Col. Asbury B. Porter

PORTER, ASBURY B., COL., retired; born in Bourbon Co., Ky., June 20, 1808; when 21 years of age, his father died, leaving a wife and nine children; Asbury being the oldest, upon him devolved the care of the family; they removed to Illinois and located in Vermilion Co.; while living here, he became acquainted with Miss Martha A. Brazleton, a native of North Carolina; she came to Illinois at an early age, and they were married Jan. 18, 1835; the same year Col. Porter came to Iowa and bought land in Henry Co., raised a crop and went back to Illinois for his family, they arrived here in October, 1836, and were among the earliest settlers; there being only a few now living in the county who were here at that time. He was elected Clerk of the Courts in 1847; reelected to the same office in 1849; was elected and represented this county in the Territorial Legislature; was re-elected and served for three terms; was engaged in the mercantile business for twenty years; was Captain of a military company — “The Mt. Pleasant Grays” — and when the war broke out, at the first call for 75,000 men, this company enlisted in the three-months service, and Capt. Porter went with them to Keokuk; while there, was elected Major of 1st Regt., Iowa V. I., the only Iowa regiment that answered the first call for 75,000 men; when the term of service for which they enlisted had expired, there was a prospect of a battle, and Gen. Lyon requested the regiment to remain; a vote of the regiment was taken and they unanimously decided to stay, and did remain until after the battle of Wilson Creek was fought; about one week before the battle, Gen. Lyon wrote the Secretary of War, recommending Maj. Porter for promotion to the rank of Major in the regular army, and requesting that he be assigned to duty under him; but he preferred to remain in the volunteer service; upon the expiration of the three-months service, he received authority from the Secretary of War to raise the 4th Regt. Iowa Cav.; was commissioned Colonel; he was also authorized by the Secretary of War to select, inspect and buy the horses for the regiment without restrictions; the only instance known where this privilege was given the Colonel of any regiment during the war; Col. Porter selected and inspected every horse; the regiment was composed of battalions of horses of matched colors, and left for the field twelve hundred strong, and was with Gen. Curtis in Missouri and Arkansas; Col. Porter was obliged to resign his commission in 1863, on account of his eyesight. After the war, he held the office of Revenue Inspector in this Congressional District. They have seven children — Watson B., with the C, B. & Q. R. R.; Emily D., now Mrs. Dr. McClure; Louzenia W., now Mrs. Capt. Beckwith; Sadie E., at home; Frank P., contractor on the C, B. & Q. R. R.; Jennie C., now Mrs. Bean, of Albia; Asbury B., civil engineer on the C, B. & Q. R. R.; lost one son — Samuel A.

SOURCE: Western Historical Company, Chicago, Illinois, The History of Henry County, Iowa, 1879, p. 578

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Col. Porter’s grandson, Warren Wallace Beckwith, married Jessie Harlan Lincoln, granddaughter of President Abraham Lincoln.

Capt. Warren Beckwith

BECKWITH, WARREN, CAPT., contractor for masonry work on the C. B. & Q. R. R.; born in Monroe Co., N. Y., Jan. 31, 1833, and received his education there; studied surveying civil engineering when he was 19 years of age; and in 1852-54, he was engaged on the Genesee Valley R. R. (now the Rochester Branch of the Erie R. R.) Went to Kansas in 1854, and came to Iowa in May, 1856; became connected with the B. & M. R. R., directly after the Land Grant Act was passed, from 1856 to 1860, then resigned and went to Texas with stock. When the war broke out, returned here and enlisted in the 4th Regt. Iowa Cav.; held the position of Battalion Adjutant; he was promoted to Captain, Jan. 1, 1863; he was in a number of severe fights and skirmishes; in the battle of Guntown one-third of his men engaged were killed and wounded; he was in the service until August, 1865. Upon his return, was appointed Roadmaster of the B. & M. R. R., and held that position until the consolidation of this road with the C, B. &Q. R. R., when he was appointed Superintendent of the track and bridges over the whole line, which position he held until he was appointed chief engineer of the whole line. On account of his health he has recently resigned. He married Miss Louzenia Wallace Porter April 14, 1863; she is a daughter of Col. A. B. Porter, one of the earliest settlers of Henry Co. They have five children—Everett, Orville, Emily, Florence and Warren.

SOURCE: Western Historical Company, Chicago, Illinois, The History of Henry County, Iowa, 1879, p. 559

EDITOR’S NOTE: Captain Beckwith’s son Warren Wallace Beckwith, married Jessie Harlan Lincoln, the granddaughter of President Abraham Lincoln.

Asbury B. Porter

ASBURY B. PORTER was born in the State of Kentucky, in the year 1808. He removed to Iowa, making his home at Mount Pleasant where he was engaged in the mercantile business when the Civil War began. He first entered the service as major of the First Iowa Infantry, serving with distinguished ability at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. In October, 1861, he was appointed colonel of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry and served until the 8th of March when he was dismissed from the service by order of the President. The cause of his dismissal is not given in the published reports of the Adjutant General’s Office.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume 4: Iowa Biography, p. 214

Fatal Accident

Mr. Samuel Smith, living in Henry county, came to Mt. Pleasant, Friday last, to see his son off, who belongs to Col. Porter’s Regiment.  The starting of the train frightened his horse which ran off upsetting the sleight throwing him out and killing him instantly.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 8, 1862, p. 1

Fatal Accident

Mr. Samuel Smith, living in Henry county, came to Mt. Pleasant, Friday last, to see his son off, who belongs to Col. Porters Regiment.  The starting of the train frightened his horse which ran off upsetting the sleight throwing him out and killing him instantly. – Hawk-eye 4^th.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, March 7, 1862, p. 2

Colonel Asbury B. Porter

FIRST COLONEL, FOURTH CAVALRY.

Asbury B. Porter was born in the State of Kentucky, in the year 1808. At the time of entering the service, he was a resident of Mt. Pleasant, Henry county, Iowa, where, for several years, he had followed the business of a merchant and trader. He first entered the service in May, 1861, as major of the 1st Iowa Infantry; and in that regiment he made a good record. His conduct at the battle of Wilson's Creek was mentioned by Lieutenant-Colonel Merritt in terms of much praise. Why he was so unfortunate as colonel of the 4th Iowa Cavalry, I am unable to say. He was the first Iowa colonel dismissed the service of the United States, by order of the President. Before receiving his dismissal, however, he had resigned his commission, and returned to his home in Mt. Pleasant. He left the service in the spring of 1863.

The 4th Iowa Cavalry, at the time of entering the service, was made up of a fine body of men. The Mt. Pleasant schools were largely represented in the regiment; and, in addition to this, there was a larger per cent. of men with families and homes than in any other Iowa regiment previously organized. Its outfit, too, was superior, especially as regarded its horses. Colonel Porter served as his own inspector, and, being one of the best judges in the State of a good horse, he mounted his men in magnificent style. The regiment promised much, and yet it accomplished little worthy of special note, under its original colonel.

The 4th Iowa Cavalry served first in Central and Southern Missouri, and then in Arkansas; and the character of its labors were the same as were those of the 1st Iowa Cavalry, while that regiment was stationed in Missouri. They can not be detailed with interest.

Colonel Porter is a short, stocky man, with a broad, oval face, beaming with much good nature. I speak of him as he looked to me in the stage-coach, in the summer of 1863, on our return from the gubernatorial convention. I did not know who he was till after we had parted, and consequently formed my judgment of his character without prejudice. He is familiar and pleasing in his manners, and makes friends readily. I judged him to be intelligent, and of an extremely social disposition, and thought he would be happy and at home with his friends at a beer-table.

SOURCE: Addison A. Stuart, Iowa Colonels and Regiments, p. 607-8