Bill and Diana Sowers
, Lincoln County CoordinatorsTracee Hamilton, Lincoln County Coordinator
Arthur Rose, who is employed by the Kansas Veterans Commission at Topeka, has been doing considerable research work in regard to the Civil War veteran whose grave on a hilltop west of town has been neglected throughout the years. In a letter received from Arthur last week he gives an account of some of the thing she has learned from the investigation into the death of the old soldier and which also contained some early day history of Lincoln county which will be of interest.
His letter follows:
"Attached is some material on the above case. I think we have him well identified ' the material from National Archives would be interesting. I would not mention the widow's pension claims by name since it has not been 50 years since it was filed ' am surprised that National Archives would release it.
"I took some time to brief the Saline Valley Register, summer of 1878, and noted that many children died from diphtheria. The issue of 9-4-78 stated that 16 had died in that community in the past month. Wm. Hendrickson had buried two of his children on the previous Saturday and buried a third one on the next Monday.
"Joshua Simmons drowned 7-27-78. The Saline Valley Register, 9-18-78, reported that Mrs. Simmons had buried two of the children from diphtheria.
"Since Mr. and Mrs. Simmons were married in Wapello county, Iowa, it is possible that the Iowa Historical Society could find a newspaper account of Mr. Simmons' death in the 'home town' paper. We could probably come up with the home address in Ohio and come up with more narrative on the case. It seemed that the local newspapers gave more attention to what happened 'back east' or on out further on the 'frontier' than they did to local happenings. We assume that the east provided the 'cultural' items while the areas further west were used to show residents how rough and horrible life was on further west ' discourage immigration.
"Incidentally, the Saline Valley Register of 9-4-78 stated, 'Lincoln county now has almost six thousand inhabitants, therefore, under the law, all county officers must keep their offices open at the county seat at all times.' " In furthering his research, Arthur wrote the following letter to the Veterans Administration Center at Wichita.
"The above is buried on a farm west of Lincoln, Kansas. Because of interest expressed by residents we have investigated his military service. We have found the following:
"From the Saline Valley Register, a newspaper published at Lincoln Center, Kansas, Wednesday 7-31-78: Mr. Joshua Simmons, one of our good citizens, living about five miles up the river, was drowned Saturday afternoon last in attempting to cross the Saline, on his way home from Ellsworth. As we understand it, he was riding one horse and leading another, when getting into deep water he became entangled in the rope in some way and himself and the animal he was riding were drowned. Thorough search was made for the body on Sunday but it was not recovered until Monday morning some two miles downstream. Mr. Simmons was a quiet, peacable, industrious man. He leaves a wife and five children to mourn his death'.
"We are requesting that the Veterans Administration rebury this veteran in a permanent burial ground. We feel certain that veterans organizations, the Woman's Relief Corps, and others in the Lincoln area who would assist in the reburial."