Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, September 12, 1862

10 Oc Miss Claudear Stratton & my Daughter presented our Comp with a Beautifull flag the Ladies of Centerville made for us. at 20 min past 1 Oc we left with our Company for Keokuk at dark we arrived at Blakesburg fed took supper & at 10 & ½ Oc we started at 3 Oc arrived at the desmoin opposite Attumwa fed horses spred down our blankets & laid down to sleep on the Bank of the beautifull river

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 89

Iowa Legislature

DES MOINES, March 31, 1862.

EDITOR HAWK-EYE:

One of the best things of the session “came off” Saturday, the distinguished member from Madison had introduced a bill for the protection of Young Men’s Rights – a very laudable object, to which you will not demur.  The bill provided that young men over 21 years of age, shall be entitled to hold three hundred dollars worth of property exempt from taxation.  Mr. Hardie moved to amend by striking out all after the word “hold,” and insert “a young lady of corresponding age, subject to the Revision of 1860, and he shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges usual in such cases, as long as he holds the same.”  It is needless to add that this amendment met with a most decided support and was adopted, and the bill thus amended, sent to the Senate, where, it is probable, this very plausible “protection” will be outlawed.  If so, in the name of all bachelorhood, I enter a strenuous protest.

To-day begins the last week of this session, and work is crowding upon the Houses from the Committees, and the principal part of the legislation of the session will be done in the few days left.

Although the revenue law has been amended so as to make the penalties much more severe than formerly, and in some cases amounting almost to confiscation, still indications are that there will be much difficulty in collecting sufficient revenue to meet the extraordinary expenditures to be met for the next two years, and the Executive is anxious that some still more efficient measure may be agreed upon by the Assembly before it adjourns.

The Des Moines and Coon rivers are on a tremendous high.  Many houses on the west side of the Conn are inundated.  Steamboats are arriving daily, heavily freighted with goods for the interior.

T. H. S.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 2

Des Moines Correspondence

DES MOINES, March 29, 1862.

Both Houses have agreed upon the 8^th of April as the day of adjournment; consequently only eight more days remain.

The House spent nearly the whole day yesterday on the War Claims Bill.  It was sufficiently objectionable when it came from the Senate, but was made far more so by amendments, until it didn’t suit any one.  It was then voted on and defeated; but afterwards the vote was reconsidered and the bill referred to the military committee.  The interests to be considered in this matter are so numerous and so diverse that it will probably be impossible to agree on anything.  Those interested in the claims of counties say they won’t vote for the Edwards-Morledge claim unless the corporation provision is attached.  On the other hand it is said that if the claims of corporations for clothing are allowed, the amount will be charged by the General Government to the volunteers who received said clothing.  If this is the case, the counties interested have the question to answer whether they prefer to tax their citizens for the amount or to charge it to their brave volunteers, who are fighting their battles for them.  Since the question has been placed in this light, and I understand that the Governor thus views it, the corporation feature of the claim bill is looked upon with little favor.  The disposition of the House now is to act upon the few claims before it, separately, allowing each to rest on its own merits.  The committee will probably report upon them Monday.

The Senate Yesterday continued the discussion on the railroad question.  The bill providing for the resumption by the state of the lands granted to the Dubuque and Pacific Railroad Company, was discussed by McCrary, of Lee, Brown, Jennings, Dixon, McPherson, Smith and Redfield, in speeches of considerable length, when the bill was indefinitely postponed by a vote of 30 to 10.

Senator Redfield’s bill, providing that the roads shall not encumber the lands more than twenty miles from their western terminations, was discussed for some time, but the Senate adjourned, pending a motion to indefinitely postpone.

I see the Dubuque Herald, in publishing the yeas and nays on the lager beer bill, calls all the yeas Republicans except one “shoddy Democrat.”  Rather a joke on certain rank Democrats like Dunlavy and a few others, but a greater joke on the Republicans with whom they are classed.  Mahony should keep better posted on Iowa politics.  The letters published in said paper in reference to the remarks of some of the Republicans who favored the bill, give – to use a very mild expression – a false impression to any German who might chance to read them. – There were no ‘flings at the Germans,’ and the members who spoke on that subject took the ground that the Germans who were Republicans, were so from principle, and not because they were allowed their lager.  One member may have said that if it took lager to buy their votes, he didn’t want them.  This is very far from casting flings upon the Germans.  It is representing them as acting from principle, and incapable of being swayed by considerations of lager beer.  In the Senate the Democrats were about the only ones who voted for the bill.  They have tried their best to get a Republican Legislature to pass such a bill, that they might make political capital out of it; but they have failed, and if they attempt now to make any capital out of the vote, the record in both houses will show where they stand.

We are having good boating now.  The river is full to overflowing, and still rising.  Boats come up regularly.

J. R. C.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 2, 1862, p. 1

SEE THE “X.”

We will hereafter mark an X on papers to indicate that the time of subscription is nearly or quite expired; and when subscribers wish to continue they will remit immediately.

The City Council [equ]alizes today.

Harry Hills says he sells cheaper than any other man in the city. Try him.

SPRING OPENING. – The ladies will be pleased to learn that Miss King will be ready to-morrow to exhibit her new supply of spring and summer bonnets. They are invited to call.

THE RIVER. – The river opposite continues to fall slowly. The Warsaw is the regular packet for St. Louis, and the Jonny Whipple for Davenport, this morning.

THE DES MOINES. – After the late heavy rains the Des Moines was rising again on Tuesday – over a foot at Des Moines and about six inches at Eddyville. The locks are still overflowed.

The K. Ft. D. M. & M. R. R. is repaid so that trains run through on time from end to end. Large freight trains come in daily.

– Published in The Gate City, Keokuk, Iowa, Wednesday, April 16, 1862

The Keokuk and Eddyville road . . .

. . . has been overflowed by the Des Moines at several points, during the recent high water. The trains, we believe, exchange passengers at the submerged points.

– Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862

Navigable

The Raccoon Fork of the Des Moines River which has the honor to disembogue itself in this City, is a navigable stream. – Several lawyers among whom was S. Sibley, Esq., came down from Adel by way of that classic stream, arriving here yesterday. The frail bark to which they consigned their precious bodies, is commonly called a “Dug-out.”

– Published in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862

Market Street Bridge

A portion of Market Street Bridge – perhaps one-third of it – was swept away night before last. The Bridge had stood up so well, that it began to be generally supposed that it would live through the flood. That part of it is a wreck. In brief time, the unremitting labor of months has been destroyed. The proprietor, Mr. WARNER, worked with an industry never excelled, to complete this structure, and fit it for the accommodation of the public. It is now in ruins.

– Published in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday, April 17, 1862

Going Down

We have the happiness to announce to the world of mankind, that the Des Moines River commenced to recede slowly yesterday. Like the rebels at Pittsburgh, it has been contesting ever every inch of ground, making its assaults where the defenses of the people were weakest. It will take us about a week to recover the vantage ground lost during the watery invasion. It is a mater of public gratulation that we are coming out of the conflict without the loss of a man, woman, or child, albeit a vast amount of commissary stores and other property has been captured by the enemy. The last act of spoliation – the capture of a part of Market Street Bridge – was the most mischievous and wanton act of the enemy. It was a nocturnal theft for which there is no excuse of palliation of civilized warfare.

– Published in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday April 19, 1862