SYLVANUS BROTT
Sylvanus Brott, son of Charles and Matilda (Brown) Brott, was born February 16, 1840. In 1845 he went to McHenry county, Illinois, where he was reared and received his education. He came to Cass county in 1867, locating then upon section 14, Atlantic township. Mr. Brott was married in McHenry county, Illinois, in 1806, to Adeline Sands, a native of West Virginia. They have one child--Howard, born in 1874. Mr. Brott's farm contains one hundred and ten acres of good land, the greater portion of which is well improved. It was formerly all timber land. He is engaged in raising stock, paying particular attention to Poland China hogs. He keeps a dairy of eight cows. In politics he is a Republican. He enlisted in September, 1861, in company H, of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, under the command of Colonel Farnsworth. This was a somewhat independent regiment, and is well known in history. They served a considerable time, in Sumner's corps and took part in all the battles of McClellan's army up to the time of the second battle of Bull Run. He was in the seven day's fight before Richmond and, the battle of Malvern Hill, where he was wounded. He was honorably discharged in February, 1863. He re-enlisted in February, 1865, in the Ninth Illinois Cavalry, Company E, under Colonel Harper. He was mustered out of the service, November 20, 1865, at Selma, Alabama.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 843.
