Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, December 17, 1862

Beautifull & pleasant. we ware on battallion by light in the morning, afternoon we had Skirmish drill & dress perade 11 Oc Lieut J. K. Morey of the 18th Iowa Vol called to see us. 3 Oc H C Caldwells¹ Lieut Col of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry came out to pay me a visit evening I went with him into the citty we attended the ladies aid society or fair in the Mercantile Colledge there was a house full of the grandees. Brig Genl McKean² of Iowa was there at the sale tables they represented the costume of 15 different nations it was grand. I staid the night at the Mt Vernon hotell kept by Bolander

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¹ Henry Clay Caldwell of Keosauqua, afterward United States district judge for the Arkansas District from 1861 to 1890, and United States circuit judge for the Eighth Circuit from 1890 to 1903, when he resigned. He died February 15, 1915.

² Thomas Jefferson McKean, a native of Pennsylvania, graduated from West Point in 1831, resigned from the army in 1838, followed civil engineering and located at Marion, Linn County, Iowa, in 1840. Became county surveyor of Linn County and in 1844 was a member of the first Constitutional Convention. Was in the Mexican War as a sergeant-major in 1817-48, was sheriff of Linn County in 1861, but resigned to enter the army, was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers November 21, 1861, and was breveted major-general in 1865. Died at Marion April 18, 1870.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 99