by

Josh Duey

    Charles Mullarky was a prominent citizen of Cedar Falls. Mullarky was born on October 27, 1835, in Ohio. He later moved to Cedar Falls, working as a farmer and even served as the assistant postmaster. [1] When the Civil War began, he was one of the first people in Cedar Falls to be enlisted. He served in Company K of the Third Iowa Infantry. Mullarky became second lieutenant on June 3, 1861, by the unanimous vote from his fellow Pioneer Greys. [2] As the Gazette proclaimed proudly, "Every officer was elected by acclamation--and every one elected unanimously--this fact tells its own story." [3] Mullarky also played a vital role in recruiting soldiers in the Cedar Falls area. Along with Thomas Salisbury, he went by horseback to area towns such as Waverly and Charles City to recruit volunteers. [4]

    Mullarky ended up spending little time at the front. [5] His company fought their first battle at Blue Mills, Missouri, on September 18, 1861. [6] After the intense fighting at Blue Mills, the company was stationed at Quincy, Illinois, until November, "to recover their health and morale". [7] During the company’s stay in Quincy, Mullarky asked to resign on November 30, 1861, because he was concerned about his business in Cedar Falls and did not want to see it falter. [8] On December 1, 1861, his resignation was accepted. After Mullarky’s resignation, he returned to Cedar Falls. In 1863, he married Ellen, the widow of Andrew Mullarky. [9] In 1884, Mullarky moved to the Dakota Territory where his wife Ellen died on August 11, 1889. [10] On October 15, 1890, Mullarky died in Denver, Colorado. [11] His body was returned to Cedar Falls. 

Footnotes

 
1. Cedar Falls Historical Society Archives: Series III: Box: 7: Mullarky Folder 21:
    Raymon E. Lawton, "The Interrelationship of the early Mullarkys," January 1993, 13,16. 

2 ."Our Volunteers!", Cedar Falls Gazette, 7 June 1861, 3. 

3. Ibid. 

4. Kenneth Lyftogt, From Blue Mills To Columbia (Ames: Iowa State UP, 1993), 20-21. 

5. History of Black Hawk County, Iowa (Chicago: Historical Company, 1878), 445-446. 

6. Ibid. 

7. Lyftogt, 47-49. 

8. CFHSA, Lawton, 20. 

9. Ibid,13. 

10. Ibid,7. 

11. Ibid. 

   Bibliography

 
Cedar Falls Historical Society Archives: Series III: Box7, Mullarky Folder 21: 

Raymon E. Lawton, "The Interrelationship of the early Mullarkys." January 1993. 

History of Black Hawk County, Iowa. Chicago: Historical Company, 1878. 

Lawton, Raymon E. "The Interrelationship of the early Mullarkys." January, 1993, p. 7,13,16. 

Lyftogt, Kenneth. From Blue Mills To Columbia. Ames: Iowa State UP, 1993, p. 20-21. 

"Our Volunteers!," Cedar Falls Gazette, June 7, 1861, p.3.