Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-26
WA!SNOT QUANTRELL
Bottled That Mart Green Was the
Leader in the Fight.
OCCURRED At ATHENS In YEAR 1864
Capt. James NJ. Lamme, of This City,
Has His Commission as Captain tu
the ssDahlonega Guards''
Other Remembrance

This Quantrell, Cy Franklin, General
Price, Mart Green matter has resulted
in number of corrections being made
and many "reminiscences of that time
being told. 1t recalls stirring times;
times when men would fight at the
slightest sign of an insult to the flag;
times when the utterance of the name
OF Jefferson Davis in any other way
than deprecatory meant some
thing more than trial of physical
strength. and to be anything but strict
ly Union meant a short notice to seek
other diggings. We try to think nova
days that sectional lines save entirely
disappeared, and they have. A union
man has respect for the battle-scarred
ex-soldier who fought on the other side,
and has taught his children that they
were honest but misguided. The thing
he has no use for is the stay-at-home
secesh, who did not have the courage
of his convictions, and stayed in n
SO long as he said nothing about the
war.
The Union League was organized for
the purpose of watching this class of
people, and carefully taking note of
ton was secret one and numbered
among its members the prominent men
of that time. James NJ. Lamme, of this
CITY, was a member of il, and when
seen yesterday said he Joined some
time in 1863, and shortly afterward
moved to Dahlonega, where he cperat-
ed a grist mill. During his residence
there he was appointed postmaster, and
now has in in his possession the orig
ipal commission authorizing him
to discharge the functions of the Of
fee. 1t is dated May z, 1864, and re-
eites that James N. Lamme is duly
authorized to discharge the duties of
postmaster in Dahlonega from April
Is, 1864, until his successor is duly
appointed and qualified, and is signed
by Montgomery Blair, postmaster gen
eral. he seal of the postoffice depart
ment, if it had seal, is family visible
on the document, and bears close re-
semblance to horse and rider. 1t
would be interesting to know whether
or not the seal is, still preserved.
by some means" said Mr.. Lamme,
Il was made captain of the Dahlonega
militia; such organizations were
to be found all over the state. and were
recruited in pursuance of a statute
that required the existence of such a
body. Here is my commission" and
he handed a worn paper, printed in
old style type, and bearing among 9TH
ers the signature of William NJ. Stone,
the governor of the state of Iowa.
The following is the commission:
5st'The State of Iowa. To all whom
these presents shall come Greeting:
Know We. that James NJ. Lamme having
been duly elected to the position of
captain of the 'Dahlonega Guards
Wapello county militia, of the state OF
Iowa I, William NJ. Stone, governor
and commander-in-chief Of the militia
of said state, in the name and by the
authority Of the people thereof, do
commission him captain, to take rank
from the 18th day of August, 1864. He
is therefore carefully and diligently to
discharge the duties of said Office, by
doing and performing all manner OF
things thereunto belonging, and I do
strictly require all officers and soldiers
under his command to be obedient to
his orders, and he is to obey such or
ders and directions as he shall from
time to time receive from his command
er-in-chief or his superior officers.
[Seal.] In testimony whereof have
uSTSuHUO SET my ndnQ ana caused TO
be affixed the great seal of the state OF
Iowa. Done at Des Moines this eigh-
teenth day of October, in the year Of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four, and of the independ-
ence of the United States the eighty
ninth. and of the state eighteenth.
BY the governor.
.W. AZ. Stone.
James Wright, Secretary of State.
N. B. Baker. Adjutant General.
II do not remember who it was thar
was reported to be the leader of the
expected raid, but 1 do know that it
was in the fall. of 1864" said Mr..
Lamme. "You see my commission
bears date Oct. is, 1864, and shortly
after was ordered to report to Colonel
Kittridge, 1 think it was, who was
home from 49,. >. $50. on furlough.
was attending a party in Dahlonega
z one night, when an order was handed
me requiring me to report at Ottumwa
with my men. We had not been furn-
ished with guns and ammunition and
did not see the use of taking lot OF
unarmed men down, SO gathered up
a couple of the boys and started out.
j found the colonel and his men camp.
ed down in what is now Smoky Row.
We We're halted by the pickets that had
been thrown out and escorted to the
yAn