SHAW, Col. William T., is a name well known to all Iowa soldiers who participated in the great war of the rebellion.  He was one of the best fighting colonels that went into the army from Iowa. He came of fighting stock. His great uncle was an officer in the revolutionary war, serving on the staff of General Knox.  General Washington, November 3, 1783, issued an order certifying that "Captain Samuel Shaw, throughout the war, has greatly distinguished himself in everything which entitles him to the character of an intelligent, active and brave officer. January, 5, 1784, Major Shaw took final leave of his old commander, General Knox, who, in his own handwriting, issued the following certificate: "This is to certify that Captain Samuel Shaw has borne a commission in the artillery service of the United States of America for upwards of eight years, more than seven of which he has been attached to my staff as adjutant, brigade major and aide-de-camp. In the various and arduous duties of these positions, he has in every instance proved to be an intelligent, active and gallant officer. Given under my hand and seal at West Point, upon the Hudson river, on this 5th day of January, 1784.  Knox, major-general.''

His paternal grandfather, Francis Shaw, was actively engaged in the public service during the war of the revolution. He negotiated a treaty with the Indians, on St. Johns river, in 1776. He was commissioned by General Washington, in 1777, as major and directed to remove these Indians to their own reservation. In 1780 he was still in the service, and remained to the close of the war.

His father was William N. Shaw, and his mother Nancy D. Stevens Shaw. They lived in Washington county, in the state of Maine, in the town of Steuben, where their son William was born September 22, 1822.  In boyhood he attended the district schools and closed his school days with three years in the Wesleyan seminary at Redfield.  When 19 years of age he went west and taught school at Greencastle, Ind., and at Harrodsburg, Ky. While here the Mexican war began and young Shaw at once enlisted in the Second Kentucky volunteers, commanded by Col. W. R. McKee. He was an excellent soldier, marched and fought bravely with his regiment in every engagement it had with the enemy, to the close of the war. In the desperate battle of Buena Vista, Shaw was in the thickest of the fight on hillside and ravine, where the brave Colonel McKee was killed.

When the war closed he assisted in clearing the southwest border of hostile Indians, who were annoying the settlers. In 1849 he led a company of thirty-six men over the plains by the Santa Fe route, to the newly discovered gold regions of California. He settled, in 1853, at Anamosa, Jones county, bought land in the vicinity and began to improve farms. He superintended the building of the Dubuque Southwestern railroad from Farley to Anamosa, and was in the midst of the work when the great rebellion began. 

When the Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer infantry was organized, in October, 1861, William T. Shaw was commissioned its colonel, and at once took command. Its first battle was at Fort Donelson, where it did good service. At the great battle of Shiloh the Fourteenth was in the thickest of the fight on the first day, and with the Eighth and Twelfth Iowa fought desperately for hours against greatly superior numbers of the enemy, which, by the most heroic bravery, they held at bay against the fierce assaults that were again and again hurled against them. At last they were cut off from support, surrendered and taken prisoners. After several months in rebel prisons Colonel Shaw and his men of the Fourteenth were exchanged and returned to the service. In the disastrous Red River campaign, at the battle of Pleasant Hill, Colonel Shaw commanded a brigade, and by his ability, skill, and the most heroic resistance of his command, saved General Banks' army from utter route and capture. In that desperate battle Colonel Shaw's brigade was the first engaged with the enemy, and the last to leave the field. Its losses were over 500 men. For his superb services in this battle, Colonel Shaw merited promotion to the rank of brigadier-general. But his fearless exposure of drunken and incompetent superiors only brought upon him persecution instead of promotion.

On the 5th of September Maj. Gen. A. J.  Smith sent the following request to the president:

Memphis, Tenn.

To His Excellency, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States:

Dear Sir-I desire to place before you a recommendation for the promotion to the rank of brigadier-general the name of William T. Shaw, Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer infantry (now commanding the Third division, Sixteenth Army corps), who has been a very efficient officer under my command for the last twelve months. He was with me in several engagements and at all times proved himself an efficient and worthy commander. His term of service expires in about sixty days and I should not like to see him leave if it could be avoided.  Your obedient servant.

A. J. Smith, Major-General

For a time he commanded the Third division of the Sixteenth Army corps, and was finally relieved October 29,1864. Upon his retirement from the service, Gen. A.  J. Smith, in special order No. 132, says of Colonel Shaw: "It is but justice to an energetic, thorough and competent officer to say that for the last fifteen months he has been in this command, commanding a post, brigade and division, and in every position he has performed the incumbent duties faithfully and well, with an ability that few can equal. With courage, patriotism and skill, above question. The service loses an excellent officer when he is mustered out" When about to leave the division he had so bravely commanded, its officers presented him with an elegant sword in token of their esteem for him personally and the gallant services he had rendered the country. Colonel Shaw returned to his home at Anamosa, and has long been actively engaged in business. In politics he is a republican, and in 1876 was elected to the legislature by that party. He is too blunt and outspoken for a successful politician, denouncing incompetents and hypocrites with unsparing vigor. While a good hater of all frauds and shams, he is strongly attached to his friends and liberal to the deserving unfortunate.

In the annals of Iowa for April and July, 1898, volume 3, page 401, Colonel Shaw has put upon record the history of the battle of Pleasant Hill, in which he participated, together with statements of Judge T. Granger and Quartermaster T. C. McCall, who also participated.

Colonel Shaw was married May 1, 1854, to Helen L. Crane, daughter of Roswel and Paulina Crane, who died on December 25, 1867. He was again married to Retta Harmon, daughter of Joseph W. S. and Zilpha Harmon. After the death of this wife he was again married to Elizabeth C. Higby, nee Crane, February 24, 1870. She was a daughter of Louis A. and Sarah Crane.  His children are Helen Louisa Shaw, born June 8, 1855, and Antonette Nancy Shaw, November 7, 1859.

SIGWORTH, Harrison W., M. D., of Anamosa, is of German and French descent. His grandfather, John D. Sigworth, was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1786, and, crossing the ocean in 1804, settled in Lancaster county, Pa. He married Rosana Henlen, who was born at Strassburg, France, in 1789, and came to Lancaster county in 1808. They were married in 1810 and moved to Clarion county, Pa., settling in the woods in company with two other families, but ten miles from any other white settlement.

His father, John H. Sigworth, was born in Lancaster City, Pa., October 17, 1811, and removed with his parents to Clarion county. He built a log house on a tract of timber land, in 1836, and soon after was married to Frances Neely. Her father, Capt. Henry Neely, was born In Westmorland county, Pa., in 1780, married Barbara Fry and moved in 1805 to Clarion county. They settled in the woods, made a fine farm and raised a family of thirteen children. In 1812 Captain Neely raised a company and marched to Lake Erie about the time of Commodore Perry's victory. 

Harrison W. Sigworth was born at Fryburg, Pa., February 25, 1837, and received his early education in one of the most primitive of log school-houses. In 1864-6 he taught school near his home for $15 to $20 per month, during the winter, and in the summer assisted in clearing the farm. Later he dug coal and limestone and burned lime to put on the land as a fertilizer. In 1856 he attended Coopertown academy, and in 1857 started west in company with Fred W. Byers, who is now surgeon-general of Wisconsin. He started with what he could carry on his back, and $60 in his pocket, and, after walking twenty miles, took the stage for sixty more, and reached Erie, Pa., where he for the first time, saw a railroad. They went to Freeport, 111., and from there, finally, to Blue Earth City, Minn., where he pre-empted 160 acres of land. In the summers of 1859 and 1860 be attended the Wisconsin State university. In April, 1861, he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Naramore, of Orangeville, 111., and at the same time taught the village school. The next winter he attended Rush Medical college. In June, 1862, Dr. Sigworth enlisted in Company H, Sixty-seventh Illinois infantry. In October, following, he was discharged on account of disability, and left the army on crutches. Returning to Rush Medical college he graduated in February, 1863, and located at Waubeek, Linn county, Iowa.

Dr. Sigworth was married May 18, 1863, to Miss Phebe Bowen, daughter of Senator T. S. Bowen, of Green county, Wisconsin.  She had been one of the pupils at the school which he taught for four winters.  They had six children: Dwight L., who was born in 1864, and became a doctor, graduating at Rush college in 1887. He was appointed physician to the state penitentiary, at Anamosa, and died August, 1896; D. Bird, born June, 1868, and is now one of the leading druggists of the city; Fred Byers, born November, 1873, is now a student at Rush Medical college; Gladys Love, born April, 1876; Harry W., born May, 1878, graduated from Rush Medical college in May, 1899, and became one of the firm of Dr. H. W. Sigworth & Son; Miles A., born August, 1883, died in infancy. Gladys is teaching school. Mrs.  Sigworth, who died in August, 1890, was a most estimable woman, a member of the Baptist church and of the church societies, Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Woman's Relief Corps and Order of Eastern Star.

The doctor was married May 18, 1892, to Miss Jennie Meade, of Anamosa, who is a native of Courtland county, N. Y., and a daughter of G. W. Meade, one of the oldest settlers of Jones county, who en-listed in Company E, Thirty-first Iowa volunteers and died in the service. She is a member of the Baptist church and its societies; of the Suffrage and Fortnightly clubs; the Woman's Relief Corps and Order of Eastern Star.

Doctor Sigworth moved from Waubeek to Anamosa in April, 1877, and bought the practice of Doctor Blakeslee. In 1878 he formed a partnership with his brother, Dr.  M. P. Sigworth, which continued four years. He formed a partnership in April, 1895, with his son, Dwight, which lasted until his death, and in October, 1896, he entered into partnership with Doctor McKay, which still continues. He is, and always has been, a republican. He is a Master Mason and Knight Templar, and has been commander of Fred Steele Post No. 4, G. A. R., noble grand of Anamosa Lodge No. 40, I. O. O. F., is a member of Iowa Union State and United States Medical societies. At an early age he became a member of the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, in Pennsylvania, and is now a member of the Anamosa Baptist church and one of its trustees and deacons.  It has been the custom with Doctor Sigworth, for some years, to take an outing during the summer months, and this year, accompanied by wife and daughter, they sailed from New York for an extended tour of Europe.