David Enoch Beem (June 24, 1837 – October 23, 1923) was a prominent lawyer, banker, and

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

veteran from Spencer,

Owen County, Indiana Owen County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 1920 the United States Census Bureau calculated the mean center of U.S. population to fall within this county. As of the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 21,321. Its co ...

. Beem, who attained the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of Company H,

14th Indiana Infantry Regiment The 14th Indiana Infantry Regiment, called "The Gallant Fourteenth," was an infantry regiment and part of the Union Army, Union Army's celebrated "Gibraltar Brigade" during the American Civil War. Mustered on June 7, 1861, it was the state's first ...

, fought in numerous battles in the

eastern United States The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 17–26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital. As of 2011, the Eastern ...

before he mustered out of the Union army in June 1864. After the war Beem resumed his law practice in Spencer and became involved in local banking ventures. He was also active the state's Republican Party and civic affairs. Beem, a graduate of

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

, class of 1860, served on

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

's board of trustees for eighteen years. He also participated in the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

at local and state levels. Beem's papers and letters are preserved in the collections of the

Indiana Historical Society The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is one of the United States' oldest and largest historical societies. It describes itself as "Indiana's Storyteller". It is housed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center at 450 West Ohio Stree ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. The David Enoch Beem House, his former residence in Spencer, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Early life and education

David Enoch Beem, the son of Levi and Sarah (Johnson) Beem, was born on June 24, 1837, in

Spencer, Indiana Spencer is a town in Washington Township, Owen County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,217 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Owen County. Spencer is part of the Bloomington, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical A ...

. Levi Beem, a farmer and a native of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, came to the

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...

as a boy around 1810. David's grandparents, Daniel and Mary Beem, settled their family in Owen County on land that became the present-day site of Spencer, Indiana. Sarah Beem was the daughter of David Johnson, another early settler who came to Spencer in 1818. Levi Beem and Sarah Johnson were married in Spencer in 1825. David, was the sixth of the family's twelve children, two of whom died in infancy. Beem completed his early education in Spencer. In 1856 he entered

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

where he became a member of

Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded in 1848, and currently headquartered, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, alo ...

fraternity and graduated with a degree in law in 1860.

Marriage and family

Beem married Mahala Joslin on April 10, 1862, while home on leave during the

. She was a daughter of Amasa Joslin, a physician who came to Owen County in 1820, and Mary Ann (Allison) Joslin. David and Mahala Beem had three children: a daughter, Minnie Montrose, and two sons, David Joslin and Levi Amasa. The David Enoch Beem House, an Italianate-style residence on a hilltop property in Spencer, was also known as the "Beem Mansion" and "The Hill." Built in 1874, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. See: and accompanying photographs.

Career

In 1860 Beem established a law practice in his hometown of Spencer, Indiana, where he was also involved in banking ventures. Beem also served for three years as an officer in the 14th Indiana Volunteer Regiment during the

. In addition to his law practice and business interests, Beem was active in the

and Republican Party at the state and local levels and served on

's board of trustees.

Early career

Beem was admitted to the bar in 1860 and established a law partnership in Spencer, Indiana, with Samuel H. Buskirk of Bloomington. The following year he began three years of military service as an officer in the Union army.

Military service

In response to a call for troops to serve in the Union army, Beem was the first man to enlist from Owen County and helped raise the county's first company of troops. He enlisted on April 19, 1861, as a first sergeant. Beem served in the 14th Indiana Volunteer Regiment, which initially organized for one year of service; however, it was reorganized for a three years of service in May 1861. Beem and his Spencer County company mustered into service as Company H, 14th Indiana Volunteer Regiment, on June 7, 1861, at Camp Vigo, near

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...

, under the command of Colonel

Nathan Kimball Nathan Kimball (November 22, 1822 – January 21, 1898) was a physician, politician, postmaster, and military officer, serving as a general in the Union army during the American Civil War. He was the first statewide commander of the Grand Arm ...

. On July 10, 1861, the 14th Indiana arrived at Rich Mountain in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and served as a reserve force in the

Battle of Rich Mountain The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. Background Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan assumed c ...

the following day. The 14th Indiana also pursued Confederate troops as far as

Cheat Mountain Cheat Mountain is an exceptionally high and rugged ridge situated in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It is about long (north to south) and more than five miles (8 km) wide at its widest. Its highest point is at its so ...

. Beem was promoted to first

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

of his company in August 1861. During the winter of 1861–62, the regiment was transferred to the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

. On March 23, 1862, Beem was severely wounded in the chin during the

first Battle of Kernstown The First Battle of Kernstown was fought on March 23, 1862, in Frederick County and Winchester, Virginia, the opening battle of Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American ...

, near

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the northwesternmost Administrative divisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Virginia, Frederi ...

. He returned to active duty with the 14th Indiana following a sixty-day leave of absence. Beem was promoted to

in May 1862. From July 1862 until June 1864, Beem and his regiment fought in battles at

Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, Spottsylvania, and

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Army, Union Lieuten ...

, as well as other campaigns as part of the Union's

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

. In August 1863 the 14th Indiana was detached for duty in New York following the New York City draft riots and remained in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

until September 6, 1863. Beem and the other men of the 14th Indiana who had served three years of service mustered out of service on June 20, 1864 (backdated to June 6, 1864).Sources differ on the backdated discharge date. The more likely one is June 6, 1864, when the 14th Indiana left the front after the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

(June 1–6, 1864), three years after mustering into service on June 6, 1861. See See also: Capt. David E. Beem, "Military History of Owen County," in Beem returned home to Spencer.

Post-war career

After the war, Been resumed his legal career in Spencer as a partner in the firm of Rose and Beem. The firm later dissolved, but Beem continued to practice law in Owen,

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

, and

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

counties. In addition, Beem organized the First National Bank of Spencer and became its cashier and acting manager. In 1870 he organized Beem, Peden and Company, a banking firm in Spencer, and managed the business for thirty-nine years. Not all of his business ventures were as successful. Beem and others established a pork-packing operation in Spencer in 1873 that failed. In 1878 Beem formed another law partnership in Spencer named Beem and Hickham. The firm continued for fifteen years before the partnership was dissolved. Afterwards, Beem continued to practice law and remained active in banking. Beem was also active in the Republican Party, but never held public office. Instead, he served as chairman of the Owen County Republican Central Committee during three political campaigns. In 1880 Beem was a delegate from the Fifth Congressional District to the Republican National Convention in Chicago, where

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...

was eventually nominated as the party's presidential candidate. In 1886 Beem was a candidate for state treasurer at the Republican state convention, but he did not win his party's nomination. Beem served as a presidential elector for his Congressional District in 1888 and voted for

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

in the electoral college. In 1893 Beem formed a law partnership with Joseph W. Williams of Owen County and remained active in community affairs.Taylor, p. 665. Been served on the board of trustees of Spencer's public schools for several years and was a member of the Masons. He joined the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...

in 1860 and represented the Indiana Conference as a delegate to the Methodist Episcopal Church's conference in New York in 1888. Beem also served for eighteen years on

's board of trustees. In addition, he held leadership roles in the state and local chapters of the

. Beem was a charter member and the first commander of the GAR's Gettysburg Post at Spencer. In 1894 Beem served as a judge advocate for the GAR's Department of Indiana.

Death and legacy

Beem died after an extended illness in Spencer, Indiana, on October 23, 1923, at the age of eighty-six. A collection of letters that Beem exchanged with his wife, and other family members and friends are preserved at the

. Many of the letters provide details of Beem's military service in the 14th Indiana Volunteer Regiment.

Honors and tributes

"You Are There 1863: ''A Letter Home from Gettysburg''," an exhibit from September 23, 2017, through January 19, 2019, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in downtown Indianapolis, focuses on a letter that Beem wrote on July 5, 1863, a few days after he fought in the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. See also: The letter describes Beem's eyewitness account of the battle and its aftermath.

Published works

* * "Military History of Owen County," in

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Beem Letter, 1863-07
dated July 5, 1863, in the

collections, Indianapolis {{DEFAULTSORT:Beem, David Enoch 1837 births 1923 deaths Indiana lawyers Indiana Republicans Indiana Historical Society Military personnel from Indiana People from Owen County, Indiana People from Spencer, Indiana People of Indiana in the American Civil War 19th-century American lawyers Grand Army of the Republic officials