USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization. > Part 37
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passed safely through the rebel lines. We could hear the pickets talk and sing, and one time we came nearly on a vidette post.
ON THE NEUTRAL GROUND.
Traveling on that day till late in the evening we met a boy with a cart and inquired how far it was to the Yankee lines. He informed us we were eleven miles from the Yankee and thirteen from the Rebel lines. He also told us he was a Union boy and his father was dead. His mother was a Union woman, and he hadn't seen any rebels or scouts for five or six days, or any Yankees either. Sometimes the Yankees would be at their house and sometimes the rebels. He told us he would bring us something to eat or else his mother would. So we remained concealed in the woods a short ยท time, and the old lady came out and extended to us the hand of friendship. Then she passed to us a basket full of potatoes, bread, meat and vegetables. Our hearts were full of thankfulness to the good old soul, and we made up our minds there were lots of good people who loved the old flag yet in the south. Many were the kind words she and her boy had for us. The good father and husband had been taken to Salisbury, North Carolina, prison and had died there because he would not fire on the old flag. The tears had to come when the story was told us. Giving us a blessing-for she was a pious woman-and cautioning us how to proceed, she sent us on.
RECAPTURED BY SCOUTS.
We struck out from the house and going but a short distance through the woods we halted and concluded to take the road. Trotter's judgment was to keep in the woods, but I rather insisted on the road. Paddock didn't care much which way, it was so difficult to walk anyway and so near our lines. All I was afraid of was running on our pickets and getting shot by our own men, so I thought if we took the road, by midnight we would be in the Union lines. We talked about seeing the old flag again, our com- rades and friends. We couldn't feel any happier to think our people would look at us and what eating we would do, if we got the chance! Trotter said he would fill up on hardtack and coffee; Paddock said his father kept a meat market in Meriden, Connecticut. "Well," I says, "I'll go for the hardtack and coffee," when up sprang three rebels with the command, "halt !" and six revolvers were leveled at us.
"Hands up!" they said. We were completely ambushed. We couldn't speak when we were admonished to be prompt in giving answers or we would be shot. Such a feeling came over me to think that I was to blame for this. Had I given in to Jim Trotter we might have passed the rebels by. Now to be so close to liberty and yet to be captured and to go back to the pens and no exchange either. I didn't care much if they killed me or not. I told them in a few words what I thought about them and their
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confederacy, and I informed them that there were lots of boys up north yet to come. After some hot talk between us we informed the leader who we were. "Oh, yes," he said, "you are those d-n runaways whom we have been hunting the last six days; but now we have you and no danger of your getting away from us, but if you don't try to escape we will treat you well while we have you, for tomorrow will tell the tale whether you are spies or not."
By this time we had moved on some and there lay eight negroes all tied together with bark and the fourth rebel guarding them. The negroes were all lying on their backs, and just then the thought struck me if the negroes were only loose we might some of us get away; but looking into eight re- volvers, ourselves hardly able to stand on our feet, and the niggers all tied up, I soon gave up that plan, and saw that I must think of some other way.
IN THE ENEMY'S HANDS.
It seems that the scouts who captured us so near the Union lines had been after us for a week and had given us up. Having been close to our lines, they had on their return run onto the darkies who were running away and had then caught us. The command being given "about face" we went a mile and right past the good woman who so lately befriended us. We gave no sign of recognition nor did she. Otherwise the scouts might come back and burn her house. We had gone on a mile when we came to a house and were ordered into a yard. We could see no chance for a dash away. We had very good quarters and were told if we attempted to escape we would all be shot down without any ceremony. We had placed before us plenty of sweet potatoes and meat. I was set in the middle of the floor, Trotter in one corner and Paddock in another and the eight negroes in an- other corner and all tied up. The negroes were let loose one at a time to eat a potato.
For ourselves, if we had not been prisoners, we might have thought our- selves very lucky to have such warm quarters, for before us was a good fire and the night was cold and a heavy frost was falling. We had no chance for plotting an escape for we were strictly guarded; the negroes were still tied together and the guards kept us all apart and would not let us talk any during the night to each other. My thoughts were to disarm them of any suspicion of escape. The scouts were very conversable, asking many questions, and by agreeing with them some in war matters, we made them think we were some sick of it and never would soldier again. In the talk we found out their names and all their exploits on our lines, taking in picket posts, escapes and runaway negroes. One of them, the leader, whose name was McConnell, knew quite a number of Company A Third Iowa. He had lived in Dubuque, Iowa. We tried to sleep some during the night, but were ever on the alert to escape before morning. My intention was if one of the guard went to sleep to seize one of his revolvers; but they were
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too awake for any movement of that kind. We dreaded the approach of morning for we had been informed during the night that we might have a march of eighteen miles to Kingston, North Carolina, and perhaps be chained or ironed down; for that was the general doom of escapes, and we had become very well known through the Carolinas. Morning dawned and our captors were going to march us right off and eat breakfast at another house; but concluded to remain till after breakfast, which was going to be potatoes and meat for us. We were told we might go on the porch and take a wash, which might be our last one till we were exchanged. I had just washed, as also had Trotter and gone into the room, but Paddock was still on the porch and washing.
THE RESCUE.
At this moment the planter's boy ran up crying out, "The Yankees! Yankees are coming!" O if we were only ten feet away from our captors or out of sure range of their navies, we might yet be saved. Soon a re- volver was thrust against my head-as also with the other boys-and we were given to understand that the least attempt of escape would be instant death. Our orders were to move out the back way. By this time our cav- alry was slowly coming up, and just as we emerged from the back door our men saw us, and supposing we were all rebels, gave us a volley. In the excitement of the moment the attention of the scout being drawn from us to the cavalry, who were fast approaching us, I took advantage of the opportunity and dashed away. However, the scout fired the contents of one revolver at me; but in the excitement his shot failed of the mark; for our cavalry were pouring the shot into us, too. My comrades were going through the same experience, and the excitement was great; for the family were screaming and the house and outbuildings were being riddled with lead from our cavalry men, who supposed they had run into a nest of rebels. The rebels gained the wood or swamp and one who had me was shot in the shoulder.
FRIENDS HARD TO CONVINCE.
By this time our bluecoats got among us, and I was very happy that the rebels had gone. I had made up my mind I would rather get shot there than to go back; for I knew our men would know who we were if killed; for I had some old letters on my person. Our cavalry, which was the Twelfth New York-or at least two companies of that regiment-seemed to be all Germans, and I thought for a while they would shoot us anyhow; for they had sworn vengeance on all rebels, and we resembled rebels very much. Trotter's cap was a rebel one that had been given him when cap- tured in exchange for his black felt, and his coat was the old grey that the negroes gave him. Paddock, too, had on an old gray jacket, and my coat being dusted and soiled very much, and our hair being very long and never combed, we looked much like the rebels.
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The cavalry abused us very much, so much that we told them what we thought of them. Their talk was they were going to pay us back for the suffering their boys had in Andersonville, and we could not make them believe we had been there. The captain told us to "trot along;" and we had gone two miles, when we came to a house, and the cavalry halted long enough to confiscate four horses. The negroes were along; but they had not the severe time we had. By the time we were mounted the colonel and several officers came up and questioned us. He had more sense and was an American, and says: "Boys, you are all right." He told his men we had been abused by them and he extended his hand to all of us, remarking, "Now keep along and you will not again be captured, and we will have some better horses after awhile and saddles, too."
UNDER THE OLD FLAG.
Soon after the Colonel had really welcomed us under the old flag, the boys came up with crackers and bacon; and being Uncle Sam's rations, it tasted like old times when we had been with our regiment. But we were rather held in check for fear we would kill ourselves right there eating under the stars and stripes, though it would have been a happy death, com- pared with the place where some of our poor chums had died. Proceeding five miles and suddenly coming upon a rebel picket post our command cap- tured their horses; and taking a rest, the boys made coffee and had us wade in; for they were much pleased to take good care of us after abusing us so much when we were rescued by them. I drank two pint cupfuls right down; but Trotter and Paddock seemed to be more cautious, and just as I was starting in on the third cupful Jim says, "Bob, you will kill your- self." Just then the trees began flying around the cavalrymen, and com- rades also were going with them, and I felt myself getting white and should have fallen if I hadn't been quickly caught; but they threw canteens full of water in my face and I managed to keep my feet. But we all concluded the coffee had been too much for me, and I was feeling bad for several days after.
After mounting us with our prisoners captured on picket post, the Colonel told us to keep our eyes on the rebels for it was our time now. We chatted with the prisoners as we were riding along, and they were much pleased with the capture. Their case was different from ours; for with them capture brought a prospect of living, but with us a prospect of starva- tion. The command made no more captures that day ; but it was expected a wagon train would be passing by a certain road that afternoon, and it was the intention of the cavalry to capture it, the infantry cooperating from above Newbern. However, the enemy is supposed to have got posted and saved their train. So night found us dashing for camp and to us infantry who were half dead and emaciated and not used to a horse, it was pretty tough on us; but the thoughts of getting to Newbern, a place we had cen-
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tered all our hopes on for the past month or so, kept us from falling off and the boys rather kept a watch for us. Midnight found us at the camp of the cavalry (the Twelfth New York) and when camp was announced there were three Union soldier prisoner boys along.
IN THE UNION CAMP.
The whole camp was up and we had to be picked off our horses and helped into a tent, where we lay down as miserable as we felt; for we were so completely done up with the ride that when we saw the Union flag we could not keep the tears back. A good soldier supper was gotten ready for us, and a ration apiece of whiskey given. The troops there received two rations per day by order, for the yellow fever was raging in the city, and the camp of the soldiers was away out on the flank of the city. There were no soldiers in Newbern where people were reported two hundred dying every day. Next day we reported to provost marshal at Newbern, who seemed to take kindly to our case. He said that only twelve escapes had reached the Union lines during the past month, we thus making fifteen.
But we were now given a good dressing down, plenty of soap and clean water, good soldier rations and new clothes; and among friends we came to feel pretty good anyhow, even though we could hardly walk. Our quar- ters was in the basement and the marshal's office upstairs. We kept indoors pretty well, for the place was under quarantine and the negroes were kept drunk so they could bury the dead. It seemed to be the idea that they were safe if drunk as they piled the dead on carts. The most of the place was depopulated, there being nothing left but dead and drunken negroes. There were no soldiers in the place, but only provost marshal and ourselves. Not even was there shipping, for it was away out on the water some miles. At last we persuaded the provost to signal the tug to come after us; and in a few hours we parted from a first rate fellow wearing the blue.
ROANOKE ISLAND.
Landing at Roanoke Island, we found some of the Fifteenth Connecti- cut, who were first rate boys, and they stuffed and petted us very much. They had surrendered at Plymouth, North Carolina, when the rebel ram Albemarle came upon them and the land force in the rear; but they were paroled in time. We started from Roanoke Island on a canal boat, which was loaded with rations, the hatches fastened down and a tug away ahead pulling us. By some mistake we were given no rations, and as we were day and night on the boat, we could not stand that. There were quite a number of soldiers besides us aboard going to Norfolk, Va .; so we pried the hatches up and filled up with rations, and put the hatches back. Just
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then we passed the rebel ram Albemarle. She was anchored out on Pam- lico sound and the railroad iron plating had been taken off.
PARTING WITH TROTTER AND PADDOCK.
Getting off at Norfolk, Va., we began to look at soldiers again, and forts, ships, and great guns mounted. But Jim Trotter took very sick and we eased him over on the sidewalk. He didn't know us, and we thought perhaps he was taking the yellow fever. I hastened to find some surgeon and found old General Wood, who informed me where the provost marshal was. He had Jim sent over to Portsmouth navy hospital, and I never saw him till the next April 25 at Raleigh, North Carolina. Paddock found a colonel who knew him, and so we separated, too. I have never met him since, but he was living a few years ago at Loon Lake, Jackson county, Minnesota.
So after I was by myself I felt pretty lonely, for every one was a stranger. I was sent to Baltimore, Maryland, and stayed at the hospital in Fort Federal Hill. I voted for Lincoln there and remained six weeks.
ANOTHER CLOSE CALL.
At the time of leaving I weighed 108 pounds. Receiving transportation for Columbus, Ohio, I laid out in camp there a few days and then went on to Chattanooga, Tennessee, put up on the way at the Zollicoffer House at Nashville, and left there for Chattanooga. As we were going out I could see the hustle of a big fight; as the refugees were flying for the city, cav- alry and infantry were moving around and dust could be seen in all direc- tions away off. There were several very long trains all together, two en- gines on each, but no soldiers, and as they pulled heavy I knew they were loaded. I got down in the car I was on; the door was easily put aside, and the car was loaded with coffee. Just as we came to Murphreesboro the advance of Hood's cavalry let full drive into the last cars. Our train was the last one and we were just in time to save ourselves. That was the last train that passed over till Hood was busted up.
CONCLUSIONS.
On reaching Chattanooga I found a few of the Third Iowa boys and was put on quarter rations, looking for a fight any time; but as soon as the road opened, General Thomas sent me a furlough on my own time with no date to it and in a short time I was among relatives in "God's country" (Iowa). After my visit I wanted to see the boys, and went right back to Newbern, North Carolina. I met them at Raleigh, though a good many old faces I failed to see. This is to my good old comrade, James H. Trotter, Company "C," Third Iowa Infantry.
R. J. CAMPBELL.
Hollenburg, Washington county, Kansas, late Company "E," Third Iowa Infantry.
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CHAPTER XXX.
THE DECADE AFTER THE WAR.
The ten years following the close of the Civil war and the return of the soldiers from the field was a period of rapid development in Iowa, and in this development Story County had its full share. Not only did the county gain materially in population with the resulting conversion of prai- rie lands into farms, but the towns grew also and the conditions and in- stitutions that were to characterize the county permanently became estab- lished. It was during this time that the Iowa Agriculural College was evolved from a hopeful prospect into an educational fact. Also during this time the Iowa and Minnesota narrow gauge railroad, after many tribula- tions concerning its location, was finally built from Des Moines to Ames, thus connecting the county by rail with the state capital, and largely dis- posing of the previously ever important question of the Skunk river cross- ing. The actual opening of the college near Ames and the assured and final construction of the north and south railroad to that point had the very natural effect of adding very materially to the importance of that village and still more of raising the hopes of its citizens as to the future of their community. Consequent upon these hopes there developed a court- house fight, which fight never actually reached the stage of a definite claim made by Ames for a transfer of the county seat to that village, but it did take the form of a very definite local opposition in Ames to the construc- tion of a new court house in Nevada.
The need of a new court house for the general purposes of the county was fairly evident; for the original court house had been burned and the building which had been hastily erected in its place was fairly to be regarded as of a temporary nature. So Nevada asked the county to build a new court house which should comport better with the growing prospects of the county, and with Nevada's legitimate aspirations to be the hub of so fine a county. In the issue thus outlined Ames naturally had the coopera- tion of those individuals all over the county who looked with disfavor upon any proposal to increase taxes for public improvements. So in the line-up the county very closely divided. The court house question was submitted to the people twice. The first submission was in 1868, when it was pro- posed to issue bonds in the sum of $30,000 for a new court house. This
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proposal was defeated by a majority of sixty votes. The matter rested for a time but in 1874 there was another submission, this time of the prop- osition to issue bonds in the sum of $40,000 for a new court house. It will be observed that in the intervening years the prevailing notion of the amount of money necessary for a suitable court house had grown. 'But in the meantime it is very likely that the taxable value of the county had so increased as to make the larger but later proposition the one more easily to be borne. At any rate the tide turned, and the proposition for a new court house was this time carried by a majority of sixty votes. Ames was not satisfied with the result but contested the election, and Nevada retali- ated by securing the indictment of college students who had voted on the Ames side of the question. For a time the controversy promised to become very bitter, but cooler counsels prevailed and ultimately the matter was compromised on the basis of Ames withdrawing its contest and of Nevada paying the costs so far incurred in the contest proceedings and quashing the indictment against the Ames students. It was a good settlement of what might have been a very serious quarrel. From this time forward the two towns were able to get along with more or less of rivalry, but with a mu- tual recognition that Ames had the college and Nevada the county seat.
Another quarrel of the same period, however, was nut so fortunately adjusted. This quarrel was the one in Nevada which has already been referred to in the first chapters of this work, and which arose over the question whether the main part of the town should be on the north side or the south side of the before mentioned "Slough." This contest was won commercially by the north-siders, and upon the whole the north-siders also, had rather the better of the political fight. But in order to win the political fight they had to bolt the ticket regularly nominated in the republican county. convention of 1867. This matter will be taken up more at length under the general subject of politics, but it may be here set down as one which the county seat and county did not get over in a very long time. As to the location, however, of the business part of town, that was a question which it was well to have settled in any way; and when it had once been settled the people thereafter moving into town were able to accept the sit- uation as they found it. The dispute as to the "Slough" was one issue which they did not have to help determine, and thus the controversy over the "Slough" was in time permitted to die out as the actual participants therein become willing to drop it or moved away.
On this subject of moving there was also an interesting time in Nevada over the moving of the North Western depot. In a previous chapter it has been explained that in the first place the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad Company, having been organized at Cedar Rapids by the people of the counties along the forty-second parallel, had as a matter of course been accorded by the legislature the benefits of the land grant which had been voted by congress in aid of the construction of a railroad on or near this parallel. In the second place, the railroad had made the demand
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successfully upon Nevada for the swamp lands of the county in con- sideration of the railroad not passing Nevada by but locating its depot within one thousand yards of the court house. And in the third place the railroad had made a further demand for a cash subscription as a sort of supplement to the vote of the swamp lands, which demand had been complied with so far as making the subscription was concerned, but had been evaded with respect to the payment of the sums subscribed. So the depot had been located between the main track and the side track on the east side of what is now Pine street, and in a neighborhood where the land speculators who followed the railroad had laid out some small lots and had hoped to establish a third business centre more important than the one on the south side of the Slough or the north side of the Slough. During the year when Nevada was the terminal of the railroad and the outfitting point for emigrant trains, this locality was, in fact, the head- quarters for outfitting the emigrants and it continued to have the station of the Western Stage Company so long as that company had occasion to run its stages between Nevada and Des Moines. But the locality never be- came established as a permanent business centre and in time the trouble of going to the depot at the place indicated became a subject for increasing complaint. It was not, however, until after the period under consideration in this chapter that the annoyance thus provoked was finally disposed of by the conclusion of an agreement between the town and the railroad for the removal of the depot two blocks and a half westward and near to what had become the main business street of the town.
During this decade Nevada and Ames were both incorporated as municipalities, and also independent school districts were organized with each of the towns as a centre. Other towns of the county also were formed or gained in local or general importance. The building of the narrow gauge-as it was commonly known-was followed by the appearance of the town Sheldahl in the county corner with additions in both Polk county and Boone county, and also by the establishment of a station at Kelley on the township line six miles northward. The peculiar situation as to Sheldahl and the growing consequence of the village as the center of a Norwegian settlement that lay chiefly in Story county but extended into both Polk and Boone counties led later on to a serious effort to change county lines and to include Story county those portions of the village which lay in the other counties. In accordance with a law passed for the especial benefit of the people of Sheldahl, the question was submitted to the voters of all three counties to consolidate the village as aforesaid. Story County, which was to get the benefit of the consolidation, voted unani- mously for the change, but the people of the other two counties, which were to lose territory, did not see the matter that way and they voted down the proposition. Some years later, after the Milwaukee railroad had come through the county, passing about a mile and a half north of Sheldahl, the matter was settled by the Story county portion of the village abandon-
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