Civil War markers, monuments, reunions

Editor?s note: This is the final installment in a monthly series that spanned from 2011-2015, or 150 years after the Civil War. We hope you enjoyed reading the historical pieces as much as we did publishing them. The News thanks Joy Lynn Conwell, Pat White and all who helped produce or write the articles.

By Pat White

The surrender at Appomattox, on April 9, 1865, signaled the end of the Civil War. On that day, the 25th Iowa Infantry and the 4th Iowa Cavalry were serving in the South, far from Mt. Pleasant and Camp Harlan/Camp McKean, where each regiment had trained.

From official records, ?The 25th moved to Raleigh, and thence, to Washington, D. C., where on the 24th of May, under command of Gen. George C. Stone, participated in that greatest military pageant of modern times, the Grand Review at Washington.? The immense victory parade in many ways brought Washington out of its formal mourning period for Abraham Lincoln, the slain president. The 25th mustered out of service on June 6, traveled to Davenport and was disbanded.

There was continued need for the presence of federal troops in the South, and the 4th served for several more weeks, preserving order, protecting property and paroling rebel soldiers. By early August 1865, in Atlanta, the men of the 4th were mustered out, after an official farewell order from Gen. Winslow: ?The last order you obey directs your return to your homes. Let your future be as commendable as your past has been glorious. Your career as soldiers is over. You go home as citizens, to reap the reward of your campaigns. Your country will always cherish the memory of her brave defenders.?

The bonds these men formed in battle were forged for life. Their service was not forgotten, but commemorated through monuments, veteran groups, events and reunions.

The citizens of Scott Township were the first to honor their heroes with a monument. Mt. Pleasant Home Journal, October 20, 1865: ?C.B. Minshall is contracted for the erection of a monument to the memory of the brave soldiers from Scott who have offered up their lives in defense of our country. Good for the people of Scott. Let other townships follow the example. The monument is to cost $300, and the amount was raised by individual subscriptions. We hope someday to see a magnificent monument erected by the people of the county in the court house square in Mt. Pleasant, in honor of the brave dead from Henry County.? In Winfield-Scott Township Cemetery, the monument was dedicated May 1866, honoring 12 Civil War soldiers.

Marion Township soon followed. In Hickory Grove Cemetery, north of Mt. Pleasant, there is a 12-foot marble monument with the names of 17 soldiers inscribed around the base. The inscription reads, ?Erected June 1870 by the Soldiers and Citizens of Marion Town Ship in Memory of their fallen Brothers.?

The Grand Army of the Republic [G.A.R.] was founded April 6, 1866, in Decatur, Ill. A fraternal organization, members gathered socially, but also devoted themselves to protecting survivors and making sure pensions and other benefits were distributed. In 1890, the 25th anniversary of the war?s end, membership exceeded 490,000. The G.A.R. officially dissolved in 1956 when its last member died.

Gen. John A. Logan helped organize the G.A.R. and became its first Commander in Chief. Gen. Logan?s ?Orders? officially created our national observance of Memorial Day: ?The 30th day of May 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. No form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect.?

Henry County wasted no time in organizing its first Memorial Day observance. Committees formed to select and gather flowers, print banners and badges and obtain speakers and musicians. On May 30, 1868, hundreds gathered at the public square and marched in procession to decorate graves, first to the old cemetery, then to the new cemetery (Forest Home), where the nine soldiers who had died during training at Camp Harlan were buried. The ceremonies were ?impressive.?

Mt. Pleasant?s McFarland Post No. 20 G.A.R. seems to be one of the first formed in the State of Iowa. It was named for Col. Samuel McFarland who was killed at the Battle of Prairie Grove, December 7, 1862. McFarland Post claimed to have Iowa?s oldest G.A.R. member, Capt. Peter Fisher, who served with the Greybeards 1862-1864, mustered in McFarland Post May 25, 1888, and died in 1890 at the age of 95. In May 1892, McFarland Post had ?the reputation of being one of the most progressive and prosperous posts in the State.? The Woman?s Relief Corps was an auxiliary to the G.A.R. and organized as W.R.C. No. 33 on June 12, 1885. Adam Kimple Post No. 245, G.A.R. and W.R.C. organized in Salem. Other G.A.R. Posts formed around the county: Mortimer Hobart No. 280 in Winfield, J.L. Jordan No. 246 in Hillsboro and W. Hardin No. 384 in New London.

Civil War veterans, and in particular the 4th Iowa Cavalry and the 25th Iowa Infantry, gathered almost annually for reunions. They socialized, visited old familiar sites, like the Camp Harlan Springhouse, talked of old times, sang songs and planned for their next reunion. And they were entertained. Lot Abraham and his sidekick William Willeford were in great demand at local reunions and around the state. Their rendition of ?Marching Through Georgia,? was always a crowd favorite. Local newspapers indicate reunions were held for many years. At the August 1897, 4th Iowa Cavalry Reunion: ?The fife and drum corps met the visiting delegation at the train and escorted them with flying colors. The scene at the Harlan Hotel last night would stir the heart of every patriot. The meeting of these gray haired veterans, bound together by ties formed in camp and field, the memories brought back of battles fought and hardships endured in those far off years and jokes brought to mind by meeting together once again, all combined to make an enjoyable scene.?

Hon. Lot Abraham deserves special mention. A prominent farmer from Center Township, Abraham served gallantly with Co. D, 4th Iowa Cavalry, attaining the rank of captain. After returning home, he was elected to the Iowa Senate, 1882-1884. Active in the G.A.R, Abraham held offices locally and was Commander of the Iowa Dept. of G.A.R., June 1911 to June 1912.

McFarland Post No. 20 had a Memorial Room in the Henry County Courthouse, when it opened in 1914. The meeting room was located in the southwest corner of the lower level. However, there was disagreement over the location of the bronze tablets. July 15, 1914, ?The Old Soldiers Win Their Point ? Delegation of Old Soldiers Appeared Before the Board and their Request was granted. The Bronze Tablets containing the names of Henry County Civil War Veterans will have a place of honor in the Rotunda instead of being relegated to the Soldiers Room in the basement.? The G.A.R. Room is gone, but the bronze tablets remain today.

In 1873, Congress authorized the use of unique, upright marble headstones to mark the graves of our Civil War soldiers in national cemeteries. By 1879, these simple marble headstones, with raised lettering inside a recessed shield, could be ordered for soldiers buried in private cemeteries. Local heroine Miss Lizzie Arrowsmith took up the cause and worked tirelessly to have every soldier?s grave in the county marked with these special headstones.

The Soldiers? and Sailors? Civil War Monument in Des Moines was designed by Mt. Pleasant artist, Harriet Ketcham. Her design for the memorial was chosen over 47 others, although she died in 1890, before the monument was completed.

The Iowa branch of Daughters of Union Veterans [D.U.V.] was organized in 1915 and the local charter was issued August 14, 1925, with 33 members. Named Belle Coddington Tent No. 34 after a local Civil War nurse, they helped organize the dedication of the original Camp Harlan memorial marker. Located west of Mt. Pleasant at the intersection of Courtland and Hickory, the June 8, 1930, grand celebration was attended by Gov. John Hammill and thousands of spectators. Surviving veterans of the 4th Iowa Cavalry and the 25th Iowa Infantry were honored on stage and entertainment was provided by the Swedesburg Drum Corps. The D.U.V. continued to honor and commemorate the Camp Harlan site with sunrise services from the 1930s through the 1950s.

The sacrifices and hardships of our Henry County Civil War veterans should not and have not been forgotten to this day.