SECTION IX.
MILITARY HISTORY
submitted by Linda Stoddard, February 23, 2011, pages 328-351

To view illustrations in section click here
CIVIL WAR

When the news came to Cedar County that Fort Sumter had been fired upon, Captain Hammond of the Tipton Guards ran out the stars and stripes from his window. The national colors were placed at the top of the flag pole in the courthouse square, the brass band saluted the flag and patriotic feeling was displayed on all sides. One wonders how those concerned really felt, and whether any conception of the magnitude of the event entered the minds of men in those days.

The rumor came on the very day the attack occurred, but few could believe such a thing possible. It is evident from all discussions up to this time that the community lying away from the center of population and off from any telegraph line had not yet felt any sense of the gravity of the situation. True there were letters and messages from the seat of government, and these were full of meaning sentences, yet these could not arouse as the one startling line about Fort Sumter.

Then Iowa was called upon to furnish one regiment, such was the opinion in the public councils of the nation, and we knew how easily it was thought the Rebellion could be put down. Reading the names of those who went from Cedar County and of those left upon the battlefield one cannot be forgetful of what war meant to the whole country.

The Tipton Guards had been under discipline for several years, and much favorable comment had been passed on them during these years of training. Both at home and abroad they stirred the patriotic spirit and now they were confronted with a new obligation. They had been honored by receptions and entertainments in neighboring cities and at the state meetings of various organizations, and by competent authority pronounced the very best of their kind. Their appearance was the signal for enthusiasm.

The very first "war note sounded in this vicinity," to use the language of one who was active then, was in the form of a poster and appeared immediately after the news from Fort Sumter. The call reads as follows:

"To the Lovers of our Country:


The Star-Spangled Banner has been attacked by the Rattlesnake and the Rebels of the so-called New Dahomey; our Forts, Arsenals, Mints and Custom houses have been seized, and for the first time in our history our National Government has been publicly defied and attacked by internal enemies.


We therefore invite all citizens of Cedar County who are in favor of upholding the Constitution and the Union, and who hate treason and rebellion, robbery and anarchy, to assemble at the Courthouse in Tipton, on Wednesday, April 24, at 1 o'clock p. m., to consider what shall be done for the maintenance of our government, and for our own safety.


A military company is being organized and it is earnestly desired that the ranks should be filled promptly.


Signed by Jas. H. Rothrock, S. S. Daniels, S. A. Bissell, Casad & Gilmore, C. Swetland, H. D. Brown, S. W. Young, John Swineford, J. S. Tuthill, D. H. Roush, W. Hammond, Wm. Moore, G. P. Ingman, J. Culbertson, Wm. McNamara, E. & M. Childs, F. P. & W. Dean, Geo. Schmucker, C. H. Millhouse, W. H. Burns, J. K. Snyder, G. W. Logan, and J. G. Schmucker.
Tipton, Iowa, April 22, 1861."

A communication signed "G" in the issue of the Advertiser for April 25, 1861, reads as follows: "Our town was visited last Sunday (April 21) by Capt. Brewster and Lieut. Smith of the Davenport Light Artillery, who came to urge upon our citizens the necessity of organizing a company to represent Cedar in the Iowa regiment now forming. The sound of martial music breaking the quiet of the Sabbath afternoon drew a large crowd together at the old postoffice building, where the recruiting sergeant of the Guards was drumming up recruits. A number of names were added when a procession was formed and marched through the streets bearing the Star-Spangled Banner.

Shortly after their return to the armory Col. Swineford took his stand in front of Reigart and McNamara's store and made a speech to the effect that the Guards had disbanded and surrendered up their arms to the Adjutant General, and that he proposed to raise another company of which he wanted to be the captain. The colonel was rather boisterous and his manner of speaking so aroused the Guards that there was prospect of war at home. Better counsel prevailed and the company assembled at their headquarters where speeches were made by Capt. Brewster and Capt. Hammond, after which the members took the oath of allegiance to the general government and obedience to the governor of the state and the officers of the company. A subscription paper was circulated and, during the afternoon, upwards of three hundred dollars was raised to equip the men.

The members of the company are mostly young men, and among our best citizens. Though they will be sadly missed every true patriot will say 'God speed the men who thus promptly and nobly respond to their Country's call and go forth with strong hands and brave hearts to battle for the right.'"

The subscription paper set going on Sunday was continued, and more than seven hundred dollars was pledged in the county during the week, very few refusing to offer something to equip the men. This movement was not confined to any one locality for the whole country responded.

On Wednesday, in response to the call given above, a war meeting of citizens from all parts of the county was held in Tipton, and some emphatic resolutions adopted pledging support to the Union, without regard to party ties or restrictions, urging all to fall into line in supporting the company about to depart, offering security to their families by pledges of private or county support, and recommending a change in the name of the company to "Cedar County Guards." Little did they think then of how often they must repeat the event of sending out companies of their best men, and what the country was to undertake afterwards in caring for the families in their absence.

On April 25, 1861, a Union meeting was held in the courthouse when addresses were made by several, the chief one by J. H. Rothrock, and the resolutions previously mentioned were in substance adopted. Capt. Hammond announced that the ranks of the Guards were now full.

When the time came to move it was learned, much to the chagrin of the company, that they were the twenty-sixth to offer themselves when only ten had been called for by the president. Drilling continued in preparation for the second call that all seemed to feel was soon to follow. About this time meetings became general over the county. A time of preparation and uncertainty everywhere, for not until the first general battle occurred did the public know what to expect.

Strange to say, the Cedar County Guards were called upon to conduct a military funeral of one of their number before leaving their own homes, or before their uniforms were soiled by any attempt at warfare. One of their number indulged in habits that led to his undoing, and through deliberate suicide, as some put it, John L. Fyan was dead. This was not unexpected by those who knew him.

Gov. Kirkwood came in for his share of blame when the third regiment went out from the state and the Cedar County Guards were not of it. They had been promised a place in this regiment, and now under the disappointment and delay, after all was in readiness, they threatened to disband. The Governor, in the opinion of many, had failed to keep faith. But as the oldest company in the state, they were urged not to take offense even if the Governor had apparently treated them unfairly. The Hons. J. M. Kent and Ed Wright, then in Des Moines on attendance at a special session of the Assembly, used all means in their power to persuade the acceptance of the home company.241 

The Assembly of Iowa, having authorized the raising of infantry, the company from Cedar County was offered first place, which they promptly accepted. This required a new enrollment, and such notice was issued by J. W. Casad, their secretary.

It was about this time that the Sugar Creek Cavalry was organized under Capt. Munn. They numbered about sixty men, and were not, as they said, simply home guards, but prepared to go at any time. Finally, after so many orders and counter orders, the Guards were off for the war as Company A, Fifth Regiment, Iowa Volunteers. The company was paraded at 8 o'clock on Friday morning, July 12, just three months to the day after the firing on Fort Sumter. That it was so long was no fault of theirs.

On this morning, long before their departure for the camp at Burlington, from the surrounding country citizens came to town to see them off. They numbered ninety men, all told, and their names appear in the roster which closes this section of the history. They could not return as they departed, for they left many behind. A few remain today, loyal members of the Grand Army, passing rapidly now in review.

A company of infantry organized in Springfield and Inland Townships came to be called the "Union Greys." They were ordered to be prepared to go into camp about August 18, 1861. This required a filling up of their company to one hundred one men, and in order to do this a roll was kept ready for signatures at the store of one Young in Inland. When completed the company was to go into camp at Davenport or Dubuque. This company seems to have been reorganized, since those who were reported as its officers are the organizers of the "Cedar Rifles" later in the year.

Capt. McLoney was in command of about forty members, and this company was preparing to join the Eleventh Regiment as soon as its ranks were full. The company had gone into quarters in September, 1861, and were drilling under Lieut. Compton, who had some experience in the British army.

This company with the officers mentioned was mustered in at Davenport, according to the Gazette, on Oct. 7, 1861. The company became from this time on Company E, of the Eleventh Infantry.

They left Tipton for Camp McClellan on Monday, Sept. 30. Much interest was manifested in this company, as by their orderly conduct while recruiting they had won the admiration of the community. On Sunday evening before their departure they assembled at the Lutheran Church where they were addressed by Rev. Schaeffer, and immediately on adjournment went to the Methodist Church to listen to an address by Mr. Mead of New York. On Monday a large gathering assembled at the court house to bid them an affectionate farewell. Prayer was offered and appropriate remarks made by Rev. Mr. Mead. After numerous hearty cheers by the company and by the citizens, the march began, halting for a few minutes at the school house, now the old, forsaken building south of the library square, where the pupils were lined up under the direction of the Principal, C. C. Nestlerode, and his assistant teachers. What occurred here is best described twenty-six years after by Mr. Nestlerode himself at the second reunion of the Tipton Union School.

"I feel that I can not permit this opportunity to pass without adding a word and dropping a tear to the memory of our school boys who gave their lives to their country in its hour of need, many of whose names are inscribed upon this beautifulUp to September, 1862, probably one-third of the able-bodied men in the county had enlisted. Officers of the draft gave the figures at that time as over three thousand subject to duty. Almost, if not quite a thousand, had enlisted, and yet there were calls for more.


After the battle of Iuka Company A of the "Fighting Fifth" was sadly cut up. Capt. Wm. Dean led the company in that battle and wrote home soon after giving the news from the company. When he went upon the field he had forty non-commissioned officers and privates all told; when the company came out only ten responded to roll call. Lieutenant Schawl fell mortally wounded in this battle. Lieutenant Casad was severely wounded while exhorting his men. Captain Dean is mentioned as having almost miraculously escaped since he was everywhere.


A most pathetic account is given of the death of one of the youngest, if not the youngest, of the company. Only seventeen years of age, James Edgar was determined to do a soldier's deed. He was advised by many friends not to undertake the life of a soldier, since he was too young. His captain told the particulars of his death. "Some fifteen minutes after the battle began a ball carried away the lock of his gun. He got another and then was soon wounded in the hand and I ordered him to the rear. In going he got a ball in his cartridge box which exploded all his cartridges, and another in the back which passed through his body and must have killed him instantly. He was not found until the next morning. We were forced back a short time after he was killed, and the rebels rifled his person and pockets of everything. He was buried on the battlefield and his grave marked with head and foot boards. He did his duty nobly and fought bravely." 245   His teacher and principal, C. C. Nestlerode, wrote a long and commendatory letter concerning this young man.


An incident worth mentioning is given in a letter from Maj. Gen. Hamilton to Col. Mathias of the Fifth Infantry. In commending the Fifth for gallantry at Iuka, he says: "To show you how the Fifth has become a household word with us, my youngest boy, a prattler of four years of age, when asked what company he belongs to, says, 'Company A, Fifth Iowa, papa's pet regiment.'"


In the midst of the trials of war in the field there were not wanting those at home who saw no good in such sacrifice of blood and treasure, and, to make such efforts less effective, sought in secret ways, if not openly, to hinder if not destroy the success of the Union. This movement took the form of agreements to resist the collection of the Federal tax when it should come to collection. A writer warns them in the following words:


"The time has come when obedience to the constitution and requirements of the law is to be the rule, and those who resist, whether north or south, will soon find that the strong arm of the government is uplifted to strike down all resistance. I would say to those who have joined these organizations that it would be well to stop and think before going further; a few steps may lead you to acts of treason, the blackest crime known to our laws."

What is the meaning of the actions of men when they bring speakers from abroad to further resist the collection of taxes, the draft, and any military arrest? Such organizations did exist as the full heading of an agreement will show, although under the high-sounding title of "Independent Riflemen." 246 


The following is the heading to a long list of signatures, some eighty or more, who were organized for the purposes set forth and for others perhaps not able to be listed. The reading is from the original agreement now in the possession of Hon. John T. Moffit. It is suggestive of the days in which it was dated.


Tipton, Iowa, July 28th, A. D. 1863. We, the undersigned, do hereby agree to form ourselves into an Independent Military Company of Mounted Riflemen, for the purpose of assisting the proper authorities in enforcing the laws of the government, upholding and supporting the constitution of the United States and State of Iowa, and for the further purpose of protecting the rights of citizens, preserving order and quietness in the community.
      Names ………………….
      Names ………………….

April 11, 1863, the Loyal League was organized in this county with a constitution providing for the usual officers and proceedings of business, and a pledge which shows its purpose. Among the things subscribed to by anyone becoming a member is one clause which reads:

"I will stand up, under all circumstances, for the restoration and preservation of the whole union, and by every means in my power endeavor to thwart the intrigues and hostile designs of all disunionists and traitors."

J. C. Betts was its first president, Dr. J. F. Kennedy, until recently secretary of the State Board of Health, one of the vice-presidents, W. P. Wolf and J. W. Bagley, secretaries. Considerable discussion arose between the Loyal League members and those called by the title K. G. C.'s (Knights of the Golden Circle).


At a union meeting held in Springfield Township in May, '63, B. F. Gue, afterwards Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, addressed the assembly made up of citizens from Inland and Springfield. A "liberty pole" was dedicated, and a series of resolutions adopted in support of all war measures.


At a mass meeting of the Fairview League, Mr. J. Geiger addressed the meeting on behalf of the members of Company A, Fifth Iowa, James Anderson, who lost his life in the line of duty, and incidentally touched upon the principles governing all of the patriotic organizations.


The hundred day's call came in May, 1864, and this county was called upon for its share of the ten thousand the state was to furnish. Col. J. H. Rothrock was authorized to recruit men in Cedar county. It was at this time that the county board of supervisors agreed, with one exception, to grant a bounty of fifty dollars to each man enlisting.247   On Monday morning May 30, 1864, the company of hundred day men, Capt. Durbin commanding, left for their active duty. Not much demonstration now when men set out for war. It had become a serious business, and no one was certain of the end. Eighty-nine men left the county in this company. The company was mustered in at Camp McClellan, Davenport, as Company I, Forty-Sixth Iowa, on June 10, 1864. Capt. Durbin was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment and Wm. P. Wolf became its captain. The entire regiment left Davenport for Cairo on the 14th of June.


The first news from Company I was to the effect that Capt. Wolf had been severely wounded and a number of men taken prisoner. They had fallen into the hands of guerrillas while trying to rescue a group of prisoners.


The long expected draft came after all possible efforts had been made to complete the quota demanded from each township. This occurred in September, 1864. Some townships, Cass and Massillon, had filled their appointment before the draft was made. Inland and Dayton raised volunteers enough to remove any need of a draft. It was in October before the drafted men left for their assignments. Some were called upon to serve their country who could not leave their families without a great sacrifice, but under the circumstances there was no escape from the demands of a needy government. Cheerful compliance was the only way to avoid an unpleasant situation.


A prison story typical of what the boys in blue had to endure when captured in the line of duty is told in a letter from one of them to his brother. In the language of the writer,


"I have been confined in this prison nearly six months. Fed on cornmeal and beef, and occasionally to relieve the monotony we get the sweepings of some old confederate mill, consisting of rye screenings, dirt, and old wheat ground together and dealt out in three-fourths of a pound per day rations. Then, to cap the climax of hospitality, there is sometimes a ration of shelled corn. There are none here with whom I ever was acquainted, never the less I always find friends who are always ready to do a brother's part. You ask, where are my comrades? They were sent to Camp Gross, Hempstead, Texas. And, why am I not there? I was out on short "French" as the boys term it, and did not get back in time to go. I was gone four days and was captured by a bushwhacker and brought back. I had rather a rich time of it all alone without map, compass, or companions. My health is good; I enjoy a continual feast,—a contented mind, knowing that it is for my country I suffer. We have meetings every evening, Bible class in the morning, and singing school in the afternoon.


"Some of the boys began a tunnel in the latter part of July, which was a long hard job with our limited means for digging, and yet this was not the greatest of our difficulties. We were very closely guarded. The tunnel was ready to be opened some time before it was, on account of the nights being too light. When the proper time came twenty-eight made their escape, when, through the indiscretion of some of our men, it was discovered and two months of hard toil went for nothing.


"The next morning, as was expected, there was a grand yankee hunt. The dogs were out as well as the confederates themselves. They rushed around the camp yelling like fiends fresh from the lower regions, until they struck the trail, when all dashed into the woods. But the hounds did not find it such fine fun, for the boys had used plenty of black pepper, which made their dogships snort and sneeze and bay terribly. About ten in the morning the yelling in the confederate camp announced the capture of the prisoners, and before night, thirteen were again in the stockade.


"Imagine my feelings at seeing these comrades of mine with their torn clothes and mangled limbs. This is no idle tale but the facts as I have witnessed. The moment anyone is missing the hounds are put upon his track, and if caught he is treated as a deserter. A persevering in a second attempt means that he will be shot.


"The paroling officer is here and has paroled six hundred and forty men, but I am not among the lucky number." (J. W. R., Dec, '64.) 248  


The Thirty-Seventh Iowa, called the Grey Beard Regiment because it contained not a man under forty-five, was mustered out in 1865. Only two were left in the regiment who went from here, and these were H. H. Linsley and Robert Yard.


SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY


No sooner were the soldiers in camp than a movement began to keep them supplied with comforts and often later with the necessities of army life. Organizations were perfected for sending the contributions to the front. An early announcement reads:


"The last meeting of the Soldiers' Aid Society will be held at the home of Mrs. W. A. Berts on Friday afternoon at half past one; the male members of the society are requested to be present, as the ladies wish to consult with them in regard to the distribution of the articles."

A great variety of means was employed to raise funds for sending these supplies. Entertainment and festival alike kept everyone informed of the doings of this relief association. The entire county took this matter up in May, 1862, calling the citizens in mass meeting to devise ways and means to assist the soldiers in the field. The call was signed by eleven men of the county.


This organization adopted a constitution containing provisions for the relief of wounded soldiers, residents of or enlisted from the county, to provide them necessary supplies, and to return, free of expense to friends, when necessary, the bodies of volunteers from this county slain or dying in the service of their government. Any person could become a member by contributing to its funds. Three committees were appointed according to its constitution—surgical committee, burial and finance.


When the order was issued by the Adjutant General for the organization of the home guards the county at once took action. This order included all points, and was for the purpose of preserving order at home. J. W. Kynett was elected Captain, J. D. Mitchell 1st Lieut, and J. W. Casad 2nd Lieut.


While the county at first got credit for only two entire companies, it furnished many to companies outside the county. In the Eleventh Regiment, besides having one company, there was a large representation in three others. Company I, of Muscatine, had eighteen from Cedar county. Mount Vernon had a number. The company from Wilton, close to Cedar's border, had more than forty from this county. Men from Cedar were in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and in the Second Cavalry. All summed up the number would compose four companies additional to those credited to the county. Such an arrangement came about from the associations of men near to the county lines, and the same conditions often happened, doubtless, in other parts of the state.


A great celebration was prepared for the Fourth of July, 1865, after the war was over. The assassination of Lincoln had cast a gloom over the community, but events passed so rapidly, time was so fully occupied, that new topics came up for adjustment in rapid succession. The bitterness of war was not gone, for there were broken hearts everywhere. Yet in the observance of the day of Independence an effort was made to bring about a union of sentiment in the future growth and recovery from the great disaster. In the midst of these plans, when the program of the day was nearly finished, an event occurred that was more than ordinary in its effect.


One man who had often expressed his sympathy with the treasonable side was honored with a place on the program; an opportunity to redeem himself which he failed to improve. The report states that, "Attempting to respond to the toast 'My Fatherland,' he was somewhat hastily ejected from the platform." Among the speakers on this program of peace were Sylvanus Yates, J. W. Kynett, L. L. Sweet, W. H. Wynn, Capt. Safley, Revs. Pancoast and M. K. Cross, and Capt. W. P. Wolf. The topics were of war events or of the heroes concerned in them.


SOLDIERS' MONUMENT


On the ninety-first anniversary of American Independence the Soldiers' Monument, which now stands in front of the city library in Tipton, was dedicated. Then it stood in the center of the square, and so remained until the time of the erection of the Carnegie library, when it was moved to its present position.


The square was once the playground of the public schools, and a general common in the early days. After the Civil War, before soldiers had settled down into the ordinary ranks of citizens, a movement was begun to erect a shaft to their memory. The call for the consideration of this subject came in June, 1865, in time for action and incorporation before the memorable celebration on July 4 just referred to. At the time of this patriotic meeting the first subscriptions were taken, the amount reported as six hundred and fifty dollars being raised in a few minutes. From time to time other sums were added until the amount of three thousand dollars had been raised. Of this sum one-half was voted from the county funds, the other fifteen hundred being private gifts in sums of twenty-five dollars or below.


After suitable designs had been submitted the one offered by an Iowa firm was selected, and the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1867, under the auspices and in accordance with the ritual of the Masonic order. The veterans of the Civil War led the march on that day, and they came from all parts of the county. The Odd Fellows and Good Templars, followed by the Masons, came in order, and an entire day was consumed in the regular program.


The names of all the soldiers from the county were read by Rev. Kynett, the Declaration of Independence was read by Capt. Wolf, and an oration was delivered by Rev. S. Pancoast. An appeal was made at this time for a sum sufficient to put an iron fence about the monument square, and a sum of about three hundred dollars was raised in a short time.


The block selected for this monument was early set aside as block thirty-two for county purposes, and this was donated to the monument association, later in its history to be given again to the public for library purposes also. When the cornerstone was laid it contained the names of the officers of the association, and the names also of all members who contributed the sums of one dollar or more. The largest individual subscription was twenty-five dollars and the smallest twenty cents, so far as noted.


On reaching the monument square the order of exercises made necessary by the laying of the cornerstone included the assignment of the soldiers and orders in a definite arrangement. The Masons having charge of the ceremony approached the monument from the east, arriving at an arch decorated with evergreens, where the Master and his officers passed through the lines to the platform, while the remainder of the brothers formed a hollow square. Grand Master Rev. J. W. Kynett conducted the ceremonies. Deputy Grand Master J. W. Casad, holding a vessel of corn, stood east of the cornerstone. Senior Grand Warden Rev. G. M. Scott, holding a vessel containing wine, stood west of the cornerstone, and Junior Grand Warden Wm. H. Cobb, holding a vessel containing oil, occupied a position to the south. The ceremonies were opened by music and prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. E. Skinner. The several implements of Masonry were applied in the laying of the cornerstone and the part of consecration followed.


The Deputy Grand Master went forward with the corn and scattering it on the stone said:


"I scatter this corn as an emblem of plenty. May the blessings of bounteous Heaven be showered upon us and upon all like patriotic and benevolent undertakings, and inspire the hearts with virtue, wisdom, and gratitude."


The Senior Grand Warden then went forward with the wine, and pouring it upon the stone said:


"I pour this wine as an emblem of joy and gladness. May the Great Ruler of the Universe bless and prosper our National, State, and City Governments, preserve the union of the States, and may it be a bond of friendship and brotherly love that shall endure through all time."


The Junior Grand Warden then came forward with the oil, and pouring it upon the foundation stone said:


"I pour this oil as an emblem of peace. May its blessings abide with us continually, and may the Grand Master of earth and heaven shelter and protect the widow and orphan, shield and protect them from trials and vicissitudes of the world, and so bestow his mercy upon the bereaved, the afflicted, and the sorrowing that they may know sorrow and trouble no more."


The Grand Master offered the invocation and, after the public grand honors were given, a short address by the Grand Master followed, closing this part of the exercises on this memorable Fourth of July.

A circular was issued to the families of those who had lost their lives in the war asking for all the details, and this information appears either upon the monument itself or in the roster of companies.


Not until October of 1867 was the monument completed by the contractors, W. H. Simpson & Co. It has a fitting inscription on the west front 249 . 

TO HER SONS,
BELOVED AND HONORED, WHO DIED FOR THEIR
COUNTRY
IN THE GREAT WAR OF THE REBELLION.
CEDAR COUNTY
IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE HAS ERECTED THIS
MONUMENT, A. D. 1867.
The names of the dead appear on the three remaining sides in order.


WILLIAM BEAVER


It is probably known to most of the citizens of the county that William Beaver Post, Grand Army of the Republic, was named in honor of the first man from Cedar County to fall in battle, a member of Company A, Fifth Iowa Infantry. His death occurred about the sixth of March, 1862, while on a scouting expedition, near New Madrid, Missouri. Coming at this time early in the company's history it brought home to the community from which he went the real facts of war. A wife and five children were left at home when he set out for battlefields never to return. Some time in 1897 a paper was found that was of much interest to members of the Post since it contains what is given of an inscription on the stone or marker of Wm. Beaver's grave.


The paper mentioned was found among the effects of Mrs. Hall in the north part of town. It was in the handwriting of her son, who was a member of the same regiment as Wm. Beaver. The paper containing the words was turned over to the Post as a part of their history.


The inscription, which seems from its reading to have been put there by hands not friendly but yet not wholly forgetful, reads as follows:


WILLIAM BEAVER
Welcome here.
This is the spot where one not satisfied with leaving other folks alone
would insist on being buried,
a, LINCOLNITE
Killed the 4th of March, 1862, while on picket duty
by the Confederate pickets,
New Madrid, Missouri.
This Yankee said he belonged to the Fifth Iowa Regt.


The very first observance of Memorial Day occurred when a number of citizens formed in line of march and went to the strains of martial music, that music yet inspiring to the old soldier, to decorate the new monument erected so recently in the square. From that time, May 30, 1868, to the present day, with some slight interruptions the custom has prevailed and no day set apart for remembering the soldier dead is complete unless the children take part in these ceremonies and lay their contribution of flowers at the foot of the monument through the intervening hands of the Grand Army.


At this first observance, Capt. E. H. Pound made a short address fitting such a day and Lieut. Bull called the roll of the honored dead. The wreaths were placed for the first time and Rev. G. M. Scott pronounced the benediction.


William Beaver Relief Corps, composed originally of twenty-one members, wives and daughters of veterans of the Civil War, or of previous wars, was instituted in Tipton in 1891. Mrs. Alice Lytle, of Iowa City, the officer in charge of this work, officiated on that occasion. Other ladies are admitted to this organization now besides the ones mentioned in the beginning of its existence. This is the only Relief Corps in the county.


On each Memorial Day Comstock Post of Mechanicsville, J. Q. Wilds Post of Stanwood, and Hoyman Post of Clarence are represented in the exercises and have a place reserved for them in the line of march. Their names will continue to stand in memory of the comrade who fell in battle or left his command to die in loneliness of wounds or disease. The ranks grow thinner and thinner, and soon there will be no old soldier to march on May 30th to guide the younger citizens into the sacred precincts of the veteran dead.


CAPTAIN J. C. GUE


The story of the death of Capt. J. C. Gue is full of tragedy, full of sadness, if one can picture to himself the story of his comrade on that fateful afternoon. It was about two by the clock when this foraging party of some fifteen men, the captain and one sergeant, went for sweet potatoes to feed the hungry company. Not finding any near at hand they had gone some distance, probably six miles, before arriving at a plantation where the supply was sufficient.


Engaged in the digging and filling the army wagon to return to camp their attention was called to a party of horsemen coming in their direction, part of them in blue coats. A discussion arose as to the nature of the men approaching, were they enemies or friends? The old landlord of the plantation declared them to be union men because they had gone that way the day before.


Capt. Gue at this time said "he would see," and forthwith set out. At his approach the one who had tarried behind the main body saluted and the captain rode directly toward him along the edge of the field. When he had come within a distance of fifty yards, without warning so far as one could tell, although he may have been called upon to surrender, the confederate raised his carbine and shot him down. Before the rest of his companions could reach him, the robber had done his work, securing the revolver and sword of the captain. He even pulled off his new boots which he had but recently purchased, but he missedthe watch which in the fall from the horse became hidden in the clothing. Capt. Gue rode the colonel's horse and the confederates endeavored to secure that, but after the shooting the horse remained about half way between the two parties making it possible to secure him through the efforts of the only two mounted men in the foraging company. The wagon was loaded with the potatoes and then the sad duty of placing the dead captain's body on that to take it to camp the six miles, fell to the lot of his command. There were some who went out with the foragers who were musicians and being unarmed returned to camp as soon as danger threatened. Carrying the news to camp that the whole company was surrounded, the regiment turned out under orders to rescue them and they were met by the returning party and their sad message.


Captain Gue was buried at that camp by a detail, the regiment being ordered into battle before the honors of war could be paid to the dead comrade. His body is supposed to have been recovered long afterward by his brother, Hon. B. F. Gue, and reinterred at Vicksburg. Sergt. Andrew Pierce, of Wm. Beaver Post, states these facts as he remembers them on that day long ago.249 


ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY REUNION OF CIVIL WAR VETERANS


The first movement toward organizing for a county reunion was made in August, 1879. A permanent organization was recommended at that time. F. L. Sheldon, J. E. Pickering and C. L. Longley were appointed on this committee. Remarks were made at this time approving of such a movement by T. W. Maxson, O. D. Heald, L. L. Sweet and others.


In October following the above preliminary meeting the promised reunion materialized, and a great gathering of veterans from the county met at the fairgrounds for a two days' meeting. At this time the roster showed Grand Army men from nearly every northern state. Eleven were present from the Second Iowa Cavalry; nine from the Fifth Infantry, nearly all from Company A, the old guards; sixteen from Company E of the Eleventh Infantry; of the Twentyfourth Iowa, seventeen from Company C, nineteen from B, were there and four from other companies. Twenty-one members of the Thirty-Fifth answered to roll call. Many others from Iowa regiments were present. At this meeting, in addition to the outlined program, a permanent organization was arranged for and completed.


A most interesting event occurred at this time when the battleflags of the Fifth, Eleventh, Twenty-Fourth, and Thirty-Fifth Infantry, kindly loaned by Gov. Gear, were on the stand in the hands of D. R. Smith, D. Cummins, James Dickinson and Jacob Onstott, who acted as color bearers during the day. The flags were tightly furled and tied up, but the men who followed them would not be denied one more sight of these revered emblems. They were carefully unfurled, and, as their torn and battered folds spread into view the names they bore, the Cornell Light Artillery fired a salute, and "the two hundred veterans stood uncovered and in silence while the unbidden tear filled every eye."


Fully three thousand assembled at this reunion. After the speech making and story telling was all done the old flags were taken out upon the race track, the representatives of each of the four regiments mentioned fell in behind their respective colors, those from other regiments forming by themselves, and after a few preliminary commands, as it was said, "just to limber up a little," they set off around the track, once more following their war flag after fifteen years.


Another great reunion was held in the county in October, 1882, when organized companies of veterans bearing arms loaned for this purpose participated in a sham battle witnessed by ten thousand people. This was held on the fair grounds where the camp was located, and it is reported that two hours' time was required for the crowd to disperse after the program.


According to arrangement the southern flag was displayed from the northwest corner of the grounds where Capt. Creitz was in command of the Wilton, West Branch, and Atalissa companies. On the opposite side of the grounds were Capt. Kelly and the Stanwood and Tipton companies—both sides having additional support from scattered reinforcements. After due effort was made the rebel position was taken and their colors captured. It is said that the wounded on the Federal side were tenderly cared for by the Muscatine drum corps, consisting of Becky, the old drum major of the Thirty-Fifth Iowa, and his company. After the mock war was over the Cedar County Veterans' Association was presented with a shell brought from the field of Gettysburg.


The Twenty-Fourth Iowa Volunteers held their Seventh reunion in Tipton in September, 1897. On that occasion something more than seventy-five members enrolled, and the history of the regiment was seen in review. A short time before this reunion their former major, and after the death of Col. Wilds, their Colonel, Gen. Ed Wright, of Des Moines, had died and the members of the regiment mourned his loss at this gathering. Col. Wilds was killed at Winchester, where the Twenty-Fourth fought with Sheridan, and where they saw that gallant commander on his famous ride of "twenty miles away." Gen. Wright took command there, and sought to make his regiment a model. It will be related elsewhere of the place of Gen. Wright in the history of this county. His daughter, Miss Flora Wright, was in attendance at this reunion, and the members called her the daughter of the regiment.


The sham battle at the great reunion of 1882 had one feature of sadness connected with it, when by the premature discharge of a cannon the arm of one man was blown away and others were injured seriously. At the gate when the crowd was leaving a collection was taken for the colored man who had lost his arm and a hatful of money was the result. Probably his name would be familiar to the younger generation by saying that he was the husband of "Mammy" Powell.


At the reunion of the Twenty-fourth Iowa in Tipton, September, 1909, the history of the regiment, the days of departure for the field of action, the long story of conflict, and the return were told in eloquent words, so rich in their sentiment, so full of emotion, and so personal that they seem to be sacred.


It is allowed to incorporate in this chapter some of the utterances on that occasion by permission of those who are the fortunate possessors of the eloquence, the experience, and the liberality expressed in the quotations.


Captain Rathbun indicated the purpose of the reunion in the words which follow:


"We came to your city today to participate in a reunion of what is known as the Twenty-fourth Iowa Regimental Association, an organization composed of one of Iowa's regiments which served in the army of the Union during the war of the rebellion.


"To some of us, however, it is more than a reunion—a home coming as well.


"Two companies of the ten, two hundred of the original members of the regiment were recruited here. This is our second reunion in your city. The first was in September, 1897. The welcome we received then, and the universal hospitality extended has never been forgotten, but has been remembered with the greatest pleasure by all whose good fortune it was to be here at that time.


"Of the nearly 1,000 members of the regiment when it was mustered into service, our corresponding secretary, Comrade H. C. Kurtz, informs me that there are about 450 members living today. But the homes of many are so distant that at five o'clock this evening the enrollment here was only 91. By companies as follows:


"A-5, B-23, C-15, D-9, E-6, F-13, G-1, H-7, I-7, K-5.


"Unless we recall the fact that nearly five decades have passed since the enlistment, it may seem strange that the numbers surviving are so few. But perhaps Providence has been as kind to those who went to the front as to those who remained at home. So far as I know there is but one who was in business in Tipton in 1862 who is in business here today. I presume it is about the same in all towns where the companies were raised.


"In the address of welcome tonight the history of the regiment was concisely and correctly though briefly stated and it is unnecessary for me to repeat. Suffice it to say that the Twenty-fourth does not claim to be the regiment that 'put down the rebellion,' but it was one of Iowa's fifty-five regiments which served in the Union army, one of the 2,700 regiments which composed the grandest and bravest army of the centuries, and it can be truthfully said that no other regiment did better service, no other regiment has a better record in the archives of the War Department. With this its members should be and are content."250 


When permission was given to use the address of Hon. C. L. Longley, of Vicksburg, formerly editor of the Advertiser, it was the intention to take the historical data, but the address is too full of the inspiring words the soldier loved to hear to omit anything:

"When I was young—ah, woful when—
Ah, for the change twixt now and then!
Naught cared this body for wind and weather
When Youth and I dwelt in't together."

"Fifty-five years ago this month I first crossed the plot of ground where we now stand on my way to the little old brick still seen to my left—then Tipton's sole school building; and, standing here today and looking down the vista of those years, I can well say, with our silver tongued comrade, who long since answered the final roll call, "The past rises before me like a dream.' For seven or eight consecutive years this spot was playground, rendezvous, trysting place; it then acquired associations that made of it a shrine.


"You all remember, or will know, of the momentous events with which began the seventh decade of the last century. How the war-cloud gathered lowered and finally, in 1861, tempestuously broke upon our peace-loving people. You know how Governor Kirkwood's call for ten companies, to constitute Iowa's one regiment in Lincoln's first 75,000 levy, was instantly responded to by the proffer of more than fifty companies; and how her quota of the much larger call soon made was more than filled before the summer passed. Men sprang to arms, and scarcely a boy of manly stature but burned to join them and feared the opportunity to be a hero would flit and leave him still a clod.


"But the momentous months were on, and those of us still at home saw our maimed friends and schoolmates return from Donelson, from Belmont and from Shiloh and began to understand that a uniform was not alone a cheap title to glory, nor the soldier's life an idle holiday. Nevertheless, when in the summer of 1862 and after reverses to the Union arms on the Peninsula and elsewhere other calls came, aggregating 'six hundred thousand more,' the response was, if possible, even more prompt, enthusiastic and universal; for within the State of Iowa alone twenty-one regiments—eighteen infantry and three cavalry—were recruited substantially within thirty days.


"Of course you understand that it was now and here that the Twenty-fourth Iowa sprang into existence. And right here I wish to correct a somewhat common misapprehension. The following found in the archives of the Adjutant General of the State, is the very first authority for, or official recognition of, the title of 'Temperance Regiment,' as applied to the Twenty-fourth:


"'Executive Office, Iowa, August 6, 1862.
'"E. C. Byam:


"'Sir: The Secretary of War has authorized me to raise a regiment of infantry in this State for United States service to be known as the 'Temperance Regiment' to be commanded by you. This regiment is in addition to the five regiments heretofore called for. I therefore request and authorize you to proceed immediately to the raising and organization of such regiment. The regiment will be the Twenty-fourth Iowa Infantry and will rendezvous at Muscatine.


Recruiting commission will be issued to you by the Adjutant General for such persons as you may designate as recruiting officers and passes will be delivered to you by him for such recruiting officers and for the recruits to the place of rendezvous. An acting quartermaster will be appointed by me to make the necessary arrangements at Muscatine for quartering and subsisting the men as they arrive. I shall expect the regiment to be in rendezvous by the 15th of September next. Very respectfully,


"'Your obedient servant,
"SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD, Governor.'


"On August 6, 1862, when the foregoing was issued, every company afterwards serving in the Twenty-fourth with a single possible exception, was in process of being recruited, had its ranks already more than half filled and its organization was completed not later than the 15th of the month named—only nine days after the order to Col. Byam was penned by the Governor.


This point is not made through any sensitiveness with regard to the name, 'Temperance Regiment'—better deserved, I honestly believe, by no regiment than by the Twenty-fourth Iowa—but simply in vindication of facts or history, which are that with one exception, the companies of the Twenty-fourth were raised precisely as were other companies in Iowa at the time, and then, upon application and by careful selection, were assigned to Col. Byam's regiment . In evidence, note the following letter, copied verbatim et literatim (because the spelling is rather too good to be lost, and therefore left unidentified), from the Adjutant General's records:

'"August the 11, 1862.
"'Governor S. Kirkwood:


"'Sir: I have got a full (a voice, "Capt. Williams") company and we are now organized and the officers are elected and it is the unanimous request of every man that we be transferred to the Twenty-fourth regiment. The Co. are all temperance men and Col. E. C. Byam has requested me to let you know the mind of Co. He is pleased with the report of the Co. His agent has seen the men in ranks; if you can make the change you will confer a favor on 101 men.
'"Signed' …………


"'Dear Governor: I most heartily endorse the above request.
"'E. C. BYAM , Col. 24th Iowa Infantry.'


"Upon the back of this letter, in the handwriting of Iowa's grand old war Governor, appears the following indorsement:
"'Adjutant General Baker will assign this Co. to Byam if he wills.'


"Although there is in the records no affirmative evidence, it appears that Company 'G' may have been the exception indicated, as the original recruiting commission for this company was issued to Rev. F. W. Vinson under date of August 6, and the enlistments were all after that date, with none later than August 15—so that the company was actually raised in nine days.


And the rapidity of enlistments in all the companies was only exceeded by the clean sweep of those eligible. They went by whole families; ten first cousins in Co. 'F'—four Brennaman brothers, three Kurtz brothers and the rest, I think, Hershe—and, strange to say, all three of those Kurtz boys are here present this day: in Co. 'B,' four Rigbys; Co. 'O,' three Hakemans and two Hueys; Co. 'D,' four Rosenbergers, and so on down the list. Oh, it was an uprising and outpouring; and by the middle of August each company was assembled at the convenient local center trying to 'drill' (usually without the slightest knowledge on the part of anyone present), and before the end of the month had broken the home ties and 'Gone to War.'


"It was upon this spot (then a piece of bare prairie 420 feet square, including the surrounding streets) that Companies 'B' and 'C assembled, August 27, 1862, very early in the morning, for that ever-to-be-remembered parting and starting. And it will not be invidious for me to recall as best I may the scenes of that day, for they were duplicated, somewhere, not only by each of the other companies of the Twenty-fourth, but by each of the 216 companies then being formed in our State. Older or younger, no one who was here present will have forgotten that day and that scene.


At least one hundred vehicles, mostly farm wagons, which were to convey the 'boys' sixteen miles to the railroad. were here assembled; then the fathers and mothers, the wives, sisters, and sweethearts! It has been well said that three elements made the vital force that saved our country upon a thousand fields—the boy in the uniform, the mother that gave him and the girl he left behind him—a trinity, like all the best things, mostly woman! Ah, those mothers! Let me give you an incident of one, typical of all: Her only child, not yet 18, burned to go with the first company from his locality; the mother not only prevailed against that, but exacteda solemn promise that he would not enlist without her permission, which she in turn pledged herself to give, 'if necessary.' More than a year later came the loud calls for more men; this boy was away from home at the time, but hastening back, his first words were, 'Mother, I've just got to go now!' With her arms about his neck and the tears streaming down her face that mother said, 'My son, I think you have!' You young mothers of today, with your boys at your knee, you are thinking you could not and would not do thus; but under similar circumstances you 'would' whether you 'could' or not!


For two thousand years the Spartan woman has been the synonym for self-sacrificing patriotism, but the nimbus thrown about her by the romantic legends of the centuries pales before the halo which is placed upon the brow of the American woman by facts yet known to thousands of living witnesses! Hers was the farewell with smiles and tears, hers the agony of suspense—the waiting and the watching, often in face of privation and want; hers the desolating sorrow when Hope was no more; but hers always the spirit of encouragement and the hand of help! God bless the American woman, the best of His best!


"But we are at this moment witnessing upon this ground, the farewells of 47 years ago. The two companies of young men (fifty of them just from the school house at my left and all averaging scant 22 years) are in the center formed in mass. The first good-byes are spoken more formally by preachers and teachers, in words trembling with emotion—for the elder who stay more than the younger who go, appreciate the gravity and the pathos of the moment. Then ranks are broken for the real farewells; with one hand on his boy's shoulder and the other palm to palm, the father looks into his boy's eyes with but few words; the sister weeps upon his breast, the sweetheart presses her lips to his; but his mother—she gathers him in her arms as when a helpless babe, and, holding hard her throbbing heart and welling tears, she bids him ever to fear God and—do his duty!


"Finally the last lingering words have been spoken and we are off. The ride of sixteen miles with part of every load composed of sisters and sweethearts (the mothers are mostly on their knees at home) was a picnic. Darkness found us in the rendezvous at Camp Strong, Muscatine, where the greatly needed military training filled the days. There were plenty of incidents that would bear recalling, including the visits of the friends from home; but we hasten to get a glimpse of the real life of the soldier, which began for the Twenty-fourth when we arrived, early in October, at Helena, Arkansas—a place whose name, we always thought, should have ended with its first syllable.


Time forbids any detail of, or even reference to, consecutive events. We had, both then and later, hardships and privations, as well as amusements and pleasures. Perhaps it is as well that memory holds the latter best and clearest. But what I would like is to recall one or two typical incidents, or features, that may illumine for you the daily life of the soldier. It had much sameness—reveille and 'hard tack,' drill by squad, by company and by battalion; more hard tack, more drill and then more tack.


"But often, far too often, during the winter, routine was broken by the funeral call. From the hospital—a place where "'There was a lack of woman's nursing, There was a dearth of woman's tears,' a place more dreaded by the soldier than was the chance of wounds or of death upon the field of battle—from the hospital you followed the casket—I forget, box or blanket—to the shallow grave prepared on hillside, levee or plain, for a comrade's mortal remains. To the slow muffled drum you marched, with arms reversed. The chaplain may or may not have been present, but there was no father, mother, sister or brother; the salute is fired; the handkerchief snatched from the snares of the drums, and with lively tune and quick step, camp and its routine is quickly resumed.


"Again, one of the early lessons of that winter was the demanding and commanding potency of the 'long roll.' That fierce rattle of the drums, punctuated by great throbs of sound, like artillery amid a blare of musketry, we were told meant attack and immediate danger, which instantly must be met in hostile array. Thus it was that one night just before Christmas, 1862, when between one and two o'clock, the braves of the Twenty-fourth were suddenly awakened by that dreaded alarm, each individual hair arose upon its owner's head as he was struggling into clothing and equipments.


The regiment was then in 'shacks' about 9x18, each holding 8 men, who slept in four 'bunks'—one above another on either side, with about thirty inches of floor between them. When eight husky men came at once into that space and at once began frantically to dress, there was some mix; and you will not be surprised that two of them, each having one trousers' leg occupied, after vainly stabbing the air in an effort to find the other one, found instead that both had hold of and partly occupied one and the same pair! And not a hostile 'Johnny' within forty miles!


"In the early spring of 1863, after a couple of short and minor expeditions, the Twenty-fourth joined Grant's great Vicksburg campaign. It was here, May 16, at Champion Hill, that with one company acting as provost guards at corps headquarters, the remaining nine overran and captured a Confederate battery, sustaining 189 casualties, 82 of which were 'killed or mortally wounded' —a fatality exceeded during the war by but very few regiments in a single engagement. Then came the siege and capture of Jackson, New Orleans and the Teche campaign, followed in the spring of 1864 by Banks' ill-starred Red River fiasco. Then to the far East, where the Twenty-fourth was the first Iowa regiment to march through the streets of Washington; then glorious Shenandoah Valley campaign with 'Little Phil,' then to Georgia and North Carolina, in Sherman's rear; and then—home!


"Victory at Appomattox was grand, the home-coming glorious, for those of us who came, but—996 men, including 'field an staff,' were mustered into the Twenty-fourth Iowa at Camp Strong; recruits were added to bring its total membership up to 1,207. Where were those comrades then? Where are they today? At the time of our muster out, death had already claimed 343; since then a much greater number. The monument before me (dedicated July 4th, 1866, and the first of its kind in Iowa) bears the names of 64—all of whom went from Cedar County and who died during the war. Four companies are represented—21 from 'B,' 32 from 'C,' 10 from 'D/ and 1 from 'H.' To these our comrades and to all others who either during or since the war passed over the river and are 'waiting in the Shade,' this assembly is especially a memorial. We bring to them one and all our affectionate remembrances, ourselves lingering on the brink. We, ourselves, but


"'Wait for the bugle; the night dews are cold,
The limbs of the soldier feel jaded and old,
The field of our bivouacs is windy and bare,
There is lead in our joints, there is frost in our hair;
The future is veiled and its fortunes unknown
As we lie with hushed breath till the bugle is blown.


"'At the sound of that bugle each comrade shall spring
Like an arrow released from the strain of the string,
The courage, the impulse of youth shall come back
To banish the chill of the drear bivouac,
And sorrows and losses and cares fade away,
When that life-giving signal proclaims the new day.
"'Though the bivouac of age may put ice in our veins,
And no fibre of steel in our sinews remains;
Though the Comrades of yesterday's march are not here,
And the sunlight seems pale and the branches are sear,
Though the sound of our cheering dies down to a moan,
We shall find our lost youth when the bugle is blown.'




"Comrades for whom the bugle has already blown, the great majority of the old Twenty-fourth Iowa—'We who are about to die, salute you!' "251