USA > Iowa > Monona County > History of Monona County, Iowa; containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 56
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Mr. and Mrs. Hague are the parents of five chil- dren: George William, born in Lexington, Ky., December 25, 1859, died, February 22, 1861, in the same place; Charles Henry, born September 1, 1861, died August 3, 1863, being the third person interred in the Onawa Cemetery ; Sarah B., born April 24, 1864; John E., August 26, 1866; and Nellie M., May 15, 1869.
C APT. G. H. BRYANT was born at Warsaw, N. Y., April 7. 1840. At the age of twelve years he was bereft of both parents and at sixteen removed to Lake Mills, Wie., where he taught school for a year before entering upon a col- legiate course at the State University. llere he ranked at the head of his class though he found his greatest excellence in mathematics.
At the breaking out of the war young Bryant left college and enlisted in the First Wisconsin In- fantry for three months. On his return from the
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army in the summer of 1861, he entered the Uni- versity of Michigan where he ranked high in scholarship. lIere it was his cherished intention to take a full collegiate course, but in the summer of 1862, when the call for 300,000 men was issued, the fire of patriotism burned too intensely to permit him to remain a mere spectator of the mighty conflict, and he abandoned his books, re- turned to his home at Lake Mills, Wis., where he obtained a recruiting commission, and raised Com- pany D, of the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin Infantry. Of this company he was unanimously elected Cap- tain. llis regiment went into active service, and so continued throughout the war. It was in the Red River expedition under Gen. Banks, while Capt. Bryant was leading his company into action, that he received a gunshot wound in the right arm near the shoulder. It was only at his urgent re- quest that amputation was delayed and finally ren- dered unnecessary by a removal of a portion of the bone. For two months he lay in an overcrowded hospital at New Orleans, often suffering for atten- tion which the surgeons had not time to render. Often on this bed of pain, like thousands of other patriots, he prayed for the release of death. But in his despair, at last there came to his bedside a ministering angel-a delicately reared woman, who saw his needs and who assisted daily in dress- ing his wound, and who came always accompanied by a servant bearing a basket of delicious fruits and delicacies, flowers, and the cheerful book which she had selected to read to him. Capt. Bryant once asserted that she saved his life. If this lovely stranger -- lovely in the broad sense-could know the praise and the prayers rendered for her by those who loved him, she would know how well he appreciated her delicate ministries. At the close of two months he was able, with the assistance of an attendant, to return to his home in Wisconsin. where he continued under medical treatment. In September, while his arm still required daily treatment he returned to his regiment and assumed command of his company, remaining with them until the close of the war, and was promoted to the rank of Major.
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The winter following the close of the war he was elected to the Wisconsin Legislature receiving
votes from both parties. The summer following the adjournment of the Legislature, he spent at Watertown, in the law office of his old commanding officer, Col. Gill, and the ensuing winter was chosen Assistant Attorney-General by Col. Gill, then the Attorney-General, which position he filled until the expiration of Col. Gill's term. Directly fol- lowing he was appointed Warden of the State pri- son at Waupun. This office he resigned in the autumn of 1868 for the purpose of entering the law school at Ann Arbor. Ile was admitted to the bar in the spring of 1869, when he removed to Monona County where he made a permanent home. Here, as elsewhere, he was known as a sing- ularly modest, pure and honest man. In 1875 he was elected to the office of County Treasurer and was thrice re-elected, holding the office for eight consecutive years, and leaving a record which can- not be excelled.
About the 1st of August, 1885. Capt. Bryant left Onawa with a party of three others, Messrs. McMillan, Martin, and MeCausland, for the Black Hills, where he was interested in company with Messrs. Vincent and Smith. After attending to business matters at the ranch the party visited Rapid City, Deadwood and Custer, and on the re- turn trip Capt. Bryant's arm gave him consider- able trouble. Arriving at the ranch bis party gave him every possible care and attention, reducing the inflamation. At his earnest request the party pro- ceeded to Hot Springs and Capt. Byrant was to come down in a day or two by stage. But it was not to be. llis arm became rapidly worse. and on the evening of the 29th of August, 1885, far from home and friends, he passed to his long rest. Ilis family physician had been telegraphed for but ar- rived too late to be of any professional service. Ilis remains were brought home and interred in Grant Township cemetery. He left a large estate which is in possession of his heirs.
Capt. Bryant was married December 11, 1867, to Miss Josephine Gregory, daughter of Dr. Gregory, of Fort Atkinson, Wis. Mrs. Bryant died at Sionx City, April 27, 1878, leaving three children, whose names are: Leonard G., born Sep- tember 6, 1868; Willie S., May 4, 1872, and Charles C., June 27, 1873.
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Capt. Bryant was again married January 12. 1880, to Miss Clare V. Sawin, of Madison, Wis. By this marriage there is one daughter, Claribel S., born January 26, 1884.
Mrs. Clare Sawin Bryant, who was born October 22. 1859, is the third daughter of JJohn Alonzo and Catherine M. Sawin, who were married at Sherman, Chautauqua County, N. Y., April 19, 1818. Hler father, lohn Alonzo Sawin, was born at Herkimer. Cattarangus County, N. Y., November 2, 1824. Her mother, formerly Catherine M. Cornish, was born at Sherman, N. Y., March io, 1830, From their marriage there were born seven children.
The following interesting sketch of the school days of Capt. Bryant as given by one of his class- mates, is taken from the columns of the Greenville, Mich .. Gazette, to which it was communicated :
November 5, 1885-Editor of The Gazette.
"Dear Sir: Your excellent obituary of the late G. II. Bryant makes very brief mention of the Captain as a scholar. His habits were such that to know him in this respect, it would be necessary to learn his history from those with whom he was ac- quainted, for the brilliancy of his scholarship. at the time he was a student, could never be learned from the Captain himself. As his classmate and roommate while he was a college student. I may be able to tell that which I personally knew of him. If he were living it would be embarrassing to him to see these incidents of his history in print; but they may prove interesting to his old friends and neighbors who knew him better as a business man than as a scholar. The subject of this sketch. a> I learn from his teachers, was, even as a child. studions and thoughtful. At the age of ten years he had mastered the arithmetic, and at an early age had made no inconsiderable progress in other stu- dies, which are far beyond the comprehension of the average child of that age. After his father's death, when he was little more than twelve years oldl. he lived for a time with a relative near his old home, in Wyoming County, N. Y. Here what he loved most dearly, the opportunity to read, was almost entirely denied him; for in his new home he found no books to read except an occasional vol- ume drawn from the Sunday-school library, which when secured, he seldom had the time to read .At
length he drew a little book which he could carry into the field in his vest poeket. This he read through the day, during the few minutes devoted to rest. This the Captain a few years after assured me. was unutterably sweet, being to him what the des- ert spring is to the thirsty traveler. Matters, bow- ever, changed soon for the better. and for a season he was permitted to pursue his studies at the War-
saw Academy. Here he must have made rapid progress, for in 1857, when he was but seventeen years old, he was the foremost mathematician of the University of Wisconsin, of which he was then a member; while in all other branches of study, he was far above mediocrity. Those who knew him at that time, will remember him as a thoughtful boy, who rarely engaged in college sports, choosing rather the every day work of the student, as more congenial to his tastes, and affording him higher en- joyment than he could derive from any mere past. time. The game of chess, as far as I know, was the only game in which he took any particular in- terest. but of this he was very fond.
An incident which happened at Madison in 1857, will serve as an illustration of two of his most prom- inent characteristics: his class came upon a dif- ficult problem, so difficult that the combined talent of the university, after a trial of several days, seemed unable to unravel it. It was then discovered that the the youngest member of the class had several days before obtained a brief and beautiful solution but the discovery was not made till he had been questioned. When called upon by the professor to put his work upon the board, before his class, his embarrass- ment plainly indicated that he was not anxious to make a display of his talents, even before those with whom he was so well acquainted.
During the winter of 1858-59, the Captain and the writer of this article were teachers in public schools in neighboring districts, in Waukesha County, Wis., where he is still remembered by his old pupils with that love and respect which he everywhere commanded. During the summer fol- lowing, part of my summer vacation was spent at his home at Lake Mills, Wis. On the eve of my departure the Captain told me that a physician who had examined his lungs informed him that his left lung was in a bad condition, and that the prospects
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were not favorable for the recovery of his health. There was unmistakable evidence that his lung was affected to such an extent as to fill me with grave apprehension for his recovery. Concealing my own fears, I succeeded in a measure, in lessening the apprehensions which he felt for his own health, but knowing that his parents had both died young, my mind was never again entirely free from appre- hensions that his health would fail, and that his life would not be prolonged much beyond the period of life at which his parents had died. A few months later he was back at the l'niversity of Wisconsin, where he remained until the spring of 1860. The following winter he was with me for several weeks on the upper Wisconsin River, at the county seat of Portage County, where I was engaged in teaching. Here he gave his time to the study of the classics, and to those kinds of recreation which he believed most beneficial to his health. Ile made his usual rapid progress in his studies. and what was far better, his health improved so much that he considered himself when he went home in the latter part of the winter, perfectly well. After enlisting, in the spring of 1861, I received frequent letters from him, and found that his reading matter was of the most substantial kind. Some of the books which he read in camp, are now in my library, and though they were some of the first works of authors then almost unknown, they now without exception may be said to be part and parcel of the English Classics.
On his return from the army, in the summer of 1861, he entered the l'niversity of Michigan, where he ranked high in scholarship, certainly an honor in such an institution. Subsequently, when he was a law student in the same university I spent a .: w days with him near the close of his last term. Ilere 1 found him still characterized by the same modesty E. H. JONES. which I have noted in this paper; for his fellow. students first learned something of his early history and college life, from the conversation which he had with me in their presence. They afterward AVID C. COOK, an enterprising farmer of Sherman Township. has his residence on section 13, 82, 46. He is the son of Aaron W. and Nancy ( Moore) Cook, the oldest settlers of the county, a sketch of whom is told me that they had long considered him one of the soundest men in the law class, but that they had never obtained from him even a hint of the position which he had held, and only knew of his army life from his wounded arm. It may be j given elsewhere in this volume. David C. was
doubted whether his teacher knew the extent of his reading, or the acquirements that he had made in those studies outside of a college course. Ile has frequently entertained me with some of the most recondite problems from Newton's Principia which he had read when he was a mere boy, as other boys would have read a fairy tale. During the time he was with me, on the Upper Wisconsin. we took many delightful strolls together, listening to the mournful music of the pine trees. or the rush of the river, as it brawled and foamed along its granite bed. Sometimes, during the walks, he would discuss a play of Schiller or of _Shakes- peare, and I was always delighted to note how well he was acquainted with the legend or the historical facts on which the play was based ; and frequently I knew not which to admire. the productions of the immortal bards, from which he recited to me, or the keen, poetic appreciation of their works that was manifested by my boy friend. While in the South, he sent me many rare specimens of plants that do not grow at the North, all of which have places of honor in my herbarium.
This sketch is long, yet it seems meagre to me, for I have the correspondence and memoranda, accumulated through nearly thirty years on which to draw. But I will only add another word with- out which this paper would be farther from com- pletion than it now is. During my long acquaint- ance with him, I never heard him utter a single word that was not truthful in the highest sense. nor a word even tinged with impurity. If the building of a symmetrical soul is the greatest work that a man can perform, then the dead Captain wrought well. If he left a name worthy to be re- vered by his children then his most cherished wish was not in vain."
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born in Monona County. November 1. 1853. and is credited with being the second child of white parents, whose birth took place within its limits. After the death of his father, which occurred January 1, 1856. Mrs. Cook. with her children. remained upon the old homestead in Sherman Township until May, 1861. when she removed to Brown County, Il .. where our subject was reared to manhood and there he received the elements of a common school education. Ile has always fol- lowed farming as a calling and is meeting with ex- cellent success in that line. In the winter of 1875-6, he returned to the place of his birth. and January 1. 1877, was united in marriage with Miss Ida A. Tryon, a native of Oswego County, N. Y., and the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Sweet ) Tryon. The young couple commenced housekeeping on a rented farm in Sherman Township, where they ro- mained for some five years. In the spring of 1882, they removed to their present home which Mr. Cook had purchased in January of that year.
Mr. and Mrs. Cook have been the parents of four children, as follows: Elbert D., born August G. 1879: Elizabeth, May 27. 1881; and twins, a boy and girl, June 1, 1884, who died in infancy.
Born in the infancy of this county, Mr. Cook ean well contrast its condition in those early days with its present populous and prosperous one, and feel that the initial steps towards its settlement were made by his father and family, something for his descendants to look back to with pride in the years to come.
OIIN B. MOORHEAD. One of the largest land-owners and most extensive agricul- turists in Spring Valley Township is the gentleman of whom this sketch is written. An old settler of this county, he first came here in October, 1854, and settled in Boyer Township, then a part of Monona, but now annexed to Crawford County. At that time he entered some two hun- dred and twenty acres of land, and was here, off and on, until 1859, when he went to Oregon, re- turning here in 1861, making the entire trip from the Pacific Sk pe on horseback. May 1, 1867, he
located upon section 16, Spring Valley Township, upon which he resided until March, 1885, when he removed to Dunlap, Harrison County, where he is passing a retired life, although he spends about one-half of his time at the farm or in attending to his large landed interests, he owning something over twenty-five hundred acres, most of it in Spring Valley Township. This magnificent estate. which is under the management of George H. Moorhead, is well stocked with five hundred and seventy-five head of cattle. forty-five head of horses and mules, and a large number of hogs. The fine briek residence, the ample feed yards and sheds for the care and protection of the stock are among the best in Western lowa, and a view of this repre- sontative place is to be found in this ALBUM.
Mr. Moorhead was born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa., January 9, 1830, and is the son of John and Fannie (Park) Moorhead. His father, a native of England, of Scotch descent, came to America about 1826. and for a time resided in New Jersey.
The mother of onr subject, who was of Scotch parentage, was reared in England and came to the l'nited States with her father in 1827, settling in New Jersey. There she was married, and with her husband removed to Pittsburgh. In 1838 the family removed to Athens County, Ohio, and although the father had been engaged heretofore in factory life, he there commenced farming. They came to lowa in 1874 and settled at Dunlap, Harrison County, where the father made his home until passing to that land from whose bourne no trav. eler ever returns, in 1886. The mother of our subject is still living at Dunlap. Both his parents were members of the Christian Church, although the mother now affiliates with the Congregational- ists.
lohn B. Moorhead received his education in the common schools of Athens County, Ohio, then in a pioneer stage, rough cradles of learning, built of logs, with slabs for desks and benches, and grew to manhood upon the farm. lle remained at home until coming to this county, as above detailed. ITis interest lies mostly in this county, and his removal to Dunlap was simply to give his children the ad- vantages of the educational facilities of that village
RIVER
SOLDIER
JORDAN
CREEK
RESIDENCE OF J. B. MOORHEAD, SEC. 1G. SPRING VALLEY.
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and to afford them the benefit of more society. In his political views Mr. Moorhead is a Democrat, and has filled several of the township offices that he has been indneed to accept. Socially, he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, both Blue Lodge and Chapter, having united with the order at Nelsonville, Ohio, in 1852.
Mr. Moorhead, December 6, 1863, was united in. marriage with Mrs. Mary Kennedy, nee Howarth, a native of England, who was born November 13, 1834, and was the widow of Samuel G. Kennedy, who died in Crawford County. By her first mar- riage Mrs. Kennedy was the mother of two chil- dren-Mary E., the wife of S. M. Blackman; and Ida A., Mrs. George Pegsley. Mr. and Mrs. Moor- head have had a family of five children: Fannie J., the wife of L. E. Halloway, residing in Omaha; George H .. Sadie A., Charles E. and Edna A. Mr. and Mrs. Moorhead are both members of the Chris- tian Church.
Upon Mr. Moorhead's farm has sprung up quite a little village, one of the best business centres of the county, which already contains two stores, post- office, blacksmith shops, physician, etc. It has. properly, been given the name of Moorhead.
OHN BALLANTYNE, deceased, the father of James Ballantyne, one of the prominent and respected citizens of Jordan Township, was born in Scotland, about 1784, and was employed as a farm laborer until 1841. Having embraced the tenets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as Mor- mons, and being somewhat persecuted in his native land for his religious belief, he came to America, on board the sailing-ship "Tyrian," and landed at New Orleans. La. From the latter port he pro- ceeded at once to Nauvoo, Ill., arriving there in a snow storm, and for about three years was engaged at common labor. After spending one winter in La Crosse County, Wis.,in 1845, he with about one hundred and sixty of his eo-religionists, under the leadership of Elder Lyman Wight, owing to the persecutions that the church endured, went to
'Texas, where Mr. Ballantyne died in the fall of 1846. Ile was married about 1807 to Miss Janet Turnbull, who was also a native of Scotland, horn in 1785, and who died in 1870. having had a fam- ily of eleven children.
AMES HURST, who is engaged in carrying on the farm of his father, on section 10, Kennebec Township, is the son of Thomas Ilurst, a native of Buckinghamshire, Eng- land, who was born February 3, 1815. Thomas Ilurst was married in his native land and there his children were born.
In 1862, the Hurst family came to America and for about two years made their home in Canada, after which they moved to Monona County, arriv- ing at Onawa January 1, 1861. The family settled on section 5, in Belvidere Township, purchasing some eighty acres of land of the American Emi- grant Company, and there they made their home about two years, but were then driven out by high water, after living about two weeks in the loft of their log cabin. From there Thomas Hurst re- moved to Kennebec Township, and located on sec- tion 10, where he is still living, one of the old and highly-respected citizens of that portion of the community. lle has reached the ripe age of seven- ty-five, and with his good wife, whose years num- bet eighty, she having been born April 17, 1810, is quietly enjoying the evening of life, watching the lengthening shadows, and both are well cared for by their dutiful son, James.
James Hurst, in the spring of 1864, went from here to New York City, to live with his brother, Thomas 'D., with the intention of learning stereo- typing, but before finishing his trade, the brother sold out, and they both removed to Belleville, W. Va., where Thomas engaged in farming and James attended school. The latter, in April, 1868, returned to Monona County and for a few years made his home with his parents, after which he went to Philadelphia. where, in company with his brother, Charles, he engaged in the stereotyping business. Two years later he came to Monona
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County, arriving in the spring of 1870, and em- ployed his time on the family farm, until attaining his majority, when he took a homestead on section 10, Kennebec Township. After five years resi- dence he sold the place and took a rented farm on section 4, which he carried on for some three years. During this time he was united in marriage, March 22, 1878, with Miss Sarah E. Myers, the daughter of John Myers, and purchasing some two hundred and forty acres of land on section 13, Ashton Township, he removed to that part of the county : nd there remained until drowned out by the high water of 1882. The following year be lived in Onawa, renting a farm in its vicinity. In 1884 he removed again to his farm, but again, in the fall, the water swept his hay, etc .. down into the stream of the muddy Missouri, and all winter long the waters stood in a frozen sheet over the most of the bottom. In the following spring he purchased one hundred and twenty acres on section 10, in the same township, but shortly after sold it and after spending a summer in Nebraska, purchased a place in Lincoln Township, upon which he remained some three months, when the sickness of his father drew him to the latter's side. Here he has since remained.
Mr. and Mrs. James Hurst have had a family of five children, all of whom are still living. Their names are Thomas R., William G., Clyde, Mark and Goy.
OSEPIL UlIL, a leading farmer of Maple Township, living on section 1, came to this county in October, 1878, and took up a homestead where he now lives. . To the eighty acres that he procured in this way from the Government, he has added from time to time, un- til he now owns a tine and fertile farm of three hundred and twenty acres, all of which is well im- proved.
Mr. Uhl was born in Germany, January 29, 1847, and in that classic land received an excellent education. On reaching mature years he was em- ployed in agricultural labors at home and in the
neighborhood, but in November, 1867, he crossed the ocean to America, in hopes of here founding his fortunes, or at least increasing his chances to do so. Settling at Muscatine, lowa. he was there engaged at labor on a farm until coming to this county, as above noted.
Mr. Uhl was married, February 10, 1868, to Miss Sarah Anna Lawrence, a native of Illinois, who was born March 18, 1849, and of this union there have been born two children-William, De. cember 28, 1868, and Casper. March 31, 1870.
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