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Benton County, Iowa in Civil War
One of the best summaries of Civil war affairs, as relates to Benton county, was written several years ago by Professor T. F. Tobin, of the Tilford Collegiate Academy, and is here re-published:
"Benton county may well be. proud of its early settlers, of growth, of its splendid farms, of its institutions, but the great glory of Benton is the patriotism it manifested during the dark days of our nation’s history from ‘61 to ‘65. Hardly had the rebel guns that poured their storm of iron hail upon Sumter’s walls ceased to echo over the land, when a war meeting was called at Vinton. This was April 19, 1861. John Shane was president of the meeting and W. W. Hanford secretary. Resolutions were adopted to raise a company in Benton county and on Saturday the 20th, a recruiting office was opened in the law office of Connell & Vanatta. Among the first to enlist were W. C. Connell, J. S. Hunt, W. T. Pickerell, M. Thompson, W. A. Walker, John Dempsey, and Edwin Jenks. Tom Drummond took the stage for Cedar Rapids immediately upon hearing of the firing upon Sumter and proceeded directly to Washington and entered the regular army as second lieutenant of the Fifth Cavalry.
On May 30, the ladies of Benton county formed an organization for the purpose of preparing lint and bandages for the soldiers. There were many enthusiastic Union rallies in Benton county, but it would require a volume to do them justice. About May 1 a meeting was held at Parker’s Grove, of which C. P. Neal was president and J. L. Budd, secretary. All through the county patriotism was aflame and Benton‘s loyal sons stepped nobly to the front to volunteer their services for the Union cause. On the morning of July 9, the company which had been enlisted marched across the river at Vinton, where on the other side wagons were waiting to convey them to Independence. Thence they went by rail to Dubuque and down the river by boat to Burlington and there they became Company G, Fifth Iowa Volunteers. On August 3 the Harrison Rangers, Captain Geddes, paraded the streets of Vinton and were ordered to Davenport, where they became Company D, Eighth Iowa Volunteers. In September a cavalry company was organized, with John Shane as captain, James H. Shutts, first lieutenant, and Wm. A. Walker, second lieutenant. They were known as the Benton Guards and on October 15 left Vinton for Davenport—Camp McClellan—and became Company G, Thirteenth Iowa. I cannot give more than a mere outline of the different companies that went out from Benton county but you will be able to see that it is a record to be proud of.
Besides these there were 21 other regiments that Benton county men enlisted in and, if I am correct in my figures, Benton county sent out 900 men as a tribute to patriotism for the old flag. I wish I could give the complete roster of the heroic boys in blue that went out from Benton county during . ‘those days that tried men’s souls.’ I see many of them before me today and old Benton is proud of their achievements and her greatest glory in the future ought to be to show in every possible manner her appreciation of this noble remnant of that Grand Army, whose unexampled patriotism, unwavering fortitude, and surpassing valor made it possible for us to enjoy the blessings of the peerless nation we call our own. God bless the old soldier and may roses strew his pathway as he marches onward to the last bugle call.
Eighth Infantry—Companies B, D, F, and C.
Fifth Infantry—Company C.
Fifth Veteran Cavalry—Company I.
Twelfth Infantry—Company D.
Sixth Cavalry—Companies H, I and K.
Thirteenth Infantry—Companies E and C.
Seventh Cavalry—Companies C and H.
Eighteenth Infantry—Company H.
Ninth Cavalry—Company C.
Twenty-eighth Infantry—Companies A, C and D.
Fortieth Infantry—Company K.
Forty-seventh Infantry—Companies C and K.
But when the boys returned in ‘65, bringing back the flags you presented them with four years before, torn and stained with shot and shell and wearied marches, yet crowned with glories of victory—there were some that did not return with them—some are sleeping the last long sleep under the southern skies. Some of them went down beneath that hell of fire in the hornet’s nest at Shiloh, where so many of the Iowa troops bravely held back the advancing rebel rank and saved the day. Some fell in that heroic charge up Lookout Mountain. Some laid down the burdens of a soldier’s life on the Red river and some sank asleep amidst the dreadful horrors of Andersonville and Libby, but they died as Union soldiers and Benton county will never forget their noble deeds nor their heroic deaths."
"On Fame’s eternal camping ground,
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead."
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