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Harvey
M. Reed, an honored veteran of the Civil War, now living retired
in
Milo
,
Iowa
, claims
Indiana
as his native state, his birth occuring in
Lake
county on the 6th of November, 1839. His father, Thomas Reed, was
born in
Washington
county,
Pennsylvania
, December 31, 1812, and was the son of James and Mary (Stewart)
Reed. The Reed family is of Irish origin, while the Stewarts were
of Scotch descent. In early manhood Thomas Reed married Miss Maria
Myrick, who was born on the coast of
Maine
, September 20, 1814, and was of Scotch and Welsh descent. Her
ancestors were shipbuilders by trade but after coming west became
agriculturalists. Our subject well remembers hearing his
grandmother tell of the land being so poor in
Maine
that they had to fertilize with fish in order to raise a crop of
corn and one can easily imagine how small their fields must have
been.
From his native state Thomas Reed removed from
Ohio
, making his home in
Athens
county for some time. In 1834 he became a resident of
Lake
county, Indiana, settling there when that locality was on the
western frontier. His second son, Thomas V. Reed, was the first
white child born in that county, James S., the oldest being born
in
Ohio
. The other children of the family were William B., Harvey M.,
Elias M., Louisa M., Elizabeth J., Nancy A. and Cynthia M., all
born in Lake county, Indiana, where the parents continued to make
their home until 1853, when they brought their family to Iowa,
traveling with two-horse teams. The father entered a tract of land
in
Palmyra
township,
Warren
county, and continued to reside thereon until called to his final
rest in 1890, at the age of seventy-eight years. After his death
his widow made her home with their son Harvey until she, too,
passed away in 1894, at the age of eighty years. Both were earnest
and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were
highly esteemed by all who knew them. Throughout life the father
followed the occupation of farming and by his ballot he supported
the democratic party.
Harvey M. Reed began his education in the country schools of his
native state but was not quite fourteen years of age when the
family came to
Iowa
. At the time
Warren
county was sparsely settled, the land was wild and uncultivated
and school privileges were poor so that the children of the Reed
household acquired but limited educations. The Indians had already
left for the reservations farther west but wolves were quite
numerous and made the night hideous by their howling around the
house. Thus amid pioneer surroundings Mr. Reed grew to manhood,
becoming thoroughly familiar with farming in all its details as he
aided his father in the cultivation and improvement of the home
place.
At
Hartford
,
Warren
county, he married August 18, 1861, to Miss Ruth A. Proctor, who
was born in Darke county, Indiana, on the 31st of August, 1843, a
daughter of Joseph and Lucy Proctor. Four children blessed this
union: Henry L., born July 1, 1862, married Olive Robertson: Ida
V., born May 10, 1866, married Doran H. Goodale; Hulda E., born
May 2, 1868, died on the 23rd of the same month; and Carrie F.,
born May 16, 1869, married Thomas L. Long. The mother of these
children died on the 27th of March, 1882, and Mr. Reed was again
married, September 18, 1884, his second union being with Harriet
E. Trotter, who was born in Washington county, Indiana, October
20, 1853, and is the daughter of Hamilton and Lucy Trotter. By
this marriage there were two sons: Thomas A., born October 8,
1885, and Harvey E., born November 20, 1888. Both are still at
home.
Feeling that his country needed his services during the dark days
of the Civil war, Mr. Reed enlisted November 4, 1861, in Company
G, Fifteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and after serving two years
reenlisted in the same company and regiment, November 6, 1863, for
three years or during the war. He participated in a number of
important engagements, including the battle of Shiloh, April 6,
1862; and the siege and capture of
Corinth
; the battle of Iuka; and the battle of
Corinth
, October 3-4, 1862. His regiment belonged to what was known as
Crocker's Iowa Brigade, Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps,
Army of Tennessee, and he took part in all the engagements in
which his command participated. They aided in the capture of
Vicksburg
, July 4, 1863, and remained in that vicinity during the following
fall and winter, being there when he reenlisted. In March, 1864,
he returned home on a veteran's furlough and at the end of thirty
days rejoined his regiment. They were with
Sherman
's army in the
Atlanta
campaign, participated in the capture of
Atlanta
and the march to the sea. From
Savannah
, they proceeded to
Raleigh
,
North Carolina
, and on through
Richmond
,
Virginia
, to
Washington
D.C.
, where they took part in the grand review with
Sherman
's Bummers, as his army was often called at that time. The war
having ended Mr. Reed was honorably discharged at
Louisville
,
Kentucky
, July 24, 1865, and was mustered out with the rank of sergeant.
Mr. Reed then rejoined his wife and three year old son in
Warren
county and with the money which he saved from his pay as a private
soldier, he purchased one hundred acres of wild brush land in
Otter township, where he at once began to make a home for his
family. He chopped, split and hauled rails to fence his land and
as time passed made many other improvements until he had a well
cultivated farm on which were good and substantial buildings. To
his original purchase he added another one hundred acre tract,
also forty acres and twenty acres, making in all two hundred and
sixty acres of valuable farm land. He raised considerable stock,
feeding both cattle and hogs for the eastern market and in his
farming operations met with most excellent and well deserved
success. He purchased the eighty acre tract of land which his
father had entered from the government on coming to this state but
later sold this to his son Henry who now lives upon it. In 1900
Mr. Reed bought ten acres of land in the town of
Milo
and has since practically lived retired, enjoying the fruits of
former toil.
In 1880 he joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has
served as treasurer, vice grand and noble grand of his lodge. He
has also affiliated with the Masonic order since 1897 and has been
oficially connected therewith, serving as junior warden, senior
warder and worthy master. He attended the Grand Lodge at
Sioux City
,
Iowa
, in 1905; is a member of the Eastern Star and the Rebekahs; and
is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Grand Army
of the Republic. In religious faith he is a Methodist and in
politics he is an ardent republican, taking deep interest in
public affairs, as true to his duties of citizenship in days of
peace as when he followed the old flag to victory in southern
battlefields. For fifty-five years he has now been a resident of
Warren
county and it is safe to say that no one within its borders is
held in higher esteem than Harvey M. Reed, of
Milo
.
(HISTORY OF
WARREN
COUNTY
IOWA
, by Rev. W.C. Martin; S.J. Clarke Pub.
Co.
, 1908, pp.458-462.)
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