Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 920
WILLIAM H. BURKHOLDER

William H. BURKHOLDER, who came to Harrison County February 7, 1862, and is now a resident of section 8, Douglas Township, was born July 29, 1840, in Knox County, Ohio. His father, Isaac BURKHOLDER, was born in Rockingham County, Va., and was married in the same county to Miss Sarah RALSTON, and they were the parents of five children, our subject being the youngest. The father died in Richland County, Ill., and the mother in Knox County, Ohio.

William H., our subject, settled in Douglas Township in the spring of 1867, purchasing forty acres on section 16, in the spring of 1866. Upon this tract he built a house during the winter of 1866-67, having broken up his land in the summer of 1866. At this time his wife was one of the first school teachers in the township, and here they remained until 1882, when he sold out and purchased his present farm.

Upon arriving in Harrison County our subject worked for L.D. Butler in his sawmill near the present site of Woodbine, and later for J.H. Farnsworth, where he staid until the fall of 1862, and then went to Washington County, Iowa, where he remained until the spring of 8163, then returned to Harrison County, renting a farm in Douglas Township. In the summer of 1864 he worked a part of James Farnsworth's farm, and in November, 1864, he enlisted as a member of Company E, of the Thirteenth Iowa Infantry, and served in the Army of the Tennessee under Gen. "Pap" Thomas in his campaign with Hood. From about the last of November until December 19, when Hood commenced to retreat, and for the next month they were trying to cut Hood off. They finally returned to Nashville, Tenn., and there took boat for Jeffersonville, Ind., from which point they were conveyed by train to Cincinnati; remained over night and on to Ohio to Pittsburgh, from there to Annapolis, Md., where they took the transport "Argyle" to Moorhead, N.C., arriving at that point February 8, 1865, and marched from there to Newbern N.C., where they remained a month, thence to Wise's Forks, where they had an engagement, after which they went Kingston, and from there to Goldsboro, and joined Gen. Sherman's command. On the return "march from the sea" they went to Greensboro, where Johnson surrendered without an engagement. From this point they came to Raleigh and went into camp, remained three weeks, then marched to Richmond, and thence to Washington, D.C., and took part in the greatest military reunion the world has every witnessed the Grand Review. After about a week's sojourn in Washington, our subject, with his company, went to Louisville, Ky., where they remained until they were mustered out of service, July 28, 1865, and then went to Davenport, Iowa, where he received his final discharge August 28, 1865, and on September 20 reached Harrison County, and at once engaged in farming.

He was married to Miss Carrie M. ACKLEY April 10, 1866, by whom six children; Eliza M., Herbert A., Jesse W., Eva P., Amy M. and Lewellyn R. Eva P. and Lewellyn R. are deceased. Carrie M. (ACKLEY) BURKHOLDER died April 17, 1889. She was born in Alleghany County, N.Y., August 11, 1839, where she remained until May, 1865, at which time she came to Harrison County, Iowa for the purpose of teaching school. Eliza M., daughter of our subject, was united in marriage with William YAGER, now a resident of Douglas Township.

Mr. BURKHOLDER affiliates with the Independent party, and is a member of Eaton Post, No. 86. G.A.R., at Woodbine.

In considering this man's checkered and eventful life, his army record and other sacrifices made and then reflect that he is but one of the vary army of men who went forth in defense of liberty and the union of States, and by whose bravery and endurance our present "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave" has an existence, we are led to conclude that his has not been an aimless life.

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