LIST of KILLED, WOUNDED and MISSING
of the 2d IOWA INFANTRY

Submitted by Sharon R Becker

*The Battle of Shiloh which was fought April 6th and 7th of 1862, was also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. Union casualties were 1,754 killed; 8,408 wounded; and 2,885 captured or missing in action. Confederate casualties were 1,728 killed, 8,012 wounded, and 959 captured or missing in action.

** Obituaries of Col. Robert M. LITTLER

The Davenport Democrat
Davenport, Iowa
January 25, 1897, Page 1

COL. LITTLE DEAD.

THE WELL KNOWN DAVENPORTER EXPIRES IN CHICAGO

He Was One of Davenport's Hardest Workers in Many Lines - His Record With Our Fire Department, Military, News Paper, and Agricultural Interests.

Word comes from Chicago of the death there Sunday noon of Col. Robert M. LITTLER, old time resident of Davenport, and the best posted man in the country on butter, eggs and cheese, and similar products.

The name of Col. LITTLER is very closely connected with the history of this city during the latter part of the fifties, and from that time till he left here to make his home in Chicago. He came here [Davenport IA] from Cincinnati about the year 1854, and soon obtained a position in the offices of BURROWS & PRETTYMAN, at the time the firm was doing the largest business in the state of Iowa in grain and general merchandising. He was bookkeeper for the firm for a number of years, and stood very high in the estimation of his employers, being given charge, at one time, of one of the branches which were conducted by the firm in smaller towns surrounding this city [Davenport].

The duties which he performed as bookkeeper did not so fully occupy his time and energies but that he was able to take an active interest in other affairs as well. Early after his arrival he recognized the helplessness of the city in case of a conflagration, or even when there was a fire of any kind, and one of the first things that he did was to promote the organization of a fire department for the city on a better basis than a bucket brigade. He went into it, body, soul and mind, as he did into everything else that he became connected with, and the result was the organization of four fire companies, two of which were engine companies, one a hose company, and the fourth a hook and ladder company. He worked with the city fathers, and the result of his labors was the purchase of the fire engines and the building of the city hall, which has but recently been vacated. The rear end of the building was used as an engine house for the department, and there was a big cistern in the alley, a part of the system of cisterns which were put in to supply the water for the use of the engines. There are a number of these cisterns scattered over the town, and there are traces of some of them yet, that one at the city hall having retained its original condition perhaps longer than any of them.

It is only within a few years that the city hall was remodeled and the old fire department relics taken out of the building to make room for the additional office room that was needed. It was the efforts of Col. LITTLER that made the building possible. He worked up the sentiment of the people to a point where the council felt justified in acting, and it is an interesting fact that one of the members of the council at the time that the building was erected is again in the council, after a lapse of 40 years. Geo. E. HUBBELL represented the Fifth Ward then as he does now, and I. H. SEARS was another of those who voted for progressiveness in the matter of fighting fire.

The engines which were used by the department at that time were of the variety that are worked by hand, but they were great engines for those days, and the firemen were a sturdy lot, each company having an ambition to outdo the other in getting to a fire and in throwing a stream to the greatest distance. Col. LITTLER was the first chief of the department, and he kept the position by the vote of the members of the department for a number of years.

There were other directions in which the energy and the patriotism of the man made itself manifest. At the time of the Mormon outrages a wave of indignation swept across the country, and one of the most energetic in denunciation of the Mormons was Col. LITTLER. He was not a man of words only, but of acts. He immediately organized a military company, and tendered its services to the government to help suppress the Mormons. The company was vigorously trained while awaiting orders to go to the front, but the orders never came, for there were no funds available which could be diverted to the payment of the expenses of the company, and it was either disbanded or formed the nucleus of the militia company which the colonel afterward organized. It was called the Sarsfield guards, and was quite a crack company for the times.

This was shortly before the breaking out of the war. When the first call for troops was made Gov. KIRKWOOD came to this city to get the telegram from President LINCOLN. He found the people here already aroused and there had been two companies already organized. One of these had been gotten together by Bob LITTLER, as he was always known, and was made up, in part, of his old “guards.” He was captain of the company. The other was headed by Capt. Aug. WENTZ, after who the G.A.R. post here was named. Gov KIRKWOOD immediately accepted the companies, issued the commissions (sic), and arranged for the guaranteeing of the expenses till the legislature should meet. This was on the 24th of April 1861. On the 20th of May the companies were ordered to Keokuk, on their way to the front, LITTLER being presented with a handsome sword by the members of the old Guard two days later, his new company being Co. B. of the Second Iowa Infantry.

The 2nd Iowa infantry saw severe service in the war, after it had gone to the front. Col. LITTLER was in some of the hardest fighting, and earned the title of Major. At Shiloh he received the wound which resulted in the loss of his arm. The ball shattered the arm badly and it was taken off; first near the elbow, and afterward, for lack of proper care at the start, other amputations were necessary, till he had but the stump at the shoulder left. He always attributed his escape from death by reason of the wound to the careful nursing of the woman he afterward married. When she learned of his condition she went from this city [Davenport] to the hospital where he had been sent, and stayed until he was able to come home.

The loss of an arm did not end the usefulness of Col. LITTLER to the government, and he was given responsible duties at Camp McClellan as long as it was used as a rendezvous for recruits. April 11, 1865, he was further honored with the title of brevet lieutenant colonel, and was afterwards mustered out.

Col. LITTLER had been connected with the old Davenport Gazette, more or less, before the war. He always liked the newspaper business, and was never more at home than in a newspaper office, or among newspaper men. His abilities in the line of news getting gave him the city editorship of the Gazette, and he held it for a number of years. His first wife had died in the meantime, and about the year 1870, or perhaps a little before, he was married again to the wife who survives him. He moved to the country, purchased a farm, and with the same old energy he started in to make a successful tiller of the soil. He devoted much attention to poultry and dairy products, read much, worked hard an mixed with others interested in the same lines. He was instrumental in organizing societies, both local and state, for the advancement of the interests of poultry raisers and dairymen and was for a number of years the head and front of the Iowa society, as he afterwards was of the national society. He was instrumental more than any other one man, in securing both state and national legislation against bogus butter. He combatted its sale as genuine butter with all of the force of which he was possessed, and he accomplished what he set out to do before he stopped.

The connection of Col. LITTLER with these various societies, and his natural abilities,, had made him the best posted man in the country on the subjects with which he had to do. He was recognized as an authority, and it was this recognition of this fitness which caused him to be called to the secretaryship of the Chicago Produce exchange. This was over ten years ago, and he moved, with his family, to that city to take up the duties of the position, being still allowed to retain his secretaryship of the National Butter, Cheese and Egg association, which he has held for the past 14 or 15 years. So competent was he in the position that he has continued to hold it ever since his eyesight was lost, about four years ago, the members of the Exchange refusing to permit him to resign or say his days of usefulness were over.

The work of the office has been under his close supervision, and accomplished through the able assistance of his son and daughter, who have been in the office with him.

The illness which finally brought this active life to a close, was of nine months duration. He fought it as he had fought all his life’s battles - with all the strength of a resolute purpose and an almost indestructible physical vitality, but finally succumbed to the inevitable.

Col. LITTLER was born at Winchester, Va. He was of Irish descent, at least on his mother’s side, she having returned to Ireland during or after the war to take charge of an estate which descended to her, and having finally died there. Mrs. LITTLER survived with several children, and while they mourn deeply the loss of husband and father, there are thousands of others who mourn with them, for they too have lost, as friends, one of the most genial and warm hearted men that the sun ever shone upon - a man of unswerving devotion to friend or cause, generous to a fault, ready at all time to uphold a right or oppose a wrong.

The body will be brought to this city [Davenport] for interment, the time and place of holding the funeral to be announced hereafter.

Tonight, at Turner hall, a meeting is to be held, to which the old time firemen and veterans are invited, as well as old friends, that there may be arranged a suitable expression of the respect and love that is felt for him here where so much of his active life was spent.

The Davenport Democrat
Davenport, Iowa
January 26, 1897, Page 1

A FORMER DAVENPORTER.

COL. ROBERT M. LITTLER DIED IN CHICAGO SUNDAY.

Col. Robert M[cCandless]. LITTLER, one of the best known of the early settlers of Davenport, died at his Chicago home Sunday noon. Like so many of the early settlers he came to this city [Davenport] from Cincinnati, 1854 being the year that he arrived in Davenport. He was first employed by the firm of BURROWS & PRETTYMAN, which did the largest business in the state in the general grocery line and in grain.

An organizer of Davenports first effective fire department Col. LITTLER has the right to be called on the city’s greatest benefactors. This was done while Col. LITTLER was still in the employ of BURROWS & PRETTYMAN. The old bucket brigade was in vogue when he came here, but under his leadership four fire brigades were organized, two of which were engine companies, one a hose company and the other a hook and ladder company. Traces of this work of Col. LITTLER are still to be found around the city. Col. LITTLER was the first chief of the fire department, and it attained great efficiency under him.

Col. LITTLER was not only a fire fighter, but he was any kind of a fighter the occasion happened to demand. At the time of the Mormon outrages, when it was thought that the force of arms would be necessary to put down the followers of [Joseph] SMITH, Col. LITTLER was fearless in his denunciation of Mormonism and organized a military company to aid in the suppression of the Latter Day Saints. It was called the Sarsfield company and though it was never called to act it was vigorously trained and was a model company in all respects.

When the first call for troops came at the outbreak of the civil war Capt. LITTLER, as he was then called, organized a company from his old guards. Capt. August WENTZ was the organizer and captain of the other, and their companies accepted by the old war governor, Samuel KIRKWOOD. At the battle of Shiloh Capt. LITTLER was made a major and it was here that his arm was shattered, the wound making amputation necessary. After the loss of his arm he was moved to Camp McClellan, where he continued his military duties to the end of the war.

For a number of years after the ware Col. LITTLER was the city editor of the old Gazette and was one of the most popular newspaper men in Davenport. Shortly after the war his first wife died and in 1870 he was married again, his second wife surviving him. About this time he moved into the country, where he kept a model farm and became one of the best informed men on agricultural topics in the whole country. He was called to the secretaryship of the Chicago produce exchange some years ago and at that time changed his place of residence to Chicago where he has since lived.

At Turner hall last evening a largely attended meeting of citizens, volunteer firemen and veteran members of the G. A. R. was held and arrangements made for the funeral. The following committees were appointed to meet the body when it arrives on Thursday morning:

Citizens - J. P. Van PATTEN, F. H. GRIGGS, Henry LISEHER, T. W. McCLELLAND, J. J. RICHARDSON.

Veterans - Gen. Add. H. SANDERS, Frank KESSLER, P. W. McMANUS, F. W. SMITH, O. M. EVANS.

Fireman - Chris MUELLER, Marsh NOE, J. B. SCHMIDT, Henry KURMEISER, William O. SCHMIDT.

Active and honorary pall bearers were appointed as follows:

Active - Warren TELLE, J. F. HALLIGAN, Frank KESSLER, Henry KARWATH, H. STRATHMAN, H. KURMEIER.

Honorary - J. J. RICHARDSON, E. W. BRADY, Gen. Add. H. SANDERS, Col. A. L. MITCHELL, Christ. MUELLER, Henry KLINDT.

John B. SCHMIDT and O. M. EVANS were appointed to arrange a place for the funeral services and Frank KESSLER to take change of other arrangements.

The Chicago Tribune
Chicago, Illinois
Tuesday, January 26, 1897

OBITUARY.

Veteran of the Mexican and Civil Wars and Widely Known Railway Man and Editor.

Col. R. M. LITTLER died at his home, No. 751 Walnut street [Chicago], on Sunday, after a long and painful illness. He leaves a widow, three sons, and a daughter. His fatal illness was a complication of kidney and stomach troubles. His remains will be taken to Davenport, Ia., for burial.

Col. LITTLER was born in Winchester, Va., in 1834. When 21 years of age he located at Cincinnati, O[hio]., and was engaged as a machinist. He was identified with the fire department of his adopted city [Cincinnati] and served as foreman of the first engine company organized under the present system. Moving to Davenport, Ia., he become connected with the Chicago and Rock Island railroad and helped to build that road from Davenport to Iowa City. later he served as one of the editors of the Davenport Gazette.

In 1884 he came to Chicago as Secretary of the Produce Exchange, which position he retained until last May, when blindness compelled him to resign. He served in the Mexican and civil wars. In the late war he raised Company B of the Second Iowa Regiment and was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

NOTE: Col. LITTLER was interred beside his wife Martha A. (NELSON) LANGDON LITTLER (1835/36-1873) at Oakdale Cemetery, Davenport, Iowa.