Kissel, Isaac B. (1841-1933)

KISSEL

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 12/24/2022 at 16:53:17

Isaac B. Kissel
(June 12, 1841 – December 22, 1933)

Fought Indians in Civil War
Isaac Kissel, Upper Strasburg, Still Able to Attend Memorial Services
Enlisted from Iowa
Source: The News Chronicle, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, Friday, May 30, 1930

Isaac B. Kissel, of Upper Strasburg [Pennsylvania], who will be 89 years old June 12, is one of the few veterans of the Civil War in this section who has been able to attend Memorial services this year. Mr. Kissel was one of the honored guests at Orrstown on Sunday afternoon.
He was born in Upper Strasburg and went to Iowa in 1857, when that state was young, drove oxen breaking the prairie with four and six yoke of oxen to a plow. He remained there up to and including the season of 1861 which closed in August. He then enlisted at his country’s call, and was sworn into Company A, 14th Regiment, Iowa Volunteers, October 23, at Iowa City. This regiment had its full quota, three companies at Iowa City and seven at Davenport. They were under orders to join the seven companies at Davenport, when Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood received orders from President Lincoln, who was a personal friend of Kirkwood, to send immediately the most available companies to Dakota to quell and Indian uprising. The three companies of which Mr. Kissel was one of the members, A., B., and C., being the nearest, were detached and ordered to Ft. Randall, with no other way of transportation but to walk the distance of 500 miles. Poorly equipped and clothed, they arrived at Ft. Randall, December 1, in zero weather, with snow a foot deep. Mr. Kissel said the quarters were good and they were glad to have these meager comforts after a forced march of so many miles.
Mr. Kissel and his company were kept in that territory during their term of enlistment, three years. They did not have a serious engagement, as the Indians did not fight that way. They surprise you or you surprise them. Occasionally they were caught on the run but not often, as they had the advantage and knew the country well. They were driven from the south border to the British possessions. General Sully was the commander and in the opinion of Mr. Kissel, one of the shrewdest in the United States, not excepting Kit Carson. Over several thousand Indians were overtaken by Mr. Kissel’s company at Whitestone Hills, where a Federal cemetery now marks the place. Several other companies from the western states were also rushed to this territory, and Mr. Kissel tells in a most interesting way of the bravery of these men, and pays special tribute to the Dakotians who had suffered much, were real Indian fighters, and after they had captured an Indian, said, “he was a good Indian ever after.” Mr. Kissel returned to Upper Strasburg from Iowa several years ago.
This article was in the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) file on Isaac B. Kissel, who joined G.A.R. Lincoln Post #29 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was born June 12, 1841 in Upper Strasburg, PA. and died Dec. 22, 1933 in Council Bluffs and buried in Council Bluffs.