West Liberty History 1838-1938

Source: One Hundred Years of History
* Commemorating a Century of Progress in the West Liberty Community * WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
MILITARY MEN

Since 1838 many men from West Liberty and vicinity have played important parts in the military affairs of our country, some of whom have won renown.

Among them who formerly lived here and later received high military distinction were a father and his three sons: the late Dr. E. H. King, Elliott R., Albert Ady, and Joseph Choate King, residents here more than 50 years ago.

The military history of the Kings dates back to Civil War days when Dr. Eldridge Harrison King served in Co. D. 35th Iowa Vol. Inf. Born in Whitefield, Maine, September 10, 1843, he came to Cedar county when 13 years of age. Following his education he became a practicing physician in West Liberty where he and his family lived for a number of years before moving, in 1891, to Muscatine where Dr. King's death occurred in 1917.

The eldest son, Dr. Elliott R. King, now of Letts, Iowa, was born in West Liberty, June 12, 1869. He served in Co. C. 2nd Regiment, Iowa National Guards, as a private and later a corporal. May 22, 1899, he became 1st Lt., assistant surgeon, Iowa National Guards; May 22, 1894, Capt. and Asst. Surg., I. N. G. He was a commissioned Capt. Surgeon, Medical Corps, 802 Pioneer Inf., World war, and now holds Lt. Col., Medical Reserve Corps, U. S. A.

Albert Ady King, the second son, now of El Paso, Texas, was born July 14, 1873, at Steamboat Rock, Iowa, where the King family lived for a time before returning to West Liberty, enlisted in Troop I, 1st U. S. Cavalry. He is now retired.

The youngest son, Joseph Choate King, who was also born in West Liberty, Nov. 20, 1882, served as a trumpeter in Co. C., of the Spanish-American war. When a small boy he moved with his parents to Muscatine from where, in 1902, he went to West Point Military Academy. In 1906 he was graduated from West Point with the rank of 2nd Lt. of Cavalry, 10th Regular. Col. King has been living in Des Moines where he is military instructor and assistant to the adjutant general. Recently he has been ordered to Philadelphia where he will be after July 1, 1938. His present rank is Colonel, Cavalry in U. S. Army.

All three brothers are World war veterans and the two younger are also Spanish American war veterans.

Lt. Colonel Clark Elliott, who was killed by machine gun fire while inspecting the American front near Soissons, France, during the World war, was born and reared in West Liberty community. He began his military career in 1894, when 22 years of age, enlisting in the regular cavalry, serving as private, corporal, and sergeant in the Third cavalry. His enlistment expired in 1897, but one year later, 1898, at the beginning of the Spanish-American war, he re-enlisted as a private in the Third cavalry.

In July, 1898, he was commissioned as second lieutenant of the Fifteenth Minnesota infantry and at the close of the Spanish-American war, was commissioned second lieutenant in the Tenth United States infantry. Col Elliott served in Mexico with Pershing and was sent to France with one of the first regular regiments.

While serving in the Philippines, Col. Elliott learned that a former West Liberty boy, Lon Deemer, younger brother of the late Judge Horace Deemer, whom he had not seen for many years, was employed in a harness shop in a nearby city. Col Elliott called on his friend one day but young Deemer did not recognize him until Col. Elliott glancing about, remarked," Doesn't look like the harness Harry Shipman makes."

---