USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 31
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opening was welcomed with evidences of local enthusiasm, and for a time the idea seemed to obtain that serious troubles on the subject of transporta- tion were over.
THE FINANCIAL QUESTION.
The influence of national finance on local conditions in the war, de- serves some attention. The government in carrying on the war resorted to about every means that was legitimate and to some that were of doubt- ful constitutionality. Stamp taxes were resorted to in very numerous ways ; but as to the income tax, which was a direct burden upon those persons of sufficient income to bring them within the classification of the law. there happens to be a definite statement showing how many people were hit and in what amounts. The statement suggests not so much that the tax was a considerable public burden in these parts, as it does the general fact that in war time this was still a community of very moderate incomes. Alto- gether there were forty-one persons. in February, 1865, against whom charges were made for income tax and the charges so made were as follows :
Jas. Hawthorn, $64; Otis Briggs, $12: F. M. Baldwin. $151 ; Judiah Ray, $127.51 ; Wm. Yarnall, $20; John Richardson, $18; M. D. Livingston, $28.08; Oliver Chamberlain. $10.40; John Severson, $4; Joseph Seals & Sons, $24; Wm. B. Hopkins, $11.72; Thomas Hughes. $32; John H. Keig- ley, $32; J. B. Groves, $22; P. F. Jones, $8; M. D. Sheldon, $16; Ole Ap- land, $13.50; Milo McCartney. $54; Jacob Erb, $8; John Pearson, $5.14; T. E. Alderman, $15.00; J. H. Sinclaire, $200; W. K. Wood, $60; George N. Kirkman, $40; J. D. Gamble, $10: Daniel F. Shope. $12; Chas. Hogan, $8.50; George Dye. $8; Isaac L. Miller, $19.60 ; O. Hambleton. $28; Bald- win & Co. $140.80; Charles Wells, $13.36; A. L. Groves, $31.20; Sereno Adams, $280; James Wills. $8; Dwight Fenn. $80; John Scott. $83.80; Thomas MeCall, $42.75: George Child. $31.85: D. P. Ballard, $34.80; J. Cadwallader. $42; total revenue, $1,589.41. But troubles about stamp taxes and income taxes were insignificant, at least with respect to the newspaper attention they invited, in comparison with the disturbance occasioned by the fluctuations in the value of the currency. These fluctuations were meas- ured by the quotations of the price of gold on the New York stock ex- change. And the quotations were influenced from time to time both by the increasing volume of irredeemable greenbacks that were issued by the gov- ernment, and by the varying fortunes of the war. The depreciation of the greenbacks and the quotation of gold reached their maximum in the sum- mer of 1864 when Grant had fought his way from the wilderness to City Point without taking Richmond or crushing Lee, when Sherman had made his way at very heavy expense down the line of the Georgia Central Rail- road without crushing Johnston's army or yet taking Atlanta, and when the democratic national convention had met in Chicago and declared the war a failure. Under such conditions the price of gold went up to $2.85 and the value of greenbacks down to 35 cents. Such fluctuations in the
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currency made troubles everywhere in the country that were quite as per- plexing as the fighting of rebels and not nearly so exciting. They affected every business and rendered uncertain almost any man's financial status ; and then when Grant had taken the railroad south of Petersburg, and Sher- man had taken Atlanta and started through Georgia for the sea, and Thomas had crushed Hood at Nashville, and Lincoln had been re-elected, the price of gold began to go down and the value of greenbacks to go up, notwith- standing the fact that the war expenditures continued at the maximum. So the return toward normal finances was only moderate until Grant be- gan to close in on Lee, Sherman to press upon Johnston in North Caro- lina and the country to understand that the war was about over and the Union preserved. The financial results appear almost to have been an off- set to some of the victories, and the matter was discussed by the Ægis of March 29, 1865, under the title, "The Great Fall in Gold," as follows : "The decline in gold during the past week has been fearfully rapid. From 205 it has successively and quickly jumped to 175, to 160, 155 to 147, rallying to about 151. 'Lame ducks' are plenty in Wall street and other old gambling thoroughfares. As far as these gentry themselves are concerned, we have but little sympathy for them. They have gambled in gold, 'building' it when its rise was daily becoming a serious embarrass- ment to the cause of the Union and a fearful and unnecessary tax upon consumers; and if they have now got their fingers burnt, there are but few to cry pity. The greatest strain, however, and one in which all are generally interested, is upon the legitimate business of the country. These sudden falls must find some unprepared, and failures are the result. When failures become general, confidence is displaced, business deranged, money becomes worthless, and the people are poor. To prevent such a catas- trophe it is to be hoped the fall in gold will be steady and gradual, and if it is, the business of the country can accommodate itself to the change with- out damage, and all descend from the pinnacle of high prices without danger."
And as the military events were brought rapidly to a close, and the rebel armies dissolved and surrendered, the financial movement became ac- celerated; and not only the falling quotations of gold but also the unequal readjustment of business to the new conditions was illustrated in the fol- lowing paragraph of May 17, 1865:
"Gold is still going down, being quoted at 12934. We predict that it will reach 125 before the week is out. How comes it that prices of goods are going up while gold is going down? It is not the thing that was preached to us two years ago by the merchants and traders as a reason for the ad- vance. We fail to see the consistency of the present arrangements."
Without having any opportunity to refer to the story of the merchants whose neglect to reduce prices is here complained of, it may be surmised that they had on hand stocks of goods which they had purchased at war prices and on which they were liable to sustain very heavy losses.
Vol. I-18
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Along about this time, there are frequent references in the papers to the government's seven-thirty loan. This was a very popular loan and it assisted the government materially in cleaning up the finances of the war. It bore a rate of interest that figured two cents a day on a hundred dollars. Sundays included. The aggregate for the year being seven and thirty hundredths per cent, whence was the derivation of the name. The time came before long when the government could borrow money at six per cent and the seven-thirties were rapidly retired with the money so borrowed. But while the seven-thirties lasted they circulated; and the fact that the people were backing the government financially, for a consideration is evidenced by the following note in the Agis of May 5. 1865:
"Mr. Ross, our county treasurer, has within a few weeks past pro- cured for parties resident in this town and in the county over $6,000 in the popular seven-thirty loan. Most of this was in small sums, a hundred here and a few hundred there, as the farmers and others found they had a few surplus dollars. It may be well to remark here that only two hun- dred millions of this loan remain, and those who want it had better pitch in soon, as it is going at the rate of forty millions a week, and is the last that will be issued by the government, now that the war is over."
THE DRAFT.
One subject pertaining to the war that is very numerously discussed in the files of the newspapers of that period and that very greatly con- cerned many of the folks at home was the draft to make up local de- ficiencies in the quota of volunteers which each community was supposed to furnish. The draft, however, appears to have been much more talked about than actually employed. There was a prejudice, both in and out of the service, against drafted men, although there were undoubtedly very many such men with respect to whom the prejudice was quite unjust. M this late day it is pleasant to assume that the prejudice was unjust as to all and there will be no attempt here to distinguish between drafted men and volunteers. The fact undoubtedly is that not a little of the volunteer- ing was done with a view to avoiding the disagreeable consequences of entering the service by compulsion of the draft, And altogether it came about that by one means or another, loyal enthusiasm, patriotic duty, prom- ise of bounties and fear of the draft, the quota of the county was made up with very little actual resort to the draft.
But the draft was very much of a nightmare all the same. It was based on the law of congress for the enrollment of all men in the loyal states who were fit for service, and the requirement was that each community should furnish its just proportion of soldiers, taking into account the number pre- viously furnished. In the beginning of the war the raising of volunteers was easy ; but as the war progressed and its awful burdens came to be felt, the filling of the ranks to the required extent, became a matter of common
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effort. Personal solicitations were reinforced by public offers of bounties as well as with the standing appeal- not to wait to be drafted. But with all the efforts the situation was often trying. For instance. in the Egis of Jan- mary 13. 1804. there is a statement of the recent enlistments for the sev- eral townships showing that the quota to be raised at that time was sixty- four, and that the number of enlistments to correspond was forty-six. Just how much trouble there was over the other eighteen we do not know, but the publication reveals the local stage of the enlistment proposition at the beginning of the most trying year of the war.
At this time the status for the several townships was as follows:
Washington .- Quota 7. enlistments 5. deficiencies 2.
Nevada-Quota 18. enlistments 20, surphis 2.
Franklin-Quota 4. enlistment o.
Collins-Quota 1. enlistment o.
Indian Creek-Quota 7. enlistments 4. deficiencies 3. Palestine-Quota 3. enlistments 3.
Union-Quota 7. enlistments 4. deficiencies 3.
Milford-Quota 3. enlistments 3.
Howard-Quota 6. enlistment 1. deficiencies 5.
Lafayette-Quota 1. enlistment 1.
New Albany-Quota 7. enlistment 5. deficiencies 2.
In August of the same year, when it was being sought to replenish the lines that had been depleted in Grant's campaign from the Rapidan to the Appomattox, and in Sherman's from Chattanooga to Atlanta. there was a further statement on the authority of the provost marshal of the sixth congressional districts, showing the situation as to the several townships of the county with respect to the calls for men up to that time.
The deficiencies were: Washington 16. Franklin 8. Collins 3. Indian Creek 12, Union 10. Iloward 4. Lafayette 3. New Albany 11, total 07; and the surpluses: Nevada 14. Palestine 5. Milford 2, total 21: leaving a net deficiency for the county of forty-six. The editor of the Egis was then disposed to complain that information as to the deficiency had not sooner been officially furnished, and he indicated that the quota of the county would have been filled reasonably if it had been known. At the same time there was an earnest appeal to the board of supervisors to offer a bounty for the enlistments needed.
The fact is that before the war was over such bounty was offered by the county, and paid and sometime after the war the matter was equalized by the payment of similar amounts to the soldiers who had enlisted without waiting for a bounty. The amount of bounties paid up to the close of the war, but not including the subsequent equalization of bounties, was completed by the editor of the FEgis, who was also county clerk, as follows:
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Bounty to soldiers $ 4.850
Bounty to soldiers' families 12,200
Relief to soldiers' families 1,100
Relief by aid societies (estimated) 500
Cash and goods to Sanitary Commission
1,000
Total
$19.650
THE SOLDIERS' ORPHANS.
In the time of the war nearly all of the systematic home work of a charitable order, had for its object the comfort of the soldiers in the field, or the care of the soldiers' families at home. And toward the close of the war, the phase of this work which appears to have engaged the largest measure of attention was the founding of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Davenport. This institution was afterward taken over by the state, but it was inaugurated as a corporate benevolence with a number of the leading men of the state as the incorporators. The movement for the institution was well started and it appealed to the widest and best public sentiment. In the decade or more following the war, the institution thus founded. was one of the most useful in the state and its usefulness as an institution for the care of children especially needing the attention of the state may be said still to continue. But the original purpose for which the institution was founded, was in fact accomplished in the ten or fifteen years follow- ing the war, for the reason that in about that time the supply of soldiers' orphans of suitable age had about run out.
But at the close of the war, there were in the state, a lot of small chil- dren, who had the strongest sort of a claim upon the people of the state. which claim the people had every disposition to honor. In this part of the state the movement for the support of the institution, centered largely in a fair which was held at Marshalltown in September, 1865. For this fair, contributions of articles had been solicited and made all over this part of the state, and when the fair was held there was a general turn out. Among those who went down from Nevada to the fair, was the editor of the Ægis from whose report it may be best judged about how the people were trying to proceed in their efforts to do justice to the soldiers' orphans. The editor's report was as follows :
"We stole a march on time last week and visited the orphans' fair at Marshalltown. Taking the train on Wednesday noon in ninety minutes we caught sight of the booths and banners of the fair, and soon were swelter- ing through the torrid atmosphere to the scene of operations. We must acknowledge our indebtedness to our friends. Messrs. Woodbury, Abel Wil- liams and others, who took us and our party in charge and soon showed us the ropes whereby we secured an eligible tent and the other etceteras necessary to commence the nomadic life we proposed to indulge in while on
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
this excursion. Of the fair proper we do not propose to give a description, as most of our readers are subscribers to the 'Spirit of the Fair,' in whose columns the works of art and other matters pertaining to the exhibition have had appropriate mention. Having bought our entry ticket, we went to the gate, and a man with a red ribbon on his breast said 'go in,' and taking him as he meant we proceeded to go in. The first 'go in' we ex- perienced was induced by a beautiful damsel with a cerulean eye whose brows were shaded by one of the new a-la-mode bread basket hats and who held in her hand a tiny pass book and a black lead pencil. She showed us a fine piano which she assured us we would certainly draw in the lot- tery, and we bought it, paying the cerulean-eyed lass two dollars and fifty cents therefor. We are expecting it by every train, and when it comes are going to set it up in our sanctum and have the 'devil' play upon its thou- sand strings to assuage the pangs of a broken heart and scare away the mice. Having bought the piano, we turned away, and our eyes caught the floating drapery of a five feet nine bloomer, who was lanquidly peram- bulating through the sand towards the bureau of agricultural implements. While admiring the faultless motion of her hands, as she expatiated upon the merits of a four horse McCormick reaper, whose intricacies she was explaining to a white-haired youth with a beveled hat and eye glass, and which said youth sported waxed mustaches in the form of a ; while wrapped in these contemplations we say, including observations of a pair of pretty ankles which sustained this tower of loveliness, we were as- saulted by another damsel with red ripe lips and a certain hazy atmosphere in her peepers, prognostic of a shower of tears, on slightest provocation, who demanded of us, 'Would we take a share in her afghan?' Still having in our mind the Acadian life we proposed to lead while at the fair and pre- suming this nymph to be the proprietress of a booth where all care was driven away, and which for the poetry implied in the name she chose to denominate her 'afghan,' we said we'd share. Ah, how her eye brightened at those words of ours! With what an angelic smile she turned and waved us to follow! We followed, smacking our lips in fond anticipation of mint-juleps, flavored with nectar and embellished with pretzels, or per- haps we would be treated to some other rare ambrosia dealt out by some fair damsel who should gaze sympathetically upon us as we cooled our internal thirst with the icy lotion. Our fall was complete, when instead of sherbets or nectar or soda water or even lager beer, we beheld before our astonished eyes a great fancy colored woolen horse blanket. But we were 'going in,' and we suffered ourself to be taken in, and gave the last dollar in our name. At that instant her liquid eye caught the glance of a modest bachelor from our town who had just escaped from the clutches of a female with wire twist curls and the attempts to sell him a full suit of nicely embroidered little girl's clothes. The last we saw of liquid eyes she stood wonderingly gazing at the modest bachelor, and he stood gazing at the wondrous 'afghan.' At this moment we caught sight of our Agatha
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
Ann, who had been covertly watching our motions and who now came up to us in fever heat and proceeded to 'go in.' We charitably drop the veil over this domestic scene, not wishing by word or pen to discourage the rapidly rising tendency to marry. displayed by our returned boys. Suffice it to say. we soon found ourselves 'going out.' and when we next went in we had prudent counsels whispered continuously in our ear."
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
SCENES PICTURED BY THE EGIS.
The temper of the people, while the great drama of the war was being brought to a close, their rejoicing over the victories, their terrible grief over the assassination of Lincoln and their resentments afterwards were all very clearly depicted in the editorial columns of the ÆEgis during this time. A historical review of the time would be quite incomplete without some lib- eral citations from this source, and we are fortunate in being able here to quote from the contemporary expressions and reports of Editor John M. Brainard.
Perhaps, however, the series of quotations had better begin with an issue in May, 1864, in which were reports and comments concerning the battle of Pleasant Hill. Story County had been strongly represented in the very forefront of this battle in both the Fourteenth and Thirty-second Iowa regiments. Both regiments had suffered notably, and the editor said : "For the first time since the contest commenced have we at home been called to mourn for friends and neighbors killed and wounded in battle in such numbers as at present. It adds no little to the poignancy of our sor- row that their loss was without avail. that no enduring success was achieved by their sacrifice. ** In the light of this great sorrow what is glory or honor to the poor weeping wife and helpless children? What shall still the heart of her who fears and trembles for him who is reported missing? The painful uncertainty attending the fate of prisoners in the hands of such scoundrels as the rebels have lately been, is more unendurable than the sad knowledge that our friend is dead. We can only tender our sym- pathies in common with the whole public to the sorrow-stricken friends and patiently wait and hope for more cheering news."
As the last scenes in the war were being enacted, there was joy and oc- casion for joy. The fall of Richmond was chronicled thus in the first report : "The news of the capture of Richmond was received by our people about noon on Monday last by favor of Mr. Mills, the telegraph operator at this place, and was at first hardly credited ; but by noon of the next day we all knew it was a sure thing, and the bunting was flung out. At this
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
writing (Tuesday) the big flag floats from the top of the school house; the Ægis office has its rag out, the bells are ringing and the boys and men are bawling until all are hoarse. Posters are out calling the people together for a grand jubilee at the court house tonight, and all feel gay. Business is irksome, and all feel, Let 'er swing."
"P. S .- The jubilation at the court house was well attended. The build- ing was illuminated, as was the school house and many residences of the town. Bonfires were burning in the streets, and general hilarity prevailed. Speeches were made by Captain Hambleton, Colonel Scott, Sheriff Hoggatt and others, all brim full of patriotism and good feeling."
And then again, the fall of Richmond was elaborated at a date in fact after Lee's surrender but apparently before the news thereof had been re- ceived. This article was fitly entitled, "The Great Rejoicing," and it ran as follows:
"The outburst of joy throughout the loyal states over the fall of Rich- mond was the most universal and heartfelt that has been enjoyed since the surrender of Vicksburg, and as compared with that occasion it is deeper and with better reason. The capture of the city of Richmond, besides being the culmination of the hopes and struggles of the gallant army for four long years, entails in its fall the sure and, may we not confidently hope, the speedy end of the rebellion and of fighting. Lee's shattered forces, broken and dispirited, are melting away before the tempestuous charges of Sheridan's army, and if not totally annihilated, will so far have lost cohesion and morale as an army as to cease to be an object worthy of the solicitude of our generals, their only use to serve as a body guard to cover the retreat and escape of their chief.
"But the capture of Richmond means more to the nation than mere oc- cupaney and possession of the strongest fortified town and the rout of its defending army. It is by public acknowledgment of its defenders the last (litch of the rebellion. When New Orleans and Vicksburg fell, we were still pointed to Richmond as defiantly baffling and to baffle all our efforts. When Atlanta and Charleston and Columbia were in ruins and the popula- tion of Savannah were crouching like whipped curs at the feet of Sherman, the proud finger still pointed to Richmond, inclosing in its defence the 'government' of the confederacy. So long as the city stood and the traitors went through the mocking forms and kept up the pomp and circumstance of the national authority, so long there was a gleam of hope for the most despairing, and so much longer could the southern soldier be induced to fight.
"With the fall of the city falls the last hope of the rebellion-falls the spirit of the soldiers-fall the hope of foreign monarchs and aristocrats of seeing the dismemberment and destruction of the model republic; and in like proportion arises the hope of the loyal of our country and of the op- pressed in all the nations of the earth, who are and have been looking with painful interest in this great struggle between justice and error. And for
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all this, let the people praise God for His manifold blessings to us as a nation."
The next issue of the Ægis reported Lee's surrender, the capture of Mobile, the negotiations in North Carolina for the surrender of Johnston to Sherman and the practical collapse of the rebellion; but there was no en- thusiasm over such consummation, for the joy had gone from the hearts of the people when the news had come of Lincoln's assassination. The editor reports the reception of the news as follows:
"The saddest record we have been called upon to make during our ex- perience as a journalist in this place is that of the universal gloom which pervaded our people (without exception, we believe we can truly say) on Saturday last upon the reception of the news of the untimely death of President Lincoln. As the stunning intelligence flew from mouth to mouth, each lip became pallid in the communication, proud heads bowed as the stricken oak before the storm, and tears unbidden started from eyes long unused to weep. Old men turned away their heads and wept, and young men ground their teeth and stamped their feet in rage. There was only wanting some tangible object to give vent to their feelings. Mothers and sisters who had mourned a husband, brother, father, offered up at the shrine of their country's altar, again unsealed the fountains of their tears and mourned anew the loss of our national father. When the sad intelligence was fully confirmed by successive dispatches, by common consent the places of public business were closed, their door knobs clothed with crape, the farmers stopped their trading and sadly entering their wagons, returned sorrowfully to their homes; the smith bis anvil ceased to ring; the law- yers and the mechanics dropped their calling and either shut themselves in silent communication with their grief or went abroad in search of sympathy and consolation. Flags were raised at half-mast and draped in mourning from the Ægis office and other buildings. So passed the day, still as the Sabbath, while anxious squads waited impatiently the reception of special dispatches ordered from the agent of the Associated Press in Chicago."
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