Iowa in the Civil War a project of the IAGenWeb

Submitted by Dick Barton History of Cherokee County, Iowa, by Thomas McCulla. 2 vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914. pp 287. Chapter XXVI Military History of the County

The first war in which a citizen from Cherokee county, Iowa, could possibly have taken part was some one of the Indian outbreaks, or the Civil war, which conflict came on just five years after the county had been organized. Her first settlers were mostly all of good, loyal stock, from New England and Ohio, and stood for liberty and freedom. When President Lincoln's first call for 75,000 men to suppress the Rebellion in the Southland came in April, 1861, Cherokee county had only been settled by civilized men and women about five years and there were only fifty-six men, women and children in the county, as shown by the United States census returns for 1860, yet she gave forth freely from such as she had. Out of eighteen adults among the male population, there were found to be fifteen able-bodied men qualified to serve as soldiers, and all but four of the able-bodied men entered the Union army, and wore the loyal blue in defense of the highly prized "Stars and Stripes," which today, known as "Old Glory," so proudly floats over such a great domain, both on this continent, as well as in the far off possessions in the seas.

Of course, from so small a settlement no company could be recruited, but these men found their way into the ranks at different times and places. From the military reports and from data secured from members of the Grand Army posts it is learned that on the following roll of honor is credited, or should be by this record, the names of the soldiers from Cherokee county. No other Iowa county can present such a percentage of men who entered the service, considering the number of inhabitants in the county at the time the war broke out. Fourteen out of eighteen men, ar more than any any other county can show. The names of these brave, sacrificing men who went from their prairie homes and new-made firesides, to protect the flag of the country, are:

Exra Wilcox, Joel Davenport, Frank Mead, Silas B. Parkhurst, N. Rogers,George W. Lebourveau, Walter Burgess, George Banister, William Banister,Luther Phipps, Albert Phipps, Levi Scurlock, Newton Scurlock, Jasper Scurlock.