History of Davenport, (Scott County) Iowa United States of America

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Local History Notes:

DAVENPORT, a flourishing city, capital of Scott county, Iowa, is finely situated on the Mississippi river, at the foot of the upper rapids, opposite the town of Rock Island, 830 miles above St. Louis, and 60 miles E. from Iowa City. It has advantages which indicate that it will continue to grow in extent and importance. Its prosperity is increased by the certainty of a connection with the East by means of the Chicago and Rock Island railroad, commenced in 1851. Another railroad is projected from this point to the Missouri river. During low water the navigation is obstructed by the rapids, which extend 20 miles above this place. The project of bridging the "great river" at this point is exciting considerable attention. Two or three newspapers are published here. Stone coal is so abundant and cheap in the vicinity, that steam-power is chiefly used for manufacturing purposes. Davenport is built at the foot of a bluff, which rises gradually from the river, with a chain of rounded hills in the background. The scenery around the town is scarcely surpassed by any on the river. It was first settled in 1837, and is now incorporated as a city. Population in 1853, estimated at 4500.

Thirty-First Infantry
Company K

Was mustered into service at Davenport, by Capt. Hendershott, on the 13th of October, 1862, and under command of Col. William Smyth took transport and moved down the river November 1st, arriving at Helena, Ark., the 20th inst. On the 27th of the same month, they started on an expedition to the Cold Water River, in Mississippi, returning to Helena December 7th. Two weeks later, they started on the Yazoo River expedition, and the regiment was partially engaged in the battle at Chickasaw Bayou, on the 27th, 28th and 29th of December.

On the 2d of January, 1863, they started for a point near Arkansas Post, where they arrived on the 9th inst., and on the night of the 10th marched through swamps and mire to the rear of the enemy's works, where, on the 11th, they hotly engaged in the capture of the place.

From this point, the regiment was ordered to Young's Point, La., where they remained in camp until April 2, when they moved again up the river to Greenville, Miss., and, after some skirmishing and considerable foraging for mules, cattle, horses, hogs, and even negroes, returned to Young's Point on the 26th of the same month. From here they moved with Grant's whole army toward Grand Gulf, arriving May 7, when they again moved toward Jackson, Miss. The regiment was under fire at Raymond, on the 12th; was at the taking of Jackson, on the 14th; and again under fire at Black River, on the 16th, reaching the rear of Vicksburg on the 18th, where it was engaged on the 22d, in a terrible but successful charge on the enemy's works, and was from this time steadily under fire till the fall of Vicksburg, on the 4th day of July.

The regiment, under Gen Sherman, started for Jackson, Miss., on the 5th of July, being under fire until the second evacuation of the place, when it was moved to Canton, Miss., where it was again engaged, when it went into camp at Black River until the 22d of September. From here it moved to Vicksburg, thence to Memphis, thence to Corinth, Miss., where it remained till October 11; thence marched to Iuka, and to Cherokee on the 20th, and on the morning of the 21st had a severe engagement with rebel cavalry. On the 26th and 27th, had a running fight with the enemy, again returning to Cherokee Station. On the 24th of November, was in the battle of Lookout Mountain, and on the following day had equal hard fighting at Mission Ridge, and on the 27th was again engaged at Ringgold and Taylor's Hills, where the regiment suffered severely. Here they remained until December 1, when, moving by way of Chattanooga, and Bridgeport, they reached Woodville, Ala., on the 27th inst., and went into Winter quarters, where they remained until the 1st day of May, 1864.

On the morning of May 1, moved east, reaching Snake Gap, Ga., on the 9th inst., where they encountered the enemy in force. On the 13th, had a severe fight at Resaca, in which Lieut. Col. Jenkins was severely wounded. The regiment laid in camp at Kingston, Ga., from the night of the 19th, until the morning of the 23d, awaiting supplies; then moved on, encountering the enemy at Dallas, on the night of the 26th, and the following morning, after a short but sharp conflict, the enemy was driven back; and again, on the 28th, the enemy charging on their works, were driven back. The fighting lasted during the 29th, 30th and 31st. On the 1st of June, the regiment moved to New Hope Church and occupied rifle pits, under fire of the enemy, until the 6th, when the regiment moved to Ackworth, remaining there until the 10th, when they marched to Big Shanty, ten miles distant, again engaging the enemy in force. Guarded wagon train until the 15th, when they moved into rifle pits near Kenesaw Mountain, and were constantly under fire until the evening of July 3d, when the enemy evacuated Kenesaw Mountain.

July 4th, they again encountered the enemy at Chattahoochie River, and, building works, remained under fire until the 11th, when they moved to Roswell, Ga. From here they went to Vining Station, thence to a point near Atlanta. August 26th, they moved toward Jonesboro, on the Macon Railroad. On the 31st, the enemy made a desperate fight, and the regiment was again under fire until tha 2d of September, when Jonesboro was evacuated. On October 4, the regiment, with a large portion of Sherman's army, moved north in pursuit of Hood, skirmishing with him at Resaca, Snake Gap, Little River, etc.; after this, went to Atlanta, November 15; thence into the heart of Georgia. Marching about fifteen miles per day, they reached the rear of Savannah, on the 10th of December, 1864, and ten days later the whole army entered that city. By this victory the army was severed into three parts, and the enemy compelled to loosen its grasp over a vast territory. The Thirty-first was actively engaged in the North Carolina campaigns from this time till March 8, when Gen. Grant's famous dispatch, "Let us finish the job now," was announced, when the final blow was soon struck, and the year which promised to be so full of bloody strife was the end of the war of the rebellion.

The Thirty-first was mustered out of service at Louisville June 27, 1865, and came to Davenport, where they were paid off and disbanded.

Biographies:

John McMullen, R.C. bishop, was born in Ballynahinch, county Down, Ireland, Jan. 8, 1832. His parents removed to Canada in his infancy, afterward settling in Ogdensburg, N.Y., and then in Chicago, Ill. He was graduated from St. Mary's college, Chicago, Ill., in 1854; studied theology at Urban college, Rome, and was ordained sub-deacon, deacon, and priest, in 1838. He also received the degree D.D. from Urban college in 1858. He returned to Chicago, was pastor of St. Louis church there, 1858-61; president of the University of St. Mary's of the Lake, 1861-65, and in 1863 commenced the erection of a new building, which was completed by the end of the year and destroyed in the great fire of November, 1872. He labored in Wilmington, Ill., 1869-70, and was pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Name, 1870-72, and afterward of the new cathedral dedicated in the fall of 1876. He was appointed vicar-general of the diocese of Chicago, in August, 1877, was administrator of the diocese of Chicago, 1879-80, and was named as first bishop of the diocese of Davenport, Iowa, erected in 1881. He was consecrated at Chicago, Ill., July 15, 1881, by Archbishop Feehan, assisted by Bishop Hennessy of Dubuque and Bishop Spalding of Peoria. He organized St. Ambrose college in Davenport in 1882, and established several parochial schools in the diocese. He is the author of articles on church history in Catholic periodicals. He died at Davenport, Iowa, July 4, 1883.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Henry Carter Adams, educator, was born in Davenport, Iowa, Dec. 31, 1851, son of Ephraim and Elizabeth S.A. (Douglas) Adams, and grandson of Ephraim Adams, of New Ipswich, N.H. He was graduated at Iowa college in 1874. He was superintendent of schools at Nassau, Iowa, 1874-'75, fellow of political economy, Johns Hopkins university, 1876-'89; student at Heidelberg, Berlin, and at the ?cole Libre des Sciences Politiques, Paris, 1878-'79; student at Andover theological seminary, 1878; lecturer at Cornell, 1880-'83, and associate professor of political science there, 1883-'87; lecturer on political science at the University of Michigan, 1880-'87, and professor of political economy and finance there from 1887. He received the degree Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins in 1878; and the honorary degree LL.D. from Iowa college in 1898; was appointed statistician of the Interstate commerce commission in 1887; and had charge of the department of transportation of the eleventh U.S. census, 1890. He was elected a member of the International statistical institute; was president of the American economic association, 1895-'97; vice-president of the American statistical association; secretary of the Michigan political science association; and served as associate editor of the International Journal of Ethics. He published "History of Taxation in the United States 1789 to 1816" (1884); "Public Debts" (1887); "The State in Relation to Industrial Action" (1887); "Lectures on Political Economy" (1881); "Statistics of Railways in the United States" (6 vols., 1888-1898); "Economics and Jurisprudence" (1897); "The Science of Finance" (1888).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor