"Resolved, That the county funds now in the hands of the treasurer of Winneshiek County, be and the same are hereby appropriated, not exceeding the sum of $2,000 for the purpose of equipping the military company known as the 'Decorah Guard', and that the Clerk of the District Court be and he is hereby authorized to issue county warrants to Levi Bullis, D. H. Hughes and C. C. Tupper, who shall constitute a committee for the negotiation of said county warrants, and the purchase of said equipments, the said committee first giving bonds to said county, conditioned that the said appropriation be used for the purpose designed, faithfully and truly.

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Resolved, that the families of each member of the 'Decorah Guard' receive the following weekly allowance during their term of service, viz: Three dollars per week for the wife, and one dollar per week for each child, to the extent of three."

Many of the actors in those stirring scenes are men from among us, while several who remained at home contributed these resolutions to Spark's History, and to it we shall be indebted for most of the remainder of this chapter.

On the 20th of April, 1861, just six days after the booming of cannon, heard at Sumpter, had sounded the alarm of civil war, a meeting of the patriotic citizens of Winneshiek County, and Decorah in particular, was held in the Court House. It was held for the purpose of giving expression to the outraged feelings of a liberty-loving people at the atrocious stroke made against human freedom and American liberty, and to declare their adhesion to the old flag that waved from the Court House dome above them.

The brave who died in the mountains of Arkansas, the marshes of Louisiana, the rocky fastnesses of Georgia, and the swamps of Carolina, are remembered less vividly by their old comrades as year by year passes away, and when this generation has gone there will be few to recall the names of the youthful heroes of Winneshiek County who faced fatigue and sickness, steel and ball, and died in the fierce front of battle, facing the foe, or fell victims to malarious diseases. But while their individual memories will have perished, the cause for which they died, the cause for which they perished, the cause of liberty and humanity will remain, and future generations will derive fresh courage to struggle for the right from the glorious example of the citizensoldiers who crushed the "Great Rebellion."

It was Abraham Lincoln, our noble, martyred President, who said at Gettysburg, "The world will not long remember what we may say here, but they can never forget what we have done here." And it is a fitting thing that the custom of observance of May 30, of last year, as Decoration Day, has been established; a day when we can strew with flowers the graves of those who sleep in our cemeteries, and revive the memories of those who sleep in

distant or unknown graves, holding the names of them all in grateful recollection, and rendering more precious the heritage they have transmitted to us and to our children.

The meeting was called to order, and Capt. John H. Simpson made chairman. This distinction was paid the aged gentleman because of his efficiency in commanding and his co-operation with the first militia company ever organized in Decorah.

Capt. John H. Simpson was born in Ganston, England, March 22, 1796, and died at Decorah, July 2, 1869. He had been a member of the Royal Life Guards (Body Guard of the King) and as one of the battalion, was on his way to the field when the battle of Waterloo was fought. In 1828 he came to America and settled in New York City. He came to Decorah in 1850, and here for thirteen years he lived an honest, blameless life. He was elected Captain of the Decorah Guards on the formation of the company in 1859.

There are men yet living in Winneshiek County who remember the memorable meeting over which he presided, and how his patriotism gave vent, in the greatest effort of his life, in a patriotic speech that sent the blood tingling through the veins of every listener. In this speech he tendered the remainder of his life for the defense of his country, though the snows of 65 winters rested on his brow. He was not accepted. Younger men, with stronger sinews and harder muscles, volunteered their vices.

DECORAH GUARDS.

But one week intervened before there was a reorganization of the Decorah Guards, and men better fitted for the hardships of a soldier's life superceded the members of the original company. The Decorah Guards, as they originally were, underwent a complete transformation, only three of the old company being retained in the ranks of the new organization. The old officers resigned, and new ones were elected. This was the first company of men in Winneshiek County to enlist in defence of the stars and stripes. They were men in the full vigor of life, men of sterling worth, the very flower of our young county, as the following summary of the company indicates: The oldest men in the company (two of them) were aged 36, one 34, one 32, one 31, one 30, one 29, two 28, three 27, three 26, six 25, eight 24, seven 23, ten 22, nine 21, nine 20, eleven 19, ten 18, making a total of officers and men of 85, with an average of 22 years, 8 months and 22 days.

The company was known as the Decorah Guards, until mustered into the service; then they assumed the name of Company D, Third Regiment of Iowa Volunteers. The officers of the new company were:

Captain-G. R. Willett.

First Lieutenant-Emilius I. Weiser.
Second Lieutenant-Ole A. Anderson.
Orderly Sergeant-Geo. McKay.
Second Sergeant-A. H. McMurtrie.
Third Sergeant-C. W. Burdick.
Fourth Sergeant-Robert Ray.
First Corporal-E. M. Farnsworth.
Second Corporal-Milton Ross.
Third Corporal-Charles. P. Brown.
Fourth Corporal-Joseph S. Neff.

This company was enrolled in Winneshiek County, and ordered. into quarters by the Governor of the State, May 21, 1861. The company left Decorah for Keokuk, their rendezvous, May 28, 1861, and was mustered into the United States service June 10, 1861. The date of the company's departure from Decorah for the scenes of war will remain a memorable one in the recollection of the hundreds of citizens who met on Court House Square to bid the boys a last farwell. The ladies had prepared a beautiful flag, which was presented to the company by Miss Carrie McNair, whom I feel compelled to more than casually mention; and in order to do so I shall be obliged to digress from the main subject.

Carrie McNair was born in Livingston County, N. Y., about the year 1832. She came to Decorah in the year 1860, at that period in our national existence when the very atmosphere was deadened with treasonable imprecations against the Union, and when the cloud of rebellion had so spread its mammoth proportions as to nearly obscure the bright sunlight of freedom. Being a woman of strong emotional nature, a lover of liberty and union, she early indentified herself with the Union side of the controversy that then threatened a separation of states; consequently, out of respect and appreciation of her noble nature, and her sympathy with the Union, she was chosen, of all other women, better fitted to make the presentation. In 1862, following the many bloody battles, and not infrequent disastrous engagements, Miss McNair felt that there was need of her services in the crowded hospitals. With a heartfelt desire to render the Union any services in her power, and an anxiety and willingness to alleviate the sufferings of brave men who had fallen wounded in their country's cause, she became a nurse in a soldiers' hospital at St. Louis. She served in this capacity until the end of the war, and furnished aid and comfort to thousands of poor unfortunates.

Following the presentation of the flag, there was a presentation of Bibles and Testaments. The scene was such as never had occured before, and was solemn, impressive and trying.

The Company, in vehicles, pursued their course to McGregor, and from thence to Keokuk, and from here, soon after, they were transported to scenes of active service, in Missouri.

The first hard fought battle that the Company engaged in was at Blue Mills, September 7, 1861, although previous to this they had been engaged in many hotly contested skirmishes. In the battle of Blue Mills the Unionists were driven back.

Wm. B. Miller, of Company D, was killed in this engagement and Capt. Willett, Second Lieut. Ole Anderson, and private Wm. B. Heckert, was seriously wounded. Capt. Willet's wound occasioned his resignation, and the promotion of Lieut. E. I. Weiser to the captaincy of the Company.

Lieut Anderson fell, wounded in the temple, and was left on the field for dead. Company D having been obliged to retreat, he fell into the enemy's hands, His body was stripped of all its clothing but its pants, and he was robbed of everything by the rebels. The next day after the battle the rebels were obliged to retreat, and then Company D reclaimed his body. Lieut. Anderson lay unconcious three weeks, and it was a question for a long time afterwards whether he would survive or not. He entered the army a perfect athlete, and a perfect man, physicially and mentally, and to-day, from the effect of that wound, incurred at the cost of duty and bravery, he is a mere wreck of his former self. As an officer he was efficient and brave to a fault.

The battle of Shiloh, fought on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862, was the next great conflict in which Company D participated. Under the hottest fire and amid the most trying scenes, Company D behaved itself with coolness and bravery. After passing through that fiery ordeal, a summary of the loss it sustained showed the following: Killed-Edward Knapp, Hans H. Stenson, and Samuel D. Smith. Wounded-Capt. E. I. Weiser, Corp. J. H. Farber, Geo. H. Culver, Jas. S. Daskam, Hans Gulbrandson, Thos. Heath, Peter B. Hulverson, Knudt Knudson, Matthew Kellogg, Gilbert Knudson, Henry H. Sheldso, Geo. H. Kelley, John Jas. Fisher, Hiram S. Daskam.

The battle of Hatchie, fought on the 5th of October, was the scene of the next hotly contested engagement in which Company D took an active part.

The company lost the following: Wounded-Capt. E. I. Weiser, Corp. C. C. Watson, Geo. Culver, Martin E. Oleson (mortally), and Martin Pepper.

In the battle of Hatchie the second Captain of Company D was made incapable for active service by a rebel bullet.

Captain E. I. Weiser was born in York, Pa., April 10, 1835, and emigrated from the place of his nativity to Decorah in 1856. Being possessed with a warm heart and a genial nature, and a patriotic love of country, the threats of war against the Union aroused his impulsive nature to a desire to make any sacrificehardship, suffering, even life itself-in his country's cause. As a result, when the first cry of a distressed country was heard, calling on her sons for protection against the assaults of traitors,

Capt. E. I. Weiser was the first and foremost of her patriots in Winneshiek County to respond. Capt. E. I. Weiser was the first man to enlist from Winneshiek County in his country's service in the late civil war. He enlisted as a high private in Company D, and was elected first Lieutenant at the first election held by the company.

Capt. E. I. Weiser participated in many warm skirmishes and two hard-fought battles. He was wounded at Shiloh; also at Hatchie, on the 5th of October, 1862. The wound he received at Hatchie disabled him from further active military service during the war. Eight months he was detained in the hospital by his wound, and seven of these eight months he was compelled to lie in one position on his back. He was with his company one week while it was at Memphis. While here the boys of Company D presented him with a silver pitcher, as a mark of their regard and the appreciation they had for him as a soldier and commander. Capt. Weiser was brave, cool, efficient, and possessed all the noble attributes requisite in a successful commander. His physical disability is a glorious certificate of his bravery.

Company D next went to Memphis where it remained six months, and from thence to Vicksburg. They were engaged in the siege of Vicksburg up to the date of its surrender. Vicksburg surrendered July 4, 1863. The white flag was raised on every fort at 9 A. M. on the 3d. The rebels sent out a flag of truce, and wished to surrender on conditions. Gen. Grant sent back word that nothing but an unconditional surrender would be accepted. On the 3d, when the white flags were hoisted, all firing ceased. The rebels came outside of their works and held a sociable with our boys. On the 4th of July, at 10 A. M., the rebels marched outside of their works, were drawn up in a line, and stacked their arms, and promptly at 11 A. M. the stars and stripes proudly floated over the rebel works.

In this siege, on the 26th of June, Thomas Kelly, of Company D, was mortally wounded. He lived about a week, having won, in dying, the honor of being the bravest among the brave.

The Third regiment received orders on the 5th to take up their line of march for Black River, to look after Johnston, who, with a large force had been prowling in the rear. On the 12th of July, 1863, about 225 men of the Third Iowa, among which number were many of Company D, made an assault on rebel works, behind which were ensconsed about 10,000 of Johnston's men. The result of the assault was a whirlwind of death. In the first volley fired by the enemy 125 out of the original 225 were almost instantly mowed down. There were about 800 men engaged, but 225 who ventured right into the jaws of this fiery hell. The commander in charge was immediately relieved of command.