Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-09

u"mcuttes Incident to the CONSTRUCTION Of
naiiroads through this State viii b read
! appreciated All the Railroads leading
from tue Mississippi River, ~itH hut one
ceAcersfsn, have nlAtle an 4 xtedsebn nf their
""es since yoar lsst SESSION New lines
running from Missouri northerly through
t','s State are now projected. and 1t iesss
one Of them is already in process of con
stfuction. The importance Of Railway
connection with st. Louis by whc, the
products Of the Dcs Moines, Iowa and Ce.
'ar Valleys will lind cheaper and reader
exit t. market, than eastern lines are allie
I" AFFORD, is being duly comprehende'i in
cntcrprising and intelligent commercial
circles Experience has already sufficient
y demonstrated the incapacity Of existing
hnes Of Railroads for conveying our im,
mensc agricultural p6bdu,t ions IT, the east
ern markets. And it Is also equally clear
that, Whatever nlay lie the capacity of
These eastern lines, their immoderutc thirst
Tor monopolizing the avenues Of transpor
t"tion, and their "xorbitant charges for
carrying stock and grain, render them
formidable enemies to our agricultural
prosperity. For this, the only permanent
remedy is the establishment If competing
HI WIS Iut>tiVu tue IHTucTS OI IOWA
are deeply interested, and the time for
prompt and decided measures upon their
part has arrived. The projected Railway
connecting US directly i'll, St Louis, and
ny this means afor'iing US the advantage
OF navigation to the Ocean at nil seasons
IN spite Of low water in summer and ice in
winter, must be admitted as commercial
and agricultural necessity. Such q road
ieading up the Cedar Valley, and to st
Paul, would also bring Us in more direct
and certain connection with the pine re-
sions Of the North, enabling our npiily
increasing demands for lumber to he more
readily and cheaply supplied
But it is not to the East alone that We
should lonk for our future commercial re.
lations. Iowa occuphs ! central position,
pivotal point, between the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts. The mountains and the un
productive regions Of the West must ulti.
mately look t. this State for large por-
ZION Of their agricultural supplies, while
the Pacific States offer powerful induce.
men's to our commercial enterprise These
vital considerations must not be disregard
ed
Every rational calculation for the future
urges the great Importance Of lately
sezng the opportunities now offered Of
securing these natural aud invaluable trip.
utaries to our commerce Is it not Of the
highest importance therefore. that we take
immediate steps to secure the extension Of!
the Union Branch Of the Pacific Railroad
through this State? The General Govern
nent has already given aid to the CON
structon If one branch ri this road through
Kansas, and it is certainly not too much IN
expect that Congress would be equally gen
| erous towards this st tc. This road must
inc ritally become one Of the important
military lines Of the Government, rs intel.
ligcnt Statesmen will not fail to perceive
But space will not permit ne to discuss
the Importance Of this cnterp. Use at greater
length l, therefore, most earnestly rec
ommend that yon address joint memorial
| tn Congress asking the proper aid for cx
tending this road to its terminus on the
Missouri river to some practical point on
the Dcs Moincs where it can be united
| with one of the lines running eastward
from that point.
MILITARY
Without extending this communication
much beyond the proper limits, it will be
quite impossible to present even general
outline of our military history. The faith
FIJI services rendered during the late wal
by the troops from this State and their ad.
mirai'ic conduct upon all occasions have
furnished themes for a'lcr pens than mine
Their fidelity and hcroism have been often
ard appropriately acknowledged by the
distinguished Generals under whom they
have served. 1t was their fortune to have
horne q conspicuous part in all the renOwn
Ell campaigns of the Western division oil
the army, bravcly participating in it.
'loodicst and most decisive engagements
When the history of this great conflict
shall have been fully and i,npaitially writ
ten, it will contain no brighter pages than
those upon which the achievements oi Iowa
soldiers are recorded. A State which lie
fore the war was scarcely known except a.
u patch upon the map Of the Republic, to
day has name calculated to excite becnm
| ng emotions in every manly and patriotic
breast. But the evidences of sorrow vel
visible on every hand reminds us that til is
| good name has been earned ut a fearful
cost. Some of the brightest names which
aiorn the annals Of the war are ours and
citizens Of Iowa are numbered among the
noblcst of the fallen heroes
| Our average population during the wal
Ia. not exceeded 7OO,O0O. and Of this We
have furnished one ninth to the national
armies. The aggregate Of the quotas US
| signed to this State, under all calls for the
war since the first regiment was organized
being reckoncd at their equivalents in
three years men, amount to 20, S25 and the
number elaine by us to have been fur
nished upon these quotas is % 24O Not
included in this statement are the First
Regiment Of Infantry, 963 men, furnished
under the three months call of April, 1861
| - two years recruits, 1869 one year re.
crlits and 1857 one hundred DAYS men,
which list were a vaiunteer offering by the
State and independent Of all calls, making
Il total aggregate of 7SO50 men. These
| figures are not strictly accurate, but are rs
nearly so as they can he made from the
data at our command. On account of dis.
crcpanci,s between the credits given by
he War Department and our own records,
l.uch difficulty was experienced in obt ain
| ng proper credits for all that we claimed.
but the accounts were finally 80 far adjusted
in January, 1865, pending the previous De
| ccmbcr call, that, in consideration Of our
general rromptn ness, md by special request,
procured IA relinqui>hmc Of all further
demands against the State under that and
prior calls, although quite . number Of he
sub-districts were still delinquent.
BY the net Of Congress passed in March,
| 1853, the enrolment OF the national forces
was made by sub districts. consisting Of
townships and wards, and each sub dis
trict thus designated was required to fur
nsh the full amount Of the quota assigned
| it, without reference to the county in which
il was situated. The accounts Of quotas
aud credits were kept, through the Provost
Marsllal's department. with sub districts
only, counties beng dsregaricd This was
| the method rcsOrtci to by the Government
to compel Gael, community to bear its own
share 81 the common burden, in due pro.
r,ri ion To its enrolled military strength.
Many entertain tho opinion that while the
site was apparently il advance Of all calls,
draft was ordcr Il against it. This opinion
is erroneous. But one draft was ever or.
,crcl tor men IN this State. and this was
under the July call If 1864, and in the
delinquent sui, districts only This being
| il accordance will, the express rcqniremcn
L If thr law il WAS una .lnl,le while my