Two days full of intense interest were spent at Pittsburg
Landing, under the leadership of Colonel Bell, the members of the Iowa Shiloh
commission, and other veterans who helped make history here in this marvelous
contest of brave, resolute, and determined men, north and south. A
distinguished southerner has said of the battle: “The South never smiled after
Shiloh.”
The mission of the Governor and the commissions was
completed. The boats steamed away down the beautiful Tennessee, reaching
Paducah, Kentucky, Saturday morning. The Iowa party spent the day in the city,
the guests of the Elks’ Club in their beautiful new building. Luncheon was
served, and a delightful reception given by officials, prominent citizens, and
ladies of Paducah.
Saturday night the Governor's Special started on the
homeward journey, reaching Chicago Sunday morning, November twenty-fifth. Here
the party left the special train and took separate trains for their homes.
Throughout the trip the arrangements had been most perfect and too much credit
cannot be bestowed upon those who had the comfort of the party in their
keeping. Mr. H. J. Phelps, and F. R. Wheeler represented the Illinois Central
Railway, the latter joining the party at Chattanooga; Captain H. M. Pickell of
Des Moines, an Iowa soldier, represented the Rock Island System; C. A.
Rasmussen of Atlantic was in charge of the band car; Reau Campbell of Chicago,
General Manager of the America Tourist Association, was in charge of the dining
car and commissary and N. H. Martin had direction of the sleeping car service.
SOURCE: Abstracted from Alonzo Abernathy, Editor, Dedication
of Monuments Erected By The State Of Iowa, p. 301
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