USA > Minnesota > Waseca County > Child's history of Waseca County, Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854 to the close of the year 1904, a record of fifty years : the story of the pioneers > Part 9
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At the September session of the board in 1860, John N. Powers resigned as commissioner, and M. S. Green resigned as county at- torney. This was at the meeting of Sept. 5, and the two remaining members adjourned till Sept. 11th. At this meeting, as the record shows, D. L. Whipple and S. W. Franklin acted with the board, but just how or by what authority does not appear. That was the closing session for the year, and much business was trans- acted. Among other matters, Seth W. Long was licensed to sell intoxicating liquors at his hotel in Okaman.
At the fall election there was an entire change in the county board, the commissioners elected being Isaac Hamlin, Patrick Hea- ly, and B. A. Lowell. The other officers elected that fall were as follows: Member of the lower house of the legislature, James E. Child; county auditor, S. J. Willis; county attorney, H. D.
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Baldwin; court commissioner, W. T. Kittredge. The highest vote polled was 508, and the Republicans carried the county by a ma- jority of one hundred and sixty-one for Abraham Lincoln. The campaign was quite exciting; Mr. Child, Republican, and P. Brink Enos, D. mocrat, held several joint discussions. Both were then rather young men for that kind of business.
The year of 1860, like that of 1859, yielded abundant crops, but there was no improvement in market prices, nor had we any better facilities for getting our grain to market. There was universal prostration in all kinds of business on account of the general failure of the "wild-cat" banks which had been organized for systematic robbery under state laws. First, interest had ranged for a few years at from fifteen to seventy-two per cent per annum-we had no usury law at that time. Unscrupulous men would start banks based on worthless stocks or bonds, and then over-issue for the sake of gathering in the interest on the worth- less money loaned.
Second, this, like every other robbery that is permitted by law, soon drew from the farmers and laboring people of the West their hard earnings, reduced all producers to poverty, and re- acted upon even the money lenders of sinall means-many of them being compelled to take the mortgaged property which they could not use and which would not sell for enough to pay back the mon- ey loaned upon it. How strange it is that moneyed men never learn from history, which is constantly repeating itself, that they cannot rob and impoverish the people, who create all wealth, without finally being ruined themselves by the general crash which necessarily follows an exorbitant rate of interest! But stranger yet is the mental condition of the masses that willingly make serfs of themselves and their families by becoming the slaves of money loaners, thus toiling their lives away for the en- richment of others !
The year closed with dismal forebodings for the future. Al- ready the black form of treason had raised its murderous hand at the South and there was so much of party sympathy in the North that brave and hopeful indeed were the men that had no misgivings regarding the immediate future. Minnesota oc- cupied a critical position. Her people were almost totally with- out money, both as a state and as individuals. The Chippewa In-
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dians occupied the northern portion of the state, the Sioux tribes held all the western border, while the Winnebago Indian reser- vation occupied the center of southern Minnesota, being located in Waseca and Blue Earth counties. It was foreseen by level- headed men that, in case of civil war, the people of this state would be in great danger of an Indian outbreak. The writer was ridiculed during the session of the legislature of 1861 for expressing the opinion that, in case the impending civil war could not be avoided, our people would be exposed to Indian outbreaks on the frontier. When outbreaks did come those who did the ridiculing were the first to hasten to a place of safety.
At the November election in 1860, Abraham Lincoln received 304 votes and Stephen A. Douglas 143. For member of congress, William Windom and Cyrus Aldrich, Republicans, received 337 votes each; James George, Democrat, received 188 votes, and John M. Gilman, Democrat, 152 votes. The state then elected two congressmen at large.
The legislative district of which Waseca county was a part comprised the counties of Freeborn, Steele and Waseca. Very little attention was paid to party politics in the choosing of legis- lators. Railroad interests and personal likes and dislikes entered largely into the choice of legislative candidates.
The issue was known as Cornell and anti-Cornell. The candi- dates were: Dr. George Watson, of Freeborn county, for senator, and George W. Green, of Clinton Falls, Steele county, and James E. Child, of Waseca county, for representatives-these three were Republicans and anti-Cornell men; Henry Thornton, democrat, of Freeborn county, for senator, and Wm. F. Pettit, democrat, of Steele county, and A. E. Smith, republican of Waseca county, for representatives-these three were Cornell men. Watson and Child, republicans and Pettit democrat, were elected, each by a small majority.
While the political contentions of the year had been earnest, even fierce, and the black clouds of treason were seen gathering in the Southland, the climatic conditions had been favorable during the year and our people had gathered bounteous crops. The winter of 1859-60 had been very mild, and the spring weather of 1860 was most delightful. Some farmers sowed wheat in the month of February, and he was a slow farmer, indeed, who
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was not through with seeding small grain on the 15th of March, that year. The weather was fine during the entire season and the harvest all that could be asked for.
It was also a year of intense political activity and discussion throughout the nation. The Kansas-Nebraska struggle which for years had kept alive and increased sectional hatred regarding the institution of human slavery had culminated in the invasion of Virginia, at Harper's Ferry, by John Brown and his followers, Oct. 17th, 1859. Brown, with seventeen white men and five ne- groes took possession of Harper's Ferry and captured about 100,000 stand of arms in the arsenal. This place was guarded by only three watchmen, who were easily captured. This invasion was made with the avowed intention of freeing the negro slaves of the South. This fanatieal and foolhardy enterprise resulted in a number of deaths, the capture, trial, and hanging of John Brown and some of his associates and most intense excitement and indignation throughout the slaveholding states. Brown was hanged on the 2d of Deeember, 1859. While very few people in the North attempted to justify his treason, there were many that admired the courage of the brave old man, who fought, as he believed, for that most saered of doctrines-the inalienable right of every human being to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happi- ness."
Brown had been driven from Kansas by the proslavery men, and a prize amounting to $3,250 had been offered for his arrest by the governor of Missouri and the president of the United States.
The greatest political struggle of the ages followed in 1860. Lincoln was nominated by the anti-slavery or republican sen- timent of the North, Breckenridge by the pro-slavery men of the South and Douglas by the conservative or commercial democracy of the nation. It was a battle of intellectual and political giants, and resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln.
The year 1860, so far as county matters were concerned, passed with no occurrence out of the ordinary, except, perhaps, the tak- ing of the United States census. This work was performed by Cole O. Norton, since deceased, a brother of Mr. H. P. Norton, of Waseca. According to his enumeration there were at that time 1,370 males and 1,228 females. There were of men over 20 and under 40 years of age 241, and of females 196; males over 40 and
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under 50, 118, females of the same ages, 73; males over 50 and under 60, 37; females of the same ages, 36; men over 60 and under 70, 40; females of the same ages, 22; males over 70 and under 80, 9; females of the same ages, 5. The total population of the county was only 2,598.
CHAPTER XXVIII, 1861.
THE STRUGGLE OF 1861-FIRST CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS-CAPT. McKUNE AND WASECA COUNTY VOLUNTEERS-BATTLE OF BULL RUN-ELECTION OF 1861, P. C. BAILEY REPRESENTATIVE -BIG COMET-MINNESOTA VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS-MEN WHO ENLISTED-THE THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH REGIMENTS -LOW PRICES-FIRST NEWSPAPER, "HOME VIEWS" BY JOHN- STON AND WILLIS-TRIBUTE TO CAPT. McKUNE.
The year 1861, the most momentous in the history of our nation, opened beneath the storm-elouds of treason which cast their som- ber and ominous shadows over all the land. From every point of view the southern rebellion was the most gigantic politieal crime of all the ages that had preceded it. The hope of liberty, of religious freedom, of manhood sovereignty, of the laboring and produeing masses, not only of this country, but of all the world, depended upon the maintenance of the "Union of the States, one and inseparable."
The Minnesota legislature of 1861 authorized an organization of the militia of the state, but the treasury was so destitute of available funds that the organization was nothing more than a make believe. The legislature closed its session the first week in March, and on the 12th of April, Ft. Sumter was fired upon by the rebel forces of the South. Then the first fierce blow was struck, and the states of the South, one after another, in rapid succession, formally seceded from the Union. The forts and arse- nals of the nation in the South, in contemplation of secession, had been turned over to southern sympathizers by Buchanan's admin- istration and were rapidly surrendered to the rebels.
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President Lincoln at once issued a call for seventy-five thou- sand volunteers to defend the life of the nation. Gov. Ramsey, who was in Washington when Fort Sumter was fired upon, was the first governor to tender the president a regiment of volunteers. This he did on the morning of April 13, 1861.
The governor immediately telegraphed Ignatius Donnelly, lieu- tenant governor, and on the 16th of April, Mr. Donnelly as gov- ernor ad interim, issued his call for one regiment of volunteer infantry of ten companies, to report at once to Adjutant General Sanborn at St. Paul. Within two weeks the regiment was full, and many that offered to enlist were turned away.
Waseca county, considering its population, furnished its full quota. The following gallant young men enlisted with Capt. Lewis MeKune, one of the early settlers in Blooming Grove, but then of Morristown, Rice county, viz .: Geo. R. Buckman, L. J. (Jim) Mosher, E. E. Verplank, John M. Churchill, Irvine W. Northrup, Michael Hausauer, Walter S. Reed, Luman S. Wood, Adam Areman, Omer H. Sutlief, Louis E. Hanneman, Martin Hea- ly, Neri Reed, C. C. Davis, George Kline, Philo Hall, John Mc- Kinster, Nathaniel Reed, Norman B. Barron, Amos Canfield, Jens T. Dahl.
These men, without exception, served their country most faith- fully and heroically.
The regiment was fully organized on April 29th and mustered into the service at Fort Snelling by Capt. A. D. Nelson, of the United States army.
The men at once went into training and were drilled every day except Sundays. They remained at Fort Snelling until June 22nd when they embarked on steamboats and started for Wash- ington, taking railroad cars at La Crosse and Prairie du Chien. They arrived in Washington June 27th and remained near that city until July 16th when the regiment was ordered to the front. The regiment bore a prominent part in the ill-fated Bull Run battle of July 21st, 1861, during which Capt. Lewis McKune was killed, and E. E. Verplank, George Kline, and Walter S. and Neri Reed, two brothers, were slightly wounded.
The brave, unselfish, Capt. Lewis MeKune was among the numerous immigrants to Minnesota in 1856. He was born in Meri- den, Susquehanna county, Pa., on the 22d of July, 1821. He was
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reared upon a farm and remained in his native state until his twenty-fifth year when he started West, settling in Illinois. At the breaking out of the California gold excitimenet, in 1849, or very soon after, he went to that Eldorado of the West to seek his fortune. He was reasonably successful in his mining opera- tions, and returned to Illinois about 1855. He next purchased an emigrant outfit and came to Minnesota by the typical prairie schooner. He brought with him some very valuable horses, the breeding of which occupied considerable of his attention. He first settled in Blooming Grove and opened a large farm on section one.
The writer's first acquaintance with him was during the politi- cal campaign of 1856. Both of them were very earnest, ardent re- publicans in those days-"Black Abolitionists." He was a born hero, ready to stand by, and fight for, what he believed to be right, regardless of personal ease, safety, or financial sacrifice. He was one of the many grand characters of the great army of American heroes and statesmen of that day. How grand it would be were this nation today as patriotie, as unselfish, as devoted to right- eousness as were the republican heroes of that day. Were it so, the greed and selfishness now concentrated in the hands of corpo- rations, syndicates and money combines, that plunder the masses, would find few defenders.
He participated to quite an extent in the local campaign of 1856, and thus paved the way for his preferment in 1857. In the spring of 1857, the people of Steele and Waseca counties met in conven- tion at Owatonna and elected delegates to attend a district con- vention to be held at Mankato about the 1st of June, to nominate republican candidates to be elected as members of the constitu- tional convention. Hon. Amos C'oggswell, an able lawyer, who had settled in Aurora township, Steele county, in 1856, was a can- didate and the choice of Steele county, while Waseca county had no aspirants. The writer was chosen as one of the delegates to the Mankato convention, and it was soon learned that a delegate would be awarded to Waseca county. Capt. MeKune was not at the convention, nor had he been consulted in regard to the matter ; but upon the presentation of his name by the writer he was unani- mously nominated. Mr. MeKune had just opened a store in Mor- ristown, though living on his farm, and was unable to devote time
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to the canvass; but he aeeepted the nomination and was duly elected. Although not a publie speaker, he was a man of sound judgment and made a valuable member of that very able conven- tion.
As a member of the constitutional convention he demonstrated, on more than one oeeasion, that his "Scoteh blood was up" when- ever there was a fight on hand. As a result of the election of mem- bers to the convention, the political parties were so nearly evenly represented in numbers, that each sought to get party control of the organization. The republicans, fearing that the Kansas tricks of the pro-slavery men might be repeated in Minnesota, held several private eaueuses to devise ways and means to prevent any advantage being taken of them. Upon Mr. MeKune's suggestion the republiean members, in a body, quietly took possession of the hall where the convention was to meet, the night before the eon- vention was to assemble and organize. They remained in the hall that night and until 12 o'clock noon, when they proceeded to or- ganize the eonvention in opposition to the democrat members who appeared at that time in a body and also pretended to organ- ize and then immediately adjourned, leaving the hall to the re- publieans.
It will be remembered, by those familiar with the early history of the state, that our constitution was finally submitted by two conventions which by a committee of conference, agreed upon the constitution under which Minnesota was admitted as a state. It was during the session of the conference committee that a brutal assault was made upon Judge Thomas Wilson, then a republican member from Winona, by Gen. Willis A. Gorman, a democratie member from St. Paul. The assault eaused great excitement at the time throughout the country. Gorman was a large, powerful man, while Wilson was not only a small man, but in poor health at the time. This so ineensed Capt. MeKune that he sought Gorman and gave him a severe tongue-lashing, giving him to understand that if he desired to whip some blaek republican, he (Me) was ready to receive and return blows. Suffice it to say Gorman gave no blows.
[Gen. Gorman afterwards beeame a strong Union man and was colonel of the First Minnesota at the time of Capt MeKune's death.]
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Upon Mr. McKune's return from the constitutional convention, the people were so well satisfied with him that he was chosen our first state senator. The session commenced in December, 1857, and continued until the close of March, when it adjourned till the next August. This legislature became notorious for its adop- tion of the five-million, railroad bond-issue. A lobby of railroad bond-swindlers, accompanied by a large number of trained and genteel prostitutes and bribe givers, debauched a majority of the legislature and secured the passage of the five-million loan amend- ment. Senator McKune honestly fought the proposition from the start, but was in the minority, and the bill passed. He then took the stump against the adoption of the proposition by the people; but, alas! the fools were in the majority; the people were de- ceived, and they adopted the swindle as their own, repudiating the noble man who fought bravely to protect them from being robbed and plundered. It was another striking illustration of the fact that the American public delights in being cheated and humbugged by a set of genteel appearing rascals that make their money by first deceiving and then plundering the people.
After this legislative experience Mr. MeKune abandoned party politics and devoted himself to his own business matters-his farm in Blooming Grove, and his sales of merchandise in Morristown. At the close of his senatorial work, he removed his family to Mor- ristown where he resided in 1861. Notwithstanding his retirement from active local politics, he took great interest in the affairs of his country and was among the first to foresee that all compro- mises would fail, and that the struggle would end, either in the total abolition of African slavery or the destruction of the Union.
The writer will never forget the solemnity and earnestness of this man the last time he ever conversed with him. I had spent the winter of 1860-1, in St. Paul, as a member of the legislature, and was on my return home. There were no railroads here then, and on the old stage-coach Morristown was the nearest point to my home, then on a farm in Wilton. Capt. MeKune's kind invi- tation to become his guest over night was accepted. He was even then preparing to arm for the defense of the Union. He went on to explain that war was inevitable. The rebel leaders. he said, had so long found moneyed and commercial men of the North a set of poltroons and doughfaces
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that they were infatuated with the idea that all the Northern men were mercenary and cowardly, and would submit to dishonor and disunion rather than sacrifice their money and their lives to main- tain the government of their forefathers.
We sat up late the night of that 9th day of March, 1861, as he told of the arrangements he had already made to enlist at the first call for volunteers. He said he had a feeling, or premonition, that he should die in the struggle and had arranged matters according- ly. Upon retiring he called attention to his two boys and to two swords hanging upon the wall in their sleeping room. He said that he had been teaching the boys how to use them; and he expected that, should the struggle be a prolonged one, they would both be called to defend their country. It was wonderful how calmly he talked of coming events and possibilities. The next morning he accompanied me as far as Chris. Remund's farm, in Blooming Grove, on horseback. Upon separating he extended a most affectionate farewell, repeating his conviction that war was inevitable and that he expected to sacrifice his life for his country. Alas ! how true were his predictions.
The people of all Minnesota watched the opening events of the great struggle with the greatest anxiety. Almost every neighbor- hood had furnished some brave man or boy for the conflict. The rebels, on account of the cowardice and imbecility of James Bu- chanan, had plundered the nation of its money, arms, ammunition, forts and navy, and held the Union people by the throat. Delay followed delay, and the slaughter of the Union forces at Bull Run, on that fatal 21st day of July, 1861, cast a terrible gloom over the entire North, and especially over the people of Waseca county, when they learned of the death of Capt. Lewis McKnne and the other brave men who fell on that occasion, almost at the first fire. When the sad news first reached Wilton there were few dry eyes among the men who heard it. All party and personal feeling disappeared for the time, and one universal sentiment of patriotism was aroused.
Without disparagement of any other, it is safe to say that no grander sacrifice was ever made for country than that made by Capt. Lewis McKune. He sacrificed a good business, left a devoted and accomplished wife in poor health, and abandoned his children to all the uncertain vicissitudes of life, while giving his own body
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as a living sacrifice upon the altar of his country. It is true that his life was spent among the toilers of earth and as one of them. He was of the masses-an honest, conscientious, unselfish patriot. Contrast his life and death with some of the so-called great men of to-day, and, if there be justice beyond this life, Lewis McKune will occupy a front seat at the right hand among the noblest souls of this or any other nation.
The proceedings of the county board, consisting of B. A. Lowell, Patrick Healy and Isaac Hamline, were of the routine order and nothing of general interest transpired.
The election in the fall of 1861 was almost as exciting as the presidential election of the year before. The war excitement was intense. Should President Lincoln be sustained and the Union be preserved ? Alexander Ramsey, governor, and Ignatius Don- nelly, lieutenant governor, were re-elected by large majorities. The following legislative and county officers were elected : Sen- ator, Hon. A. B. Webber, of Albert Lea; representative, Hon. P. C. Bailey, of Wilton; treasurer, Hon. Geo. T. White, of St. Mary ; register of deeds, Tarrant Putnam, of Wilton; sheriff, D. L. Whip- ple; clerk of court, H. P. West; judge of probate and county attorney, Hon. H. D. Baldwin; surveyor, Geo. P. Johnson, all of Wilton ; court commissioner, Job A. Canfield, of Otiseo: coroner, Nathaniel Wood, of Woodville; county commissioners, John S. G. Honor of Iosco, B. A. Lowell of Otisco, and J. B. Jackson, of Sonth Wilton.
While there was little doing of local importance, there was much of a general character to interest the people. This was the year of the great comet which suddenly appeared on the 30th day of June and created a great sensation. To the naked eye, the head of the comet appeared to be larger than a star of the first magni- tude. The astronomers "estimated" that on the 2d day of July the breadth of the head of the nucleus was about 150,000 miles. and its train of light fifteen million miles in length. It was thought by one astronomer that the earth would pass through the tail of this comet, but it sped onward through trackless space, soon disappeared from view and was forgotten by the multitude.
THE FOURTH OF JULY.
Independence Day was commemorated with more than usual sol-
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emnity that year. A large assembly of people gathered at Wilton, then the county seat, and celebrated the occasion by reading the Declaration of Independence, singing patriotic songs, and listening to short, patriotic speeches by leading citizens.
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
The Union forces during the summer met with exasperating de- lays and some reverses. On the fifth of July, President Lincoln issued a call for 400,000 more men and $400,000,000 to carry on the war for the suppression of the Rebellion. The Second Min- nesota regiment of infantry was complete as early as August 23. No men from Waseca county enlisted in this regiment.
The Third regiment was mustered in at Ft. Snelling Nov. 15. Waseca county furnished to this regiment, Ilugh Donaldson, C. A. Prasley, James Broderiek, W. II. II. Jackson, Hugh B. Withrow, S. M. Jones, G. W. Prasley, C. W. Preston, David Lilly, S. F. Wyman.
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