Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 646–647; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Calvin R. Fluke is one of the respected farmers of Joshua
Township. He was a brave soldier in the late war and did credit
to the military of his adopted State. He is a native of Licking
County, Ohio, and was born near the town of Newark, December 24,
1843. His parents, Jessa and Abigail Fluke, were natives of
Washington County, Pa., and Ohio, where the father was born in the
month of December, 1818, and the mother in the month of December 1822.
The father of our subject moved with his family to Brownsville,
Licking County, Ohio, of which he was a pioneer. He there
followed the trade of a wagonmaker, which he had learned in his native
State. Nineteen years of his life were passed at that place, and
he then came to this State with his family in 1855. He rented a
farm at Cuba one year, then south of Canton three years, then in Harris
Township, in Haney neighborhood, which he managed and at the same time
was engaged in making wagons, and then bought the one of ninety-four
acres on which he now makes his home.
When Mr. Fluke was a boy of fourteen years he united with the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and during a long, eventful and useful life
has remained loyal to his religious belief, and has been efficient in
his church work as a Class Leader and Exhorter, doing much good in the
community of which he has so long been a member. He is the father
of nine children, some of whom are living in Fulton County, and other
elsewhere.
Calvin Fluke, who forms the subject of this sketch, remained at
home with his parents until he was eighteen years old, and then began
an independent life for himself. At the breaking out of the Civil
War, his patriotism was aroused to a high pitch and October 4, 1861, he
volunteered to fight in defense of his country’s honor. He became
a soldier in Company F, Fifty-fifth Illinois Infantry and after his
regiment was organized accompanied it to Chicago. He and his
fellow soldiers were soon sent from that city to St. Louis and a short
time after started down the Mississippi River on board the steamboat,
“Jo Davis.” They were stranded below St. Louis and came near
being captured by the enemy. As the regiment was cut off from all
communication with the rest of the Union army, many of its members came
near starving for want of food. Our subject was taken sick and
was ill for many weeks. Finally the Fifty-fifth made its way to
the South and arrived at Pittsburg Landing in time to take part in the
battle at that place. Right in the hottest of the fight our
subject received a dangerous wound in the right leg. His comrade
rushed to him and attempted to bear him off the field, but he was shot
while doing so. Mr. Fluke was not taken to the hospital and lay
in a dangerous condition for twenty-eight hours without care or
attention. The bullets of the rebels flew thick and fast around
the hospital and made it anything but a safe refuge for the wounded and
dying soldiers. During the engagement our subject and his friend,
V. Brink, in shifting their position exposed themselves to the enemy
and were fired at by about fifty men, but were not touched. This
action brought on the engagement along the whole line. Our
subject was finally taken on board of a commissary boat and lay three
days before his wound was dressed. He eventually was dispatched
to St. Louis, where he was met by his father and taken home. Mr.
Fluke received a very high compliment as to his soldierly qualities and
faithful services while in the army, from Sergeant Brink, subsequently
an officer, who lost his life. The lines that that officer wrote
to his comrade, Calvin Fluke, knowing that he was wounded, are
incorporated in the story of the Fifty-fifty regiment and are as
follows: “I think you deserve to get well if a soldier ever
die. You have shown yourself to be a true patriot and worthy to
live and enjoy a free Government. Be cheerful, Cal.: if you
never get able to come back, you have discharged your duties to your
country.”
On account of his wounds and sickness our subject was finally
discharged from the army, and after coming home resumed his former
occupation as soon as he was able and has prosecuted farming with good
financial results. He established a home for himself and his
bride, Miss Mahala Ann Prickett, to whom he was married, November 28,
1867. She is a native of this county, and was born September 25,
1847, in a log cabin near Lewistown. The following is a record of
their four children: Grace Gertrude, born September 1, 1868; Mary
E., June 28, 1870; Ella Jane, June 8, 1875; Edward H., July 2,
1888. The older ones have received fine educational advantages in
the schools of their native county.
Mr. Fluke has always been an unswerving adherent of the
Republican party. He has interested himself much in educational
matters and has been a School Director for several years. At the
present time he is serving as Constable. At all times and all
places he has shown himself to be a loyal citizen and is well regarded
by his fellow-townsmen.
