The Woodruff Gun
Annotations to “Researching the Woodruff Carriage”
Obituary of James Lindsay
Iron County Register, 9 June 1898
Obituary and Life of James Lindsay
“In Memoriam” (Ironton) Iron County Register, 9 June 1898, p. 1. col. 5 & 6.
Died at his residence, 31171/2 Morgan street, St. Louis, Sunday, June 5th, 1898, at nine o’clock P. M., JAMES LINDSAY, aged 84 years and 5 months. The remains were brought to Ironton Tuesday and interred in the Masonic cemetery, the final rites being attended by a large number of citizens.
Col. Lindsay was one of the pioneers of the Valley, though for the past twenty years a resident of St. Louis. The following sketch of his long and varied life was written by himself a couple of years ago, and will prove of general interest.
James Lindsay was born in Orange County, Va., January 14, 1814. Left Virginia in 1829 and went to Hopkinsville and entered the printing office of his uncle, who was publishing The Spy. Went to Missouri in 1832 and worked for Abel Rathbone Corbin, publisher of the Missouri Argus, on the printing of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. In August, 1835, went to Fayette, Mo., and work [sic] on the decisions of the Supreme Court for W. B. Napton, who was publishing the Boone’s Lick Democrat, and had the contract for printing them. In the spring of 1836, returned to St. Louis, and worked a short time in the book and job office of Charles Keemle. Went to Cape Girardeau in August of that year and the next year located at Jackson where he was engaged with then [sic] in printing and publishing the Advocate; was also Clerk of the County Court for a term while residing there. In 1842 moved to Fredericktown in Madison County. In 1848 commenced the publication of The Furnace, and supported Senator Benton in his appeal from what was called the Jackson-Calhoun Revolutions, passed by the Legislature of Missouri, instructing him to vote for the repeal of the Missouri Compromise.
Was elected to the Legislature from Madison county in 1850 on the Benton issue of re-election to the U. S. Senate. In 1852 was elected State Senator from the 24th District, composed then of what is Madison, Iron, Reynolds, Carter, Ripley, Oregon, Howell, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties, and cooperated with the Internal Improvement members in voting the aid of the State in starting railroad building in Missouri. Was for several years director of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad.
Iron County was formed in the winter of 1856-7, and Ironton, the county seat was located, when he established the Ironton Furnace, at first a very moderate free-soil newspaper, but increased in vigor as time went on and openly supported Abraham Lincoln for President in 1860. He was sent as a delegate to the Chicago Convention in 1860 that nominated Mr. Lincoln.
The first Republican State ticket ever put up in Missouri was in 1860, when the State Republican Convention nominated a free ticket, naming James B. Gardenhire of Cole county, for Governor, and James Lindsay of Iron County for Lieut. Governor.
In 1861 the civil war was upon us. He was enthusiastic for the Union cause and at once entered into the work. The Furnace was suspended, and he put one son and two other boys out of the office into Col. F. P. Blain’s [sic–Blair’s] 1st Mo. Infantry, and otherwise assisted in recruiting the Regiment. Recruited one whole company for the 6th Missouri Regiment (Col. Peter E. Bland), and many others of the members. Was Acting Quartermaster for the 8th Missouri Zouave Regiment (Col. Morgan L. Smith), headquarters at Lafayette Park, and as such issued passes directing the conductors on the St. Louis, Alton and Chicago Railroad to pass (blanks) number of men from Chicago to St. Louis. They poured down from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan (their quotas having been filled), and with those of Missouri, made one of the best fighting Regiments in the service.
In April 1861, a pistol and gun fight took place in streets of Ironton over a large number of pigs of lead that was being hauled into Arkansas, between Union men and secessionists. The lead was taken and shipped to General Lyon at the St. Louis Arsenal. When Governor Celabe [sic–Claiborne] Jackson and General Sterling Price came to St. Louis about the 1st of May, 1861, to have an interview with General [Lyon] and Col. Blair, he (Lindsay) carried the verbal messenger [sic] between them to have the meeting. Jackson and Price were offered an escort to come to the Arsenal, but they declined and insisted that Lyon and Blair should come to the Planter’s House, and the meeting took place. History relates what occurred after the meeting.
In October, 1861, he (Lindsay) participated in the fight at Fredericktown brought on by the Rebel Gen’l, Jeff Thompson. Col. Carlin of the 38th Ill Regiment desired him to accompany the command that moved from Pilot Knob to meet Thompson―he having lived there for a number of years and being well acquainted with the country and the people. He did so; volunteering for the occasion co-operated with Schofield battery. Thompson was quickly squelched and put to flight.
In June, 1861, he gave up the Quartermastership of the 8th Missouri and accepted the appointment from President Lincoln as Register of Lands, with an order to remove the Land Office from Jackson to Ironton, which he executed in July. The war being on and no business doing, he got permission to close the office and got leave to go in March, 1862, with Gen’l Steele’s division on the White River expedition, where a junction was made with Gen’l Custiss’ [sic―Curtis’] division at Batesville.
This army reached Helena on the Mississippi River in August, when he returned to Ironton and in a short time began to recruit and organize the 68th Regiment Missouri Militia (mounted), became Colonel of it, engaged Giles F. Filley of the Excelsior Manufacturing Company, to make him those light cannons to use with the Regiment, and paid for them out of his own pocket, and used them on the enemy with great effect. [Emphasis added]
He was ordered by Gen’l Carr, in command of the Department of Missouri, in January, 1863, to scout the country north of Bloomfield and pitch into the rebel marauder, but instead he went with 250 men direct to and dashed into Bloomfield, routing a large body of Confederates and captured horses, saddlers; large amount of ammunition and as many prisoners as they could conveniently carry to Ironton and transfer to Gratiot street military prison. Among those prisoners was E. W. Hill, Provost Marshal of Bloomfield, a brother of Senator David B. Hill. An account of this dash may be seen in the Adjutant Gen’l of Missouri’s report for 1863.
Without mentioning other occasions, in September, 1863, at the time of the Marmaduke and Shelby raid into Missouri―Gen’l Vanderver [sic—William Vandever] commanding―ordered him to charge the camp of part of Gen’l Shelby’s brigade in the night time, near 1 o’clock, with his battery company, which was promptly executed, supported by part of the 3d Iowa Cavalry, under command of Maj. Caldwell, now Judge Caldwell of the U. S. Circuit Court. It was in the Poplar woods near Jackson, Missouri. It made a lively, helter-skelter, topsey-turvey scamper.
In the summer of 1863 the member elect to Congress from the 3d Mo. District died, and a special election was ordered for November. He, (Lindsay) was the unconditional Union or Republican candidate, though receiving a large vote, was declared by the House committee on election to have been beaten by 61 votes.
In 1864 he was elected by the Joint General Assembly of Missouri, for a term of 6 years Curator of the State University.
Colonel Lindsay leaves a widow, 10 children and several grandchildren. He married twice: First at Madison county, Mo., where he married Miss Caroline Frier, and six children were born to them, only three of whom are living. His wife died after a married life of eight years. He then moved to Iron county, where he settled down and married Miss Jeraldine Peck, who survives him. Seven children were born to this marriage, all of whom are living.
Mr. Lindsay held many positions of trust during his long and busy life. His earthly career now closed, he sleeps “awaiting the resurrection day,” beneath the sod of the Valley he so loved and that his eyes ever turned to it in regretful longing. Peace to his ashes!
This transcription by Randy Baehr. Original article from Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024283/1898-06-09/ed-1/seq-1/, plus transcription by John M. Abney forwarded to John Berry, email 5 June 2022.
