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OBITUARY NOTICES. 
When the Twentieth Regiment was organized Powell was 
ranked as sergeant major, but on the resignation of another 
officer was elected second lieutenant. 
He studied energetically, and as his course and qualifica¬ 
tions became known was naturally called on for service in 
the line of engineering. 
Ordered to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he was soon set at 
planning and constructing defenses for that towm, in the 
course of which he was associated with several trained mil¬ 
itary engineers, including Fladd, and later Grant, from 
whose example and instruction he was not slow to profit. 
He was retained in charge of the fortifications he had con¬ 
structed after his regiment.had been ordered away. 
In the winter of 1861-1862 he recruited a company of ar¬ 
tillery, largely from loyal Missourians, which was mustered 
into service as Battery F, Second Illinois Artillery, under 
his command as captain. From Grant a week’s leave was 
obtained, which he improved by going to Detroit, where he 
was at once married to his cousin, Miss Emma Dean, of that 
city, and with his bride started back to camp on the even¬ 
ing of the same day. His devoted helpmeet bore the priva¬ 
tions of camp life with womanly fortitude and courage. 
The battery was ordered to Pittsburg Landing in March, 
1862, and on the 6th of April participated in the Battle of 
Shiloh, where Powell lost his right arm. To the skillful 
nursing and devotion of his wife in the army hospital Powell 
always believed his survival was due, and thereafter, by the 
interposition of General Grant, she remained in the field 
with him, enabling him to return to the command of his 
battery and to fulfill his routine duties, thus preserving to 
the service his valued skill as engineer and artillerist. He 
took part in the Battles of Champion Hill and Black River 
Bridge and in the seige of Vicksburg. Later he was obliged 
to go to Detroit for a second operation on his w'ounded arm, 
after recovery from which he joined Sherman’s army for 
the Meridian expedition. He was offered and declined the 
command of one of the newly raised regiments, was pro- 
