HAGGARD, DAVID A.
HAGGARD, LINN, WILMOTT, LANGTRY, DIES, FALKENHAINER, MOORE
Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 3/29/2004 at 08:52:02
Biography reproduced from page 365 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:
D. A. Haggard, sheriff of Kossuth county, was born May 27, 1840, in Dubuque Co., Iowa. His parents, Dr. John Haggard and Elizabeth (Lyman) Haggard, located in Dubuque at an early day, being among the pioneers. There being no ferries, they were obliged to cross the Mississippi river in canoes, swimming their teams. At the time of their coming, Iowa was a vast unbroken territory, there being one small cabin in Dubuque, which is now a city of 25,000 inhabitants. Dr. Haggard settled on a farm, and commenced the practice of medicine. In 1843, Mrs. Haggard died. In 1844 he went to California, crossing the plains with three yoke of oxen. Remaining there one year, he returned to Debuque, and afterwards married Irena Shaw. D. A. Haggard, after the death of his mother, was reared by his grandparents. In 1862 he enlisted in the 21st Iowa Volunteer Infantry, company C. Being appointed color sergeant, for two years he carried the flag. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg; battle of Jackson, Miss., where he had command of the company, at Spanish Fort, and Fort Blakely. Soon after leaving the service, he came to Kossuth county. He married Susan E. Wilmott, of Dubuque. They have five children—Benjamin W., John W., Melzar P., Mattie M. and Maggie. In 1881 he was elected sheriff of Kossuth county, and re-elected in 1883. Mr. Haggard is a Royal Arch Mason, Prudence Chapter, No. 70, also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
------------------------------Biography reproduced from page 278 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:
David A. Haggard is engaged in the real-estate and auctioneering business although he has passed the seventy-third milestone on life’s journey. Many men of much younger years put aside the active cares and duties of business life but Mr. Haggard still remains a factor in the world’s work and his active, upright and honorable life has gained for him the unfaltering regard of his fellowmen. He is one of Iowa’s native sons, his birth having occurred in Dubuque county, May 27, 1839, long before the admission of the state into the Union. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Linn) Haggard, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Tennessee. They were married in Tennessee and in 1837 removed to Dubuque county, Iowa, which was then a frontier district in which the work of civilization and development had scarcely begun. The father was one of the pioneer physicians of that district and his name figures prominently in connection with the early annals of the county. His wife died when their son, David A., was quite young and the boy was largely reared by his grandparents. The little education he received was obtained in the district schools of Dubuque county, for he started to work very early in life, being employed by the day or by the month at various occupations. He has learned many valuable lessons in the school of experience, however, and the years have made him a well informed man. In 1854 he was one of a party of surveyors sent out into this part of Iowa to make the government survey. He did work in Kossuth county in that connection and thus made his first visit to the district. In 1862 he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-first Iowa Regiment, with which he served throughout the war, being mustered out at the close of hostilities in July, 1865. He was early made first sergeant of his company and was with his regiment throughout the Vicksburg campaign and in other important movements of the Union army. He never faltered in the performance of any military duty whether on the firing line or the lonely picket line and deserves the gratitude and honor which should ever be accorded the veteran who defended the stars and stripes through the darkest hour in our country’s history.
Immediately after the war Mr. Haggard came to Kossuth county and settled on a farm near Algona, where he resided until 1881, when he took up his abode in the county seat, having been elected to the office of sheriff, which position he filled until the 1st of January, 1886, or for a period of six years. He then engaged in the real-estate and auctioneering business, which he still carries on.
In 1862 Mr. Haggard was united in marriage to Miss Susie E. Wilmott, a daughter of Benjamin H. Wilmott, of Epworth, Iowa, who was a merchant of that town. They have become the parents of five children. Benjamin W., born in 1867, married Miss Mame Langtry and died July 14, 1909. John W., born in 1869, is now a member of the firm of Haggard & Bachus, Newspaper publishers of Algona. Melzar P., born in 1871, married Miss Elizabeth Dies, by whom he has two children, and is living in Algona, where he is engaged in the abstract business. Mattie May is the wife of Albert Falkenhainer, of Algona. Margaret is the wife of H. N. Moore, living in San Antonio, Texas.
Mr. Haggard is a member of James C. Taylor Post, G. A. R., in which he has held various offices, including that of commander. Through his identification with this organization he keeps in close touch his old army comrades and greatly enjoys the camp fires. He was appointed in 1904 by Governor Cummins one of the members of the Vicksburg Park commission for the state of Iowa and attended the dedication of monuments at Vicksburg, Andersonville, Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Sherman Heights and Roswell Gap. Mr. Haggard has been a Mason for forty-six years, and is also a member of the Odd Fellows. He served two terms as mayor of Algona, being elected in 1886, and again in 1896. He has always been as true and loyal to the duties of citizenship in times of peace as he was when he followed the old flag upon southern battlefields.
(Photos of Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Haggard are printed in the book.)
Kossuth Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen