Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-02

ling the outside Of the parsonage whe1
some ladies came along, and seeing
; him up on the ladder splattering paint
; one of them called, why, Mr.. ------
Fl shouldn't think you'd like to do that.
: He replied, "Well, it's like boy throw
; ing up, not because he likes to, but be
cause he has to-"
; Not to weary you with war reminis
: cences, I must recur to the circum
; stance alluded to in my previous chap
) ter-that Of the threatened hanging OF
VIM. ]. Ross. He has written me fully
about 1t, and as 1t is an historical even!
In the daily occurrences in early OF.
tumwa that will show the aftercomers
how prevalent and even malevolent
was the spirit of hatred and revenge
right there on Ottumwa SOIL / give you
here Mr.. Ross's letter in part, suppress
ing one or two names Of old residents
who are now dead. It was curious cir
cumstance that the very persons who
instigated the proposed outrage upon
Ross and the others named, were they
who never contributed mite in either
money, blood or patriotism. They were
truly loyal" though, in their profee
sion:
Ny Dear Billy: 1t has been inf my
mind for some time to write jbut an
incident or two in the lifef of your
father Of which you may h&ve no per.
|sonal knowledge and in VIII ch was per.
sonally interested. We Mere members
of the same M. E. chVch, and mem
bers Of the same Masonic lodge, lived
near neighbors to Zach other and
worked at the SANG trade-that of
carpenters, and that he often gave me
eanaS anf worked at the same
In September 1857 became county
treasurer. THE legislature had just
aboi1shedf the office of county school
fund commissioner, whose duty it was
to loan out the county's allotment Of
scho6l fund, on notes secured by
mortgages on real estate, and had
mHde it the commissioners duty to
turn over to the county treasurer all
|pH the belongings Of his office, who
Yshould thereafter discharge the duties
Of that Office also Among the notes
turned over to me was one signed by
Joseph W. Caldwell, secured by mort
gage on land near Chillicothe, for
$3.50. By August 1861 he found times
SO hard and money SO scarce that he
could not raise the money to pay the
interest on his notes, nor his taxes.
He then concluded to go into the
army, and he and another man raised
a company, of which he was elected
the captain. He then had two good
horses that he proposed to take with
him and sell them for service in the
cavalry. tad.
When your father was ready to
leave with his company and take his
horses with him, John Coyan,
who was my deputy collector of deli
quent taxes for Center township came
into my office, and said to me. 81 can
not ignore the fact that Joe Caldwell
has two good horses and that he in
| tends to take them with him tomor-
row." but !, do not want to levy on
them. What must 81 do?" NV answer
was, "have you collected all Of the
other delinquent taxes in Center town
ship" He answered, ooh no."
then said to him, make yourself SO
busy collecting other peoples taxes
that you can't possibly get around to
Caldwells horses before tomorrow
evening," (by which time Caldwell
and his horses would be in Burlington.
and out Of our reach.) He gave a loud
laugh, walked out Of the Office, and
up the hill, into the woods and far
away. When the company took the
train for Burlington on the next day,
the brass band Of which was mem
Der, as usual, went with the company
to their place of rendezvous. When we
arrived at Burlington we were met by
the city offlcers, mounted on horse
back, who conducted the band and
company through the principal streets
the woods south of Hawkeye creek
and then took the band back to
hotel where we were entertained at
the city's expense. Next morning
the band went out to the place of en-
campment, and with the usual bugle
call assembled the men as military
company, they having been duly sworn
into the service. The first order Of
business was the election of officers.
Upon the first ballot Caldwell was unan-
imously elected captain. He was
then standing under an apple haw
bush some fifteen feet In front OF the
rear end Of the company, which was
in single file practice.
! The band was standing about the
same distance from the head of the
column. noticed, just after he was
elected, that he was leaning against
limb of the tree looking very seri-
ously down his nose at the ground. 1t
occurred to me that he was probably
short OF funds. walked over to
where he was, and said: Joe have you
,any money? He answered-Bill: just
as soon as | can sell one of the horses
when I broke fn-saying. never mind
about the horses-they are out of my
|reach-but you are now the captain
OF these hundred boys, and l know
their parents. II one Of them should
ask you for the loan Of quarter to buy
box Of pills, or pay postage on letter
to his folks, have you any money? He
answered one So bill is every cent
have In the world BY that time I had
my pocket book open and drew out
| two ten dollar bills, and handed them
to him, saying here Joe. put these in
your pocket and you will feel better.