USA > Iowa > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Iowa; Volume I > Part 29
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"The next morning I took the captain's pony and rode to the front to see the fight. I got a good position in the main road and in line of the artillery. Sigel was getting in position to shell the rebels. The infantry took position immediately behind the artillery. The guns'were elevated high enough so the infantry could move in front and across an open field. On an opposite side were posted the rebels. The terrific effect of our shot and shell partially demoralized them.
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Then came the time for the infantry men to move away across the field our in- fantry went with a shout that could be heard above the thundering of some sixty cannon, belching forth at the same time. The rebels could not stand the storm and away they went which ended the battle of Pea Ridge.
"I was informed that quite a number of our company were wounded and began at once to hunt them up. My chum and messmate, Charlie Young, was the first I discovered. He had been shot through both legs and was in the act of crawling away, when some brave rebel emptied a load of buckshot into his pistol pocket, a part of the contents he carries to this day. He had been with the rebels all night lying with the dead and wounded on the floor of the Elkhorn tavern. He was very glad to see me and I was very glad to see him. I tried to have him ride my horse but on account of his wounds he could not. I soon found others of the company and it did seem that everyone was hurt somewhere. It was indeed a sorry sight.
"Of course you all know that Captain Kelsey received a very bad wound in the same battle and went home. He came to us at Vicksburg and led our com- pany in that terrible charge on the 22d of May. I remember him with uplifted sword as he called us to follow him. It took but a few minutes to get to the breastworks. Only a few of us got onto the works. They poured a most mur- derous volley into us just as we reached the slope of the works, killing one hun- dred and eleven of our regiment, then numbering not more than three hun- dred and fifty men in line ; a great many more were wounded.
"That was the last I saw of Captain Kelsey and I was afterwards told that he received a ball in the same old wound that had not healed up, and I remember he was limping at the time. He died blessing the rebels and did not seem to fear death."
The following is clipped from an article read by Sergeant F. J. DeGrush at a public meeting held in Maquoketa, March 7, 1887, at which meeting the swords of Captains Drips and Kelsey were presented to the Grand Army Post of Maquoketa, which was named for A. W. Drips :
Captain A. W. Drips was the life of his regiment. His experience in the Mexican war, his patriotism, his desire to do his whole duty, and his bravery, made him a leader in the councils of staff and line. I remember two instances which eulogize the wearer of that sword equal to hours of praise or pages of paper. At Lebanon, Missouri, while in camp for the night, and some danger existing for a sudden attack, Captain Drips called on Colonel Vandever and though up all the night before and tired from the hard day's march, his salutation was "Colonel, anything I can do?". Twenty miles west of Wilson's Creek, Missouri, while chasing old Pap Price, was the first time Company A was ever drawn up in line of battle. Captain Drips remarked to us that morning and it came from the bottom of his noble heart: "Boys, the general commanding has assigned to us a post of honor. We are the advance of the whole army and much depends on us. If we waver and run there is great danger of its demoralizing the whole command. Be cautious, be cool, but shirk no duty and hold our position at any and all cost."
The last time I saw that sword [Captain Kelsey's] was on the 22d day of May at Vicksburg during that terrible charge, where the Ninth had one hun- dred and twelve killed and wounded. Captain Kelsey was acting as major and his position was with the colors, in the center of the regiment. He fell about the same time as color bearer, Otis Crawford, who it will be remembered by the boys, tore the flag from its staff and secreted it in his bosom, thinking the rebels would not find it on his dead body. Adjutant Granger told me where the cap- tain lay, and taking a stretcher and three men we went' over the field and found him.
That belt was around the same leg that was wounded at Pea Ridge, the fatal ball having gone through the old wound at right angles, and the condition of the bone showed me that Captain Kelsey's time was short. The cowardly "rebs"
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fired at us as we were coming down the hill with the stretcher and shot one of the boys who was assisting me. At the foot of the hill when out of danger, I bade the good man goodby and turned my attention to others of the wounded. Next sunrise brought the news from the hospital that our gallant captain was mustered out.
The McMeans family will never forget Vicksburg. Andrew was shot and instantly killed and ten minutes after Wilbur was wounded, and we thought mortally. When the sad news came home, funeral services were held at Andrew, and while the afflicted parents were returning from church a bolt of lightning killed the father. While preparing for this occasion, I have been shown an ex- tract of one of John F. Drips' letters to the captain's wife, written at Polk Plan- tation near Helena, Arkansas, in which he says: We still read the company paper weekly. We have commenced in it a history of Company A, including a biog- raphy of Captain Drips. It is the calculation, if enough of us live to carry it out, to have the history published in fine book form, and out of the remains of the sale remove the remains of the captain and boys at Pea Ridge, to Iowa and erect a monument. Whether we will live to carry it out or not is more than we can tell. I will enclose some verses Sergeant DeGrush wrote for the Greyhound, a couple of weeks since. Noble hearted John! Death has called home most of the contributors of the Greyhound, and you among the rest lie in the hos- pital graveyard at Memphis, Tennessee. If I may be pardoned, I will read the verses sent to Mrs. Drips, as some of the boys may like to hear them.
On rocky cliffs, in rebel land, Where naught but forests grow, There came a fierce and warlike band With cautious tread and slow.
With savage eye and darkened brow Proclaiming well their hate; They aimed the deadly cannon's prow Nor thought to find its mate.
But see! There comes a chosen few In Union's proud array, Whose trust in God full well they knew, Would help them win the day.
The carnage opens and the hail Falls thick and fast around ; And o'er their heads the bomb shells sail, Or bursting shake the ground.
Among the foremost in the fight Was he who led our clan ; Who called us on to show our might, Nor flinch a single man.
He the first to raise his voice Against the southern mob, Who seemed to show it as their choice, To murder and to rob.
But ah! A deadly musket ball Must pierce his manly breast, And with a kind farewell to all, He sought the soldier's rest.
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Tell wife I bless her as I die, Was last our captain said ; And soon his noble form did lie, Inanimate and dead ..
And now when martial notes do start Our blood to finger tips, We don't forget 'twas sad to part With the hero, Captain Drips.
WILLIAM ELLIS.
A SOLDIER OF THE WAR OF 1812.
William Ellis was born in Slate creek settlement, Pulaski county, Virginia, September 8, 1794, and went with his father and family to Franklin county, Kentucky, about 1800. During the second war with England, he and his brother John enlisted in a regiment of Kentucky rifles and fought with Jackson at New Orleans. Soon after this decisive victory for the American troops, news reached this country that a new treaty of peace between the two nations had been concluded and the American volunteers were disbanded and made their way home as best they could.
The Kentuckians went up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers at the nearest point to their homes and traveled on foot the balance of the journey. The Ellis brothers with quite a company of Kentuckians who went from the same locality, and when the party left the boat John Ellis who had been wounded in the back of the neck in the battle of New Orleans was suffering severely from the wound and was too weak to travel and keep up with the rest of the party; the wound had almost healed before they started on the homeward journey, but became inflamed and caused him intense suffering.
William finally told the other soldiers to go on home and have a horse sent back for his brother John and he would care for him and would work their way along as best they could. Their progress was very slow as John was growing weaker all the time and William feared he would never get him home alive. One day while John's fever was high and William thought him delirious he stopped and gazed for a long time in the direction in which they were travel- ing ; finally a smile lit up his face and turning to William he said, "I won't have to walk much farther, I see old Bally coming." William strained his eyes in following the gaze of his brother but could see nothing and thought John's mind was wandering, but John rallied his failing strength and pushed onward. In a few hours they met some of their people and sure enough they had brought old Bally, a horse that William had left at home, and John was able to reach home alive, but only lived a short time.
William married Mary H. Paris, a daughter of a soldier who had served under the great Napoleon, in Shelby county, Kentucky, November 19, 1815.
In 1838 William and his family removed to Hendricks county, Indiana, and in 1846 to Farmers Creek township, Jackson county, Iowa, and secured a quar- ter section of land near Fulton with a land warrant received for his services in the War of 1812. There he followed his trade, that of gunmaker, for many years at his home near the bluff on the north fork of the Maquoketa. His first wife died during his residence in Indiana, and he married a second time to Miss Nancy Flathers, a daughter of Edward Flathers, a greatgrandfather of the editor of this volume and a soldier under Washington in the Revolutionary war, having served three years ; enlisted in the Virginia militia.
There was an abundance of grain in the locality and Uncle Billy, as he was called, spent a great deal of time with his hounds in the forest hunting deer, and other game. I remember hearing him say he had killed sixty-two
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wild cats in one year. He was famous as a gunmaker and his silver mounted rifles with bird's eye maple stock always commanded a good price. There were few of his time that could shoot with truer aim than Uncle Billy.
I was thrilled when a boy by hearing him tell of the hot reception that was given Lord Packeuhanı's veterans at New Orleans on the 8th day of January, 1814, by the Kentucky rifles, in which himself and brother, John, took active part. Witnessing, as I often have, the wonderful marksmanship of Uncle Wil- liam and my own father, and realizing that it was probably a fair sample of what all the Kentuckians could do, I could form a pretty good idea of the carnage among the red coats when they charged the works behind which stood the stalwart Kentuckians with their deadly rifles, awaiting, as ordered, until they could see the whites of the eyes of the enemy before firing. Men who could pick the eye out of a squirrel from the top of the tallest tree, could hardly miss a target such as a Britisher could make at close quarters.
Uncle William lived on his little farm working at his trade part of the time, farming a little, and hunting bees and game for pastime as well as profit until 1858, when he was stricken with paralysis for eight years before his death released him from his sufferings. He left a large family of grown up children, all of whom, I think, but two have passed away, but there are quite a number of grandchildren and greatgrandchildren living in this locality.
The oldest son of William Ellis, Hon. Geo. P. Ellis, was a member of the Eighth General Assembly and eighth extra elected from Keokuk. William Ellis was a brother of Jesse Ellis, father of the editor of this volume, whose sketch appears elsewhere.
JACKSON COUNTY VETERAN ASSOCIATION. BY HARVEY REID, ADJUTANT.
This association was organized September 19, 1888, at a reunion called to meet at Bellevue, with the reunion of the Fifth Iowa Infantry. It has since held annual reunions in a circuit embracing Andrew, Sabula, Miles, Maquoketa, Monmouth or Baldwin, Preston and Bellevue. On all such occasions, all the people of the town and of the surrounding country districts vie with each other in cordial efforts to make the visit of the old boys a red letter day for them.
The following have been commanders of the county association for the successive years : Major W. O. Evans, Bellevue, 1888; Harvey Reid, Maquo- keta, 1889; Captain A. M. Phillips, Maquoketa, 1890; N. C. White, Sabula, 1891; M. Altfilisch, Bellevue, 1892; F. M. Miles, Miles, 1893; J. H. Miller, Monmouth, 1894; R. F. McMeans, Andrew, 1895, W. M. Haney, Bellevue, 1896; Henry Dunn, Miles, 1897; James Y. Buchanan, Maquoketa, 1898; John Monahan, Charlotte, 1899; R. M. Gibson, Andrew, 1900; W. F. Hanson, Mon- mouth, 1901 ; J. G. Young, Bellevue, 1902; Dr. A. B. Bowen, Maquoketa, 1903 ; W. R. Oake, Sabula, 1904; James S. Hamilton, Andrew, 1905; Valentine Denick, Miles, 1906; Nathan G. Dye, Monmouth, 1907; George Cooper, Ma- quoketa, 1908; Wm. Reel, Maquoketa, 1909.
M. Altfilisch of Bellevue, was adjutant the first two years, and Harvey Reid for each year since. This association admits to membership all soldiers who have served in the Union armies, and thus has upon its rolls veterans of the Spanish American war, of the Mexican war, and of Indian wars.
About 1898, a camp of Union Veterans' Union was organized in Maquoketa, in which a considerable number of the old vets have found much social en- joyment.
In whatever organization the old soldiers in Jackson county, during all these years, have been identified, they have to acknowledge from the com- munities in which their lot has been cast, a continued kindness and respect that has been very gratefully appreciated. While this is true of organized societies
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as well as individuals, such recognition would not be complete without special mention of the young soldiers, Company M, Forty-ninth (now Fifty-third) Iowa National Guard. Their association with us, in their first organization before the Spanish American war, and also in their reorganization since that war, has been respectful, even affectionate, and most cordially helpful. On memorial days, at reunions, and at funerals, they are ever ready to appear in force or by details, and, by their excellent drill and fine military appearance, not only add to the interest of such occasions but also furnish the zest to us of reminiscence of the days when we, too, were boys in blue. And no patriot can ever forget the eager alacrity with which they responded to their coun- try's call nor the patient endurance with which they braved the perils of service in the dangerous climates of Florida and Cuba.
To these Spanish war soldiers and to the Sons of Veterans, must soon be left the care of Memorial day and other patriotic anniversaries, for the old Grand Army is fast passing away.
JACKSON COUNTY IN THE SPANISH WAR. BY CAPTAIN E. C. JOHNSON.
The history of Company M, Fifty-third Infantry, Iowa National Guard, dates back to the year 1893. Prior to that year Maquoketa did not possess a military organization of any kind. In the month of June, immediately upon graduation from the State University of Iowa, the matter of the organization began to be agitated by Captain E. C. Johnson, who then held a cadet commission of first lieutenant from the governor of Iowa. The young men of the city took hold of it and soon had seventy-five or eighty pledged to enlist. A temporary or- ganization was formed with L. A. Trump, captain, C. L. Olmsted, first lieuten- ant, and E. C. Johnson, second lieutenant. Several meetings were held and the members were drilled by the second lieutenant, as he was the only person in the organization who was familiar with military regulations and drill. Appli- cation was made to the governor for muster in to the State Guard. A vacancy then existed by reason of the West Union company, and there were no less than eight applications for the place. Captain Johnson, then second lieutenant, was well acquaintel with General George Greene, then adjutant general, having met him when he was adjutant of the University Battalion at Iowa City, and Gen- eral Greene was inspecting as adjutant general. Although the other appli- cants offered more in the shape of support for a company, the adjutant general gave the place to Maquoketa, and set December 8, 1893, as the date of muster in. On that date the members gathered at the Centennial hall. Colonel Mahin then in command of the First Regiment was designated as mustering officer. Up to this time the command of the company had really been left to E. C. Johnson, the second lieutenant, and neither the captain or first lieutenant had drilled the men to any extent. This fact gave to Lieutenant Johnson a decided following among those who were desirous of making the company a well drilled organization.
When the time came for the signing of the enlistment papers, about forty of those who had pledged themselves to join, held back, some for the reason that they did not wish to join until they saw the result of the election, as they did not wish to serve under E. C. Johnson, as they believed that he was too young for the place. However, some thirty-seven signed the papers and upon the personal pledge of E. C. Johnson to furnish the additional enlistments. required (five more were required) within the next month, Colonel Mahin mus- tered in the company as Company M, First Regiment, Iowa National Guard. The election of company officers immediately followed, resulting as follows: Captain, E. C. Johnson ; first lieutenant, Lyman A. Trump ; second lieutenant, E. L. Hinckley. These officers were sworn in and commissioned, but neither
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the first or second lieutenants procured a uniform within the time required and their resignations were accepted before the first camp. On May 19, 1894, Wilmer Shinkle was elected and commissioned as second lieutenant, vice E. L. Hinckley who had resigned. Mr. Shinkle served as second lieutenant until April 17, 1896, when his commission was vacated by special orders No. 39, ad- jutant general's office. William Thomas was elected first lieutenant on June 12, 1894, vice L. A. Trump, resigned, and served until December 14, 1895, when he resigned. Clarence I. Sackrider was elected February 7, 1896, to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Thomas leaving the service and George M. Johnson was elected August 8, 1896, in place of Shinkle. The company prospered and made a good appearance wherever they went, in spite of numerous little dis- cords and internal jealousy. Twice the petty feelings of dissension threatened to disrupt the company, first when a strong following led by Lieutenant Thomas and Shinkle sought to oust the captain because of his opposition to the taking of liquor to camp to be dealt out to the men. This was an open violation of law, and Captain Johnson stood for the right, as the investigations of the trouble which arose by reason of it proved. Colonel Wilkins, the in- spector, found the facts and reported accordingly and his report resulted in both of the lieutenants leaving the service.
The second disruption was in the fall of 1897, when Lieutenant Sackrider preferred charges against his company commander which upon trial were not substantiated and forced Lieutenant Sackrider to leave the service just at the time that the call came for the company to assemble at Des Moines for service.
As a matter of history, the response of Company M to the call to arms is with but few equals, if any, and proved the standard to which the company had arrived. Maquoketa at that time had no telegraph or telephone communi- cation with the outside world after I0 o'clock p. m. The company members attended a drill Monday night, April 25, 1898. No call having come up to 10 o'clock, the company was dismissed. At exactly 2 o'clock a. m., on April 26th, the door bell rang at the captain's residence and a man handed in a telegram which he had brought across country from Delmar. It read "Report at Des Moines tomorrow morning," and was dated II p. m., April 25th. Captain Johnson left the house less than ten minutes after this message was received, awoke all the men within reach, went to the armory, sent the buglers out to blow the calls, got permission to rouse the others by means of the fire bell and at 3:30 a. m. had all but three of the men in ranks and ready to go. The. com- pany left at 4 a. m. for Davenport by a special, and thence on the Rock Island to Des Moines.
Thus passed Company M, First Regiment, leaving the brave lads who had stood on the street corners and guyed the company as "tin soldiers," to stay at home and take care of the corners while the socalled "tin soldiers" took their places and braved the perils of disease and the discomforts of the service.
In Des Moines, Company M, First Regiment, Iowa National Guard, was transformed into Company M, Forty-ninth Infantry, Iowa Volunteers, and duly mustered into the United States service. Their service began April 26, 1898, and they were mustered out, May 13, 1899, having served a little over a year in the service of the United States. The record of the company during this period of its existence ought to be a source of pride to every citizen of Maquoketa, Iowa. They were recruited to one hundred and four men and three officers. In a service of nearly thirteen months, there were fifty-two of these men who were not on the sick books at all; twenty-eight men only were in the division or general hospital at an average of thirty-three days each, making an average of not quite three a month. Eighty-five men was the lowest number at any time which the company could show for actual service in the field and this number was shown when the other eleven (II) companies in the
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regiment showed an aggregate on their morning report of only about seventy- seven men or seven to the company.
The service record at Washington reads about as follows: Company M, Forty-ninth Infantry, Iowa Volunteers, assembled at Des Moines, Iowa, Camp McKinley, April 26, 1898, mustered in to United States service, June 2, 1898, assigned to Third Battalion ; embarked on special train at Des Moines, Iowa, June II, 1898, arrived at Jacksonville, Florida, June 14, 1898, and went into camp. Company M, Captain Johnson commanding, detailed by headquarters Second Division, Seventh Army Corps, for service at rifle range, from July 28, 1898, to August 13, 1898, inclusive. Detailed by headquarters, Third Brigade, Second Division, Seventh Army Corps for patrol duty at Jacksonville, Florida, from September 1 to 10, 1898, inclusive. Captain E. C. Johnson and his com- pany detailed by headquarters Second Division, Seventh Army Corps, for de- tached service at the rifle range at Jacksonville, Florida, from September 19 to October 25, 1898, inclusive.
Captain E. C. Johnson was detailed at this time as acting inspector of small arms practice and range officer, and given command of the entire range, a posi- tion formerly held by a lieutenant colonel, and assisted by a captain. Three companies of infantry and a wagon train of five six-mule teams, were under his command during this detail. Company was detailed as guard of the stock train from Jacksonville, Florida, to Savannah, Georgia, October 25 and 26, 1898. Company broke camp with the regiment at Savannah, Georgia, at 5 a. m., December 19, 1898, and embarked on the United States transport, "Minne- waska," arrived at Havana, Cuba, at 9 p. m. December 21, 1898, disembarked at 9 a. m., December 23, 1898, and marched eight miles to the United States camp near Mariano, Cuba. Took part in the march to Havana to take posses- sion of that city on January 1, 1899, at the evacuation of Cuba by the Spaniards. Took part in the expedition into the interior of Cuba, February 20 to 27, 1899, inclusive. Left Cuba April 8, 1899, arriving at Quarantine, April 11, 1899. Went into camp at Savannah, Georgia, April 16, 1899, and were mustered out May 13, 1899, at Savannah, Georgia.
The men of the company who had done such faithful service for over a year scattered to their homes and the military company in Maquoketa was for a time a thing of the past. But again the spirit moved and Captain Johnson, Lieuten- ant George M. Johnson, who had been elected to be first lieutenant in place of C. I. Sackrider, on May 12, 1898, and Fred H. Nietzel, who had succeeded George M. Johnson as second lieutenant, began to talk reorganization. This was accomplished with about twenty-seven of the old service men. The ad- jutant general, Melvin H. Byers, mustered in the company on January 17, 1900, and the same three officers who guided the destinies of the company in the service, were reelected and commissioned. Since then the company has held its own with the best in the state. Lieutenant Nietzel resigned on Febru- ary 9, 1903, and as yet his place has not been filled. Sergeant Herman L. Brodersen was duly elected and only awaits the order of the adjutant general to be examined and commissioned.
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