Pella in Marion County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Pella and the Civil War

November 5, 2023

1. Pella and the Civil War Marker

Inscription. On the morning of April 12, 1861, South Carolina began firing on the Federal fortress in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Within 24 hours, Iowa and Pella became involved. When the first call came for volunteers on April 15, 1861, the citizens of Pella and the vicinity furnished its full quota of troops. Over 256 volunteered for the war from Pella in Lake Prairie and adjoining townships, an incredible number.

During the four years of war, Pella boys fought at Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge to keep Missouri in the Union. They were with General U. S. Grant at Fort Donelson and went south with him to Shiloh, Iuka, and Corinth. With Grant, they encircled, laid siege to, and conquered Vicksburg (which Pella celebrated), opening the Mississippi to the sea, and went north with General William Tecumseh Sherman to Columbia, South Carolina. Pella boys marched to war across states whose names were familiar—Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Dominie Henry Peter Scholte remained active in recruiting young men for service from Pella and surrounding area on February 14, 1862, when he opened a recruiting

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office in Pella in the Log Cabin in Garden Square (now Central Park). Scholte received his recruiting commission on February 24, 1862, as he continued to swear in volunteers to the Iowa Regiments and handled passes for enlisted boys. On March 24, 1862, Scholte received a commission from Iowa's Adjutant Baker for Nicholas P. Earp, Pella's Marshall, to recruit a company for Iowa's 17th Regiment. Earp was the father of Wyatt and his brothers in Pella.

In the 1864 Iowa presidential campaign, Abraham Lincoln's majority came from Iowa soldiers away from home fighting in the war. However, in Marion County, the vote for President stood at Lincoln, 1,459; McClellan, 1,453, a victory of six votes for the President.

On April 9, 1865, news came by telegraph to Pella: General Robert E. Lee had surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General U. S. Grant. Pella celebrated, but the celebration turned out to be tragic. Sparks from a shooting skyrocket set the entire fireworks supply aflame, and explosives flew in all directions, wounding and burning many, some seriously. It was a tragic way to end the war in Pella. Nevertheless, the War was

Pella and the Civil War Marker, from the south image. Click for full size.

November 5, 2023

2. Pella and the Civil War Marker, from the south

Over! The "Boys in Blue" could now come home!

Five days later, the Pella telegraph reported that President Lincoln had been shot and died. On April 24, 1865, all of Pella's buildings were draped in black crepe for the next 30 days in memory of President Lincoln, Scholte's friend.

Erected 2021 by Historic Pella Trust.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is April 15, 1861.

Location. 41° 24.678′ N, 92° 54.951′ W. Marker is in Pella, Iowa, in Marion County. It can be reached from Lincoln Street west of Houston Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Located along the Tuttle Learning Walk, between Tuttle Cabin and Sunken Garden Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1110 Main St, Pella IA 50219, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Iowa. It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

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and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Early Years (a few steps from this marker); Tulip Time and Sunken Garden (a few steps from this marker); Dutch Influence on Today's Pella (a few steps from this marker); A Nod to the Baptists (a few steps from this marker); Why the Dutch Left Their Homeland (within shouting distance of this marker); The Land Before the Dutch (within shouting distance of this marker); Tuttle Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); Pella Civil War Monument (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pella.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2023. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 18, 2023.