USA > Iowa > Lucas County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 8
USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 8
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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
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
geant; Geo. W. Hadman, fifth sergeant; Jno. S. Birkhead, sixth sergeant; Wm. O. Parmenter, farrier.
Privates-Benj. F. Gates, Edwin H. Maydale, Jacob B. Rhodes, Sidney Wells, Thos. A. Matson, Edward C. Douglas, Green W. Gable, Thos. Jones, A. M. Leffler, Henry M. Miller, Luman Story, Nelson Maydale, David F. White, James Fodge, Jos. L. Hall, Anderson Lister, John P. Ross.
Unassigned to Any Company
Alvera B. French, Joseph Gardoner, Benj. A. Hale, Eurotus C. Lyman, Jacob Schell, Jno. Wilson, Jno. Lynch, Adam Lafollet, Jno. W. Mauk, Joseph W. Milner, Mathias Wagoner, Richard H. Watson, Francis M. Winberly.
Second Cavalry, Company I
Private-Wm. B. Ramsey. Company K
Privates-Jacob S. Rogers, Joseph E. Salyards. Company L
Privates-Francis M. Connor, Samuel Webb.
Fourth Cavalry, Company I
Privates-Griffith Gartin, Jas. A. Lane, Joseph H. Mer- cer, Wm. Swiney, Jno. M. McCulley, Lewis L. Lane, Chas. L. Lockie, Jno. A. Mercer, W. H. Tuttle, Gilford Tuttle, Ira Ruby.
Sixth Cavalry, Company D
Jno. D. Hardin, first lieutenant.
Seventh Cavalry, Company B
Privates-Jno. Dement, Harvey Tuttle, Lewis Tuttle, Wm. Tuttle, A. Tuttle.
Eighth Cavalry, Company D
Jacob D. Hardie, first lieutenant; Lorenzo D. Graham, second corporal.
Privates-Martin Douglas, E. F. Knight, Andrew P. Mil- ner, T. W. Tillford, Thos. Goodkin, W. M. Knight, Joseph Norris, Simeon B. Warford.
Company F
Henry Parker, fifth sergeant.
Privates-Geo. Swift, Joseph Overton.
Company I
Private-Thos. S. Krutsinger. Company L
Ira Dauner, fourth corporal.
Ninth Cavalry. Company H
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Privates-Isaac J. Lefever, Jno. W. Stone, Geo. W. Tal- bott.
Company L
Private-Jno. B. Ables.
First Battery
Private-Jas. Piersol.
The volunteers of Lucas county were distributed prin- cipally in the Sixth, Thirteenth, Eighteenth and Thirty-fourth regiments, with a few scattered in the Fourth, Eighth, Thirty- sixth, Thirty-seventh and Thirty-ninth Infantry regiments; also in the First, Fourth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Cavalry regiments, aggregating about seven hundred men credited to the county, who went in the defence of their country and their homes in the days of their peril. The Sixth infantry containing three companies, A, B and F, partially filled from this county and saw much severe service. They were in the battle of Shiloh, where they suffered severe casualties, 64 were killed and 147 missing. This regiment was also engaged in the battles attending the march on Jackson, Mississippi. It was also in the battle of Missionary Ridge, in which a number were killed and a large number wounded, and it was also in the battles at Resaca, Dallas, Big Shanty, and Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia.
Lucas county, as we have seen, was represented by Com- pany C in the Thirteenth infantry, Colonel Crocker's regi- ment. It was engaged in many battles during the war, and it was in the two days conflict at Shiloh and lost about twenty- three men killed in that battle and 130 wounded.
The Thirteenth was also in the severe battle before Atlanta on July 21, 1864.
Company C in the Eighteenth infantry was made up largely with Lucas county men, John Edwards of Chariton was its first colonel, and he continued to command it until October, 1864, when he was promoted to a brigadier general.
The Eighteenth regiment was enlisted under the call for 300,000 men in 1862. It rendezvoused at Clinton, Iowa, and was mustered into the U. S. service August 6, 1862. The same month it was attached to General Schofield's command in southwest Missouri. Its first battle was at Newtonia, Mis- souri, where it drove in an advanced post, losing one man killed and three wounded. After this brief campaign on the
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frontier, this regiment returned to Springfield, where it suf- fered from the measles. The casualties amounted to ninety men.
In January, 1863, Springfield was attacked by Marmaduke. It was held by the Eighteenth infantry and a few hundred state militia, and after a severe engagement lasting all day, the rebels retreated, leaving 180 of their men killed and wounded. The Eighteenth lost fifty men killed and wounded, including Capt. Wm. R. Blue of Company C, who was killed. This was considered a very great loss as Captain Blue stood very high with his comrades and it was predicted by them that he would distinguish himself as a soldier.
Grant's campaign against the rebels in Mississippi, in which many Lucas county soldiers participated, is regarded by some historians of the war as among his greatest achieve- ments. Up to this time it was thought by many military men that it was absolutely necessary for a commander to keep in touch with his supplies or provisions at all times. But in this campaign Grant introduced a new feature. Although he was in the enemys' country, he cut loose from his supplies and for the first time during the war up to that date, undertook to feed his army on supplies and provisions taken from the rebels. His remarkable success demonstrated the wisdom of his action, although he kept his army in almost constant motion from the time he crossed the Mississippi river until he chased Pemberton into his forts and breastworks at Vicks- burg, vet his army at all times was abundantly supplied from the rebel country through which it was marching and fight- ing. In and during this whirlwind campaign he fought no less than five important battles, in every one of which he was successful. What might have been the result of this cam- paign if General Pemberton had obeyed the orders of his superior, General Johnson, and had undertaken to concen- trate his forces with those of Johnson outside of Vicksburg, it may be difficult to determine. The fact is that Grant did not give him much time to consider what move he should make, and it appears that when the question arose whether he should abandon Vicksburg and concentrate his forces with those of Johnson for a battle with Grant's forces, it is said that he submitted the question to a vote of the principal officers of his command, and a large majority of them voted that it would be best to disobey Johnson's order and get behind the breast-
Vol. 1-6
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
works and forts at Vicksburg just as soon as he could. This gave Grant the opportunity to besiege Vicksburg and compel General Pemberton to surrender an army of 30,000 soldiers.
The key to General Grant's success is found in his dis- position and rule to fight at every opportunity that he had to fight. He did not spend time in inquiring what might be the result or what might happen. While other generals were hesitating to fight, thinking that perhaps they might secure a better place or point for battle, he seemed to inquire whether or not there was an opportunity to fight. He did not stop to imagine what might or might not happen. He had faith in his army and all he asked was an opportunity for a fair fight.
The rebel loss at Vicksburg did more to discourage the rebels than anything that had occurred during the war up to , that date. Pemberton's army was largely made up of the chivalry of the south. A large number of Pemberton's forces came from New Orleans, who up to that time were regarded as almost invincible. But when hundreds of that splendid army were shipped home to New Orleans for burial, and the remainder of them came home as prisoners of war, having pledged their sacred honor that they would not again take up arms against the Government of the United States until they were duly exchanged, Louisiana was in mourning, and the rebel idea, that one rebel soldier was equal in battle to two or three union men, began to vanish.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
It may seem that reference to Abraham Lincoln and the services he performed for his country in the preservation of the Union of the states, is out of place in the history of a county, but on the other hand, his name, fame, and services are so closely interwoven with the history of our nation and its destiny that even the history of a county would seem incom- plete without reference to him.
No greater or more difficult task was ever cast upon a ruler or a president of a republic than that cast upon Abraham Lin- coln in preserving the life of our nation against the assaults of the greatest rebellion known to history. He was not only required to meet and overthrow hundreds of thousands of rebels in arms, sworn to destroy the Government organized and handed down to us by the fathers of the republic, but he was required to perform this gigantic task against the sym-
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pathy of thousands of the enemies of our Government at home and abroad, and when we come to consider the difficulties thrown in his way and his success, we can appreciate the state- ment of Henry Watterson, the great southern editor, that "he must have been inspired for this work."
In the first place, one faction of a great political party being misled by political prejudice and the influence of weak leaders, arrayed themselves against the war policies of Mr. Lincoln and did what they could to embarrass him in the prosecution of the war. Strange to say, that acting under such political prejudice, this faction so far forgot their duty to their country as to declare the prosecution of the war to be a failure.
The proceedings of this faction demonstrates the fact that political prejudice is the greatest danger to our republic ; and demonstrates the alarming fact that citizens of our repub- lic may become so blinded by political prejudice as to cause them to array themselves against the welfare and even the life of our republic.
The history of this war demonstrates the fact, incredible as it may seem, that while Mr. Lincoln was engaged in the prosecution of this war for the preservation of the Union, he was required to keep one hand on this faction and prevent it from organizing opposition thereto at home. But this is not all with which he had to contend. In the very beginning of this conflict it was discovered that quite a number of the peo- ple of England sympathized with the Confederacy, and seemed even anxious that the English Government should interfere in the war and assist the Confederacy. This sympathy was so strong that when Henry Ward Beecher went to London to explain to the English people the object and purposes of our Government in the prosecution of this war, mobs collected, and for a time refused to listen to him. Hence, in the prose- cution of the war Mr. Lincoln was continually embarrassed by the apparent fact that England was waiting for some excuse to actively aid the Confederacy in this struggle.
Again, we were not a war-like people. For years preced- ing the war we had enjoyed profound peace. Our regular army only contained a few thousand soldiers, and but a few states had encouraged the organization or drilling of state militia. While the war soon developed the fact that no better soldiers ever marched out on a field of battle than the men
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constituting the rank and file of both armies, and while it soon became apparent that no better commanders of regi- ments, brigades, or divisions ever drew their swords on a field of battle, yet it required about three years time and the sacri- fice of thousands of men for Mr. Lincoln to discover in his vast armies a Napoleon, or a military genius, who could han- dle, control and direct 100,000 men on the field of battle as readily and safely as he would a regiment or a brigade.
While no better fighters or commanders of brigades or divi- sions ever existed than Generals Sherman, Sheridan, Thomas, Hancock, and others whom we might mention in the Union armies, yet we repeat, it required three years for Mr. Lin- coln to discover in his vast armies a military genius who could take in the entire situation at a glance, and who could collect. combine, and hurl at the enemy, at the same moment of time an irresistible force, thereby preventing the combination of his enemies against him.
Mr. Lincoln was not an educated or trained soldier. He had no experience on the battlefield, and yet his letters to McClellan, Burnside and Hooker, show conclusively that he possessed military ability of a very high order. His modest suggestions to McClellan, that he put his entire force in the battle, and that he promptly and vigorously pursue a defeated army while his soldiers were elated by victory and the enemy were depressed by defeat, are maxims of war common to the greatest commanders of history. His repeated and earnest requests to McClellan, that he avoid sending his army into battle in pieces, are pathetic. His great soul was troubled at the sacrifice of the lives of his soldiers by the mistakes or incompetency of commanders.
For instance; take the battle of Antietam. This was the best fought battle of the war on the part of the Confederate army, and the worst fought battle on the Union side. While General Lee had about forty thousand men at this battle, Gen- cral Mcclellan had about sixty thousand soldiers, and yet there was not any single conflict or battle in which General Lee did not have the largest number of soldiers actually engaged. General Mcclellan would order the advance of one corps or division, and the remainder of his army remained idle, while the combined rebel army defeated this corps. Then another corps or division of Mcclellan's army was ordered to attack the entire rebel army, with the same result. General
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Porter's command of about eleven thousand veteran soldiers, although present at this bloody battle, did not fire a gun. This mistake of Mcclellan was so glaring and apparent that it was seen and commented upon by the private soldiers of his army. It would not be right to say that General Mcclellan lacked courage, but it is evident that he posessed an element or feel- ing of timidity that destroyed his usefulness as a great com- mander. He hesitated to assume responsibility, an indispens- able requisite of a great commander.
Again, there is another circumstance, which, while it seems trivial in itself, shows Mr. Lincoln's innate greatness and the difficulties with which he had to contend, At a critical time during the war, some of his valued advisers, members of his own cabinet, men of patriotism and ability became so affected with an ambition to become president of the United States, as to cause them to listen complacently to criticisms of Presi- dent Lincoln's war policies. He recognized their ability and patriotism, he knew that they could and would render import- ant services to their country in the hour of her need, and instead of breaking with them, as smaller men would have surely done, he overlooked their mistake, retained and paci- fied them, and thereby secured and retained their splendid services for their country. While the circumstance seem trivial, yet it clearly indicates the greatness of the man. Where is there a parallel circumstance in history ? He thought not of himself. He was ready to make any sacrifice for his country. He read human nature as he would a book. He knew that these men were patriots, misled by political ambi- tion, and that he could lead them to realize their mistake, and he did.
Again, there is another view of this war and its results. Many writers, especially southern writers, claim that even in the beginning it was clearly seen that the superiority of the north in numbers and resources must in the end terminate the struggle in favor of the North, but the history of wars demonstrates the fact that the battle is not always with the strong. While it is true that the North did possess the advan- tage in numbers and wealth. yet the fact remains that for nearly four years the South kept in the field an army of over one hundred thousand men, as good soldiers as ever appeared on a battlefield. Then the South possessed the advantage of being able to maintain a defensive position on their own
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ground, where they were acquainted with the country and the roads through it, having inner lines and being fully pro- tected by forts and breastworks, with these advantages it necessarily required a much larger force to battle success- fully with them.
But is is claimed by many writers that the mistakes of President Davis and his advisers had as much, if not more to do with the result of the war than did the armies of Gen- eral Lee. It is true that when General Lee surrendered his army to Grant at Appomattox, the Confederacy was bankrupt. Its bonds and paper money were worthless. It is said that it required $100 in Confederate notes to pay for a meal of victuals in any southern restaurant, and the Confederate army were living on corn, the soldiers being allowed two ears of corn per day during the last few days of the war. But this con- dition, it is claimed, even by southern writers, was the result of incompetency on the part of Mr. Davis and his advisers.
We must recollect that in the beginning of the war Confed- erate bonds sold in the London market at a premium. The first issue of $15,000,000 was promptly purchased by the Eng- lish people. Now suppose that the English people had invested several hundred million dollars of their money in such bonds, what would have been the result? Or, we must bear in mind that at that time cotton was king.
Now suppose that the rulers of the Confederacy had pos- sessed the sagacity to permit the English Government to dic- tate the tariff ou cotton for a few years, what would have been the effect ? In other words, did not the Confederacy possess the means to so interest the English people financially in its success as to absolutely induce them to interfere in this war for the protection of their dollars? And at one time in the pro- gress of the war, would not the active aid of England have determined the result against us ?
The war is over. Years of profound peace have healed many of its wounds. The curse of human slavery has been abolished, and the South has arisen from the ashes of war a progressive and happy people, and through all these years of history the name and fame of Abraham Lincoln has grown brighter each day, and as every mere incident of his life is now cherished by the people of this country, we will be permitted to relate a few incidents tending to illustrate his character.
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When a mere boy the writer attended a trial in the circuit court of Piatt county, in the State of Illinois, in which Mr. Lincoln appeared as attorney for my father. The proceed- ings in this case were so intensely interesting to me, that for several years thereafter I could repeat in substance Mr. Lin- coln's speech. The case arose over a contract between my father and a party who had engaged to break quite a large tract of prairie land for him. I recollect distinctly that Mr. Lincoln seemed to be entirely familiar with that kind of work. He seemed to know all about it. Just how, and when, and in what manner it should have been done. I recollect that he made fun of the mistakes of my father in entering into such a contract, calling him a tenderfoot and claiming that he had been imposed upon by the plaintiff, that the plaintiff had made him believe that fall braking was much better than spring braking. My father had employed a local attorney to defend the case, but when it came to trial it appeared that this local attorney had made arrangements with Mr. Lincoln to try all of his cases. Judge Davis presided at the trial, and Mr. Lincoln went with him over the circuit and was employed by local attorneys in each county. He was successful in this case, and my father paid him a fee of $25 for his services.
Again, afterwards, when I was attending school at Dan- ville, Illinois, Mr. Lincoln attended court there, and I procured leave of absence from school for about one week to attend court and hear Mr. Lincoln try cases in that court. He had made the same arrangement there with a young attorney whose name, I think, was Laman.
I will always recollect a murder case in that court, in which Mr. Lincoln appeared as one of the attorneys for the defend- ant. The principal facts as I recollect them were as follows: A year or two prior to the date of this trial an old man came tramping through the country, and was employed by a farmer. He would talk but little, but he was an industrious and reliable farm hand, and hence the farmer was not able to learn anything about his antecedants, or former history. One day he went squirrel hunting and returning at about four o'clock in the afternoon he rested his rifle on the gate which opened to a walk leading up to the farmer's house. He took deliberate aim at the farmer who was sitting in his chair on the porch reading a newspaper, and shot him in the head, instantly kill- ing him. He then placed the gun on his shoulder and walked
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slowly and deliberately down the highway in the timber, and was thus going away from the scene of the shooting, when he was overtaken and arrested by a posse that followed him. He was indicted, and Judge Davis asked him if he had engaged an attorney. He answered no, that he did not want an attor- ney. The Judge then turned to Mr. Lincoln and said, "Mr. Lincoln, I will appoint you to defend this man." Lincoln replied, "Judge, I will assist in the defense if Swett and Voor- hees will help me," referring to Daniel W. Voorhees and Leon- ard Swett, who were attending that term of court. They con- sented to do so, and the trial proceeded the next day. The state was represented by a brilliant young lawyer named Williams, of Bloomington, Illinois. The defendant would not even talk with his attorneys, and they were unable to ascertain anything about his former history. They set up the defense of insanity, but they had no witnesses to sustain this defense. The few persons in the neighborhood who knew this old man, did not believe that he was insane. No alienists were sworn.
The remarkable part of this trial was the speeches of the eminent lawyers who represented the defense. Although they were each talking on the same side about the same evidence and facts, yet their speeches were wholly unlike in every respect. Mr. Voorhees seemed to jump into the middle of the case at once, hurling words and sentences, filled with logic and eloquence in every direction. His great big head, with hair cut pompadour, and standing out straight all over his head, trembled with magnetism and emotion. I recollect that his principal point was the absence of any evidence showing any motive for the crime.
The speech of Leonard Swett was in style, manner and delivery. just the reverse of that of Mr. Voorhees. He slowly, deliberately, methodically and eloquently reviewed the facts of the transaction. In long labyrinthine sentences, and with a voice full of pathos, he painted a picture of this old man, with his reason dethroned, wandering over the earth without friends or home, moved alone by impulse. On the merest rumor that at sometimes he had been in the State of Kentucky, Mr. Swett drew a picture of him while in youth, "bounding over the green-topped hills of Kentucky."
The speech of Mr. Lincoln was entirely different from either of the preceding speeches. It was simply a good
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natured logical review of the facts and circumstances con- nected with the alleged crime, interspersed with ancedotes illustrating the points he made. His reasoning seemed irresist- able, and when the defense closed, there were very few if any persons in the court room who were not thoroughly satisfied of the insanity of the defendant, and believed that he would be acquitted, but the speech of the young lawyer who repre- sented the state, was spoken of as the most powerful appeal ever made in that court room for a verdict in support of the enforcement of the law. I recollect his closing with the pro- phecy that time would disclose the motive of this cold blooded murder. The defendant was convicted, and the judgment was that he should be imprisoned for life.
THE HOME GUARDS
During the war, especially during the first two years of the war, military companies, called "Home Guards," were organized in all of the counties bordering on the Missouri state line. At this time we had no railroads, or telegraph, or telephone lines in the county, and we were kept in a continuous state of excitement by rumors of war and especially by stories to the effect that bodies of organized rebels were about to cross the Missouri state line and overrun Iowa, thereby destroying property and making it necessary to recall Iowa soldiers from the front to protect our state. The extent and effect of such rumors seems now to have been incredible, and even ridiculous. The Home Guards would meet for drilling purposes at least once a week, and it is evident that a few well- drilled soldiers would have put a regiment of such soldiers to flight.
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