Private William O. Gulick, September 15, 1861

Camp Warren, Sept. 15th, 1861

It is now a little more than a week since I was with you, Although it is but a short time It seems to me about a month. I have seen so many strange and new things in moveing about and liveing as I have that although I am not homesick the time when I look back upon it seems long. You may think strange my writing with a ledpencil but it is so much handier as I am siting on the ground with a board on my lap. I had a letter written to send home, when John³ came down to Davenport and as I did not know when we would leave there and I thought John could carry all the news I did not send it, I suppose John told you all about our camp at Davenport, well it is much better than it is here for here we have nothing but tents. They are smaller than the one we had [illegible], and Thirteen have to mess and sleep in two of them. The first thing may be you would like to know is about my traveling after I left home &s (I did not have time to tell John much) About one oclock I left Lyons⁴ and after a pleasant trip of five hours arrived at Davenport or Camp McClellan⁵ which as John will tell you is very pleasantly situated. There was preaching at Camp Mc.C. evry Sunday I attended and heard a good discourse by Bishop Lee⁶ first Sunday after I left home, I bought me a Bible and some medicine at D. The morning after John stayed with us we were ordered to get ready to move from camp in one hour. We were told it was to go to Burlington In less than half that time every one was ready to march for the boat, We were taken in front of the Burtis House⁷ at Davenport and sworn in servise of U. S. I beleive John was there in time to see us, After takeing the Boat we had a pleasant trip one hundred miles down the great river We had dinner and supper at Leefingwells⁸ expence I was told, We arrived at Burlington about 10 oclock P. M. Was marched through the dust to Camp Warren a distance of 1½ mile from town, we were met by Isaac's⁹ company and after many hearty cheers went in quarters with them for the night. This camp is very comfortable although they are nothing but shanties most of the boys sleep on the ground because they did not know how hard it would be in wet times Friday first day in Camp Warren it rained all day so we had to stay where we could untill we could get and put up our tents. friday night it rained very hard and about midnight I found my self swiming in water, with a number of others. I concluded to take quarters on a table where I took a wet but a good sleep Saturday we put up our tents and dug ditches around them so they are water proofe. Sunday today is comparatively quiet though I hear the Band play a part of the time as the guards have to be changed. I have not been to preaching to day but they say that next Sunday there will be preaching on the ground. We have plenty to eat here and can trade Pork and Beef for all the nicnacks we want. We draw as rations Pork Beef Rice Potatoes Bread sugar Coffee tea molasses vinegar Soap & candles Salt Pepper &c not all at once but all we need as evry other day for a change we have a good mess the Best one in the crowd to my notion. [illegible] myself and 3 other Carpenters one Telegraph operator 3 Mt. Vernon students Fred Wilkes¹⁰ one stone mason besides two other common laborers, mess together We are all well suited and all good cooks Tell Peter¹¹ that Gorum [Josiah Gorhem] the wagon maker at Clinton is in our mess. There is now a full Regiment of Cavalry here a great many of them want horses sadles and equipments besides us, they get them as soon as can be, but no telling when Isaac's Company with some others look well when mounted, as they have theyr saddles.

That money you sent me I thought I would not nead it so I sent it back with John, I also sent you some apples and peaches half what John brought home, I sent them because I new they would come good and becaus I could. I would have sent something more but I did not know that we would have to go to Burlington so soon.

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³ John Schuyler was the oldest son of Peter and Lorrette Schuyler and therefore was William's nephew although he was about the same age. He later enlisted and died in camp.

⁴ Lyons is a town of about 6000 population, two and one-half miles directly north of Clinton, Iowa. Here Company B of the First Iowa Cavalry was organized about May 1, 1861, under the leadership of Judge William E. Leffingwell of Lyons, its first captain. Samuel S. Burdett of DeWitt, 1st lieutenant, was later promoted to captain. —Lothrop's A History of the First Regiment Iowa Cavalry Veteran Volunteers (Lyons, Ia., Beers and Eaton, 1890), p. 20.

⁵ Camp McClellan, at Davenport, served as a concentration point for the additional companies permitted by an Act of Congress of July 29, 1861. This act increased the number of companies constituting a cavalry regiment from ten to twelve. This permitted the addition to the First Cavalry of Company L, mustered into the service on September 23rd; and Company M, which went into quarters at Camp McClellan on September 2nd and was sworn into service on September 12th.

⁶ Henry W. Lee, of Davenport, was bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Iowa from 1854 until his death in 1874. He was instrumental in the founding at Davenport of Griswold College and the building of Trinity Cathedral. He also carried to a successful conclusion a money-raising campaign which made possible the purchase of 6000 acres of land by the Iowa diocese.— Downer's History of Davenport and Scott County (Chicago, S. J. Clark, 1910), Vol. I, p. 590.

⁷ The Burtis Opera House, 413 Perry St., Davenport, Iowa.

⁸ Captain (Judge) William E. Leffingwell organized Company B, First Iowa Cavalry, under the name of the "Hawkeye Rangers". This was the first full company of equipped cavalry in the State. It numbered 98 officers and men, according to the Lyons City Advocate of July 27, 1861. It is significant that Capt. Leffingwell raised this company and procured its equipment without aid either from the State or Federal government. At different times before and after the war Leffingwell was a Presidential Elector, Judge of the Eastern Iowa District Court, and President of the Iowa State Senate. He was an able lawyer, and was distinguished for his scholarly attainments.

⁹ Isaac Gulick of Company B, a cousin. He re-enlisted in 1864 and survived the war. He afterwards moved with his parents to State Center, Marshall County, Iowa, and according to latest reports, he is still living there.

¹⁰ Fred Wilkes (Frederick R. Wilkes) also of Company M was William Gulick's most intimate friend and "buddy" until the death of the latter in September, 1863. He had come to Clinton County from Indiana before the war, and joined Company M with the original enlistment in September, 1861. He re-enlisted in 1864 and served out the war.

¹¹ Peter Schuyler, a brother-in-law to Gulick, had married Lorrette, William's oldest sister.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Shambaugh, The Iowa Journal of History and Politics, vol. 28 (1930), pp. 201-4

Thirty-Five Pounds of Chains

A fellow citizen sends us for publication a couple of letters from the Jefferson (Pa.) Star written by a worthy citizens of the county in which that paper is printed, giving his reasons for being under arrest.  The second letter, which we omit, states that Mr. Jenks is no longer under arrest, but is in command of a company and doing good service for the Union.  The gist of the matter is that the Major Leffingwell alluded to so honorably in this connection, is none other than Judge Leffingwell, of Clinton county, Iowa, well known for his strong pro-slavery sentiments.  Like every conscientious Democrat, who has enlisted in defense of his country in her hour of peril, he has had his eyes opened to the enormity of slavery and now refuses to lift a hand in furtherance of the cause of all our national troubles.  Good for the Judge! May he return home thoroughly reformed:

LEXINGTON, MO., Feb. 28, 1862.

DEAR BROTHER: You will, no doubt, be surprised to learn that I am under arrest.  The reasons are as follows:  Yesterday I was informed that there was a negro in irons about three miles from town.  Last night I called at the house, accompanied by a few of my own men.  I found the negro with chains on him weighing thirty-five pounds!  I brought him into camp; Lieut. Burdell, a sergeant of Company B, and myself, took the chains off him.  Col. Stephenson of the Seventh Missouri, ordered Major Leffingwell to arrest me.  This he refused to do, but said he would call me in, which he did, and the following conversation took place:

Colonel – “Lieut. Jenks, did you go to the country, get a negro and bring him into the camp last night?”

Answer – “I did.”

Colonel – “Are you aware that you have violated an order of Gen. Halledk?”

Answer – “I am not, Sir.”

Colonel – “By whose order did you act?”

Answer – “I acted on my own responsibility, and by order of suffering humanity.”

Colonel – “You will return the negro immediately.”

Answer – “Colonel, that is impossible; I do not know where he is.”

Colonel – “you may then consider yourself under arrest – bring me your saber.”

Answer – “Very well, sir.”

So I am arrested for daring to take the chains off a human being – a man who has a soul like our own.  He was chained because he dared to attempt to escape from the hellish bondage in which he was held.  This man had done what he could for the Union cause in the battles at this place.  Now, brother, I feel that I have done right in the sight of Heaven, and with the blessing of heaven, I fear not what man can do with me.

Your brother,

JAMES D. JENKS.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, May 14, 1862, p. 2

Captain S. S. Burdett

Company B.

Samuel Swineford Burdett was born in England, and when twelve years old with his elder brother landed on the American shores and settled in Elyria, Ohio. In due time he became a student of Oberlin College and graduated with high honors, after which he came to Iowa, settling at DeWitt. He read law, was admitted to the bar, and soon won a leading position as a lawyer. At the beginning of the war he joined the army of the Union, enlisting in the First Iowa Cavalry, and soon became Captain of Company B. In 1863 he was detailed as judge advocate at a station where he remained during the rest of the struggle.

The war over he married an Iowa girl, and soon took up his abode at Osceola, Missouri, where he practiced law. He was elected to Congress in 1868, and again in 1870. Between July 1st, 1874, and October, 1877, he was Commissioner of the General Land Office, an appointment he resigned on account of failing health. Extensive travel renewed his vigor, and he became partner in a lucrative law business at Washington. He has made considerable money, and owns the beautiful Washington residence in which Mrs. Burdett and he entertain their numerous visitors.

He was elected Department Commander of the Department of the Potomac, G. A. R., in 1881, and re-elected in 1882 to the same position. In 1885, at Portland. Maine, he was chosen Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army. "Though born in England. General Burdett is thoroughly American in every sense of the word, and by his military and civil services to his adopted country has contributed much to its welfare. As a member of Congress he had been appealed to in aid of many pensioners, and as Commissioner of the General Land Office had been importuned to give employment and aid to soldiers seeking employment; consequently he was keenly alive to all their needs, and could, as Commander-in-Chief, assist them in many ways. Members in good standing at the close of General Burdett's administration aggregated 295,337, which he insisted should have been many more, but for the carelessness of Post officers who had not properly looked after and reported members."

SOURCE: Charles H. Lothrop, A History Of The First Regiment Iowa Cavalry Veteran Volunteers, p. 328-9