Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-14


Ex-Governor Francis M. Drake, Sena-
tor s. H. Harper Of Wapello county oc-
cupied few minutes of the closing
session of the thirtieth general assem-
bly,, which came to an end yesterday
afternoon Senator Harper was a COM
rade of General Drake in the thirty
sixth Iowa infantry during the civil
war.
Senator Harper's Tribute.
Among the speakers on the Drake
memorial in the senate yesterday was
Senator Harper of Ottumwa. In part
he said:
Mr.. President: cannot let this oc-
casion pass without saying a few
words in memory of the late Governor
Drake. I knew General Drake well.
1t was my fortune to be his comrade
in arms, member of the Thirty-sixth
Iowa, the regiment he commanded dur
ing the civil war. knew him as a
citizen and as a soldier. l knew him
in peace and in war. l have seen
him calm and serene as a May morn
ing, have seen him aroused by the
sound of battle by the scream of shot
and shell, when he seemed very de-
mon of war.
General Drake had many of the
traits Of Napoleon. Like Napoleon he
was bold. fearless, aggressive, perse-
vering, tenacious and quick to see
the mistakes of the enemy and ostake
advantage Of them. He was always
ready to fight. He never stopped to
inquire whether the enemy outnum-
bered him, but when he folnd' the
enemy, he attacked at once. Only on
a few occasions did General Drake
have an independent command, but
when he did he showed his great cour-
age and military powers. In the bat
tie of the Little Missouri, with his
own regiment numbering some four
hundred men, he attacked a Confeder-
ate force of ten to twelve hundred.
defeated them with severe loss and
captured number of prisoners. He
made this attack after being warned
Of the superior number of the enemy,
but General Drake could not see SUI
perior numbers, he only saw an armed
enemy endeavoring to destroy his
country, and he believed it to be the
duty of a patriot to destroy the enemy
if possible.
On another occasion General Drake
held an independent command. He was
dispatched with an empty wagon train,
guarded by small brigade, consisting
Of about 1000 infantry and 200 caval-
ry from Camden to Little Rock in
April 1864. He was attacked in for
est when his command was stretched
out nearly mile long, by two divisions
Of Confederates under Shelby and Fa-
gen. numbering 5000. Drake was sum-
monde to surrended and was informed
that he was surrounded by overwhelm-
ing numbers. But Drake did not know
how to surrender. SO the fight began,
and after it had ragged for more than
an hour, and he saw that there was
no hope. he sent word to the major
commanding the cavalry to seek the
weakest place in the line of the enemy
/ cut through and escape. This was
done. But Drake continued the fight
for nearly an hour longer. In the
mean time the regiment in the rear
of the train had been captured. He
was holding the enemy at bay with his
own regiment, the Thirty-sixth Iowa,
when he fell severely wounded, the
regiment was falling back and he, be-
ing unable to walk, was captured. The
regiment like its gallant commander,
did not know how to surrender so it
continued to fight and fall back until
it was captured by installments, by
squads and platoons.
Governor Drake was patriot, and
from the beginning of the civil war
until the last rebel laid down his arms
he fought for his country. A young
man. without money or influence, but
full Of energy, grit and perseverance,
he rose from the ranks, by merit alone
to the rank of brevet brigadier gener-
al
Governor Drake was a man of the
people His education was limited as
| far as books and classic literature are
concerned. but like Abraham Lincoln
he possessed that, may term it high
er education, obtained only by con-
| tact and study of the life, manners and
customs of the plain people. He knew
the people, he knew their wants, their
needs. their whims and caprices. .
He was good citizen, generous
hearted, kind and sympathetic. He
was faithful to his friends, ever ready
to help and encourage them He new
er forgot the members of his regiment,
and was always glad to meet them.
was never too busy to give them an au-
dience. If an old soldier told him that
he had once belonged to his regiment
or had served in his brigade, 1t was
like talisman to his heart, he was
ready to do anything in the bounds
Of reason for the soldier.
b IL,