USA > Kansas > Osage County > Patriotic Lyndon : a history of several organizations at the county seat of Osage County, Kansas, the last seventeen years, which have made it a "patriotic Lyndon" : containing the roster of ex-union soldiers and sailors. > Part 5
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self alone and with 500 dollars of bis
The Santa Fe railroad some of the war money, but a great 3-year gap in way runs over the route that Mr. Green his education stared him in the face, helped to survey in 1867-68, for he was which he at once set out to fill by two about a year absent from Kansas, re- years' attendance at the Milan, Ohio turning by Old Mexico, Panama and Normal School and a term of teaching New York. school, not quitting until he was able
This was a very interesting trip in to pass second grade in their coun'y the days of the Santa Fe Trail, the examinations.
Overland Stage, Indian war and "Cus-
April, 1867, in his 22d year, he follow- ter on the Plains." They were at Old ed Horace Greeley's advice to young Kit Carson's abode in the Rocky Moun- men by coming out to Kansas "to grow tains, and the many adventures and up with the country." He landed in the tales about this trip Mr. Green will put Kaw river bottoms at Lenape, Leaven in a chapter to itself. worth county, Kansas, where an uncie,
When he came back to Kansas in James P. Green, was operating three 1868 he spent three months with his steam saw mi!'s to furn sh timber for a uncle at Kansas City, helping to make hundred miles of the Union Pacific some of the first buildings of the boom Railway from Junction City westward. ou tho e great bottom', before there The Delaware and Wyandotte Indians was aby Union Depot there. In Au- had just disposed of their reserves but gust, getting tired of city life, be went had not moved to the Territory, and up on the Delaware Reserve in Le aven- "the noble red man" was about the first worth county, half way between Law- attraction seen by Mr. Green in Kan- rence and Leavenworth and bought - sas on stepping off the cars.
himself a farm and went to teaching in the country schools. IIe taught more or less steadily the next six years, im-
After spending about two months with his uncle, who in the meantime removed to the "State Line" bottom proving his farm and living on it, so of Kansas City. Missouri, which in '67 that one day when a man offered him had the State Line depot and very few $3,600 for it he replied, "No, you can other buildings on it, the last of May, have it for $4,000, and not a cent kss," '67 he concluded to go across the plains but he would give possession at once to California.
of all crops, and the house. May 17,'73
Mr. Green got a position with a sur- the sale was made and in a few months veying party and went out across the Mr. Green closed up his business and plains, through New Mexico; Arizona term of school and took his family,
137
consisting of wife and two children, teacher of the county, and Norman B. and April, 1874 removed to Clarksfield, Green, a young man of 19. Ohio, three thousand dollars the ricber For his second wife Mr. Green mar- for his Kans is experience. They were ried November 17, 1887 Miss Annie renters two years on their Father Kring, one of his old Leavenworth county school pupils. Green's farm, when they bought a farm of their own in Wakeman, and lived there four years.
Mr. Green resides in a comforable home a mile or two south of Lyndon. But six years in Ohio made him and his wife homesick for the western peo- large orchards and acres of forest trees, ple and opportunities to get ahead and they came back again, this time buy- Being interested in horticulture, he has vines, etc. He has built himself plenty of barns and other outbuildings, and a ing and settling down on a farm in the good house with a large fire-proof li- Dane neighborhood, six miles west of brary and museum room, so that he Quenemo and four and a half south has no desire whatever to leave the east of Lyndon, Osage county.
farm for town life.
Mr. Green did not wish to settle .Always taking naturally to tools he down again in Leavenworth county. has saved hund eds of dollars doing The taxes were very high there and the all of his own building; and he finis price of land four times as much as in that g od buildings and she'tered tools newer counties. He carefully looked and stock are good investments or a over ten counties in 1879 before locat- farm, and that though a man my love ing, and never regretted his final choice other pursu ts inl fe and follow them of Osage county. He lost considerable for a season, there is nothing compar- by the move to Ohio, but gained expe- ed to the prace and happiness ant in rience. He settled here June 20, 1880, dependen ·e of living on a pleasantly
He married December 28, 1869 in located farm. And while he tried Flor- Tama county, Iowa Flavia Barbour, a ida one winter season for his health, playmate of his in Ohio before the war. he found on his return here that Kan- Six children, three girls and three boys, sas, wayward as she is in many things, were born to them from this union, best suits him out of the 27 states and when death claimed the wife, March territories that he has been in during 21, 1883, at the age of 35, leaving a the last 40 years. And being the best little babe which Mr. Green gave to a to live in, all things considered, cer- sister in Ohio.
The oldest of these children, Mary Alice Green, was married to Albert I. Haskins, of Wakeman, Ohio, in 1893 and lives there. The eldest son, Ovid Elias Green, died September 15, 1889 at the age of 13. A little girl, Jennie Alda, died in 1885 aged 4. So that, not counting the two children in Ohio, Mr. Green has only two at home, Winifred B. Green, a young lady graduate of the "Class '95," Lyndon High School and a
tainly then it is good enough to die in.
138
PRISON LIFE IN DIXIE.
WM. HAAS' WAR STORY.
Wm. Haas was born November 17, 1836 in Shenandoah county, Va. He left Virginia with his parents in 1838 or '39 for Harrison county. Ind., and went for himself altogether about 1858, settling in Knox, the northeast county of Missouri.
In his language he says:
"I enlisted in the 1st Battalion Mo. Home Guards, which afterwards went to make up the 21st Mo. Inft. about May 1, 1861, We were only about 300 in number in the state service for 6 months, and had our hands full saving North Missouri to the Union. We were guarding railroad trains, bridges, and preventing .rebel recruiting officers from running off men to the rebel army. We were never south of the May 17th, we made a charge through a Missouri river. Towards the last of swamp and caused the rebels to sur- my service I was sick and did not en- render. list with these battalions of the State "I got hit by a bullet the 19th of My but the wound was not serious enough to separate me from my command. service into the U. S, constituting the 21st Mo. Inft. My family was then at Laomi, near Springfield, Ill., so when About the 22nd of May Genl Oard superceded Genl. McClernand in the command of the 13th Army Corps. On this day there was a general charge discharged about Nov. 1, '61 at Canton, Lewis county, Mo., I joined my family in Il'inois.
I enlisted in the U. S. service at of the union forces on the rebel works Springfield, Ill., in Co. B. 130th Inft the of Vicksburg, but we could not take 20th of Aug., 1862, Col. Niles command- them, and there was a terrible loss of ing. We were mustered and drilled at killed and wounded that day. We lost Camp Butler, remaining there until 14 killed out of our regiment. We November 1, 1862. We were then were now in very close quarters at the transferred to Memphis and put on siege of Vicksburg. The rifle pits provost duty part of the time during where the skirmishers or pickets watch. the winter of '62 3. We belonged to ed against any sudden dash of the en McClernand's command, 13th Army emy were but a few yards in advance Corps, A. J. Smith's Div, and went of the main breastworks, and we went down to Milliken's Bend with Grant's and came from these pits only in the Vicksburg expedition the early part of night time as it was instant death to the spring, where with thousands of expose our persons in daylight. The
other new troops we lost a great many from sickness and exposure in that swamp country opposite Vicksburg.
About April, 1863 we broke camp and crossed over the 30 or 40-mile neck of land made by the Mississippi river there and came out below Vicksburg, still on the west bank. But enough transports and steamers had ron the gauntlet of rebel batteries and got down to our assistance so that Genl. Grant was able to immediately cross · his army to the eastern shore below Vicksburg and give battle to the rebel forces, first at Magnolia Hill, where we only got in at the tail end as a support to a battery. Champion Hills and Black River engagements followed in quick succession, enabling the union army to divide the rebel forces into two armies and forcing Gen. Pemberton's command back into Vicksburg. At Black River,
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sieg- lasted until July 4, 1863, when forces and cut off from the rest of the Genl. Pemberton surrendered Vicks- army under Banks, which had not left burg and his whole army, which Geul. camp that day, and there occurred the Grant paroled to their southern homes, battle of Sabine X Roads. but many of them disregarded their "Our forces numbered 2,300 at the paroles and were found fighting again front while the rebels had 8,600. for the Southern cause at Chickamau- Genl. Ransom was badly wounded at the start and Genl. Vance taking com- mand was killed, so that we labored
ga, September, '63, before they had been exchanged.
"After the Vicksburg campaign, be- under much confusion, and when tow- ing sick with chronic diarrhea and ards night the rebels surrounded us, al- dropsy, I got a furlough home. I was though we had been fighting all day, so bad that I had to be hauled from the and Banks did not reinforce us, we had cars homo, but after two or three no other alternative than to surrender. months I got well and joined my regi- Lots of the union troops got through ment which was now about 100 miles the rebel lines, so that they only cap- west of New Orleans in the sugar coun- tured 1144 prisoners. But it took about try at New Iberia, La. Some time in all our regiment as well as others in December, 1863 we went back to Al- our brigade. There was quite a loss giers near New Orleans and embarked of killed and wounded. This engage- on a steamer and steamed down into ment was April 8, 1864. We surren- the Gulf of Mexico and around into dered about sundown and were hur- Metagorda Bay, coast (f Texas, where ried off across the country to Camp we laid in camp a'l winter. March, '64 Ford near Tyler, Texas. Banks with we embarked again and went to Ber- all his forces retreated and thus inglo- wick Bay on the same coast, but near- riously ended the great Red River cam- er to G.nl. Banks' objective point in paign.
the Red River campaign of that year. "We were in prison 414 days, until There were of our 13th Corps, which May 27, 1865, the end of the war. Jas. was now commanded by Genl. Kansom, Henton, who had enlisted in the same two divisions. Our division was com- company and regiment with me at manded by Genl. Vance.
Springfield, Ill., was a fellow prisoner "There was a rebel army in Texas at Camp Ford. We had ten acres and Western La. commanded by Genls. of a sandy knoll for a camp, fenced Kirby Smith and Dick Tay'o", the whole with split logs eleven feet long, set on object of the Red River campaign, end in a trench so that eight feet stuck which had been gradually working up up above the surface of the ground on for months, was to whip the rebel forc- the inside of the stockade, while on the es here and end the war west of the outside the rebels had earth banked up Mississippi river.
half way, so that there was a good path
"We marched up the country, our di- for the guards to walk along on and vision in advance and Genl. Ransom their heads be two feet above the wall. commanding. At Sabine X Roads Thus with their guns ever on guard a near Mansfield in De Soto county, La., few men could watch four or five thou- a good many days' march from the sand of us. While there was plenty of coast, we were attacked by the rebel timber in the country around, they
140
would not allow us to get any of it for all other sicknesses. We were fed shelter from the sun's rays-fuel we mos'ly on corn meal and some beef. could get. When the weather got cold Fuel and silt were both very scarce. in November they allowed us to go out They could never count us very cor- under guard to cut and bring in tim rec ly. They would vary from 300 to ber from which we rove out shakes and 500 of gait ng a correct count. On ac- made ourselves little shelters. In the count of rations it being to our interest battle we had taken off our knapsacks to appear more numerous. A quarter that contained our blankets and oil- of beef weighing 80 pounds had to sup- cloths, and when captured no one had ply rations to one ward of 300 men. any such article scarcely in our regi- There were so many squads, so that af- ment. As we were being hu ried off to ter the bones had all been broken up the prison I saw a man of the 77th Ill and the beef cut into small pieces 10 or with a woolen blanket tied around him 15 piles would be made of that quarter and I offered him $5 for it, which he and each one as near equal to the other refused; then I increased my bid, final- as possible, and while one turned his ly giving him a ten dollar greenback back another one would place his hand for it. This was all the blanket that on the pile and ask the one with his was in our whole company there in back turned whose that should be and pr.son that season. As the heat of whatever mess was named had to ac- summer came on we fastened it up cept that as a fair division of the days' with some little poles so that several of issue. Our regimental Quartermaster us could crawi under it out of the dews acted inside for all the forces. and beat. No one can ever compre
The rebel commander of the camp, hend the endless misery of thousands Col. Jennison, once while away left the of us, held there in that 10-acre prison-
camp in charge of his Adjutant, Mc- house of de th that 14 months. The Cann. The boys would play Keno in- side, and he would come in and steal their pile of money on the gambling board and then order them to disperse.
only relieving qualities being good air and sunshine and plenty of nice spring water running out into three long troughs, sufficient for all purposes. The boys afterwards when they saw When we first went there. there were him coming would shout 'Keno' to each only two or three hundred prisoners in other so as to be on their guard. One it, but the captures from our division, morning as he was riding by camp on from A. J. Smith's command of the the outside some one hollowed 'Keno!' 16th corps and of a force of Gen. Steele's and then for fun the whole camp took army up in Arkansas, all operat ng un it up. That night McCann, to punish der Banks in the Red River campaign, them, withheld their rations, and all soon swelled our number several thous-
the next day they got none. Towards ands and the stockade had to be en- night our Q. M., Johnson, went out to larged at once. The largest number at ask the reason why we got no rations one time being 4,500 prisoners; healthy and McCann replied that he intended to when captured; but confine a large to starve the d-d Yanks out for hol- number of men to a meager diet and lowing Keno. Johnson vouched to him see how quick dise ise works havoc. for the whole camp that they should Scurvy and chronic diarrhea soon lead no more hollow 'Keno.' The boys
141
agreed to it, so the next morning they In fact the young men organized into a militia company similar to the one at
got th-ir rations.
"Sometime about May 12, 1865 the that time in Burlingame.
whole force of prisoners were marched La, on the Red river, where we took This company was called the "Lyn- and hauled 120 miles to Shreveport, don Guards." I do not know who was instrumental in getting it up, but I steamer down that stream to the Miss- pre sume from the fact that Joseph H. issippi. Here the rebels turned us over Stavely, George W. Morris, of the firm to the U. S., at a camp on the east bank Fairbanks & Morris, and James W. where, as we landed under the old Bain, the leader of the Cornet Band, Union flag. we marched by a row of were elected officers, that they were at cracker boxes and got our fill the inc ption of the movement as was once more. Thence to New Orleans R. A. Miler and Harry Rogers. Upon where we were able to clean up and talking with Mr. Stavily alou it re- draw new clothing, mostly by aid of cently, he said that all memoranda of the Sanitary Commission. We stayed its organization and list of members here a week, then were transferred up seemed to be lost; that it numbered 60 the Mississippi to Jefferson Barracks members; that the company failed to at St. Louis. Here we drew our com- get the Adjutant of the state to accept mutation money, i e, 25 cents a day for them as a company of the S'a'e Militia rations not furnished us by Uncle Sam under the plea that there were already while in prison. I received $103.50. more companies in this district than From there we Illinois soldiers went to the law desig ed, and such bring the Springfield, Ill., where we were muster- case, the State would not furnish them ed out and paid off June 24, 1865. And with uniforms and guns, so in the this was the end of my war service, but spring of 1882 the organization disband- it left me sick, scurvy in my limbs, ed. chronic diarrbœa in my system, as well as an awful cough, which ailments I have never entirely got over yet."
WM. HAAS.
LYNDON GUARDS.
J. H. STAVELY, CAPT. 1881.
The organization of the Valley Brook Veteran Company at Lyndon about September 5, 1881 by Capt. Whinrey and others as one of the companies of the Osage County Battalion so inauga- rated a martial spirit here in Lyndon that the boys, young men and men of middle age caught the desire to be or- ganized into a company for drill and use upon occasions of public necessity.
I noticed in the Lyndon Leader No- vember 10, 1881 that Capt Finch a d Lieut. C. P. Drew, of Co. I, 1st. R. gt. Kansas State Militia, Burlingame, Kan- sas same down the previous Friday evening and administered the required oath to the Lyndon Guards. After which au election of officers was held by which J. H. Stavely was elected Capt., G. W. Morris 1st Lieut., and J. W. Bain 2nd Lieut. Then, November 29th, Jas. Bain having resigned to go away, a meeting was called to fill his office. Thereafter I found no further mention.
142
LIST OF MEMBERS Columbian Camp, No. 126, Sons of Veterans.
-0-
NAME.
AGE '97. BIRTHPLACE. FATHER'S NAME. FATHER'S REG'T.
W. A. Green.
33 Pennsylvania. W. H. Green,
E. C. Wilson, 21 Indiana.
A. L. Wilson,
Thos. Sowell.
Kansas. J. H. Sowell,
2 Colo. Cav.
Harry Rogers,
37
Illinois, Wm. Rogers,
130 Ill. Vol. 34 Ohio.
Will Weber,
23
Kansas,
Geo. Weber,
11 Penn. Res. 85 Ill.
Ed Swisher,
29
Illinois,
H. C. Swisher,
J. I. Sweezey,
36
Indiana,
W. C. Sweezey,
140 Ind.
C. Hollingsworth,
26
Iowa,
N. Hollingsworth,
10 Ill.
John Evans,
22
Illinois,
J. Evans,
196 Ohio.
John Woods,
J. W. Woods,
15 Ill. Inft.
All Starr,
27
Kansas,
O. S. Starr,
3 Ohio Cav.
Geo. B. Weber,
35
Pennsylvania, John Weber,
134 Pa.
E. A. Powell,
L. W. Powell,
116 Ohio.
Frank Downs,
29
Iowa,
F. Downs,
10 Iowa.
Fred Swisher,
23
Illinois,
H. C. Swisher,
85 III.
Lloyd Green,
26
Ohio.
W. D. Green, 192 Obio.
C. Dougherty,
28
W. Virginia,
R. M. Dougherty,
15 W. Va. Inft.
Leslie Fix,
Kansas,
C. W. Fix, 9 Kan. Cav. 105 Pa.
Will Starr, 23
Kansas,
O. S. Starr,
3 Ohio Cav.
W. H. Prather,
26
66
B. Prather,
24 Ind. 1nft.
H. Woodward,
22
C. E. Woodward,
1st N. Y. Art.
W. H. Wynne,
Missouri,
R. H. Wynne,
1st Mo. S. M.
Rum Oard,
Indiana,
G. W. Oard,
83 Ind. 123 111.
Wm. Plaunty,
Michigan,
J. Plaunty,
W. D. Criley,
25
Ohio,
A. H. Criley,
Elza Rogers,
24
W. Virginia,
Jas. Rogers,
Will Rock, 39
Indiana,
Sac and Fox A., A. Capper,
W. L. Kirkbride,
30
Ohio, J. M. Kirkbride,
E. B. Kirkbride, 26
33
Illinois,
B. F. Bessee,
75 Ill. Inft. 2 Kan. Cav.
Frank Swisher, 21
Will Ringhisen,
23
Kansas,
F. Ringhisen, 58 Ohio.
Mart Goodrich, 22 Ohio, H. L. Goodrich, 145 N. Y.
Bart Hollingsworth, 21
Kansas,
N. Hollingsworth, 10 Ill. Inft.
J. S. Kittrell, 21
Tennessee, J. M. Kittrell, 2nd Tenn.
W. F. Miller, 42
Indiana,
G. W. Miller,
21 Kan. S. M.
L. T. Hussey,
31
Ohio,
Jerry Hussey,
202 Pa. Inft. 84 Ind.
5th Ind. Cav. Gunboat U. S. N. 179 Quio.
Chas. Bessee,
I. P. Darnell,
23
Kansas, A. J. Darnell,
Illinois, H. C. Swisher, 85 Ill.
Ed Mc Whinney, 24
Illinois,
L. Mc Whinney,
1st U. S. Eng. 44 Ohio. 15 Va.
John Capper, 21
J. S. Rockey,
Ed Rockey,
143
NAME.
AGE '97. BIRTHPLACE. FATHER'S NAME.
A. E. Madaris,
21 Kansas, 6€
W. H. Starker, 21
W. H. shideler, 23 Indiana,
Henry Oberfelt,
40 Missouri.
C. M. Hinton, 23 Kansas,
Ch 's. Ringbisen,
26
Missouri,
E. Spurgin,
30
Tennesssee,
W. A. Madaris, Jobn Starkey, E. Shideler,
James J. Hinton,
F. Ringhisen, Geo. Wilden,
40 Ill Inft.
J. E. Spurgin. Tenn Scout.
HISTORY OF THE
SONS OF VETERANS.
Columbian Camp No. 126, Lyndon.
Long after the old soldiers had join- ed the Post and the Womans Relief Corps had been in active organization the old soldiers' boys got up. interest enough to unite and form a camp. The old soldiers had to brace them up a good deal, perhaps because a majority of them were pretty young. They or- ganized their camp here at Lyndon about September 1, 1893.
OFFICERS.
WV. A. Green. Capt.
E. C. Wilson 1st Lieut,
Tom Sowell
2nd Lieut,
Will Weber .1st Sergt,
Ed Swisher Q. M. Sergt.
1894.
W. A. Green Capt,
George Weber 1st Lient,
Frank Downs 2nd Lieut,
Will Weber 1st Sergt,
Ed Swisher Q. M. Sergt.
1895.
Geo. Weber Capt,
Clint Hollingsworth. . 1st Lieut,
I. P. Darnell 2nd Lieut,
W. D. Criley 1st Sergt,
Ed Swisher Q. M. Sergt.
After several meetings which were poorly attended, they died out for the balance of the year.
1896.
Two or three meetings in May were I eld and a reorganization was effec'ed as follows:
W. A. Green . Capt,
Ed Swisher
1st Lieut,
I. P. Darnell 2nd Lieut,
Will Weber 1st Sergt,
W. D. Cri ey Q. M. Sergt.
There have been no further meetings held since. So many of the Sons of Veterans belong to the Band aud to other organizations that there does not seem to be room or time to carry the Sons of Veterans. 'The country boys, who desire it the most, are the poorest to keep up any regular attendance, and for the time being the order is slumber- ing, although they can and do turn out good firing squads on soldier funeral occasions, and Capt. Wilbur Green is ready to meet with the camp on all oc- casions.
FATHER'S REG'T. 21 Kan. S. M. 191 Ohio. 84 Ind. Inft. --- Mo. Inft.
130 Ill. Inft. 58 Ohi. .
J. F. Wilden.
144
NELS HOLLINGSWORTH.
The Sixth Commander of Lyndon Post 1891.
His wife. Mrs. Martha Hollingsworth, at the same time being President of The Womans Relief Corps, No. 146.
Nelson Hollingsworth was born June 7, 1841 in Wayne county, Ind ana. His parents removed from there to Oquaka, Henderson county. Ill. when he was five years old. There were six boys in the family who grew up, of which Nel- son was next to the youngest. His fa- ther had a water grist mill in Oquaka on Fall creek, and also a farm. Nelson says that he put in most of his youth working around the mill, getting only a common school education.
He was twenty years old when the war commenced and early went as a volunteer.
In his language he says:
"I enlisted in Co. E, 10th Ill. Inft. in July, 1861. It was among the first three-years regiments raised. There were companies in it from all over the state, who, failing to go out in the three months service, still kept up organiza- tions for drill purposes, and after the disastrous battle of Bull Run were ready at once to respond to President Lincoln's call for three-year men.
Our Captain was Charles Cowan, who had been our county clerk 12 years and was an elderly man having the esteem of all who knew him.
days when Genl. Grant was fighting at Fort Donelson. Soon after this we were put into the Missi sippi Army that began the reduction of Island No. 10 We captured New Madrid We were in Gen'i Pope's army on the Mis- souri side. This, Mar. 13, 1862, was our first engagement, and April 8th the rebe's evacuated Island No 10.
After this we went down the Mis ;- issippi on transports scouting, but af- ter Grant's troops fought the battle of Pittsburg Landing or Shiloh, Genl. Halleck called us back to help in the siege of Corinth. We went on trans- ports up the Mississippi and Tenues- see rivers. This siege of Corinth was a very tedious affair. Genl. Halleck had been appointed over Genl. Grant and had a large army but was afraid 10 attack the rebel army, and so every mile and half mile that he advanced upon the enemy at Corinth he had the army stop and build a long line of en- trenchments. Corinth was 30 miles from Shiloh and took a month for Hal- leck to advance and lay siege to the en- emy's real stronghold, only to lose the whole game; for Gen. Beauregard evac- uated and went off on the cars before Old Halleck had scarcely fired a shot. After that he was called to Washing- ton and Genls. Grant, Sherman, Rose- crans and others given a chance.
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