USA > Iowa > Lee County > Story of Lee County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 21
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NINTH CAVALRY
This was the last of the volunteer regiments raised by the State of Iowa for service in the Civil war. It was mustered in at Daven- port, Iowa, November 30, 1863, and was commanded by Col. Mat-
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thew M. Trumbull. William A. Sullivan, of Lee County, was ser- geant major of the regiment, and the county was represented in Com- panies G, H, I and M.
In Company G Samuel C. Koons was mustered in as corporal; Hiram Maine, bugler; Richard Sharp, farrier; Ransom Ripple, wagoner, and the following were enrolled as privates: Samuel Bow- man, John W. Goss, Herschel Hand, Charles Kerr, Andrew Kim- brough, Daniel Maguire, George W. Morrison and David Pat- terson.
Marshall Anders was a sergeant and George H. Moore wagoner in Company H, in which the following privates were credited to Lee County: Isaac W. Abbott, Joseph C. Davis, Wesley A. Harbe- son, James Luther, Joseph Marsell, Samuel J. Sample and Reuben Sperry.
Robert H. Moloy was the only Lee County man in Company I, but a large part of Company M was raised in the county. John F. Parker, who was mustered in as first sergeant, became captain of the company on October 15, 1865; Charles P. Buckner, who started in as sergeant was promoted to first lieutenant in September, 1864; James B. Moore was enrolled as sergeant; William F. Crocker, Daniel S. Ochiltree and John Yeager, corporals; Alden Baker, farrier, and the following served as privates :
Isaac B. Binford, Levi P. Brown, Noah Childers, Andrew J. Cronin, Andrew J. Davis, David Dust, David H. Ettein, Samuel Falkenburg, Samuel K. Hand, Robert Harper, Robert Kocks, Martin Legrand, Benedict Lucas, George McCausland, Wesley H. Marsh, Rhaey H. Parnell, James A. Pollard, Israel Rude, George T. Sawyers, Albert Schotte, Andrew J. Seavers, John H. Seavers, Henry C. Smith, Walter A. Soule, James R. Stephens, John Van Fossen, Adolph Wirsig, John R. Wooster.
The horses used by the Ninth Cavalry were selected by the officers of the regiment, and each squadron was mounted on horses of the same color. The first service of the regiment was in fighting the guerrillas in Missouri, especially the notorious Quantrill band. It was next ordered to Devall's Bluff, Arkansas, to guard the post there, and it operated in Arkansas until in January, 1865, when it formed part of Geiger's expedition into West Tennessee. It was mustered out at Little Rock, Arkansas, March 23, 1866. being one of the last regiments to leave the service.
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MISCELLANEOUS ENLISTMENTS
In the fall of 1862 the "Southern Border Brigade" was organized to protect the state from invasion from Missouri. A large part of Company A of this brigade was raised in Lee County and was com- manded by Capt. William Soule, with Wells Brown as first lieu- tenant. About the close of the year the brigade was disbanded and many of the men subsequently enlisted in other organizations.
Nearly two hundred Lee County men served in the Seventh, Eighth, Tenth, Fifteenth and Twenty-first Missouri Infantry, and the Seventh Missouri Cavalry. Probably one-fourth of that number enlisted in Illinois, Kansas and Wisconsin regiments, and nearly one hundred were in the regular army.
In the summer and fall of 1863 was raised a regiment of colored troops, to which Iowa contributed 106 men. This regiment was. known as the "First Infantry of African Descent." It was officered by white men. Milton F. Collins, of Lee County, was commissioned lieutenant-colonel on October 11, 1863; John L. Murphy, major; Theodore W. Pratt, adjutant; William McQueen, quartermaster, and Freeman Knowles, surgeon.
THE WORK AT HOME
While the Boys in Blue were at the front, fighting the battles of their country, those who remained at home were not unmindful of the interests of the soldiers and their families. Scarcely had the first echoes of the war tocsin died away when the work of relief was. inaugurated in a meeting held at the old Athenæum in Keokuk on Monday evening, April 22, 1861. Henry Strong presided and George W. McCrary acted as secretary. A committee of twenty was appointed to solicit subscriptions to a fund to provide aid for the families of those who might enlist, and through the efforts of this. committee a considerable sum of money was assured. This encour- aged many to enlist, knowing that the needs of their wives and chil- dren would be provided for while the head of the family was in the army.
On Saturday evening, April 27, 1861, a similar meeting was held in Fort Madison. A committee of five was appointed to solicit con- tributions to a relief fund, and another committee, consisting of one from each ward, was selected to wait upon the mayor and city coun- cil and urge an appropriation for the support of families of soldiers actually mustered into service. Through the work of the former
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committee a relief fund of generous proportions was raised, and that the latter was successful is seen by the following action taken by the mayor and board of aldermen on May 15, 1861, in the unanimous adoption of these resolutions :
"I. That the sum of $2,000 be and the same is hereby appro- priated for the purpose of furnishing, taking care of and supplying the wants of volunteers who have lately enlisted from this place, and tendered their services to the Executive of this State for the purpose of defending our Government, and that said sum or any part thereof be used and disbursed by F. Hesser, C. Brewster, H. Catter- mole, H. M. Salmon and B. Hugel, on the part of the town, and the mayor, Aldermen Kiel and McHenry, on the part of the board of aldermen, of this city; and it is understood that the favoring applica- tion is to apply to all and every necessary expense, whether credited or .to be credited, that has been, or may be, for the welfare of the aforesaid volunteers or their families until otherwise provided.
"2. That the mayor is hereby authorized and instructed to issue in such amounts as said committee shall find most convenient, the above $2,000 in corporation cash notes, bearing 10 per cent interest, due in one year from date, but redeemable at any time sooner, at the will of the board, and receivable for all cash corporation taxes.
"3. That the above notes shall be known as 'Fort Madison War Notes.' "
While the organized relief work centered at Keokuk and Fort Madison, the people of the county as a whole were not backward in giving aid to the families of volunteers. On August 14, 1862, at a war meeting in Fort Madison, Samuel Boyles was appointed to present the following resolutions to the board of county supervisors of Lee County :
"1. That the County of Lee will pay to each married man who volunteers under the two recent calls of the Government $75, and to each single man $50, after he shall have been sworn in and accepted by the United States mustering officer; and that for the purpose of paying the above bounty, there be a tax of five and one-half mills on the dollar levied upon all taxable property of the county, to be called the 'County War Tax.'
"2. That the president of the board be instructed to issue war notes to the amount of $38,000, said notes to be in amounts of from one to one hundred dollars, to bear interest at the rate of 8 per cent per annum, and to become due in nine months from date, and to be receivable in payment of the above tax.
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"3. That, for the purpose of raising the money in the most expeditious manner possible, we appoint one or more persons in each township, who shall call upon every man therein and sell said notes for cash, dollar for dollar; and that every man in each township will be expected to buy at least the amount required to pay his tax; and that the said persons so appointed shall on next Saturday (August 23) pay over to the county treasurer the amounts received from the sale of said notes; and on Monday, the Ist day of September next, they shall again pay over to the treasurer all money so received ; and the collector or collectors of each township shall make a statement of the total amount received in his or their township on the sale of said notes, and shall also publish the names of all persons who shall refuse to pay at least one dollar.
"4. That the president of the board shall issue to each person who has or shall volunteer under the two recent calls, when the person presents to the president of the board the certificate of the captain of his company, showing that he has been sworn in and accepted by the mustering officer, an order on the treasurer for the amount to which he shall be entitled.
"5. That all persons who have paid any money to soldiers who have volunteered under the two recent calls of the Government, shall have the same refunded to them in said notes."
The resolutions were adopted by the board of supervisors on August 18, 1862, and through this novel method of raising money Lee County was enabled to raise her quota of volunteers without placing upon the shoulders of her people a bonded debt, as was done in some localities. The "war notes" were liberally taken by the people of the county and the same were redeemed in the payment of the "war tax," so that at no time was the debt burdensome. This plan was pursued throughout the war, all bounties paid by the county being provided by issues of notes and the levying of a tax for their redemption.
No approximate estimate can be made of the amounts given in individual offerings by charitable inclined persons. Whenever some soldier's family stood in need of assistance it was forthcoming. The sum thus contributed ran into thousands of dollars, of which no account was kept. Many a basket of provisions found its way to the home of some soldier; shoes, clothing and school books were given to soldiers' children; the son or daughter of a volunteer were given preference in the matter of employment by many of the citizens, and in many other ways relief was afforded those who had sent loved ones to the front to preserve the Union.
CHAPTER XIII
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR AND MILITIA
SPANISH RULE IN CUBA-INSURRECTIONS AMONG THE CUBANS-THE TEN YEARS' WAR-SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES-DESTRUC- TION OF THE MAINE-ACTION OF CONGRESS-DECLARATION OF WAR -IOWA READY-FIFTIETH AND FIFTY-FIRST INFANTRY-IOWA NATIONAL GUARD-TWO COMPANIES IN LEE COUNTY.
For four centuries after the discovery of America, the Island of Cuba was a dependency of Spain. When Spain was losing her other American possessions one by one, the people of Cuba remained loyal in their allegiance, and when the Spanish dynasty was overthrown by Napoleon in 1808 the Cubans declared war against Napoleon. Their loyalty received a poor recompense, however, for in 1825 a royal decree placed the lives and fortunes of the Cubans at the absolute disposal of the captains-general, or governors of the island. The "conquistadores" were slow in coming, but they had at last arrived.
In 1829 a conspiracy was formed for the purpose of throwing off the Spanish yoke, but it was discovered and crushed before the conspirators were ready to begin active operations. Then followed the uprising of the blacks in 1844, the futile expeditions of Lopez in 1849-50, and the "Ten Years War"-from 1868 to 1878-during which Spain threatened to make a desert of the island. Two hundred and fifty-seven thousand soldiers were sent to Cuba and so great was the sacrifice of life that less than fifty thousand of them returned to Spain. Three hundred million dollars' worth of property was destroyed during the war and an enormous debt contracted, which was saddled upon the Cubans as a penalty for their rebellion.
One effect of the war was to make the Spanish governors more tyrannical in their administration of affairs. Added to this was the heavy burden of the war debt, hence it was not long until the people of Cuba began planning another insurrection. Experience had taught them to move with caution and for more than fifteen years they carried on their preparations with the greatest secrecy.
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In 1895 the insurrection broke out at several places simultaneously. The revolutionists were led by Gomez and Maceo. Captain-General Campos conducted his military movements along lines established by civilized warfare, which was not satisfactory to the Spanish authori- ties, who removed him and placed General Weyler in command. Weyler adopted the policy 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 insurgents. The inhumanity that accompanied this policy soon aroused the indigna- tion of the civilized world. The supply of food was inadequate to the demand of the "reconcentrados," as the people confined in the cities were called, and many actually starved to death.
In the United States political conventions, commercial organi- zations in a number of cities, and some of the State Legislatures adopted resolutions calling on the Federal Government to intervene in behalf of the suffering Cubans. The proposition to raise a fund in the United States to feed the starving reconcentrados started riots in Havana, some holding that intervention on the part of the people of this country meant in the end the annexation of Cuba. The Atlantic Squadron of the United States Navy was ordered to the Dry Tortugas, within six hours sail of Havana, and on January 25, 1898, the Battleship Maine dropped anchor in the Harbor of Havana. The presence of this war vessel was not pleasing to the Spanish officials, who sought a measure of retaliation in sending the armored Cruiser Vizcaya to New York. Thus matters stood until February 9, 1898, when the Spanish minister to the United States resigned his position, and on the evening of the 15th the Maine was blown up, causing a loss of more than two hundred of her officers and men. A court of inquiry later found 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 the Maine, with its consequent loss of life, increased the excitement in the United States and the demands for intervention became more insistent. Still the Government declined to take any positive action, for the reason that General Blanco, who had succeeded General Weyler, issued a proclamation declaring a suspension of hostilities and announced that the reconcentrados would be permitted to return to their homes. American consuls soon reported that this promise was not being kept and that the suffering among the imprisoned people had not diminished in the least.
On March 8, 1898, Congress appropriated $50,000,000 for the national defense, but no further action was taken for more than a
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month, or until it was learned that General Blanco's promise to release the reconcentrados had not been fulfilled. On April 19, 1898, Congress adopted a resolution recognizing the independence of Cuba and demanding that Spain relinquish authority over and withdraw from the island. The resolution closed with these words : "The United States hereby disclaims any disposition or intention to exercise 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."
Under the resolution the President was authorized to employ the forces of the United States Army and Navy to aid Cuba, and an act was passed authorizing the increase of the army to 61,000 men. Rear Admiral Sampson was directed to blockade the Cuban ports. This was quickly followed by a formal declaration of war and a call for 125,000 volunteers, to be supplied from the militia of the several states as far as practicable.
The Iowa Legislature, which adjourned a short time before the declaration of war, in anticipation of such an event, had appropriated $500,000 "to aid the general government in case of war," and prep- arations were immediately commenced to fill any call for troops that might be made. On April 21, 1898, Adjutant-General Byers issued a general order to the company commanders in Iowa to have all officers and men undergo a physical examination. Two days later President Mckinley issued his proclamation calling for 125,000 men, and on the 25th the Governor of Iowa was advised by telegram from the secretary of war of the state's quota of troops under the call. The state fair grounds, near Des Moines, were secured as a point for mobilization of the Iowa National Guard, and the commanding officers of the four infantry regiments were ordered to report with their regiments, with the least possible delay. It was decided by the governor to continue the numbering of the volunteer regiments as shown by those which had been engaged in the Civil war. The First Regiment of the National Guard, therefore, became the Forty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry; the Second, Third and Fourth becoming respectively the Fiftieth, Fifty-first and Fifty-second regiments of Iowa Volunteer Infantry.
FIFTIETH INFANTRY
In this regiment-formerly the Second Regiment, Iowa National Guard-Lee County was well represented in Companies A, F and
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L, with a few men in other companies. Herman J. Huiskamp, of Fort Madison, was regimental quartermaster; Thornton B. Boyer, of Keokuk, chief musician in the regimental band, and Harry M. Rey- nolds, also of Keokuk, was a member of the band.
Company A belonged in Keokuk and at the time it was mustered into the service of the United States, May 17, 1898, the commissioned officers were as follows: Sumner T. Bisbee, captain; Thomas H. R. Rollins, first lieutenant; Emile F. Renaud, second lieutenant.
Of the non-commissioned officers, Victor H. Kelly was quarter- master sergeant, and the five line sergeants, in numerical order, were : Thomas C. McCalla, John M. Collins, Emil W. Ulrich, Albert D. Dunlap and George H. Armitage. William Eisenhuth was first corporal; Samuel V. Cox, second; Frank J. Davey, third; John H. Kerr, fourth; William D. Barr, fifth, and Joseph S. Collins, sixth. William L. Kirchner served as wagoner, and George W. Hardin, as artificer.
Privates-Ernest H. Anschutz, Harry W. Ballou, Warren T. Bisbee (promoted corporal), William G. Blood, Hugh Brennan, Hillhouse Buel, Harry C. Burt, Pearl C. Campbell, William H. Car- penter, James L. Collins, Joseph W. Collins, William H. Collins, Charles F. Collisson, Michael F. Connelly, James Conners, Stuart W. Crafts, Edwin Crawford, Ralph Daugherty, Charles H. Fergu- son (promoted corporal), Joseph Filker, James M. Ford, Joseph K. Foulkes, Joseph P. Garrity, Mark C. Garver, William Gavin, Wil- liam F. E. Glewe, Patrick Griffin, Malachi Griffin, George M. Hamilton, Charles C. Harr, Frank L. Head, Jacob W. Heintz, Wil- liam H. Henneman, Herman H. Hesse, Andrew J. Hickey, Joseph F. Holden, Samuel W. Hovey, Sebus N. Jacobs, Christ Jacobson, Benjamin S. Jones, George W. Jones, Alva A. Kendrick, Charles W. Kerns, Henry M. Kesselring, John B. Kiel, Charles W. Laehn, Joseph S. Leindecker, John N. I. Limburg, David C. Lingo, Lloyd S. Lowrie, George H. McCormick, William H. McDowell, Frank J. Martin, Joseph N. Martin, William D. Miller, Joseph H. Morn- ingway, Harmon W. Moss, George W. Nair, Edward G. O'Brian, Walter E. Phillips, Richard H. Pyles, Preen Rees, John K. Rickey, Robert S. Robertson, Robert G. Roche, Charles J. Simmonds, Clyde E. Smales, Simon P. Smith, John Snider, Joseph A. Sterne, Edward F. Tigue, Bertram B. Townsend, William M. VanSteenwyk, Pierce R. Williams, Nick Worth, Jr., Leo C. Zindel.
The commissioned officers of Company F were all from Fort Madison, viz .: Frederick C. Chambers, captain ; Herbert W. Davis, first lieutenant; Joseph R. Frailey, second lieutenant.
V
Lofto)-
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Edward Prichett was quartermaster sergeant; Clarence S. Pratt, first sergeant; John L. Prichett, second; John J. Garner, third; Charles B. Chambers, fourth; Roy Byers, fifth. The six corporals, in numerical order, were: James S. Palin, Frank V. Alden, Charles W. Jones, Harry E. Winters, Edward K. Morrison and George W. Eddy. Martin J. Buckwar served as wagoner and Samuel F. Hoff- meister, as artificer.
Privates-Clinton Arnold, Edgar W. Caldwell, Robert F. Carter, Leroy H. Childs, Fred G. Colton, Hugh C. Craig, Roscoe A. Ellis, Arthur D. Fletcher, Bert H. Forney, Frederick H. Frailey (pro- moted corporal), George L. Garner, John Gebelein, Charles Hahn, George Halfman, Hiram E. Hamilton, Charles T. Hollowell, Thomas P. Hollowell, Louis J. Hugel (promoted corporal), Charles W. Hunt (promoted corporal), Raymond R. Jackson, John O. Jones, George J. Koellner, August E. Krabbe, Charles E. Lightfoot, Charles C. Martin, John P. Mason, William O. Mitchell, George M. Moore, George H. Nagel, Benjamin F. Newlon, Oliver J. Ran- dell, William T. Reeder, Wayne D. Reynolds, Frank Sieman, Ira L. Smith, Walter G. Smith, Percy A. Stewart, John S. Troja, William J. Troja, Edward L. Vogel, Max E. Wagner, Ivey W. Watkins, Harry Woodmansee, Mark Woodmansee.
On April 26, 1898, John A. Dunlap was commissioned captain of Company L, and the following privates in that company were credited to Lee County: Arthur D. Allison, Guy E. Blakeslee, Philarmon Cook, William J. Dwyer, Peter Egley, James J. Fallon, Bennett J. Hill, Oscar Hopson, Frank R. Johnson, Ambrose Ken- nedy, Thomas J. Palmer, Frank J. Peffers, George L. Perrigo, George T. Ribyn, Bennett P. Rulon, William H. Smith, Carl W. Trott, Ray Wheatley.
The following Lee County men served as privates in the com- panies indicated : Joseph M. Finerty, Company E; Martin G. Holt, Company G; Charles R. Hough, Company H; James S. Burrows, Company I, and George V. Jenkins, Company M.
The Fiftieth was mustered into the United States service at Camp McKinley, Des Moines, May 17, 1898, with Douglas V. Jackson as colonel. Orders were received four days later to proceed by rail to Tampa, Florida, but its destination was changed to Jacksonville, where it went into camp on the 24th. The location of the camp was such that a considerable amount of sickness prevailed and a number died. On the Ist of August the command was moved to higher ground. Here the Iowa troops were visited on August 9, 1898, by Governor Shaw and Adjutant-General Byers, who made an inspec- Vol. I-15
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tion of the camp with a view to bettering the sanitary conditions. On August 20, 1898, Colonel Jackson resigned and Lieut. Col. Elliott T. Lambert was promoted to the command of the regiment. Orders were received from the war department on September 12, 1898, directing the return of the Fiftieth to Iowa. It arrived at Des Moines on the 17th, when the men were given a furlough for thirty days. The furloughs were subsequently extended ten days, when it became evident that the war was over and on November 30, 1898, the men were assembled and mustered out. At the close of his official report, Colonel Lambert says :
"I desire to take this opportunity again to express my gratitude to the officers and men of my command for their many courtesies and the willingness with which they cooperated with me in all the work for the betterment of the entire regiment. I can assure you that no regiment ever entered the service that was more loyal, ener- getic, enthusiastic, or more anxious to demonstrate to the world that they would fight to the death for the honor of the flag and their country."
FIFTY-FIRST INFANTRY
So far as shown by the muster rolls of the Iowa troops in the Spanish-American war, only one Lee County man was enabled to see service outside of the United States. That was William J. Miller, who enlisted at Keokuk, May 5, 1898, as a member of the regimental band. He was mustered in with the regiment at Des Moines, May 30, 1898, and about a month later was transferred to Company E, where he remained as a private until February 18, 1899, when he was transferred back to the band and served as musician until mus- tered out with the regiment at San Francisco, California, November 2, 1899.
On June 2, 1898, the regiment, commanded by Col. John C. Loper, received orders to proceed to San Francisco, where it re- mained in camp until November 3, 1898, when it embarked for Manila, Philippine Islands. While in service in the Philippines it was engaged at a number of places, including Culi Culi Church, Calumpit, San Fernando, Quingua, Pulilan and a number of minor actions. On September 4, 1899, it was ordered home and arrived at San Francisco on the 22d of October. There it was assigned to its old camp at the Presidio, where it remained until November 2, 1899, when the men were mustered out and returned to Iowa.
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IOWA NATIONAL GUARD
Section 1, article 6, of the state constitution of 1857, provides that "The militia of this state shall be composed of all able-bodied male citizens, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, except such as are or may hereafter be exempt by the laws of the United States, or of this state; and shall be armed, equipped and trained as the general assembly may provide by law."
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