USA > Iowa > Marion County > History of Marion County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34
The regiment was mustered in at Muscatine on December 15, 1862, with George W. Kincaid as colonel. It was stationed at St. Louis, Alton, Memphis, Rock Island and other points and was rarely employed in a body. In July, 1864, fifty men of this regiment were detailed to guard a supply train on the Memphis & Charleston Rail- road. On the way the train was fired upon by bushwhackers and two men were killed. The "old boys" then hit upon the expedient of mak- ing the enemy do guard duty. The train was halted and forty prominent citizens in the locality were arrested and taken aboard. Each day twenty of these citizens were placed in plain view and the enemy could not attack the train without the risk of killing some of their friends. The plan was continued until the attacks on the train ceased. During the entire term of service the regiment lost but three men killed in action and four wounded. It was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, May 24, 1865.
FORTIETH INFANTRY
Marion County was represented in six companies of this regiment -- A, F, G, H, I and K-and five men from the county served on the regimental staff, to-wit: Admiral B. Miller, quartermaster; James R. Broderick, quartermaster sergeant; Hamilton J. Scoles, assistant surgeon; Norman R. Cornell, transferred from the Twenty-third Regiment for promotion to surgeon; and Samuel F. C. Garrison, chaplain.
Company A was mustered in with Martin V. B. Bennett, captain ; Thomas J. Anderson, first lieutenant; William Blain, second lieuten- ant; George F. Burzette, first sergeant; Samuel Graham, second ; Bartlett F. Ballard, third; James C. Jarman, fourth; Wilson S. Whaley, fifth ; Reuben A. Clearwater, first corporal ; Archibald Lig- gitt, second; Pinkney S. Miller, third; Thomas P. Thornburg. fourth ; David Clearwater, fifth; Charles W. Brandon, sixth ; Alex- ander Copeland, seventh; Solomon Benson, eighth.
.
203
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
Privates-Isaac C. Allen, Theodore B. Allen, Peter Aulman, Samuel Bacon, William Benson, Henry Bowman, Leroy Brannon, Alexander V. Campbell, John H. Childers, Willis W. Clearwater, Josiah Clifton, Lord S. Coffman, Morris Coffman, James E. Dowd, Marsenia S. Everett, William Farr, Henderson Fenton, William H. Glenn, John W. Godfrey, William Head, George W. Hegwood, John Hegwood, Wiley Hegwood, William E. Hyer, Charles M. Howard, Jackson Howard, Peter Howard, William A. Johnson, John A. Johnston, James G. Kinkaid, Jackson Knotts, Fridolin Kubli, Benjamin Lee, John Lee, Josiah Lee, William Lee, Thomas J. Lock, Samuel H. Lyons, William McLaughlin, Monroe C. Martin, Sylvester S. May, Jeremiah Moore, Tilford H. Mullen, Charles H. Newbury, Richard H. Nicholas, Benjamin M. Parsons, Samuel H. Parsons, Nathaniel Porter, William Prouty, James R. Reynolds, John Reynolds, John S. Reynolds, Treanor Reynolds, Delavan B Roberts, James A. Rusk, Henry Shoemaker, David Simmons, Hosea Simmons, John Simmons, James C. Smith, Asa Staley, Alexander Stroud, Willis Stroud, Sylvester Vanderford, Robert Vernon, Wil- liam H. Webb.
Recruits-Henry C. Adams, Samuel Anderson, William D. Bay- less, John Brannon, David Chrisman, John E. Lewis, James M. Smith, Joseph Thompson.
The following officers of Company F, at the time of muster in, were from Marion County: Ebenezer W. Ridlen, captain; Oliver H. S. Kennedy, first lieutenant; William W. Veigler, first sergeant; Alexander Kinkaid, second sergeant; Israel Yarger, fourth sergeant; Jefferson Hunt, first corporal ; Aaron Roebuck, sixth corporal.
Privates-Samuel Agan, William Agan, Josiah Brown, Richard Brown, John H. Carpenter, Beverly Carter, Philip Carter, Colum- bus Chambers, Jacob Christmore, Jacob Colclasure, James L. Cox, Elijah Croy, John Dyer, Elijah England, Milton Etcher, Ambrose J. Flanagan, Thomas H. Fink, Elijah P. Hill, Abraham Hillis, George W. Horton, James A. Horton, John J. Horton, Francis P. Howan, Samuel Hunt, Darius Jackson, Joseph Jennings, William T. Kin- kaid, Joseph Landon, James A. Lawhead, William London, Harri- son L. Lounsburg, Charles B. Lutz, James R. Mckenzie, James H. McLain, Jonathan McLain, Abraham MI. Macomb, Isaiah L. Mason, James R. Mason, Josephus Mason, Francis A. May, Henry Miller, Allen Mitchell, James M. Newby, Calvin C. Ridlen, Joseph Roebuck, George T. Smith, George W. Smith, James A. Smith, Robert S. Thomas, Stephen H. Thomas, Andrew J. Wade, Thomas Wilson.
204
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
Recruits -- Joseph H. Adams, Isaac Cooley, Timothy M. Horton, A. McConnaughey, Christopher C. Macomb, William B. Mason, Alvin M. Neal, Thomas K. Pearce, John W. Rich, Moses Smith, John Stradley, Andrew B. Stone, Joseph Walker, T. Israel Williams.
Company G, when it entered the United States' service, was officered by Thomas Jenkins, captain ; David C. Jordan, first lieuten- ant; Henry B. Keefer, second lieutenant; Josiah P. Dennis, William T. Baird, Thomas Canady, Jackson A. Brewer, sergeants in the order named; John F. Fee, first corporal; William S. Mckinney, second; Alfred H. Eaton, third ; John H. Taggart, fourth; Jerome T. Gibbs, fifth; William Carle, sixth; Francis M. Walker, seventh; William W. Hardin, eighth.
Privates-W. W. Adams, Hugh J. Allison, Edward Arnold, Stephen S. Arnold, William Askern, William Bailey, William Bar- pee, James R. Broderick, Henry C. Brown, George A. Burnett, David M. Butcher, Daniel F. Coats, John M. Cooper, D. W. Cun- ningham, Seth Davies, William M. Dotson, Lewis T. Evans, John S. Everett, Alexander J. Fee, Henry Ferguson, John A. Fight, James N. Flanagan, William B. Freeman, Thomas M. Greenman, Thomas NI. Gresham, Ernest Hartz, Eli H. Hoshaw, John H. Headley, Arthur J. Hubbart (transferred to Sixteenth Kentucky Cavalry as quartermaster), Joseph C. Jenkins, Theodore J. Johnson, William F. Jones, William M. Jordan, Henry J. Lawhead, George Lee, Nathan- iel M. Lee, William T. Lehigh, Ransom Long, John A. Loveless, A. M. McConnaughey, Andrew McMicken, Eli Moon, Abraham Oakes, Alfred N. Overton, Ora O. Owen, Robert Patton, George W. Pettit, Asa Polson, John P. Polson, Daniel Pope, William H. Pope, Hugh G. Richards, John Ricket, John N. Rossin, Emory A. Sage, Jacob Schlotterback, Charles Schrader, William H. Shappel, Samuel P. Shaw, Jacob Sherman, Jesse S. Sherwood, David L. Shiner, Mar- tin V. Silvers, Henry C. Smith, Jacob F. C. Smith, John M. Smith, Wellington South, David Speer, Peter Sprey, Wilson F. Stradley, Silas Taylor, James Thompson, Samuel P. Thomas, James T. Thrasher, Gabriel Webber, Eugene L. Wines, Melancthon E. Young.
Recruits-James M. Auld, Josiah Bivins, George F. Buzzard, James Ford, James Harvey, Nathaniel Hopkins, John G. Hunt, Abraham C. McConnaughey, Andrew J. McConnaughey, John A. Seams, Daniel W. Stone, Levi J. Thrasher, William Thrasher, Wil- liam Turley.
Company H was mustered in with Peter M. Johnson as captain ; Nathan Richards, first lieutenant; Caleb J. Amos, second lieutenant ; Elsbury J. Stamper, first sergeant ; John H. Dawson, second sergeant ;
205
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
John Carr, third sergeant; Samuel F. C. Garrison, fourth sergeant ; Robert J. Simmons, fifth sergeant, and Elisha Reese, Edmund White, William Williams, Thomas B. Amos, Benjamin Ford, William Van- andol, John C. Core and John M. Karr as corporals in the order named.
Privates-Thomas Scott, George Sellers, Elias T. Simpson, Elijah Stephens, Meindert Tillema, Gideon A. Towne, Oliver H. Towne, Thomas C. Van Pelt, Wilton K. Walker, John W. Wikle, Hardin M. Williams, Thomas W. Worth, Mordecai Yearns.
Recruits-James M. Cannon, Andrew C. Chestnut, William Clark, Franklin DeMoss, Thomas DeMoss, Joseph Hollingsworth, Benjamin MI. Hyatt, Henry A. Jarnagin, William H. Knotts, John Lancaster, Hugh Logan, Isaac McConnaughey, Homer D. Martin, William F. Moor, Thomas M. Norris, Nathaniel Shonkwiler, Francis M. West.
In Company 1, Orin W. Avery was enrolled as first sergeant and Charles S. Powers as a private. Nineteen Marion County men were enrolled as privates in Company K, to-wit: John Ballard, John W. Band, John Brannon, Samuel Carr (transferred from Com- pany C), David E. Homan, Seth Jones, Benjamin T. Kennedy, James F. Kennedy, Anthony Kesler, Giles M. Mothorn, David E. Shauer, Isaiah Sheeler, James M. Sittuth, Jacob R. Smith, Payne Smith, George W. Stephens, John Stradley, Joseph Thompson, Jesse Walker.
Two men-George D. Karr and Amos Polson-are known to have enlisted from Marion County, but the companies in which they served are not known for certain. Altogether, 341 Marion County men served in the Fortieth Infantry at some period of its history.
The regiment was mustered in on November 15, 1862, and was immediately ordered to Columbus, Kentucky, where it spent the winter. Early in March, 1863, it was ordered to Paducah. Ken- tucky, and on the last day of that month received orders to proceed at once to Vicksburg and join the army commanded by Gen. U. S. Grant. During the siege of Vicksburg it was stationed at Haines' Bluff, where a number of the men died on account of the climate and bad water they were compelled to use. After the surrender of Vicksburg the regiment was ordered to Helena, Arkansas, where it soon afterward joined General Steele's expedition against Little Rock. In the spring of 1864 it formed part of General Steele's ex- peditionary forces against Camden. On this expedition it was en- gaged at Okalona, Prairie d'Ane, Jenkins' Ferry and a number of
206
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
slight skirmishes, in all of which the men of the Fortieth gave a good account of themselves. Just before the battle of Jenkins' Ferry Colonel Garrett, commanding the regiment, addressed the men as follows: "Boys, we will probably have a little fight. Remember your own good name and the fair fame of the glorious young state which sent you to the field. Don't tarnish it. Do you see that flag? Follow and defend it. Don't shoot at the sky; there are no rebels up there. That climate does not suit them. Aim low and send them where they belong. That's all."
In this action the regiment had about six hundred men engaged and lost six killed and thirty-four wounded, several of whom after- ward died. Four men were reported captured and one missing. Not long after this battle the regiment returned to Little Rock, where it remained until February, 1865. It was then assigned to General Bussey's command at Fort Smith, that officer having requested the War Department to send him a "first rate regiment." Subsequently the Fortieth was sent to Fort Gibson, where it remained on duty until mustered out on August 2, 1865.
FORTY-SEVENTH INFANTRY
In the spring of 1864, when the War Department and the gen- erals in the field were planning the three great campaigns that ended the war, the governors of some of the Mississippi Valley states held a meeting and suggested the advisability of calling out a large num- ber of men to serve in garrisons, etc., for a period of one hundred days, thus relieving veteran troops that might be used in the field. Accordingly, on April 21, 1864, President Lincoln issued his procla- mation calling for 100,000 men to serve for one hundred days. The Forty-seventh lowa Infantry was the state's response to this call. Although Marion County up to this time had furnished more men than her assigned quota, there were still many who were willing to take up arms in defense of the Union, and a large part of Company A was recruited in the county. That company was mustered in with the regiment on June 10, 1864, at Davenport, with the following officers :
John L. McCormack, captain ; Melvin Stone, second lieutenant : Ellison R. Wright, first sergeant; Addison R. Byers, second sergeant; Chester L. Collins, third sergeant; Samuel Mills, fourth sergeant ; Morgan H. Beach, first corporal ; Oliver P. Wright, second corporal ; Charles Englefield, third corporal; William P. Sherwood, seventh
207
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
corporal; John M. Settle, eighth corporal; William P. Patton, musician.
Privates-Harrison P. Allen, Wilson S. Bonebrake, L. G. Boyd- ston, Charles Brous, Albert O. Burch, Leonard Chrisman, Lysander W. Clark, Van M. Coffman, John J. Counsil, William Cowman, James H. Deen, Thomas R. Dennis, John A. Gibson, John H. Hart, Adam Hays, Simon Henry, Albert Hockett, Thomas Horn, James W. Jackson, William T. Johnson, James H. MeCorkle, James Mc- Kee, James N. Mathers, Joseph K. Moon, Alpheus D. Phelps, Frank 1. Quick, Nathan W. Reed, Adin W. Rouze, Oliver Schee (promoted sergeant-major), John W. Smith, Payton A. Smith, Arthur Tennis, George W. Ungles, John Wagoner, William Wall, John B. Watts, Oscar W. Watts, George A. Wikle, John W. Wolfe, Robert L. Worth, Allen V. Wright (promoted to principal musician), William M. Wycoff, Alvin Young, James B. Young.
Thomas L. Collins served as fifth sergeant in Company F, and George W. Barker, who enlisted as a private in Company I, was promoted to sixth corporal on June 29, 1864.
THIRD CAVALRY
On the regimental staff of the Third Cavalry, Franklin M. War- ford served as assistant surgeon until January 26, 1864, when he was transferred to the Fourth Arkansas Cavalry as surgeon. Company K was raised in Marion County, and at the time it was mustered in was officered as follows: Jacob F. Miller, captain ; Martin Cherric. first lieutenant (promoted to captain, July 1, 1862) ; John D. Pickett, second lieutenant ; George W. Stamm, quartermaster sergeant; John H. Palmer, second sergeant; Charles W. Sherman, third sergeant ; James H. W. Riggs, fourth sergeant; Charles Quick, fifth sergeant; James Huff, first corporal ; James B. Brown, fifth corporal; Henry T. Smith, seventh corporal; John T. Spillman, eighth corporal; Peter M. Jumper, farrier; Wesley Woodward, saddler.
Privates Henry Adams, Wilson Angel, Morris Askins, William H. H. Barker, James V. Deacom, Judson Bunn, Orrin Canfield, James Carr, Robert H. Chambers, John Fox, Matthew B. Gray. Henry C. Hall; W. H. Himes, David Hodgson, James W. Honnold, Newton C. Honnold (promoted to second lieutenant). William Horner, William A. Kelly, Jacob L. Kirk, Richard Liike, George W. Lemmon, James Logan, Jacob H. Mc Vey, James Marsh, Stanton B. Millan (promoted to battalion saddle sergeant), Josephus Miller (promoted to commissary sergeant ) , James Mumford, Conrad New-
208
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
som, William Pack, Marcus Packard, Israel W. Randel, William J. Richardson, James Roberts, John W. Simpson, George Smith (pro- moted to sergeant and later to farrier), Almer D. Steele, Patrick H. Steele (promoted to bugler), Francis M. Terry, John Wall, Samuel L. Ward (promoted to battalion sergeant-major), Thomas Wasson, Robert L. West, John Williams, David E. Wilson, Pleasant Wilson, Asher P. Wykoff.
Recruits-S. W. Bellamy, Joseph Caffrey, Wilber E. Campbell, Daniel H. Debord, Allen W. Forsythe, Rollin Gardner, Jesse V. Glenn, George F. S. Griffin, George Harlow, Solomon L. Hart, Elias Hoover, Samuel Inman, George W. Jumper, James P. Kelly, Silas King, William T. Logan, Leopold Liike, Newton Lyons, Thomas J. Marshall, James Miner, Alexander Montgomery, George W. Morrisey, Bennett I. Pack, Wesley Pringle, Hiram Randall, Hiram Reynolds, Martin J. Reynolds, Albert Spaur, George H. Tabor, Albert E. Van Houten, Joseph Vos, James W. Waln, Horace G. Williams.
The Third Cavalry was mustered in at Keokuk on September 14, 1861, and its first service was in protecting the southern border of Iowa against an invasion from Missouri. Early in November it was ordered to St. Louis and arrived at Benton Barracks with 1,100 men. Here it was fully equipped and for some time served by detachments, the men literally "living in the saddle." Part of the regiment was engaged in the skirmishes at Moore's Mill, Florida and Kirksville, but the first real battle in which it took part was at Pea Ridge, Ar- kansas, March 7, 1862. For some time before this the regiment had been engaged in scouting and reconnoitering for the enemy, who was concentrating a large force in the direction of the Boston Moun- tains. At Pea Ridge the Third was surrounded and cut off from the main body of the Union forces, but by a desperate hand-to-hand fight the men cut their way out and rejoined the brigade. This was the most severe engagement of the regiment during its entire term of service. During the summer of 1862 it was employed in scouting about Batesville and Helena, Arkansas, but in December it was as- signed to the cavalry division of the Army of the Tennessee, com- manded by Gen. C. C. Washburne. In June, 1863, it joined General Grant's army in front of Vicksburg and during the siege of that city it was engaged in watching the fords and ferries on the Big Black River. It formed the advance of Sherman's forces against Jackson, Mississippi, after the surrender of Vicksburg, and then returned to Arkansas. Subsequently it participated in the pursuit and defeat of
209
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
Price's army in Missouri and later was with Gen. J. H. Wilson's cavalry in Tennessee and Georgia until mustered out at Atlanta, August 9, 1865.
FOURTH CAVALRY
This regiment rendezvoused at Mount Pleasant, where it was mustered in on January 1, 1862, with Asbury B. Porter as colonel. It was composed for the most part of young men and was one of the best mounted regiments in the service. Colonel Porter was a good judge of a horse, and his motto seemed to be "The best is none too good." Fifteen Marion County men were enrolled in Company F. John Anthony held the rank of third corporal, and the following served as privates: Jacob Blatner, Solomon Bremen, George A. Burnham, John G. Carson, Cornelius Carter, Henry A. Cole, Newton J. Earp, Thomas B. Frazier, John Koolbeck, William Langerak, William McCabe, Peter Van Rooyen, Nathaniel D. Walton, Solomon Weaver.
In Company L seven men from Marion were enrolled as privates, viz .: George W. Black, William M. Clutter, Henry J. Croll, Wilson B. George, Joseph H. Jones (promoted to corporal), Hezekiah J. Phelps and Lamrick C. Vinyard. There were also a few in Companies G and K, but there is no way of distinguishing their names on the muster rolls.
The regiment remained in Camp Harlan at Mount Pleasant until March 10, 1862, when it received orders to move at once to Rolla, Missouri. From there it was sent to Springfield, and a little later to Helena, Arkansas. During the early service of the regiment the companies were engaged chiefly in the performance of detached duty, scouting and occasionally skirmishing with the enemy. Company F captured a steamboat loaded with sugar and molasses, and a train of about one hundred wagons loaded with provisions. Late in Novem- ber, 1862, the regiment was united and joined General Hovey's ex- pedition toward Grenada, Mississippi. During this movement sev- eral miles of railroad were destroyed. On the last day of April, :863, the Fourth joined General Grant's army at Milliken's Bend and started on the campaign that ended with the surrender of Vicks- burg. It was next in the battle of Jackson, Mississippi, then in the expedition to Memphis, formed the advance of Sherman's forces in the movement against Meridian, Mississippi, and was with General Grierson on the raid through that state. During the year 1863 it took part in thirty engagements and traveled over two thousand miles. Its
Vol. I-14
210
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
last service was with General Wilson on the raid to Macon, Georgia, in the spring of 1865. On this raid the regiment captured over two thousand prisoners, 1,650 stands of arms, 21 pieces of artillery, 10 battle flags, 738 horses and 142 mules. It also destroyed a large amount of property, including the great military supply depot of the Confederacy. It was mustered out at Atlanta, Georgia, August 10, 1865.
SEVENTH CAVALRY
This regiment was organized at Davenport in the spring of 1863. Marion County was represented in six companies. Peter Mckinney and William Utterback served as privates in Company A; Alexander C. Bates and Marcus L. Noftsger, in Company B; Harrison Smith and Franklin Gordie, in Company C; James H. May and Seneca M. Tefft, in Company D; Israel Gibson and Joseph Walker, in Company E; George A. Barker and John T. Mckinney, in Com- pany G.
Soon after the regiment was mustered in it was ordered to the country west of the Missouri River to aid in the subjugation of the hostile Indians in that section. This was a disappointment to the men, who wanted to fight secessionists. It is impossible to give a connected history of the regiment, for the reason that the companies were nearly always on detached duty, scouting, chasing Indian war parties, burning. Indian camps and villages, fighting bushwhackers or hunting horse thieves. So well did the men perform the arduous duties assigned them that they became known as the "Hiowa 'ell 'ounds," a sobriquet first given to the regiment in a spirit of facetious- ness, but it characterized its fighting qualities and stuck. The Seventh was mustered out by detachments, the last to leave the service being mustered out at Leavenworth, Kansas, May 17, 1866.
NINTH CAVALRY
The Ninth Cavalry was organized at Davenport and was mus- tered into the service of the United States on the last day of Novem- ber, 1863. Seventeen Marion County men enlisted in Company 1- William H. Gibson, as sixth sergeant, and the following as privates : James S. Angel, John E. Cavin, George R. Dalrymple, James Gibson, Jonathan Gibson, Jacob E. Haines, William H. Jamazin. Henry C. Knapp, William K. Lonsbury, James McCoy, Andrew J. Newberry, Lucius H. Phillips, George W. Shular, Charles Walker, Lorenzo W. Waln, John H. Worth.
211
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
During the winter of 1863-64 the regiment was quartered at Benton Barracks, St. Louis. In April, 1864, it was ordered to Little Rock, Arkansas, and its entire service from that time was in that state. It was active in scouting, breaking up guerrilla bands, etc., though it took no part in any severe engagements. It was mustered out by detachments at Little Rock during the months of February and March, 1866.
MISCELLANEOUS ENLISTMENTS
In addition to the Marion County men who served in the above enumerated organizations, there were quite a number who served in other regiments. Following is a list of those enlistments, which it is believed is as complete as can be made from the adjutant-general's reports of the Civil war:
Simeon C. Babcock, William J. Roth, Henry A. Todd, Wilson S. Vernon, Garrett C. Wicklie, Samuel Wilkins, Sixteenth Infantry; Thomas J. Donaldson and Jeremiah Gullion, Twenty-second In- fantry; Calvin Otterson, John Phifer and William Phifer, Twenty- third Infantry; William Atkinson and Joseph L. Wilson, Thirty- fourth Infantry; Noah Kelso, Thirty-seventh Infantry; John M. Collier, Thirty-ninth Infantry; Joseph R. Duncan, Daniel S. Poush and William Z. Taylor, Forty-sixth Infantry; A. B. Botsford, John F. Graffe and William Lough, Forty-eighth Infantry.
William C. Phillips, Enos Luckadoo and Samuel Mitchell were enrolled as members of the First Colored Infantry, a regiment of colored troops raised in the fall of 1863, to which lowa contributed 106 men. It was known as the "First Infantry of African Descent."
In the cavalry service William Shaklee served in the Second Regiment; Stewart Nichols, Timothy Redlin and Joshua Shucy, in the Third; William Rose, in the Fourth; William B. Lydick and Frederick Outcult, in the Eighth, and Samuel L. Beaver and Samuel Sherwood, in the Seventh Missouri Cavalry.
GENERAL SUMMARY
According to the United States census, the population of Marion County in 1860 was 16,318. The number of votes cast for secretary of state in that year was 3,127. Under the various calls for volun- teers the county furnished 1,372 men, or 562 more than the actual quota required by the War Department. This was one soldier for every twelve inhabitants, and considerably more than one-third of
212
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
the voting population. No draft was necessary at any time to secure the necessary number of men assigned to the county. What county in the Union can show a more honorable record?
Of the 1,372 men that enlisted from Marion, 34 served as regi- mental staff officers, 35 held the rank of captain, 33 served as first lieutenants, and 35 wore the shoulder straps of a second lieutenant. A few of the old veterans are still living, and it is a source of con- gratulation to them, as well as to the sons of those who have answered the last roll call, that the word "deserter" is hard to find in the offi- cial records after the name of a Marion County man. They came from a newly-settled country, many of them were inured to the hard- ships of the frontier, and they stood the hardships of the long march, the camp and field better than many troops from the older states east of the Mississippi. Their record is one of honorable duty, well performed.
THE WORK AT HOME
Scarcely had the echoes of the footsteps of the first company that marched to the front died away when it became apparent that some systematic aid should be extended to the families of some of those who had volunteered. To meet this condition a meeting was called at the courthouse in Knoxville on May 22, 1861, "for the purpose of taking action in regard to making provisions for the families of per- sons who have volunteered for the present war," etc.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.