Biographical History of Pottawattmie Co., IA

SAAC G. CARTER, of Hancock, Valley Township, is one of our old soldiers who served his country in her time of need, and after her victory was secured returned to his home and resumed the peaceful pursuit of agriculture in Valley Township. Mr. Carter is from an old American family, who were among the early settlers of Virginia. His grandfather was born in Virginia, and moved to Ohio, settling in Muskingum County, as a pioneer, and became a successful farmer, owning 200 acres of land. He lived to the great age of eighty-two years, and died on his old homestead in Ohio. He was the father of eight children: Ezekiel, Marcus, John, Joseph, Matilda, Hulda, Jane and Alvin. The youngest son, Alvin, was the father of Isaac C., our subject. He was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, and married Nancy Clark, of the same county. To them were born six children: Isaac G., Henry B., Washington, William, Hugh and Mary A. Mr. Carter died very suddenly at the early age of thirty years from exposure. His wife died within two weeks from exposure in taking care of the stock on the farm.

Isaac, their oldest son, and the subject of this sketch, was born February 20, 1830, and was but twelve years of age when be was left an orphan, and the little family of six orphan children were scattered. Isaac was brought up by William Evans, a wealthy Irishman, who treated him kindly. He received a common-school education, and at eighteen years of age he began to learn the carpenter's trade, serving a four-years apprenticeship, the old-fashioned plan of thoroughly learning a trade, and followed his trade until after the close of the war.

He married Lucinda Dowell, daughter of George and Grace (Helms) Dowell. Mr. Dowell, an American of German descent, was a farmer of Muskingum County, Ohio, and the father of thirteen children: Mary, Harrison, Isabel, Amanda, George, Malinda, Lucinda, LaFayette, George W., Thomas, Henrietta, Mahala, and an infant who died unnamed. Mr. Dowell was born in Virginia. His father, George Dowell, moved to Muskingum County, Ohio. John Dowell, an uncle of Mrs. Carter, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. All her uncles were large men, weghing over 200 pounds.

After marriage Mr. Carter settled in Dresden, Ohio, for one year, and in 1853 went to Chicago with his family, where he followed his trade and became a contractor and builder. In 1859 he moved to McDonough County, Illinois, where he continued his business of contracting and building. Here he enlisted August 12, 1862, when Abraham Lincoln made his first call for 300,000 men to defend the Union. Joining Company C, Seventy-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry he went immediately to the front with his regiment, and was soon promoted Commissary Sergeant of his company. After three months he was transferred to the Engineers' Corps, Company A, Second Regiment, and worked at bridge-building. His principal service was in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia. While with the Seventy-eighth Illinois, he was in the battle of Munfordville, Kentucky, and the whole regiment was captured except Mr. Carter and one boy. The Ninety-first Illinois and Seventy-sixth Indiana were captured at the same time, by the famous Confederate raider, John Morgan. Mr. Carter and the boy returned to the Union line. His regiment was paroled and exchanged. While connected with the Engineer Corps he was in the battles of Murfreesboro, Franklin, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Nashville, all in Tennessee. In the fall of 1863 he was injured by a falling bridge timber, and was in the hospital for nine months, part of which time he was Commissary Sergeant of the hospital at Louisville, Kentucky; and then was assigned to act as Commissary Sergeant by the Provost-Marshal at Lebanon, Kentucky, and remained there until the close of the war. He was sent to Clinton, Iowa, with supplies, and was mustered out and honorably discharged July 7, 1865, at Clinton, Iowa, having served his country during three years of the great civil war. The following is endorsed on Mr. Carter's discharge paper:

After the war, like most of the surviving soldiers, Mr. Carter came to the West and settled in Iowa, which was then a new State. He lived on a farm in Jasper County for four years, and then went to Platte County, Nebraska, where he lived a year, and in 1872 came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and settled in Valley Township, where he still resides, an honored citizen. Mr. Carter owns a fine farm of 120 acres, which he has nicely improved. Both himself and Mrs. Carter are life-long devout members of the Methodist Church, and Mr. Carter has always taken an active interest in his church, has filled all its local offices, and has held them most of the time since the war. He is now class-leader, trustee, steward and Sunday-school superintendent. He enjoys the respect of his fellow-citizens in a marked degree. Has held the offices of Justice of the Peace and Constable, filling one or the other for the past seventeen years. He is Chaplain of William Lavton Post, No. 358, Oakland, Iowa; also Chaplain of the Anti-Horse-Thief Society at Hancock, Iowa. Mr. Carter has taken an active interest in the cause of education and the schools in his community, having been School Director. Two of his daughters have been teachers--Jennie and Florence. Mr. Carter is a man of honorable and upright character, whose word is taken for its full meaning. As a soldier and a citizen he has served his country, in war and in peace, by faithfully doing his duty to his country and his community. He is a man of strictly temperate habits and correct moral principles, and has striven to instill right principles in his family. His record as a soldier will descend to his children for generations, and as one who fought for the preservation of his country. The family descended on both sides from good, old American pioneer stock, than which there is no better.

Mr. and Mrs. Carter are the parents of ten children, seven of whom lived. Harry A., Charles, deceased; George W., Henrietta, Eva, Ida, deceased; Jennie, Howard, deceased; Flora and Hugh. Harry A., now an engineer at Hancock, married Miss Hale, and his children are Arthur, Charles, Blanche, Amy and Ruby M.; Henrietta married George Payne, now deceased, and has one child, Rollo; George, now on a cattle ranch at North Canyonville, Oregon, married Winnie Pickett, and has four children: Ida, Irmie, Hugh and Pattis; and Eva married William Tibbetts, a farmer of Hardin County, Iowa, and has one child, Minnie.

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