Joel Campbell

As printed in 1906

JOEL CAMPBELL.

Joel Campbell, who has a wide and favorable acquaintance in Henry county, resides at No. 503 Division street, in Mount Pleasant, having retired from active connection with agricultural interests, to which he devoted his energies for many years. He was born November 30, 1846, and is of English lineage. His parents. James and Nancy (Birdwell) Campbell, were born in East Tennessee, the former on the 18th of May. 1818, and the latter March 4, 1825. The father came to Iowa in 1848, when his son Joel was only two years of age. Much of the journey was made on a flatboat, for there were no railroads at that time, and travel was either by water or by stage, or private conveyance. Mr. Campbell was a farmer by occupation, and on his removal to the Mississippi valley settled first in Sullivan county, Missouri, where he remained for a year, and then came to Henry county, Iowa, establishing his home near Maryland. He purchased land from the state, which he afterward sold, and then removed to Jefferson township, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits until his death, which was occasioned by typhoid fever, November 25, 1855. When about eighteen years of age he had aided in driving the Indians out of Kentucky and Tennessee, this war against the red men occurring about 1836. ''hen he came to Henry county he found that the Indians were still numerous in this part of the state, and that wild game of all kinds was plentiful. He was well fitted to cope with the difficulties of pioneer life, possessing a genial, jovial nature that set at naught the hardships and difficulties and made the most of opportunities. Moreover, he was an honest, upright man and did much to promote the good of the community. His political allegiance was given to the Whig party, and both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Campbell survived her husband for a number of years, and died

January 3, 1866. In their family were six children, of whom two are living: Joel and Polly N., the latter of Harper county, Kansas. The father was married twice, and by his first union he had one daughter, Mary Jane, who married Abraham Carpenter, who died in September, 1904, his remains being interred in Forest Home cemetery in Mount Pleasant. His widow now resides in Harper, Kansas. The mother of our subject was laid to rest in Tippecanoe township, while the father's burial occurred in Way land. Their eldest son, Joshua B. Campbell, enlisted for service in Company I, of the Fourteenth Iowa Infantry in the Civil war, and was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh, which occurred on the 6th of April, 1862. He was, after being in prison sixty days, paroled and was in parole camp at St. Louis one year and afterward on detached duty. There were also three cousins of Joel Campbell in the Civil war: James, Archibald and Jasper Campbell, the lastnamed being only fourteen years of age when he was killed.

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Mr. Campbell also made a creditable military record in the Civil war. In February. 1864, he secured his mother's written consent, and enlisted as a member of Company G, Thirtieth Iowa infantry. He was transferred in May, 1865, to Company K. of the Sixth Iowa Veteran Infantry, and was honorably discharged on the 28th of July of the same year. He participated in the battles of Dalton. New Hope Church, the siege of Atlanta, Savannah and Bentonville, being under the command of Sherman. He also participated in the celebrated march to the sea, which proved the weakness of the Confederacy; at the close of the war, he took part in the grand review in Washington, the most celebrated military pageant ever seen on the western hemisphere. He endured the privations and hardships that were meted out to a soldier, and his mind is filled with interesting reminiscences of the great conflict. He tells of being for three days and three nights without anything to eat but green chestnuts, and he was suffering severely from rheumatism ai that time and was unable to walk. It was about the time that Hood flanked the

Union troops. He now has in his possession a most interesting and valuable map, showing the route of the marches of the army of General Sherman from Atlanta to Goldsboro, North Carolina, being the only map of the kind in the county.

Mr. Campbell was first married July 4, 1872, to Miss Sarah Collins, who was born in Salem township, and was a daughter of John and Martha Collins. She died January 26, 1873, and was laid to rest in Pleasant Point cemetery. On the 27th of July, 1892, after living alone for about twenty years, Mr. Campbell was again married, his second union being with Miss Leona Luzadder, who was born in Highland county, Ohio, May 22, 1850, a daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Barnard) Luzadder, both of whom were natives of Highland county, Ohio. The maternal grandparents were born on the island of Nantucket, and the paternal grandparents were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ltizadder was a farmer, and brought his family to Iowa from Ohio in a wagon in 1850. His destination was Tippecanoe township, this county, where l"ie purchased an improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he carried on general agricultural pursuits for many years, there residing at the time of his death, which occurred January 26,

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1893. Her people were members of the Society of Friends, while the ancestry of the Campbell line were represented in the Baptist and Methodist churches. Mr. Luzadder, father of Mrs. Campbell, was for several months in the state miHtia, actingas a member of the home guards at the time of the Civil war. In politics he was a republican, and kept well iiiformed on the questions and issues of the day. He served as one of the school directors and also as county commissioner, and is said by all who knew him to have been one of nature's noblemen. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Luzadder were born seven children, of whom four are now living: Clark, a resident of Miami county, Kansas; Albert, of Butler county, Kansas; Arthur, who is living in Wapello county, Iowa, and Mrs. Campbell. Besides rearing his own family, Mr. Luzadder always had some orphan or homeless child with him. who was treated as a member of his own family. His broad humanitarianism and benevolent spirit prompted him to many actions of kindness and deeds of charity, and the poor and needy found in him a warm friend. Many have lived to bless his memory for timely assistance which he rendered, and his influence was ever given on the side of right, progress, truth and justice. During his declining years Mr. Luzadder was tenderly cared for by his daughter, Mrs. Campbell.

Following the splendid example of her father, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have reared an adopted son, William Arthur Luzadder, who was born September 15, 1878. in Henry county, whose parents were Arthur B. and Sarah L. (Craig) Luzadder. He lived with Mr. and Mrs. Campbell until his marriage to Miss Leslie Scott and now resides in Adair county, Missouri. By this marriage there are three children. Vera H., Laura Ruth and Nelda Belle. ]\Mr. Campbell is a republican with somewhat independent tendencies. He has been a member of the school board and township constable for two years. Fraternally he is connected with Glasgow Lodge, No. 145, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and with McFarland Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Mount Pleasant, thus maintaining cordial relations with his old army comrades. Both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are held in the highest esteem by all who know them. He has a genial, jovial nature, with native wit, with always a joke and a pleasant smile. His kindness of heart, his inflexible integrity and his genuine worth have gained him the unqualified respect of all with whom he has been associated. His wife, too, enjoys the esteem of many friends, and no history of this community would be complete without mention of this worthy couple. Although his school privileges in youth were limited, he has, by reading and travel, gained broad and comprehensive knowledge, and is an entertaining conversationalist, having acquired an education equal to that of many of better early advantages.

As printed in Biographical review of Henry County, Iowa, containing biographical and genealogical sketches of many of the prominent citizens of to-day and also of the past .. (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.