H. L. KARR, attorney at law, Osceola, is a native of Meigs
County, Ohio, born August 13, 1839, a son of William and Jane (Murray) Karr.
The father was born in the old fort at Marietta, Ohio, and the mother was a
native of Clarksburg, Virginia. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch
was Captain Hamilton Karr, the pioneer Indian hunter of Ohio. H. L. Karr, our
subject, received his primary education in the common schools of Ohio, and
later, entered Lombard University, at Galesburg, Illinois, where he pursued his
studies four years, graduating from that institution in the class of 1862. He returned home immediately after
commencement day, and enlisted as a private in Company G, One Hundred and
Sixteenth Ohio Infantry, but was soon appointed First Lieutenant of his
company, and a few months later promoted to Captain of the same company.
Subsequently he was commissioned Major of his regiment, and also made
Brevet-Major of United States Volunteers by the War Department “for gallant and
meritorious services during the war.” Major Karr participated in all the
campaigns of Generals Milroy, Sigel, Hunter and Sheridan, respectively, in the
Shenandoah Valley, including the three noted victories of General Sheridan over
General Early at Opequon (sometimes called the battle of Winchester), Fisher’s
Hill and Cedar Creek. At the battle of Opequon he had his horse killed under
him, and at the battle of Cedar Creek, received a considerable bruise on the
right knee from a spent ball; but, aside from these trivial casualties, passed
safely through the war. In December, 1864, the division to which Major Karr
belonged was transferred to the Twenty-fourth Army Corps, in front of Richmond,
and he consequently took part in the final engagements about Richmond, and was
also at Appomattox at the surrender of General Lee’s army. He was mustered out
of the service in June, 1865, after the close of the war, and returned to his
home in Ohio. He attended the law
department of the Michigan University one year, and returned to Ohio, and was
admitted to the bar in April, 1866. Practiced in the State of Ohio for one
year, and in 1868 located at Osceola, Iowa, where he has ever since been
engaged in the practice of his profession. He has built up a large and quite
lucrative practice, and gained the confidence and esteem of a large business
public. For a number of years he had associated with him Henry Stivers as his
law partner, but since 1876 has practiced alone. In 1871 Major Karr was united in marriage with
Miss Anna F. Wonner, of the city in which they now reside, and of whom he thus
speaks: “Since my marriage, whatever good I have accomplished and whatever
successes I have achieved I attribute directly to my wife, whose wise counsels,
earnest support, uncommon patience and purest love have never for one moment
been withheld from me.” From this union they have been blessed with two sons –
Frederick William and Hamilton L., Jr. Mr.
Karr is an energetic, industrious man, who believes that every man should have
full compensation for his labor, but deprecates the idea of having something
for nothing. He is kind and courteous to his friends, and frank and plain with
his enemies. He is a radical Republican in politics, and strictly temperate
both in theory and practice. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and at
this time active and in good standing in the lodge, chapter and commandery at
Osceola. In his religious views he is a Universalist.
SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke
County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 369-70
