FAMILY STORIES
| Muscatine County, Iowa FAMILY STORIES | |
Articles submitted by his 2nd great grand-niece,
Kimberly Collier-McCarthy, February 23, 2011
ALFRED D. COLLIER.
Biographies & Portraits of Progressive Men of Iowa 1899
Volume 11, Page 591-591COLLIER, A.D., Brigadier-General and Judge Advocate General of the Iowa National Guard, was born in Muscatine County, Iowa, November 3, 1840, while the great commonwealth was yet a territory. His father, Samuel H. Collier, had come to the territory two years previously from the state of New York, of which he was a native. He held a captain’s commission from the Governor Robert Lucas of the Territory of Iowa, issued January 14, 1840, during the border troubles between Iowa and Missouri over the boundary line between the two states, so General Collier inherited a military spirit.
Young Collier was left to shift for himself by the death of his illustrious father in 1852, consequently his success in life has been self-earned. In 1857 he joined a party of young men who were bound for Kansas to take up claims. This was during the troublesome times when Kansas earned the soubriquet of “Bleeding Kansas.” He returned to Iowa in 1860 and entered Western College, and had just completed the first year when the war broke out. He enlisted in what was afterwards Company K, First Iowa Infantry, and served with the regiment through the Missouri and Kansas campaigns under General Lyons. He was a participant in the battle of Wilson’s Creek, although that struggle took place after his term of enlistment expired. After his return home he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the recruiting service by Governor Kirkwood and Adjutant General N.B. Baker, and served in that capacity during 1862-63. Later he served in the Forty-fourth Iowa, being finally discharged September 15, 1864. The war ended, he re-entered college and graduated with the degree B.S. and the degree of M.E. in course. He subsequently studied law and was admitted to the bar by Judge Rothrock, March 26, 1867, since which time he has been engaged in practice. He has been for four years assistant solicitor for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway and at present lives in Sioux City.
General Collier is a prominent member of the G.A.R. and in 1895 was commander of General Hancock Post, No. 22, Department of Iowa and has long been connected with the Iowa National Guard. He was one of the first company commanders in the state; he was commissioned captain of the Baker Guards in Jun, 1873, and in 1874 lieutenant colonel of cavalry and aide-de-camp on Commander-In-Chief Governor Carpenter’s staff; was again captain of Company C., First Regiment in 1878; assistant inspector general, First Brigade, General Banks, commanding, in 1881; re-elected major of the First Regiment in 1884, and commissioned Brigadier General and Judge Advocate General on Governor Jackson’s staff February 1, 1894, where he served two years. Prior to 1879 there had been but little done of a practical nature for the betterment of the Guard, and at a military convention held at Marshalltown, in May of that year committee was appointed to secure a revision of the military law, Mr. Collier being chosen chairman. He spent the entire winter of 1879-80 in attendance upon the legislature, and succeeded in having enacted a law appropriating the sum of $20,000 per annum for the support of the Guard. The bill was drafted by him, and was the means of getting the first dollar from the state for such a purpose. There was great rejoicing along the line and in recognition of his labors he was especially detailed by Gen. W.L. Alexander, by order of Governor Gear, to make an inspection and muster of the Guard for payment of uniforms. The result was that a number of companies throughout the state not coming up to the required standard were mustered out of the service by Collier, the standard of efficiency being thereby materially raised. He still takes great pride in the Guard, and is the same staunch friend and worker as of old. General Collier is still in the active practice of law and in the vary prime of life.
Past and present of Sioux City and Woodbury County, Iowa
Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 1904Brigadier General A. D. Collier is a distinguished lawyer of the Iowa bar, having been assistant solicitor of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad Company for some years, and a practitioner at Sioux City. He is a native son of the state in which his labors have been so intelligently directed as to make his career one of single usefulness to his fellow men. He has been, and is, distinctively a man of affairs and one who has wielded a marked influence. Strong mentality, an invincible courage, a most determined individuality have so entered into his makeup as to render him a natural leader of men and a director of public opinion.
General Collier was born in Iowa during its territorial days, his birth having occurred in Muscatine County, November 3, 1840. His family was at one time resident of New York and his ancestors were residents of that state at the time of the Revolution. His father, Samuel H. Collier, born in Steuben County, New York, August 5, 1805, arrived in Iowa on the 10th of May, 1838, casting in his lot with its pioneer settlers and aiding materially in the early development of the commonwealth. At the time of the border troubles between Missouri and Iowa, over the boundary line between the two states, he held a captain's commission from Governor Robert Lucas. His wife, Nancy Davenport Collier, also a native of New York, was born December 7, 1812.
The early boyhood days of General Collier were spent upon the homestead farm, but at his father's death, in October 1852, he was thrown upon his own resources, being then not quite twelve years of age. Unremitting labor was his portion in youth and unwearied industry has been the secret of his success in after years. In 1857, with a party of twenty-one young men, he went from Muscatine county, Iowa, to Kansas, where they took claims in that new territory, just quieting down after the exciting and troublous days of 1856. Mr. Collier was then but seventeen years of age, but his early experiences had made him a self-reliant young man, with the judgment and ability of many a man whose years greatly outnumbered his. In the spring of 1860 he returned to Iowa. Having become impressed with the great value of education as a factor in a successful career, he resolved to impair the lack of his boyhood and entered Western College, then located in Linn County. He had just completed his first year when the war broke out.
Rapid was the progress of events at that day. President Lincoln issued his call for seventy-five thousand volunteers on the 15th of April 1861; Governor Kirkwood, of Iowa, issued his proclamation for one regiment on the 17th; and on the 19th General Collier enlisted in what was afterward known as Company K, First Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He served with his regiment through the Missouri and Arkansas campaigns under General Lyons and participated in the battle of Wilson's creek after the expiration of his term. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the recruiting service by Governor Kirkwood and Adjutant General N.B. Baker and served in that capacity in 1862 and 1863, and later he was at the front with the Forty-fourth Iowa Infantry, receiving his final discharge September 15, 1864.
After the close of the war General Collier resumed his studies and won successively the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master of Science. He then began preparation for the bar and following his admission by Judge James II. Rothrock, March 26, 1867, he has since been engaged in practice, and has long maintained an honorable position at the Tow a bar. He was not long in gaining a good clientage, which has constantly developed in extent and also in the importance of the character of his work. He was city attorney of the city of Cedar Rapids, Linn county, Iowa, during the years 1871, 1875 and 1876, and was assistant solicitor of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway Company from 1878 to 1884. Since 1887 he has made his home in Sioux City, where he has a law business that continually brings him in association with the leading practitioners of this part of the state, and be is still in the active practice of his profession.
General Collier is a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is a past commander of General Hancock Post, No. 22, Department of Iowa. He has long been a member of the Iowa National Guard and was one of the first company commanders in the state. He was commissioned captain of the Baker Guards in June, 1873, and on January 28, 1874, lieutenant colonel of cavalry and aide-de-camp on Commander-in-chief Governor C. C. Carpenter's staff; was again captain of Company C, First Regiment, August 10, 1878; assistant inspector general, First Brigade, General Banks commanding July 1, 1881; re-elected major of his First Regiment, April 11, 1884; and was commissioned Brigadier General and Judge Advocate General on Governor Frank Jackson's staff, February 1. 1894, his present cut commission and rank.
General Collier has been an active and efficient member and worker in the Iowa National Guard ever since its organization, and to him is largely due the credit of the present efficiency. Prior to 1879 there had been but little done of a practical nature and it was in a chaotic condition; it is true, there were a few companies organized but the state gave them no assistance, save to furnish a few old muskets and cartridge boxes and the officers and members were obliged to keep up their organization by voluntary contributions and by the generosity and patriotism of the communities where they were located.
There had been two or three military conventions, one held in Dubuque and one in Des Moines, of which such men as Governor Frank Jackson. General James Rush Lincoln, General John R. Prime. Colonel Mount. Colonel P. C Pallingall. General Byron A. Beeson, Colonel Sweeny, Colonel McCarthy and distinguished as prominent officers in the Guard. But it was not until May 11, 1879, at Marshalltown that any definite action was formally taken. At that meeting a committee on the revision of the military law of the state of Iowa was appointed with General Collier as chairman and a united effort was then put forth for the securing of some favorable legislation. General Collier spent the entire winter of 1879 and 1880 in attendance upon and urging the legislature to enact some law bestowing recognition upon and substantially aiding the Guard. He drew the original bill that was passed and approved March 20, 1880, which under section 5 1 of said act appropriated the sum of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per annum for the support and maintenance of the Iowa National Guard, the first dollar ever appropriated by the state of Iowa for that purpose.
That there was great rejoicing all along the line by members of the Guard goes without saying and many were the congratulations received by General Collier for his efficient and successful labors. As a recognition of his work as an officer and soldier and to show the high regard and esteem in which he was held by his superior officers, he was especially detailed by General W. L. Alexander, on order of Governor Gear, Commander-in-chief, in general orders No. 2, July 20, 1880, to make an inspection and muster of the Iowa National Guard for payment on uniforms. This inspection, which was made in conjunction with Adjutant General Alexander and Inspector General W. H. Thrift, was under the new law enacted and was thorough and rigid. The result was that a large number of companies throughout the state, not coming up to the required standard, were mustered out of the service by general orders No. 3, September, 1880, and from nine regiments and a battery or two the numbers were materially reduced and the standard of efficiency correspondingly raised.
General Collier takes great pride and interest in the Iowa National Guard, and feels that in some degree he has contributed to its establishment and success, and though it has passed from and through the experimental stage to the high position it now occupies, he is the same stanch, firm friend and worker as of old and nothing gives him so much pleasure as to visit the annual inspections and encampments and note the splendid condition and efficiency of the Guard and compare it with twenty-five years ago.
General Collier has been married twice and is the father of four children. His present wife is Ethel Van Fassen Collier and together they are living with their little daughter Ethel Mary Collier, a girl of ten years, at their pleasant home in Smith's Villa in Sioux City and she is the light and joy of his later years.
Twenty –fourth Annual Meeting of the Iowa State Bar Association 1918 Colonel Collier was born in Muscatine County, Iowa. He was the son of Samuel H. Collier, of Steuben County, New York. Samuel Collier Settled in Muscatine County in 1838, and Colonel Collier spent his early life on his father’s far in that County. Upon his father’s death in 1852 he was thrown on his own resources at the age of twelve years. In 1857 he went with a party of twenty one young men from Muscatine County to Kansas and took up a claim in that territory. He returned to Iowa in the spring of 1860 and entered Western College in Linn County. He had completed his first year in college when the Civil War broke out.
Page 56-57When President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 volunteers April 15, 1861, Governor Kirkwood, of Iowa, followed with is proclamation April 17, and on April 19, Colonel Collier enlisted in Company K, First Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He served his regiment through the Missouri and Kansas campaigns under General Lyon and participated in the battle of Wilson’s Creek. He was commissioned First Lieutenant in the recruiting service by Governor Kirkwood and served in that capacity in 1862-63. Later he was at the front with the Forty-fourth Iowa Infantry, receiving his discharge in September, 1864.
At the close of the war Colonel Collier resumed his studies, later being graduated, after which he took up the study of law. He was admitted to practice in March, 1867. He was a solicitor for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway from 1878 to 1884. Colonel Collier took up his residence in Sioux City in 1887. He always was prominent in the affairs of the G.A.R. and was commander of General Hancock Post, No. 22. He was long a member of the Iowa National Guard and was one of the first company commanders in the State. He was commissioned Captain of the Baker Guards in Jun, 1873, and June 28, 1874, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel of cavalry and Aide-de-camp on Governor C.C. Carpenter’s staff.
Colonel Collier was made captain of Company C., First Regiment, August 10, 1878, and Inspector General of the First Brigade July 1, 1881. He was elected Major of the Fist Regiment in 1884, and was Brigadier-General and Judge Advocate on Governor Frank D. Jackson’s staff in 1894.
Colonel Collier was a member of the committee on the revision of the military laws of the State, and spent months before the Legislature in the interest of the National Guard. He drew the original bill, which was passed and approved March 20, 1880, appropriating $20,000 a year for the support of the Iowa National Guard.
Though Colonel Collier always took an active interest in politics, he never became a candidate for office. He is perhaps best known in Sioux City for the aggressive stand he took against the saloon and liquor interests. For years he devoted the best efforts of his life to fighting the saloons in Sioux City. At one time he was attorney for the State Anti-Saloon League, and one of the proudest achievements of his career was the closing of twenty-five saloons in one year while acting as attorney for the league.
Col. Collier is survived by his widow, Mrs. Ethel VanFassen Collier, and daughter, Miss Ethel Mary Collier, both of Sioux City.
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