Company I History

Third Iowa Cavalry

              

During the summer of 1861, a com­pany of

cavalry was organized at Centerville by Capt. T. J.

Taylor. Our company was first called “Mounted

Riflemen” and was in the state service for the

protection of the border coun­ties. A duty which was

afterwards assumed by Capt. D. A. Spooner and his

company of “Home Guards.”

               Our first experience as soldiers was

received at Centerville during the month of August,

1861. We spent that month drilling and making

awkward attempts to learn the “art of war.”

Meantime boarding around among the patriotic

citizens of Centerville, who were all heartily

tired of us before we were ordered away. Part of

the company was quartered at Col. Joe Delay’s in

the west part of town, where Jacob Knapp now lives.

Another squad was at John Pott’s hotel, and though

“Uncle John” grum­bled a little at the way his pies

disap­peared from the kitchen cupboard, yet he was

none the less careful to make his troublesome

guests comfortable. Another squad was quartered at

Geo. Pratts’ and though George treated us royally,-

and fed us like princes, yet we saw a twinkle of

satisfaction in his eye when at last we were ordered

away.

               We left Centerville on the 29th of August,

going first to Bloomfield and then by way of

Keosauqua to Keokuk, where we were formally

mustered into the United States service as

‘Company I” of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry—and went into

camp with our regiment at Camp Rankin on the

Bluffs above the city of Keokuk.

               The original roster of the company was as

follows:

Capt. Thomas J. Taylor; 1st Lieut., Thos. H. McDannal;

2d Lieut. Edward F. Horton.

Sergeants— Samuel R. Snyder, Col­umbus N. Udell,

Jas. S. Hamilton, Isaac W. Duvall, Stephen J. Paris,

Reuben DeLay.

Corporals—Richard- Freeborn, Will­iam H. McNulty,

Robert Gouldsberry, John J. Veach, John

Buckmaster, John Novels, William DeLay, T. J.

Frost.

Buglers—William Helms, Abraham Button.

Saddler—Samuel Rouge.

Wagoner—William J. Taylor.

Privates—William Adams, Morris P. Beall, Samuel

G. Baker, Geo. W. Beard, Wm. F. Barker, Oliver

Breese, Wm. Brannon, Win. R. Caylor, Elias B. Covert,

Martin Clark, Marshall Clark, Joseph M. Conger,

George R. Chaney, Jerimiah Cronin, John Curran,

John G. Dudley, George Deemer, Caleb Durbin, John

W. DeLay, James T. Donnelson, Samuel. Eddy, William

Etherege, Hanmon Ellis, Salemnel E. Ewing, Loyd

Flannigan, William Fraser, David Fredric, Henry

Grages, Chas. Holbrook, Amos Hall, James C.

Hopkins, James A. Johnson, Eli A. Kerschner, H. C.

McKeehan, John A. Lanham, W. I. McFall, S. H.

McLaughlin, Peter Miller, Jesse M. Morrissy, Wm.

H. McCune, Jonathan L. Moore, Martin Mahr, Danl.

S. Mcintosh, Peter Murphy, Ezara S. Oden, Isaac

O’Donnor, Thomas Points, Jehu J. Pinkerton, Charles

W. Paris, William Patrick, Silas Ramsey, E. M.

Reynolds, George L. Richardson, John Rice, Thomas

Reynolds, Pleasant, A. S. O. Scott, Isaac Stevens,

Robert P. Smith, Nehemiah Solan, James B, Story.

C. A. Stanton, William H. Staubor, John Smith, John

Spangler. Jas, S. Swift, Byron L. Thompson, George

W. Taylor, John Westerbarger.

               Making altogether 90 men of the original

company.

               There was afterwards enlisted in the

company: Eb. Buckmaster, Francis H. Adamson,

William B. Adamson, Henry Button, Benjamin

F. Bradley, George Brock, Samuel M. Beckman, John

 Craig, Isaac Calvert, Alonzo Clinkenbeard, Isaac K.

Darling, Wm. Delong, Jos. C. Fletcher, John H. Frush,

Jac. Graft, John R. Holbrook, ‘Benj. F. Haney, Daniel

Hines, Benj. D. Ketchum, Wallace B. Logan, Jacob M.

Myers, Samuel L. McDonald, Harvey M. Man­ning, Geo.

W. McHenry,

John A, Nicholson, Samuel Nelson, Morgan W. Paris,

 James J. Porter, Mathias Reed, Wm. B. Ramsey,

Samuel B. Swift, Eugene Sprague, Stephen W. Shuck,

 Wesley R. Scott, Benjamin Tulk, Asa B. Thornburg,

Andrew W. Tibbets, William M. Walker, Spencer

Waddlington, Jos. A. Walden, Elias Woolfinger.

               In July, 1862, H. D’B. Cutler was transferred

to Co. ” I ” as First Lieut, and was afterwards

promoted captain, and in Dec, ’63 Lieut. Frank Armin

 who was afterwards promoted to be captain, joined

the company with a number of recruits as follows:

Clark Brandt, John C. Boldt., J. Fahrenkrug, Chris­tian

Barger, John Courtney, Wm. E, Cook, A. Edwards,

Paul Frederick, Ambrose Fralick, Frank Hibler,

Casper Hellmuth, G. Hansom, Geo. Hill, Wm. Kelso,

John C. Mersh, Lewis Heim, John J. Welt, Earnest F.

Pruss, Jacob Pracher, J. Rolfs, Wm. Sehmitt, Amos A.

 Whitney, Geo. Whiteland.

               A total of 153 men in all who belonged to the company.

Out of this number 33 men were killed, or died during

 the war. Six died at Andersonville and nineteen have

 died since their muster out of the service, making 51

 in all who have received their final discharge.

               The following is a list of those who are dead:

William B Adamson, Morris P. Beall, William F.

Barker, William Brannon, Elins Covert, John Curran,

Isaac Duvall, John G. Dudley, John W. DeLay, Caleb

Durbin, Loyd Flanihgan, Joseph Graft, Robert

Goldsberry, Chas. Hol­brook, John Holbrook, Dan

Hiimes, Godfrey Hansen, C. Helmuth, John Hines, E.

F. Horten, William Helm, William J. McFall, James M.

Monroe, Harvey Manning, Jacob Myers,

Peter Murphy, Samuel*, Nelson, Ezra Oden, 0. W.

Paris. ‘James G. Points, Morgan Paris, Moses J. Root,

John W. Rice, P. A. Scott, T. D. Squires, Stephen

Shuck, N. Solon, J. S. Swift, Wesley Scott, James B.

Story, J, A. Scott, Thomas J. Taylor, Byron L.

Thomson, Joseph Thorin, Thos. McDonnal, Wm. J.

Taylor, Elias, Wolfinger, Isaac Stevens, Robert P.

Smith, Alonzo Clinkinbeard.

               The following is a list of those whose

present address is known to the writer:

C. N. Udell, Blakesburg, Iowa; James S. Hamilton,

Centerville, Iowa; Rich­ard Freeborn, Omaha, Mo.; W.

H. Mc­Nulty, Seymour, Iowa; Lieut. John J. Veatch,

Washington, Kansas; Moses O’Connor, Albia, Iowa;

Capt. Frank Armin, Cincinnati, Ohio; John Nowles,

Iconium, Iowa; William DeLay, Hays City, Kan.;

Samuel Benge, Kirkwood, Iowa; Wm. Adams, Zurich,

 Kansas; Capt. H. D’B. Cutler, Glenwood, Mo.; Benj.

Tulk, Unionville, Iowa; Oliver Breese, Cyrus, Kan.;

Wm. R. Caylor, Dayton, Iowa; Marshal Clark, Riley

Center, Kansas; Joseph M. Conger, Unionville, Mo.;

Willis DeLay, Downs, Kansas; James T.

Donnelson, Magnolia, Iowa; Samuel Eddy, Exline,

Iowa; William Fraser, Gardner, Kansas; Henry

Grages, Keosauqua, Iowa; Amos Hall, Iconium, Iowa;

Eli A. Kerscher, Alma, Neb.; Hankins’ C. McKeehan,

Living­stone, Town; Samuel Bookman, Little Falls,

Minn.; Peter Miller, Centerville, Iowa; Wm. H. McCune,

Beloit, Kan.; Jonathan L. Moore, Unionville, Mo.; Isaac

 O’Connor, Winfield, Kansas; Reuben DeLay, Plainville,

 Kansas; Jehu J. Pinkerton, Cleveland, Kansas; Wm.

Patrick Unionville, Iowa; E. M. Rey­nolds, Centerville,

Iowa; Joseph• H. Ramsey, Filey, Neb.; C. A. Stanton;

Centerville, Iowa; Jonn Smith, Ottumwa, Iowa; John

Spangler, Pawnee Valley, Kansas; George. W.

Taylor, Oma­ha, Mo; John Westerbarger, Dean, l a ;

Mich’l Gallagher, New Pine Creek, Ore; Francis H.

Adamson, Peoria, Kansas; Benjamin F. Bradley,

Numa, Iowa; Isaac Calvert, College Spring, Iowa;

Isaac Darling, Concordia, Kansas; Frank Hibler,

Rockville, Nebraska; Joseph C: Fletcher, Beatrice,

Neb.,’ John H. Frush, Kansas City, Mo.;

Benjamin D. Ketchum, Centerville la.; Samuel L.

McDonald, Idana, Kansas; S. G. Baker, Six Mile,

Indiana; John A, Nicholson, Bloomfield, Iowa; Asa B.

Thornburg, Unionville, Mo.; An­drew W. Tibbets,

Allerton, Iowa; W. B. Rarnsey, Chariton, Iowa; Eugene

 Sprague, Orient, Iowa.

               From Centerville there went in this company, Jacob Myers, who died in Memphis, Tenn., in ’64. Wm.

B. Adamson who was killed at Guntown, Miss., Juno

10th, ’64. John Dudley, who died in Nov. ’63. Wm.

Brannon, who died in July, ’64; and those who

survived and returned home were C. N. Udell, H. C.

McKeehan, Peter Miller, Samuel Benge, James

Hamilton, Benj. Ketchum and Wm. Walker, all good

soldiers and now all good citizens. McKeehan, Miller,

Bengel and Ketch­um are all successful farmers

living near Centerville.

J. S. Hamilton is in business in Centerville and C. N.

Udell is a prosperous physician at Blakesburg.

               The DeLay family was well represented,

there being five (Records list only 4.) young men

from that family in this company, Reuben, William,

John and Willis. Reuben DeLay became Lieutenant

in the company and was captured at Ripley, Miss.

John DeLay was killed at Columbus, Ga. Wm. Delay

was wounded at Lagrange, Ark. Willis went through

un­hurt and he, Reuben, and William are all now

living in Kansas and doing well.

               There were fifteen young men from Pleasant

tp. in this company: Charles Holbrook, John Holbrook,

Isaac Calvert, John Frush, Eugene Sprague, Wm.

Fraser, Samuel Nelson, Moses Root, J. M. Monroe,

Elias Wolfinger, Loyd Flannigan, S. L. McDonald, E. A.

Kerschner, Frank Adamson and C, A. Stanton. Seven

 of these never re­turned. Chas. and John Holbrook

were captured on the ill-fated Gun-town expedition

and died at Anderson­ville, Ga. Samuel Nelson was

killed at Columbus, Ga.; Moses Root died at St. Louis

in April,’64; J.M. Monroe died in April, ’64; Elias

Wolfinger died at Cape Girardeau in Oct. ’64; Loyd

Flannigan died in May ’63. Calvert; Frush and Sprague

were captured at Ripley but lived through the horrors

 of Andersonville, were exchanged, and returned to

the company. Will Fraser was wounded and captured

 at Lagrange Ark., and imprisoned for. a time at

Little Rock. C. A. Stanton was wounded at Lagrange,

 promoted to captain of the company and afterwards

 Major of the regiment. E. A. Kerschner, Wm, Eraser,

Isaac Cal­vert, John- Frush, S. L. McDonald, E .

Sprague and Frank Adamson, splendid soldiers, all of

them, served through with credit to themselves and

their country.

               From Numa there was Ben Bradley, a model

 soldier, who served a term in a rebel prison but got

through and is now a coal operator at Numa. Asa

Thornburgh, now a merchant and stockman at

Unionville, Mo., Harvey Manning who was wounded

at Guntown and died soon after; and Andrew Tibbets

 who captured the flag of Aus­tin’s battery at

Columbus, Ga. (Tibbits was awarded the Medal of

Honor.)

               From Iconium there was John Nowells who

 got a bullet through his leg at Spring River, Ark., and

 had to accept a discharge and the service lost a

good soldier. Oliver Breese who now lives in

Nebraska. Amos Hall a brave soldier and now a

merchant at Iconium. Nehemiah Solon and J. S. Swift

 both of whom died in Andersonville; Morris Beall,

who died at Helena in July- ’62, and E. M. Reynolds

now one of the prominent citizens and physicians of

Centerville. John Westerbarger lost the sight of both

 eyes from exposure in the service and is now living

near Dean, totally blind, with his widowed mother

whose only son and support he is. Eb. Buckmaster,

a faithful soldier, now ‘lives near Unionville, and his

old comrades will regret to hear that he recently met

with a misfortune by the burning of his mill. Abe

Button was one of the good soldiers of the company

and as soon as the son he had left at home in ’61 was

old enough to enlist he sent for him, (Henry Button)

and father and son served through together.

               No better soldiers were in any company than

 Richard Freeborn, Samuel Eddy, Henry McNulty,

John Veatch and Joe Fletcher. There was no

dan­ger which they would not meet and no service

which they would not cheerfully perforin whenever

their duty as soldiers required it. “Sam” was the

champion forager of the company and his mess

always had plenty of “grub;” but rough and wild as

he seemed, when his captain was wounded and a

nurse was needed, Sam volunteered for the job

and no wounded soldier ever had more careful

attention or faithful care. “Dick” always had the best

horse in the regiment and took the best care of it and

 this peculiarity of his sticks to him yet, as on his

fine farm in Putnam County some of the best horses

 and cat­tle in the state will be found. McNulty was

captured at Lagrange and again at Ripley, but got

through all right and now lives on a fine farm near

Seymour. John Veatch was promoted to be lieu­tenant

 of the company and now lives in Kansas. Joe

Fletcher was “taken in” at Ripley and served a term

at Ander­sonville, but is now a prominent real estate

dealer at Beatrice, Neb.  P. Murphy, Jehu Pinkerton,

George Deemer, Ambrose Fralech and “Coppersmith”

were the eccentric characters, and “Pete” in

par­ticular will be remembered by every member of

the company for his oddities.

               Among others who served in this company

with fidelity and courage were Joseph Ramsey,

Joseph Congor, Lon Clinkinbeard, Ezra Oden, John

Nichol­son, S. G. Baker, Isaac Lynn, Wm, Patrick, Wm.

 Adams, ‘Jesse Morrisey, Ben. Tulk, James

Donaldson, J. A. Johnson, Mose O’Connor, I. O’Connor,

 W. B, Ramsey, Sam. Book­man, Spencer Wadlington,

Joe Waldon, Frank Hibler, John Spangler, Will Caylor,

Henry Grages, W. H. McCune, John Smith, Geo.

Taylor, Mike Galla­gher and Ike Darling.

               But it is im­possible in the space allotted us

for this article to mention by name, all the good

soldiers who belonged to Company “I, all of them

were an honor to the service and every surviving

member of the company has the satisfaction of

knowing that he performed his whole duty in the

hour of his country’s peril.

               Capt. Frank Armin, one of the most noted

officers in the regiment for his bravery and daring

remained in, the South after the war was over, and

went into politics. He was a state senator in South

Carolina, afterwards a special examiner in the

pension department and is now a prominent attorney

 and claim agent in Cincinnati, Ohio.

               Capt. H, D’B. Cutler, one of the most gallant

officers of the regiment, was, after his return from

the army, editor of the Glenwood Criterion and

afterwards went west and made a great deal of

money out of some railroad contracts.

               No words can do justice to the hero­ism and

devotion of the brave and noble men of this company

 who died in their country’s service and the memory

of their sufferings and sacrifice will be cherished by

their surviving comrades as long as life endures.

               The further history of this company as a

separate organization is unnecessary. I participated

in all the campaigns and battles in which the

regiment was engaged, doing its full share of all the

hard work and the history of the regiment is a

history of the company.

C. A. STANTON. (Original member and former

Commander of I Company, 3^rd Iowa Cavalry.)

Centerville Citizen. Centerville, Iowa. July 27, 1887.

Link: Centerville Citizen, Page2, 1887-07-27.pdf

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