Star – Clipper Supplement
Traer, Iowa, February 11, 1887
History of North Tama
By Daniel Connell

Chapter XVI
The War

While the action of the South for many years had been tending toward leading up to disruption in case laws for protection of slave property were not nationalized instead of being treated as merely local, while nearly all the North considered disruption a possibility, still it was not treated as a probability. Nearly all thought it might be averted. The South then as now made politics a trade, a business that would pay a dividend.

Slavery had rights under the constitution, and while recognizing them a sentiment existed in the heart and understanding of Northern men repugnant to the system and unfriendly to that law of man that ignored their idea of the laws of humanity and of God.

Still the north obeyed thee spirit of the law, while they hoped for a peaceful solution. The south did not want a peaceful solution when the time had arrived that they were ready to carry their ends.

In 1860 they were ready, having used the administration of James Buchanan to further their ends. That they did not desire peaceful solution is seen in the result of the election of 1860. They could have elected either Davis or Douglass. When President Lincoln faced the impending conflict he found the small army scattered over the western plains and the fleet in eastern waters. He did not altogether realize the enormity of the proposed crime as the call for but 75,000 men showed. His views were with those of the North generally. As but that number was wanted but little alacrity was need, so outside of large cities few responded. When the first gun of treason echoed and the call was made for men for ninety days, it found a response in the person of George Yeager, of Perry, who proceeded to Cedar Rapids, where a company was being raised, and enlisted under Capt. Cook. The company was a portion of the first regiment, Iowa volunteers, and participated in the battles of Lexington and Springfield, Missouri, better known as Wilson Creek, under General Lyon, who was killed. The next call found Frank Heath, of Buckingham, ready. He went to Waterloo and enlisted, and was attached to the ninth regiment under col. Wm. Vandever, at that time our member of Congress. At the battle of Boston Mountain or Pea Ridge in northern Arkansas Frank was killed – our first martyr. The first direct home appeal was by Albert Stoddard, of Toledo, who was raising a company, which was attached to the tenth regiment. John Sawyer, George Buchanan and Charles Davis, and at a later day Stephen Mulnix went into this regiment.

W. H. Stivers raised a company – G, 14th regiment – and was made captain. From the settlement there went with him or subsequently joined the company, B. F. Thomas, Peter Wilson, John Gaston, Elazor Stoakes, J. E. McKune, John R. Felter, DeWitt Southwick, John R. Thomas, Jonathan Morton, William S. Townsend, Stewart, Joseph and Cornelius Burright, James M. Lefler, Preston E. Greenleaf, William Wade, George W. Shiner, Elijah Gallion, William Leach and Robert Clark – twenty in all.

The next in Tama county to raise a company was Leander Clark, the only one in the settlement who did so. His company was E, and attached to the 24th regiment. There went with him from the two north tiers of townships: John Gross, A. H. Felter, George Hempstead, John Mulcahy, James M. Snow, Ward Wilbur, William M. Beatty, Thomas N. Perkins, H. H. Merrill, A. Tracy King, William S. King, Ed. H. Finch, Theodore S. Finch, Daniel E. Finch and Daniel From, fifteen good men and true, beside Capt. Clark, all of whom returned except three.

The next company raised was by John A. Staley – company F, 28th regiment, colonel, William E. Miller. Capt. Staley came to Buckingham to see what he could do to fill his company, and there promptly fell into line C. C. Collins, Paul P. Nungesser, John H. Scott, Eli Eldridge, Soloman Horlacher, Thomas Sothern, Newton, Henry and William Miller – father and two sons, of Clark township – James Casey, Daniel W. Emerson, Henry D. Fuller, Jonathan Bishop and his son John B. M. Bishop, George A. Moss, Matthew Crawford and Joseph Freidle, accompanied by Dr. W. A. Daniel to care for their health. There were eighteen in all, of whom seven laid down their lives.

There is a list of those who went from the eight north townships to do battle for the right. They went as inclined to places where companies were being raised or recruited. They went singly or in squads of two or more. A few neighborhood boys would talk the matter over together and start. Of those who went in this way I note and record Charles E. Ryan, 5th regiment; Harrison H. Hill, 32d regiment; Jonathan D. Fuller, 8th cavalry; Henry W. Thompson, 8th regiment; Adam Clark Torrence, regiment unknown; Charles A. Wilbur, 3d regiment; H. H. Crowhurst, S. J. Crowhurst and C. B. Hayward, 12 regiment; George L. Wilbur, 23d; Jon Emmet, 32d; Dr. Samuel C. Rogers, surgeon 8th; Denton Camery, George M. Hall, Horace W. Nungesser, J. S. VanCuren. F. A. VanCuren, O. H. Cable and William Heath, 47th; Ward B. Sherman, 13th, John Vaughn, regiment unknown; William Peverill and Robert Bellingham, 13th; Wm. Crump, (colored) 1st regiment U. S. colored. West McDowall, Peter Quinn and John Wilson Jr., 1st cavalry; Peter C. Greenlee, 9th cavalry; Jonathan L. Moore, 9th cavalry; George Finch, cavalry, regiment unknown.

In addition to the foregoing list of eighty-nine I learn of the following individuals who lived in Spring Creek or in Marshall county adjoining; I cannot learn definitely which: James Day and Henry Goodwin, regiment unknown. They probably enlisted at Marshalltown. This makes a total of ninety-one who enlisted form the two north tiers of townships in Tama county. Of this list thirty-four are known to be dead and others probably are. These men with such particulars as are at command regarding their services, experiences and fate will be more fully mentioned. Since writing the above we recall Lemuel Kile, who enlisted with Capt. Stivers, and at Davenport was rejected. Left without means he walked home to Wolf Creek.