J W Dolan

RED WILLOW COUNTY, NEBRASKA

CIVIL WAR VETERAN JAMES WILSON DOLAN

The following taken from "MEMOIRS of Ida Mary Hager Dolan and James Wilson Dolan", written about 1927 by Ida & James Dolan. From the Press of GEM PUBLISHING COMPANY, Los Angeles, California.

James W Dolan was born October 26^th, 1845 in Wexford County, Ireland and came to the United States in about 1850 with his parents and family.

On July 27, 1862, J, W, enlisted at Clinton, Iowa, in Company C of the 18th Iowa Infantry. "On the 6^th of August, 1862, my company and regiment were mustered into the service of the United States for three years or during the war. On the 11^th of August my regiment took the steamer "Henry Clay" on the Mississippi for the South. We reached St. Louis on the 13^th of August, at night, and remained on the boat until the next day; then we marched up thru St. Louis to Benton Barracks. It was our first march--on a hot August day and carrying our knapsack and other belongings was not a very pleasant affair. After remaining in the barracks at St. Louis for a few days, in company with my regiment, I took a freight train west to Sedalia, Missouri. This was not a very pleasant trip, having no seats in the freight cars and hardly standing room and being on the train all night. After arriving at Sedalia the regiment was moved out on the prairie, near the station, where we formed in line and stacked arms.

After a few days at Sedalia, the regiment moved to Springfield, Missouri, where they arrived after a slow march in the hot August weather. Part of the time, I remember, water was scarce on the road and in a few instances we had to get along with water from the ponds, on which there was a pretty thick scum. Arriving at Springfield, my regiment was camped in a large earthern fort known as Fort No. 1, some little distance west of the town. On the 8^th of January, 1863, the Confederate General Mermanduke undertook to capture the town as there was a large quantity of army supplies there at the time. The Union forces being rather limited, it was a question for a time whether Mermaduke would not succeed. My company, with two others, was supporting a piece of artillery and was ordered to a very dangerous place, getting into a lane with a stockade on one side and a cemetery on the other, in which the Confederates were very numerous. All the horses on the gun were shot down and all the gunners were disabled and they did not succeed in discharging the gun at this place at all and it was left in possession of the Confederates. There were a number of officers killed, among whom was my Captain, Wm. R. Blue. Lt. Conway of Company C was badly wounded. The loss on the Union side was very severe here. The battle continued with uncertain results until night, when the Confederates retreated and left Springfield in possession of the Union forces.

In the spring of 1864, my company and regiment being located at Fort Smith, Arkansas, under command of General Steele, we were ordered to take the march towards South Arkansas to assist General Banks, who was then making a campaign on the Red River. After arriving at Camden, Arkansas, my regiment was sent with a few other troops and a train of some two hundred wagons into the country for forage and supplies. This was a distance of about eighteen miles from the base where the main army was stationed. When the train was pretty well loaded, the Confederates, estimated to be in the neighborhood of 10,000 to the Union's forces 1,000 captured the train and also quite a number of the Union men and the loss to the Union side was very heavy. Here at one time I stopped beside a tree to surrender, believing that all of us would be captured, but after resting a little while, crossed a nearby open field and landed in a swamp with some dozen others of the regiment. Here we remained into the night, not desiring to expose ourselves, as the enemy was so numerous in the vicinity. Later I, with my companions, undertook to reach Camden, Where the army was camped. On account of the great number of Confederates in the vicinity and on the roads, we dared not travel on any road, but had to go through the woods and across lots, which was very difficult and it was easy to go astray and get lost. One of the party was able to read the stars and so led us safely to our camp, where we arrived the following morning about sunrise.

This battle was on the 18^th of April, 1864. General Banks having failed with his expedition, let all the Confederates in that part of the country free to attack Steele's army wherever they could be found. General Steele, therefore, proceeded northward to Little Rock. There was one quite severe battle on the way, at the crossing of the Saline River, known as Jenkins ferry.

After reaching Little Rock, my regiment made a forced march on to Fort Smith, at which place they remained until about the close of the war.

During the summer of 1865 I was stationed with my Company Commander, Capt. A. B. Conaway, at Van Buren, Arkansas, the said Commander acting as Commissary and Quartermaster of the post. I was his secretary and assisted in the business of handling the Commissary and Quartermaster supplies, preparing his accounts and final papers at the close of our term of service. I was a non-commissioned officer, most of my term, being mustered out as First Corporal of my company. Enlisting in my sixteenth year, it could hardly be expected that I would attain an official position of much prominence. Near the close of our term of service our Colonel wished to appoint me as Sergt.-Major of the regiment, but Captain Conaway needed me in his office and did not consent.

On the 20^th of July, 1865, I was discharged from the army at Little Rock, Arkansas, and from there proceeded to Davenport, Iowa, where I was mustered out and paid off, having served exactly three years."

On 20 Feb 1871 J. W. filed for homestead near (25 mi from) Crete, in Fillmore county, NE, and also filed homestead papers for an adjoining quarter for his brother William. The town of Exeter was established on the land owned by J. W. and his brother. J. W. and his new wife Ida Hager moved from Exeter to Indianola in 1880. Dolan engaged in banking and real estate while living near Indianola. In October 1904 they moved to Los Angeles, CA where he was very successful in the real estate business. He died in Los Angeles January 30, 1929.

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