USA > Iowa > Fremont County > History of Fremont County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of many of its leading citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistic, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of Iowa and the Northwest, map of Fremont County, constitution of the state of Iowa, reminiscences, miscellaneous matters, etc > Part 54
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The locusts of the New World present many features in common with those of the Old World. They breed in the same enormous multi- tudes, enter upon the same migrations, and for the same reasons, are sub- jected to essentially the same climatic conditions, and manifest the same destructiveness.
The authentic records of the Rocky Mountain locust date back to 1818 and 1819. In Neill's History of Minnesota it is stated that in those years the locusts " in vast hordes " appeared in Minnesota " eating everything in their course, in some cases the ground being covered three or four inches." While, doubtless, the state of Iowa was invaded simultaneously with Minnesota, the visitation was probably not so general, and possibly entirely confined to the northwestern counties. There is no tradition of a general invasion of the state which dates back further than the year 1833. The authority for a locust invasion in that year is the following, quoted in the United States Entomological Commissioner's Report: "In regard to the grasshopper raid of 1833, there was no white settlement here then. but there is a part of a tribe of Indians living near the center of this state and they used to hunt through here, and in some of their visits here .in. 1866, their chief, Johnny Green, who was a very old man, told the people here that thirty-three years before that the grasshoppers came so thick tbat the grass was all eaten off, and there was no grass for their ponies. and the ground looked black, as if there had been a prairie fire. He also said that there had been no more grasshoppers till 1866, when he was speaking. This chief was a very intelligent man, and was about one-half white; but the Indians are very liable to exaggerate; I have forgotten the name of the tribe of Indians, but think they were the Winnebagoes 01 Pottawattamies."
Other locust years in Iowa were 1850, 1856, 1857, 1864-65, 1865, 1866 1867, 1868, 1870-72, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877.
The most destructive year in Fremont county was 1867. The young unfledged locusts made sad ravages in that year upon the growing crops Again in 1875 was enormous damage done, not by locusts hatched in the county, as in the previous destructive invasion, but by great swarms com. ing from the south. In this county in that year the damage is reported as fully twenty-five per cent.
In the year 1877, J. F. Sanborn writes to the commission as follows
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
"May 28, 1877 -- I find, by referring to my record of observations, that the grasshoppers came last year, August 24, and continued to increase in numbers for some days following. Their coming was too late to do much damage to the crops. They deposited immense quantities of eggs through this section of the country, and the farmers were very apprehensive of the consequences, so that but little improvement in building is going on this year. The quantity of eggs in places, as found by actual count, was over two hundred and fifty in a square inch. Others have estimated them as high as thirty-five bushels per acre. The nice, beautiful weather of last fall hatched out some of the eggs, and I saw some of the little fellows hopping around just before cold weather set in for winter. This fine weather that hatched some, probably partially developed many others, which the cold of winter destroyed. The warm days of February and March developed, I think, the largest share of those the warm fall weather left undeveloped, and the freezing nights and cold storms of April destroyed them in immense quantities. They commenced hatching out April 14, and have continued up to this. In some fields protected from sudden changes of weather, as near timber, they are hatched in numbers suffi- cient to materially injure the crops, and where the fall plowing gave a favarable place to deposit the eggs in the greatest numbers, like that where the estimate was thirty-five bushels per acre, in such places, even f one in a thousand hatched, there would be enough to destroy the crops n that locality. While plowing my corn ground, twelve acres, I did not see one on it. On my timothy grass not any were hatched. I have a blue-grass pasture. Where the eggs were deposited there are some, and hey may injure it some, but not enough to materially affect the use as a pasture. They will soon commence traveling or hopping for a change of eed, and may then injure our corn and grain."
The reader should not gather the idea that these visitations will be fre- quent. It is a settled fact that the locust can never become a permanent resident of this county or indeed of the state. There is nothing to war- 'ant the conclusion that they will soon come again-not even in the pre- ent century. The injury to the agricultural interests of Fremont county ias been done; and now bids fair to come the dawn of immunity from this courge. Millions of dollars have been lost to the agricultural interests of the country at large, but the experience gleaned from past disaster will nable the farmers of the future to successfully battle even greater hosts.
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
WAR HISTORY AND COUNTY ROSTER.
During "the war of the Rebellion"-"the civil war"-"the war between the States"-"the late unpleasantness"-whichever term the reader pre fers-Fremont county did its full share. April 15, 1861, President Lin- coln issued the following proclamation :
WHEREAS, The laws of the United States have been, and now are opposed in several states by combinations too powerful to be suppressed in an ordinary way, I therefore call upon the militia of the several states of the union to the aggregate number of 75,000 to suppress said combination and execute the laws I appeal to all loyal citizens for state aid in this effort to maintain the laws integrity, national union, perpetuity of popular government, and to redres: wrongs already long enough endured. I deem it proper to say that the firs service assigned to the forces hereby called forth will probably be to reposses the forts, places and property which have been seized from the union; and il every event the utmost care will be observed, consistently with the objects afore said, to avoid any devastation, any destruction of or interference with property or any disturbance of peaceful citizens of any part of the country; and 1 hereby command the persons composing the combinations aforesaid to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within twenty days from this date.
Deeming that the present condition of public affairs presents an extraordinary occasion, I do hereby, in virtue of the power in me vested by the constitution, con vene both houses of congress. The senators and representatives are, therefore summoned to assemble at their respective chambers at 12 o'clock noon on Thurs day, the 4th day of July next, then and there to consider and determine sucl measures as in their wisdom the public safety and interest may seem to demand
Done at the City of Washington this 15th day of April, one thousand eigh hundred and sixty-one, and of the independence of the United States the eighty fifth. By the Presidert: ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
WM. H. SEWARD, Sec'y of State.
The news that war against the seceding states had been resolved upor by the general government, while not unexpected, created great excite-, ment in Fremont county. The position of the county was somewhat a perilous one. On the south was Missouri, with a population divided against themselves, half of them secessionists and half of them unionists and on the west was Nebraska, with savage Indians not many miles away. Added to these circumstances a number of very excellent citizens reputable and law-abiding, deprecating war of any sort, could not be depended upon to help much the cause of the union.
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
But by far the majority of the people of the county were loyal to their tate and to the union-loyal to the core, and the core sound and pure. There had been "Douglas Democrats" and "Breckenridge Democrats," few "Bell men," and "Republicans," but now all-or very nearly all- vere none of these, but all were for the Union.
"Then none were for a party; Then all were for the state."
April 27, 1861, a "war meeting" was held at the court house in Sidney o consider the situation and express the sentiments of the citizens thereon. Mr. Samuel Wilson presided over the meeting. Judge Lingenfelter, an rdent democrat, Hon. Jas. G. Day, and others made strong union peeches. Mr. T. F. Fugitt and one or two others made speeches oppos- ng the war. Resolutions pledging the citizens to support the government its efforts to bring back the seceded states into the Union were adopted, lthough they met with some opposition.
Early in June, 1861, men from different parts of Fremont went into ther counties and enlisted, each man " on his own hook," and for himself. Company "F," 1st Nebraska, then being organized at Clarinda, received ome of these men. Others joined company "A," 4th Iowa infantry, hen being formed at Glenwood.
In July, Hon. Benjamin Rector raised a company or a portion of a com- any, and went into camp at Sidney, near the present residence of Judge as. G. Day. The company remained at the place for some two weeks, dur- ng which time it was presented with a handsome flag by Miss Clay Arm- trong, a patriotic daughter of Reed Armstrong, Esq., formerly county reasurer. The usual injunction to defend the banner, and the promise to o so were given-and the latter faithfully kept. At last "marching rders" came, and Captain Rector's company marched away amid the est and most fervent wishes for their welfare from everybody.
It has already been stated that there was a large secession sentiment in Missouri immediately south of this county. A secession flag was flying ver the post-office at St. Joseph, and secession companies were openly ecruited in many parts of northwest Missouri. A Colonel Jeff. Patton, f Grundy county, under authority from Claib. Jackson, the governor of Missouri, recruited a battalion of men, in northwest Missouri, for the onfederate service. About the middle of July or first of August, Col. Patton came into Nodoway and Atchison counties on recruiting service, ut threatening to invade Page and Fremont counties. The war drum eat in the public square at Sidney and a company was speedily formed detend the sacred soil of Iowa from the sacrilegious tread of the armed onfederates. Hon. J. G. Day was chosen captain. The company, rmed with shot guns, squirrel rifles, revolvers, etc., marched down to the
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
Missouri border, and then, like the famous king of France, " marched back again." Arriving at the state line many of the volunteers refused to cross it, having an extraordinary regard for the sanctity of state bounda- ries and the sovereignty of the state of Missouri. Others, less scrupulous, ruthlessly went down into Atchison county and came upon an abandoned camp of Patton's men. A piece of corn bread, baked by the confederate troopers and deserted by them, was captured by the Fremont county heroes and borne home in triumph. It was carried up into the court room. where a sort of reception was held, and exhibited to the delighted audience and spectators.
While this company was on its mission, but a day or two after it had departed, an omnious rumbling was heard in the direction of Missouri, by the good people of Sidney. The boom and the low, sullen roar of artil- lery could be distinctly discerned by the apprehensive citizens whose hus- bands, brothers, and fathers, were "at the front," and there was very great anxiety and distress. Many a silent prayer was offered up for the safety of the dear ones, and that the God of battles would defend the right. It was well known and understood that "our boys" had no can- non with them, and the booming was unquestionably from "rebel" guns. This increased the apprehension and alarm. With nothing but the sim- plest weapons, what chance had our men, no matter how brave they were. against the dreadful hosts of Jeff Patton with artillery, double-shotted no doubt, and well served? The sky was overcast with clouds at the time, adding to the gloom that had settled over the town.
Judge Lingenfelter, as one who always preserved his equanimity and could be relied upon for counsel, was approached by a terrified squad.
"Judge," said the spokesman, "what in heaven's name are we to do?"
"Do about what?" asked the judge, a little petulently.
"Why, the battle! don't you hear it?" pointing southward. "What do you think of it? How will it come out?"
" Well," said the judge, carefully scanning the sky and the atmosphere, and with a quiet twinkle in his eyes, "I think it will rain like the dickens in about an hour !"
And so it did. The artillery was heaven's own; the rumbling was the fulmination of ærial explosions merely; the flash was not that of " villain- ous saltpeter," but of electricity; the town was safe for a season, at least.
And so the summer and fall of 1861 passed. Volunteers went singly, in couples, in squads, to the defense of the flag, and to fight for the union. The war was the all-absorbing topic. Men neglected their ordin- ary duties to discuss the situation, to learn the news, to counsel with their neighbors. The woman soon became animated with the war spirit. No woman loves a coward or a recreant. Many a Fremont county soldier boy went forth to the fight stimulated by the patriotic words of his sweet-
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
heart. Many a wife bade her husband leave the farm and the wee weans to her and God and go out to battle for the flag of the stars. Many a mother prayed a blessing on her boy and gave him to his county, adjuring him to play the part of a soldier and die rather than be a dastard. The courage of the ladies of Fremont county was equal to that of the Spar- tan women, who, in time of war, gave their girdles for swordbelts, their hair for bowstrings, and while their hearts were bursting with love sent from their arms their lovers, husbands, and brothers, to do battle for home and country. The women of Fremont did well when they did this, for they did their duty. A country is a thing men should fight for, bleed for, -die for, if needs be; and, if they must be taught their duty by women, they must be. And while the men were at the front the women were at work. There were sanitary stores to provide; lint and bandages to pre- pare; letters to be written; prayers to be offered; and homes to be kept in order against the coming of peace.
And so it came to pass that everybody had more or less to do with the war. The authorities felt called upon to do something, and September 9, 1862, the board of supervisors passed the following resolution by an unanimous vote:
Resolved, That the clerk make out in a separate column on the tax book of the county a special tax of one mill on the dollar against all the taxable property of this county, to be used to support and maintain the families of the patriotic citizens who have gone or may go into the service of the United States, said fund to be paid out only on the certificate of the members of the board of super- visors of the township in which said families reside.
Other acts of war legislation were passed from time to time and every measure taken possible to keep Fremont in line with her sister counties. Early in 1864 the following resolution was adopted by the board:
Resolved, That the board of supervisors of Fremont county do hereby appro- priate an order for one hundred dollars to each accepted recruit mustered into the United States service. We do authorize the county clerk to issue a warrant on the bounty fund when an application is made, and said clerk is satisfied that the party making the application has been regularly mustered in and accepted by the United States. Bounties that have been paid by townships will be refunded, provided said persons who have received said bounties are credited to the townships they are mustered in. Said payment of one hundred dollar boun - ties to continue until April 25, 1864. We further pledge ourselves to vote a special bounty tax to pay off all orders issued for the above purpose.
The journal of the board goes on to say-
The yeas and nays being called on the presentation of the foregoing 'esolution, a ballot was taken, which resulted as follows, to-wit: Those
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
voting " yea " were Wm. C. Sipple, Aaron Daniels, Wm. McCracken, S. S. Wilcox and J. F. Sanborn, (5.) Those voting " nay " were I. D. Blanch- ard and John Kelsay, (2.)
In October, 1861, J. G. Day, Job Throckmorton and others went to Glenwood and joined Co. "F," 15th Iowa infantry. Upon the organiza- tion of the company, Day was chosen 1st lieutenant, and was afterward promoted to the captaincy. He was wounded at Shiloh, resigned his commission and was succeeded by Throckmorton. The latter gentleman was a zealous patriot, but a devout Christian. Amid all the trials and troubles of soldier life he never forgot his profession. A story, somewhat funny, but hardly fit for ears polite, is told of Capt. Throckmorton's peculi- arity in this particular, which can be had upon application to almost any of the court house "boys."
In August, 1862, company "E," 29th Iowa infantry, was formed at Sidney. Mr. Henry Bowen resigned his office as sheriff of the county, and was chosen its captain. The company was filled to the maximum in a few days, comparatively, and took the field almost immediately.
The record of the service of the Fremont county soldiers is interwoven with that of the western army in general. "Our boys," as they were familiarly called, did their duty at all times and under all circumstances, fully as well as any of their comrades. They fought at Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, Helena, Prairie D'Anne, Mission Ridge, through the Atlanta campaign, on the march to the sea with Sherman, with that general through the Carolinas-indeed and in brief in every prominent battle or campaign of the western department, Fremont county men took a part. Many were killed, many more wounded, while others languished in prison pens, toiled on the marches, "in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hun- ger and in thirst, in fastings often, in perils by their own countrymen," finally having "fought the good fight" and "kept the faith," that the Union might live and not die, the survivors returned to their homes and beating their swords into plowshares and their bayonets into reaping-hooks, began to plant the fertile fields of the rich soil of old Fremont, and prepare to reap therefrom the glorious harvests of a time of peace.
"The war drum throbbed no longer, and the battle-flag was furled."
Peace had come with all its duties, its responsibilities, its blessings. The plowman of to-day was the skirmisher of yesterday; the swart-faced Her- cules at his forge was the grim artilleryman who "stood by his guns" only a brief while ago; that cattle-shepherd who wears so mild an air and pastures his charge among the green grasses and bright flowers of the prairie, is the trooper who but a month or two since, at the blast of the bugle, and with flashing saber and ringing cheer, charged on his enemy and rode him down. These were newer duties than those of the times of
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
the rebellion, but they were none the less noble; for "Peace hath her victories no less renowned than War."
GUERRILLA RAIDS AND RAIDERS.
It has been said that the position of Fremont county during the war was a perilous one. It was on the border of civilization and near the theater of actual conflict and surrounded by communities more or less lawless. The "border ruffians" and the "jayhawkers" of Kansas, that had survived the " Kansas war" were living not far away, and there were plenty of kindred spirits within easy call. Norhtwestern Missouri be- came infested with bands of scoundrels, who, pretending to be soldiers of one side or the other, were nothing less and nothing else than thieves and robbers. These fellows were men without principle and without any vocation save piracy. They were not in real sympathy with either the Southern Confederacy or the old Union. They would have gone forth on their marauding expeditions as readily under the stars and bars as - under the stars and stripes. They were composed about equally of deserters from Price's army and professed Union men.
One of these gangs had its headquarters at Peru, Nebraska, a small town on the Missouri river, opposite Hamburg landing, or what was formerly known as "the Narrows." Its leader was a desperado named Warren Price, who had seen service under Lane, Jennison, and Mont- gomery in Kansas, and his second in command was Wallace Rhodes, a deserter from Price's rebel army. The other members of the company were quite well qualified to serve under such leadership. This band had become the terror of the peaceable and reputable citizens of northwestern Missouri, and of those portions of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa lying adjacent. It stole, it pillaged, it burned, it murdered.
To protect themselves from the incursions of these freebooters and all others of their kind, the citizens of Madison township, irrespective of party, Democrats and Republicans, of every degree of opinion, organized a com- pany. Mr. John Allen was chosen captain commanding. The members were sworn to support the constitution of the United States and that of the state of Iowa, and were ready to assemble at a minute's warning. They furnished their own arms and ammunition, and maintained their organization at their own expense for a considerable period, when the company became one of state militia and was attached to the Southern Border Brigade. Mr. Giles Cowles was commissioned its captain by Governor Stone.
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
THE RAID ON T. F. FUGITT AND THE KILLING OF TWO JAYHAWKERS.
December 29, 1861, Warren Price's band made a raid on Fremont county. Crossing the Missouri river the jayhawkers stopped first at the house of Mr. Lewis, a favorite rendezvous of theirs, for Lewis was a man after their own heart and on this occasion was their pilot. Of him more anon. The first point of attack was the house of Mr. T. F. Fugitt, in Madison township. Mr. F. was the only adult male about the premises, and his wife and children were the only members of his household. The first intimation he had of the presence of the jayhawkers was the bursting in of his door. Springing from his bed he saw the room filled with des- perate looking armed men. The fire on the hearth made the room quite light. The rascals roughly informed Mr. F. that they were from "Price's army," and learning that he was a "d-d abolitionist " they had visited him for the purpose of raiding him. One or two of the gang were by this time at work helping themselves to the contents of a clothes-press, which Mr. Fugitt discovered and, seizing from its hooks a heavy double- barrel shot gun, he prepared to defend himself and his home in a becom- ing manner. At the first discharge of the gun the greater number of the jayhawkers ran from the house. But one or two remained, and Mr. Fu- gitt, clubbing his gun, attacked them. Their comrades returned to their aid and in the melee that followed Mr. Fugitt was shot four times in the head, neck, shoulder, and hand. The wound in the neck brought him down and he fell insensible. The scoundrels then abused Mrs. F. in a shocking manner, took her husbands horses and left. They also stole other animals from the neighborhood.
The alarm was given to Mr. Giles Cowles and others, by a young son of C. W. McKissick, and that night Mr. Cowles, borrowing a gun from his neighbor John Griswold (afterward county auditor), and accompanied by Mr. C. W. McKissick rode to Hamburg and gave the alarm at that place. Cowles and McKissick reached Hamburg a little after daylight. ' At about sunrise, while Cowles and McKissick were standing at a street corner, they saw two horsemen each leading three horses, riding along Argyle street at the foot of the bluff, going southward. Believing these parties to be members of the gang they were after, they started in pursuit. Mr. Cowles had in addition to Griswold's gun an old United States flint- lock musket, which he had borrowed but a few minutes previously. Mc- Kissick being the better mounted came upon the raiders first. They ' opened fire on him at once. Cowles dismounted and, leveling the musket ' at the jayhawker nearest him, at the second pulling of the trigger brought him to the earth. The fellow died in a few seconds. He was shot through ' the body with a very heavy charge of buck-shot. Cowles then called to McKissick to shoot the other raider. McKissick fired but missed his !
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
aim, the raider having thrown himself on his horse's side, in imitation of Indian tactics, and his saddle-girth giving way he fell to the ground. Ris- ing, he prepared to retreat on foot, but Mr. Cowles using Griswold's gun, by a well aimed shot tumbled him to the grass and the fight was over. The last raider was badly but not fatally wounded. The first described jayhawker had on a fine broadcloth coat which he had taken from the Rev. Elias Findley, a resident of Madison township and formerly clerk of the courts. The two bandits had visited Mr. Findley after leaving Fu- gitt's, and finding he was a minister, had compelled him to perform vari- ous fantastic dances for their diversion, and to otherwise conduct himself in a very ridiculous manner-keeping him under the cover of a revolver the meanwhile. When they left they took the reverend gentleman's minister- ial black coat, and this was the garment in which the jayhawker was killed.
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