John Burnett Belfrage

BELFRAGE MCLELLAN JONES

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/2/2010 at 16:25:33

Woodbury County History 1982

John Burnett Belfrage
By John Belfrage

The Belfrage family of Sergeant Bluff traces its origin back to Scotland. John Burnett Belfrage, one of the early day settlers, was the son of Robert and Ann (McLellan) Belfrage, natives of Scotland who later moved to London, England. Here Robert, a cabinet maker and upholsterer contracted for fitting up Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s London residence. He died in London, November 5, 1846 and his wife passed away in London January 23, 1869. They were members of the Congregational Church.

John Burnett Belfrage was born in or near Inverness, Scotland, June 16, 1837. He was educated at Maitland Park and Christ’s College. He engaged in surveying and architecture and drew up working plans of Pompeian Court in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham near London. July 14, 1855 he sailed for America and continued his work in architecture until the outbreak of the Civil War.

He enlisted in the 105th Illinois Regiment of Volunteers, Company K and served four years as a hospital steward. Capt Belfrage was wounded in the battle of Shiloh and was with Sherman on his famous March to the Sea. Mr Belfrage was credited with a wonderful memory and alter told many stories about the war. Among them was the story of how he saved valuable papers belonging to US Senator Herschel V Johnson. During the march through Georgia, Capt Belfrage and later returned to the Senator who thanked him profusely. Capt Belfrage was discharged June 7, 1865 with high military endorsements.

November 21, 1865, Mr Belfrage married Elizabeth Jane Jones who was born of Welch parents, at Big Rock, Kane County, Illinois, November 19, 1944. In 1866, they moved to Iowa County, Iowa; then later to Guthrie County. To this union were born Anna, Jennie, Wilfred, Evan ‘Dade’, Mary Alice ‘Tweet’, and Thomas. In 1876, the family moved to Liberty Township, Woodbury County where Mr Belfrage purchased 100 acres of land. The farm remained in the family and son Wilfred, lived there almost continuously for 92 years.

John Burnett Belfrage served as a mail clerk on the Northwestern and Illinois Central Railways between Sioux City and Fort Dodge and also to Missouri Valley about 1885. In 1979, he was elected to the General Assembly and served in 1880. Because of his experience as a hospital steward during the war Mr Belfrage was often called upon to help with the sick and injured in the community. Sometimes it was the amputation of a leg or sewing up a man’s face after being kicked by a mule.

He took an interest in community life serving as Overseer of the Poor in 1900, as secretary of the school board in both Liberty and Woodbury Townships, assessor in Liberty Township and helping old soldiers get their pensions.