner, was Company A, of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, among whom were a number of his personal friends and acquaintances. The compiler deems it an appropriate closing of this sketch to quote a few brief extracts from the very interesting account which Mr. Aldrich has given of his visit to the eastern army, upon that occasion : * * "A company had gone from Fort Dodge, with many of the members of which I was acquainted, to the army of the Potomac. The theory in the formation of the regiment at the start was to make it a composite affair, comprising one company from each of a certain number of states; but the effort failed to materialize, the adjutant general not being authorized to organize such regiments ; and, when the command was fully mustered in, it was christened the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry I do not go into the history of
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
this company to any farther extent, for the reason that an article elsewhere in this number details minutely the services of the company, and presents its full roster, showing the killed and wounded, as well as the few in the command at its muster out * It is but simple justice that this gallant command should be placed permanently in our records. I trust that its appearance in these pages will accomplish that purpose.
"I reported to the secretary of state at Des Moines, where I received my instructions, with the poll books, blanks, etc .; I also carried tickets provided by each of the political parties. The journey to Washington was without any special incident. I applied at the war department for permission to visit General Grant's army in my official capacity as 'Army Vote Commissioner,' and was referred to Major Henry Clay Wood, (who, I believe, if living, must be a gray-haired colonel by this time) an assistant adjutant general. I found him an exceedingly affable and pleasant gentleman. He gave me the neces- sary permit, limiting my stay to a certain number of days, five or six. I took the first steamer down the Potomac and up the James, and in due time landed on the point at the junction of the latter stream with the Appomattox. I was not long in finding Charles A. Sherman, of Fort Dodge, who had been pro- moted to first lieutenant and assistant quartermaster, and had been detailed for duty at the headquarters of General August V. Kautz, the distinguished cavalry leader. 'Charlie' was an old political and personal friend, and gave me a most cordial welcome to his tent and mess table. He wanted to vote, and proffered to go out with me the next day to the point where the men were stationed, doing picket duty, far to the front.
"We were up in the morning very early, leaving camp on horseback as soon as we had taken our breakfast. We crossed the James at Deep Bottom, on a pontoon bridge, and started off in the direction of Richmond, following the old road * We now struck into the 'Long Bridge road,' which led off through thick, grand old pine woods, toward Richmond. This was an ancient and very narrow road, which had never been used very much, or had been long abandoned. It was very crooked, and at many points nearly choked up with briars and brush. But it was lined with our pickets. These men were stationed at such frequent intervals that each could see the one next ahead. They were all mounted, sitting motionless and mute, with their carbines cocked, the very impersonation of alertness and vigilance. It certainly looked very much like war, to see these grim soldiers peering into the woods, as if in momentary expectation of seeing the approaching enemy. We finally reached the most advanced picket post, where we found Colonel Spear and a com- pany of cavalrymen. Lieutenant Sherman introduced me to the colonel, stating the errand upon which I had come. After a hearty and most cordial greet- ing, I waited a moment to hear what the Colonel might say. He spoke in an instant, about as follows :
"'Well, young man, if you are going to do anything here, you had better get about it-quick. You don't know the peril you are in at this very moment ! That line of trees over yonder (across a meadow or pasture, and not more than forty or fifty rods away) is full of Johnnies, and they may open fire upon us at any minute !'
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