Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 572
ORLANDO L. FRENCH

Orlando L. FRENCH, furniture dealer at Missouri Valley, was born June 8, 1829, in Windsor County, Vt. He is a son of Carter and Betsy (SHURTLEFF) FRENCH. Two branches of the FRENCH family came to America in the seventeenth century, one from Wales and the other from Ireland, our subject belonging to the latter. His grandfather, Ephraim Carter FRENCH, was born in Vermont, and was noted for his skill as a fine cabinet-maker. Our subject's father was a farmer in Windsor County, Vt., and in 1853 the family removed to near Mendota, Ill., and continued farming until his death, which occurred in 1859. His mother died in 1876, and both were buried in the country cemetery near Mendota, Ill., called "Four Mile Grove Cemetery."

Our subject is the fourth child of seven born to his parents. Of this number five are still living. Elvira W., a maiden sister, is a resident of Ottawa, Ill.; Jasper H. is engaged in the grain and coal trade at the same place; Ephraim C., deceased, was buried at Eldora, Hardin County, Iowa. He died in 1885, leaving a wife and two children, who still reside at that place; Hosea V. resides at Woodstock, Vt., and is in the mercantile business. The sixth child died when two months of age. The youngest child, Jane E., is the wife of Chester MARTIN, and lives in Ottawa, Ill.

In 1851 our subject removed to Dixon, Lee County, Ill., working at the cabinetmaker's trade, he having served an apprenticeship in that craft at Woodstock, Vt., and Boston, Mass. In the spring of 1852 he went to St. Paul, Minn., where he engaged in the same business for a few months, when he was induced by George BROTT, a carriage manufacturer of St. Anthony's Falls, to build some sleighs for him, which he did. Mr. BROTT was soon elected Sheriff of this county, when he sold his shop to our subject, who continued the business, employing seven men. He was doing a prosperous business until the month of December, 1853, when misfortune overtook him; his manufactory burned, destroying $6,000 worth of new work. This left Mr. FRENCH without means, with some debts, which he afterward paid off, earning the money by days' work. Some of his creditors, out of sympathy for him in the loss he has sustained, presented him with bills receipted in full.

In the fall of 1854, his parents having moved to Illinois, he returned to that State and continued to work at his trade in Dixon until 1855, when, in company with his brother, E. C. FRENCH, he engaged in the furniture business at Mendota. His brother remained with him only one year, but our subject continued a business until 1861.

In the spring of 1862 he returned to Dixon and engaged in business until the following august, when he disposed of his interests and enlisted in what became Capt. James A. WATSON's "A" Company, Seventy-fifth Illinois Infantry. Dixon was the rendezvous of thirty companies. Our subject was made post Quarter-Master Sergeant of the regiment.

The regiment left Dixon October 1, for Louisville, Ky., and was there assigned the Thirtieth Brigade, commanded by Gen. Robert MITCHELL, and eight days after leaving home were in the battle of Perrysville, where the regiment lost more than three hundred men in killed and wounded. Immediately after this battle the army was marched to Nashville, Tenn., where the army corps were re-organized, the old Thirtieth was made the First Brigade of the First Division of the Army of the Cumberland, and was commanded by Col. P. Sidney POST, and on the 26th of December, were in the forward movement that culminated in the long and stubborn fight at Stone River. The regiment camped at Murfreesboro, where they remained until the following spring, and on the 28th of April, 1863, our subject was commissioned First Lieutenant and Adjutant. Adj. FRENCH was on duty with his regiment every day for the remainder of the year, and participated in all of its engagements and skirmishes, among which may be mentioned Liberty Gap, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and the assault on Bragg's left at Mission Ridge during the second day's fight, which materially hastened Mr. BRAGG's unceremonious retreat.

They camped in and around Chattanooga until spring, when they were put in the Fourth Army Corps, D. S. STANLY commanding, and were with Gen. W. T. SHERMAN in the Atlanta Campaign, during which time they were under fire sixty days. They were in the battles of Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Kingston, Kenesaw Mountain and Atlanta.

Our subject was left by the roadside near Marietta, Ga., being completely exhausted. He was picked up by an ambulance, carried to the field hospital, not regaining consciousness until the end of the fourth day. From there he was taken to the officer's hospital on Lookout Mountain, and after remaining in the hospital forty days he was allowed to join his regiment, when, his health again failing, he was sent home, where he remained about forty days, and then attempted to return to his regiment; but as there was no communication with his army corps at the time, he was assigned to duty at Chattanooga, as Adjutant General of a brigade of drafted men, recruits, substitutes, and men returning from furloughs who were not able to reach their commands. After two weeks about three thousand of these men were assigned as guard to accompany a herd of four thousand cattle, for SHERMAN's Army, with Adjutant FRENCH on duty as A. A. G. Col. ORR, 124th Indiana, in command of the troops

On arriving at Kingston, Ga., Adjutant FRENCH was relieved from duty and allowed to rejoin his regiment, which he did at Pulaski, Tenn., and was just in time to take a hand in the terrible battle of Franklin, Tenn., which soon followed; also in the battle of Nashville, under THOMAS, and the pursuit of HOOD's fleeing army in their mad hunt for the "last ditch;" resting for the winter at Huntsville, Ala., and the following spring were at Strawberry Plains, E. Tenn., at the time of LEE and JOHNSON's surrender; after which our subject returned to Chicago, receiving his final discharge July 1, 1865. After his discharge at Chicago Mr. FRENCH returned to Franklin Grove, Ill., and engaged in the furniture business, for one year; sold and went to Clinton, Iowa, where he worked at his trade one year. We next find him in Moingona, Boone County, Iowa, where he remained in the furniture business until the summer of 1872, when he went to Des Moines and was foreman of a large furniture factory for nearly three years, and from there he came to Missouri Valley, where he has made it his home ever since, with the exception of three years spent in Council Bluffs.

Politically, Mr. FRENCH has always been identified with the Republican party. At the general election of 1886, he was elected by the Republican party to the office of County Recorder, and re-elected in 1888, retiring from that office January 1, 1891.

Upon the organization of Belden Post, No. 59, Department of Iowa, G. A. R., he was made commander, and held the office for six years in succession.

Under Department Commander COOK was appointed Judge Advocate, and at the encampment held in Des Moines, in April, 1890, was elected Senior Vice-Commander of the Department of Iowa, and was Aid-de-Camp to General ALGER, Commander in Chief.

May 22, 1855, Mr. FRENCH was united in marriage to Lydia BROWN, a native of Vermont, the daughter of Rufus BROWN, a carpenter by trade. Her parents are both deceased and their remains repose in the cemetery at Warren, Vt.

Mr. FRENCH's life has been one full of interesting events. In looking over the names of Harrison County's business men, none stand higher in point of ability and integrity of character, than the man of whom we write this sketch.

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