DAVID HOLCOMB - Civil War Casualty

This year -- 2015 -- marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War in America.   The county's finest young men answered the call.  Here is the story of one of them. 

The Civil War Comes to Kossuth County

In 1861, Algona and the Kossuth County area were sparsely populated.  With no rail connection, it took some time for news to reach the area.  When Frank Rist arrived on his stagecoach one day in April, he brought news of the firing on Fort Sumter.  This fanned the flames of patriotism in the county and on August 9^th of that year, seven of the promising young men of the area enlisted.  These included James C. Taylor, John Riebhoff, John Calvin Heckart, Charles F. Kellogg, Elias D. Kellogg, John Ehingher, and Levi Cary.  During the afternoon and evening of August 23, 1861, the communities of Algona and Irvington gathered at the Irvington town hall to send the group off in style, hosting a farewell supper prepared by the local ladies of the area and served outside.  Socializing and dancing closed the evening.

It was shortly after that gathering that another early settler of Algona, David Holcomb, filled with patriotic spirit, enlisted on

Pioneer Press, October 26, 1861

September 25, 1861, in Company D, Sixteenth Iowa Infantry.  He was 29 years old when he entered the service.

The designated rendezvous for the Sixteenth Regiment was Camp McClellan in Davenport, Iowa.  The organization of this regiment began on September 17, 1861 and continued through March 24, 1862.  The regiment traveled from Davenport to St. Louis by steamer on March 20, 1862.  After disembarking from the ship, they marched to Benton Barracks where they were quartered.  It was there that they were furnished with arms, ammunition and other equipment.  Without having the opportunity for drill and instruction except to the most limited extent, they were hurried to the front.  Their commander, Colonel Chambers, was a graduate of West Point and a thoroughly trained soldier.  Col. Chambers and his regiment were ordered to proceed to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, to report to General Grant. 

Holcomb enters the battle of Shiloh

According to Holcomb, they arrived at Pittsburg on Friday, April 4^th.  Just two days later, the 16^th loaded their guns for the first time and were ordered to the front.  Private Holcomb soon found himself in the thick of the battle of Shiloh.  He later shared his experience in a letter to a young lady who he left behind in Algona and it was published in the Pioneer Press on May 3, 1862. 

          “Savannah, Tenn. Apr. 11, 1862. **** We arrived at Pittsburg (the place where the battle was fought) last Friday night.  We stopped on the boat till Saturday noon, then went ashore, but did not pitch our tents for we expected to go out four miles from the river to Camp.  On Sunday morning, without a moment’s warning, we were ordered out to the field of battle.  We marched about three and a half miles and came to a small clearing where we saw some of our regiments in deadly conflict with the enemy.  It looked rough but we had to go in.  We marched across the field in front of the enemy’s fire while the shells were bursting and the grape and bullets were rattling like hail all around us.  Just as we were leaving the clearing and going into the timber, I was struck in the elbow by a piece of shell, which disabled me, and I had to leave the ranks.

          “I am in hopes it is nothing serious, although it makes a pretty bad arm of it.  The shell went into the joint, but with good care I think I shall keep the use of my arm.

          “Sunday noon, I heard there were three killed and twelve or fourteen wounded out of our company, but here it is Friday and God only knows how many there are left by this time.  The wounded were taken right from the field to Savannah, (some eight miles) and I have heard nothing definite from the boys since.  But thank God, we are coming out victorious—the enemy are driven back about fifteen miles and our boys will soon wipe them out.

          “There are now in this town about 1500 wounded soldiers, and such suffering I never expected to witness.  There are so few doctors, it is impossible to do the wounded justice.  Whether they

will send us home until we get well, I can’t say, but I guess they will send us where we can get home on a furlough.  My arm pains me badly and I must close.”

Sadly, David’s hope of recovery was not to be.  He succumbed to his wound a little over a month later on May 17, 1862 at Cincinnati, Ohio.  He is buried in the Cemetery of Spring Grove in that city.  

From Find A Grave

Final Tribute

The Pioneer Press published on June 14, 1862 contained a fitting tribute to the young men from the area lost to the cause.

          “We understand that David Holcomb, who joined the 16^th Infantry from this place died a short time since at Cincinnati, from the effects of a wound received at Pittsburg Landing.

          “Last fall the Press announced the departure of five young men from our midst, James C. Taylor, Levi Carey, John Riebhoff, John Ehinger, and David Holcomb.  We ventured the assertion when we clasped their hands for the last time that they would never disgrace the noble cause in which they were enlisted, but how little did we suspect that none of them would ever be allowed to return to their friends, and when we heard that their little group had been filled with sorrow by the death of one of their number, as brave and noble a boy as ever filled a soldier’s grave, we hoped that the rest might be spared by the fell destroyer.  But no, one after another were taken away, until now, the last one is gone.  We know that the cold sods which were placed by strange and careless hands over them, has shut out from the world as brave and true hearts as were ever sacrificed on the altar of our country.”

Until next time,
Kossuth County History Buff 

If you enjoyed this post, please don’t forget to “like” and SHARE to Facebook.  Not a Facebook user?  Sign up with your email address in the box on the right to have each post sent directly to you.

Be sure to visit the KCHB Facebook page for more interesting info about the history of Kossuth County, Iowa.

Reminder:  The posts on Kossuth County History Buff are ©2015 by Jean Kramer.  Please use the FB “share” feature instead of cutting/pasting.