If you wander around Woodland Cemetery, you might come across an interesting tombstone memorializing John M. Cyrus, a prominent Quincy attorney and Civil War veteran who served in the 50th Illinois Infantry during that conflict. The rather tall obelisk contains the birth and death dates, of course, and is draped from the top to midway down. On the bottom half of the obelisk are a carved flag, a sheathed saber, and stars. The fact that the marker stands so close to the Maertz Family plot made this author curious about any possible connection between Cyrus and the Maertzes.
The graves were adjacent because Cyrus was the husband of Emma Maertz, a member of that prominent family which was headed by German immigrants, Charles and Otillia Maertz. Emma’s sister Louise was well-known and respected as she volunteered as a nurse for Union troops at Vicksburg, New Orleans, and Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. The entire family was civic-minded and generous.
John M. Cyrus was born near Camp Point, Illinois, on November 9 1838. His father, Henry A. Cyrus, was a minister; there is little known about his mother, Athaliah G. Ruddell. John attended the local district one-room school and, at a very young age, became a teacher himself. According to the 1860 census, he also farmed.
An ardent patriot, John enlisted in Company E of the 50th Illinois on 22 August 1861 soon after the Civil War started. This unit, known as the “Blind Half Hundred,” was originally led by Quincyan Colonel Moses M. Bane, who was succeeded by another Camp Point resident, Lt. Colonel William Hanna, in late 1862. The regiment served in such battles as Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Corinth, Shiloh, Allatoona, and Sherman’s March to the Sea. The unit’s nickname was presumably derived from the fact that many of their number had vision problems. Charles F. Hubert’s History of the Fiftieth Illinois Infantry in the War of the Union cites: “…the name ‘Blind Half Hundred’ came about because several of the men in the Regiment were ‘minus’ and several were ‘squint and cross-eyed.’ “Hubert also noted that another, perhaps less likely, reason for the name stemmed from a fight. He stated in the same source: “Also in a brawl with the 16th Illinois Infantry a brick was thrown striking a man from the Fiftieth in the eye leaving him ‘half blind.’ “
When Cyrus entered the service, he was described as 5’10” tall, with dark hair and complexion and gray eyes. He served initially as Orderly Sergeant in Captain Hanna’s company. Like every other recruit, he received his uniform, ammo, weapons, and field equipment on 2 October 1861. According to Quincy historian Carl Landrum, “the uniform consisted of a gray hat, dark blue coat, and sky blue pants.” Landrum continued, “The regiment marched through the streets, resplendent in their new uniforms…On October 10 they marched from Camp Wood [east of 5th Street and south of Jefferson] to the east side of the square, halted and were addressed by General Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss. The regiment then marched to the levee and boarded the steamer Black Hawk for Hannibal.”
Cyrus rose through the ranks rapidly during his three years in the Illinois Fiftieth, being mustered in as 2nd lieutenant in April 1862, and promoted to 1st lieutenant in October 1862. He was then promoted to captain in March 1863 when Hanna was elevated in rank to major. All three of these promotions were made while the 50th was serving in Corinth, Mississippi. Cyrus was mustered out of the service on 18 October 1864 and came back to Adams County.
Soon after his return, Cyrus moved to Macomb, Illinois, and became involved in business pursuits there. After approximately two years, he received an appointment to the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D. C. and moved to that city. While thus employed by the government, Cyrus attended law classes at Columbia College (now George Washington University) where he earned a degree.
In 1869, Cyrus returned to Adams County and opened his legal practice at 619 Maine in Quincy. In June of 1872 he married Emma Maertz. The couple’s time in Quincy was limited, however, as Cyrus’ health began to decline. By December 1873, he and Emma had moved to Franklin, St. Mary’s Parish, Louisiana, where Cyrus died on 4 February 1874. Emma’s father Charles traveled south to accompany his son-in-law’s body home.
The funeral was held at the Maertz home at the corner of 4th and Elm at 10:30 on 12 February. Cyrus’ body was then taken to Woodland Cemetery for burial. The crowd attending included brothers from Masonic Lodge #296, friends, and military comrades, as well as family.
General Moses Bane, Cyrus’ commanding officer during the war, eulogized his friend with these words; “He was always perfect and there was no one of his rank in the service who had a more technical knowledge of tactics. He was always a thorough gentleman, and always enjoyed the confidence and respect of his acquaintances.”
Additional praise was offered by fellow members of Quincy’s Encore Club who issued this statement: “…we cannot veil our sorrow – cannot repair our loss; that we bear cheerful testimony to the intellectual, social, and moral worth of our associate, friend, and brother…” NOTE: The Encore Club was an educational, philosophical group that brought such luminaries as Mark Twain and Ralph Waldo Emerson to Quincy to speak to the public.
Although he died at age thirty-six, Cyrus made significant contributions to Adams County. The area was home to a number of patriotic, industrious, and able young men who improved their own lives as well as the lives of their fellow citizens. John M. Cyrus was one of those individuals.
Sources
Hubert, Charles F. History of the Fiftieth Illinois Infantry in the War of the Union . Kansas City: Western
Veteran Publishing Company, 1984.
Landrum, Carl.”County’s Own Civil War Regiment.” Quincy Herald-Whig , September 30, 1973.
Camp Point Journal , February 12, 1874.
“In Memoriam.” Quincy Daily Herald , February 11, 1874, 4.