|
a.
|
Note: The following short paragraph was taken from "Tales of Paradise Ridge", Butte County, California, December 1982
ONCE FOR A TIME .....
THE LAND WAS THEIRS, by Lois McDonald - pg 25
John Folck, 23, listened to the inducements and arguments put forward by his father and said, "No, thanks." John wanted nothing more than to marry Emma Ann Miller and settle down on the farm he had just purchased from his older brother, Abraham Folck, Jr. Abe, as we shall call the younger Folck, was off in Dubuque County looking for a suitable place to farm. He let his father know that he was not interested either, but he was afraid that John's resolve might weaken.
Young John Folck got married to Emma Ann as he had planned. The wedding took place on March 3, 1849. By the end of the month he had talked Emma into selling out to a man just arrived from Illinois. California fever was too contagious for John. He bade his bride of a few weeks good bye. Strickler agreed to go, and a man named Whelan and another named Brown or Broune.
pg 30-31
John Folck had made some money from his gold mining efforts; in 1852 he decided to return to his bride Emma. He had fashioned for her a pin made of gold, no doubt an effort to placate the deserted bride.
Catherine Folck and her youngest daughters had re-settled in Kansas (though they later moved back to Clinton County), and John stopped there to see his step-mother. Catherine broke the news to John that Emma had tired waiting for him and had married another man. On impulse, John gave the gold pin to his stepsister Tempa, and it is today the prized possession of Tempa's granddaughter in Onawa, Iowa.
John married an Iowa widow with seven children in 1857, Mrs. Mary Ann Greenman Walrod. This new responsibility did not prevent his being drawn into the Civil War. He enlisted in Company A, 6th Cavalry, October 1862. One account states that he was mustered out in 1865, but his widow's obituary states that he was killed in the Indian Wars in South Dakota in 1864.
From archived army records-
Ft Randall Dakota
May 26th 1864
I hereby certify that John Folck a private in Co A 6th Reg Iowa Vol Cav died in the hospital at this post under my charge March 1st 1864 from the effect of gun shot and arrow wounds received from a party of Indians about one & a half miles from the post, under the following circumstances to wit; He left the post in company with some teamsters after wood upon their return was fired upon by a party of Indians laying in ambush private Folck was shot three times in the back and hips with balls and five times in different parts of the body with arrows, he was immediately brought into hospital and died two hours afterwards from the effect of said wounds.
(signed)
T.S. Bardwell
Asst Surgeon 6th Reg Iowa Vol C
Also per newspaper article sent to the Coal Springs, S. Dakota, Bison Courier-
This letter is the story of my father's death. He was killed by Indians at Fort Randall, South Dakota, Mar. 1, 1864 and was written by Nathanial Johnson, a dear friend of his.
(signed)
Mrs. Josephine Groat, his only daughter
Mrs. Mary A. Folck (His widow)
It is a sad and painful duty I now have to disclose to us all. Quite unexpected to us all, but to you, it must be more so. God help you to bear your affliction, no less than the death of your beloved husband.
This will not come to you any more unexpectedly than it did to us.
The story as near as I can relate it seems thus: Monday the first of March immediately after dinner, he left left our quarter for a ramble. He strolled around near the garrison until he got too much fatigued when he met Tap, a mulatto man, in the employ of Fullers, our government contractor at the Post, and he got on Tap's wagon. Tap was hauling wood to the garrison from a place about 3 miles distant and he went out with him for a load of wood. They got their load of wood and started home. The hadn't gone more than 40 rods, when a band of Indians, 7 or 8, emerged from a Small about 20 steps from the load and fired at them with rifles. John gave the signal then he and Tap commenced to run. John couldn't fun fast. They hadn't run but a few steps when the Indians shot and he fell and they shot him with their guns and arrows, cut him with a Tomahawk. Tap after being fired at, the ball just grazed his knee, cam to the camp and gave the alarm. An ambulance started out to get John's dead body, as we supposed, but on arriving at the place, found him alive, but words cannot describe the condition he was in. Abe, a negro in Fuller's employ, was with him. He had been behind Tap, the Savages didn't see him. Abe got him on his wagon with the help of a Sergeant and was bringing him into the fort when the ambulance met them. They put him into the ambulance and brought him to the hospital. The doctor examined him and pronounced him lost. He lived until 20 minutes past nine o'clock P.M. the same day, the 1st of March when he expired. I started out to his murderers and got back about 7 o'clock. I went to the Hospital and spoke to him, "Johnson," he said, "I am pretty near my last. I want you to write to my folks and tell them all about it." here the pain took him so he couldn't talk without difficulty. That's all he said. He shook hands with all and bid them farewell. The doctor sent me away so I can't tell how he suffered towards the last, but I was told he suffered extremely.
He was wounded in 14 places, on the hips with buckshot and on the head cut with a tomahawk. He was shot through the breast and bowels with balls and arrows. The savages held their guns so close to him that they burned him with powder. But I think I have written enough of the horrors he had to undergo. I shouldn't have written so much but that was his request. He talked much of his family to everyone and was in full possession of his mind until the last.
He requested that the clothes he was killed in might be sent to his wife. All his effects I have turned over to Captain Galigar. I have packed all his valuable trinkets in a small trunk of his. These and the clothes he was killed in. I think you had better have sent to you. The rest it would be better to have Captain Gallagar sell for you and send the money. I can't write tonight, anyhow.
We buried him Ft. Randall Cemetery on top of a dry knoll about three-quarters of a mile from the Fort. He was dressed in a suit of military clothes. Among soldiers, affection is generally scarce but I must close trusting in Him Who alone can comfort and protect his widow and fatherless. If there is anything I can do for you or any information, believe me we all deeply sympathize with you in affection, if there is anything I can do for you or any information you want concerning John's affairs I will be glad to do it or help you.
The day was very disagreeable, being windy and chilly. Men that has been at this Post for 5 or 6 years, say that he had the most respectful burial of any one that has been buried here. John and I have bunked together for 15 months, the longest of any two in the company, and during that time no angry word or ill-feeling never passed between us. He was beloved by all, and was brave and generous. I feel that I had lost my best friend and it is so with all in our room, and even in our camp.
Yours respectfully,
Nathaniel Johnson
(retyped from the original newspaper article by Marlene Harrington, December 21, 2007)
In a letter in part sent to my father:
Mr. Harrington,
This is some information I found in a book here at Pickstown (S.D.) and thought you might not have it.
(signed........)
I cannot read the signature but came from - Bristow, NE
Indian attacks upon the settlements and along the Missouri River continued throughout the winter of 1863-64. Horses were the main object of these raids but plunder and murder were not uncommon. In March, 1864 Private Folck of Company A, 6th Iowa Cavalry, was attacked and mortally wounded by a party of four Indians two miles from Fort Randall. Lt. Col. Pollock and 20 mounted troops were sent in immediate pursuit but the trail of the Indians was lost in a deep ravine about 40 miles above the fort. Thereafter a detail of two enlisted men and a noncommissioned officer. By the peculiarities of the arrow killing Folck and the rumors afloat it was generally believed that the Indian slayers were Yanktonnais. Several months later a band of Sioux even approached the vicinity of Fort Randall. When General Sully in June 12, a band of Hynkpapa Sioux came that same morning within one-half mile of the fort, driving off 40 cavalry horses. Troops were dispatched in pursuit but the Indians escaped, though without the horses .........
(Note: He did not mention the name of the book, nor the author)
American Civil War Soldiers
NAME: John Folck
RESIDENCE: Dewitt, Iowa
ENLISTMENT DATE: 6 Oct 1862
SIDE SERVED: Union
STATE SERVED: Iowa
SERVICE RECORD: Enlisted as a Private on 6 October 1862 at the age of 37
Enlisted in on 6 Oct 1862 Killed on 1 Mar 1864 at Fort Randall, DT SOURCES:71
Source Information:
Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Networks, Inc., 1999.
Original data: Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA form the.
Veterans Administration
Leavenworth National Cemetery
Dated: July 15, 1987
Our files show that PVT John Folck, Co. A, 6th Iowa Cavalry is interred in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Section G, Grave 2955. the date of death is shown as March 1, 1864. No other information is shown regarding the transfer from Fort Randall.
signed:
Bill C Broughton
for:
Velva L. Melton, Director
Sadly, our family learned to late that several graves were moved from the original burial site at Fort Randall prior to the building of Fort Randall Dam. It was our understanding they tried to contact surviving relatives for permission to move the graves, families contacted had the opportunity to say yes or no, consequently some graves were not moved. Unfortunately our family was not contacted, therefore John Folck was among those moved to the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.
|
