2009 Clay County Fair looking to honor descendants of Civil War veterans

(Photos courtesy of Parker Historical Society of Clay County) According to an undated Dubuque Times newspaper account, the late John Gaston of Tama County, shown dressed in his Civil War uniform and in formal attire, was "discharged from the service at Corinth in consequence of permanent disability incurred in the service."

The Civil War divided a country from 1861 through 1865.

It also created a nation.

Its legacy includes ending slavery in the United States and strengthening the role of the federal government.

The Civil War also ranks as one of the deadliest wars in American history, causing 620,000 soldier deaths and an undetermined number of civilian casualties.

For those who survived it, their stories varied greatly. Some lost limbs. Some were apprehended as prisoners of war. Others, like LeRoy Whitney, who served in Company C's 146th Illinois Infantry, were assigned to guard President Abraham Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Ill.

Whitney was among those who trekked to Clay County to settle following the Civil War. While a resident of Spencer, he served as mayor from 1887-88. He also served as a school board member and ran a harness shop in town.

"At the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, (also known as the Battle of Shiloh, a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought on April 6-7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee) he escaped capture with his regiment in consequence of being detailed to serve as powder carrier on that day. The surgeon of the regiment, Dr. Staples, and others who were acquainted with him, speak in the highest terms of him as a brave, patriotic, and Christian young man. Although he died and was buried among strangers, he was surrounded in his last sickness, and carried to the grave, by kind and sympathizing hearts."

Whitney's headstone is located in Riverside Cemetery.

"People coming to inhabit Clay County and the Civil War were happening almost at the exact same time," said Phil Hurst, the Clay County Fair secretary-manager. "But there was a big element of people from the Civil War that came here and settled. If you go out to Riverside Cemetery, what you find out there is grave markers from the Civil War on a great number of graves."

The 2009 Clay County Fair, scheduled to run Sept. 12-20, will feature a Veterans Day observance on Monday, Sept. 14. A 10:15 a.m. parade of honor, followed by an 11 a.m. program in the Clay County Regional Events Center ballroom, will initiate activities relating to the Civil War's importance to the region. In honor of Lincoln's 200th birthday this year, a Lincoln impersonator will explain some of the preparation and thought process surrounding the Civil War's start, as well as its conclusion and the importance of Civil War soldiers and veterans to the region. Their descendants in attendance will also be recognized during the morning program.

Songs of the era will be performed. A Civil War display featuring the submitted stories of Civil War soldiers and veterans from the area will be showcased in the events center hallway throughout the day. Typed handouts of the stories will be made available to all interested in acquiring one. The information received will also be donated to the Parker Museum in Spencer.

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(Photo by Kris Todd) The Joseph and Emily (Ames) O'Brien monument accompanies individual grave markers for the deceased couple and their family members at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Pvt. O'Brien, who is among the 159 Civil War veterans identified in the Spencer cemetery, served with Company K of the 187th Volunteer Infantry. O'Brien was stationed in Philadelphia in April 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. He helped to control the crowds when the president was brought to Independence Hall and stood guard over the casket while Lincoln lay in state there. After departing the Army and marrying, O'Brien established a homestead northwest of Spencer in Clay County. [Order this photo]

A compilation of Civil War veterans buried in Clay County cemeteries has been gathered. The "Civil War veterans in Clay County cemeteries" listing includes names, dates of death, cemeteries and towns. The full list is available online at http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com. (Below)

But representatives of the Clay County Fair and the Clay County Veterans Affairs offices are searching for more Civil War soldier and veteran stories, like John Gaston's, from their descendants. Plans are to record the data provided and present it during the 2009 Clay County Fair.

A special celebration honoring Civil War veteran family members from Clay County and the surrounding region will take place on Monday, Sept. 14, during the fair's annual Veterans Day observance.

* With a submittal deadline of July 1, information provided by families of Civil War veterans or other interested individuals may be emailed to Phil Hurst at philh@ncn.net or to Joan Waller at jwaller@co.clay.ia.us. Interesting stories may also be mailed to Hurst at: Clay County Fair; P.O. Box 527; Attention: Veterans Day; Spencer, Iowa 51301 or to Waller at: Clay County Veterans Affairs; 300 W. Fourth St.; Attention: Veterans Day; Spencer, Iowa 51301.

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Civil War Charts

A-F:

http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/stor...

G-O:

http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/stor...

P-Z:

http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/stor...

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During the Civil War in Iowa:

(In the Navy, Army, Marines and Revenue Cutter)