Lucas County rallies for Lincoln --- in a big way

The year was 1860 and as election day approached that fall, Iowa Republicans pulled out all the stops to promote the candidacy for U.S. president and vice-president of Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, and Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine.

In Chariton, Lucas County Republicans scheduled a huge Lincoln-Hamlin rally for Saturday, Oct. 6, determined that theirs should be one of the largest.

In the forefront among organizers were Chariton's Wide Awakes --- members of an early youth activist organization backed by the Lincoln-Hamlin campaign. The Wide Awakes proved to be a key factor in motivating young men across the North to get involved in politics --- and to vote for Lincoln.

By the fall of 1860, paramilitary elements had been added to the Wide Awake rules and rituals, including uniforms and enough training to allow members to assist with security during rallies like the one planned in Chariton.

Each of Lucas County's townships would send a delegation to march in the rally parade and out in Liberty Township, five women were hand-sewing a flag of cotton and silk for the occasion. They were Eliza (Dillman) Sydebotham, Sarah Hollingsworth, Elvira Bidlake, Mary Ferguson and Mary Curtis.

Their creation, which would win a prize as the biggest flag carried in the rally parade by a township delegation, is 100 by 42 inches. Its 34 hand-cut stars were stitched onto a background of blue silk, arranged in two circles with one at each corner and a larger star in the center.

In Chariton, the rally would focus on the square with the 1858 brick courthouse at its center. There were no other brick buildings in town, only a rag-tag collection of frame structures built of native lumber milled locally and log. There were no trains. Everyone who arrived in Chariton for the big day arrived on or behind a horse.

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Finally, the big day arrived and some 162 years later, I'd just about given up hope of finding a report. The Patriot was Lucas County's only newspaper that year; back issues from the 1860s have vanished. And then the following turned up on Page 2 of a weekly newspaper entitled The Commonwealth, published in Des Moines on Tuesday, Oct. 16, a week and a half after the rally.

"Great Republican Ball at Chariton October 6th," the headline proclaimed; "125 Wide Awakes in Procession; Three thousand four hundred freemen in procession." Here's the text:

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Saturday last was a proud day for the Republicans of gallant Lucas. The Republicans of Chariton, having decided on having a Republican mass meeting, were determined not to be outdone by any of their neighboring counties. They secured speakers of the day Messrs. Harlan, McClearey, Goodwell, George May, O.S. Abbott of Missouri, and others whose names we have forgotten, and of whom are capable of defending the Republican cause. 

At an early hour the masses came pouring in, at the proper time were marshalled into procession in the following order, 1st 60 Wide Awakes from Knoxville in full uniform and 44 young ladies on horseback dressed in white riding habits with blue sashes on and wearing, instead of hats, Wide Awake caps. Each lady carrying a white flag with the inscription, "Lincoln & Hamlin." They were accompanied by 44 Chariton Wide Awakes. This was one of the most attractive features of the day. Third in order was the procession of 135 teams filled with live Republican ladies and gentlemen. The whole being interspersed with martial bands.

From Appanoose County, there was a company of 20 boys, in a four-horse wagon, wearing comical looking caps. They are all members of a glee club and are good singers.

After the procession had marched through the town a number of times, the Wide Awakes escorted Sen. Harlan to the speakers stand who delivered one of the ablest arguments in defense of Republicanism that has been delivered during the campaign. At night the Wide Awakes had a great torch light procession interspersed with fire works. The speakers of the evening were George W. McCreary, of Keokuk, Mr. May, Stewart Goodwell, O.S. Abbott, of Missouri, and others, all of whom done justice to the cause.

The speeches of McCreary and Abbott are spoken of as remarkably good. The Democrats, characteristic of the party everywhere, tried their best to interrupt the meeting, but were very summarily marched off to the guard house by the Wide Awakes, and allows to remain there until Monday morning when, it is to be hoped, they came out wiser and better men.

The hospitality of the citizens of Chariton is spoken of with great satisfaction. We are glad to hear much good reports from gallant Lucas.

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Lincoln won, of course, taking 180 electoral votes based upon roughly 40 percent of the popular vote. And the rest is history.

All that's left of the rally in Lucas County is that flag --- hand-sewn in Liberty Township. It was used on many other occasions after that and eventually began to wear. By 1967, when it was passed on to the Lucas County Historical Society, it was being cared for by Lucas County Republican Women.

The old flag is quite sturdy, actually, but the blue silk backing for the stars has faded entirely to white and frayed almost entirely away. So we keep it wrapped in archival tissue, safe in an archival box. Now and then it comes out to put in a brief appearance. Perhaps this will be one of those years.