USA > Iowa > Calhoun County > Past and present of Calhoun County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress, and achievement, Volume I > Part 18
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176 PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
whom probably not more than forty were men of military age, it will be seen that Calhoun sent to the front as large a percentage of her fighting men as many of the older counties. Then, too, it should be remembered that in 1861 Calhoun County was "on the frontier." Without transportation facilities or means of quick communication with the outside world; with the nearest neighbor in many instances several miles distant ; almost on the border of the Indian country and in danger of an uprising of the savages, it required more courage. more sacrifice to leave home and friends under such conditions than were required of those who volunteered in the older and more popu- lous counties. And the seventeen men who went out from Calhoun. some of them walking for many miles aeross the traekless prairies to enlist, were certainly inspired by motives of loyalty and patriotism of the most exalted character.
In 1885, twenty years after the conclusion of the war, and after the organization of Grand Army posts in the county. there were among the inhabitants about two hundred and fifty veterans. Of these about seventy served in Iowa regiments: Illinois contributed 69: New York, 29; Wisconsin, 25; Ohio, 16: Indiana, 14: Michigan, 8: Pennsylvania. 7; Maine, 4: Vermont, 2: and the others were from different states.
THE WORK AT HOME
While the "Boys in Blue" were at the front on the march, the tented field or the firing line, those they left behind were not unmind- ful of the interests of the loved ones dependent upon them for sup- port. And the eounty authorities, although the county was young and far from opulent, made liberal appropriations from time to time to encourage enlistments and care for the families of soldiers. On August 18, 1862, the board of supervisors unanimously adopted the following order:
"That all volunteers who may volunteer, or have volunteered. under or by call of the President of the United States, if under the call for 300,000 additional volunteers, be allowed a bounty of $25. and that the clerk of the board is hereby ordered to issue a warrant for the aforesaid amount of $25 to all persons belonging to and being residents of this county, who shall produce a certificate from the proper officer to the foregoing effeet.
"Ordered further, that if any person, being a resident of this county, shall be drafted aeeording to law and by the recent procla-
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mation of the secretary of war, he shall be allowed the following bounty, to-wit: Any married man who may be drafted from this county be allowed $50 and any single man from this eounty be allowed $25, and that the elerk of this board is hereby authorized to issue warrants as aforesaid upon the certificate of the proper offieer being produeed."
Under this action of the board John W. Athey, Nelson Gray and George W. Beebe each received $25. On September 1, 1862, the board again took up the question of bounties and the records of that date show the following order was adopted:
"That the board of supervisors allow to volunteers the following bounty: To those who may volunteer and to save the county from a draft have and be allowed to themselves and families the following sums, to-wit: For each volunteer the sum of $50, to be paid on demand: and provided that there be no draft in said county, then one year from date the county agrees to pay said volunteer the sum of $50 added bounty, to be paid ont of the county treasury on demand or on the order at the end of the year.
"And it is further ordered that the following bounty be allowed the families of volunteers, to-wit: For the wife of each volunteer the sum of $5 per month, and for each child she may have the sum of $2 per month, to be paid by the treasurer of said county upon the order or request of said wife of said volunteer, whether she may at the time be in the County of Calhoun or any other county; and to be paid to said wife and children until the present war terminates, and from the time said volunteers enter into the serviee until they are discharged.
"And it is further ordered that the families of the volunteers who enlisted prior to the 29th day of August, 1862, be and are hereby allowed the same bounty as the volunteers who enlisted in said eounty on the 29th day of August, 1862; and that it is expressly understood and ordered that the bounty for the support of families of volunteers is to commenee on and continue from and after the said 29th day of August, 1862, as aforesaid, and in case said volunteers do not return, said bounties are to be paid to their heirs or legal representatives."
It was soon discovered that the fixed amount of $5 per month for the wife and $2 for each child was not enough in some eases, while in others it was not essentially necessary. To work more equality among those who needed assistance, the board on June 1, 1863, amended the relief order as follows: Vol. 1-12
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"From and after this date the wives and children of the volun- teers are not to have the bounty which was allowed by the order of September 1, 1862, but in lieu thereof three commissioners are ap- pointed to wait on them and estimate what they need and report to the clerk. William Oxenford, Charles Amy and Jesse Hutchinson are hereby appointed said commissioners, and it is further ordered that said clerk issue warrants for the necessaries prescribed by the commissioners."
From this time to the close of the war scareely a session of the board of supervisors was held at which a number of relief orders was not presented for payment. The commissioners appear to have been thorough in their work and in numerous instances recommended sums far above the $5 for the wife and $2 for each child, as stipulated in the original order. The total amount received from taxes was comparatively small, but the demands of the soldiers' families oecu- pied the place of first consideration in the disbursement of the publie funds.
The supervisors' minutes of October 19, 1863, show the follow- ing entry: "A motion that there be allowed $250 to each married man that may volunteer or be drafted from this county. and $200 to each single man, to be paid upon receipt of an order showing them to be accepted into the United States service, or as soon as drafted, unless exempted. And it is further ordered that the elerk shall issue his warrants for said amounts."
Under this order Lemuel Salisbury, in February, 1864, was allowed a bounty of $250. As late as June 8, 1871, Norman R. Hutchinson presented a claim for a bounty of $100: for a wife's allowance for twenty-five months, $125; and for the allowance for four children for the same length of time, $200-a total of $425. on which he acknowledged a eredit of $142. After considering the elaim the board ordered a warrant for the amount drawn in favor of Mr. Hutchinson.
In addition to the official relief given by the county authorities there was perhaps as large a sum given to the families of volunteers by charitably inelined individuals. Many a basket of provisions, or bundle of seeond-hand clothing, found its way to the house of some soldiers' family: books were provided for soldiers' children that they might attend school: sons and daughters of volunteers were given preference in the matter of employment by some of the citizens. and the aggregate amount contributed by the county and individuals will probably never be ascertained.
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One action was taken by the board of supervisors while the war was in progress that has been considered by many as a "blot on the eseutcheon." On June 1, 1863, the board adopted an order to the effect that Frederick Hueke, Jonathan Bishop, L. C. Morey, Peter Smith, Moses Sherman and Cyreno W. Thompson were to be exempt from military duty. At that time the board was composed of Peter Smith, Cyreno W. Thompson and David Reynolds. It is not known why Mr. Reynolds was not included with the other two members of the board in the exemption order, nor do the records show any reason for the adoption of such a measure.
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
From the time Cuba was first discovered in 1492 to 1898-a little over four centuries-the island was a dependency of Spain. While Spain was losing her other American possessions one by one, the people of Cuba remained loyal in their allegianee, even going so far as to declare war against Napoleon in 1808, when he overthrew the Spanish Bourbon dynasty. For the attitude of the Cubans at that time the Spaniards were wont to refer to Cuba as the "Ever-Faithful Isle," or the "Pearl of the Antilles." But the treatment aecorded the people of the island by the Spanish government did not harmon- ize with the sentiment expressed by these endearing names. About the beginning of the nineteenth century the island was placed under the control of a captain-general, which form of government continued until Spain relinquished her authority. The royal deeree of the Omnimodas in 1825 empowered the captains-general to rule at all times as if the island was under martial law, thus placing the lives and fortunes of the Cuban people at the absolute disposal of the governors of the island. The "conquistadores" had been about three hundred years in coming, but they had at last arrived.
Under the humane policy of Las Casas as captain-general. the people prospered, but he was succeeded by a man of an entirely dif- ferent east of mold, and in 1829 a conspiracy was formed for the purpose of throwing off the Spanish yoke. The movement was dis- covered before the conspirators were ready to act and ernelly crushed. Next came the uprising of the blacks in 1844, which resulted in noth- ing more than to intensify Spanish cruelty in dealing with the island- ers. Then followed the futile expeditions of Narcisso Lopez in 1849 and 1851.
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About this time, or a little earlier, the United States made an effort to purchase the island and President Polk instrueted the Amer- iean minister to Spain to offer $100,000,000 for Cuba, if the Spanish goverment refused to take less. The offer was not accepted and in 1834 James Buchanan, James M. Mason and Pierre Soule, minis- ters to England, France and Spain, drew up what was known as the "Ostend Manifesto" in the interests of the slaveholders of the United States, declaring this country had the right to annex Cuba in case Spain continued to refuse to sell. The only effect of the "Mani- festo" was to encourage Lopez to organize another expedition for the liberation of the Cubans, but it met with the fate of his former attempts.
In 1868 there was a general uprising of the Cubans against Span- ish oppression and for ten years the island was the seene of war. During that time Spain sent 250,000 soldiers to Cuba and so great was the saerifiee of human life that less than fifty thousand of them returned to Spain. Three hundred million dollars' worth of property was destroyed during the war and the enormous debt contraeted by Spain was saddled upon the Cubans in the way of taxes as a penalty for their rebellion. To offset the general dissatisfaction that fol- lowed. the Spanish Cortes in 1880 passed an aet abolishing slavery in Cuba.
The discontent remained, however, and the people began planning for another insurrection. Their experiences of the past taught them to move with caution and for more than fifteen years they continued their preparations with the greatest seereey. In 1895 the insurree- tion broke out in several places simultaneously under the leadership of Generals Gomez, Maeeo and Gareia. Spain sent troops to Capt .- Gen. Martinez Campos and instructed him to suppress the insurrec- tion at all hazards. Campos eonducted his military operations along the lines laid down by the rules of civilized warfare, which policy was not satisfactory to the Spanish authorities. He was therefore re- moved and in his place was appointed General Weyler, a man known for his drastic treatment of rebels. The new eaptain-general adopted the method of removing the people from the rural districts to the cities, where they were kept under guard, in order to prevent them from furnishing supplies to the revolutionists. The supply of food in the cities soon became inadequate to the demand of the "reconcen- trados." as the people confined in the eities were ealled, and many of them actually were starved to death. Weyler's inhumanity in
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adopting and carrying out such a policy aroused the indignation of the civilized world.
In the United States political conventions, irrespective of party, commercial organizations in a number of the leading cities, and a few of the State Legislatures, adopted resolutions calling upon the Federal Government to intervene in behalf of the suffering Cubans. A proposition to raise a fund in the United States for the relief of the starving reconcentrados started riots in Havana, some of the citizens of that city asserting that any intervention on the part of the people of the United States meant the ultimate annexation of Cuba.
About the beginning of the year 1898 the Atlantic squadron of the United States navy was ordered to the Dry Tortugas, within six hours' sail of Havana, and on the evening of January 25, 1898, the battleship Maine dropped anchor in the harbor of Havana. The presence of a war vessel was not pleasing to the Spanish officials, who sought a measure of retaliation by ordering the armored cruiser Viz- caya to anchor off New York. Thus matters stood until February 9, 1898, when the Spanish minister to this country resigned his position and asked for his passports. On the evening of the 15th the Maine was blown up, causing a loss of over two hundred of her officers and men. A court of inquiry afterward reported that the vessel was blown up "by a submarine mine, which caused the partial explosion of two or more of her forward magazines."
The destruction of one of the best ships in the national navy, with the consequent loss of life, sent the excitement in the United States to fever heat, and the demands for intervention became more insist- ent. About this time General Blanco, who had succeeded Weyler as captain-general, issued a proclamation declaring a suspension of hostilities and announcing that the reconcentrados would be permitted to return to their homes. For this reason the federal administration refused to take any positive action, until American consuls reported that Blanco's promise was not being kept, and that the suffering among the imprisoned people had not in the least been diminished.
An appropriation of $50,000,000 for the national defense was made by Congress on March 8, 1898, but nothing further was done for more than a month, or until it was learned for certain that Gen- eral Blanco's promise to release the reconcentrados had not been fulfilled.
On April 19, 1898, Congress adopted a resolution declaring that the "people of Cuba are and of right ought to be independent," and
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demanded that Spain immediately withdraw her troops and relinquish all authority over the island. The resolution closed with these words: "The United States hereby diselaims any disposition or intention to exereise sovereignty, jurisdiction or control over said island, except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its determination when that is accomplished to leave the government and control of the island to its people."
The resolution also authorized the President to employ the forees of the United States army and navy to aid the Cubans, and an aet was passed to increase the regular army to 61,000 men. The next move on the part of the Government was to order Rear Admiral Sampson to blockade the Cuban ports, which was followed by a formal declaration of war against Spain, and on April 23, 1898, President Mckinley issued his proclamation calling for 125,000 vol- unteers, to be supplied as far as practicable from the militia of the several states.
A short time before war was formally declared, the Iowa Legis- lature, just before its adjournment, appropriated $500,000 "to aid the general Government in ease of war." On April 21, 1898, two days before the President issued his eall for 125,000 volunteers, Adjutant-General Byers promulgated a general order to the company commanders in the lowa National Guard to have all officers and men undergo a physical examination to determine their fitness for active military service. On the 25th, Governor Shaw received a telegram from the secretary of war advising him of Iowa's quota of troops imder the call. The state fair grounds, near Des Moines, were secured by the state authorities as a point for the mobilization of the lowa National Guard and the commanding officers of the four infantry regiments composing the guard were ordered to report with their commands, "with the least possible delay."
In arranging for the mustering of the lowa regiments into the service of the United States, Governor Shaw ordered them to be numbered to follow the last of the lowa infantry regiments in the Civil war. The First Regiment of the National Guard therefore became the Forty-ninth; the Second, the Fiftieth: the Third, the Fifty-first, and the Fourth, the Fifty-second regiments of Iowa Vol- unteer Infantry. The Forty-ninth came from the eastern part of the state, and there was but one Calhoun County man-Charles V. Mitchell, of Manson-in the Fiftieth, serving as a member of Com- pany F.
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FIFTY-FIRST IOWA INFANTRY
In this regiment Robert B. Kershaw, of Manson, was a member of the regimental band, and there were five Calhoun County boys in Company A, viz .: Harry L. Arney, Herbert L. Berry, John L. Eakin (discharged on August 31, 1899, at San Francisco), Walter E. Hutchison (died at Manila, P. I., August 8, 1899), Max J. Love (discharged at San Francisco, November 10, 1898).
The Fifty-first was mustered in at Des Moines on May 30, 1898, with John C. Loper as colonel. The commissioned officers of Com- pany A at that time were: William R. Gibson, captain; Frank W. Kilborn, first lieutenant; Park A. Finley, second lieutenant; all from Des Moines.
On June 2, 1898, Colonel Loper received orders to proceed with his regiment to San Francisco. Some delay was experienced in get- ting transportation, but on the 5th it left for the Pacific Coast. The regiment remained in eamp at San Francisco until November 3, 1898, when it embarked on the transport Pennsylvania for Manila, P. I., 1,040 strong. At Honolulu thirty-three men were left in the mili- tary hospital and on December 7, 1898, the transport dropped anehor in Manila Bay. The Fifty-first Iowa was assigned to the First Sep- arate Brigade, Eighth Army Corps, commanded by Gen. M. P. Miller. On December 26, 1898, the regiment was ordered to Iloilo and from there to Cavite, where it disembarked on January 31, 1899, the men having been ninety-four days on the transport.
The regiment was next on outpost duty near San Roque, serving sometimes as a regiment, but more frequently by battalions. For a time the First Battalion was stationed near an old monastery at Pasai, where it was engaged with the enemy and won a decided victory. The Fifty-first was in the fight at Culi Culi Church and the engagement at San Pedro Macati. It was next in the operations around Quingua and along the Bagbag River, where the First Bat- talion, under Major Duggan, and a detachment of South Dakota troops drove. the enemy from the trenches. At Calumpit the regi- ment distinguished itself and it was the first regiment to march into San Fernando when that city was captured. On September 6, 1899, Colonel Loper received order to return to Manila, preparatory to starting for home. Just before leaving San Fernando the men were addressed by General MeArthur, who closed by saying: "God bless the Iowa boys : may you have a safe voyage home. We will endeavor to complete the work which you have so well begun."
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On September 22, 1899, the regiment embarked on the transport Senator at Manila and on October 22, 1899, the vessel arrived at San Francisco. The boys returned to their old eamp at the Presidio and remained there until November 2, 1899, when the regiment was mus- tered out and the men returned to their homes in Iowa. In his offi- eial report Colonel Loper says of the men composing the Fifty-first : "They were gentlemen as well as soldiers, and they did not fail to uphold the honor of the regiment and the dignity of the state from which they were sent."
Ross Vontress, a Calhoun County boy, who enlisted from Hope- ville, Ia .. in Company F. Fifty-first Iowa Infantry, afterward served three terms as clerk of the District Court in Calhoun County.
Theodore Dangerfield. another Calhoun County boy. enlisted at Villisca, Montgomery County, as a private in Company B. Fifty-first Infantry: was promoted to corporal on August 1, 1898: was made quartermaster sergeant on August 20, 1898, and was discharged at San Francisco on September 15, 1899.
FIFTY-SECOND IOWA INFANTRY
This regiment-formerly the Fourth Regiment of the Iowa Na- tional Guard-was composed of companies raised in the northwest- ern part of the state, and in its ranks were ten men from Calhoun County. Francis L. Love, of Manson, a private in Company C. was promoted to the regimental band on August 13, 1898; Carl E. Axel- son, John M. Cairns, Charles MeVay, Harry MeVay and James A. Main, of Farnhamville, and Clarence E. Whittlesey, of Manson, served in Company B: William O. Demo, of Roekwell City, enlisted as a private in Company D and died in the Red Cross Hospital at Des Moines on September 23, 1898; Harry V. Bartlett, of Manson, and Niles W. Parker, of Pomeroy, served as privates in Company G.
The Fifty-second was mustered into the United States service at Des Moines on May 25, 1898. with William B. Humphrey, of Sioux City, as colonel. Soon after being mustered in it was ordered to Chickamauga Park. Ga., where it was assigned to the Third Brigade, Second Division, Third Army Corps, commanded by General Wade. On August 8, 1898, it was ordered to Porto Rico, but before embark- ing the order was revoked, much to the chagrin of the men. many of whom belonged to the order of Sons of Veterans and were anxious to maintain the records their fathers established in the Civil war.
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The regiment then remained in eamp at Chickamauga Park until August 29, 1898, when it was ordered to Des Moines. Upon arriv- ing there the men were given a thirty-day furlough and allowed to visit their homes. The furlough was afterward extended, but on October 30, 1898. the companies reassembled at Des Moines and the regiment was mustered out. In his official report Colonel Humphrey says: "Had the opportunity presented, the regiment would have acquitted itself with honor and eredit to the state."
Such has been the military history of Calhoun County. Other counties furnished a greater number of volunteers to the army in the Civil war, but few furnished a larger ratio of the population subject to military duty. And in both the Civil and Spanish-American wars the men who went out from Calhoun were of high character. Realiz- ing the advantages of discipline in all military organizations, they were obedient to the commands of their superior officers and, loyal to the core, they cheerfully performed any duty assigned them, whether on pieket in the silent watches of the night or on the firing line in the thick of battle. Their military service ended, they returned once more to the shops and fields, which they had left to answer their country's eall, and resumed their peaceful occupations.
CHAPTER XII FINANCE AND INDUSTRY
PUBLIC FINANCES-BONDED DEBT OF THE COUNTY-PROPERTY VALUA- TION-DRAINAGE BONDS-EVOLUTION OF MODERN BANKING SYS- TEMS-HISTORY OF CALHOUN COUNTY BANKS-AGGREGATE DEPOS- ITS-AGRICULTURE-CROP AND LIVE STOCK STATISTICS-FARMERS' INSTITUTES-MANUFACTURING-TELEPHONE COMPANY.
Fortunately for the people of Calhoun County, the publie reve- nues have generally been handled by men of conservative ideas and have been disbursed without any notable instances of unwarranted extravagance and not a single case of defalcation. As a result of this conservative management, the publie eredit of the county has always been of the highest standing, as may be seen by the ease with which bonds have been sold whenever a bond issue was necessary. Fortunately, too, for the taxpayers, the bond issues have been but few in number and for comparatively small amounts. On January 1, 1915, the outstanding bonds of the county aggregated $165,000, of which $125,000 represented the courthouse bonds issued under the resolution of April 1, 1913, and $40,000 the bridge bonds issued a few years earlier. At the time the courthouse bonds were issued there was a floating debt of $11,000, bringing the total indebtedness of the county up to $176,000. This has since been reduced to some extent by the payment of outstanding warrants.
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