Arthur Linn Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1422-1424 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
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	A photo of Arthur Linn appears on page 1422


	ARTHUR LINN came to the territory of Dakota in December, 1869, 
locating at Yankton. In January, 1870, he purchased the Union and 
Dakotian, the only paper at the capital and the first paper issued in 
the territory. He took an active part in territorial affairs, political 
and otherwise, and was elected chairman of the Republican county 
committee in 1870, and took a leading part in the campaigns of 1870, 
1872, 1874 and 1876. His first newspaper experience was gained in the 
editorial rooms of Harper's Weekly in 1858, when a boy. The editor of 
Harper's Weekly in 1858 was John Bonner, a warm friend of Mr. Linn, and 
he offered him a position, which was accepted. He remained in Harper's 
until the summer of 1860, going to the editorial rooms of the New York 
Herald, then under the personal management of the elder Bennett, with 
Fredric Hudson as editor in chief. During Mr. Linn's connection with 
Harper's Weekly he met nearly all the prominent people of the nation, 
including Edward Everett, Stephen A. Douglas, Alexander H. Stephens, of 
Georgia, the blind preacher, Mr. Milburn, ex-President Fillmore, General 
Thomas, Francis Meagher, and all the prominent literary men and women of 
that time. 

	When the echoes of rebellion rolled up from Charleston, Mr. Linn 
was with the Herald, and had the honor of climbing the flagstaff on the 
old Herald building, corner of Nassau and Fulton streets, and raising 
the first American flag put up over any newspaper building in New York 
City. After the news came that Sumter had fallen, a patriotic mob 
composed of thousands visited every newspaper office in the city the 
next day and compelled every one of them to purchase a flag and show 
their colors. The raising of the flag over the Herald office on the 
afternoon of April 14, 1861, saved that office from the demonstrations 
which followed. 

	On August 23, 1861, Mr. Linn enlisted and became a member of 
Company H, Tenth New York National Zouaves, and joined the regiment at 
Fortress Monroe. It is not material to this sketch how old Linn was when 
he enlisted, but as a matter of record it may be stated that he was just 
fourteen years and eight months old when he donned his zouave uniform in 
New York city, but the recruiting officer was made to believe that he 
was eighteen, or he could not have become a soldier. He served three 
years in the Army of the Potomac, and was on guard on the beach at 
Fortress Monroe the night the "Monitor" arrived from New York and 
challenged Lieutenant Worden and his boat as he was seeking a pilot so 
that he could go to the relief of the frigate "Minnesota," which ran 
into a sand bar while going to the relief of the "Cumberland" and 
"Congress," which were destroyed by the "Merrimac" in the fatal 
encounter March 8, 1862. He took part in the capture of Norfolk, 
Virginia, May 1O, 1862, which resulted in the destruction of the 
"Merrimac," and Linn saw her burn and then blow up in the night, after 
the Union troops had captured Norfolk and Portsmouth. From Norfolk his 
regiment was ordered to join General McClellan's army in front of 
Richmond, and his regiment was one of the first to meet the onslaught of 
Hill's corps at Mechanicsville, which opened the seven-days fight in 
front of the rebel capital. After the bloody campaign his regiment was 
sent to Washington, along with the Army of the Potomac, and took part in 
the bloody battles which stayed Lee's advance against Washington, and 
again marched to meet Lee at Antietam and again at Gettysburg. 

	Mr. Linn was mustered out at Norfolk, Virginia, August 23, 1864, 
and was offered a position with the field staff of the New York Herald, 
with headquarters at City Point, and the Herald was the only paper that 
had headquarters within the sacred circle which surrounded General Grant 
at City Point during the siege of Petersburg. In the fall of 1865 Linn 
returned to New York, and in March, 1866, left for Iowa to visit 
relatives at Charles City, and, strange as it may seem, he had not 
visited his old home on Staten Island, below the city, until February, 
1904, when he was a guest of President Hill to witness the launching of 
the great steamship "Dakota," at New London, Connecticut, February 6th. 
After the launching he visited the scenes of his boyhood in New York, 
Brooklyn and Staten Island, and returned to his home at Canton, South 
Dakota, better satisfied with his home and state than ever before. 

	During the summer of 1872 Mr. Linn made a visit to Spotted Tail's 
hostile camp, half way between the Missouri river and the Black Hills, 
and while on that trip was shown a bag of gold by old James Bordeau, 
which he easily proved came from the Black Hills. On Mr. Linn's return 
to Yankton he published a full account of the matter, with such proof as 
to convince all that there was plenty of gold in the Hills, and from 
that time the excitement grew and continued to develop until finally the 
white man had driven the Indians out and the great stampede of 1876 
began. Linn's account was the first evidence of the great wealth of the 
Hills, and in 1873 the famous Collins expedition was organized at Sioux 
City, which was stopped by General Hancock. In 1874 General Custer was 
sent into the Hills to explore the country and Linn's account was found 
to be correct. In 1875 a few daring gold hunters got into the Hills, but 
the Indians and soldiers drove them out. In 1876 a stampede began which 
the Indians were powerless to stop, and the history of the famous 
Deadwood gulch began. In 1897 Arthur Linn was appointed commandant of 
the South Dakota Soldiers' Home and remained in command until May, 1901, 
when his successor was chosen. Mr. Linn returned to Canton and again 
took charge of his paper which had been in charge of his son Arthur 
during his absence, and he says he expects to remain in the editorial 
harness for the balance of his active life, and continue to promote the 
best interests of the state which he has done so much for. He was 
secretary of the territorial council during the session of 1874-75, but 
declined a second term in 1876-7. 

	Mr. Linn is a thirty-second-degree Mason and a member of 
Consistory No. 1, of Yankton, and is also a Knight Templar. He is the 
editor and proprietor of the Dakota Farmers' Leader at Canton and owns 
one of the best printing plants in the state. 

	On June 7, 1870, Mr. Linn married Etta Brown, daughter of Colonel 
and Mrs. E. M. Brown, of Montpelier, Vermont. Three children came to 
bless their home, but only one remains, Florence Jean Etta, born 
November 24, 1890. The eldest son, Arthur Edward, born May 8, 1876, died 
January 21, 1901. Alexander, born November 24, 1880, died May 18, 1895. 

	Mr. Linn is a member of the Methodist church, and the oldest 
newspaper editor in the state. He has seen Dakota grow from fourteen 
thousand people in 1870, to nearly five hundred thousand in 1904, and 
expects to see a population of one million before he retires from the 
active management of the Leader.