Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 666
HENRY C. HARSHBARGER

This gentleman had the distinction of being the first soldier to volunteer from Harrison county, Iowa, during the Civil War. He was born in Spencer county, Indiana, in 1840, and seven years later he accompanied his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John HARSHBARGER, on their overland trip to Mahaska county, Iowa, where they remained until 1856, in which year they came to Harrison county, settling in section 33, Boyer township, between Woodbine and Logan, which land was later used for the county poor farm.

In 1861 young HARSHBARGER enlisted in Company I, First Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which, two years later, was transferred to a cavalry regiment, Governor THAYER being his colonel. He was mustered in at Hannibal, Missouri, August 10, 1861, and participated in the engagements at Black Water, in the autumn of 1861, Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing and the first siege of Corinth in May, 1862. He also was in Tennessee and Kentucky and at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as well as in the battle of Chalk Bluff and at Sylamore, Arkansas. In June, 1864, Mr. HARSHBARGER re-enlisted for three years and was sent to the Indian country along the Western border, where he remained during the balance of his service in the army. He was honorably discharged at Fort Kearney, Nebraska, on November 24, 1865.

One year after his return home, Mr. HARSHBARGER was nominated and elected county judge, in the fall of 1868, his term lapping over into the newly-created office of auditor. Later he farmed and conducted a mercantile business in Woodbine. He was a stanch defender of the principles of the Republican party, was a Methodist and belonged to the Masonic fraternity. In 1870 Mr. HARSHBARGER was United States marshal for the district of Iowa and later was appointed internal revenue collector, serving two years.

He took the census of two townships in this county in two decades. He was thrice married and reared a large family. He died in St. Anthony Falls, Idaho, January, 1912, having moved there in 1901. He was a sterling example of an excellent type of American citizen.

Return to 1915 Biographical H Surnames Index

Back to 1915 Biographies Index