Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

XVI
Veterans — Lest We Forget
Two Big Celebrations
Soldiers’ Reunion-1880
In August 1880 plans were made for a "Soldiers
Reunion‘ [Civil War) to be held September 21-22-23, at
Anamosa. A mock battle was planned which would
take place on the old iron bridge on the Wapsipinicon,
the objective being to “capture" it. Barracks were built
to accommodate 800 veterans. under the auspicies of
Post No. 25, Major Thompson encampment O.C.D. (Our
Country's Defenders).
One of the first matters to be dealt with was forming
the various committees for this large undertaking.
Those named were the following:
The President ofThe Day, G.L. Yount
Officer of the Day, E.J. Wood
Adjutant, I.H. Bransted
Aids: T.E. Patterson, H. Hollenbeck
Vice-Presidents: Col. Milo Smith, Clinton County
Moreau Carroll, Cedar County
Capt. E.B. Alderman, Linn County
C.A. Crawford, Delaware County
B. Van Steinburg. Jackson County
E.M. Condit, James Davidson, Capt. A.M. Loomis.
D.E. Rummel, and Lieut. E.V. Miller, all ofJones.
Programme
First Day Registration: issuing badges. assigning
qua.rters, marching, The dress parade was planned for
5 p.m.
Second Day: Reveille daybreak. Salute of 13 guns at
sunrise.
Guard mounting at 8 a.m. and assembly.
At a special meeting of September 7th, it was voted
to request all of the soldiers attending the Reunion to
bring with them a blanket. cup, plate. knife, fork and
spoon. The citizens were requested to decorate and on
the eve of the 22nd, illuminate their houses and places
of business. It was also voted to hire the Cornet Band.
C.W. Maudsley was the boss of the commissary
cookery at the camp headquarters in the Grove [where
the courthouse is now). Maudsley performed like-duties
in the 31st Iowa during the war.
A Solicitation Committee was appointed by Maj.
Tompson Encampment O.C.D for fund raising. Other
committees were formed:
Executive and Finance: E.J. Wood, G.L. Yount. E.M.
Condh.
Speakers and Distinquished Guests: T.E. Patterson,
L. Schoonover, O.D. lsham.
Grounds and Barracks: H. Hollenbeck, L.C. Aldrich.
H.H. Monroe
Commissary and Supplies: H. Hollenbeck, W.B. Fish.
M.M. Curtis
Reception: A.V. Eaton: L.J. Adair, B.H. White
Music: C.W. Coe. John Stewart, E.V.N. Hall
Toasts: Ezra Keeler. E.J. Wood, Robert Dott
Railroad and transportation: John Stewart, W.T.
Shaw, T.M. Wilds
On cannon and small arms and ammunition: C.W.
Coe. G.L. Yount, E.M. Condit and Mrs. James Stewart.
it was planned to obtain tents to accommodate 1500
men.
The big day an-ived. And, as happened on numerous
planned events in Anamosa [in later days called the
Anamosa jinx) it rained the opening day. Luckily it
stopped in time for the lst-day events to occur as
planned. The weather for the second was a beautiful
autumn day. An address was held at the grove. Big
kettles of coffee. beans, soup, potatoes and hard tack at
the camp were suggestive of army scenes, and there
was not much sleeping the night before. The camp fires
were bright and the men reminisced around them. For
most of the old veterans this was the first time they had
seen one another since the war.
There were plenty of eating places, in addition to the
camp-site. Peanut and popcorn stands dotted the town.
Churches, as they do today, cooked and sold their
meals. In that era, the meals were 25 cents.
There was no ‘gouging’ and nobody got rich. There
were several large flags displayed across Main Street.
The most stirring event of the three-day celebration
was the "sham battle".
Just after the arrival of the ll o'clock train from
Monticello, the soldiers were organized on Brown (Park)
Avenue and divided into two forces. The Confederate
was under the command of Lieut. William Kelly of
Cedar County. The Union ‘boys’ were under the
command of Milo Smith, of Clinton county.
The companies on Brown Avenue were equipped
with muskets and furnished with some 15 pounds of
blank cartridges. after which they took up their lines of
march; headed by military bands.
The “Rebs“ proceeded to the bridge via Garnaviilo
Street and then down Walworth Avenue. Their
opponents followed on Main Street and turned onto
Elm Street, accompanied by a six-pounder, in charge of
Sgt. L.C. Aldrich.
The "Rebels" at once passed over the bridge. Capt. A.
Bowman in command of the pickets.
The "Union" forces were stationed on the north side
of the river with Lieut. E.V. Miller in command.
The military skirmishes occurred on the iron bridge
(the one built just before the present day structure).
T.E. Patterson, aide-de-camp to Col. Smith, had
previously assigned Capt. Murrays "Rebel" artilliary
company a position on the high hill some 600 feet
southwest of the bridge.
The cannon on both sides of the river boomed
incessantly. Soldiers in increasing numbers
approached the bridge from each side firing rapidly at
each other with muskets loaded with blank cartridges,
some 2000 cartridges being provided. The drums and
buglers also played a part and the whole affair was
something that most of the thousands. watching from
their vantage points on the bluffs, had never before
heard nor seen. People covered all the bluffs and hills
over Noble's pasture on the north, and were also
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