Obituary: Van Buren News - Eagle, Van Buren, Indiana, Thurs. March 28, 1929. p1 and 4

DEATH CALLS FOR VETERAN OF CIVIL WAR

SAMUEL H. BECK HAD BEEN A RESIDENT OF THIS COMMUNITY MANY YEARS

Funeral to be Saturday

  Member of the Army of the Cumberland and Engaged in Many Important Battles Mr. S.H. Beck, 
a prominent and highly respected citizen of this community since 1872, died at the home 
of his daughter, Mrs. Frank Anderson, on East Main Street about nine o'clock Wednesday 
night. Mr. Beck, a veteran of the Civil War, had been in declining health for some time, 
and his passing was not unexpected. 
  Samuel H. Beck, son of Samuel and Sultany Beck, was born in Hancock County, Indiana, April 
3, 1844, and died March 27, 1919, aged 84 years, 11 months and 24 days. He came to Grant 
County August 8, 1862. He enlisted August 8, 1862 in Co. F, 84th Indiana Infantry and was 
sent to Richmond where he entered camp Fort Wayne. He remained there for training for about 
six or eight weeks, and was sent to Cincinnati when that city was about to be attacked by 
Confederate forces. Governor Morton accompanied the regiment to Cincinnati. From Cincinnati 
his regiment went up the Ohio River where they remained until spring, when they went down 
the river by boat and joined the Army of the Cumberland.  With the Army of the Cumberland 
he was around Franklin, Tennessee for some time and was then sent to Chattanooga, his first 
fighting being at Chickamauga. In this engagement Mr. Beck was saved only by a belt buckle, 
which was struck squarely by a Confederate bullet. His son, Everett, still has the buckle 
showing the bullet marks between the letters U and S. He remained around Chattanooga for 
the winter, where he witnessed the Midnight Fight fought by Hooker’s Men. It was here his 
regiment prepared for the trip to Atlanta. This campaign started in April, 1864, with General 
Sherman in command of the Union forces, and General Johnson commanding the Confederates. Mr. 
Beck was engaged in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, which opened at 1 o'clock on the afternoon 
of June 27, 1864. Sherman’s army was all engaged. Here Mr. Beck’s other brother, Cornelius, 
was wounded and died in the hospital a short time later. Here, also, Mr. Beck had a peculiar 
experience, when he stripped himself of all accouterments and carried his wounded brother to 
a place of safety, with hundreds of Confederate soldiers looking on. As Mr. Beck put it, “not 
one of them fired a shot at us.”  His own gun becoming of no use, he took the gun of Mr. Ice, 
an uncle of Mr. Palmer Ice, former Van Buren resident, who was killed there, and used it until 
it became so dirty Mr. Beck said he could no longer get a bullet into it.  While on picket 
duty near Lovejoy Station on the Mason and August railway, Mr. Beck was severely wounded. He 
had been on guard all night and in a skirmish just about daylight September 21 or 22, he got 
a clear view of a Confederate soldier in a cornfield near by. He remarked to his lieutenant 
that he “was going to give that Johnny a furlough,” as he said he thought the fellow wanted 
to go home and see his folks. Taking square aim at the man’s legs, Mr. Beck said he was just 
ready to fire when one of the Confed’s companions as yet not seen by Mr. Beck, shot him 
through the right arm. He had to walk a half mile for medical treatment, and almost bled to 
death. He was sent to the general field hospital just outside Atlanta. Later with other 
wounded he was sent back to Nashville, where he was given a furlough in the winter of 1864.
  He came to Indiana and returned to the army in the spring of 1865, going to Huntsville, 
Alabama. Here he was again furloughed and again came home to Indiana. All bridges being 
washed out by high waters and not being able to return to the south by the time his furlough 
would expire, he approached Governor Morton to go back home and stay with his mother until 
he could get back to camp, and the governor promised that he would take care of the furlough 
matter.
  In the meantime Mr. Beck’s regiment had moved from Huntsville to Knoxville, where he 
rejoined them, but there was no more fighting from that time on, and the war was soon over. 
  He returned to Indianapolis for his discharge, and went to Hancock County. He also resided 
for a time in Henry County.  He was married at Knightstown in Henry County in December of 
1865 to Miss Clara Brewer, a neighbor girl, with whom he lived happily for many years, until 
her demise. To this union four children were born Everett of Larwill; Mrs. Ruth Camblin of 
Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Frank Anderson of Van Buren and one child that died in infancy.
  Mr. Beck was an ardent prohibitionist and gave freely of his time and his means to rid the 
country of the saloon. He was a man of strong convictions, and met the enemy of law and order 
as he met the enemy on the battlefield -- face to face and in the open. He was a member of 
the Church of Christ, and was one of the pioneer church builders of the community, taking an 
aggressive part in the building of the church on East Main Street. His influence was ever for 
good, and he supported only such institutions as contributed to the public weal. Funeral 
services will be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Anderson in Van Buren Saturday 
afternoon at 2o’clock, conducted by Rev. John O. Campbell of Lewisburg, and interment will be 
in Van Buren Cemetery.

“Rest on, embalmed and sainted dead,
Dear as the blood ye gave;
No impious footstep here shall tread
The herbage of they grave;
Nor shall your glory be forgot
While fame her record keeps,
Or honor points the hallowed spot
Where Valor proudly sleeps.”

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