Biographies
For
Muscatine County Iowa
1889



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 399

LEWIS F. CREITZ, a dealer in live stock, of Wilton, Iowa, was born in Lehigh County, Pa., May 26, 1833, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth ( Follweiler ) Creitz, also natives of the same county. The family is of German descent, but in the earliest days of American history settled in Pennsylvania. Henry Creitz followed the occupation of farming in the Keystone State, and in connection also worked at trades of harness-making and shoemaking. Our subject learned a trade under the instruction of his father, but later engaged in clerking, and in 1853 and 1856, in in connection with a younger brother, carried on general merchandising. The following spring he went to Kansas, where the struggle between the friends and opponents of slavery was still being carried on. Two brothers, William and Charles Creitz, had become residents of the State two years previously, and were in the hottest of the strife. Lewis made a claim of 160 acres of land known as the Delaware Trust, and he and his brothers erected the first building on what is now the town site of Holton, Jackson County, being the first to sell goods at that place. Remaining in Kansas only from May until September, Mr. Creitz then returned to his native State, where he engaged in stock dealing, driving cattle across the Alleghanies, the railroads having not yet been built over the mountains. Following this vocation until 1861 he again emigrated to the West, locating in Wilton, Iowa, where he engaged in harness-making. But war was at hand and the struggle for the preservation of the Union was about to be inuagurated.

On the first call for troops, in April, 1861, our subject enlisted in Company A, 1st Regiment of Iowa Volunteers, and served in the command in Southwestern Missouri under Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, and was engaged in the battle of Springfield on the 10th of August, 1861, where that gallant hero fell. The regiment lost quite heavily in killed and wounded. A few days after the engagement at Springfield, the regiment was mustered out at St. Louis, by reason of the expiration of the term of service. Returning to Wilton Mr. Creitz was employed as salesman in the store of F. P. Hubbert until July, 1862. On the 2nd of August following he again entered the military service, and, assisted by A.V. Jewell, raised a company of volunteers. On the organization of this company he was made First Lieutenant, and was assigned to the 35th Regiment, which was stationed at Cairo, Ill., until the early part of 1863. On the 10th of December, 1862, Lieut. Creitz, the Captain and thirty men of the company,were detailed with others to guard nearly 1,000 Confederate prisoners, who were conveyed down the Mississippi River on the steamer "City of Madison," for the purpose of effecting a change of prisoners with the enemy at Vicksburg. The object of this expedition was accomplished, the guards returning with a like number of Union prisoners of war. This was an interesting experience for our Lieutenant. On the return trip they met the expedition of Gen. Sherman, on its way down the river to attack Vicksburg. Mr Creitz rejoined his regiment at Columbus, Ky., whither in the meantime it had been ordered, and in the spring of 1863 joined Grant's command, which was beseiging Vicksburg, and was assigned to the 15th Army Corps, commanded by Gen. Sherman. The regiment took part in the capture of Jackson, where Lieut. Creitz had command of a company, and after the surrender of Vicksburg, participated in the second expedition against Jackson. In March 1864, it was detached from the 15th Army Corps and assigned to the 16th Army Corps, at which time the Lieutenant, who had been made Brigade Quartermaster in January, 1864, assumed that position in the 3rd Brigade and 1st division, accompanying Gen. Banks in that capacity on the Red River expedition. He also participated in the Tupelo expeditiom, in July, 1864 and joined Gen. Thomas at Nashville in November. He was engaged in the battle at that place on the 15th and 16th of December, which resulted in the defeat and rout of Hood's army, and joined in its pursuit to the Tennessee River. Encamping at Eastport, Miss., until February, 1865, with the troops, he then embarked for New Orleans, where under Gen. Camby, he engaged in the reduction of Mobile, from whence the regiment marched to Montgomery, and returning to Selma, garrisoned that place. There Lieut. Creitz acted in the capacity of Post Quartermaster until the close of the war, when he mustered out of service at Davenport, Iowa, on the 10th of August, 1865.

Returning to Wilton our subject there remained until the fall of 1870, when he went to Kansas and began the improvement of the farm which he had entered in 1857, but becoming a victim of the grasshopper pest, returned to Wilton in the fall of 1875, since which time he has been engaged in the dealing of stock. He is numbered among the enterprising business men of the community, and has been quite successful in his present undertaking.

In 1869 Mr Creitz was united in marriage at Wilton, his union being with Miss Rebecca Ours, a native of Pennsylvania. To them have been born five children, four of whom are living: Katie, Stella May, Clinton and Clarence. Charles who was the second in order of birth, died at the age of four years. Mr. Creitz was a gallant soldier in the War for the Union, and is esteemed as a worthy and prominent citizen.


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