Gus and John's Excellent Adventure Photo

On 26 August, 2018, I posted a story about John and Gus's trip back to Sweden in 1894. This was their final opportunity to see their homeland and family and friends, for Gus passed away in 1897 and John in 1907.

I recently came across a photo taken in Sweden of the brothers and some of their relatives.

In one of the letters posted in the Dayton Review and copied in the 26 August 2018 post, a reference is made to their taking a train to Flisby, Jonkoping County, Sweden to visit. An older sister to John and Gus who lived in Flisby was Brita Catharina Olsdotter. My best guess is that she is the woman seated on the left of the picture above. Standing next to her is Gus Linn with his cane. And on the far right is John Linn. Both men look handsome with snowy white beards and are well dressed from their hats to their shoes. 

Brita's husband Adolf Isaksson could be the man standing next to Brita and perhaps the other men (in white hats) are their two sons, Carl and Gustaf Lindstrom. Carl never married, leading me to believe that the other woman and the child are part of Gustaf Lindstrom's family.

A Confederate Soldier?

Minnie Almedia Barquist was my first cousin, 3 x removed, the granddaughter of John Barquist, and niece of my second great grandmother, Maria Barquist Olofson.

Normally, I wouldn't blog about such a distant cousin. There's nothing extraordinary about Minnie's life. Minnie was born in Galesburg, Illinois, to Anders Gustaf Barquist and his wife Christina Anderson on July 23, 1876. Her family moved to Hamilton County, Iowa, sometime between the 1880 US Federal Census and the 1885 Iowa State Census.

But one quiet day as I sat researching the Barquist line, I took a closer look at Minnie. On March 17, 1908, Minnie married Thomas Basket. Thomas was originally from Tennessee. And his father, Jonathan Basket, had served in the Civil War from Tennessee.

My eyes opened wide. Did we have a Confederate soldier in the family? I'm so proud of Gus Linn's service and his strength to survive as a POW. I tell people of how Lewis Linn, John Linn's stepson, marched with Sherman on his famous March to the Sea. Both of these men served in the Civil War--on the Union side.

I admit that I felt a bit of sadness, disappointment, that a Confederate soldier might be an ancestor, no matter how distant. Perhaps that makes little sense today as so many years and distance is between all of us and an ancestor who served in the Civil War. The cause that the Confederate soldiers fought for, no matter how I felt about it, was one that they believed in, just as important as our Gus and Lewis must have felt. But still....

The following map from the National Geographic website shows the breakdown of the states during the Civil War, and clearly, Tennessee was a slave state, a Confederate state.

Jonathan Basket. Civil War soldier. Tennessee. Greene County. I kept reading. Researching. And this is when I learned a bit more about the Civil War. Greene County, Tennessee, in the northeast part of the state, is thought to be one of the few places in the United States that has memorials to BOTH Union and Confederate soldiers. As it turns out, Greene County, Tennessee, provided MOSTLY Union soldiers, even though Tennessee itself was a slave state and part of the Confederacy.

And when the state voted whether to secede, the percentage of citizens from Greene County who voted FOR secession was just 21.7%. Greene County was clearly outvoted, though, as Tennessee seceded and joined the other Confederate states.

According to the Greene County Genealogical Society website, the variance of votes for and against secession by county created a "Civil War within a Civil War" where neighbors and family members killed one another as they chose sides.

So which side did Jonathan Basket, father to Thomas Basket, father-in-law to our Minnie Barquist, choose?

He chose the Union side. Jonathan Basket was a private in the 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry.

After the war, in 1866, Jonathan Basket married Louise McMackin and they had 7 children, the middle child being Thomas Basket. Jonathan died in 1905; his wife died in 1915; they are buried in Tennessee.

Thomas came to Iowa around 1900. He died in 1944 at the age of 68. Minnie died in 1941 at the age of  64. Thomas and Minnie are buried at the South Marion Cemetery just outside Stratford, Iowa.

Thomas Basket and Minnie Barquist Basket, South Marion Cemetery, Hamilton County, Iowa

Jonathan Basket, Greene County, Tennessee

I'll admit that I'm relieved that Jonathan Basket fought for the Union side during the Civil War. But I probably shouldn't have reacted as I did. I have to remind myself from time to time as I research that my ancestors' successes and failures, the choices my ancestors made, were all made at a different time, under circumstances that I may never fully understand. I don't own their choices, their great triumphs or their failures.

So for now, I can say that my ancestors fought ONLY on the Union side during the Civil War. But my research is far from over....

Gus and John's Excellent Adventure

My great-great grandfather Gustus Linn followed his two older brothers, John Linn and Peter Linn, to America. John was the first brother to come in 1849; Peter followed in 1851; and Gus came in 1853. Like most immigrants, they put roots down, bought land, became naturalized, raised their families, became part of a community, joined churches.

But some immigrants returned to their native countries. They became discouraged when they discovered that the roads were not paved in gold. They found it hard to assimilate. They missed their families. They had endured great hardships and tragedies. And so, they left America and never came back.

In the case of John and Gus, they prospered in their new country. They became citizens, raised their families, voted, were active in their churches, protected the country through military service. America had become their home.

But that doesn't mean that they didn't long for the old country. In 1894 Gus and John once again crossed the Atlantic Ocean, traveling on steam-powered ships that made the trip much faster than their original voyages 40 years prior.

Ship Majestic: 1,490 passengers (300 first class, 190 second class, 1,000 third class)

I hadn't even considered the idea that Gus and John would return to Sweden until I ran across news articles from the Dayton Review containing notices, updates and letters that were published about their trip. But why would they go back to Sweden in 1894? I don't know with any certainty, but I do have a few ideas:

1. Their brother Peter had died in December 1892, perhaps prompting a desire to connect with family and friends in Sweden.
2. Of the original 8 siblings, just 5 remained now. Eldest sister Maja who died in 1900; sister Brita who died in 1903; sister Johanna who died in 1901; John who died in 1907; and Gus who died in 1897. This would be their last time to reunite.
3. All of Gus and John's children were adults with families of their own, able to care for Catherine and Sarah, their wives, while the husbands were gone.

Gus and John left from New York City in May1894 and arrived back in the United States, coming through Ellis Island on August 29, 1894, aboard the Ship Majestic, built in Ireland in 1890. 

Information below from ellisisland.org:

Ship Manifest, line 735; John had 1 piece of luggage returning

Ship Manifest, line 714; Gus had 4 pieces of luggage returning

On the manifests, John is listed as a priest from Dayton and Gus is also listed as a priest from Dayton. Not sure what that was all about, but occasionally errors happen on records and in transcribing.

Following are just a few articles, all from the Dayton Review, tracking the progress of John and Gus.

May 3, 1894

June 14, 1894

July 5, 1894; the sister would have been Brita and her husband Adolf Isaacsson

August 23, 1894

September 6, 1894

John, Gus, and Peter had left their native Sweden, their family and friends and, except for an occasional letter, had no contact with those they left behind. I'm thankful that Gus and John found the time, the money, and the encouragement to make one final trip back to Sweden.

In 1849 and 1853, their trips across the ocean took several weeks followed by train, horse, boat and walking to reach their final destination of Iowa. In 1894, the trip across the ocean was much shorter, just days. Their journey from the port to Iowa was less arduous as well. Still, John and Gus were 40 years older than they had been during their first crossings. The trip couldn't have been easy. But they had each other as they always did. From the loss of their father at a young age, working as laborers as young boys, moving from farm to farm, they went through life together. They settled in Iowa within miles of each other. Close brothers. Close ties. Supporting each other. I find these two ancestors to be among the most inspirational to me in so many ways. I hope you do, too.

Gus's Pension and War Record

Gus had served his new country honorably, been a POW at Camp Ford in Tyler, Texas, for 15 months, and now was back home with his family in Iowa.

Gustus Linn

His granddaughter, Elsie Linn Carlson (sister to Frank and Peter), wrote the following about what she knew of the effects of the war on her grandfather:

"Starvation brought him down from 190 pounds to less than 100, living on just bread and water. He owned a pocket knife which they let him keep, and he whittled many lovely things which he sold and received more bread and water for which he divided with his fellow prisoners. He was never well after returning home."

Gus Discharge on 29 July 1865 in Davenport, Iowa

On September 15, 1879, Gus filed a Declaration for an Original Invalid Pension. Written in Gus's hand, the document shows Gus to have served in Company D of the 32nd Infantry, enrolled on the 4th of January 1864 and discharged from Company I, 8th Infantry, in Davenport, Iowa.

Additionally, Gus was listed as being 5' 5 1/2" tall, light complexion, dark hair, blue eyes. Gus states that he was captured on the 9th of April 1864 and "contracted the chronic diarrhea by exposure while a prisoner of war at Tyler, Texas, from about the 16th day of April 1864 by starvation and  improper and unhealthy food. Contracted the chronic diarrhea from which I have suffered more or less to the present time that, from said chronic diarrhea I have had disease of the spine that has almost disabled me entirely...." In this same document, Gus lists himself as a farmer from Boone County, Iowa. Prior to that, he was a carpenter. He indicates that he is partially disabled. He has retained James D. Fox, a lawyer from Illinois, to prosecute his claim.

Gus's pension, number 311900, was denied in 1881 with the notation "no evidence of disability as alleged." However, his appeal must have been successful because Gus did begin receiving a regular pension of $4.00 per month in March 1882 and later $5.00 a month under certificate 204.032.

Portion of Gus's original pension request denied because "no evidence of disability as alleged"

After Gus's death in 1897, his widow Catherine continued to receive his $5.00 per month pension. She did, however, need to file legal papers indicating that she and Gus were married, lived together as husband and wife, and that she had not remarried after his death. Along with her statement, she filed statements attesting to these facts and her character from Peter Olson (a family friend from Sweden), John Linn (her brother-in-law), M. E. Curtis (her son-in-law), Andrew Lundblad (Catherine Linn's brother), J. L. Kinney and Swan Johnson, friends, and Robert J. Shannon who  had served with Gus in the Civil War.

Gus returned from the War with physical challenges he had for the rest of his life. However, from all family accounts, Gus was proud to have served his new country. His granddaughter Elsie wrote the following:

"We used to drive a team of horses and a spring wagon to go to Dayton to visit them [Gus and Catherine], especially on the 4th of July. How we loved to see him marching in the parade. He always carried the flag. How lovely he looked in his blue uniform and brass buttons. How proud he looked.... What a fine military funeral he had, which I didn't understand. His flag draped over the casket and there were many flowers. His comrades carrying his casket."

Gus was involved with the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) as shown in the following from the December 12, 1884, Dayton Review:

"The old soldiers of Dayton met last Monday and organized a GAR Post and elected: J. L. Kinney, Comm.; Gus Linn, SVC (Senior Vice Commander); N. J. Howaard, SVC; M. J. Durrell, chap.; Jas. Broomfield, surg.; C. J. Clink, officer of the day; J. E. Swanson, officer of the guard; U. M. Goltry, Sgt. Major."

Also in the Dayton Review, September 11, 1890, "There are now 6 men in our vicinity who were rebel prisoners: Chas. Steward, the new bridge boss for the C & NW, who escaped after a long prison stay; Chas. Huglin, who only spent one night and was left as they thought he would die; A. Grossenbaugh, who spent a month wounded before he escaped; J. M. Daniels, Gus Linn, and M. J. Umsted, who were held until they were exchanged."

Gus is buried at the Linn-Bethel Owen Cemetery near Pilot Mound. At the gate of the cemetery is a monument that reads, "in honor of our fallen veterans". Augustus Linn, Civil War, is listed on the monument.

How very proud I am of the service Gus gave to his newly adopted country. His ability to survive the battles, the capture and long march to the POW camp, and then to live through such deplorable conditions show the strength of this man. He never knew his father, but somehow Gus learned to be a man, a husband, a father, a brother, and a brave soldier.

Pictures from Camp Ford

Before we look this week at Gus's return to Iowa and his pension application, I wanted to share a couple of pictures with you that Myron sent me this week. As I mentioned, he has been to Camp Ford and, I'm sure would be happy to share other pictures with you or information he has about his visit.

Monument indicating that "the 32nd Iowa did not [pull back] and was overrun by the confederates"

Back of monument with G Linn (c) for captured circled

Gus's cane cared for by Myron Linn

These photos add a great deal to our family history and our story of Gustus Linn. If you have historical family photos, would you email a copy to me so I can include them in future posts? Military. Farm or home photos. Old family photos. Pictures of family memorabilia you have. All are welcome and would be viewed by other family members and future generations of our family. It's important to share our family's story, our history, with those who come after us. I want my grandchildren to know these stories and to see these photos to know about the brave and accomplished people who came before them. Thanks!

Next is Gus's return after the Civil War.

Gus Linn's Civil War Experience and The Battle of Pleasant Hill

Gustus Magnus Olausson Linn was my great-great grandfather, a Civil War Veteran and POW. It is because of Gus that I entered this world of genealogy. Back in the early 70's, I decided to learn more about him and his service. It started with a visit to the Iowa State Historical Building where I saw memorabilia from his unit. From there, I climbed narrow stairs into dusty archives to look at the brittle pages of old censuses. And then, I sent (old snail mail then) for Gus's Civil War record. I was hooked on knowing more about him and then, about all of our ancestors.

Born in Sweden on April 17, 1829, Gus lived in comfort where he was the youngest of 8 children. But when Gus was just one year old, his father died. This meant moving from his comfortable home in Dodringshult, Jonkoping County, to a shack down a dirt road that he shared with his mother and 2 older brothers, John and Peter.

Gus became a farm laborer at a very young age, moving from farm to farm. He met and married Catarina Lundblad in 1851 and, together with their young son John, left for the United States and to Iowa where his brothers John and Peter had already immigrated and set up households.

For the next two weeks, I will write about the part of Gus' life that involved the Civil War. This week's posts are in two parts. The first about Gus' entry into the service and the battle of Pleasant Hill and the second about conditions he endured as a POW. Next week will include a post about Gus' homecoming and pension.

Iowa furnished 76,534 men for service in the Union Army. While the Civil War was not popular with all Iowans, many reasons compelled men to volunteer to serve, including Gus. There was money including $13 a month for a private and a $100 bonus to be had at the end of service; strong feelings against slavery; pressure from friends and family to join; and the desire to support, as an immigrant, your new country. From the over 75,000 Iowans who served, 3,500 died of wounds, and 8,500 died of diseases.

Gus was almost 35 years old when he volunteered to serve. He left a wife, 3 young sons, and the memory of the deaths of two young daughters as he entered the service. He mustered into Company D of the 32nd Infantry in January 1864, out of Dubuque, Iowa.

Gustus Linn Enlistment in his own handwriting with his signature

The Red River Campaign which Gus was a part of, began in March of 1864 when troops had made the long trek through  the "morass and pine forest" of Mississippi to a gathering place where rumors were building of a major campaign. A Sergeant Boyd states that "we were designed to form a part of the grand army of General Sherman that was to disembowel the Southern Confederacy on his march to the sea." But a change in instructions was made to lend several units from Sherman's March to aid General Banks in dissecting the critical cotton and sugar regions in western Louisiana and to capture Shreveport. This was to take no more than 30 days at which time the soldiers would return to Sherman's leadership.

I wish I could do justice, in a succinct way, to the 30 days that ended in the Battle at Pleasant Hill as part of the Red River Campaign, but when I read accounts that are clear and compelling from people who actually lived it, I must refer the reader to those:

32nd Infantry of Iowa During the Civil War Begin reading at Chapter XVI, page 127. The rain, the long marches, the lack of supplies and food, at one point the entire 32nd nearly being wiped out by shell fire, word that earlier Union units in the area had been beaten, all of this and more is made more interesting when heard in the first person.

From Sergeant Boyd's words, the Battle of Pleasant Hill in Chapter XVII, page 137: The Battle of Pleasant Hill.

One short passage from Sergeant Boyd's words makes me shudder: "In a very short time, six companies, to wit: A, B, H, E, G, and D [Gus's unit] lost over twice as many men as the entire state of Texas lost and killed and wounded in the Mexican War." This defeat meant that the troops were ordered to retreat and leave their dead and wounded. Food was scarce; men were tired. Stories continue in the above book on the 32nd Infantry, stories from those who were wounded, who saw death, who knew the starvation and pain. I think they are worth reading to get a better idea of the conditions under which Gus was serving and then was captured and held.

Later, on page 164, another first-hand account of the battle shows how Gus was probably captured: "When the right of the Regiment began to fall back, noting the withdrawal of the 27th Iowa, that the movement extended to Company D [Gus's unit] and when checked...only a part of the men of that Company heard the order and resumed the former position, in which they remained until they were captured." In other words, Gus and Company D were left vulnerable to the enemy, captured because of a lack of communication. The capture of the soldiers of Company D was perhaps preventable because these brave soldiers were from the ONLY company that stayed to fight while the others were retreating. They bravely stood their ground, thinking that they were just one of many contingents fighting, only to find out after their capture that they were standing alone.

I believe that the recollections of someone who was in Gus' Company D, from Boone County from the same book, beginning on page 165 are important to understanding Gus' capture. Sergeant D. S. Jewett speaks of how demoralized Company D was in learning that they had not been given the correct orders.

The Red River Campaign had concluded with the battle at Pleasant Hill which, by many accounts, was the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi. Estimated casualties were Union, 1,100; Confederate, 2,000. Although the Union, under Major General Banks technically won this battle, the Union forces retreated without ever capturing Shreveport. And my great-great Grandpa Gustus Linn was captured.

Gus as a POW at Camp Ford

I would never hold myself out to be a history expert, and certainly not an expert on the Civil War. I've been to Gettysburg and seen the battlefields there and learned about the strategies, successes and failures. Myron has been to Camp Ford in Tyler, Texas, where Gus was taken as a POW. I've visited Normandy in France, one of the most moving experiences of my life. Sometimes, visiting these places gives us a perspective and understanding of the events that our ancestors lived through. Camp Ford in Tyler, Texas, is on my bucket list.

Gus was captured on April 9, 1864, and was marched to Camp Ford in Tyler, Texas, along with several hundred other Union soldiers. On my phone's map, the walk from Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, to Tyler, Texas, is 124 miles and would take 1 day, 19 hours. How many of these captured soldiers were wounded? Tired? Hungry? I wonder how many died along the march to the POW prison.

Camp Ford was opened in August of 1861 as a location to train new confederate recruits. But, by November 1863, it was used to house Union POWs. Camp Ford had transitioned from a training camp to a POW camp because it was geographically remote to discourage escapees; and privates had become the basic unit of exchange, a bargaining tool, between the Union and Confederacy. Camp Ford was a full day's march from Shreveport where prisoners were put on boats, carried down the Red River, and exchanged.

The exchange of prisoners had gone smoothly for some time but deteriorated over time because of violations. While Union soldiers were known to go back to their homes once they had been exchanged, Confederate prisoners often re-joined their army unit to fight again. Thus, exchanges stopped and more captured soldiers were kept for longer periods. This is what Gus faced as he entered Camp Ford.

Prior to the spring of 1864, Camp Ford prisoners had built huts and had developed a sense of community, complete with activities. Soldiers built two aqueducts--the upper one was for drinking; the lower one for bathing. This arrangement ensured the quality of drinking water and the health of prisoners. Until early 1864, prisoners were allowed to use tools to build and make items. Singing and square dancing were favorite pastimes. However, all of that changed in early 1864.

With the Red River Campaign, battles at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, on April 8 and 9, 1864, the prison population at Camp Ford increased dramatically. The existing prisoners noted with derision the announcement that they were to expect an additional 3,000 inmates on April 10.

Camp Ford had been enlarged, but was still terribly overcrowded. Perhaps Col. Nott's narrative best summed up the transition. "The healthy character of our camp changed in a single week. Disease and death followed each other quickly in. The vice and lawlessness that live in the vile haunts of cities sprang up and flourished here."

Beginning in the spring of 1864, when Gus was in the camp, the living conditions at Camp Ford were dreadful. There were barely enough crude shelters for the prisoners. In fact, some had to exist without shelter with just a blanket to shelter them from the cold and storms. Sanitation became an issue as the numbers swelled in the prison. Body lice became a frequent affliction. And fistfights over food and shelter were common. Imagine Gus in that situation, struggling to survive these conditions.

A drawing of Camp Ford where Gus was a POW

Standard food was beef and cornmeal, and normally there was just one ration for the prisoners each day. Prisoners had to slaughter their own cattle; and, in the summer, the beef quickly became spoiled. It's no wonder that there were so many illnesses and deaths during this time. As we know, Gus returned from the war, having lost a great deal of weight, and with intestinal problems that plagued him the rest of his life.

The only thing that saved many of the men was that these horrible conditions existed during a warmer time of the year. Still many died. Of the 232 recorded deaths at Camp Ford, 183 occurred between May and October 1864 when Gus was a POW there.

To alleviate boredom, some men because very ingenious, becoming entrepreneurs and using their skills in craftmaking. Some crude tools were available, and these tools were used to create items that then could be traded or sold. One story we have been told about Gus is that he made carvings that he then traded for extra food. The cane that Myron has is one that Gus carved during his time in Camp Ford.

Gus was listed as a POW or missing soldier in several publications. Imagine being his wife Catherine and their children, reading in the Daily State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, about the Battle of Pleasant Hill (byline April 9, 1864). It listed the "Casualities in the 32nd Regiment" with "Linn" being listed as missing from Company D. At the end of this article is the following: "Many of the severely wounded being left on the field, there is a painful uncertainty as in their exact conditions. It is feared that many of the missing were killed or wounded."

In a book published after the war, a list of the Iowa Volunteeers from the 32nd Infantry was given with the following, found on page 81 under the heading "Company D":

"Linn, Gustus. Age 34. Residence Boonesborough, nativity Sweden. Enlisted Jan. 5, 1864. Mustered Jan. 20, 1864. Taken prisoner April 9, 1864, Pleasant Hill, La. Transferred to Company I, Eighth Infantry, July 25, 1865."

Great-great Grandpa Gustus Linn was a POW, surviving in deplorable conditions, for over 15 months!

When news reached the Camp that General Lee had surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, there was much excitement. It must have been a time of great relief to Gus and the other POWs, but before they could be transferred and released, there was much concern. They had learned that the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy intended to carry on the war. Faced with the possibility of more months of confinement, many escape attempts were made. Over 100 escaped Camp Ford with the help of a Union sympathizer.

But most inmates, including Gus, stayed in the Camp, believing that the end was truly near. In the final days of the Camp, July of 1865, local townspeople and deserters looted the area. It was a dangerous time for the POWs. Prisoners were escorted to Shreveport by "remnants of the 15th Texas Cavalry Regiment" in order to be protected from the lawless elements who were pillaging the countryside. I can't imagine the continued terror prisoners like Gus must have felt as they marched to Shreveport. Within days, Camp Ford was destroyed completely.

Gus was honorably discharged from Company D, 32nd Infantry, on July 8, 1865 and transferred to Company I, Eighth Infantry (Iowa Vet Volunteers) where he was to serve out his unexpired term of enlistment. However, on July 29, 1865, Gustus Linn was discharged and sent home.

The final chapter of Gus's war service will be next week with his return home.

More News: Gus Linn

Gus and Catherine are mentioned in many news articles, but I've selected a few to post that might show show information about Gus that many of us did not know.

The Dayton Review, May 23, 1895. Page 1. This would have been Uncle Frank in 1895.

The Dayton Review, April 29, 1897, page 4. Just 6 months before Gus died, he was doing this service.

An ad in the Dayton Review, October 13, 1892, page 11. After moving to Dayton, Gus started a new venture.

Isn't this fun to see our ancestors mentioned in local news articles? Gus clearly maintained his sense of community, loved his family, and during the last 5 years of his life had the energy to start another venture.