George Cassander Sackett

BEACH, CLARK, FRENCH, RICH, SACKETT, YOUNGBLOOD

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 9/2/2004 at 15:18:05

“History of Madison County Iowa and Its People”
Herman A. Mueller, Supervising Editor
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1915

George Cassander Sackett is still in good health and takes a keen interest in the events of the day, although he is in his eightieth year, and he has many friends in Winterset, where he is known not only as a man of much personal worth and as a retired farmer but also as a veteran of the Civil war. He was born in Tallmadge, Summit county, Ohio, on the 29th of December, 1835, and his parents, Cassander and Henrietta (Beach) Sackett, were natives of Connecticut and Ohio respectively. The Sackett family is of English descent, although it was established in this country many years ago. Three brothers emigrated to America from England at an early day and Sackett's Harbor is named after one of them. The parents of our subject removed to Lee county, Iowa, in 1849, settling near the town of Denmark. The father was a farmer and was successful in his chosen occupation. He was an ardent abolitionist and aided many slaves to escape by way of the underground railroad. Both he and his wife were called to their reward while living in Lee county.

George C. Sackett was reared upon the family homestead and received thorough training in agricultural work, although his scholastic education was somewhat limited. On the 13th of April, 1861, he enlisted in the Union army and in the latter part of July of that year was mustered into the service as a member of Company C, First Iowa Cavalry. His regiment was detailed on post duty the greater part of the time, and although it saw considerable skirmishing, the battle of Prairie Grove in 1862 was the most important engagement in which he participated. On the 4th of April, 1864, while on picket duty, he was wounded under the right eye by a minie ball, which penetrated into the cheek bone. For thirty years, eight months and nine days he carried that leaden missile, but it eventually gave him so much trouble that he had it removed.

After he returned to the life of a civilian he resumed farming and in 1870 removed with his wife to Adair county, Iowa, where he purchased eighty acres of land, subsequently adding sixty acres thereto. He farmed until 1896, giving his entire time to his work as an agriculturist. He harvested good crops annually and the sale of his stock added materially to his income. He accumulated a competence that enabled him to retire from active life, and in 1896 he removed to Winterset, where he has a comfortable home on West Court avenue.

On the 6th of November, 1867, Mr. Sackett was married to Miss Emma Arethusa French, who was born in Jackson, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Alvan Duncan and Caroline Arethusa (Clark) French, both of whom claimed Vermont as their native state. In an early day the father removed to Iowa and was one of the pioneer preachers of Eddyville. In 1864 he took up his residence in Lee county, where he passed away in 1866, but his wife died in Keokuk in 1901. Mrs. Sackett was born in Pennsylvania on the 17th of November, 1841, and accompanied her parents on their removal to New York and later to Iowa. She was an army nurse during the Civil war and her own account of her experiences appears in several numbers of the Madisonian.

To Mr. and Mrs. Sackett were born five children: Frank Alvan, of Des Moines, married Miss Ida Wilson and has four children, Wilber Wilson, George Howard, Harriett Emma and Louise Katharine, twin daughters. Carrie Etta is the wife of Henry C. Youngblood, of Fleming, Colorado, by whom she has a daughter, Ruth. By a former marriage Mrs. Youngblood has five children, namely: Jesse Earl, Ethel, Imogene Emma, Charles Glen and Bruce Marshall Fox. Anna Emma is now Mrs. W. D. Rich, of Sioux City, Iowa, and has a son, Russell Sackett Rich. Ida Florence has been a missionary in South Africa since 1908. El-win George is a resident of Belden, Minnesota.

Mr. Sackett still supports the Republican party, for which he has voted for many years. He and his wife are both members of the First Presbyterian church and he is further associated with the John A. Pitzer Post, No. 55, G. A. R., of Winterset. He remembers very distinctly and accurately the events of the Civil war in which he participated and enjoys especially talking over those times with other Union veterans.

About eight years ago he sold his farm and is now without any business worries and is enjoying the evening of his life, knowing that he has made sufficient financial preparation to supply him with all of the comforts that he desires. His wife is also hale and hearty, and they have many friends among the young people of the community as well as among the older men and women and their declining years are rich in honor.

Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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