CRIPPEN, Nelson W.

CRIPPEN, LONG

Posted By: Annette Blake
Date: 10/28/2006 at 19:44:18

Cherokee County Archives

Another Old Settler Answers Last Roll Call

Nelson W. Crippen, one of Aurelia's old soldiers, answered the last call Thursday morning at 1:20. He was our oldest inhabitant and one of the oldest in the county, being at the time of his death 90 years, 4 months and 27 days of age.

He was born in Youngsville, Warren county, Penn.,July 4th, 1820, and lived there until he had reached his years of maturity. On the 24th of May, 1849, he was united in marriage to Miss Betsey Long, to whom was born five children, two of whom survive. Twelve years after his marriage he moved to Michigan, where he joined the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, which was then located at Detroit. After a short time spent there in preparation the regiment went to Kentucky where the first battle was fought at Perryville, Other engagements followed but Mr. Crippen came out of all of them without serious injury until the battle of Stone River, where he was dangerously wounded and from where he was moved to a hospital, number sixteen, at Nashville. Later he was moved to number nineteen Louisville, from which he went to his home in Michigan arriving there on crutches. He was a sufferer for many years from the injuries received in the war and especially from rheumatism.

In 1866 he moved with his family to Illinois where he lived until 1873, at which time he came to Iowa, and settled on a farm southwest of Aurelia where he lived for twenty-five years and from there he came to Aurelia, where he has since lived, a period of eighteen years.