Clarke County Veterans by Fern Underwood

J. B. Dague

John Belmont Dague was born June 1836.

September 30, 1861: J.B. Dague, Divisional Quartermaster, Ashley, Delaware County, Ohio. To Governor William Dennison. Letter stating that he requested to procure an order to raise another company in Morrow County; requesting an order to raise a company of infantry; and stating that since a new company had just left, he knew of no one who would conflict with such arrangements.

Enlisted in U.S. Navy 1862, Co. G, 88th Ohio. Made orderly.

Married in 1862, to Rosa Redfield of Vinton, Iowa

Appointed Commander of gunboat "Alice," to patrol the Ohio River to help stave off guerilla raids into the north and to thwart expected invasions by the Confederate Army.

On April 9, 1865, the vessel, stationed at Galipolis, Ohio, received news that Lee had surrendered to Grant at Appomattox.

April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was shot and died the next morning. J.B. Dague was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to be one of eight guards for Lincoln while he lay in state.

In 1869, J.B. and Rosa came to Osceola, Iowa where he and his brother, R.A. Dague became editors of "The Sentinel" newspaper for 20 years.

Two children were born to this union: Ethel Dague (Armstrong) and Fannie Dague (Slaymaker). Rosa died August 21, 1912;