Hicks, J. L. ~ Historical Society Gets Relic of Pioneer Days

BROOKS AND HICKS

Posted By: Deborah Brownfield - Stanley (email)
Date: 3/17/2004 at 05:27:58

Fairfield Daily Ledger Journal
Friday April 6, 1923
Page 1 column 2

AN OX BELL THAT LED THE WAY HERE. HISTORICAL SOCIETY GETS RELIC OF PIONEER DAYS FROM J. L. HICKS

An ox bell that tinkled on a yoke of steers that was brought to this county by the grandfather of J. L. HICKS in 1844 has just been presented to the Jefferson County Historical Society by MR. HICKS.

The grandfather, WILLIAM HICKS, came to Iowa from Donaldsville, Ohio, driving the ox team to Cincinnati where the family and their outfit came by boat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to Flint Hills, now Burlington. There they disembarked and came by this same ox team to near Brighton where they settled.

MR. HICKS also presented to the society a Civil War rifle used by his father at the battle of Shiloh. It was taken from a dead Confederate, MR. HICKS having lost his own gun in the fight. He himself received a wound that put him in the hospital and then invalided him home discharged. The gun is of British manufacture and used a cartridge that had to be bitten off before being inserted, and in those days a soldier had to have good front teeth in order to use the gun. The cane used by MR. HICKS in getting about the hospital also is included in the gifts.

(Note: JOHN HICKS, Co. K, 13th Iowa Vol. Inf. Reg., born May 8, 1834, Clarke County, O., Died Oct. 30, 1899, buried Hillcrest Cemetery, Brighton. Son of WILLIAM and SARAH (BROOKS) HICKS, who were parents of four sons: JOHN, ROBERT C. of Jefferson County, WILLIAM F. of Washington County; SAMUEL, deceased. The father, WILLIAM HICKS, died in 1859 and the mother in 1874.)