MILLS CO. IA
Formed 1851 from Pottawattamie
 

CENSUS RECORDS

1860 Mills Co. IA Census
      No Duncan indexed
 

1870 Mills Co. IA Census
Lyons Twp.
Pg.50, #7-7, WEBSTER, Aaron 43 MI ("Mich") farmer $0-$1300
                  Octeve (f) 42 IN keeping house
                  Mary 17 IN
                  Sarah L. 15, George 7 IA
                  DUNCAN, Saml. 22 KY farm laborer
Platteville
Pg.78, #98-98, POWELL, Alexander 26 OH works on farm $0-$480
                  Susan 23 IL keeping house
                  Rebeca 8, Charles 2 IA
                  DUNCAN, Palmer (m) 20 OH works on farm
 

1880 Mills Co. IA Census
Anderson Twp., pg.43, S.D.3, E.D.130
Pg.339A, #340-351 DUNCON, J.F. w/m 48 mar. farm laborer Illinois Tenn Va
  Sarah J. w/f 47 wife mar. keeping house ditto Ind Ind
  John F/G. (written over, could be George) w/m 18 son single farm laborer ditto Ill Ill.
  Henry w/m 15 son single ditto ditto ditto
  Charles w/m 15 son single " " "
  Jonathan w/m 8 son single " " "
  Lucy w/f 6 (5? - written over) daughter single " " "
  Edward w/m 4 son single " " "
  (MAD: ? see 1870 Piatt Co. IL; 1860 Logan Co. IL; 1885 Saunders Co. NE)
 

MILITARY RECORDS

Pension Index Card File, alphabetical; of the Veterans Administrative Contact and Administration Services, Admin. Operations Services, 1861-1934; Duff to A-J Duncan (negative FHL film 540,888, some cards very faint); Joseph Duncan to Dunn (positive FHL film 540,889, some cards very dark)
      Cataloged under Civil War, 1861-1865, pensions, indexes; does not say if Confederate or Federal, but probably Federal. Negative film, some cards much too faint or dark to read, some cards blurred or faded, particularly the service unit and the dates of application. Most of the very faint or dark cards were in a slightly different format, with space for years enlisted and discharged which were sometimes filled in. Many of these were for service in later years, although one or two were for service ca 1866.
      Name of soldier, alias, name of dependent widow or minor, service (military unit or units), date of filing, class (invalid or widow or minor or other), Application #, Certificate #, state from which filed (sometimes blank), attorney (sometimes blank, MAD: did not usually copy), remarks. Sometimes the "Invalid" or "Widow" class had an "s" added to it before the application #; occasionally the area for the service information included a circled "S". The minor's name was frequently that of the guardian rather than the minor.
      The military unit was frequently the Company Letter, the Regiment Number, sometimes US Vet Vol Inf. (US Veteran Volunteer Infantry), L.A. (Light Artillery), H.A. (Heavy Artillery), US C Inf (US Colored? Infantry), Cav. (Cavalry), Mil. Guards, V.R.C. (?Volunteer Reserve Corps?), etc. Sometimes there were several service units given.
      Cards appear to be arranged by the last name, first name, middle initial if any, and state (including "US") of service.
      Duncan, James F., widow Duncan, Sarah J.; K 106 Ill. Inf.; 1881 May 16, Invalid Appl. #421243, Cert. #287970, Iowa; 1885 Dec. 24, Widow Appl. #333860, Cert. #294906, Nebr. (MAD: b. Williamson Co. IL, mar. Logan Co. IL & 1860 census, d. Saunders Co. NE; see Menard Co. IL; 1880 Mills Co. IA)
 

OTHER RECORDS

"The Globe" Atchison, Ks., June 10, 1880 (transcription by and from Kathy Cawley 1/2004)
      MURDER MOST FOUL.
      Parties that arrived on to-days train from the North bring information that Western Iowa is excited over the finding of the body of an aged woman. Mrs. Nancy Duncan, until recently a resident of Council Bluffs [Pottawattamie Co.]. It was discovered on Sunday afternoon, near Pacific City, Mills county. The remains had been hastily buried under layers of earth beside a clump of bushes. Bruises and marks of violence were found on the body, and the circumstances pointed strongly to foul play. The body had apparently been placed there about two weeks. Suspicion pointed toward the son of the murdered woman, who left Council Bluffs with her about two weeks ago, and had since appeared without her, and reported that she had died "over in Nebraska." An inquest was held Monday, and a verdict rendered that the woman had been murdered by parties unknown. The whereabouts of the son, William Duncan, are not ascertained.
 

"Weekly Gazette" Colorado Springs [El Paso Co.], Colorado, Saturday, April 4, 1885 (transcription by and from Kathy Cawley 1/2004)
      A LEAP IN THE DARK
      GEORGE DUNCAN Resorts to the Revolver to Hurry Himself out of the World.
      About half past seven o'clock last night George Duncan, who with his family resided at the corner of Nevada avenue and Cucharas (sp) street committed suicide by shooting himself through the breast with a revolver. A representative of the Gazette who visited the house a few moment after the suicide happened learned the following facts. It seems that Duncan for a number of years has been suffering from complications of diseases and for the past few weeks has been a constant sufferer. A few minutes after seven last evening he requested his brother, who was staying in the sick room with him, to get a drink of water, which he proceeded to do. While the brother was in the kitchen at the other end of the house he heard the report of a revolver and immediately rushed to the sick room. Upon reaching there he found the room vacant and further investigation revealed the body of his brother lying on the ground directly beneath the window of the room. Blood was flowing profusely from a wound in the left breast near the heart, and death must have been almost instantaneous. The deed was committed with a large 45-caliber ?o?se (horse?) revolver, and the ball passed entirely through the body. It is thought that the man was laboring under a fit of temporary aberration of mind, and either shot himself while leaning through the window or jumped out upon the ground and then shot himself.
      George Duncan came here from Glenwood [Mills Co.], Iowa, about two years ago for the benefit of his health. He has however gradually failed instead of improving, and although in good circumstances when he came, he has spent all his means and has been unable to earn more. Last December he went to Glenwood Springs, returning in about a month, since which time he has been sick in bed most of the time. He leaves a wife and four little children in destitute circumstances.
      Coroner Davis has been notified and will hold an inquest today if one is deemed necessary.
 

END

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