The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 53

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 807

USA > Iowa > Clinton County > The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its. > Part 53

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).

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and that a man and woman riding in a covered wagon, driving a brown and a white horse, had picked up the child and carried it away with them ; that they were now living across a river that looked to her very muddy ; that there were Indians,there and that the child was well, etc.

The father returned home full of hope and began preparations for an immediate journey in pursuit of his child as indicated by the gifted " second- sight " seeress. The excitement among the neighbors over this wonderful unfolding of the mystery which surrounded the child's loss was great. Mean- while, the anxiety, grief and later excitement of the father induced a fever and delirium. Before his recovery, the winter had set in and the shallow lake had frozen over. One day, an old man, who was hunting for mink along the shore. discovered among the tall grass and weeds that grew in the water the dress of a child partly above the ice. He broke the ice, and, carefully removing it, brought up the body of the little one remarkably preserved.

It may be further added that a threatened prosecution of Tennessee by Mr. O'Brien, under the special statute of vagrancy, together with a prosecution which was actually commenced against her, induced her hasty exit from the State, but not, however, as is believed, by those who are conversant with the facts, before she had duped residents of the county out of something like $3,000 during her three months' career in Lyons.

A PIONEER WOMAN'S EXPEDIENT.

William Burton, with his family, came from Ohio in 1837, and settled near De Witt, where he now resides. His wife, who died many years since, related to our informant, in after years, the following anecdote, illustrative of the pri- vations of the time, and of woman's expedients in meeting them :

She relates that one day, when she had nothing in the house in the way of flour, two pioneer neighboring ladies paid her a visit, ostensibly a social one, but really to ascertain how she was getting along, as they had heard that the family, being new-comers, were scanty of fare. Mrs. Burton received her guests, invited them to the hospitalities of her cabin, her mind already at work to solve the bread problem. Leaving her guests, as soon as etiquette would per- mit, to entertain themselves, she went to the wheat field, where she knew were some ripened heads, and reaped her apron full, rubbed them out with her hands, ground them in a coffee-mill, sifted her meal and baked her shortcakes, present- ing to her guests palatable bread at meal-time. Her visitors could not avoid an expression of surprise at being so bountifully entertained, particularly with wheat bread, saying that they had had no wheat flour in months. Mrs. Burton gravely informed them that they had quite a supply, and were getting along nicely.

THE LEGEND OF JAKEY LEPPER AND THE GAME OF " PHARAOH."

Among the humorous incidents connected with the early days, perhaps there are few that were more amusing than the experience of Mr. Lepper in his first acquaintance with the fascinating game of faro.

Mr. Lepper resided near Center Grove, where he farmed it and kept a hotel. Loading up his wagon with a miseellaneous cargo-a little wheat, a lit- tle corn, a few oats, and surmounted with a couple of dressed hogs, he drove to Camanche, where he disposed of his produce to Butcher & Dailey. Mr. Butcher had a friend, Charles Mallette, who was a slick-looking man, and who could -deal faro " so that players would win, or so that they wouldn't win." Mr. Lepper stepped into the room where Mallette was entertaining " the bo

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

and soon laid down a quarter. It won. He laid down another, and was again the winner. After winning five or six dollars, he said : "This is the game I have been looking for. This is better than selling pork at $2.25; I am going to put out my team and try this game." Mr. Butcher gave him a cautionary word, that "the game doesn't always run so smooth, Mr. Lepper; " but it did not do. After returning to the business of the hour, our friend soon found his luck changed, and his winnings and his load of produce was in the "banker's" till. On his way home, he met Judge Leffingwell, when the following colloquy passed :

"Judge, I have been down to Camanche, and the boys have got a new game. It's a slick one."

" What is the game, Mr. Lepper ?"

"I don't rightly remember, Mr. Leffingwell, the name they call it; but it is a slick game. Why, it's the name of one of the old kings we read of in the Bible."

" Was it Moses ?"

" No; that's not the name."

" Joshua ?"

"No, that don't sound like it. Why, it's the fellow who was drowned in the river."

" Oh, the Red Sea, you mean ; his name was Pharaoh."

"You've struck it, Mr. Leffingwell ; Pharaoh 's the game. It's a slick one."

Gen. N. B. Baker rendered the legend in the style of Hiawatha. Judge Dillon, while holding court at De Witt, adjourned and announced that the General would read the poem, which he did, to the great amusement of all present.

THE LEGEND OF JAKEY LEPPER AND THE GAME OF "PHARAOH."

"Jakey Lepper, with his horses, Horses fierce and very pranky, Pranky as a prancing war-horse, War-horse rushing on to battle,

'Midst the clouds of powder-smoke,

Started for the great CAMANCHE, Down upon the Mississippi,

Where the islands once were covered

O'er with 'woods and wigwams,

Wigwams for the dusky Indians.

"Jakey Lepper, with his horses,

Had a wagon, very creaking, Creaking, too, with load so loudly That the children of the neighbors Ran, in fright, across the prairies.

" But Jakey Lepper's journey ended, Ended down at high Camanche, Where he sold his load of farm-stuff, Load of pork and wheat and such stuff.

"Then he found a place-a place to drink in; Drink that kills at longest distance ; Whisky, known as ' forty-rodder,' 'Tangle-foot' or ' bug-juice.'

"Soon he found the ' Camanche Chieftain,'

Butcher, calm as summer's morning, Owner of the flatboat ' Peggy,' And the flag-ship ' Roaring Gimlet,' Owner of the greatest grain-store; Funny fellow, and a joker, Joker, smiling, smooth and jolly.

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"Ned proposed to go to Buster's, Buster's, where they had some toddy, Toddy, smooth and very charming, Charming for a weary fellow, Fellow who had sold his produce Just at highest price per bushel, And his hogs upon a market rising.

" Here they had a little snifter, Snifter good for weary persons Who have traveled down from high Elvira, Down through mud and through the water.

"Soon they saw a busy shuffling, Shuffling of the cards-cards with 'picturs,' Picturs on a piece of pasteboard.

" Here, the legendary tale. Tale of Lepper and his ventures, Resteth, till, with wagon emptied, He drives his horses pranky O'er the trails of Center Grove.

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" When are reached the groves of Center, Where stood the home of Jakey Lepper, He was met by the friendly . Willyum,' William, since for legal lore distinguished, Who no longer, down in Center, Plows the soil and hoes the 'tatar.'

"Filled with the day's adventures was our hero, Sad adventures with the wild Camanches, . And the conflict with the ' tiger,' In the house of Richard Buster.

"' William,' spoke our ' busted' granger, . William, in the place that's kept by Buster, A funny game I saw the boys a-playing ; Such a game I never saw before. Edward looked, and was amaz-ed, Amazed to see such funny playing, Playing never seen before.'

"One deck dealt from a box, the other spreaded, Spreaded out like Butcher's searches For lands of which he might be owner When, with Judge's sign and mandate, Sammy Brown caught the 'Chieftain,' and in durance kept him.

"Butcher soon saw what the game was, Told me also what the scheme was, Told me how I soon could learn it, And how to place my coin to beat it.

" A quarter on that covered table put I, Table where the spreaded cards lay, Lay so pretty and seductive, And I found in half a minute, Brought my coin another with it.

"This repeated, soon within my pocket rested Coins that, as I counted, happy made me. Then thought I it will be better, Better thus to earn some money Than by selling wheat at only thirty, Thirty cents and nothing more.

" So with larger coins I tried the faster To gather from the cards thus spreaded Gains I sometimes had dreamed of But had never seen before.

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" 'In the stable put the horses pranky,' Said I to the grinning hostler, As his palm closed on the silver Taken from my growing store.

"They called a fellow there a ' tiger,' Tiger fierce and very greedy, Greedy as the wolf in winter, Winter when the storm goes howling, Howling wild the prairies o'er.

"At the tiger then I buck-ed, Bucked with money hard-earned Money got for all my farm load, Farm load raised up in Elvira, Elvira high, my prairie home.

" Then I bet a paper dollar, Put it down, quite sure of winning, Winning back a dollar more. Now no longer ran the game so smoothly, Smoothly as it ran before.

" Malette he won my wealth, in he raked it, Raked it from the cards there spreaded Out on the table, where they lay So pretty and seductive, Seductive now no more.

"' Do you know him, William, know Mallette ? Mallette who Butcher says a " heavy dog is ?" Heavy also in his " dealing," Heavy in his cards and counters,

Heavy in his chips and checks, that is

What they call the thing he bets with."

" In less time than I can tell you, Tell you of my rapid losses, Losses fighting that fierce tiger, I was stripped of every shilling.

"'That's a curus game, William, curus,

Curus in the way they play it, Curus in the way you bet it,

Curus in the way you win it,

Curus in the way you lose it,

Curus in the way you deal it,

Curus, any way you fix it.'

" William knew not what the game was, And Jakey Lepper thus continued :

"' In the books of ancient story, Stories told of ancient fellows. Stories told somewhere in Scriptur, In some place that you may know of, It is told how some old monarch, Monarch fierce and wrathy, Chased some people or some children O'er some creek, or muddy river, O'er some brook or roaring water, Where the water in its fury, Rising on the ones pursuing, Swamped them, swamped them underneath it.'

"Then out spake William, learned in sacred lore, ' Why, Jacob, you must speak of Pharaoh.'

"'Pharaoh ! Pharaoh, it's right ; you struck it. Struck it, William ; the game's a slick one, And its name is Pharaoh.' "

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WAR HISTORY.

For outburst of patriotism in the first rush to arms, for continued devotion in the protracted contest, for unfaltering confidence in the final result, for unfailing courage in darkest hours, and for patient endurance under severest sacrifices, the history of the North is a grand one; and the record made during the bloody days of the rebellion a proud one.

When the contest was forced upon the country, the people, so long at peace that the clash of arms had never been heard by the generation, were quietly pursuing their peaceful employments, making farms or cultivating those already made, erecting homes, founding cities and towns, building shops and factories, or in the professions devoting mind and body to useful pursuits. The country was but just recovering in a degree from the depression and losses of the panic- of 1857. The future was full of hope and promise. The threatened calamity, like the distant mutterings of a coming storm, was but a whisper. True patriots, the people of the North discredited the threats of the rebels, who were plotting the ruin of the best government the world had produced.

But when the flag fell, in April, 1861, from the battlements of Sumter, the North awoke. Dazed for a moment, like a giant suddenly aroused from deep slumber, it stood breathless ; the next witnessed an outburst unparalleled in the annals of time. Scarce had the last click of the telegraph given the full tidings, and the call of our martyred President for 75,000 men, than the quota was filled ; and the night-shades had scarce fallen before regiments of men were moving toward the capital of the nation. Men and means were offered without stint. Patriotism thrilled and pulsated every heart. The farm, the workshop, the office, the pulpit, the bar, the bench, the college, the school- house-every calling offered its best men, their lives and fortunes, in defense of the Government's honor and its unity. Party lines for the time were ignored. Bitter words, spoken in the heat of political contests, were forgiven and forgotten ; and, joining hands in a common cause, the masses of the people repeated the emphatic words of America's soldier-statesman, " By the great Eternal, the Union must and shall be preserved."

The gauntlet thrown down in insolence by the misguided men of the South, was taken up in sorrow, but with a determined spirit of patriotism and love of country.

The belief that the war would be of short duration was soon dispelled, and the people were confronted with the dismal prospect of an internicine struggle, long, bloody and desperate. But the determination of the people was equal to the emergency. Call succeeded call, but to every demand came a ready response, until nearly three and a half millions of men had taken the field in answer to the demands of the Government.

Of the sacrifices of life, of the treasures of wealth poured out before the old flag waved triumphantly over the whole Union, the people well know.

In this war the State of Iowa made a most glorious record. She was most nobly represented by her brave sons on every battle-field, and Clinton County promptly responded to her country's call. Instantly upon the fall of the flag the county was aflame, and, until the last armed foe had surrendered, her gallant sons, by birth or adoption, were freely offering their lives in defense of the government they loved.

On the 15th of April, President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 men, and, three days later, recruiting began in Clinton County in response to the call. che alle Digitized by

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

Capt. H. P. Cox prepared a muster-roll in Lyons, and Lieut. Thomas Snowde one in Clinton.

On Thursday evening, April 18, a war meeting was held in Lyons whic filled their largest hall to overflowing. It was presided over by Mayor Samue G. Magill, and, as expressed in the report of the Lyons Advocate, "Th speech of the President was earnest, forcible, and running over with patriotism. "The President took his seat amid deafening cheers of the assembled multitude each one of whom seemed to be brimful of patriotism, as was the case also wit quite a number of ladies present. The portrait of Washington was brought int the room as the cheers for the Chairman subsided, but, as the calm and placi face was placed above the seats occupied by the officers, a perfect furore applause greeted it." Patriotic airs were sung, doubtless, with an expressio and depth of feeling never before experienced by those present. Speeche were made and appropriate resolutions adopted, and many expressed their will ingness to "pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor" in th cause, if need be. On the next day, the proper muster-rolls were prepared, an seventeen men enrolled their names upon them at once.

On the 19th of April, a large and enthusiastic meeting was held in Clinton presided over by Mayor John C. Bucher, and Dennis Whitney, Secretary The lines of party were for the time 'obliterated, and the unanimous voice wa that of patriotic sentiment. At the close of the meeting, nineteen men enrolle themselves as volunteers to serve for three months or during the war, and sum of money were pledged for the expenses of equipping and furnishing neede supplies.

These men formed the nucleus for the first company raised in the county and a week later its ranks were filled. The company was at first called th Clinton County Guards. The outburst of enthusiasm had spread throughou the State. Five companies had hurried to the rendezvous at Davenport. A yet but little system or methodical action had developed. The storm had burs suddenly. No provision for equipping and placing troops in the field ha been made by the State, and the executive officers for the moment were bewi dered by the crisis with which they were confronted. In this emergency, th people sprang into the breach, and not only furnished the men, but also th material of war. On the 27th of April, the City Council of Lyons appropr ated $650 to purchase the material with which to equip the "Clinton Count Guards." The women, to whom and to their loyal sisters throughout the who land the nation is ever a debtor for their unselfish devotion, sacrifices, ministra tions and prayers from the hour when the first shock came until the hour whe the memory of the last fallen patriot had been embalmed in the sorrow-stricke heart of mother, wife, sister or lover, to the number of about fifty assembled and, as expressed by the editor of the Advocate, "all with busy hands an devoted hearts were preparing garments for those who have volunteered defend what these ladies love next to their Father in Heaven-the flag of the country. What hand can falter when the ladies of the land show such devotio to the cause ? What heart will faint when encased in the uniform prepared b such hands, the seams of which may have been moistened by the tears of lov -- unbidden tears, that the necessity should exist for such a work." Tw weeks later, a list of the names of eighty-seven ladies who had assisted in th work of preparing the uniforms of this company was published. This compan soon went forward fully uniformed in gray, trimmed with red, and joined th Second Iowa Infantry as Company I June 5, 1861, with the following officers Captain, H. P. Cox; First Lieutenant, Noel B. Howard; Second Lieutenan

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Thomas Snowden. The day previous to their departure, they were presented with an elegant silk flag by the ladies of Lyons.

This company, the first of the many sent from Clinton County to defend the Union, was enlisted for three months ; but, upon their arrival at Keokuk, it was announced that no more three-months' enlistments were being accepted, and the term must be for three years unless sooner discharged. An eye-witness thus described the scene when this announcement was made: "Tuesday, at 9 A. M., we were suddenly called into line, and our Lieutenant read to us the ' articles of war and explained to us that we were to be sworn in for three years, unless sooner discharged. An opportunity was then given to any one to leave the ranks who did not wish to take the oath on those conditions. No one left the ranks. We then broke ranks, and, being called together at 11 o'clock A. M., one of the number did not wish to go, stating that he could not be away from his family so long. We had pretty fairly discussed the three-year question before, and, although some seemed to think that some, fair ones would be looking for them before then, all came to the conclusion that they must wait. Country first, and then home and those who make it, recognizing 'without a country there is no home.'" At 12 o'clock, they took their stand in line, the oath was administered and Clinton County had given its first company of brave men into the service of the United States. Out of this company the first soldier fell, Corporal Albert E. Winchell, who was killed by the accidental discharge of a comrade's musket while the company were on scouting service in Missouri, June 27, 1861. After arduous service for the term of their enlistment, many of the members who survived returned home in the summer of 1864, and those who re-enlisted were consolidated into six companies, known as the Second Iowa Veteran Infantry, Lieut. Col. N. B. Howard, and, in November follow- ing, the veterans of the Third Iowa were merged with them, with Col. Howard in command.

Meanwhile, W. E. Leffingwell and others were engaged in raising a com- pany of cavalry, which was then known as the "Hawk-Eye Rangers." This company furnished their own horses and accouterments. Many of the horses were sold by the farmers to the young men who had more courage than cur- rency, upon securities that would give a bank discount clerk "awful pause." The ranks of this company were soon filled to one hundred strong, and, on the 25th of July, left for the rendezvous at Burlington. As indicated above, this company was raised and equipped without State or Government aid, and was the first fully equipped company of cavalry raised in Iowa. It became Company B, First lowa Cavalry, and was officered as follows: Captain, W. E. Leffingwell ; First Lieutenant, S. S. Burdette; Second Lieutenant, William H. DeFreest.

July 24, 1861, the company was presented with a beautiful flag of blue silk, and bordered with golden stars, the name of the company being displayed upon the one side while the reverse bore the name emblematically represented by a hawk and an eye. In the talons of the bird was the motto-" We will meet you on the border." Their departure is described as follows : " At an early hour on Thursday morning, the bugle sounded the 'assembly,' and in a very short time the barracks were astir with the preparations for departure. There was but one attempt at cheering that we heard, the feelings of the people being entirely too much wrought up to indulge in a hearty cheer. With the dis- astrous results of the last few days in full recollection-all felt that going forth to war was no trifling matter." This was on July 25. only four days after the disastrous battle of Bull Run. The company marched overland to Burlington, and became Company B, First Iowa Cavalry.

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At or about the same time, a company of cavalry with the nomme de guer of "Black Plume Rangers " was being recruited at Clinton. This compa was filled, and, on September 1, they departed for the rendezvous joini the First Cavalry as Company M, with the following officers : Captain, H. Ankeny ; First Lieutenant, James Crissey ; Second Lieutenant, J. Crosby.

The next organization from this county was Company A, Eighth Infantr This company was raised in Camanche, Eden, De Witt, Orange and Cent principally, and was mustered in September 5, 1861. The commanding office were : Captain, Charles Stearns, De Witt; First Lieutenant, Henry Mul Camanche; Second Lieutenant, Hezekiah Browning, De Witt.

In a little more than a month later, October 22, 1861, still another co pany took the field. A portion of this organization, however, was composed men from Linn County. The officers who went out with this command wer Captain, John C. Marvin, Clinton ; First Lieutenant, William T'. Bagley, Mou Vernon ; Second Lieutenant, Robert L. Wilson, Cedar Rapids, and was mu tered in as Company K, Tenth Infantry.

Within less than a month, November 15, 1861, Company A, Fifteen Infantry, was mustered into the service. This company was recruited by Cap Josiah Kittle ; First Lieutenant, William Swansen ; Second Lieutenant, Jes Penniman, all of Lyons, and who went out in command of the company, a Sergeant (afterward Lieutenant) John F. Evans, and Sergeant Alonzo Ha field, both of De Witt. All these gentlemen had been detailed on this servic This company was raised in Lyons, and about De Witt, though there were m in its ranks from various townships in the county. and they made a brillia record during their service.

The next organization to take the field was one recruited by John H. Smi and M. D. Madden, and was commanded as follows : Captain, J. Henry Smit Camanche ; First Lieutenant, W. H. Hoyt, Camanche; Second Lieutenal M. D. Madden, Lyons. This company has been called the " Lion Company Clinton County," and this without disparagement of any of the other co panies, none of whom made other than a proud record. This regiment gain notice for its terrific fighting, and at Atlanta nearly the whole regiment w captured. Capt. Smith. with some comrades, escaped from the rebel pris hell, and, after the most terrible hardships, reached the sea-coast and four refuge on a Union war vessel. The whole command re-enlisted, and serv until the close of the war. This company was mustered in, December 1 1861. as Company A, Sixteenth Infantry. This company was recruited Camanche and Lyons, although, of course, the surrounding townships co tributed largely to the ranks.

On the 28th of February, 1862, another company was mustered in. Th was known as Company F, Sixteenth Infantry, and the following officers we to the field with it: Captain, Edward S. Fraser, Davenport ; First Lieute ant, Josiah Heavner, Wheatland ; Second Lieutenant, Peter Miller, J Lyons. This company was raised in Wheatland and vicinity and in Lyons a vicinity, with a portion of the command from Scott County.

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The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 53

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 807

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 807