Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-08-24
Winfield s, Rider.

was preached by Rev. Mr.. Bronson.
Many citizens from this town attended
the funeral, including the Charles City
Cornet Band, and soldiers under arms,
many of them compatriots with the
deceased through long years of bloody
war. The coffin was richly ornament
ed with silver trimmings, and over it
was thrown the US. flag, that banner
which in life young Rider had loved
so we'll and had 80 nobly defended on
many . field of battle. A boquet and
wreath Of flowers also rested upon the
coffin. The sermon was impressive,
solemn and affecting. During its de.
livery tears trickled down the face
of more than one soldier who had just
returned from the scenes of war. The
music, both by the choir and the band,
was appropriate and well executed.
The deceased was buried with military
honors, and at the grave the ceremo-
MES were the same as those observed
in the army. These were under
charge of Capt. r. G. Reiniger Of this
place.
Winfield will long be remember
ed by our readers as the able and in.
teresting army correspondent Of the
Intellgenccr. He died at Waverly,
Iowa, August 18th, 1865, aged Is
years. His death resulted from inju-
ries caused by q steamboat explosion
on the Mississippi river. The acct.
dent occurred at Palmyra Landing,
twenty miles below Vicksburg, July
3lst. at two o'clock p. M. The name
of the boat was Joseph Pierce. When
the boiler exploded the steamer was
lying at the levee. Mr.. Rider was
blown some distance, and fell upon
the shore. He received some internal
injury which was beyond the power
of physicians or surgeons to alleviate
Winfield had for some time occupied
the position of chief clerk in the Quar-.
termaster's Department at Vicksburg,
under Capt. Toms. 1t appears that he
had closed up his business there, and
had been 10 New Orleans on business
for the Government, and was on his
return when the sad accident occur.
red. He had previously written to
his brother in Floyd, proposing to
come home and engage with him in
farming, and it 10 supposed that the
unfortunate steamer Joseph Pierce
was the one to bear him homeward
But he was not destined to reach home
alive.
Winfield S. Rider was a young man
of more than ordinary promise. In
the army he was for some time Post
master of the 18th Army Corps, and
enjoyed to the fullest extent the conf.
dence and friendship of Major Gene.
rails Sherman, Mcpherson. Logan and
others. As q newspaper writer he
had but few superiors. The private
correspondence between him and the
editor of this paper was quite extern
sive. We know that he had q warm,
genial heart, full Of generosity and
frankness one ever grateful for ia
vors, and overlooking with kindness
towards others. In truth may it be
said of him,
None knew him but to love him,
None named him but to praise
Mr.. Roswell Rider, father of the de-
ceased, has sent four sons to the war,
two of whom have lost their lives in
their country's service, and the two
others have been several times seri-
ously wounded. A father, so patriot
ic and self-sacrificiug, deserves well
of the community in which he dwells.
The vicksburg Herald has the following par
ticulars in reference to the steamer Joseph
Pierce: while the boat was taking on
board the Gath u. 8. colored infantry, Colonel
Meatyard commanding, her starboard boiler
exploded with terrible force, after she had been
lying at the bank about half an hour. blow
ing away fifty feet on the centre of the boat
Hundreds were blown into the river, but
strange to say, the loss of life was very small
James Hone, fireman, and two deck hands are
known to be killed. VIM. MCGEE and NJ
o. Brien, fremen. and Samuel Stewart, Co. r,
18th Pennsylvania, two colored women and a
negro boy, are all that are known to be miss
ing. Il is thought, however, that perhaps
about twenty are drowned, but their names
are not to be found, and the superstition may
not prove correct. Chief Engineer William
Nichols is badly burned, and will scarcely re-
cover. Two deck hands are badly burned and
scalded, and twenty-fOur colorcd soldiers.
Isaac Lyle, Co. +, 77th Pennsylvania infant
~, and John West, q mechanic, were all more
or less, severely scalded or bruised. Some of
the injured men had their arms and legs bro
ken. There was but one lady passenger, Mrs.
Haley, who. with her child, was saved, but
badly bruised and cut. About five minutes
oisct aho eApnopion, inc rleTce Caugnt nTe anu
burned rapidly to the waters edge, when she
sunk. The explosion occurred about ten min
utes before the main body of the colored regi.
ment were ready to he marched on board, and
those lost and wounded were of a fatigue par
~ engaged IN putting the baggage and para
phernalia Of the regiment on the boat No
apparent cause for the explosion is given. The
engineers were considered among the best on
the river, one of them having twenty years
experience"
1t has been reported that the Joseph
Pierce was racing. and that steam
was kept up while at the levee for the
purpose of making time against the
opposition boat.