The Fighting Chattins of Iowa

Imagine for a moment, being the parent of five sons serving in the Union Army during 1861-1865. Four long years of separation. Four years of worry and stress. Your five sons who you taught to be good boys and to work hard on the farm; somewhere, out there, in harm's way, on the march, in camp, on a battlefield, in the cold and heat, hungry and homesick, possibly captive in a prisoner-of-war camp, or even lying in an un-marked grave. Such was the situation James and Mary Foster Chattin of Marion, Linn County, Iowa.

The Chattin's moved from Springfield, Ohio to Iowa in 1852. They brought their five sons and one daughter with them: John, Henry, Charles, William, James W. , and Sarah. They were on their way west to Oregon.

In 1861, Iowa was a fledgling state, having achieved statehood only 15 years earlier in 1846. It was populated by 675,000 souls in the 1860 census, mostly along the Mississippi, Cedar, Iowa, Des Moines, and Missouri Rivers and the eastern half of the state. Very few were Iowa born. They had come west from other states like New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, searching for a new life and rich soil to grow better crops, They were a hardy and independent people willing to work hard for everything.

The historical record clearly shows many sets of brothers enlisted together in Iowa regiments for the purpose of preserving the Union their fathers' had fought so hard to join; and their grandfathers' had fought so hard to create. Four, five, six, or even seven brothers served in the same regiment and company. With such a record, to Iowans anyway, it was not necessarily a war of "brother against brother", but rather, a war of "brother with brother". The youngest would join first; the older, not wanting to see the younger go alone, would enlist too, and so on. War rallies held around the state encouraged such enlistment until, by war's end, a total of 87,000 Iowa men had served or were serving the Union cause, mostly in the Trans-Mississippi and Western Theatre and also with "Uncle Billy" Sherman deep into the Confederacy.

The five Chattin brothers were no exception. However, they did not serve together in a single regiment or company. They actually served in five different regiments. Their parents, James and Mary Chattin, had to keep track of five units through whatever newspapers or letters home that might give information on their sons' whereabouts and health. John was the only brother who had remained in Iowa. The other brothers continued westward to Oregon where they were living at the beginning of the war. However, they did return to Iowa to enlist.

According to The Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion pub. 1910, Chattin family information provided by Lisa Hoth, and Historical Societies in Iowa, Oregon, and Montana, I have been able to come up with the following information on each Chattin brother:

1. John F. Chattin. Born Springfield, Ohio Dec. 25, 1836. Emigrated to Linn County, Iowa in 1852. Enlisted as a private on July 26, 1862 in Company A, 20th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Promoted to 6th Corporal on March 17, 1863. Mustered out at Mobile, Alabama July 8, 1865. Returned home to Linn County where he married Miss Mary T. Nauman in 1867 and fathered four children. Moved to Anthon in western Iowa and was member of the William Baker Post #298 GAR in Correctionville. He was a farmer and a carpenter who built school houses in western Iowa. John Chattin passed away on Feb. 24, 1914. His obituary states: " As a soldier, a man, citizen, a husband and father, Mr. Chattin was noble. He had a kindly disposition, a charitable nature and many of the noble attributes of manhood." He was called Uncle Johnnie by most of his neighbors and friends.

According to Lisa Hoth, a descendant of John Chattin, from her grandfather: "Grandfather Chattin and my mother voluntarily made the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" in Oak Hill Cemetery. They made forms for the cross and mixed the cement by hand for the cross and border around the tomb. Grandfather gave instructions to always place flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and we always did on Decoration Day." Chattin died at age 77 and was also buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Anthon Iowa, just up the hill from the cross memorial.

2. James W. Chattin. Age 26 when he enlisted on August 14, 1862 as a private in Company A, 31st Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He died on the floating hospital ship "Nashville" May 15, 1863 at Milliken's Bend, Louisiana. We have so far been unable to find his grave site. Perhaps this is why his brother, John Chattin, was moved to erect the unknown soldier memorial in Oak Hill Cemetery.

3. Henry Clay Chattin Age 29 when he enlisted on October 21, 1862 as a private in Company K, 6th Iowa Cavalry. The regiment served served as part of the Northern Border Brigade in northwest Iowa and Minnesota against the Sioux uprisings which began in 1857 when the Inkpaduta attacked settlers along the Great Lakes Region. This is now known as the Spirit Lake Massacre. A large part of their service consisted of cold and exhaustive marches for both men and horses. Henry returned west after the war, living in Missoula, Montana with his daughter and her family. He is listed as an officer of the Fredrick Winthrop Post #11 GAR in Missoula. He died March 22, 1923 at the Old Soldiers Home in Columbia Falls, Montana and is buried in Conrad Cemetery in Kalispel, Montana.

4. William R. Chattin Age 24 when he enlisted on July 1, 1861 as a private in Company A, 6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He received promotions to Corporal, Sergeant, 1st Sergeant, and finally to 2nd Lieutenant on June 1, 1865. He was mustered out on July 21, 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. The 6th Iowa was in engaged in 16 battles and served under General Sherman. After the war, William returned to Oregon, living in Summerville, Union County, Oregon with his sister Sarah. He was a butcher by trade and also became a GAR member.

5. Charles F. Chattin Age 18 when he enlisted on May 7, 1864 as a private in Company E, 46th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He mustered out on September 23, 1864 at Davenport, Iowa. The regiment was one of the last Iowa regiments to be organized and was organized for only 90 days service. Charles also returned to Oregon where he lived in Elgin City, Union County, Oregon. He too was a butcher by trade and also became a GAR member.

The Chattin brothers lost touch with one another in latter years. However, they all involved themselves in the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) which was a national organization of honorably discharged Union veterans who banded together for purpose of helping each other obtain pensions from the government as well as doing civic work and for political voting power. The brothers had one last re-union at Salt Lake City, Utah at a GAR Encampment. They had not all been together in 42 years!

It was rare that any family, north or south, was not affected by the American Civil War. Some families were affected to a greater degree than others. The Chattin family's experience of the times, before, during, and after the war, is just one example of many. Yet, they too left a legacy to their descendants and even ourselves today - that such bravery should continue to be recognized and honored. They felt so strongly about their principles, their beliefs, and their country that they stood up to fight for them; brother with brother.

Chattin brothers reunion at G.A.R. encampment in Salt Lake City, UT. Front - left to right: John F. Chattin, Iowa; Henry Chattin, Montana. Back - left to right: William Chattin, Oregon; Charles Chattin, Oregon.

Steven Russell was raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa and has had an interest in history since a young age. He owns and operates a dry cleaning business in Clear Lake, Iowa. Steven has been a Civil War reenactor for the last seven years. He founded the 20th Iowa Descendants Association (which currently has 40 members), and is Past Camp Commander of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) C. H. Huntley Camp #114 in Mason City, Iowa. Through his interest in genealogy he discovered ancestors who served in the 9th and 20th. Iowa.