The Hill Family of Muscatine County, Iowa

SYLVESTER G. HILL, deceased, a patriotic hero of the late Civil War, was born at North Kingston, R. I., June 10, 1820, and his education was received at the public schools of his native city. He began the business of life by learning the cabinet-maker’s trade, and during his early manhood went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he embarked in the furniture business. While there he was united in marriage, on the 15th of October,

1843, with Miss Martha J. Dyer, daughter of David Dyer, Esq., of that city. She was born in Maine, and removed to Cincinnati with her parents in childhood.

Mr. Hill continued business at Cincinnati until 1849, when the gold discoveries of California attracted his attention, and he sold out and went to the Pacific Coast with the gold seekers. He remained in California until the fall of 1850, when he returned home, and the following year came to Muscatine, Iowa, with his family, and engaged in the lumber business in company with S. G. Stein, continuing in that line until 1862, when he raised a company for service in the late war, and on the loth of August was commissioned Colonel of the 35th Iowa Infantry. With his regiment he entered at once into active service. His eldest son, Edwin, had enlisted July 23, 1861, in Company A. 7th Iowa Infantry, was captured at the battle of Bel mont, Ga., afterward exchanged, and served until the close of the war. Fred, the second son, enlisted Oct. 30, 1863, as a private of Company D, 35th Iowa Infantry, was detailed to serve on his father’s staff, and was killed by being shot through the forehead by a mine ball on the 18th of May, 1864, while in discharge of his duty at the battle of Bayou Glaize or Yellow Bayou. He was a bright, scholarly boy of seventeen years of age, of rare promise, and was highly esteemed by his comrades and friends for his many and noble qualities. At the time of his death he had just delivered an order from his father and wras on his return to his post, when he encountered a squad of about twenty men of the 58th Illinois, w'ho had become separated from their regiment. He told them to follow him, and just as they started he was struck by the fatal bullet, and fell from his horse dead. The riderless horse dashing by where his father wms, Mr. Hill turned to look for his son, and was at that moment himself wounded by a gunshot in the foot. Col. Hill was disabled but a short time with his wound, when he resumed his command, was made Brigadier General of the United States Infantry, and assigned to command of the 3d Brigade, ist Division, Army of the Tennessee, under Gen. George If. Thomas. Gen. Hill lost his life wffiile commanding his brigade, when charging a fort at the battle of Nashville on the loth of December, 1864. His brigade made the charge successfully and captured the fort, but their gallant leader fell, shot through the head by a mine ball, while bravely leading his men to victory. Thus died one of the noblest and bravest of heroic defenders of the Union in that fearful struggle.

Gen. Hill left a wife and nine children to mourn their loss. We give the children in order of their birth below, namely: Edwin, the eldest, who as we previously said was a soldier of the late war for three years, during a portion of which time he was held a prisoner, afterward married Miss Josie Day, and now resides in Sioux City, Iowa; Fred, whom we have before mentioned; Mattie A., wife of John C. Kelley, proprietor of the Sioux City Tribune-, Frank A. wedded Miss Mary Martin, and is a civil engineer of Sioux City; William S., who married Miss Lydia Freeman, is engaged in the grocery business at Muscatine, and his sketch is given elsewhere; Mary is the wife of Edwin Wade, of Boston, Mass.; Rowland J. married Miss Sallie Potter, and is a Lieutenant in the regular army, now stationed at Ft. Assinaboine, Mont.; Sallie O. resides at Muscatine with her mother; Susan is the wife of H. F. Clough, of Sioux City, Iowa; Sylvester G. is a dentist, now practicing in London, England. Mrs. Hill survives her husband, and is a resident of Muscatine.

Gen. Hill was a man of superior mental attain ments, and possessed rare traits of character and a strong individuality. His sympathies were enlisted while a youth in the cause of human liberty, with which the institution of African slavery, so inconsistent under our boasted liberty and equality, seemed to him a blot on American civilization. He joined the Republican party at its organization and was always faithful to its principles.

In closing this brief sketch of one whose life and that of his sons were freely offered up in the cause of his country, we will quote an extract from his funeral sermon delivered by the Rev. A. B. Robins, of Muscatine.

"He was strong in his patriotism, ever a over of liberty, without which love there can be no genuine patriotism. He was always an Abolitionist, not a young convert from the necessity of the case in order to save the nation, but from his innate sense of justice and his love of freedom. Attached to the institutions of his country, he wished to see them descend to his children with no vile excrescence thereon. A patriot, giving as a reason for going out in defense of his country, that which others, many of them, would consider a reason for staying at home, namely: that he with such a family had more at state in securing free institutions for the future. A patriot, bearing without a murmur the fall of one noble son by his side, and the long and much more to be dreaded imprisonment service of his eldest son in behalf of his country. The spontaneous expression of respect and interest on that part of this whole community, the warm and hearty attachment of his fellow soldiers, the uniform respect of those his superior in rank in the army, is evidence enough that no common man is taken from us."

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM S. HILL.

William S. Hill, Muscatine's mayor and an official whose first interest is the welfare and progress of his city, was here born on the 9th of October, 1853. The family name has long been an honored one in this part of Iowa. Comparatively little is known concerning the ancestral history of the family, for the paternal grandfather, who was born in Rhode Island, died when a young man. Unto him and his wife. Mrs. Hannah Hill, there were born several children, including Samuel B., Sylvester G. and Sarah, the wife of Henry O'Connor.

General Sylvester G. Hill was born at North Kingston, Rhode Island, June 10, 1820, and the public schools of his native city afforded him his educational privileges. He made his preliminary step in business circles by learning the cabinet maker's trade and during his early manhood went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he embarked in the furniture business. While there he was united in marriage on the 15th of October, 1843, to Miss Martha J. Dyer, a native of Maine and a daughter of David Dyer, who was born in the Pine Tree state and was of English descent. In early life her father followed the sea. He came to Muscatine about 1854, accompanied by his wife, who died soon afterward. His death occurred after the Civil war. when he was eighty-four years of age. In later life he followed gardening.

Mrs. Martha J. Hill, born in Maine, accompanied her parents to Cincinnati, Ohio, in her childhood days and there was married. In that city the parents of our subject began their domestic life, remaining residents of Cincinnati until 1849, when the gold discoveries of California attracted his attention and he sold his store, going to the Pacific coast with those who sought fortunes in the mines. In 1850 he returned, however, and the following year came with his family to Muscatine, where he engaged in the lumber business in connection with S. G.

Stein. To his mercantile interests he devoted his time and attention until 1862, when he put aside business cares and personal considerations in order to aid the country, then engaged in Civil war. He raised a company for active duty at the front and on the loth of August was commissioned colonel of the Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry. With his regiment he entered at once into active service. His eldest son, Edwin, had previously enlisted on the 23d of July, 1861, and became a member of Company A, Seventh Iowa Infantry. He was captured at the battle of Belmont, Georgia, and was afterward exchanged and served until the close of hostilities. Fred, the second son, enlisted October 30, 1863, as a private of Company D, Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry, was detailed to serve on his father's staff and was killed by being shot through the forehead by a mine ball on the 18th of May, 1864, while in the discharge of his duty at the battle of Bayou Glaize or Yellow Bayou. He was a bright, scholarly boy, seventeen years of age, of rare promise, and was highly esteemed by his comrades and friends because of his many and noble qualities. At the time of his death he had just delivered an order given by his father and was on his return to his post when he encountered a squad of about twenty men of the Fifty-eighth Illinois, who had become separated from their regiment. He told them to follow him and just as they started he was struck by the fatal bullet and fell from his horse dead. The riderless horse dashed by where his father stood and Colonel Hill, turning to look for his son, was at that moment wounded by a gunshot in the foot. He was disabled but a short time, however, and after resuming his command was made brigadier-general of the United States Infantry and assigned to the command of the Third Brigade, First Division, Army of the Tennessee, under General George H. Thomas. General Hill lost his life while commanding his brigade when charging a fort at the battle of Nashville on the 15th of December, 1864. His brigade made the charge successfully and captured the fort, but their gallant leader fell, shot through the head by a mine ball while bravely leading his men to victory. Thus died one of the noblest of the heroic defenders of the Union in that fearful struggle. General Hill left a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. He was a man of superior mental attainments, possessed rare traits of character and strong individuality. He became a republican upon the organization of the party and was ever most loyal in support of his honest convictions, whether in private life or upon the battlefields of the south. In closing a brief sketch of his life at the funeral the Rev. A. B. Robbins said: "He was strong in his patriotism, ever a over of liberty, without which love there can be no genuine patriotism. He was always an abolitionist — not a young convert from the necessity of the case in order to save the Union, but from his innate sense of justice and love of freedom. Attached to the institutions of his country, he wished to see them descend to his children with no vile excrescence thereon. A patriot, giving as a reason for going out in defense of his country that which others, many of them, would consider a reason for staying at home, namely: that he, with such a family, had more at state in securing free institutions for the future. A patriot, bearing without a murmur the fall of one noble son by his side and the long and much-more-to-be-dreaded imprisonment service of his eldest son in behalf of his country. The spontaneous expression of respect and interest on the part of this whole community, the warm and hearty attachment of his fellow soldiers, the uniform respect of those his superior in rank in the army, is evidence enough that no common man is taken from us."

The family of General and Mrs. Hill numbered eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, namely: Edwin, who is a resident of Seattle, Washington; Harry, who died in infancy; Fred, who was killed in the Civil war when a youth of seventeen; Mattie A., the deceased wife of John C. Kelley, proprietor of the Sioux City Tribune; Frank A., a mining engineer of Seattle, Washington; William S., of this review; Mary, the wife of Edwin Wade, of WoUaston, Massachusetts; Rowland G., who has passed away; Sallie O., the deceased wife of John C. Kelley; Susan, who is the wife of H. F. Clough, of Seattle, Washington; and Sylvester G., a dentist of Seattle.

William S. Hill, whose name introduces this record, was reared in Muscatine and attended the public schools. He afterward became a page in the house of representatives at Washington, D. C, occupying the position from 1865 until 1870. For two or three years he worked at the printing business and later followed civil engineering until twenty-one years of age. At that time he began farming on the island south of Muscatine and devoted ten years to general agricultural pursuits. He next spent about two years in Ishpeming, Michigan, after which he returned to Muscatine and established a retail grocery business, which he conducted for eighteen years. In all of his business affairs he has been actuated by a spirit of progress that has brought him substantial returns and his reliability in all trade transactions has gained for him the respect and confidence of his fellowmen. He is now one of the stockholders and directors of the German-American Bank.

On the 23d of September, i88o, Mr. Hill was married to Miss Lydia Freeman, who was born in Muscatine, September 7, 1858. Her parents were Joseph P. and Lydia M. A. (Parvin) Freeman, natives of Pennsylvania and Indiana respectively. The former was the son of William and Lucinda (Irwin) Freeman and William Freeman was a soldier of the war of 1812. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Hill were William and Hannah (Westcott) Parvin. Her father, Joseph P. Freeman came to Muscatine at an early period in the development of the city, arriving in 1840. Here he wedded Lydia Parvin, who came about the same time. The death of Mr. Freeman occurred in 1902, when he was eighty-seven years of age, and his wife passed away in 1885 at the age of sixty-two. They were the parents of nine children: Thomas J., who died in infancy; William P., who is deceased; Franklin; Sarah M., the wife of Thomas Watson, of Muscatine; Delia, the deceased wife of William Scott; Charles F., of Dallas, Texas; Lydia, who is the wife of our subject; Maggie, who died in early life; and Mary Ann, who also passed away when very young.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hill have been born a daughter and two sons: Laura M., the wife of Henry W. Metzger, of Muscatine, and the mother of one son, William Hill Metzger; Joseph F., a farmer living near Royalton, Minnesota, who married Miss Mary Battey; and Ralph P., who died at the age of eighteen years.

In his political views Mr. Hill is a republican, having always supported the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. The splendid reputation which he had made in business circles and his worth as a citizen led to his election to the office of mayor, to which he was called in the spring of 19 10. He is giving a public-spirited, businesslike administration and already has accomplished needed reforms and promoted valuable improvements in the city. In public affairs he manifests the same spirit which caused his gallant father, General Sylvester G. Hill, to go to the front in the Civil war and valiantly lead his forces in the face of the enemy.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.