Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-09-04
Doc STEARNS DEAD
OLD SOLDIER { PIONEER.

Henry Wilbur Stearns, familiarly,
known as doc Stearns" died at his
home in Leroy township, Audubon,
County, August 26, 1913. He was
the son of Capt. Stephen Stearns,
of Lowell, Maine, and his first wife,
Mary, daughter of Major George
Russell of Lowell.
In the paternal line his ancestry
was rich with Puritan stock of New
England. He was ninth in descent
from Isaac Stearns, who with his
wife, Mary Barker, came fom Stoke
Nayland, Suffolk, England with Gov.
Winthrop in the Arabella to Water
town, Mass. 1880.
Ninth in descent from Capt. Ed
ward Johnson and wife, Susan, Who
came from Herne Hill, near Can
terbury, England, to Charlestown,
Mass. in Gov. Winthrop's company
y 1880. He was founder of Woburn,
Mass. and organized the An
cient Honorable Artillery of Bos-
ton 1887, the oldest military organ
ization in New England and still
extant. and was author of a history
of Massachusetts,. Besides these
he descended from Isaac Mixer, Wa
tertown 1884; John Bigelow, Wa
y tertown 1885; John Warren, Water
town 1880; Elder Thomas Wilwall,
Dorchester, Mass. 1885; Capt. Rich
ard Walker, Lyon 1880; William
Reed, Dorchester 1886.
Many of his ancestors We're sol
diers in the Colonial Wars. He was
great grandson of Capt. Abraham
Andrews who served in the Reyo-
luton from Lexington until the
close of the war; the first settler
in Lovee, Maine 1888.
At the age of 16 years he enlist
ed in the famous Maine Heavy Ar
tillery which in the space Of. ten
months lost 424 men actually killed
in battle, the largest loss in kill
Cd OF any regiment engaged in the
Union Army. During the year 1863
the regiment served in garrison in
the forts about Washington d. c.,
and became highly disciplined both
In artillery and Infantry. In May
1854 they served under General
Grant in the army Of Potomac. At
their initial battle, at Spottsylvan-
la May 10, 1864 they left 155 white
faces cold in death on the battle
field, and had 375 wounded. On
June II, 1864. they assaulted the
enemies works at Petersburg, and
In the space of fifteen minutes had
615 men shot down, 242 of whom
were killed. In this charge Stearns
was terribly wounded in the leg,
which crippled him for life. Anoth-
er comrxde from Lowell, Francis
Hartman of the same age, was
similarly wounded in the leg. AS
they lay together in their blood,
helpless and suffering on the
field, thinking of friends and
home, Franc" said to DOC: II
was we wan at home in GrumpAs
bar" PoOr boys.
4 1t amused Stearns SO that he
used to recall the circumstances.
Two brothers and brother-in-
law also served i'm the Union Army.
He was double cousin to the
late Hon. M. L. Stearnls, Ex-Gover-
nor of Florido, at one time Rresi-
dent of Atlantic National Bank, and
kinsman to Senator Andrews OF
Extra. After the war he became a
dentist in Maine. He came to Au-
dubon County in 1867, and was af-
terwards engaged in farming; a
prominent citizen; and was assessor
several years. He was many times
member of the Republican Con-
yentions of Audubon County.
For several years he had been in
declining health. For several months
before his death he became nearly
blind. "A good man and a valu-
able citizen has gone, who will be
greatly missed by MS numerous
friends.
He married first Mrs. Matte
urwin) Luccock. By this union two
children survive-Virgil G., of East
st. Louis, and Miss Maribah, known
as Dolly" He married the second
time tc Miss Maggie Carper who
survivsts him, by whom there are a
daughter, Miss Helen Marcia and
a son, Russell Wilbur.
doc" Stearns was the best known
man in north Audubon County, hav-
ing settled there twelve years h?-
fore Audubon was founded. He low
ed politics but was not an office
seeker. H1 was a genial soul, a kind