USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 32
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 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
And writing more elaborately under the heading of "Our Fallen Chief," he says :
"Our chief is fallen. Lincoln is dead. Such was the intelligence which crushed like a dead weight upon the hearts of the nation but a few short days ago-so cruelly crushed when they were abounding with high hope and yet joyous over the news of important victories. Now, like King David, we exclaim: 'O, my son Absalom! my son, my son, Absalom! Would God that I had died for thee! O, Absalom, my son, my son !'
"The cruel bullet did too well its fatal work. The column of his life is broken! and the nation mourns their fallen father Abraham. Through the dark quartette of years just gone his was the mind and voice 'com- manding, aiding, animating all, where foe appeared to press or friend to fall.'
278
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
"To the weak eyes of human mind his loss seems irreparable. And yet. we should never forget that our trust as a nation is in God, which faith is well founded; that though 'He moves in a mysterious way, yet HIe doeth all things well.'
"From out the chaos of events this affliction has arisen, and was evi- dently given us as a lesson, needed perhaps in the wild rejoicing of the people, when the mind and heart of man forgets to praise Him and says: 'By my own right hand have I done it all'-needed to teach us that our strength is not in man but in Providence."
And two weeks still later, the local memorial to the first martyr presi- dent was reported as follows :
"Last Thursday, the day appointed by the governor as a day of services throughout the state in memory of our deceased president, was appro- priately observed in Nevada. A procession was formed on the south square at eleven o'clock, in which were represented the Masonic society, the Good Templars, Sabbath schools, soldiers and citizens. The procession, after passing through several streets, halted at the school house; and in open air ( no house being large enough to accommodate the assembly ) the president. Ilon. G. M. Maxwell, in a few appropriate words announced the object of the gathering and called on Mr. Reid to open the exercises with prayer. Colonel John Scott was then introduced as the speaker of the occasion, and in an address of considerable length recounted much of the history of the departed president, incidentally referring to many matters connected with our national history during his career as the chief executive, and paying a glowing tribute to his many noble qualities both of mind and heart. Music was improvised for the occasion by a quartette under the direction of Prof. Doughty, the regularly chosen choir having. for some of those mysterious reasons known and appreciated only by singers, failed at the eleventh hour to make their appearance. The failure was doubtless regretted ; but the quartette rendered the "Death of Ellsworth,' modified to suit the different circumstances, in a manner that brought tears to many an eye in the con- gregation. Business was suspended and many of the buildings were draped in mourning: while the black and white rosette was seen on the dress of most present. The whole affair was an earnest of the deep sympathy and sorrow of our people in the loss of the great and good man, Abraham 1.in- coln."
\ fortnight further on the civil chief of the confederacy had been cap- tured and public interest had returned to the doings of the day, and the editor was accordingly moved to jubilate, that is more suggestive of the sentiment of the time than of an accurate forecasting of events. The editor said :
"Jeff Davis was caught on the morning of Wednesday last at Irwins- ville, Georgia, attempting to escape to the woods dressed in his wife's petti- coats. When brought to bay by our troops he brandished a huge bowie. but was finally persuaded to give up by the presentation of several re-
279
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
volvers. He is on his way to Washington under strong guard. We see that it is a question whether Jeff Davis will be tried for murder or treason. We hope the latter. As a murderer he was guilty perhaps of the death of one man, President Lincoln, but as a traitor he was accessory to the death of tens of thousands, and for this let him hang. Let it be recorded in history that high treason is a crime for which arch-traitors are hung. Jefferson Davis has now after four years of earnest search we hope found or is about to find his 'last ditch' to which may he be permitted to descend from the highest limb of the highest 'sour apple tree.' "
But reports of troubles of one sort or another, incident to the fact that there were copperheads in the country, continued to come in ; and one lead- ing article in the Ægis recounts the treatment that was accorded to indis- creet rebel sympathizers by loyal people during the period of excitement following the assassination of Lincoln. E. G. Day on his way home from New Madrid had seen at Mendota, Illinois, a man being paraded around and subjected to sundry indignities and having also a placard on his back, "The Mendota Traitor." Sheriff Hoggatt had happened to be in Clinton on his way to Fort Madison with the murderer McMullen, when the news of the assassination came. A few minutes before a character there had called the president a "baboon ;" and when the news came the crowd started after him, pounded him and ran him across the bridge into Illinois. Up in Mason City, according to the Cerro Gordo Republican, a woman had said of the assassination that "she was glad of it and hoped the deed was done by her brother." The other women took her out and ducked her, blacked her face and marched her up the street, while they sang, "We'll rally round the Flag." The list of incidents is followed with a suggestion of cantion to the lady in this community "who clapped her hands and Herodias-like danced for joy that 'the old tyrant had gone to the devil.' "
Another story of the attempts of people to get together in the border country after the war is related a little later by the ÆEgis. It is of a neigh- borhood in East Tennessee, where the young men had enlisted in both armies, and where it was undertaken to hold a reunion picnic of all the folks, young and old, on both sides. All went well until a Secesh miss re- fused to dance with a Yankee veteran, and then the trouble began, which resulted in killing three men and wounding seven.
And still another story following shortly after the fall of Richmond and illustrating some topsy turvy conditions in the south is given by the Ægis on the authority of the Philadelphia Press whose correspondent said :
"A large squad of rebels being escorted through the streets yesterday by colored guards, came to a halt in front of Libby, when one of them observed his former slave passing up and down the line with genuine mar- tial bearing. Stepping a little out of the ranks, he said: 'Hello, Jack, is that you?' The negro guard looked at him with blank astonishment, not unmingled with disdain, for the familiarity of the address. The rebel cap- tive, determined upon being recognized, said entreatingly: 'Why, Jack,
280
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
don't you know me?' 'Yes, I know you very well,' was the sullen reply, 'and if you don't fall back into that line I will give you this bayonet,' at the same time bringing his musket to position of charge. This course terminated attempts at familiarity."
THE SULTANA EXPLOSION.
One other story from the Ægis, not from the editor himself, but written by Corporal S. A. Daniel of Company E of the Third lowa, comes as a local report of the saddest event, aside from the assassination of Lincoln, pertaining to the close of the war; and with it we will conclude this chap- ter. Corporal Daniel was at this time engaged in looking after the welfare of transient soldiers at Memphis, and as it appears, he was right on hand when the Sultana blew up. The Sultana was a river boat and she was on her way up the river from Vicksburg loaded to her limit and beyond with Union soldiers who had been prisoners of war and had survived the hor- rors of Andersonville and similar prisons. And it was while thus loaded down with men for whom above all others there was the greatest and most general commiseration at the time, that the Sultana's boiler exploded. The scene is depicted by Corporal Daniel thus :
"War mingled with some pleasures had brought its sorrows-and let me picture some of the varied scenes of a day at Memphis. Last night the steamer Sultana from Vicksburg lay at the levee freighted with more than two thousand persons, mostly paroled prisoners from rebel camps. Be- tween two and three hundred of these came to the Soldiers' Lodge, where a good supper was prepared, and we kept feeding them as long as a loaf of bread could be had or coffee made, and then a barrel of soda crackers was rolled out and distributed among them. I never saw a more pleasant and cheerful set of men-the goodly eatables set before them formed such a contrast to their prison abode at Andersonville. But ere this morning dawned we were awakened from our slumbers and could distinctly catch the sounds of 'Help, help, fetch a boat, oh God. can't you do something?' Many voices were heard away up the river, and presently away down the river and seemingly all over the broad bosom of the mighty river half stifled cries of 'help, help.' The gleaming light six or eight miles above revealed to us that the steamer was a mass of flames, her boiler had collapsed, and she had delivered up her burden of living souls to the current of the Father of Waters. It was soon announced that quite a number had been picked up.
"Mrs. Daniel and myself each took an arm-load of shirts, drawers and socks, and started to the sufferers-some bruised, some were burned and scalded, some partially clad and some entirely naked, unless perhaps a quilt or blanket thrown over them. When we had delivered our load Mrs. Daniel threw to a fellow her cloak as he stood partially hid behind a com- rade. I took from my feet my socks and gave to a poor fellow who was
281
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
nearly chilled to death, and we started for a new supply. The U. S. Sani- tary agents were now on hand with more clothing and with the aid of sur- geons who began to arrive, much suffering was relieved. Gunboat No. 8 was coming in. I hastened to her landing and found about sixty nearly naked, some badly scalded. As the sanitary agents by this time had gone either up or down the river to distribute clothing, I immediately sent a messenger to the clerk at the sanitary rooms for sixty shirts and a like number of drawers and socks, all of which were on hand in a very short time and the clerk to boot. Flannels were selected for the shivering boys, except in case of scalds or burns cotton garments were preferred. Other boats came in with more of the needy ones, and all the forenoon we were distributing clothing.
"Some were half dead; but nearly all could say, 'God bless you, how glad I am to get something to wear again.' Some of their friends had met them at Vicksburg, some ladies were on board to give a helping hand, and all these but two or three are numbered among the missing.
"The exact number picked up is not yet ascertained; but it will fall short of five hundred. All is being done that can be done. ( More definite reports made later concerning this disaster-probably the most pitiful of the whole war-showed that the exact number of survivors was 786. The number of lost was never exactly known ; but it was approximately fifteen hundred .- Editor.)
"Oh, what a scene-their groans and sighs and 'thank yous,' 'God bless the Sanitary Commission,' still ring in my ears. Nothing of a disastrous nature has been so heartrending since the commencement of this destructive rebellion.
"Let us for a moment turn clairvoyant and take a view of those that have found a watery grave-some locked in each others arms, sometimes lying together in clusters seemingly holding on to one another, then strewed singly along for miles on the muddy bottom-or just down there lies a woman clinging to her infant babe with a mother's fondness. I will close. The picture is sorrowful-some of the fruits of this unholy rebellion."
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE IMPRISONMENT OF ROBERT CAMPBELL.
By far the most interesting and remarkable story of adventure that be- longs to the history of Story County pertains to the escape of Captain Robert J. Campbell, of the Second lowa Consolidated, and his especial com- panion, James C. Trotter. from the rebel prison at Florence, South Caro- lina, and their ultimate arrival together with a Connecticut soldier. Bryson Paddock, after several recaptures and new escapes, in the Union lines at Newbern, North Carolina. It is a story of a prison escape such as had few parallels in the war. Captain Campbell was one of the original mem- bers of Company E of the Third Iowa, enlisting from Story County, and he served through the war as one of the best Story County soldiers. He had become orderly sergeant of the company at Atlanta and had been ap- pointed second lieutenant. He was captured in the battle of Atlanta and when he rejoined his company after the adventures hereafter to be related it was as captain of Company A of the Second lowa Consolidated in which regiment what was left of the Third lowa had been merged. "Jim" Trot- ter never lived in Story County, but he was one of the Jasper County squad that were included in Company E at its organization in Nevada, and he was closely identified with the Story County members of that company through- out the war. Captain Campbell still lives, a wiry and very attractive old gentleman at Hollenberg, Kansas, and he yet visits occasionally his friends and relatives in Story County. "Jim" Trotter died. in 1905. at his home near Guthrie Center, lowa, and both of them may fairly be said to have recovered completely from the effects of their experiences in the Caro- linas.
The story of the story itself has some interest. Captain Campbell wrote it soon after the war and very modestly and persistently, though not quite successfully, sought to make "Jim" Trotter the hero of his story. Pos- sibly, because of the incompleteness of his success in this respect, he laid away his manuscript and left it in hiding for some twenty years. After this period he rescued it sufficiently to give it to his particular friend and comrade. Senator J. A. Fitchpatrick, who in turn laid it away for another twenty years. Finally, the latter was moved to resurrect the manuscript once again and turned it over to the editor of this history who made of it
282
283
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
such use as he was able and who now takes this opportunity to put it where those interested in tales of adventure and successful daring as related to Story County may readily find it.
However, before taking up the story, it is fitting to incorporate here a portion of a letter from Colonel G. W. Crossley, written shortly after the death of Trotter and while the story of Captain Campbell was still en- gaging his attention. Colonel Crossley said :
"I am grieved to learn of the death of our old comrades, Wood and Trotter. They were both good men and true soldiers. I am reading with as much interest as if I had not heard the story from the lips of the writer. Captain Campbell's story, and the death of his old comrade who shared with him that wonderful experience of hardship and privation, renews the wonder I have so often felt that either of them should have survived-not only to live long and useful lives, but that they could have survived at all. There may be those who will read the story and wonder if it can all be true. If they knew those men as you and I know them they would know that every word of it is true. You and I may well feel proud of our as- sociation with such men."
Also, Senator J. A. Fitchpatrick, writing a little later, corroborated Cap- tain Campbell in the following language :
"I took intense interest in the narrative of Captain Robert J. Campbell concluded in the Representative last week and am reminded that it was just forty years ago this month that I first heard the story from Captain Camp- bell's lips. I rejoined the regiment at that time in Washington, D. C., and found Old Bob, who had rejoined about a month previous in North Caro- lina and who was then wearing a bright new uniform, indicating his rank as captain ; but he proved to be the same generous, unselfish Bob, with whom I had served for four years in the ranks, under all the varied aspects of an active army life-not in the least puffed up by his promotion, but taking the same kindly interest in his old comrades in the ranks as was always his wont in times passed. The story he told then was just the same as that published, though it was amplified with many thrilling details that are omitted from the written statement, and that pictured the whole scene in such vivid and realistic lights as would make a lasting impression on the memory.
"It has been my privilege to know Captain Campbell, more intimately than I ever knew any other man, under all conditions and circumstances, common to a soldier and citizen, in joy and sorrow, victory and defeat and in prosperity and adversity, sleeping under the same blanket or without a blanket other than the clouded canopy, or starry decked heaven, and upon all occasions he proved to be the same unselfish comrade, taking more ac- count for the comfort of others than for himself. No one acquainted with him would even think of doubting his word upon any subject, and his ex- perience, as related in his story of escape, may be implicitly relied upon as containing the plain unvarnished truth in every particular."
284
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
With these preliminaries we will permit Captain Campbell to tell his modest but wonderful story in his words of nearly half a century ago, as follows, beginning with the part thereof relating to his capture and prison experience :
THE BATTLE OF ATLANTA.
On the evening of July 21, 1864, in line of battle under the covert of a hill we had that day charged and captured, though at great cost of life, including that of our beloved Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Abernathy : the mail had come in and the boys were reading their letters from loved ones at home, heedless of the continuous shriek of shells and the whistling of grape and canister on every hand. Working all night throwing up rifle pits, we would think of the morrow, for we had the presentiment of a terrible battle before us. The morning of the 22d we procured a few hours' sleep, ate our breakfast of hardtack, bacon and coffee and became somewhat refreshed. There had been a lull in the firing, but about ten o'clock this forenoon desultory musketry firing began to be heard in our rear. At first we thought it our men firing off their guns and getting them in readiness for action. This kept up and finally about an hour later the gallant General McPherson came along our line in a gallop, going out to see what all this firing meant, and about the same time artillery firing was heard to the rear. and we instinctively knew that something was up. Not over two minutes after McPherson had ridden past his orderly came riding back on the run saying that the General had been killed.
The Third Iowa having no commissioned officers left. Captain Mat- thews of the Fifty-second Indiana had been sent over to take command and the companies having been consolidated into three designated as "A," "B" and "C." I had the privilege of commanding Company "A."
The long roll sounded, we formed in line, and the bursting of shell all over and all around us by this time became furious.
Captain H. 11. Rood of General Smith's staff soon appeared, and led us through the woods about eighty rods and placed us on the extreme left of our line in the face of the enemy advancing over an open field not more than 100 yards away. We opened up and sent them back whirling. They reformed and came back on a charge. This was repeated five or six times during which they came up within a few feet, always to be driven back.
Between our left and the Sixteenth Corps commanded by General Dodge, was a space of about a mile with no troops to stem the tide of the approaching foe. While we kept busy attending to those in front a division or two of the enemy had passed through this open space and got directly in our new rear, of which we knew nothing until they began to pour volley after volley into our rear as then formed. and we then awoke to the fact that we were entirely surrounded. Captain Matthews, Bob Griffith, our banner bearer, and sixteen others of the 125 of our regiment had been killed and many wounded; the rebels were right among us on every side.
CAPT. ROBERT J. CAMPBELL
Hollenberg. Kansas. Member of Company E. Third lowa Infantry, Captured at Atlanta, Made Very Notable Escape Through the Carolinas. Story Told in the History
285
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
A comrade of Company "C" had his leg shattered by a shell and I started to drag him to a tree. He implored me not to leave him. Jim Trotter came up and we two got him to a place of safety and gave him water to drink. By this time we were entirely cut off and could find no avenue of escape. Hand to hand fighting, Ole Ward was standing up against a tree fighting with a clubbed musket until I saw him fall. The rebels piled right on top of me. I could not realize that I was a prisoner. Jim Trotter urged me to surrender to save my life. Dead rebels and Yanks were all around us, some piled across each other. In marching us out they took us across the field in our front where we had been fighting and we found it literally cov- ered with dead men, showing the terrible effect of our firing.
Before the fight when getting into line, I had told Gus Kendall to stay behind and guard our luggage. But he left it and went into the fight and I came across him among the prisoners. I had made up my mind I would make a break for liberty at the first opportunity, but the guards anticipated this, pointing to several lines of their reserves which had not been in action ; so I saw it was all up with me.
Sherman had three separate armies at Atlanta, but this battle of July 22, 1864, was fought about one mile southeast of Atlanta, covering a line about two miles long, by the Army of the Tennessee unaided under the command of the brave and impetuous General John A. Logan, and for the space and time occupied, no battle of the war was more terrific, sanguinary and decisive.
.
PRISONERS TO THE REAR.
As we marched toward Atlanta our boys were hunting each other up and we found that thirty of the Third Iowa had been captured. They were not taken in a body, but picked up one or two at a time in their efforts to escape. Old Joe Fitchpatrick showed up, and I said: "Well, Joe, you had poor legs to get out of the way with."
Our artillery was sending the shells lively among us and the Johnnies had enough of that and had us move out lively. They started us not over one and one-half miles from the city, but they marched us nine miles be- fore we got there, our regimental flag and banner furled.
The rebs told us that Sherman's army had been wiped out and what was left was in full retreat across the Chattahoochie. The provost guards were continually riding up and insulting us. One of them drew a gun on me and would have fired, but I was guarded by a soldier who had been at the front, and who gave the dude soldier a swipe with his musket with such force as to retire him from action.
Our names and organizations were recorded and our minds teemed with thoughts as to where we would be taken to.
Vol. I-19
286
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
A fine-haired Louisiana soldier came to the guard line and wanted to know if any of us Yanks had any fine boots to trade for shoes. I told him I could accommodate him and for him to pass over six plugs of tobacco and a bran new pair of shoes and I would send him back a pair of boots that cost me eight dollars in Yankee money or would be worth a few hun- dred in Confederate money. So he passed over his shoes and tobacco. I threw the boots as far as I could, divided the tobacco with our boys and skipped out among the prisoners. Johnny came back and wanted to find the Yank. My boots were fult of holes. The rebel shoes did me good service in months to come. Our regimental colors being left standing against the tent unguarded, we took the liberty of taking the banner, as it was dark, and ere the guard was aware, had it all torn up into ribbons and divided among the Third Iowa and lots of other soldiers and hid away in our clothes. The rebels didn't have any time to search : for our boys were worrying them up in the front. Joe Fitchpatrick stole one of the guard's tin pail with his day's rations, quite a sharp trick. Old Joe was always a good-natured fellow and divided up, of course. No one saw the reb's rations.
Remaining at Atlanta a few days, we were ordered to move out, and various were the rumors the rebs told us that Sherman was falling back and all of the Seventeenth Corps was taken and MePherson was killed and many more such reports. We moved out on the road that night and in marching six miles we reached Eastpoint about midnight. Remaining there next day and night and no rations being issued, we began to feel the pangs of hunger. By the morning of the 24th we were furnished three rotten crackers and a small piece of meat for three days' ration and started for some place, we didn't know where, but found out sooner than we wanted to. We marched to Griffin, Georgia, some forty-five miles, passing through several small towns, singing our national songs, giving them to understand although prisoners we were not going to forget our old flag. We drew small rations of corn bread and bacon on the morning of the 28th of July on board of cars. A West Virginia command guarded us and on conversing with them many appeared to have been conscripted into the army and to be very sick of the war, but all had to keep silent.
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.