History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 41

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Iowa > Humboldt County > History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 41

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"'Slow to resolve, be swift to do! Teach ye the False, how fights tho True! How buckled Pertidy shall feel, In her black heart the Patriot's steel, How sure the boit that Justice wings; How weak the arm a traitor brings; How mighty they who steadfast stand, For Freedom's flag and Freedom's land."

President Lincoln, on the 15th of April, issued the following proclamation :

"WHEREAS, The laws of the United States have for some time past, and are now, opposed, and the exe- cution thereof obstructed, In the States of South Car- oilna, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. by combinations too powerful to be sup- pressed by tho ordinary course of judicial proceed- ings, or by the powers vested in the marshals; now therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitution and the laws. have thought to cali forth, and hereby do cali forth, the militia of the several States of the Union, to the number of 75, 000, in order to suppress said combinations, and to cause the laws to be duly executed.

The details for this subject will be Immediately communicated to the State authorities through the War Departmont. I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate, and to ald this effort to maintain the honor, the Integrity, and existence of our National Union, and tho perpetuity of popular government, and to redress wrongs already long endured. I deem it proper to say that tho first service assigned to the forces hereby called forth will probably be to re- possess the forts, places and property which have been seized from the Union; and in overy ovent the utmost care will be observed, consistently with the object aforesaid, to avold any devastation, any de- struction of, or interference with property, or any dis- turbance of peaceful citizens in any part of the country; and I hereby command the persons com-

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posing the combinations aforesald, to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within twenty days from this date.

Deeming that the present condition of public af- fairs presents an extraordinary occasion, 1 do hereby, in virtue of the power In me vested by the Constitu- tion, convene both Houses of Congress. The Sena- tors and Representatives are therefore summoned to assemble at their respective chambers at 12 o'clock, noon, on Thursday, the fourth day of July next, then and there to consider and determine such measures as in their wisdom the public safety and Interest may seem to demand.

In witness thereof, I have hercunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, on the fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and of the Independ- ence of the United States the eighty-fifth.

By the President,

ABRAHAM LINCOLN. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State."

The last word of this proclamation had scarcely been taken from the electric wire before the call was filled. Men and money were counted out by hundreds and thou- sands. The people who loved their whole country, could not give enough. Patriot- ism thrilled and vibrated and pulsated through every heart. The farm, the work- shop, the office, the pulpit, the bar, the bench, the college, the school house-every calling offered its best men, their lives and fortunes, in defense of the Government's honor and unity. Party lines were for a time ignored. Bitter words, spoken in moments of political heat, were forgotten and forgiven, and, joining hands in a com- mon cause, they repeated the oath of America's soldier statesman: "By the Great Eternal, the Union must and shall be preserved!"

Seventy-five thousand men were not enough to subdue the Rebellion. Nor were ten times that number. The war went on, and call followed call, until it seemed as if there were not men enough

in all the free States to crush out the Re- bellion. But to every call for either men or money, there was a willing and ready response. The gauntlet thrown down by the traitors of the South was accepted; not, however, in the spirit which insolence meets insolence, but with a firm, deter- mined spirit of patriotism and love of country. The duty of the President was plain under the constitution and laws, and, above and beyond all, the people, from whom all political power is derived, demanded the suppression of the Rebel- lion, and stood ready to sustain the author- ity of their representative and executive officers, to the utmost extremity.

While all the country was springing to arms, Kossuth county, which was in- tensely loyal, did not stand back, but men flocked to the standard of the republic from all parts of the county. Of course but few men represented this precinct in the front of lurid battle, for in 1860 the whole population of the county only num- bered 416, but her quota was ever kept full. In this connection is given first the actions of the various boards of county supervisors, in relation to the war and its prosecution, in regard to bounties and support of the families of the "brave boys in blue" who represented this people in the service of the United States.

At a special session of the board of supervisors held in April, 1862, the follow- ing preamble and resolution was passed:

WHEREAS-The governor has asked for 5,000 volunteers, as a part of the quota of this State, under the late call of the President for 300,000 men, and

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WHEREAS-The whole compensation of- fered, by our governor, is less than labor is now worth in this county, therefore,

Resolved, That to enable patriotic citi- zens to enlist without great pecuniary loss, the county of Kossuth will pay to each volunteer from this county, in addition to the pay and bounty offered by the State and general government, the sum of $10 bounty at the time of enlistment, and the further sum of $5 per month during the time such volunteer shall be in the service of the country, under such enlistment, which sum shall be paid monthly to such person as said volunteer may designate. In case of the death of such volunteer, said sum shall be so paid to his widow or minor children until the expiration of his term of enlistment, and the clerk is hereby ordered to issue to any bona fide resident of Kossuth county, who may so · volunteer, warrants on the county fund of the amount; and at the times above des- ignated."

This resolution was shortly afterwards revoked and a substitute for it passed by which the bounty was made 825, instead of $10, and the monthly compensation increased to $10.

Jan. 5, 1863, the board also passed the following resolution :

WHEREAS-Kossuth county has furnished more than her full quota of volunteers un- der the different calls of the President of the United States, therefore,

Resolved, That the resolution of the board of supervisors which was passed in July, 1862, in regard to bounties to vol- unteers, be so amended. That no person who is mustered into the United States service after the date of the passage of

this resolution shall be entitled to said bounty or monthly pay, or any part thereof.

But as the war progressed and call suc- ceeded call, and men grew scarcer, or were loth to leave their homes and loved ones to mingle in the fatal fray, it became necessary for the board to take some steps to induce enlistments. On the 28th of December, 1863, therefore, they passed a series of resolutions, of which the fol- lowing is an abstract : The preamble goes on to recite the circumstances, and the resolution, says, that, "to induce per- sons to enlist to fill the quota of this county, under the recent call for 300,- 000 men, the county of Kossuth will pay a bounty of $500, and authorize the clerk to issue the necessary warrants, with the proviso that this was only to be paid to those who enlisted before the date of the proposed draft on the 5th of January, 1864. This provision was inserted that the men receiving the bounty would en- list in ample time, to be credited to the county, and avert the impending draft. To meet these war debts, the board, at the same time, ordered the levy of a special tax to make a separate fund for the re- demption of the warrants issued to the volunteers. The first warrant issued to a volunteer under this resolution was for 8500, drawn in favor of Henry M. Johns- ton, and bore the number twenty-three, and dateof Jan. 12, 1864.

Nearly one year later, in August, 1864, it became again necessary to furnish more volunteers as food for powder. At an extra session of the board a resolu- tion was passed whereby it was, Resolved, "That the clerk of the board of supervisors

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beinstructed to issue Kossuth county bonds to the amount of $1,000, payable ten years from date, with ten per cent. interest, pay- able annually, to each volunteer who shall enlist to fill the present quota of Kossuth county, on their presenting the proper evidence that they have enlisted and been accepted."

This was afterward amended so that the volunteers could by election have either warrants or bonds.

Under the call of the President for 300,000 more men, dated December, 1864, the board of supervisors resolved, that each member thereof should act as agent in his own township to procure men to fill the quota necessary from that town- ship, on the best terms that they could procure men for, not to exceed in amount $1,000 per man. These were, also, to re- ceive pay in the bonds of the county, as under the last call. This was passed at a session held Jan. 16, 1865.

THIRTY-SECOND INFANTRY.

COMPANY A.

John Reed. William T. Crockett.

Abiather Hull.

George W. Barnes.

William Moore. John Talbot.

C. E. Orcutt. Rufus Sanderson.

Charles Gray. George Benschoter.

M. J. Sample. W. T. Hensley.

John Stockham. Thomas Miller.

William Thayer. O. B. Wilson.

A full and complete history of this fa- mous regiment, their trials, marches and contests may be found in the history of Hancock county. It would be needless to reiterate it here, and the readeris referred to the chapter on this subject in its proper place in the annals of that county.

SECOND CAVALRY REGIMENT.

COMPANY F.

Henry M. Patterson. Charles Moll.

William B. Carey. Edward P. Crockett.

John K. Fill.

Thomas J. Clarke.

Horace Schenck. John Henderson.

Simon Helpmen A M. Johnson.

J Calvin Heckart. Charles Kellogg.

Elias Kellogg. James Taylor.

Levi Carey. John Reibhoff.

John Ehingher. David Holcombe.

Nothing is more difficult to do than to write the history of a cavalry regiment. Separated in companies, on detailed ser- vice, sconting in knots and squads, sel- dom, if ever, preserving its regimental formation. A sketch of it as a unit would be an almost impossible task. The second was organized with W. L. Elliott, of the regular army, as colonel, and was mus- tered into the active service of the United States at Davenport, the Ist of Septem- ber, 1861. Besides its endless duties as scouting parties, videttes and train-guards, it participated in the siege of Corinth, battles of Booneville, Rienzi, Iuka, Cor- inth, Coffeeville, Palo Alto, Birmingham, Jackson, Grenada, Colliersville, Moscow, Pontotoc, Tupelo, Oldtown, Oxford and Nashville. After a.severe and dangerous campaigning of over four years, it was mustered out at Selma, Ala., Sept. 19, 1865, and officers and men returned to their homes.

NORTHERN BORDER BRIGADE.

COMPANY A. Captain, William H. Ingham. 1st Lieutenant, Edward E Mcknight. 2d Lieutenant, Jesse Coverdale.

Privates and non commissioned officers.

II. C. Watson. J. R. Armstrong.

Addison Fisher.

August Zahlten.

Christian Hackman. William Crook.

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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.

Thomas J. Clarke. J. G. Greene.

John Heggarty.

Andrew J. Jones,

Henry Patterson.

Thomas Robinson.

John W Summers.

Michael Smith.

James Young. Jacob Altwegg.

Quartermaster. Lieutenant Lewis H. Smith.

The Northern Border Brigade was raised during the Indian troubles in Minnesota, in 1862, for the defense of the northern frontier. In Angust, Capt. William H. Ingham, of Algona, received notification and a commission from the adjutant-gen- eral of the State of Iowa, N. B. Baker, to enlist a company for service in this bri- gade. The men were to be only such as would be accepted by the United States inspecting officer, able-bodied and be- tween the ages of eighteen and forty-five. The pay of these State troops was to be exactly the same as that paid to regular volunteers in the service of the general government, with the exception of bonn- ties, premiums, etc. Capt. Ingham imme- diately took steps to enlist the company, which was soon done. The various com- panies, on being raised, were forwarded to the frontier, the company in question, A, going to Estherville, Emmett county, where they threw up some fortifications. The raising of these troops by the State produced complications with the United States authorities, and on the application of Gen. Sully for their withdrawal and disbandment, the following order was issued by the State war department:

STATE OF IOWA, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, DAVENPORT, Nov. 21, 1863. General Orders No. 127.

I. Capt. William II. Ingham's company, organized for service of the State of Iowa on the northwestern frontier, under General Orders

No. 121, will be discharged on the 1st day of January. 1864, or at an earlier date upon being relieved by U. S. troops.

II. Capt. William II. Ingham will procced on the 1st day of January, 1864, or at an earlier date, upon being advised of relief by U. S. troops, to the posts where any details of said company are located and there muster out said detachment.

III. Capt. William H. Ingham is hereby or- dered to turn over to Lieut. Lewis H.Smith, Quar- ter-master of Northern Border Brigade, all arms, equipment«, ammunition, commissary stores, forage and all other public property, taking bis proper receipt therefor, and reporting with same, in person, to this Department, to be mustered out.

IV. Lieut. Lewis HI. Smith will hold all such property subject to orders of this Department. By order of Commander-in-Chief,

N. B. BAKER, Adjt. Gen. and A. Q. M. Gen. of Iowa.

In accordance with this, the company was mustered out and returned to their homes.

TWENTY-SECOND INFANTRY.

J. C. Cummins, company unknown. Richard Parrott, company unknown.

COMPANY AND REGIMENT UNKNOWN.

Levi Stone. John Long.

D. N. Crosby. Lafayette Brinkley.

John S. Sixby. Martin V. B. Jones. .

Lieut .- Col. Spencer, for years past, the postmaster at Algona, had the most thrill- ing adventure in the way of an escape from rebel prison-pens, during the war. At the request of many prominent citi- zens the history of the trials endured and the perils braved, written by Gen. John A. Kellogg, of Wisconsin, is here inserted.

In the first place, it must be premised that Captain, afterward Col. Spencer, was captured in front of Richmond, and after having quite an experience of the

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rebel pens, was taken at Charleston, S. C. He in company with the others, made their escape, on the 5th of October, near Branchville, S. C., and reached the Union lines after twenty-one days of unparal- leled hardships. But let Gen. Kellogg tell the story:

"Five months previous an officer had been captured, who succeeded in retain- ing possession of a very accurate topo- graphical map of Georgia and South Caro- lina. This map had been copied by Capt. John B. Vliet, one copy of which I had been fortunate enough to obtain. I was also in possession of a small compass, presented to me by Commodore Pender- grast, when he was exchanged. I conversed with several of my companions, and found four beside myself, ready to take the chances with me in an attempt for liberty, by way of a trip across the States of South Carolina and Georgia, on the under- ground railroad.

The party consisted of Capt. John Vliet, Capt. Henry Spencer, Lieut. (or Adjutant) Gough, of the 10th Wiscon- sin; Lieut. Hatcher, of the 30th Ohio, and myself.

At last the morning of the 5th day of October, 1864-the last day of imprison- ment, so far as the above named were concerned-dawned upon ns. There had been rumors for several days, that we were to be removed to another prison, but nothing definite could be gleaned from the rebel anthorities. No notice was given until the very morming of our de- parture. In fact many of us thought that, like many rumors of exchange that had preceded it, it would end in nothing.

But that morning just after roll call, we were officially ordered to hold our- selves in readiness to take the cars within one hour, for Columbia.

The rebels had taken the precaution to time the removal, so that we had but one day's rations on hand, with the view of preventing us from attempting to escape, for lack of food; but they did not, for all this, relax any in their efforts to retain us in their possession. A regiment (the 30th Georgia Infantry) was detailed to guard us, and we filed ont of the yard, our parole ended.

Between the long lines of grey coated soldiers wearily watching our every move- ment, the long procession of prisoners marched once more through the streets of Charleston to the railroad depot. Our party managed to keep together and were assigned the same car, located near the center of the long train. The transpor- tation furnished was as nsual, freight cars, and each car crowded to its utmost capacity. The side doors were thrown open to furnish air and we secured a place between the open doors. Four guards were, as usual, stationed on the inside, and from five to six others on the roof of each car, with orders to shoot any one of the prisoners attempting to leave the car without leave. The guards inside our car took their station at each corner of the open doors.

At length, everything being in readi- ness, the whistle tooted, the wheels be- gan slowly to revolve, and we were soon formed; we were to wait patiently until night, and then selecting a time when the cars were running down grade, at their maxium rate of speed, jump from the

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train. It was necessary that the cars should be moving rapidly, as the guards would have but little difficulty in riddling us with bullets, and the guards on each car, in succession as it passed, would have a chance for a shot at us at unpleasantly short range, and for the same reason our chances would be better in the dark. We could easily calculate that at the usual rate of running we could not reach Col- nmbia until after midnight. So that these two very essential concomitants to success were not beyond the bounds of probability. The route selected was to make the near- est practicable point in the lines occu- pied by Sherman's command, between Atlanta and Chattanooga. A careful in- ventory of stock belonging to the party was taken. Shoes were more essential than any other article of clothing. A man can travel without a hat or coat, he can dispense with under-garments; he may even travel sans culottes, but he must have his feet protected. All in the party excepting Lieut. Hatcher were pro- vided with something in the shape of boots or shoes. Hlatcher had a pair of boots, but they were nearly minus the soles, and it was evident that they would last but a few days. Capt. Vliet had a pair of long-legged army boots that I made up my mind would furnish leather enough to make a pair of moccasins for Hatcher, and still enough left to answer a useful purpose (if not ornamental) to their owner. Our clothing was nothing to boast of. We each had a coat, shirt and pantaloons, and neither hat nor eap. There was but one blanket in the party, and a new linen sack or bag, we had a kettle that I made out of an old paint keg

while in the Roper Hospital. Spencer had about a quart of flour in addition to the one day's rations furnished us at start- ing, and I had saved a small piece of salt pork.

We had two maps and a compass. One difficulty there was yet to overcome; there were four armed men to prevent our attempt to escape. We knew that at the first movement we would be fired upon, and if not hurt, the shot would give notice to the guards on top of the succeeding cars that something was wrong, and would result in attracting vastly more attention to ourselves personally than we were ambitious of attaining just at that time. We must either disarm them or render their muskets temporarily useless. This we accomplished. "Famili- arity breeds contempt," so reads the old proverb, and it proved so with our guards. At first they were on the alert every mo- ment; not a movement of the prisoners was made that they did not narrowly scan; but after a while they became in- terested in our conversation and would laugh at our jokes. And while at first they were watchful, and perhaps a little nervous at such close proximity to fifty or sixty Yanks, even if they were unarmed, this all passed away and we were convers- ing together like old acquaintances. And as it began to get dark, tired of standing so long on guard without being relieved, they set their muskets on the floor of the car and seated themselves at the corner of the open door, with their feet hanging on the outside, the bayonets of the mus- kets leaning against the top of the door- way.

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A man was stationed near each senti- nel, and, getting in conversation with them, quietly raised the hammer of the lock from the tube with the thumb, while with the little finger the cap was worked of the nipple, all without attracting attention. Within twenty minutes after commencing operations every musket was uncapped. Meanwhile we had arrived at Orangeburg, and after short delay, the train again started. It was quite dark now, and we were only waiting for the train to get nuder full headway. At length we reached a thick wood, and the train was moving through it at the rate of at least twenty miles an hour. The pine forests through which we were passing added to the darkness. The time had ar- rived. Quietly notifying my companions to be in readiness, grasping the bag before described, into which I had deposited the kettle and pork, I gave the signal and sprang from the car out in the darkness.

It is very difficult to describe one's sen- sations in jumping from a rapidly moving to a stationary object. It is as one would imagine it would be, jumping from a sta- tionary object upon a large and very rapidly revolving wheel. You do not fall but the earth comes up and hits you, and then, unless you hold fast to something, you roll off. I struck first npon my feet, and then upon the back of my neck, and then, as it seemed to me, I rolled over several times. In fact, before I had fairly settled in one position, the train had passed me. Some idea may be gained of the rapidity with which the train was moving, from the fact that five of ns jumped, one after the other, as rapidly as possible, and yet from where I landed to

where the last struck the earth, it was at least twenty rods. Fortunately the ground was smooth, though very hard, where we landed; and although terribly jarred and shaken up, none of us were seriously injured, and in a few moments were stand- ing together on the track. We knew that an alarm would be given, and probably we would be pursned. While we were talking, a musket was discharged from the train, and we heard the whistle sounded for "down brakes." We at once plunged into the forest in the direction of the coast, exactly the opposite of our true direction, and traveled perhaps a mile and then doubling our track, crossed the rail- road within a quarter of a mile of where we left it, and taking a northwesterly course,commenced our pilgrimage towards Sherman and liberty. Our object in ap- parently wasting precious time in making a false start, was to puzzle the pursuers, whom we knew would be on our track in the morning.

We had hardly left the railroad when, in the thick brush ahead of us, we heard men's voices, and the barking of dogs! Hist! lie down! Which way are they heading? Straight for us! Shall we run? No, that will not do ; we will be heard and followed. Crouching upon the ground in a thicket, scarcely breathing, we waited their approach. Soon they were near enough to understand their conversation. "Wonder what dat shot for?" said a voice.

"Do'no, reckon it war a geard on dat train."

"Hey Cæsar, you rascal! what de matter now, old boy? Dat dog smelt somethin!" "Coon, I reckon."

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"Dat no coon. See de way he growl and show him teef!"

"Heyar, Cæsar! Come, Cæsar, hunt 'em up, boy! What ye got dar, scars ye 80?"

By this time, we could distinguish two forms through the darkness, and could see the dog smelling around upon our track.

It was a tieklish moment. It was evi- dent that the men were negroes; probably ont hunting for coon or opossum. If they discovered us, they might betray ns. So we thought then, the only thing we could do was to keep still and wait the de- nouement.

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History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 41

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company Number of Pages: 898

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 898