Iowa Old Press
Keosauqua Republican
Keosauqua, Van Buren co. Iowa
January 10, 1862
FROM THE 2ND IOWA REGIMENT ST. LOUIS JAN. 1, 1862
The 2nd Iowa were detailed and came down from the
Barracks on the 28th as guards to the secesh prisoners taken out
west of Sedalia by a portion of the 1st Iowa cavalry under Maj.
Torrence, and 75 of the regular army under Colonel Jefferson C.
Davis, and Captain Strouse and 13 of his scouts, making in all
375 mounted men – being the same prisoners mentioned in Gen.
Halleck's dispatch to Gen. McClelland. They are confined in
McDowell's Medical College, a large octagonal stone building on
the corner of 8th and Gratiot Streets. McDowell is a noted
secessionist, and now chief surgeon in Pilow's army. The great
majority of the prisoners are comfortably but homely clad in home
made cloth and are mostly farmers.
[transcribed by M.O., March 2017]
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Keosauqua Republican
Keosauqua, Van Buren co. Iowa
January 17, 1862
THE IOWA SECOND
The following complimentary notice of the Iowa Second,
we find in the Missouri Republican:
GUARD DUTY AT MCDOWELL'S COLLEGE – The duty of guarding the
prisoners at McDowell's College has been assigned to the Second
Iowa regiment, Colonel Tuttle. This is one of the best drilled
volunteer regiments in the service, and it's parade and military
evolutions, since it has been assigned the duty of guarding the
college, have been highly commended by, and have attracted the
general attention of the citizens in that locality. The regiment
is composed of young men, whose ages on an average do not exceed
twenty-four years, who are well educated, and who are possessed
of rather more than ordinary intelligence. Several of the
privates are the sons of ex-Governors, Supreme Judges, and other
high officials of the State of Iowa, and all possess the
requisite qualifications for the faithful and efficient
performance of military duties. Their dress parades and other
evolutions, which usually take place in the street on which the
college is located, are characterized by precision and evince the
most thorough discipline. The officers of the regiment are as
follows:
Colonel – J. M. Tuttle
Lieut. Colonel – James Baker
Major - ___ Chipman (at present on Gen. Prentiss' staff)
Captains – Company A – Hueston; Company B –
Littler; Company C – Slaymaker; Company D – Mills;
Company E – McCullough; Company F – Wilkins; Company G
– Moore;
Company H – Cowles; Company I – Cox; Company K –
Cloutman.
The Adjutant of the regiment (McKinney) is attached to the staff
of Gen. Strong. The work of guarding the college is not
particularly pleasant, especially at this time of year. Nearly
one hundred and eighty men are kept constantly on guard, and to
the casual observer, it would seem that the prisoners inside the
college have a much more pleasant time of it than their guards
outside.
[transcribed by M.O., March 2017]
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Keosauqua Republican
Keosauqua, Van Buren co. Iowa
January 24, 1862
IOWA SECOND REGIMENT
McDowell's College St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 13, 1862
Friend Joel:
Something like stern weather is upon us at the present writing.
In war we can hardly be said to be the architects of our own
fortune, as we move and are moved upon like the puppets in a
show, by some higher and unseen power. I suppose the probable
destiny of the 2nd Iowa, this winter at least, or until some
disposition is made of the prisoners, is in St. Louis. A variety
of reasons might be urged for this, in that we are more
acceptable to the citizens of all classes and opinions, being
entirely Americans and possessing less of the German element than
many regiments, who for their loyalty and devotion to their
adopted country have brought down upon them a very unjust
prejudice. There is a heavy responsibility resting upon our
regiment, taking into consideration the liability of a great city
to excitement and the material in the present crisis to inflame.
The meanest of all fights is a street fight – a mob. It
would seem the weakest kind of policy to draw off all the troops
from this, the very fountainhead and basis of operations of the
army of the West, and the long wished for haven to secessionists
to riot and glut their appetites for plunder and revenge, yet
most of the troops are being drawn off, we know not whence their
destination. All the manifestations of secession principles here
are made by the weaker vessels, which is exensable, knowing the
kind and sympathetic nature of women, the men seem rather
dormant.
The ladies may be divided into three classes, the neutrals, who
wear neither white, red or blue, in the trimming of their
bonnets; the ladies of secession sympathies omitting the blue;
the Union ladies heighten the contrast by mingling the blue with
the red and the white.
A minister in this crisis that never in his prayer or sermon
makes the slightest allusion remote or near to the dark cloud
hovering over our country must be preaching under a kind of
duress. Such was the fact at one of the largest, wealthiest and
respectable churches I visited in St. Louis. You even see the
book mark, a large red ribbon sticking out of the Bible, which of
course is a common color to both the Rebel and Union flags.
The week ending January 6th, 54 soldiers died in the hospitals
and camps in the vicinity of St. Louis. - 26 of which were of
Iowa regiments, and the week ending the 13th, 64, of which 31
were Iowa boys. How true the adage that disease kills more than
the bullet, and it is a fact which speaks trumpet tongued against
this wicked and slave holders rebellion.
Yours, Ed.
[transcribed by M.O., March 2017]
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Keosauqua Republican
Keosauqua, Van Buren co. Iowa
January 31, 1862
[Under Notices]
The Iowa 2nd are likely soon to be relieved from guard duty at
McDowell College. It is stated the prisoners are to be removed to
Alton, Ill.
IOWA SECOND REGIMENT
McDowell's College St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 25, 1862
Friend Joel:
With the exception of theater going – of which there are
three in full blast in the city – times are somewhat
monotonous. J. Wilkes Boothe, the star, and quite a young man,
about 22 years of age, and son and brother of the renowned
tragedians of same name, has been playing at the St. Louis
Theater, the only respectable place of amusement in the city, and
free from the heel of the tread of the secessionist influence.
The exhibition in the other theaters is more of a variety of song
and dance, with negro minstrelsy, and the whole arrangement more
calculated to demoralize and excite the lascivious and
licentious.
There is considerable demoralization in consequence of many
persons thrown out of employment, who resort, in many instances,
to anything to make a livelihood, and the presence of the
soldiery, as a general thing, is no restraining influence to
encourage others in morality. The Indian Zebus, of the cattle
kind, worshiped by the natives of India, and other rare and
preserved animals and birds, and the happy family, consisting of
a variety of domestic and wild animals, all living together, on
exhibition at the Zoological Garden, are exciting a good deal of
curiosity.
The pass system has been suddenly, and without giving previous
notice, checked up by a higher power.
On the evening of the 21st the theater and other places of
amusement, were suddenly surrounded by the provost guard, who
claimed that there was no authority to give passes later than 9
o'clock, and to a limited number. A secessionist, armed with a
knife, without any provocation, made an assault upon James Carr,
one of company F, by calling him a d___d black republican, and
striking him in the face, who, without any weapon, knocked him
down several times, Carr, receiving a flesh wound with several
slits in his coat about the breast.
The viands and delicacies sent by the ladies of Keosauqua to
company F, met with a better fate than those sent late in the
fall by the ladies of Bentonsport, the whole having spoiled. The
boys had a fine picnic dinner, all faring sumptuously.
Yours, Ed.
[transcribed by M.O., March 2017]