Lieutenant Jason D. Ferguson, one of the killed, was at the outbreak of the war a student in Cornell College. He was one of that gallant band who left their studies to take up men‘s work. He was a member of Company K, First Iowa, serving throughout the brief but arduous campaign in which that regiment participated. His efforts were untiring in organization of Company D, of the Twelfth.

But the losses of Linn county soldiers were not confined to those of Company D, of the Twelfth Iowa in the battle of Pittsburg Landing. Quartermaster Mortimer A. Higley sent back to friends in this city, a list of those in Company A, Fifteenth Iowa, there killed and wounded. Among the killed were Pat H. Kennedy and Wm. W. Wood, privates, both of Cedar Rapids. Wounded, Corporal John Kimbro, in arm, severely; privates, Elisha Hopkins, severely; Charles Stewart, slightly; Jacob Brown, severely; Newton Dawson, and Henry Bunn, slightly, all being from Linn county.    (return to top)

The Twelfth Iowa regiment was mustered out and the members from this county returned home during the last week of January. Company D, enlisted in 1866, came home with the following Cedar Rapids survivors: S. R. Burch, adjutant; Homer Morehead, regimental quartermaster; John Clark, captain; Eli King, first lieutenant; N. G. Price, orderly sergeant; H. Pangborn, John Burch, I. G. Clark, B. P. Zuver, sergeants; J. Lanagan, John Luther, R. C. Cowell, Josiah Scott, R. L. Johnson, P. Brennan, A. A. Stewart, T. Lewis, corporals; S. Baumgardner, John Whittam, Wm. Whiteneck, J. W. Rowen, W. H. Trowbridge, A. J. Freese, R. S. Martin, J. B. Lambert, Daniel Sivetts, Sam H. Flint, H. Grass, F. Dubois, H. Ross, Wm. Lee and R. K. Soper, privates. Citizens of Cedar Rapids and Kingston gave a reception to these returned soldiers on the evening of February 6. This took form of a ball at Daniels’ Hall and a supper served at the American House.

The Thirteenth Infantry was organized at Mt. Vernon and mustered in July 23, 1861, John Q. Wild, captain. Chas. W. Kepler was a captain and E. R. Mason a sergeant. Among the members were Geo. W. Doty, Jacob W. Easterly, Chas. Gardner, Jos. M. Harper, S. P. Harman, D. A. Hamilton, Jas. E. Neal, Robt. W. Thompson, Wm. Thompson, F. A. Varner, Thos. W. Wilson, D. C. Weaver, John Shaver, John Archer, Henry Blessing, Frank Cook, David Roster, Geo. W. Thompson, John Bierly, Wm. Cline, T. B. Fullerton, John Gregg, Wm. Hackett, Joseph Livington, Jas. A. McClellan, 0. T. Petit, M. W. Sweet, Wm. Teeters, Edw. Ware, Julius A. Jackson.     (return to top)

In the Fourteenth Infantry Jos. Legore was a corporal, and a number enlisted in the regiment from this county. The same is true of the Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Eighteenth regiments. Company A of the Fifteenth was composed largely of Linn county men. M. A. Higley was first lieutenant in this company and later a major in the commissary department.

The Eighteenth regiment was organized at Clinton, but Company A was made up almost entirely of men from this county. T. Z. Cook, of Cedar Rapids, was lieutenant-colonel of the regiment.

On July 9, 1862, Governor Kirkwood called for five additional infantry regiments from Iowa. In response to this call a “mass war meeting" was held in Cedar Rapids on the evening of July 22. E. G. Brown was chairman and J. H. Elder, secretary. The result of this meeting was the organization Of Company A, 20th Iowa. Many of the most substantial citizens of Cedar Rapids for the time being laid aside their private business to engage in raising men for the war.    (return to top)

The Twentieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry was composed of five companies from Linn county and five from Scott county. The companies from this county were A, B, F, H, and I. They were mustered into service August 25, 1862. The company went from here to Clinton and from there to Davenport. On September 5 they took the boat for St. Louis. The regiment experienced several hard marches in Missouri and Arkansas; it took part in the siege of Vicksburg, saw service in Louisiana and Texas; was in the attack on Mobile, and was mustered out there July 8, 1865.

William McE. Dye, of Marion, was colonel of the regiment, William G. Thompson was major, Dr. Henry Ristine was surgeon, C. S. Lake, adjutant, and J. S. Lake, commissary sergeant. Company A was captained by E. N. Bates, Company B by Edward Coulter, Company F by N. M. Hubbard, Company H by R. H. Lucore, and Company I by C. C. Cook. Among the well known Linn county men in this regiment may be mentioned the following: Milo Adams, W. H. Boyce, John H. Culp, George W. Homer, Robert Keeler, George W. Mentzer, John D. Mounce, C. E. and Daniel W. Rubbins, Erin Rueker, John M. Starbuck, B. F. Snyder, F. Uebel, William D. Robbins, A. J. Mallahan, John J. Robbins, Robert C. Hall, D. G. Manahan, P. A. Dingman, Joseph Floyd, R. C. Ring, L. L. Wilson, N. C. Gillilan, Geo. W. and William Bice, H. Hollenbeck, H. C. Adams, W. C. Bowen, S. A. Beach, George Beebe, Byron Cone, F. M. Elrod, H. P. Eastman, Gee. D. Gillilan, J. N. Huston, James W. Hewlett, J. W. Newhall, E. J. Reynolds, W. Stinson, Coo. A. Gray, J. J. Hollan, William H. Scott, George W. Wynn, B. P. Wickham, L. D. Elsbery, A. B. Lucore, William Busby, D. L. Castle, S. P. Hollan, James M. Hunter, Hiram Inks, J. D. Jordan, F. A. McConahy, C. H. Sawyer, J. C. McClellan, S. L. Dows, William E. Earl, E. D. Stednian, S. F. Seeley, Casper J. Hart, John W. Whitenaak, S. B. Mann, Chas. Morehead, John C. Weatherwax, John Chambers, George W. Daniels, G. B. Daniels, Abraham Hess, M. B. Plummer, Samuel M. Whiteing, Henry White, J. 0. Stewart.

Capt. J. 0. Stewart, long clerk in Cedar Rapids of the U. S. District Court, entered Company B of this regiment as first sergeant. In March, 1863, he was appointed second lieutenant and in 1864 commissioned captain. For a year and a half he acted as adjutant of the regiment.    (return to top)

Companies F, G, and H in the Twenty-fourth Infantry were from Linn county. E. C. Byam was for a time colonel of this regiment, John F. Sly was surgeon, John Q. Wilds, of Mt. Vernon, was lieutenant colonel. C. L. Byam, D. W. Camp and William H. Smouse were adjutants, F. W. Vinson was both a captain and chaplain. W. C. Dimmett was captain of Company F. John G. Rayzlett and C. H. Kurtz were first lieutenants, T. L. Smith, A. T. Waln were second lieutenants, and among the members of this company may be noted the following: William Camp, Andrew Doty, John W. Firkins, John F. Goudy, John Geiger, William Hall, John A. Ide, Samuel Johnson, J. H. Kepler, A. Laeock, William McQuiston, John Peddycoard, John Renfrew. This company was organized at Mt. Vernon.

W. W. Smith was captain of Company G and among the members of this company were George F. Coleman, James Morrison, David Briggs, A. Cox, H. H. Felton, Jacob Grow, J. G. Hall, D. W. King, Daniel Matson, John L. Ogan, John F. Prather, Willis Vance, John H. Worden. This company was organized in Cedar Rapids.

Of Company H William Carbee was captain. Among the other officers were F. A. Jones, I. B. Dutton, William C. Glover, George W. Martin, J. H. Shanklin, Josiah Bundy, and among the members may be noted Michael Boyer, C. H. Burlingham, Joe L. Bundy, John B. Bowman, C. H. Branch, David Ely, Z. V. Elsbery, C. R. Elsbery, E. R. Gregg, M. Griffith, T. J. Gibson, Benjamin W. Gibson, Joseph Hyatt, F. C. Hunter, I. Lambert, Charles Penn, D. J. Post, J. S. Vernon, David C. Winans, and John Yount.     (return to top)

This company was recruited from Springville, Waubeek, and Prairieburg.

The Thirty-first Infantry, Company A, Robert Stinson, captain, was recruited in northeastern Linn county and was organized at Marion. William Smyth, of Marion, was colonel of the regiment, G. L. Carhart surgeon, L. H. Mason and A. J. Twogood quartermasters, Milo P. Smith sergeant-major, and Donald Lothian commissary sergeant. J. S. Alexander, at present postmaster at Marion, was promoted to the captaincy of Company A on June 14, 1864. Dyer Usher and John H. Harvey were lieutenants in this company, John M. Robbins, Hiram Deem, Jesse Abbott, Richard Abbott, Alfred Stinson and A. P. McKinley sergeants.

Linn county was represented in the Thirty-seventh Infantry by men in Companies A, D, G, H and I. Jas. S. Morehead, George A. Calder, G. L. Snyder are familiar names on the roster of this regiment. Company A was organized in Cedar Rapids with John Hogendabler as captain. The company was made up of men from Linn, Benton and Blackhawk counties. The regiment was known as the “Grey Beards."

Toward the close of the war some 100-day regiments were organized in Iowa. The county had men in these also — John S. Harrison, J. T. Christian, Geo. W. Bever, Henry S. Bever, B. F. Snyder, Geo. S. Bushnell, I. S. Barger, John Allsbaugh, H. 0. Kearns, R. N. Maudsley, S. H. Metcalf, N. H. Martin, P. Otterbein, Homer H. Phelps, and others. Half of Company E, 46th, Infantry were from Linn county. John Harrison of Cedar Rapids, was the captain. David B. Henderson, of Dubuque, was colonel of the regiment. The county had also scattered representation in several cavalry regiments. According to the reports of the adjutant general of Iowa, out of a population of 18,947, Linn county furnished 1,737 men for the army from 1861 to 1864 inclusive.    (return to top)

It is scarcely possible to sum up in brief space what Linn county did in raising men for the war. Company K of time First Iowa, Company D of the Twelfth, the companies raised by Captains E. N. Bates, C. C. Cook, R. H. Lucore, N. M. Hubbard, and J. P. Coulter, had already gone out from the county or were ready to enter the service early in 1862. W. W. Smith and Rev. F. W. Vinson had also a full company. More than fifty men had been recruited at Western, seventy-five at Springville, a full company at Mount Vernon, some fifty additional men at Marion, and a company was then forming at Center Point.

In its issue for August 21, the Times stated: “Within the past two weeks she [Linn county] has sent five companies out, and four others, full and organized, are waiting orders to leave. A tenth company will soon be filled. Nothing less than a regiment will satisfy the martial feeling prevailing in our county."

On Monday, August 18, the companies of Captain Cook, Lucore, and Coulter, about 250 in all, left Cedar Rapids for Clinton. Captain Vinson ‘s company was filled on August 20, with Sheriff W. W. Smith as first lieutenant. This company was made a part of the Twenty-fourth, or “Temperance" regiment. Mr. Vinson later resigned as captain to accept a position as chaplain of the regiment. In the meantime Captain T. Z. Cook had received a commission as lieutenant colonel of the Eighteenth Iowa. At the time he was mayor of Cedar Rapids but resigned and Charles Weare was appointed in his place.      (return to top)

In April, 1862, Dr. J. H. Camburn, of Cedar Rapids, was commissioned as surgeon of the Sixteenth Iowa and about the same time Dr. R. R. Taylor was appointed as medical officer of the Fourth cavalry, then stationed at Benton Barracks, St. Louis.

To speak at length of the services rendered in the field by the men from Linn county is not possible at this time. Our boys all distinguished themselves for bravery, and suffered patiently the many privations to which they were subjected. Many of them saw hard service, and quite a number were taken prisoners. At Shiloh among the Linn county officers made prisoners were Capt. John H. Stibbs, and Lieut. Hiel Hale of Company D, Twelfth Iowa. These officers were later released on exchange. Captain Ed Coulter of the Twentieth Iowa fell into the hands of the enemy down in Texas. It seems that officers of the Twentieth were somewhat unfortunate. Major W. G. Thompson was badly wounded at the battle of Prairie Grove. Captain Bates resigned because of ill health, returned home, and died. Captain Lucore became ill with the small pox and also died. Captain C. C. Cook resigned on account of sickness, and was succeeded by Joseph McClelland, who at the time was ill in New Orleans. Lieutenant Joseph Holland resigned and came home sick, dying soon afterward.

Company A of the Thirty-first Iowa reached Cedar Rapids after being discharged on July 3, 1865. This company went into the war 100 strong and returned with only about forty. Early in August of this same year, the three companies from Linn county in the Twenty-fourth Iowa reached home. Of Company C there were only twenty of the original members left.     (return to top)

On the 7th of September, 1865, Cedar Rapids gave the returning soldiers a big reception. The elaborateness of the reception was greatly marred by a heavy rainfall. The spirit manifested was all right, however.

COMPANY C, CEDAR RAPIDS

One of the best known military companies in the state is Company C, of Cedar Rapids. This company was organized November 1, 1883, its first captain being George Greene. Many of the best known young men of the town at one time or another have been members of this organization.

After serving a number of years Captain Greene resigned, and for a short time W. G. Dows was acting captain Ed. H. Smith was then chosen to the position. He was succeeded by George A. Evans.

W. G. Dows, long a member of this company, for a time was adjutant of the First Regiment Iowa National Guards.     (return to top)

Upon the call for troops because of the Spanish-American war, on April 25, 1898, the entire membership of Company C left that same night for Des Moines, where the entire First Regiment was assembled. This regiment was mustered into the United States service as the Forty-ninth Iowa United States Volunteer Infantry, William G. Dows, colonel, commanding. After drilling for a time they went to Jacksonville, Florida, and then to Savannah, Georgia, where they took a government transport for Cuba. The members of the regiment did all kind of service in the army of occupation, much of it being very laborious. In May, 1899, the regiment returned from Cuba and shortly afterwards was mustered out at Savannah.

While the company was in the service in Cuba George A. Evans was its captain.

A few months later the present Fifty-third Regiment was organized, each city in the old regiment being allowed a company in the new. Company C was reorganized, and is now a part of this regiment. The first captain of the new company was Frank Hahn. He was succeeded by T. A. Berkebile, and he by John Rau, who is now the captain of the company.

Col. William G. Dows, who is now a member of the governor’s staff, served for twenty-five years in various capacities in the same regiment, a service for continuity unequalled. Though offered promotions, he maintained that he would rather stay by the old boys and the old regiment.
 

FIFTH IOWA BATTERY

Promptly upon the declaration of war in 1898 with Spain a battery was organized in Cedar Rapids for service in that war. It was mustered into the service as the Fifth Battery Iowa Volunteer Light Artillery. Nearly all of the 100 members came from Cedar Rapids and vicinity. The members were enrolled during April and May, and the battery was mustered in at Des Moines in June by Major Olmsted of the U. S. regulars. The battery saw no regular service, but it spent ten weeks in camp waiting, ready for service in the field if called upon. George W. Bever was the captain, R. Tasker Forbes and S. Craighead Cook, lieutenants, Charles A. Loring was first sergeant, Robert M. Witwer, quartermaster sergeant. Dr. C. H. French and Roy Waite were also sergeants in the company.