The Soldiers' Monument

photo courtesy of Bruce McGowan

The following is extracted from "The History of Muscatine County", now in the public domain, pages 456 to 461.

In September, 1867, articles of incorporation were decided upon, and a Soldiers' Monument Association was formed, with Thomas Hanna, President; J.E. Robb, Vice President; John Mahin, Secretary, and A. F. Demorest, Treasurer.

From that time on, various methods of raising money were resorted to, until 1874, at which time W.W. Webster proposed to take the sum then in the treasury, amounting to about $700, and secure enough in addition to complete a monument, depending upon his own exertions for subscriptions and collections.

W. B. Sprague designed the work and superintended its execution, performing much of the labor himself. The monument stands to-day an evidence to the artistic skill of the designer.

The monument consists of a massive pyramidal base of four steps, the pedestal or die, the shaft and the statue. Upon a solid foundation of masonry, 10 feet square by 5 1/2 feet deep, weighing thirty-four tons, the imposing structure stands. The base is composed of three blocks of limestone and one of marble.

On the front of the upper block is carved a shield upon which is inscribed the legend, "1861--Muscatine County. To her fallen sons--1865." The die of the pedestal is a marble cube, three feet and four inches in size, with an ornatte Grecian cap, showing heavy arched moldings on all sides. On the front, in bold relief and very handsomely carved, is a coat of arms, with shield, draped flag, spears and guns. Surmounting this is a laurel wreath. Upon this die and upper base-piece are inscribed nearly or quite five hundred names, as are shown hereafter. From the die springs a graceful fluted column. At a height of eleven feet it terminates in a coronal of stars, the emblematic thirteen, and a Grecian cap ornamented with leaves.

Upon this shaft rests the grand crowning -piece of the monument--the statue of the American volunteer, six feet two inches in height, representing a soldier in full uniform, with gun before him, at "parade rest." The monument weighs thirty tons. The actual cost of the work was about $6,000, but the monument surpasses in excellence many which have cost twice or three times that amount. It was constructed upon the broad basis of patriotic pride, and not from sordid desires.

Herewith is give a list of the names carved upon the die:

First Infantry--S. Norman, A. L. Mason, J. Wiley, W.G. Eckles, G. McGinnes, C. Michenor, T. J. Buchanan.

Fifth Infantry--T. C. Wales

Seventh Infantry--W.W. DeHues, W. Wells, D. Welker, J.F. Hardy, C. S. Booth, C. Mahin, J. Dill, J. Tate, J. Henley, A. Truitt, H. Barker, F. Pitchforth, J. Brunting, J. Zaser, H. Borgers, J. Werst, D.B. Underwood, L. Cunningham, J. Hunt, J.K. Holmes, E. Mills, L. Pallat, J. Cochran, J. Doder, W.D. Kenedy, B.F. McGill, C. Stratton, J. Schuller, J.H. Wales, J. Shelley.

Eighth Infantry--P. Smith, W.R. Stotler, J. Walker, H. Barcus

Eleventh Infantry--J.W.C. Burrell, E.E. Sparks, D. H. Collins, J.A. Robinson, J.G. Fisher, W.A. Akens, P. Gissne, P. Fox, J. Geodocke, G.P. Kingsland, H. Vanhessle, J.W. Wilson, H. Benedict, F. M. Stretch, M. Feldmann, G.W. Cakendar, J. Guttka, C. Biers, M. Shellabarger, W.H. Meeks, N. Fay, M. Reyburn, T. Kerr, D. Taylor, T. W. Corwin, A. Port, S. J. Alden, M. B. Bowles, C.O. Cooper, A. Moore, J.P. Melan, H. Rice, F. J. Bailey, S.V. Krouse, D.B. Spillman,H. Leibert, T.J. Corey, P. Caven, W. Leverich, W. White, R.R. McReed, R. W. Vaun, S. Campbell, A.A. Bradford, A. Thorn, E. McDonald, W.G. Rogers, T. Hurnicutt, R. Curtin, J.H. Gregory, A. Rancipher, B. Spangler, R. Brook, S. Webb, S.A. Jackson, W. E. Mikesell, D. Coleman, G.W. Hawk, J. Insley, H.T. Prouty, H. Windrel, H.C. Ady, W.W. Evans, W.A. Gordon, H.M. White, C. G. Schenk, W. E. Budd, D. Taylor, H. Hyink, C.J. Fichner, W.A. Hawley, F.H. Newell, J.L. Small, W. Robinson, J.F. Rubart, C. Sybrits, J.B. Sullivan, J. Williams, G. Clinton, J. Baxter, H. Vanater, C. Booten, B.S. Puriton, N. W. Wolf, E. Briggs, J. Brown, D. Grant, J. Leach, W. J. Etherton, O. McGrew, A. Williams, H. Hazelton, G. Daniels, W. Pittensbarger, M. Reyburn, Z. Beall, A. Fish, J. M. Jarrett, R. M. Curdy, J. Galvin, R. Garland, J. Kester, T. McKeough, J.W. Tice, R. B. Hare, J. Ludlow.

Fourteenth Infantry--T.B. Nicholas

Sixteenth Infantry--H.H. Washburn, N. Reed, T. Purcell, J. Dill, F. Dow, J.W. Howell, P. Hettinger, G. Bradford, M.O. Hallock, O. Mattison, A.H.C. Gottbrecht, W. Weaver, N. Reed.

Seventeenth Infantry--A.G. Fisher

Eighteenth Infantry--O.T. Stewart, J.G. Pratt, E. Hargraves, A. Heaton, W. Eberling, J. Stanley.

Twentieth Infantry--A. Lindsley, B. Mills, T. Clemmons.

Twenty-seventh Infantry--A. Edwards, C. Lindsley, B. Miller, J. Sissell.

Thirty-fifth Infantry--Col. S.G. Hill, Maj. A John, W. A. Clepper, c. Leary, E. Henet, F. Reed, J. Grossman, J. Temple, F. Harker, C. Hirchmann, J. A. Kyrk, H. Blanck, W. S. Chambers, D. Tice, J. Tice, L. Dawson, I. Criner, J. Dill, J. Cargill, P. Harrison, T. Holliday, W. Everett, W. White, J. Strahorn, J. Longthern, T. Jester, E. Jester, J. Reeves, M. Etherton, J. Ramsey, L. Chappell, J. Carter, A. Davis, D. Block, F. Bowers, C. Mockmore, J. Chaudoin, W. Christ, F. Cork, J. Foster, W. Holmes, J. Joice, G. Krauff, W. McCurdy, S. Davis, W. Brown, W. Brady, N. Blackstone, A. Wohlgevant, G. Brownawell, S. Holmes, J. Springer, C. N. Burr, J. W. Beard, L. Hurst, W. Pickering, G. Moore, C. Narbaugh, A. Stoddard, N. Thomas, G. Pickering, B. Stamford, F. Wooden, H. Phelps, G.P. Ruger, C. Sherman, G. Burmeister, G. Wonderlich, G. Leutzbach, J. Schlegelmilch, H. Richenberg, C. Knoblauch, C. Doerfler, C. Barr, H. Irwin, FF. Peterkin, C. Berg, L. Sanelsberg, J. Kurtz, J. Hessler, J. Hanley, S. Knouse, W. Herwig, F. Schmoker, W. Dimick, C. Wright, C. Poole, C. Tyler, P. Nichols, J. Prouty, D. Hammer, A. Walder, H. Winning, S. Tschillard, N. Schaffletzel, M. Smith, P. Parsons, M. Maher, J. Greenwood, F. Hill, J. Johnson, C. Hawkins, W. Guild, G. Groters, G. Bischer, W. Biebush, J. Q. Adams, W. White,G. Redman, R. Manvel, J. Dobsen, P. Courtney, T. Cook, J. Connerford, R. Carpenter, S. Keenan, J. Welch, G. Dickson, E. Doran, P. Slattery, W. Fanning, G. B. Hill, J. H. Graham, J. Regenbogen, J. Ernst, F. Holtz, H. Schmidt, G. Hill, S. Robshaw, J. C. Edgerton, T.A. Clark, C.C. Clark, E.J. Douglass, M. Cooper, H. T. Neff, W. L. Overman, G. A. Palmer, T. B. Worrall, L. Nitzell, J. Huler, P. Boston, P.D. Patterson, J. B. Welch, O.G. Mathews, F. Peterke, C. Berg, L. Savelsberg, J. McElroy, J. McDonald, J. Alexander, P. Mylot, G. Robshaw, G. Lang, J. Dunn, J. Walton, M.J. Chown, W. Townsley, C. Gore, J. McCoy, W. Bonham, I. Edgington, D. Edgington, F. Epperly, T. Epperly, W. Fitzsimmons, H. Hitchcock, J. Bumgardner, F. McDaniels, T. Brown, A.S. Lord, L. Wallingsford, A. Long, H. Sweeney, L. Ware, R.W. Escha, L. Wagner, I. McCartney, C. Parish, W. Ponbeck, E. Stearns, S. Parkhurst, G. Hunt, D. Wilgus, T. Williams, D. Currie, J. Norton, W.D.Conn, J. Evans, J. Lee, A. Lee, P. Reed, H. Devore, B.F. Linnville, R. Miller, J Crawford, W. H. Hackett, T. Hempfill.

Thirty-seventh Infantry--H. Mockmore, J. Tannehill, W.K. Tyler, D. Lefever, T. Craig, H. B. Brannon, A. Edwards, V. Darland.

Second Calvary--W. Wiggins, J. Toren, J. Schmeltzer, J. Schiller, J. Hodges, L.C. Loomis, L. H. Waterman, N.F. Avery, L. Avery, G. Brown, J.M. Terry, R. Hutcheson, G.D. Graves, I.R. Dunn, J. Wallingsford, E. Brown, J. Hancock, M. Lee, A. Opel, J. Simpson, P. Smith, G. Ridgeway, A. Cradock, C. Neuberner, G. W. Heinly, J. Coble, H. Berner, I. Norris, I.M. Smith, J. Thompson, J. W. Vanderwort, H. Wigham, J. P. Dunn, G. Darland.

Third Calvary--F.G. Whittaker.

Eighth Calvary--L. Loomis, J. Horton, R. Cunningham, W. C. Vail.

Ninth Calvary--D.T. Watkins, L. Nietzel, J. Rigenbogen, J. Huler, P. Poston, P.D. Patterson, N. Cooper.

Regiments Unknown--J. Jacks, S. Jackson, W. H. Chapman, B. Lyons, C. Nichols, N. Rheinhart, F. Finn, T.W. Adams, G. W. Sissel, W. R. Aikens, J. Clark.

Second Ohio Infantry--H. M. Pigman.

Fourth Ohio Infantry--J. Brookes.

The monument was formally unveiled and impressively dedicated July 4, 1875. The War-Governor, Samuel J. Kirkwood, delivered a fitting oration; civic and military displays were made in honor of the occasion, and the observances were commensurate with the importance of the hour and the event.

Included on the site are items related to the Muscatine, West Liberty, Nichols and Wilton monuments

Thanks to Bruce McGowan of this group for providing our photo of the Muscatine monument!