Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-06


there. never witnessed more impos-
ing spectacle. Senators Browning and
Trumbull of Illinois, McDougal of Cali
fornia, Sumner of Massachusetts, and
others. delivered great orations. Sena-
tor Sumner was an especial attraction
to his audience. His speech was a grand
one. In repeating the old quotation,
It's sweet To die for ones country"
he thrilled the vast assemblage.
In the summer of 1861 the lawyers
Coils McClcrnand, Logan, and Fouke of
Illinois, and Nandeveer of Iowa, placed
their regiments In the field They were
all at that time members of Congress
Gen. Nandevcer in former days had been
a member of the Rock Island bar.
The first body of organized soldiers in
the war of the Rebellion in Rock Island
was the company of Capt Frank J. Her
ron from Dubuque, Iowa. He came
down the river with his command upon
a steamboat soon after the war opened,
landed and gave us military drill Gen.
Heron was a lawyer, and became distln-
suished rs a soldier. during the war.
After Fort Sumpter was fired upon
the country was in a chaotic state Sen
ltor Douglas and other leading Democ-
rats in the north threw their powerful
influence in favor of the Union. Some
claimed Gen. Logan was going with the
South. but he served in a Michigan reg
iment as private IN the first Bull Run
battle. and came home afterwards and
raised the 3Ist Illinois infantry. He
was in the Mexican war. as an orator
I'LL n hn
higher type of the citizen soldier IN the
war But few regiments entered the
service. north or south, in which the bar
was not represented. In my regiment,
the I4th Illinois Cavalry, the Lieuten-
ant Colonel, two Majors, three adju-
tants in succession and three Captains
were lawyers.
williams First tn Enter.
The first member of the Rock Island
bar. who entered the service was Mai.
William B. Williams. in the 18th Illinois
three months infantry.
In the 18th Illinois infantry, Quincy
Mcneil was commissioned Captain; j. NJ.
Beardslev, first lieutenant; and y. I.
Hirbee Second Lieutenant in the early
summer of 1861. Quincy Mcneil had
been Circuit Clerk: was fair lawyer
but was never admitted. He was pro
NOTED Lieutenant Colonel in the End Ill
inois Cavalry-Our present Congressman
Col. Marsh served in the same regiment
y. NJ. Beardsley was promoted Captain
and Major Both Maj. Beardsley and
Lieut. Higbee gave to their country three
years faithful service.
Col. Graham of the law firm OF Ora
ham & Webster, of Moline, was commits
stoned Colonel of the First Kansas Caval-
nv in 1861 and commanded that regiment
James Chapman and Henry l. Smith,
Moline LAWYERS before the war, were in
the army.
In the fall of 1861 Col. Henry Curtis
assisted i'll raising company, which
made part of the 37th Illinois infantry.
He was commissioned First Lieutenant.
Soon vacancy occurred, when he was
made captain In time President Lin
coin commissioned him adjutant gener-
al with the rank of captain. He was on
Gen. Whites staff After the siege of
Knoxville he did duty at Gen. Scho-
fields headquarters. ! was doing staff
duty as Inspector with headquarters at
I.ouden. Tenn. when Gen. Wheeler came
into Fast Tennessee with a large cavalry |
force in 1864 left Lou
den with cavalry command
TO watch him. ] moved cautiously |
in tie direction of Knoxville. Seeing n
column advancing towards rue
supposed the soldiers were Wheeler's, |
and prepared for action. l soon recog