This wonderful old photograph of Quartermaster Sergeant William T. Black's funeral cortege, taken during July of 1898 in Jacksonville, Florida, came home to Chariton Saturday morning with Corwin "Corky" and Janean Stuart. They delivered a box of papers collected by the late Judge William C. "Bill" Stuart to the museum to be archived. The photograph and another related to Lucas County's Company H, Iowa National Guard, were a bonus.
Although their service is largely forgotten now, the men of Company H --- more than 40 of them --- departed Chariton by train during late April, 1898, fully expecting to see combat in what now is known as the Spanish American War.
Mustered during May at Camp McKinley in Des Moines --- better known as the Iowa State Fairgrounds --- they were shipped off to Florida with hundreds of other Iowa troops late that month, still expecting to face enemy fire. That did not happen, however.
Instead, the unit and others from Iowa were diverted from their original destination, Tampa, to Jacksonville and put to work developing a new Army camp christened Camp Cuba Libre in anticipation of a lengthy war requiring extensive infrastructure.
The site of the new camp was not wisely chosen and was subject to flooding. Nor was the Army adept at providing adequate sanitation or effective medical care for the troops. As a result, there was considerable sickness.
It was typhoid fever that killed Quartermaster Sergeant William T. Black, age 25, early on the morning of Tuesday, July 19, 1898. One of the most popular men in the company, he was eulogized three days later in The Chariton Democrat of July 22 as "Handsome, earnest, brilliant, genial Tom. None knew him but to love him. One of the most gentlemanly soldiers in Company H, a man who would have made an unsullied citizen --- he is our sacrifice to the honor of the nation and progress of humanity. No nobler sacrifice has been offered to the inevitable in this cruel war."
Tom's remains were removed to the Clark undertaking establishment in Jacksonville later on Tuesday and funeral services for his military family were scheduled for the next day. "The services were very impressive," reported Maude Whitlock, wife of company commander Capt. George E. Whitlock. "Chaplain Hoyt read the Episcopal services."
Then, once the casket had been placed in a shipping case, "an escort of honor of 16 men with guns, six corporals as pallbearers and the entire company following made their way to the depot, where the journey to Iowa was commenced."
That moment, as the cortege to the depot was about to begin, is captured in this photograph. The hearse is at far left; and I'm guessing that Undertaker Clark is immediately behind the remains.
Tom's remains were escorted to Chariton by his younger brother, Walter N., also a member of Company H., and Sergeant Orrie Hixon.
They arrived in Chariton from Jacksonville aboard the No. 3 on Friday morning and were escorted to the home of Tom's parents on North 7th Street where funeral services were held at 4 o'clock that afternoon. The U.S. flag at the courthouse flew at half-staff all day in his memory.
When the services were over, the remains were accompanied to the Chariton Cemetery for burial by a procession headed by the Myers Martial Band that included veterans of Company H led by former sergeant O.A. Hougland, dozens of fellow Odd Fellows in formation preceding the hearse, and carriages containing relatives and friends following.
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The old photograph of the Florida cortege has had a hard life, but still is clear and sharp. The only person in it identified is the young man at far left, Edwin Young, a friend of Tom who succeeded him as Company H quartermaster sergeant.
Although we don't know for sure, it seems likely that this photo and its mate were collected by Ed Young, then passed to his son Frank H. Young. Frank Young may have passed it on to Bill Stuart, knowing his intense interest in Lucas County history. Judge Stuart had written "for historical society" on the envelope and on Saturday it reached its intended destination thanks to his son and daughter-in-law.
Here's the second photo the envelope contained, also members of Company H, this one taken at Camp Cuba Libre during the summer of 1898. None of the men are identified, however.
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