Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-07-18
THE AUDUBON REPUBLICAN.
BY J. e. GRIFFITH.
REPUBLICAN TICKET.
STATE.
FRANCIS M. DRAKE.

| ing the ancestry OF zen. Drake ana Ills
birth in Schuyler county, Illinois, In
1880, proceeds to sketch his life after
the removal of the family to Iowa, In
1897 to Fort Madison, and in 1916 te
Drakeville.
Francis M. Drake lived at Drake
vile until 1859, when he removed to
Unionville, Appanoose county. When
living at Drakeville he made two trips
Co California, The first one was with
a train Of six sly teams that he or
gained. lie had with him sixteen
men and a boy. On the way out lie
was attacked at Horseshoe Bend
Platte river, by several Pawnee In.
dians. But the attack was repulsed,
the Indians leaving nine dead. Mr.
Drake singled out the chief and killed
him with blow of his musket. This
demoralized the enemy and they fled
After arriving in California he ell
gagged in the stock business. Next
winter he returned by sea. In 1854 he
again crossed the plains, this time
with drove of cattle. He had no
little difficulty in getting back. He
started Oh the steamer Yankee Blade.
which was wrecked on the Pacific
coast and 800 lives were lost. The mar
ratiye says that he escaped by swing
ing down haWser and securing
small boat. With this boat he saved
many lives, making three trips to the
barren coast near by. Here they sub
sisted for five days on raw meat. They
were picked up by the steamer Goliah
and taken to San Francisco. The next
time he embarked on the steamer
Golden Gate. She caught fire, but
managed to reach her destination in
November. Returning home he went
into the mercantile business with his
father and brother.
When the war broke out, which was
while he was living in UniOnville, he
assisted in organizing regiment for
the defense of the southern border of
the state, after his company failed to
get into the second regiment, for which
it was designed. The border regiment
was commanded by John Edwards,
then speaker of our house of represent
tatives. Capt. brakes command was
company A. In September he was
made major of the regiment. The regi-
ment attacked Patten, a rebel leader
who had driven Col. Crainor with u
body Of Union troops out of Missouri
Patten was driven across Platte river,
near st. Joseph. Gen. PrentisS then
put Maj. Drake in command at St.
Joseph. The forces there consisted of
half of his own regiment, some Kan
sas cavalry and a battalion of Ohio
infantry. He held the post during
Mulligan's campaign in Missouri, and
successfully repealed an attack by
Governor Jackson with body of Mis-
sourians, who came down on st. Joseph
flushed with victory in the capture of
Mulligan at Lexington.
In 1862 Major Drake Was commits
stoned Northumberland of the Thirty
sixth Iowa regiment, then just raised
in the southern part of the state. With
this command he continued during the
war, frequently commanding it, and
sometimes in charge of brigade. He
was wounded at Marks Mills, AK =,
where he was left for dead. Prior to
this time, at Il ford on the Arkansas
river, Col. Drake with 500 men fought
Marmaduke's whole division for half a
day. He was brevetted brigadier in
February, 1865. He was mustered out
in September, 1866, after having COM
manded brigade for several months.
Since the war Gen. Drake, as is we'll
known, has been engaged in railroad
projects, having been largely instru-
mental in the construction of the line
of road from Keokuk to Centerville.
He was the first president of the Mis-
souri,, Iowa & Nebraska road. He also
| lldO DCCll III lllClSohGllO DuOl-
ness, besides being a lawyer, having
for his partner at one time Amos
Harris, distinguished lawyer of
thirty years ago and now living in
Kansas. Another partner was Andrew
j. Baker, who has been attorney gen.
eral for both Missouri and Iowa.
Throughout, from boyhood, the life of
Gen. Drake has been an active one, and
useful to the community in which he
lives as we'll as to the state. The
noble institution in this city which
bears his name is largely the product
of his munifcence and liberality.
Our next governor was married in
1855, shortly after his second trip to
California, to Mary j. Lord, native OF
Nova Scotia. Their children are
Mile, Mrs. Theodore p. Shontz, OF
Chicago; Jennie, Mrs. DR.. Lazelle
Sawyers; Eva, Mrs. Henry Goss; Frank
E. and Mary L., all of Centerville; and
John A, of Chicago; besides George