John and Nancy Scott Slatten family

NANCY SCOTT d/o Andrew S. & Anna Longest Scott b. 22 Feb 1811 Lincoln co. Ky. d. 27 Nov 1885 Des Moines, Polk co. Iowa m. 30 Jun 1830 Sangamon co. Ill. (however, a news story in the 29 Jun 1879 Iowa State Register called that day their fiftieth anniversary) John Slatten s/o Joseph & Martha Allen Slatten b. 5 Feb 1809 Garrard co. Ky. d. 7 Mar 1881 Des Moines, Polk co. Iowa. Both buried in Woodland cemetery, Des Moines, Iowa. They moved from Sangamon co. Ill. to Dewitt co., and then to Des Moines, Iowa in 1856. They apparently ran a hotel there called Slatten House. It was the same hotel that Nancy's brother Wilson Alexander Scott built in the early days of Des Moines. It was in a brick house near the east approach to the Rock Island bridge. It later became the "Hawkeye" and later the "Refuge of Sin and Prostitution" (until it was torn down). In 1880, John and Nancy were living at 105 Market Street in Des Moines; John was listed as being in the "Hay & Coal" business (with an Anna T. Luther, age 15, a granddaughter; Anna Tilda Luther b. Dec 1864 Iowa d. 2 Mar 1951 Marion, Guadalupe co. Texas or Waco, McLennan co. Texas m. 1887 Henry Deans b. 13 May 1847 Roxburgshire, Scotland d. 20 Jun 1920 Dawes co. Nebraska, buried Evergreen Cemetery, Dawes co. Nebraska; Anna was listed in a county history as "a daughter of a prominent physician of Iowa"; she was not in the 1870 census).

They had at least 8 children:

Andrew- b. 1832/33 Ill. d. 18 Apr 1862 St. Louis, Missouri. m. 30 Oct 1858 Warren co. Iowa Clarinda A. Bassett b. 2 July 1844 Lexington, Kentucky d. 4 Dec 1918 Miami, Florida (she m/2 6 May 1867 Polk co. Iowa Freeman S. Weaver b. 1843/4 Ohio d. 26 Apr (or 7 May) 1908 Mayfield, California, buried Woodland Cemetery, Polk co. Iowa). Listed as a student in college in 1850, and as an attorney-at-law in 1860; referred to as "an eccentric young lawyer of East Des Moines" and as having been Justice of the Peace in Lee Township, in the "Centennial History of Polk County, Iowa" (1876). He fought in the Civil War- Second Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company D, and was slightly injured as part of the storming party at the Battle of Fort Donelson (read about it here). He was shot in the shin, but died of his wounds from an infection that set in at the medical facility in St. Louis. He had enlisted on 4 May 1861, and was reduced to ranks at his own request May 28, 1862 after he died. Buried Woodland cemetery. A letter survives, written by him to his father before he died:

Dear Father,

... We got there [Fort Donelson] on St. Valentine's Day. You have heard about the battle fought there, and it is no use for me to describe it. We had to stay out all night of the 14th without tents or blankets, and it was very cold. I suffered more that night from cold than ever before in my life. ... The usual mishaps of remaining out of provisions, etc., befell us; but we got some pilot bread and some bacon just before going into battle. ... when we received the order "Forward!" we went up the hill in a full run, the rebels dropping our boys in rows. ... I got my eye on a bunch of them, and took sight every time I shot. Sometimes I could see the man drop - thought at the time that I had killed three. While I was shooting... I received a shot in the shin... breaking the small bone in my leg... Before I was wounded I had my gun spoiled by being hit with a ball, so I had to take a fallen man's gun and use it. I was wounded about one o'clock, and it took me till nearly sundown to crawl off, and I almost froze. I was slightly wounded twice while leaving the field, once in the head by a small piece of shell and once on the forefinger of the right hand, slitting the knuckle. ... My wounds are not dangerous. I would write plainer but for the wound on my knuckle.

Yours, affectionately,

A. Slatten

Andrew and Clarinda had two children:

Douglas A.- b. 2 Jun 1860 Des Moines, Polk co. Iowa d. 2 Nov 1924 Tampa, Hillsborough co. Florida m/1. 7 Mar 1883 Polk co. Iowa Florence A. Burnes d/o William H. & C. A. March Burns b. 1865 Avon, Polk co. Iowa d. before 1902; m/2. 8 Apr 1902 Indianola, Warren co. Iowa Lillie A Pearson Mcpleesson (her 2nd) d/o Archibald & Sarah Armstrong Pearson b. 1868 Carlisle, Polk co. Iowa d. before 1924
Shasta B.- b. 28 Oct 1862 Iowa; living 1880

Rebecca- b. 18 Jun 1837 Ill. d. 26 Aug 1896 Des Moines, Polk co. Iowa m. 19 Jun 1856 Dewitt co. Ill. George Zerr b. 14 Feb 1833 Germany d. 22 Oct 1892 Des Moines, Polk co. Iowa. Both buried Polk City Cemetery, Polk co. Iowa. At least 4 children.
Statirah T. (female)- b. 1840/41 Ill. m. 1 May 1856 Dewitt co. Ill. Ellison Mayfield s/o Ennis Gore & Mary Caroline Myers Mayfield b. 1831 Illinois. At least 4 children. They lived in Madison twp. Polk co. Iowa in 1870 (although Statirah was listed as "Charlotta", so it may have been a second wife, same age), but in 1880 only their youngest daughter Alma is listed in the census, living with George & Rebecca Zerr (above). The rest of the family either moved without her or died.
Margaret E.- b. 21 Sep 1841 Clinton, Dewitt co. Ill. d. 5 Jun 1918 Boone co. Iowa m/1. 4 Sep 1862 Polk co. Iowa John B. Dyer s/o Caleb & Elizabeth Dyer b. 18 Oct 1827 Indiana d. 9 Feb 1894 Iowa, 2 children; on 7 Apr 1871, his barns, hay, grain, fences, and timber were consumed by a fire during a windstorm in Boone co. Iowa. Margaret m/2. 1897 George Nelson Wilson b. 19 Sep 1828 Ontario, Canada d. 5 Sep 1916 Buena Vista co. Iowa
Alice Xantippe- b. 1843/44/45 Ill. d. Oct 1879 prob. Taylor co. Iowa m. 2 Sept 1868 John Newton Ferguson b. 18 Apr 1838 Richland co. Ohio d. 19 May 1918 Brown co. Nebraska. He fought in the Civil War- Second Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company D. One son- Guy, b. 1872 Iowa
Zarilda- b. 1845/46/47 Ill. d. before 1885 m/1. late 1860's J. Anderson b. 1834/5 Ohio; m/2. Newton R. Luther ("a prominent physician of Iowa") b. 15 May 1844 Clay co. Ind. d. 10 Feb 1926?
Helen Jane- b. 9 July 1849 Dewitt co. Ill. d. 19 Sep 1850 Dewitt co. Ill., buried Rock Creel Cemetery
Benjamin "Bennie"- b. 13 May 1850 Dewitt co. Ill. d. 13 July 1870 Des Moines, Iowa, buried Polk City Cemetery

Author: Matt Scott