The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1867-06-27


Col. Samuel Merrill Hep1blicaa
Candidate for 00vornOe q 10WA
We are enabled BY tho excsllsut hi0s
graphical sketches In Stswaxtss 'Hh10
~ ol Iowa RsgimsneD," }" b Sivs thDas6
Ing incidsues In 1lsc casses q ths1AsG14
guished gentleman who afs 90 e1pd
dates for 0ovefude ed IlsutsoM8 Qop
ernoe. es* -.
Coloner ssmusf Merrill b native n
the State which was flnt seeded By ~
ders and fishermen ION the maine" aud
Is a representativeman Of New England.
He was born on the 7th day Of August
1922, in the town OF Turner Oxford coUn-
ty, where he resided till the ago Of six
teen; when he removed with his parents
to Buxton, York comfy, Of the eanad
State. In lsi7 he settled in Netk Hamp-
shire; where, in company with hi4 broth
er, I. III. Merrill, ESQ.,, he entered the
mercantile business. This he followed
with success, until the year 1856, when
he removed to McGregor, Iowa, and es-
tablished branch house of the same
firm.
While citizen Of New Hampshire,
Colonel Merrill was twice elected To the
State Legislature. He was memoer Of
that hu5v in f~6i ami lr5j, the time
Whrj tttr celebrated struggle t"v United
p t&..t senator .ame oil, which finally
..uAiAated la tha election of John Z.
ile!e ard james Bell. For nearly forty
consecutive .aaez ngevI4ra. t.a .&ter1e
had been democratic.
In 1854 Nathaniel =. Dakor, our pres
ent Adiutant- General, was Governor Of
New Hampshire, and Colonel Merrill
was q member of the house. Just six
years later, both Of these gentlemen
were elected tn tho Iowa State Legisla-
ture, aud served together In that body.
From 1856 till the spring Of 1851, Col.
Merrill continued In the wholesale and
retail dry goods and grocery business;
bat mt tho last named date, sold out
and became member Of the McGrcgor
Branch Bank.
In the SUMMER of 1902, Colonel Merrill
entered the United States service. Ar
dent in temperament and radical In sem
timent, it was his unsettled business
that prevented him from cnhsting In the
war sooner. He was commissioned COL
| onel OF the Twcnty-first Iowa Infantry,
on tho LIST Of August 1868, aud on tho
10th of September following, left Dubu-
que in command of his rcgimapt for
st. Louis. .
Tho first important engagement In
which the regiment participated was the
battle of Hartsvillc, Missouri, where
Colonel Merrill In command of less than
ono thousand men, composed Of detacll-
ments of the 2lst Iowa, soth Illinois, 81
Iowa Cavalry, 2d Missouri Cavalry and
two-picccs of artillery, met ard success
fully repulscd four to Ave thousand reb-
els, having five peices Of artillery, COM
manded by general Marmoduke and Nc
Donald, and Coloncls Shelby, Thompson
Porter, Burbridge, Henkie, Jeffry, aud
Campbell. The battle commenced about
IL O'clock, A. NJ, and lasted until nearly
night, but Notwithstanding the dispari-
ty of numbers, tire skfllful disposition
and management of the Union forces
enabled the Colonel to maintain his po-
sition and successfully rcpel the attack
ing columns of the rebels. In this,
their first engagement, the officers and
men Of the 2lst Iowa behaved with
great toofness and gallantry anu won a
reputation for courage Oh tho battlefield
which they maintained to the end of the
war. The next engagement of import
ancc in which the regiment participated
was Mt Port Gibson, whers "tho 2isi
Iowa, Colonel Merrill commanding, wa
the first In tho battle snd tho last e.
! leave the f,ch." During the afternoon
Of this engagement, Col. Merrill com.
mandcd brigade, and had his hors,
shot under him. For his conduct OF
, this occasion he received special men.
, ton and high compliments from Gener
al Carr the Division commander. At
the last battle OF big Black Bridge, Col.
, Merrill bluvely led his regiment through
q storm Of bullets in the charge OF the
lst and 23,l Iowa, which carried the en-.
emy's works, and "s-s severely and dan
gcrously wotniacd.
. The Coloneps wounds were much
more severe than at first supposed, and
!, rendered him unfit for duty for min,
months. He expressed dctermina-
ton TO resign, but the Officers and men
: of the regiment would not consent, aud
) petition was drawn up and forwarded
to him which in length measured nearly
twenty feet! But his health f,naIi,
: compelled him to Withdraw from active
( service and return home.
? tt'"~ HTs5H Id 5is habit and man.
g "@a7 rs " New ae4&ad man: aud, IL
9fg#~r, l.,e a s.ar arslsa @; the sons @
Fl si@s. umsi .sr tu9 s@f- y forests and
, a,.4. rt .r #49 i ~'t Il III, s4t
. Il