USA > Indiana > Adams County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 17
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 17
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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 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
CIVIL WAR BODIES AT GENEVA
On July 24, 1882 (the same year of the organization of the Decatur Post ), the John P. Porter Post No. 83, of Geneva, was organized with fifteen members, thus commemorating the services of the brave and efficient Decatur surgeon, whose fate was similar to that of Maj. Sam Henry. The first elective officers of the Geneva Post were: John M. Holloway, commander; W. H. Fought, senior vice commander; Lafayette Rape, junior vice commander; J. C. Hale, adjutant ; S. G. Ralston, surgeon : W. R. Meeks, chaplain. The John P. Porter Post was fairly prosperous for a number of years, as it drew its member- ship from quite an area of country covering the southern townships, but with the decline of Geneva and natural removals and deaths, it has gradually gone out of existence. In 1884 the MePherson Camp No. 11, Sons of Veterans, was also organized at Geneva, and was for some time not only the only aetive organization of the kind in the county, but in the entire state. The John P. Porter Relief Corps No. 119 was mustered on January 20, 1898.
In 1886 both a Woman's Relief Corps and a Sons of Veteran Camp were organized at Deeatur, but they have beeome quiescent ; the issues of another, and a greater war, now agitate every home and all genera- tions and classes.
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
The first military organization in Adams County to have what may be called a substantial history was Company B, of the Fourth Regiment, I. N. G. It was formed June 7, 1889, with Dr. Jonas Cover- dale as captain. Its records show that in 1891 the company was called out to guard the jail against a mob, and in 1894 it served twelve days at Hammond during the railroad riots at that point, under Capt. John Myers. Shortly afterward the organization was transferred to the Indiana National Guard, and upon the declaration of war against Spain in April, 1898, Edmond P. Miller, who since 1892 had risen
-
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from the ranks to the captainey of the company, assumed its com- mand. On the 23d of that month President MeKinley issued a call for 125,000 volunteers to serve for two years unless sooner discharged, and two days afterward Governor Mount received a message from the War Department announcing the quota assigned to Indiana.
COMPANY B, FOURTH INDIANA INFANTRY
To Camp Mount, named in honor of the governor, were ordered the First, Second, Third and Fourth regiments of the National Guard, and the first company to arrive on the ground was the or- ganization from Frankfort, Clinton County, the headquarters of which were almost within marching distance of Indianapolis. The first company of the Fourth Regiment to report was B, made up al- most entirely of Adams County men-sixty-nine from Decatur alone ; the remainder of the 110 from Berne, Geneva, Monmouth, Steele, Monroe, Pleasant Mills, Curryville, and a few outside points, several going from Wells County and Indianapolis. In May Captain Miller was promoted to be major of the Fourth Regiment and John M. Len- hart, who had served as first lieutenant since 1895, was advanced to the captainey. He retained the command until the muster-out of the company in April, 1899.
BECOMES THE 160TH REGIMENT IN FEDERAL SERVICE
The Fourth, which was composed of companies from Deeatur, Bluffton, Ossian, Marion, Lafayette, Wabash, Columbia City, War- saw, Tipton, Huntington, Anderson and Logansport, had all as- sembled at Camp Mount before the elose of April 26, 1898, and on May 16th was mustered into the volunteer service of the United States as the 160th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The regi- ment left Camp Mount and arrived at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Georgia, on the 18th of May. Under orders to proceed to Porto Rico, it reached Newport News, Virginia, on the 30th of July. The orders calling the regiment to Porto Rico having been countermanded, the 160th proceeded to Camp Hamilton, Lexington, Kentucky, where it arrived on August 23d. In November it was transferred to Co- lumbus, Georgia, and in January of the following year was ordered in three sections to Matanzas, Cuba, where they were united on the 27th of that month and went into camp. The regiment remained in Cuba until March 27th, when it proceeded to Savannah, Georgia, to prepare for muster-out, which occurred April 25, 1899. The 160th Vol. 1-11
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thus shared the common experience of other Indiana regiments, in that it had no active part in the Spanish-American war, although always ready and eager to participate. During this period of what, nevertheless, was faithful service, there were several changes in the lieutenancies. Solomon C. Edington, who resigned as first lieutenant in August, 1898, was succeeded by Charles E. Barnhart, who had been advanced a grade, and Lieutenant Barnhart's place was assumed by Richard D. Myers, formerly first sergeant.
Some of the volunteers of the 160th Regiment who went from Adams County returned ahead of the main body, but the larger part of Company B arrived home on the 5th of May. Although quite an impressive program had been arranged to welcome the boys as they stepped from the southern train, which included a speech by Mayor A. P. Beatty, the soldiers precipitately broke for their relatives and friends, evidently preferring more private welcomes; the prearranged ceremonies therefore were never "pulled off."
MOVEMENT FOR A SOLDIERS' MONUMENT
Before the erection of the impressive memorial in the Courthouse Square, the Sam Henry Post had a movable cenotaph commemorat- ing those who had served the Union from Adams County, which, on Decoration Day, was moved to the lawn or other scene of services and hung with wreaths and flags.
As Decoration Day came, year after year, with the ever-thinning ranks of those who placed the wreaths and the pathetic increase of the soldier graves, an idea took form in the minds of the younger, the stronger, and the still grateful generations, which developed into a definite plan to symbolize the gratitude and honor flowing in a steady tide from the stalwart, progressive present to the old-time patriots who had sacrificed so much in the line of duty, and most of whom had passed away-not unhonored, but not honored as befitting their faithful services. The movement which finally resulted in the soldiers' memorial monument at Decatur, the first in Indiana to be of- ficially supported by a county, seems to have had its inception in the aroused conscience and determination of French Quinn, who served as marshal of the Decoration Day for 1912. On the following Sunday, while reviewing in his mind the touching pictures of devotion dis- played in the thinning ranks of the old soldiers who still advanced bravely but tremblingly to the sad office of paying tribute to their former comrades in the flesh, Mr. Quinn wrote an earnest article for the Daily Democrat, urging the building of a soldiers' monu-
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ment. He seeured the co-operation of John H. Heller, and the Sam Henry Post was also soon working for the projeet. Thomas Mal- lonee, who was then commander, appointed a committee to "devise ways and means," comprising S. B. Fordyee, D. K. Shackley, Joshua R. Parrish, Fred F. French and L. N. Grandstaff. Having secured legal advice from A. P. Beatty and P. L. Andrews, a way was found to raise the necessary money to ereet the memorial other than by the rather tedious and uncertain method of gathering the funds through individual subscriptions. The county, as a solid body, was placed behind the enterprise; the county, baeked by the taxpayers. At the September session of the Board of County Commissioners the Ways and Means Committee of the Grand Army Post presented a petition signed by 2,500 voters (more than required by law) asking that an appropriation of $10,000 be made for the ereetion of a memorial to the soldiers of Adams County. The board, then comprising James D. Hendricks, Henry Zwick and Christ Eieher, granted it unani- mously.
SITE SELECTED AND CORNERSTONE LAID
In the following month, while on a business trip to Chicago, Mr. Quinn and F. M. Schirmeyer were introduced by the late William French, director of the Art Institute, to Charles Mulligan, as a seulp- tor well qualified to undertake the execution of the proposed me- morial. He was therefore seleeted for the work, submitted his de- sign to an advisory committee of citizens, and finished the work to the satisfaction of all. The contract for its execution in stone and bronze was awarded to the Wemhoff Monumental Works of Decatur for over $6,400. In April, 1913, a site for the work was selected on the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square, the monument to be set diagonally. Charles M. Dodd did the actual chiseling of the figures from the Bedford sandstone. Comrade Joshua Parrish had the honor of taking the first shovelful of earth when the ground was broken for the foundation and Comrade William H. Myers, a mason by trade, laid the first brick.
The cornerstone was laid September 6, 1913, by the comrades of the post as a whole. The exereises were opened by Mayor Judson W. Teeple, and James A. Hendrieks, president of the Board of Com- missioners, turned the monument over to the post for the expressed purpose of laying the cornerstone. The guard of honor then un- furled the post flag, Chaplain J. R. Parrish read a Scriptural lesson, and Quartermaster T. R. Mallonee placed in the vault at the north-
THE SOLDIERS MEMORIAL AT DECATUR
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east corner of the monument a box containing papers which gave a complete record of the monument movement and of the post and Re- lief Corps, with names of all those who had assisted in the work. Then the mechanical steps progressed rapidly, and when the last stone had been set, under the supervision of Chief Engineer George Wemhoff, Sculptors Mulligan and Dodd both came and personally gave the finishing touches to the monument. With Mr. Mulligan eame Mar- garet MeMasters Van Slyke, said to be Chicago's most perfectly formed woman, who posed for the figure of Peace, the central figure of the monument, during its retouching.
THE SOLDIERS OF FIVE WARS
The compiling of the soldiers' names for engraving on the monn- ment was quite a task. It was decided to place on the bronze plates on the two wings of the monument the names of all the soldiers of the Civil, Spanish-American and Mexican wars and the War of 1812, who had resided in the county, were buried within its limits or were living therein at the time the monument was dedicated. The members of the committee who had charge of the work were B. W. Sholty (chairman), P. L. Andrews, D. F. Quinn, R. D. Myers and L. N. Grandstaff. The result was the collection of 1,276 names, repre- senting 1,152 soldiers of the Civil war, 111 of the Spanish-American, 8 of the Mexican and 5 of the War of 1812. Even thought it was thought that the greatest vigilance had been used in the search, it was found after the names had been engraved that one omission had been made-that of Thomas Archbold, grandfather of Judge J. T. Merryman and County Treasurer W. J. Arehbold, and a great-grand- father of Dr. Roy Archbold, the Decatur dentist. IIe is the sole repre . sentative of the Revolutionary war.
DEDICATION OF THE MONUMENT
The completed monument was unveiled and dedicated in the midst of elaborate and appropriate ceremonies on the 30th of October, 1913. Business houses, residences and the monument, with surrounding grounds, were beautifully decorated under the general supervision of D. K. Shackley, and R. D. Myers, the Spanish-American war veteran, served as marshall of the parade. Governor Samuel M. Ralston de- livered the principal address at the unveiling and dedieatory exer- eises of the afternoon, and was attended by a number of state officials. Congressman John A. M. Adair was also present. Ex-State Senator
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John W. Tyndall, son of a Civil war veteran, served as master of ceremonies. County Attorney Clark Lutz, in behalf of the Board of commissioners, turned the monument over to the Grand Army of the Republic, after explaining that the $10,000 appropriation was se- cured by a tax levy of seven cents per hundred dollars of all taxable property, and that the monument, therefore, substantially repre- sented the entire people of the county. Miss Mary Hale, of Geneva, granddaughter of ex-Senator S. W. Hale, unveiled the monument. The exercises closed with addresses by Daniel W. Comstock, state com- mander of the Grand Army of the Republic, Col. W. L. Kiger, of Bluffton, B. W. Sholty and Col. Simeon Fordyce, chairman of the Monumental Committee, of Decatur. The last named concluded by returning the monument, after its dedication, to the representatives of the Board of County Commissioners for "its care and protection."
HOW THE MEMORIAL APPEARS
The following description of the monument is from the Decatur Daily Democrat, and was published at the time it was dedicated :
"Facing the southland, the scene of the late conflict, to which the greater number of our soldiers were given, stands our memorial for our brave soldiers. Since they made our country that of a liberty- loving, peace-loving nation, it is not strange that the conception of our monument should be a departure from the usual militant idea -- that its dominant figure should be that of Peace, the result of the conflict, rather than an expression of the means of the conflict. Peace is represented by the female figure of the nation, in heroic size, facing the right. Her left hand rests on the American shield, which in turn rests at her feet, as the conflict is over and she no longer has need of it on her arm for vital protection. On the shield are the thirteen stars and thirteen stripes. Back of the shield, at the side of the figure of Peace hangs the scabbard and sword, sheathed and at rest. Her right arm is extended and rests along the top of the monument, on the implements of war, now at rest-the gun, the cartridge box, the canteen, and the flags which are draped, or looped, around a now unused bier. In her hand she holds a laurel twig, symbolical of perseverance, ambition and glory. Her noble figure is elad in the flowing gown, falling from her steels or breastplate, which is formed of the spreading wings of the American eagle, the head of which pulsates with life, courage and inspiration, on her breast.
"The head of Peace is howed in reverence and respect, as in mourning for those who gave their lives for hers. The monument is
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built in Pylon or Exedra style. On either side of the central figure of Peace, extend the two wings of the main shaft of the monument, in open-book form. On each of the wings is a bronze tablet, bearing the names of all soldiers of the county, for whom the monument is erected. At the four corners of this shaft are spreading-winged American eagles, in the Egyptian style of architecture. At the base of the shaft is a seat-like projection for the accommodation of speak- ers, with a forum at the front of the figure of Peace. The seat is a distinctly new arrangement, and very admirable for the purpose. On either side of the forum are two vases on pedestals, which will be filled with flowers. Leading to the wide plaza that surrounds the shaft of the monuments are a series of five steps, nearly surrounding the monument. To the women of the war, has the rear of the monu- ment, which is equally if not more beautiful, been dedicated. The central figure of this represents in alto-relief a nurse on the field min- istering to a wounded soldier. A tree forms a battleground. The nurse is of the type of woman ever ready to do good, the type of woman, who at a call wraps a towel about her head, if there is no other head dress near, flings another over her arm and hastens forth to aid the needy. She is shown half kneeling, supporting the wounded soldier, whose shattered right hand she has just bandaged and on which she is putting the last kind touches. The soldier, exhausted and fainting, supports his weak frame on the ground with the other hand, the long, slender fingers of which, show the weakness and ema- eiation of the body which has passed through many hardships. The soldier is very truly portrayed in his uniform, with eagle and cap. Above this alto-relief figure is engraved a tribute to the women of the war composed by French Quinn of this city, as follows: 'To the women of our nation, as a tribute to their courage, devotion and sacrifice.' On the east wing of the monument is inscribed: 'To the glory of our country and in loving memory of our soldier heroes.' On the west wing will be engraved the names of the several soldiers whose names were overlooked in the compiling of the list for the bronze plates. Among these is the only one in the county, thus far known, who served in the Revolutionary war-that of Thomas Archbold, grandfather of Judge Merryman, and great grandfather of Roy Arch- bold, of this city. Beneath the central figure is the fountain, which forms a balance for the forum at the front. From the base of the alto- relief figure, the water falls in a broad sheet, through which, at the base can be seen the 'Maine tablet.' This is the tablet made from the metal of the battleship Maine, which was resurrected from its watery grave, and whose wanton destruction brought on the Spanish-American war,
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in which 111 of our soldiers fought. The relief figures on the tablet show up especially pretty through the water-fall. The fountain is also rendered the more beautiful at night, by the electric lights, which show alternately red, white and blue, and then appear in unison. In front of the fountain, at either side, are pedestals for vases, which the Tri-Kappa girls agree to keep filled with flowers on special oc- casions.
"The monument is built from the native stone of the state-that of blue Bedford oolitie limestone, from the quarries of Lawrence County. The stone for the state soldiers' monument at Indianapolis was eut from the same quarries. The monument is of noble propor- tions. In length it is forty-two feet, six inches; in width, eighteen feet, six inches, and in height, eighteen feet. The female figure is twelve feet and three inches in height."
To complete the history of the soldiers' monument at Decatur is required the additional fact that space has been reserved on the re- verse side of the face for the carving of the names of 1,000 heroes of the future. It is to be most devoutly wished that the terrible world's war which is now raging will not be the means of crowd- ing that reserved space on the memorial monument. If it does continue much longer, however, some sculptor of the future may be obliged to perform that sad and sacred duty.
ADAMS COUNTY IN THE WORLD'S WAR
On April 1, 1917, a few days after it had been declared that the United States was in a state of war with Germany, Charles R. Dunn, of Bluffton, commenced to raise a new company for service against the arch enemy of democracy. After a short time he was joined in the work by Robert H. Peterson, of Decatur. In a comparatively short time, enough enlistments had been secured to insure a new unit, and on April 25th, after the required physical examinations had been passed, the boys were mustered into the service as Company A, Fourth Indiana National Guard. The formal ceremony of joining the service took place on the evening of April 27th, at the soldiers' monument, in the presence of a large and interested crowd. Maj. P. A. Davis, of Indianapolis, had charge of the muster-in, after which a telling address was delivered by Clark Lutz, of Decatur. While in the National Guard service the company was faithfully drilled by Capt. Frank Livengood, afterward of Company C, Hunting- ton. On August 11-12, the company was given its Federal inspec- tion by Lient. R. B. Moore. As a result, five were honorably dis-
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charged, bringing the roster down to 109. With a vaccination for small-pox and an inoculation for typhoid fever by Lieutenant Moore, the history of the company as a unit of the National Guard ended, and at noon, on August 15th, it was absorbed into the Federal forces.
NATIONAL GUARD MUSTERED INTO THE U. S. SERVICE
The mustering-in was done by Captain Davis, of Winehester, on Court Street, all of the members being mustered with the exception of John II. Debolt, who received an honorable discharge on the fol- łowing day, because of having dependents, a wife and children. On the 19th of August, ten men were selected from the company and ordered to Fort Benjamin Harrison to be mustered into a field bat- tery and sent to France as a part of the famous Rainbow Division. They were George F. Schultz (in charge of the squad), Fred Sheets, Burl Johnson, William Johnson, Merl MeCroskey, Omer F. Nevil, Clarenee Passwaters, Lester Robinson, Clarence Statler and Harry. Steed. Statler was returned two weeks later and rejoined Company A: The others went to France in November, 1917.
COMPANY A, FOURTH INFANTRY
The Fourth Indiana Infantry, of which Company A is a unit, is commanded by Col. Robert L. Moorhead, of Indianapolis, who was a sergeant major in the Spanish-American war, connected with the 158th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. After the war he was com- missioned Captain of Company D, Second Indiana Infantry, a com- mand which had more expert sharp-shooters than any other com- pany in the United States. Still later Colonel Moorhead was pro- moted major of ordnance and then full major. Lieut .- Col. Robert P. Youngman, of Crawfordsville; Major Clyde F. Dreisback, of Fort Wayne, and Capt. Charles Dunn, of Bluffton, had also had expe- rience in the Spanish-American war. First Lieut. Robert Peterson had been only four years out of high school and had but reeently completed his course at the State University. On the other hand, Second Lieut. George J. Rollison, who is a native of Mississippi, had enjoyed about eleven years of experience in various branches of the Regular Army.
Camp Shelby, at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where the Hoosier regi- ment and Company A were sent for training, is a little over 100 miles northeast of New Orleans, in the midst of pine-woods, truck gardens and productive farms. It nestles among the cool hills on
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a rolling, healthful site, and is said to be one of the most healthful camps, or cantonments, in the country.
The original roster of Company A, as in force in September, 1917, not long before it started for Camp Shelby, was as follows, the names being alphabetically arranged :
Robert Allspaw, Berne; Hosea Andrews, Monroe; Dwight Archer, Decatur ; Frank Bacon, Decatur ; Cass Bacon, Decatur ; Carroll Bacon, Decatur; John C. Bair, Bryant; Albert Beery, Decatur; Lloyd D. Beery, Decatur; Leo Bogner, Decatur; Edward Bovine, Decatur; Gust Borne, Magley; James B. Brill, Indianapolis; Jefferson Brin- neman, Liberty Center; Dallas Brown, Decatur; Chester Bryan, Mon- roe ; Racy Burrell, Decatur; Irvin Butler, Decatur; Leroy Cable, Preble; Paul H. Cook, Poneto (Wells County) ; Floyd Cook, De- catur; Jesse Cole, Decatur; Virgil Cross, Decatur; Earl Crozier, De- catur; Elmer Darwachter, Decatur; Ernest Dettinger, Magley ; John H. Debolt, Decatur; Russell Dull, Willshire (Ohio) ; Charles R. Dunn, Bluffton (Wells County) ; Leo Ehinger, Decatur; Fred Elzey, De- catur; Herman Emery, Berne; Floyd G. Enos, Decatur; Carlyle Flanders, Decatur; Heber Fonner, Decatur; Frank Foltz, Willshire (Ohio) ; Charles Frybaek, Bluffton ( Wells County ) ; Lawrence Garard, Fort Wayne ; Fred Gay, Decatur ; Melvin Gallogly, Decatur ; Leon Gass, Decatur ; James Ginley, Decatur; Earl Grossman, Wren (Ohio) ; Her- man Haag, Decatur; Walter Hammond, Decatur; Richard Harden, Bluffton (Wells County) ; John Helmrich, Magley; Hugh Hitchcock, Decatur; Howard Hixon, Decatur; Dewey Hooker, Lima (Ohio) ; Garth Hoover, Decatur; Burt Hower, Decatur; Frank Hower, Deca- tur; Edward Jaberg, Magley; Burl Johnson, Decatur; William John- son, Magley ; Bernard Keller, Decatur; Herbert Kern, Decatur; May Knavel, Decatur; Adolph Kolter, Magley; Edward Kreutzmann, Mag- ley ; Sherman Kumpf, Bluffton (Wells County) : Joseph C. Laurent, Decatur; Lawrence Lord, Decatur; Charles Maloney, Monroe; Lee May, Decatur; Fred McConnell, Decatur; Joe McConnell, Decatur; Marl McCrosky, Geneva ; Lohnas MeIntosh, Decatur; Robert A. Merry- man, Decatur; Eugene Meibers, Fort Wayne; Chalmer Miller, Mon- roeville ; Homer Miller, Bluffton ( Wells County ) ; Hubert Miller, Mag- ley : Ira Miller, Uniondale; Otto Miller, Magley ; Floyd Monday, De- catur; Charles H. Morgan, Monroe ; Howard Mowery, Bluffton (Wells County ) ; Morris Mummaw, Magley ; John Muntz, Monroeville; Omer Neville, Geneva; Mike Nicholas, Bluffton (Wells County) ; Arbie Owens, Pleasant Mills ; Harry Parr, Decatur ; Homer Parrish, Decatur ; Clarence Passwaters, Pleasant Mills; Donald C. Patterson, Decatur; Robert H. Peterson, Decatur; Edward Rademacher, Fort Wayne; Les-
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