Tama County, Iowa |
| The Mexican-American War was fought from 25 April 1846 to 2 Feb 1848. At that time, the area now called Tama County was inhabited only by a few Meskwaki Indians, who had refused to move to the reservation in Kansas. The first white settlers came to Tama County in 1849. By 1860, the population was already 5,285, and growing fast.
A few military veterans from before the Civil War settled in Tama County, and this page records information about them. In addition to the Mexican-American War veterans, we also have one from the Blackhawk War (May-Aug 1832, Illinois and Michigan Territory), and even one from the War of 1812. See also the page on Civil War Veterans buried in Tama County.
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| Name | Rank | Unit | Birth | Death | Cemetery | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAGNER, Frederick | Pvt | Co G, Indiana Mounted Riflemen | 13 Dec 1869 | Oak Hill | Mex-Am War | |
| EVERITT, Thomas | Pvt | served under General Scott | 1789 MD | 7 May 1871 | Oak Hill | War of 1812, Battle of Lundy's Lane |
| LEWIS, Samuel J | Pvt | 12 Dec 1820 | 27 Mar 1896 | Mattingly | Mex-Am War | |
| MILLER, Issas S | Pvt | 26 Dec 1904 | Woodlawn | Mex-Am War | ||
| ROSS, William M | 1827 | 10 Mar 1907 | Rose Hill | Mex-Am War | ||
| SEEKINS, John | Pvt | 1795 | 26 Dec 1884 | Maple Hill | War of 1812 | |
| TOMPKINS, Abram | Pvt | 23 Sep 1811 NY | 8 Nov 1886 | Hayes | Blackhawk War | |
| WILKINSON, Anthony | Pvt | 28 Jul 1817 Donegal, Ireland | 10 Nov 1888 | Wilkinson | Mex-Am War POW. Also fought in the Civil War. | |
| WILKINSON, William | 3 Aug 1830, Donegal, Ireland | 25 May 1901 | Mex-Am War | |||
| WILLIAMSON, Joachim W | Pvt | 26 Jan 1803 VA | 23 Oct 1896 | Maple Hill (Montour) | Mex-Am War | |
| WILSON, Bartholomew | Pvt | Co G, Mounted Riflemen | 17 Jun 1827 | 4 Mar 1907 | Rector | Mex-Am War. Also served in the Civil War, IA 28 Inf L |
| WILSON, M C | Sixth Indiana Volunteer Riflemen | 28 Aug 1828 | Mex-Am War, also fought in the Civil War, IA 2 Inf I and IA 20 Inf F |
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Each of these veterans provides us with a research project. Since they were among the first settlers of Tama County, their stories tell us a lot about the county's early history. Mexican War veterans were given land, and these men came with their families, to settle and farm the land. The WILKINSON Family were among the first settlers. A picture of Anthony WILKINSON appears on the Population History of Tama County page. According to The History of Tama County, Chapter XXIV, Columbia Township, "Thomas EVERITT came with his family in October, 1858, and settled on the northeast quarter of section 5. He remained until he died, May 7, 1872." Name spelled EVERETT in this biography. He was once tried (the case was dismissed) for stealing a $5 pair of boots! See the third paragraph in Chapter VIII of the History of Tama County, 1883. Abram TOMPKINS appears in the 1860 US Census, Otter Creek Township. His story is told in the sixth paragraph of Chapter XXXIII, History of Tama County, 1883, and his biography is in Chapter XIII. Transcribed in November 2013 by William Haloupek. |