HENRY P. GERTZ of Shelby, Iowa is one of the sturdy German citizens who has shed his blood for his adopted country in the great civil war. His father, Henry, was a weaver in the village of Abenvale, Holstein, Germany and served during a period of peace in the army. He married Lena Beck and had five children: Christina, Catharine, Christian, Henry and Lena. He came to America with his family in 1846 from Hamburg, Germany to New Orleans by a sailing vessel. The first three years in this country he resided at Quincy, Illinois, working at his trade. He then went to Davenport and became a farmer owning 298 acres of good land but he lot his property during the financial troubles of 1859. He died on a farm six miles north of Davenport. His wife died on the voyage to America and was buried at sea; and about ten years afterward in America Mr. Gertz married Mrs. Hannah Schroeder, and Mr. Gertz, our subject, was brought up by Henry Beck, his grandfather, who came to America at the same time. Mr. Gertz died at the age of fifty-six years, a member of the Lutheran Church. He was an industrious and honorable man, taking extraordinary care of his children.

Mr. Gertz, the subject of this sketch, was born in the village of Abenvale, Holstein, November 5, 1840 and was about six years of age when he came to this country, and obtained here a limited education. When Lincoln made his first call for 300,000 men, Mr. Gertz then of age enlisted August 7, 1861 in Company E, Twentieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and served through the war, being honorably discharged July 8, 1865 at Mobile, Alabama. He was in the battle at Prairie Grove, Arkansas and was shot through the left thigh, December 7, 1862. After being in the hospital three months at Fayetteville, Arkansas, he returned to active service, engaging afterward in the battle at Vicksburg, siege of Fort Morgan, Alabama, siege and assault at Fort Blakely, and in a great many skirmishes. He served under Captains Chester Barney and Edward E. Davis, and his Colonel was Mac. E. Dey, and his Lieutenant Colonel J.P. Lock. His regiment charged three times across a field at Prairie Grove, under a heavy fire, each time repulsed with heavy loss. The regiments in the charge consisted of the Twentieth Iowa Infantry, Twentieth Wisconsin Infantry, Thirty-Seventh Illinois Infantry, and the Twenty-Sixth Indiana Infantry, the line of battle being three miles in extent. The last time the repulse was very severe, and the field was covered with the dead and wounded. On the last retreat the Twentieth Iowa was ordered to lie down behind a staked and ridered rail fence, and here they remained about half an hour, keeping up a round of fire. When the order was given to retreat, Gertz, Richards and Pickards were lying on their breasts in a fence corner, and firing on the enemy. They were so absorbed in their work, and the noise of the artillery was so great, that they did not hear the command to retreat; and when they discovered the rebels were upon them their regiment was half a mile away. The ground gently sloped from the woods where the rebels were in force, and the charge was made across an open field, in the fact of a severe fire of artillery and musketry. At thirty paces a ball struck young Gertz, passing through his thigh, and he exclaimed, "I am shot." Richards stopped and Gertz placed his arm around his shoulder, and they ran as one man under a heavy fire, the balls falling around them as thick as hail, one striking the bayonet scabbard of young Gertz. One ball passed through his cap and one through his blouse at his waist, and Richards had a ball through his haversack, canteen and clothing. They ran rapidly toward the Tenth Illinois Cavalary, who opened ranks to receive them on the order of the officer commanding, who asked what regiment they belonged to, and being answered, exclaimed, "You are brave men."

Mr. Gertz was one of those soldiers who did not shrink from battle, and his record shows that he was indeed a brave man. He will carry to his death the honorable scar, which he received in battle for his country. His record as a soldier will be preserved and handed down for generations to his descendants, and they may well take an honest pride in their soldier ancestor, who gave the best years of his life to his country's cause, and shed his blood on the field of battle to preserve the Union.

He returned from the horrors of war to the delights of a farmer's life of peace. In 1876 he married Lena, daughter of Hans and Lena (Bowden) Snickloth. Her father died in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and when but thirteen years of age she came with her mother and family to America, in 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Gertz are the parents of twelve children, namely: Henry (an infant, deceased), Annie, Edward, Henry, William, Gustave (an infant, deceased), Minnie, Vinnie, Albert, Grover, Louis (died an infant), and Benjamin H. (also died in infancy). Annie married Gustave Haas a farmer of Pleasant Township.

After marriage Mr. Gertz settled in Scott County, Iowa, where he lived for thirty years, and in the spring of 1874 he came to Pottawattamie County and settled upon his present farm, which was then a wild prairie, covering 160 acres of land, and assisted by his faithful wife has converted it into a fine and fertile farm to which he has since added until he now owns 240 acres of well cultivated land. On the place are excellent improvements including the comfortable tasteful and well-furnished residence. Our old soldier has been prospered in the land for which he fought while he has done a vast amount of hard labor. He ran a threshing machine for seventeen years. He has accumulated all his property by his own industry and may well be called a self made man. He is regarded by his neighbors as upright and honorable. In politics he is a Democrat. Is a member of Dick Yates Post, No. 364, G.A.R. at Shelby, Iowa. He is also a member of Canopy Lodge, No. 401, I.O.O.F. at Shelby.

Contributed by: Darlene Vergamini