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CHAPTER VI.

In Defense of the Flag

    On the breaking out of the Civil War, Monroe County, from her close proximity to the pro-slavery border, was one of those new counties upon which the evil stroke of war fell with a heavy hand. She was ill prepared at the time to make the great sacrifice, but the record of her soldier boys, and of her fathers, upon whose locks time had left its frost marks, shows that they not only took their lives in their own hands,but bowed to a still greater sacrifice, in leaving behind, in privation, their wives and little ones, to battle with hunger and possibly to suffer at the hands of guerrilla hordes from across the Missouri border.

    No pen of later days can depict the thrilling scenes that still haunt the memories of those who lived in that joyless spring of 1861. The robin and the bluebird were trilling their happy notes; and the wild flowers were blooming on

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the hillsides and in the forests, innocently unconscious of impending harm; but there was a blanched look upon every cheek. The farmer did not hitch up his plow and go out into the fields; the merchant locked his store door to attend the "Union meeting." There was the roll of the drum in the streets, and the shuffling of feet in measured tread by night and day; there was the singing of patriotic songs by the choir of female voices upon the roof of the court house, and the hurried enrollment of volunteers. Then came the day when the boys said good-bye to their parents, their friends, and their sweethearts, wives, and little ones. The young wife tried to smile through her tears in trying to assure her husband that she would take care of things until he came back; then when he said good-bye, and the column was marching away, she lingered at the front gate, watching him disappear perhaps forever, and it was then that she felt the weight of helplessness and despair. The young soldier was hurried to the front before he scarcely learned the use of a musket. He saw for the first time the maneuvering of regiments, and heard the jarring sounds which only can come from the rapid wheeling of artillery over rough ground. He had perhaps seen cannon before in his Northern home, but he had only known them as a harmless engine for celebrating public events. He now saw in their blackened visage the engine of death. He knew that from their sulfurous throats would belch the iron hail of death instead of the gala-day salute of his peaceful Northern home.

    Then there were those who, for sufficient reasons, could not go to war; they had to remain behind, and to their ears, no less loyal than those of the boys at the front, came the echoes of the guns at Ft. Sumter and Manassas. They read the reports of the scathed and bleeding army of McDowell being cut down by the Bull Run batteries, and of the Northern army being hurled back upon the city of Washington, and they realized that they were tied at home, powerless to offer one stroke for the liberty for which others were striving.

    Then up from that dreaded border, like auroral streamers, shot the malignant tongues of disloyalty and secession, which stirred up bitterness and strife between friends and neighbors. Nobody could foresee which side would come out victorious in the gathering conflict. The housewife scarcely

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dared to express her views to her next door neighbor, lest they should invite strife; for in the days of '61 the public brain was aflame and maddened with partisan zeal, and for a time there were disloyal families in Monroe County, and they were families of social influence. As the war progressed, and success to the Union arms began to appear more favorable, these disunion sympathizers somewhat modified their disloyal sentiments; but whether the change was due to sincere convictions unconsciously instilled by patriotic surroundings, or to politic considerations, cannot be stated, and need not be stated at this late day, if known. Most of those whose sympathies were with the South, and who were liable to conscript duty, skipped to the far West to avoid the draft which was ordered in the latter part of the war. They were designated "draft-skedaddlers" and "moss-backs." Some, however, may have evaded the draft merely through a dread of military hardships or a disinclination to stand up and be shot at.

    There were many trials and hardships that the soldier of Monroe County had to meet and undergo which were not experienced by many of those enlisting from older counties. This county was still new, and domestic improvement had not progressed far enough to secure to the settlers many of the comforts of life. Most people were poor. Everybody came to the county poor, a few years previous, and the great majority of those who enlisted were men who were either clearing out homes for themselves and families, on the wild prairies, or were helping dependent parents to establish a home for their old age.

    The volunteer's pay of thirteen or fourteen dollars a month was of course inadequate for the support of a family during his absence, and e felt that at best he would have to return at the close of the war and begin anew with the privations which he had just begun to surmount when his country called for his aid. He was offering too, to the Union, the best part of his life—a time when he should be laying the foundation for his calling.

    The quotas of volunteers to be furnished by Iowa under the Federal calls were as follows:

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For 3-month men (75,000), volunteers	2,643
For 500,000 men, volunteers	17,617
For the July 2, 1862, call for 300,000 volunteers	10,570
For the August 4, 1862, call for 300,000 men, to be drafted	10,570
Total for volunteers	41,400
For August 18, 1862, call for men to fill up old regiments	8,500
Total	49,405
Monroe County's quota from this total was 630, of which 619 were raised without drafting, leaving a deficit of only 11 to be raised by draft or voluntary enlistment.
The quota of Appanoose County was	876
The number furnished was	705
Leaving a deficit of	171
The quota of Mahaska was	1,087
Number furnished	946
Leaving a deficit of	141
Wapello's quota was	1,063
She furnished	1,225
An excess of	162
Lucas County's quota was	423
The number furnished was	419
Leaving a deficit of but	4

    The following roster of Monroe County volunteers is compiled mainly from the Adjutant-General's Reports and is a nearly correct as it is possible to get them. The Adjutant-General's Reports contain frequent inaccuracies, which it has been the aim of the author to herein correct.

    The greater portion of volunteers enlisting in the service from Monroe County were mustered into the Sixth, Twenty-second and Thirty-sixth Infantry, and the First Cavalry.

    Company E of the Sixth was composed very largely of Monroe County men. The list of volunteers for this company overran the maximum limit of enrollment, and a number of men were assigned to other companies.

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    In the Thirty-sixth Infantry, Companies A and K were chiefly composed of Monroe County men.

    In the official roster of these companies the residence of a volunteer in many instances is placed in some adjoining county, when he really enlisted from Monroe County. This was when his post-office address was in some other county, residence being inferred from post-office address.

    The Sixth Iowa Infantry was one of those regiments of the Northern army over whose head seemed to hang the pall of an avenging fate. The Sixth Iowa was composed of boys fresh from the fields and cities of Iowa. They were enrolled, mustered in, and hurried off to the front before they fully realized the great responsibilities which devolved on them as conservers of the nation.

    They were the boys with the steady eye and unwavering columns of veterans. The regiment suffered the greatest loss in killed and wounded of any Iowa regiment. It lost in action 7 officers, and 100 men; 18 officers were wounded, and 469 men.

    In the Thirty-sixth Infantry there were killed in action during the war 35 men, and 25 men died of wounds; also 235 died of disease, 1 committed suicide, and 142 men were wounded.

    Companies A and K were made up from Monroe County. The Eighth, Seventeenth, and Twenty-second Iowa Infantry contained a large number of volunteers from the county; also the First Cavalry. There were also a good many Monroe County men in the Thirty-seventh Infantry, or "Gray-beard Regiment."

SECOND IOWA INFANTRY

Jas. M. Porter, age 23, private, Co. H; must. in May 1, '61; wounded six times at Corinth, yet staid on the field; pr. 6th. corp.

Wm. McCreary, age 27, private, Co. K; must. in May 6, '61.

Wm. H. H. Ashbury, age 20, private, Co. K; must. in May 6, '61; rejected—loss two fingers.

Conrad Stucker, age 41, private, Co. K; must. in May 6, '61; rejected—cause unknown.

John Coen, age 20, private, Co. K; must. in May 20, '61.

H. G. Judson, age 21, private, Co. K; must. in May 20, '61.

Harrison Smith, age 30, private, Co. K; must. in May 20, '61; rejected—physical disability.

Zach. M. McAlister, age 23, 3d corp., Co. K; must. in Nov. 1, '61; promoted fifth sergeant.

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SIXTH IOWA INFANTRY

Fred F. Weed, age 19, 3d ser., Co. A; must. in July 17, '61; killed at Shiloh.

Geo. R. Watson, age 23, 3d ser., Co. A.; must. in July 17, '61.

Daniel McCoy, age 32, 1st ser., Co. A; must. in Dec. 21, '61.

Edward Freeman, age 28, 2d lieut., Co. B; must. in April 17, '62; resigned June 11, '62.

Jas. H. Spurling, age 29, private, Co. B; must. in July 17, '61; killed at Shiloh.

Andrew J. Egbert, age 28, private, Co. B; must. in July 17, '61.

John Hardin, age 19, private, Co. B; must. in July 17, '61.

Geo. W. Scott, age 28, private, Co. B; must. in July 17, '61.

Lewis Armstrong, age 20, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Solomon Kellogg, age 23, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh and died at Keokuk.

Jas. Kellogg, age 25, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh and died at Keokuk.

Walter Smith, age 24, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61; killed at Shiloh.

Robt. F. Stewart, age 21, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61.

Henry L. Tucker, age 21, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61.

Michael Combs, Jr., age 19, 1st ser., Co. D; must. in July 17, '61

Sam'l D. Harn, age 20, private, Co. D; must. in July 17, '61.

Sam'l Sumner, age 21, private, Co. D; discharged at La Milne Bridge for phthisis Jan. 17, '62. [Note: phthisis is a form of tuberculosis, I had to look it up to see what it was. :) ]

Thos. Sumner, age 34, private, Co. D; discharged at St. Louis for consumption, Aug. 22, '61.

Almer Swift, Age 20, private, Co. D; must. in July 17, '61.

M. J. Swift, age 21, private, Co. D; must. in July 17, '61.

Geo. W. Trussell, age 43, private, Co. D; must. in July 17, '61; died at Jefferson City, Mo., Oct. 29, '61.

Henry Saunders, age 39, captain, Co. E; must. in May 24, '61.

Calvin Kelsey, age 29, 1st. lieut. Co. E; must. in July 1, '61; died at Cairo, Ill., 1865, of cholera.

Leander C. Allison, age 20, 1st. lieut., Co. E; must. in May 24, '61, promoted captain Jan. 4, '64; wounded at Mission Ridge.

John H. Orman, age 23, 2d lieut., Co. E; must. in Feb. 17, '62, wounded at Shiloh and resigned Nov. 23, '62.

David J. Hayes, age 33, 1st. ser., Co. E. must. in July 17, '61; killed at Shiloh.

Jas. Evans, age 25, 2d ser., Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Henry Roberts, age 25, 3d ser., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62; wounded at Missionary Ridge and Kenesaw Mountain.

Alex. McDonald, age 36, 4th ser., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62.

Oliver Boardman, age 21, 5th ser., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62; killed at Black River Bridge, Miss.

Robt. A. Wills, age 21, 1st corp., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62.

Richard W. Courtney, age 30, 3d corp., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62; wounded at Griswasldsville, Ga., and discharged for disability, '65.

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Elihu Hill, age 28, 4th corp., Co. E.; must. in July 17, '61; discharged for disability Jan. 21, '62.

B. F. Scott, age 25, 5th corp., Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Henry Chamberlain, age 21, 6th corp., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62.

Wm. Jenkins, age 37, 7th corp., Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Henry Roberts, age 24, 8th corp., Co. E.; must. in July 17, '61.

Owen J. Prindle, age 21, 8th corp., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62.

Davied C. Ely, age 27, 5th ser., Co. E.; must. in July 17, '61.

Henry Chamberlain, age 21, 5th corp., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62.

Hirman Hull, age 31, 6th corp., Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; discharged at Keokuk, Nov. 25, '62, for chronic diarrhea.

Geo. W. Hibbard, age 20, 7th corp., Co. E; must. in Sept. 27, '62.

Jas. Amber, age 31, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; discharged at St. Louis, April 2, '62.

John A. Burris, age 27, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; died at Sedalia, Nov. 17, '61, of congestion of brain.

Geo. A. Brown, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Josiah N. De Tar, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Grandon Hendrix, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Matthew W. Kemper, age 25, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Thos. J. Smith, age 22, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Isaac Lafever, age 29, musician, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Noah Carmach, age 29, private, Co. E; must. in July 17 '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Thos. B. Buchanan, age 30, wagoner, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; discharged for disability Dec. 4, '61.

Wm. Bradley, age 24, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; died at Memphis of brain fever, July 3, '62.

Thos. Baker, age 19, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Elijah P. Bradley, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Cyrus Blue, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Calvin Barnard, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Dallas, Ga.

Edward A. Canning, age 23, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; promoted to 1st lieutenant, 1863.

Wm. B. Crawford, age 26, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; killed at Shiloh.

Samson Cooper, age 26, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; discharged at St. Louis for disability.

David Cooper, age 23, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; discharged at Syracuse, Mo., for hepatitis.

John E. Carhart, age 21.

Chas. H. Carver, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

David S. Cone, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; discharged in 1862 for lameness.

Wm. Collett, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Patrick Conway, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

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Jas. B. Duncan, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; killed at Shiloh.

Oliver P. Evans, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; killed at Shiloh.

John Easter, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Alexander Easter, age 19, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Thos. Fullerton, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh and died of wounds at Keokuk.

John W. Forrest, age 24, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; discharged for disability in '62.

Ira W. Gilbert, age 20, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Missionary Ridge.

Francis Gilbert, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

H. Hickenlooper, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Missionary Ridge; promoted corporal.

Levi. S. T. Hatton, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Jas. W. Hare, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Jas. A. Hickcox, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; killed in battle, Jackson, Miss.

John M. Hayes, age 28, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Willis S. Hayes, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

James M. Hayes, age 26, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Ephraim Conklin, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in Feb. 29, '64; additional enlistment—three years.

Ira B. Hutchins, age 26, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64; died at Schottsborough, Ala.

N. B. Moore, age 22, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64; killed at Atlanta.

John H. Hiteman, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64.

Chas. V. Holsclaw, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64; died of typhoid fever at St. Louis, Dec. 4, '64.

Jonathan S. Knight, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64.

Geo. A. Looman, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64; wounded at Shiloh.

Thos. H. Looman, age 19, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64.

John T. Little, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64.

Geo. Lee, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64.

Albert Myers, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in June 28, '64; died of convulsions at Tipton, Mo., Feb., '62.

O. S. McCoy, age 19, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64.

Elias A. Miles, age 22, private, co. E; must. in March 11, '64; taken prisoner at Shiloh and paroled.

Joseph McKissick, age 25, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; wounded at Shiloh.

Dennis McCarty, age 22, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; died at La Mine Bridge, Mo., Jan., '62. [note: this is what is printed in the book, one of the dates must be incorrect.]

Andrew Mock, age 35, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; died at Sedalia, Mos., of typhoid fever, Dec. '61. [note: as above, one of these dates is incorrect??]

Martin Pierson, age 23, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64.

Owen J. Pringle, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; promoted to 8th corp.

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John T. S. Price, age 19, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; discharged at La Mine Bridge for debility, Jan. 2, '62.

Robt. B. Rumsey, age 23, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; discharged for disability at Memphis.

Henry Roberts, age 24, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64

Allan Roberts, age 19, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; discharged for disability.

Ashbel Sperry, age 25, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; transferred to 8th Iowa Infantry, Company C.

Wm. Swayny, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; killed at Shiloh.

Thos. J. Smith, age 22, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; wounded at Shiloh.

John W. Service, age 20, private Co. E; must. in March 11, '64, wounded at Shiloh.

Saul Swayney, age 21, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64.

Jas. H. Turner, age 28, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64.

Robt. G. Wallace, age 22, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; discharged at St. Louis for disability, Dec. 19, '61.

Wm. H. Waugh, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; killed at Shiloh.

Wm. S. Whitmore, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; wounded at Shiloh and discharged at Keokuk, Aug. 15, '62.

Edward S. Weed, age 21, private, Co. E; must. In March 11, '64.

Thos. McKissick, age 25, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; killed at Shiloh.

Casper Dull, age 45, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; rejected on account of over age.

Chilo McClean, age 46, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; rejected on account of overage.

Thos. J. Forest, age 17, private, Co. E; must. in March 11, '64; rejected—under age.

Jas. Stoddart, rejected —rheumatism.

Milton Cox, age 27, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 19, '61.

John L. Harrison, age 26, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 19, '61; killed at Shiloh.

Thos. Hinton, age 23, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 15, '61.

Ben. F. Kimbler, age 23, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 19, '61.

Jas. H. Murphy, age 28, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 19, '61.

Jas. H. Wills, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 15, '61; died at St. Louis of diarrhea, May 12, '62.

Andrew Singer, age 31, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 17, '61.

Stephen J. Gahagan, private, Co. E; must. in Oct. 17, '61; transferred to Company K; taken prisoner at Shiloh.

Nathaniel Carter, Co. E; must. in April 15, '61; died of wounds received at Shiloh.

Geo. W. Hibbard, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

Matthew Kemper, age 25, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

David C. Ely, age 17, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; promoted regimental wagon master.

Henry Chamberlain, age 21, corporal.

Hiram Hull, age 31, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

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Geo. R. Watson, age 23, private, Co. A; must. in July 17, '61.

Joshua Lee, age 19, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61; taken prisoner at Shiloh.

Jas. McGonegal, age 20, private, Co. C; must. in July 17, '61; promoted corporal.

Jas. Amber, age 31, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61.

John Burris, age 27, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; died at Sedalia, Mos., Nov. 17, '61.

Geo. A. Brown, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh.

Josiah N. De Tar, age 20.

Grandon Hendrix, age 20, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh, rejoined regiment and served during the war.

Hilas Kells, age 18, private, Co. E; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Shiloh and died at Cincinnati, O.

Sam'l D. Harn, age 20, private, Co. D; must. in July 17, '61; wounded at Missionary Ridge.

Michael Combes, Jr. age 19, private, Co. D; must. in July 17, '61.

Warren Turk, private, Co. G; must. in July 17, '61.

Sam'l Sumner, age 21, private, Co. G; must. in July 17, '61; killed at Atlanta by the bursting of a shell.

Seventh Infantry