Military
COUNTY COLONELS
Source: Delphi Journal 13 June 1883 p 1
Military Recollections by a Citizen Soldier
To the Editor of the Delphi Journal – Liberty has been defined a thousand times but it may be defined again. One of many writers says “Perfect liberty is perfect obedience to natural law.” He probably had the element of choice in his mind, although he did not so word it, and meant to state that perfect liberty is voluntary obedience to natural law. Obedience not voluntary would not be perfect and would not be liberty. All liberty has first been obtained by the bayonet or military force. So military genius or great will power, to successfully command and direct men has been idolized and honored by mankind from the beginning of the human race down to the present day. Hence we propose to give brief sketches of all the field and live military officers of Carroll County, beginning with the first militia organized in the County. Albert G. HAYES was the first Colonel elected and was commissioned by Governor N. Noble. He made a very popular officer, so much so that he was elected to the state legislature three times by handsome majorities. After Hayes resigned, George Maxwell was elected Colonel and commissioned by Governor Bigger. He was a blacksmith by trade, lived in Delphi and a man of great courage. At one time he was Captain of the guard at one of the Indian stations for payment for the lands bout by the government of the Potawatomies and Miamis. The two tribes at the time numbered about 1100. One day a big Indian chief got drunk and dared the guard to take his bottle of whisky from him, among a crowd of Indians. Captain Maxwell ordered George Alson to take the whisky from him, the Indian having a large bowie knife in one hand and the bottle in the other. Alson grabbed the bottle but the Indian held to it and raised his knife to strike but as quick as thought Maxwell sprang forward and knocked him stiff, picked up the bowie knife and whisky, handed them to one of the guards, grabbed the big Indiana by the collar when he got up and took him to the guard house out of a crowd of 100 Indians, all armed with either knives, pistols or tomahawks. His courage and firmness intimidated the whole ccrowd and there were but six of us on guard at the time. At another time he was attending a big Methodist camp meeting at the Battle Ground (himself a member of the church) a crowd of ruffians came up from Lafayette and swore they were going to break up the camp meeting. They marked in a crowd up to the altar, where the mourners were on their knees. The preacher was praying. The leader, a great big rough looking vagabond, stepped into the altar, grabbed the minister by the arm and swearing a terrible oath told him to “Dry up!” Maxwell was on his knees, close to the minister. He saw the bully step in and heard what he said, sprang to his feet and struck the fellow a blow that sent him clear outside the altar. He then sprang out and grabbed him as soon as he got up, called the police and by the help of a few resolute men, they captured about half of the crowd of ruffians and sent them to jail and the revival went on in half an hour as if nothing had happened. The next commissioned Colonel was John E. Milroy. The commission was issued by Governor Whitcomb. But the militia law was repealed and that dried up military drill in Indiana, excepting independent companies of which I shall give a short description in my next.
Contributed by Karen Zach, Fountain County INGenWeb
Added 17 Feb 2025