A heated political dispute in southeast Iowa turned deadly just days before the 1860 presidential election, resulting in the murder of a Jefferson County farmer and leaving the case forever unresolved.
According to historian Nancy Bowers, writing for Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases, 35-year-old Silas McCart was killed on October 26, 1860, following a confrontation fueled by political tensions surrounding the presidential race that would ultimately elect Abraham Lincoln.
At the time, the nation was deeply divided over slavery and the future of the United States. Political arguments frequently escalated into violence, and Jefferson County was no exception.
On the evening of October 26, Silas McCart and five other men reportedly went to the home of John A. Mix near Batavia to confront him over political disagreements. The group allegedly carried brickbats and intended to challenge Mix, whose political views differed from their own.
Before the confrontation reached Mix, Amos Wimer, a boarder at the residence, came outside and warned the group away. According to historical accounts, McCart struck Wimer with a brick, and the situation quickly turned violent.
Wimer pulled a small spring dirk knife from his pocket and stabbed McCart four times. The other men fled the scene, while McCart lingered for a short time before dying from his wounds.
No one was ever brought to trial for the killing. Fearing retaliation, Wimer fled the area and went into hiding. He later enlisted in the Union Army and was killed during the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. His death ended any possibility of a court proceeding and left the case without a legal resolution.
McCart was born in Kentucky in 1825 and later moved with his family to Iowa. He and his wife, Keziah Holley McCart, raised seven children. At the time of his death, the family was living near Batavia in Jefferson County.
Today, Silas McCart is buried in Batavia Cemetery, and his death remains one of Iowa’s many historic unsolved homicide cases.
Source: “Death by Politics: Unresolved Murder of Silas McCart (1860)” by Nancy Bowers, Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases.
Photo of Silas McCart
