Hicks, Elias B.

HICKS

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 11:58:47

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.946

ELIAS B. HICKS
Elias B. Hicks, who is one of the few remaining veterans of the Civil War and who was for years one of the prosperous farmers and stock- raisers of Union township, is now living retired in Sandyville, his mind a rich storehouse of memories of stirring events of the past. He was born in Owen County, Indiana, November 27, 1838, a son of James b. and Sarah (Beeman) Hicks, both of whom were natives of North Carolina. In early manhood the father left his native state and located in Owen County, Indiana, where, as one of the pioneer settlers of that section, he engaged in farming. He wedded Sarah Beeman, the mother of our subject, who died in 1856. He later married a second time and his widow now resides at Sandyville. In 1851 Mr. Hicks removed from Indiana and located in Union township, this county, where he opened up a farm, upon which he spent his remaining days. He died about 1881.
Elias B. Hicks was thirteen years of age when his father located here, and his life since that time has been closely identified with the growth and development of the surrounding country. He aided his father in the work of the farm and contributed to the general advancement of the family interests up to the time he was twenty-three years of age when, at the outbreak of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company G, Tenth Iowa Infantry, in August, 1861, and was sent south with his regiment. He saw an unusual amount of active service, and is one of the fortunate few who lived to tell of their experiences in Andersonville prison, where during the years of 1864 and 1865 over twelve thousand Union prisoners died as a result of the cruelty and mismanagement of its superintendent, who later paid the penalty of his crimes by being executed after a trial by the United States court. Mr. Hicks' first engagement was at Charleston, Missouri; later he was in the battles of Champion's Hill, Jacksonville, Mississippi; Black River Bridge; the siege and surrender of Vicksburg, and finally in the battle of Missionary Ridge, where he was taken prisoner and held for thirteen months. He was first taken to Richmond, later to Belle Isle, and from there to Andersonville, where he remained all of one summer. That he escaped death is doubtless due to the fact that he was transferred from there to Charleston, where after being detained about two weeks he was finally committed to the Confederate prison at Florence. He was held there three months, when he was paroled and returned home, later receiving an honorable discharge at Davenport. He enlisted as a private, from which rank he was promoted to corporal and later to sergeant.
On March 22, 1870, Elias B. Hicks married Miss Charity Dillon, who was born and reared in Warren County. Following his marriage he located on his farm in Union Township, and began operating it with the same energy that has ever characterized his efforts. The place consisted of one hundred and sixty-five acres, which was systematically seeded in a rotation of crops so as to insure a provision of hay, grain and pasturage for the care of his stock, in which he dealt quite extensively. He continued actively engaged in farm work until in 1899, when he rented his place and removed to Sandyville. He afterward bought a small farm south of Sandyville, which he cultivated for five years, eventually selling this and buying his present residence property in the village in 1905. Unto Mr. and Mrs. hicks have been born four children, three sons and one daughter, namely: James E., who is married and resides on the farm. He has one son, Oren. W. F., is a merchant of Sandyville, and is happily settled in a home of his own. He [h]as one daughter, Doris. Benjamin H., is in partnership with his brother W. F. Sarah Ann died in January, 1893, aged twenty-two years.
In politics Mr. Hicks has ever been a stanch republican. He cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, since which time he has not missed a vote for the republican presidential candidate. As a prominent and influential citizen he has been called upon to fill various offices, notably that of township trustee, in which position he has served for two or three terms, also as delegate to the county conventions, and he is now a member of the village board. Fraternally he is a member of the Grand Army post at Milo. Religiously he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he holds the position of trustee.