392 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



When the spring came I returned to the farm, and one 

 day while digging post holes in the Des Moines River bot- 

 tom, I heard of the firing on Sumter. Next day, with 

 some of my neighbor's big boys, including George God- 

 frey, I went to Oskaloosa, to see about enlisting, and we 

 joined Captain John H. Warren's company. 



The company was not accepted in the first call, but when 

 the second call for three year men came it was accepted 

 and became Company H, Third Iowa Infantry. The com- 

 pany drilled a few weeks at Oskaloosa and finally left for 

 the war on my twentieth birthday, May 30, 1861. At the 

 old South Spring Mills we lined up and bade all our 

 friends good-bye. Mother kissed James and myself and 

 she and father gave us their blessing and we started off 

 on the march to Eddyville, and then indeed, for the first 

 time I cut loose from all my home moorings and thence- 

 forth attempted to direct my life in my own way. 



WITH THE THIRD IOWA INFANTRY 



My connection with the Third Iowa was only from May 

 to November 7, 1861, but that service has greatly influ- 

 enced the course of my life. 



My brother James was my messmate, also Wm. E. 

 Shepherd, who had been a schoolmate and who from Jan- 

 uary 1, 1866, to January 1, 1873, was afterwards my law 

 partner. 



We organized Mess No. 5, which consisted of James F. 

 Lacey, George Godfrey, Jesse McClure, Wm. McClure, 

 David McClure, John McClure, Wm. E. Shepherd, John 

 W. Mehanna, Richard Campbell, Al Lough and myself. 

 Captain John H. Warren messed with us also during the 

 time that I remained with the Third Iowa. 



Nearly all of these boys were my neighbors and we had 

 been long acquainted. All of them are now dead, except 



