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Although Cass county was but sparsely settled at the time of the Civil War, she did her full share toward suppressing the rebellion. One full company was enlisted in Lewis in 1862, under Capt. Coe, which was made Company "I" of the 23d Infantry. The original enlistment roll bears the following names:

James H. Coe, Captain; Newton W. Whitted, 1st Lieutenant; John C. Brown, 2d Lieutenant; John J. Van Houten, 1st Sergeant; Edward P. Mills, 2d sergeant; Joseph G. Warnock, 3d Sergeant; Harvey Ingsbe, 4th Sergeant; Hehamiah C. Maffitt, 5th Sergeant; Hudson Reynolds, 1st Corporal; James Saint, 2d Corporal; Amasa Chapman, 3d Corporal; John C. McMillen, 4th corporal; Samuel B. Stewart, 5th corporal; William S. Everett, 6th Corporal; Samuel Wilson, 7th Corporal; Henry Bishop, 8th Corporal; Edwin C. Mills, Drummer; Rufus L. Peaslee, Fifer; Privates: Calvin Bradshaw, Garalenus Burris, Jacob H. Baldwin, Hezekiah N. Baughman, James W. Bond, Stephen T. Campbell, Peter Cocklin, Ebenezer Cummings, William R. Collet, William L. Cocklin, William S. Chapman, Jesse Casteel, John Collins, Marriman Calton, Lorenzo Decker, David Duckett, Warren Dean, Hiram A. Disbrow, William Denney, Isiah Duckett, John Emmons, Simeon Field, Ebenezer Freel, James M. Gill, Francis R. Howard, Gehart Hebing, Richard Haworth, David Heckathorn, Allen E. C. Hawkins, John W. Haag, George W. Hardy, Rufus P. Irwin, William Jarvis, Augustus Just, Lyman J. Jardine, William T. Judd, Joshua M. Kear, William Kennard, Jacob Ketner, Edwin Lowe, Merritt L. Littlefield, Alfred Leek, William McCormick, Burr Mosier, Peirce Maher, Augustus McClintock, Allen J. McCarter, Joseph McConnel, John Mathew, Joseph Northgraves, Jacob Neth, Martin Obrecht, William W. Pike, Daniel S. Parker, Granville Pierson, Samuel Place, James Roberts, William A. Pugg, James F. Smith, Frederick August Seaman, Milton H. Stanton, Horace H. Smith, Harrison Stebens, David Stype, William Torrance, DanielO. Toothaker, John W. Tunnell, William R. Terry, William L. Whisler, Wooster J. Woodward, John Wilson, Francis C. Wilson, Richard Worth, William H. Smith.

Capt. Coe resigned soon after the regiment got into Missouri, on account of ill-health, and was succeeded by J. C. Brown. The latter was killed at Milliken's Bend in 1863, and was succeeded by Capt. J. J. Van Houten, now of Atlantic.

The ladies of Lewis presented Co. I, of the 23d with a beautiful flag, which became the regimental flag, and was the winding sheet of the regiment's Colonel (Dewey) when he died.

The Twenty-third regiment participated in the following named engagements: Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, Siege of Vicksburg, Milliken's Bend, Jackson, Mississippi, Fort Esparanza and Spanish Fort, and was mustered out at Spanish Fort, Texas, in 1865. At Milliken's Bend, June 7th, 1863, 120 men of the 23d regiment were surprised by a party of rebels, and in an engagement of a few minutes, over sixty of the 23d were killed or wounded. Capt. J. C. Brown of Company "I" was among the killed.

After Captain Coe returned to the county, he and Judge Temple were commissioned to organize the militia of the county, which they did.

For the 4th infantry, Cass county furnished the following soldiers, after some of whose names we have noted their fate: James W. Whittlesy, Henry C. Chapman, Eri W. Chapman, John Binns, Gilbert B. Kirkpatrick, 2d lieutenant, died Nov. 15, 1864; Augustus L. Kidder, 2d lieutenant; Thomas G. Forrester, Iradell A. Horney, John Ausprach; Jasper Benny, died at Rolla; Henry L. Bradshaw, Elijah H. Brown, Daniel Bryan, Nathaniel Curry, Josiah Coombs, Lloyd B. Forrester, D. Henry Haymaker, Fred W. Humerick died at Rolla, in 1862; John R. Kirk, Wm. H. Kirk, Philip Michael, Orran D. Nelson, Alexander Morris, Frederick Seaman, William Seaman, Benjamin F. Walton, V. M. Bradshaw, Henry Bradshaw, Courson J. Stright, Amasa Chapman, Wm. J. Coon; George Rose, killed at Pea Ridge; Geo. W. Smith, David Wilson died, 1862; Patrick Archer, killed at Vicksburg. The gallant 4th, of which the above named men formed a part, participated in the battles of Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, Jackson, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and marched with Sherman from Atlanta to the sea.

The county furnished 128 men under the calls of 1861-2.

Besides the men already named, the county had representatives in many other regiments, Henry K. Macomber, then a student in Iowa City, enlisted in the Second cavalry in September, 1861. The first men to leave Lewis for the war were James M. Garret and Lewis H. Frost, who joined the 1st Nebraska cavalry in June, 1861. James Turner served in the 13th infantry; James C. Gleason, 46th infantry; Japheth Ball, 1st cavalry, died 1864; Alexander Umpherson, 1st cavalry; Harrison M. Catlin and Francis M. Ammon, 4th cavalry; Solomon Longshore, 1st battery; Newton L. Mills, recruit to 23d infantry; John A. Mills, 4th infantry; D. G. Wooster, 2d cavalry. Walter B. Temple served in company "M", 9th cavalry.

A few men were drafted from the county in 1864. Some of them went in person, while others furnished substitutes.

Company "I" of the 23d was enlisted at Lewis in 1861, for the 4th infantry, but failed to get into that regiment.

A number of the men who enlisted from this county returned, and still live here, being among our most respected citizens. Long may they live to enjoy the blessings of peace in a Union so strong that no traitorous hand will ever again be raised to disrupt it!


Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, February, 2011 from "History of Cass County, Iowa Together With Brief Mention of Old Settlers," by Lafe Young, Atlantic, Iowa, Telegraph Steam Printing House, 1877, pp. 95-98.