Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-25

! w. H. CALDWELL.
the Second Iowa infantry and the First
Iowa cavalry (of which latter regi'
ment my father was the Lieut.. Col. }
without a scratch to speak Of; but
while assisting in firing cannon there
In Ottumwa, celebrating the declara'
ton Of peace, premature discharge
blew OF his left hand. He never re.
covered from that shock Always a
proud, self-respecting boy and man,
! when he received that wound he was
SO Inundated and downcast that his
spirit was broken and ambition gave
/ way to morbid feelings that turned
him into another and opposite nature.
| have never been satisfied as to how
| he came to his death-nor indeed, do
l know that he is dead, but as have
! not heard from or about him since I
left Ottumwa, have given him up for
dead. &c.,.
A day or two ago ] received letter
from VIM. ]. Ross, who is now resi-
dent Of Hutchinson, Kansas, 81 years
of age, but from the style Of his COM
munication you would think that he is
the same sprightly yOungster that he
was when gathering in taxes as the
treasurer Of Wapello county. and he
says that barring the i'll effects of grip
that has held him prisoner for some
time he is "just as young as he used to
be- Right now I'm going to give him
away. 1t will be a surprise to his ac-
quaintances to learn that he was "some
pumpkins' on fiddle. Who'd
thought it? Well know 1t. for he used
to play for us boys. but always in his
own home. He takes much interest in
that as soon as he gets his grip sue
ceeding the grip, he will write me OF
some of his own "reminiscences that !
am personally interested in. I wrote
him to refresh my memory upon the
episode that very much interested him
in war times when the gallows were
erected in Ottumwa upon which to
hang him and others reputed to be
knights Of the Golden Circle, and he
promises to do so. For the edifcation
Of the generation now occupying our
places in. Ottufnwa l will remark thet
the Knights Of the Golden Circle was
an organization In the north to assist
the rebels Of the south and to do any
and everything possible to hinder. en-
barass and harass the prosecution OF
the war on the union side. 1t was
secret cabal that effected much and
encouraged the south. I personally did
not know a member Of it, but strongly
suspected several we'll known resi-
dents, but never Mr.. Ross. He was an
ardent democrat, and in those parlous
times right there near the border OF
Missouri to be known as a democrat
was almost equivalent to be stamped
a copperhead. which was but a short
remove from that of a member of the
was either, but it will be quite inter-
esting to have his story which I prom
Use to give you. .
The underground railroad" was
mysterious institution with which,
was connected. My father was a red
hot abolitionist (and he had reason 10
be from the fact that he was south
ern, Virginia, Wing first. then. an ar
dent admirer of the gallant John c.
Fremont. free soiler) and was with all
his soul in the heat and turmoil Of the
days that brooded war. AS elsewhere
spoken of he always had horses and
never a poor one. Many were the trips
made after night to or near the bor-
der of Davis county to get and bring
to Ottumwa a load Of escaped slaves
sometimes as many as dozen. Arriv-
ing there they were turned over to the
barber 10 Wagg, who spirited them
away. One of these was Charlie Owen,
who lives Cor did) out on the Eddy
vile road maybe three or four miles
He was sent to my father, then In rem
devious with his company at Burling-
ton. Col. Gillespie was especially active
in trying to rescue Charlie, and l recall
that Gurley Baker almost sweat blood
in searching for Charlie to return him
to his master in Missouri, but the I'M
der grounders were too active and had
Charlie on the road 70 freedom before
they could encompass his capture. 1t is
hazy but it seems to me that
the slavery folks had pads of
habeas corpus blanks that they could
fill out. properly issued from some
court, hut before one Of thehe could be
filled and served Charlie WAS safe in
the camp of union war recruits, who.
though not yet in the service OF the
would not obey such
writs. Charlie was my fathers servant
during the war and returned home
with him. He was q creditahle citizen
as he had been faithful servant. He
married and they reared family that
was highly respectable
In writing these scenes come up and
SIS before mo so rapidly that my PEN
ell nearly melts in trying to keep pace.
l get so much interested In the fascin-f
ating employment Of netting them that
] forget that my net has holes in it and
many of them escape. can see plainly
all the things I write about but my
pencil cannot keep up with the kaledo~
scope changes. Just now I see myself
and Bill Lair laying shingles on the
shanty kitchen at our palatial f)
residence wnen along came
honey bee and Fitted me clean off that
roof. which reminds .ne of trip made
with Lee Cooley to his country home
down near Ashland (now Eldon?) one
very warm summer day. Lee, you
know, wore crutchesLby the way.
there was the trio Of crutch jumpers,
Lee Cooley. Dan Tower and Wade
Kirkpatrick either Of whom could lick
me to a stand still in getting over the