History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 54

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264

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A hook and ladder company had been organized at this time, which did effective work in preventing the flames from spreading. Water was brought from the river in buckets by hand to stop the flames from spreading. Not men only but women and children were employed in this bucket brigade.

The year following the Kelly house barn was totally consumed by fire. This house was afterward named Central house and situated on Plum street. The barn stood just in the rear of the house on the alley, and the contents, hay, grain, harness and ear- riages, were all consumed. Total loss, $2,500. The house was kept by W. L. Webster and was saved with great difficulty. The furniture was much damaged by hasty removal. This fire was the work of an incendiary, at least so reported.

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In June, 1865, the hotel, which was the first frame building erected in Red Wing, was wholly consumed by fire. This hotel stood on the corner of Main and Bush streets and was called the "Teepetonka, " owned and kept by Jacob Bennett. The fire broke out early in the morning. When first discovered the kitchen in the rear was all in flames. The furniture in the front part was nearly all saved. but the house, with several contiguous buildings, was reduced to ashes. It was through the utmost energy of our citizens that the whole row of wooden structures on the south side of Main, between Bush and Plum streets, was not consumed. The hook and ladder company did efficient work on the occasion, as also did the volunteer bucket brigade.

January 15, 1880, in the evening, a building on Bush street, which had been occupied by Melntire & Sheldon as a store, was burned. The building had been unoccupied for a long time and belonged to Charles Bryant. Before the fire could be put out there was nothing left but the bare walls. Insured for $1,000.

On the evening of April 9, 1882, a fire started between Main and Third streets, which, before it could be subdued, swept over and destroyed nearly half a block of buildings in the business part of Red Wing.

About 8 o'clock Easter Sunday evening fire was discovered in an unused shed standing in the rear of Henry Nelson's tailor shop and adjoining Webster & Perkins' livery stable. Mr. Nel- son's foreman was in the shop and notified the men at the stable, who gave the first alarm. The shed was half filled with straw at the time, and the flames spread very rapidly. In less than fifty minutes the whole cluster of buildings was a seething mass of ruins, reaching from the livery stable east on Third street to the blacksmith shop of Robertson & Mathews, west to Broadway, and north to Main street. Every building was destroyed with the exception of the brick block on the corner of Main and Broad- way. The large opera house, on the corner of Broadway and Third street, was the most valuable building destroyed by this fire. The original cost of this, with the lot, was $24,000. Sev- eral costly improvements had been recently added. Nothing of importance was saved of its furniture and fixtures. Insurance, $6,000. A number of families were deprived of a home for a time by this fire. C. P. Belin and family occupied rooms in the upper story of Webster & Perkins' livery stable. Mrs. Belin had gone to church, leaving her infant child in care of an aged invalid mother. The two were saved with difficulty. G. Easterly and Tilda Carlson, sewing girls, occupying rooms adjoining, saved their lives but lost all their effects except one sewing machine. Mr. Bragg and family. occupying rooms over one of the build- ings on Main street, escaped with their lives. vet lost most of their

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furniture. J. Kuhn, occupying the basement of the opera house as a residence and restaurant, saved but a small portion of his goods. Dr. G. Allen lived in a brick house on Broadway, which was burned with the barn, and the contents of both were nearly all destroyed, the family barely escaping. Another brick house, occupied by A. Steinerson and family, was also destroyed, with most of the furniture; lives saved. Among the buildings con- sumed on Main street at this time were: An omnibus stable, Ray- mond & Wright ; the express office of S. W. Roberts; the second- hand store of J. J. Quale: and Mr. Bragg's meat market. On Third street, besides the opera house and livery block, the tailor shops of II. Nelson and John Norquist and the hardware store of John Delano were consumed and the blacksmith shop next to the hardware store damaged materially. During the time of this fire the wind blew from the east a perfect gale. The air for a considerable distance was filled with flying einders. Watchers were apprehensive of a more extensive conflagration. There had been a heavy rainstorm the night before and the roofs of buildings were so thoroughly wet that the holocaust was prevented.

In 1882. June 13, a fire broke out about 1 o'clock a. m. in the drug store in the brick block on the same corner of Bush and Main streets, where the old Tepee-tonka had formerly stood. The drug store was kept by J. L. Kellogg. When first seen the fire was in the rear end of the building. but in a few minutes the in- side of the salesroom was a seething mass of flames, which soon burst out both in front and rear with great fury. In the second story, just over the drug store. Dr. W. W. Sweney had an office, which was considerably damaged. Adjoining the block was C. E. Sheldon's jewelry store, fronting Bush street, whose stock, con- sisting chiefly of fine crockery, was taken out with such haste as to be damaged to the amount of $800. On the Main street side, adjoining, was the large dry goods store of C. Belanger. His stock was also injured by removal and the water so as to occasion a loss of $500. Goods were removed from several other stores and offices before the progress of the fire was arrested, and the total loss by this fire was estimated at $12,000; mostly covered by insurance.

The same year a series of fires occurred on September 18. At about 7 p. m. a room in the second story of the Scandinavian hotel, on Potter street, was discovered on fire, which was soon extinguished by a few buckets of water. The fire was on a bed which stood near an open window. It was supposed that some one threw fiery missiles from the street in at the window. About an hour later another alarm was sounded, and the Lyon's house stable was found burning on the corner of Third and Plum streets. All efforts to save this building were unavailing. but while it was

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still burning another cry of fire was heard over on Broadway. This fire commenced in the rear of the barn belonging to the Na- tional hotel. Soon the barn was on fire, and the hotel, with a building adjoining, were all reduced to ashes. It seemed that all the firemen could do was to prevent the destruction of the furni- ture factory and the dwelling of Mr. Ilastings. The National hotel was owned at the time by Charles Betcher. His loss was estimated at $5,000: insured for $1,000.

March 4. 1883, the Diamond and Bluff mills, with several ad- joining buildings. were totally destroyed. These mills, together with the Bluff saw mill, were all owned by a joint stock company, which employed about one hundred men and turned out one thou- sand barrels of flour per day. The saw mill only was saved from the devouring element. These mills occupied the whole front of Levee streets from Barn Bluff to the foot of Potter street.

At about twenty minutes after midnight George King, engineer. and Charles Bailey, fireman on the yard engine of the Milwaukee railroad. noticed an unusual light through the windows of the fourth floor of the Diamond mill. They immediately started their engine down the track to get a clearer view and soon decided that the mill was on fire. They commenced giving the alarm by blow- ing the engine whistle. The mill whistle commenced sounding at almost the same time, and very soon the bells of the city added to the dismal chorus. The fire had evidently been set by some person who was familiar with the construction of the mills during the change of the night watchmen. The early watchman had com- pleted his rounds at 11:30. as shown by his time detector. an instrument which the watchmen were required to carry. He had turned over the watch to the other watchman and gone home. The later watchman had come, put on his detector, examined the water gauge. looked into the fire room, went to the engine door to lock it, and, looking out. discovered the fire and immediately gave the alarm. Engineer W. A. Potter was the first at the mill and W. H. Norris was there soon after. Potter started the pump and Norris rushed to the fourth floor to turn on the water, but was driven back by the smoke. F. C. Boynton made a similar attempt, but failed in the same manner. The fire engine was soon on hand and throwing water, but the flames had obtained such a headway that the elevator and warehouses, with the Bluff mill. were soon destroyed with the contents. The firemen succeeded in saving the saw mill by wetting it down. The fire raged fully five hours before it was under control. The total loss was estimated at $240.000. The total insurance was $173.000.

An account of the more recent fires in Red Wing will be found in the history of the city of Red Wing, which appears in this volume.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MILITARY HISTORY.

First War Meeting-Colonel Colvill First Man to Enlist-Muster- ing in of First Companies-First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Volunteer Infantry-First, Second, Brackett's and Independent Cav- alry-Heavy Artillery-Light Artillery-Colonel Hubbard's Bravery-Colonel Colvill's Charge-Spanish-American War -History of Local Company-Complete Roster of Soldiers and Officers from Goodhue County in the Philippines.

Both in the Civil and the Spanish-American wars Goodhue county soldiers took an important place. Although the former is becoming a thing of the distant past, the part taken in it by the heroes from this county will never be forgotten, the famous charge of the 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg, under the brave Colonel William Colvill, being one of the fadeless inei- dents of United States history.

The first war meeting in Goodhue county was held April 25, 1861, at the court house in Red Wing, and was organized by the election of the following officers : President, Hon. W. H. Welch ; vice-presidents, W. S. Grow and C. H. Baker; secretaries. M. Maginnis and L. F. Hubbard. On motion, a committee of five, consisting of Messrs. L. F. Hubbard, William Colvill, H. B. Wil- son, W. C. Williston and George Wilkinson, was appointed to report resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting upon the existing crisis. The audience was entertained until a late hour with stirring speeches by the president, Messrs. MeClure, Sorin, Williston. Crary, Colvill, Hoyt, E. A. Welch and others. A call was made for volunteers, which was responded to by up- wards of fifty, who placed their names to a paper, "pledging their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor in upholding the stars and stripes against the rebellious assaults now made upon them. "'

William Colvill, then known as William Colvill, Jr., was the first man to enlist in Red Wing and one of the first men to enlist in the state. The story is thus told by Charles N. Akers.

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of St. Paul, formerly of Red Wing: "William Colvill wrote his name for the Union army at a meeting held at the court house in Red Wing immediately after the fall of Sumter. The state was then new, and Red Wing a frontier town, but made up of rep- resentative Americans. They had at that time almost the only institution of higher learning in the Northwest west of the Mis- sissippi, namely Hamline University. Among the residents of Red Wing at that time were Judge E. T. Wilder. a prince of lawyers: W. W. Phelps, an orator for any occasion; Judge Charles MeClure. one of the sponsors at the birth of the Repub- lican party. whose clarion voice and patriotic utterances were heard in the constitutional convention as well as many gather- ings of a patriotie and religious nature in the early days; Jabez Brooks. profound scholar, who for many years held the chair of Greek in the state university; Edward Eggleston, professor at Hamline. and well known the nation over by his 'The Hoosier Schoolboy.' Then, too. there was the Rev. Peter Akers, whose eloquence so impressed Abraham Lincoln with one of his anti- slavery sermons that he said: 'Mr. Akers is one of the most im- pressive preachers I ever heard. Somehow I feel that I will have something to do with the abolition of slavery.' Colonel Robert Ingersoll said that Lincoln's soul took fire on that occasion. Then, too. there was the Rev. Matthew Sorin, the idol of the rostrum. His words were flaming swords and set fire to all hearts. Of such men, and scores of bright young fellows from the village and Ilamline University, the meeting was made up. When the call came for volunteers at the close of the appeal. two young men rose and ran over the backs of their seats in their haste to get through the crowd. They were Edward Welch and William Colvill. Welch slipped and fell on the last seat and in falling reached for the pen. But Colvill seized it, saying, 'You are next, Ed.' Then followed many others.

"The company thus commenced was the first company ont- side of the organized state militia to be offered to the governor under his call for one regiment. As soon as the governor's proc- lamation was issued. enlistments were commenced. and within five days the ranks of the Goodhue county volunteers were full. with men to spare. On Monday, April 22, 1861. the county com- missioners being in session. a petition signed by numerous citi- zens. asking for an appropriation by the county of the sum of five hundred dollars for the support of Goodhne volunteers dur- ing the time they are preparing and filling up their ranks, and for the support of their families during their absence, was re- ceived, 'whereupon, on motion, the sum of three hundred dollars was appropriated for the purpose.' It was further ordered that a committee of three be appointed to see to the wants of said

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volunteers and families, and to expend said money, or so much thereof as should be deemed by them necessary, and that the county auditor be authorized to issue orders on the treasury on the certificate of said committee for the amounts, which motion prevailed. The following citizens were elected to act as such committee: W. Il. Welch, W. Featherstone. Pascal Smith. On Tuesday, April 23. 114 men had enlisted-fourteen more than wanted. Friday, the 26th, the company was fully organized and ready for service. The following was the organization and list of members: Captain, William Colvill, Jr .; first lieutenant, A. E. Welch; second lieutenant, M. A. Hoyt; first sergeant, Martin Maginnis ; second sergeant. C. P. Clark ; third, sergeant, Hezekiah Bruce ; fourth sergeant, H. T. Bevans; first corporal, John Bar- row; second corporal. A. E. Scofield; third corporal. George Knight; fourth corporal, Charles Harris; bugler, R. N. Bevans. Privates : Jonas P. Davis. C. L. Davis, Elijah Thomas, Fred E. Miller, J. C. MeClure, J. C. McClenthon. Theodore S. Wood, Robert W. Seeson, Williamson Crary, Paul Nelson, Lewis Cannon, William D. Hubbs, R. C. Barnes, W. W. Wilson, W. B. Kitchell, Frank Snyder, L. McManus, Edward Ash, J. Ahneman, Asa Howe, W. S. Workman. Fred Crossman, George Harrison, S. B. Dilley, Lewis Quinnell, James A. Wright, Christopher Eastman, C. E. Hudson, William Duling, T. Thompson, E. A. Jackson, J. C. F. Hobart, A. Baniher. J. R. Brown, W. W. Clark, William Gordon, Henry Bennett, D. C. Smith, C. Burgh, C. W. Seott, A. Glazier, A. P. Baker. R. E. Jacobs, S. E. Baldwin, E. F. Grow, F. J. Bachelor, J. M. Underwood, O. W. Sudden, C. W. Mills, Drik Metseder, P. R. Hamlin, J. P. Kirkham, Richard McGee, George Mozer. Jefferson Banner. C. W. Merritt, German Ander- son, John Lindquist, John Williams, Ferris Johnson, Hiram J. Rush, M. B. Milliken, John II. Smith, P. T. Galloway, James W. Day. T. G. Leeson, W. D. Bennett, George Atkinson, Charles Adams, George W. Wright, S. B. Nilson, William Esdon, Marion Abbott, George L. Lewis, C. S. Bonderont, E. F. Pitcher, David Schwieger. Edward Berdan, George Noormer, Fred Rembrandt, Hans Hoelstadt, W. C. Riddle. M. S. Standish, William Bryant, P. T. Davidson, E. O. Williams.

"Saturday afternoon, April 27, the Goodhue volunteers left Red Wing by the steamer Ocean Wave. for St. Paul and Fort Snelling, where the regiment (the 1st) to which they were as- signed, was mustered in. Their departure was witnessed by a speed to the gallant fellows in the glorious mission that called them away. Among the throng were a large number of the rela- tives and near friends of members of the company, who had large number of citizens, who gathered on the levee to bid God come to give them a parting word of counsel and cheer, and per-

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haps take the last look upon those they loved. Many an eye dimmed and many a lip quivered as they filed aboard the boat, and not infrequently might have been noticed a tear stealing down the cheeks of those who had just bid farewell to friends. As the boat moved from the levee, the crowd ashore cheered lustily, which was heartily responded to by the volunteers, and amid the waving of flags and handkerchiefs and the hurrahs of the multitude, the Ocean Wave passed out of sight."

Of the reception at St. Paul of this first company raised in Minnesota and offered as a sacrifice in defense of the integrity and perpetuity of the American Union, the "Press" of May 2 said : "They were received at the landing by the Pioneer Guards, who escorted them to their temporary quarters in the city. An immense crowd of citizens were at the levee to welcome their arrival, and as the companies filed through the streets to their quarters, the sidewalks were lined with ladies and gentlemen, who kept up a continuous cheer as the brave volunteers passed along. The ranks returned the salutations with hearty goodwill. The Red Wing brass band came up with the company from that place, and added materially to the enthusiasm of the occasion. The company is more than full, and composed of the very bone and sinew of the stalwart farmers of Goodhue county."

No sooner was the above company full, in fact even before its organization was nearly perfected, a movement was started for the organization of a second company in Red Wing, and up to Friday, May 3. fifty names were reported. Patriotie enthu- siasm was at fever heat. Saturday evening, the 4th, this second company met and perfected its organization by the election of the following officers: Captain, A. D. Whitney; first lieutenant, E. L. Baker; second lieutenant, II. Mattson; third lieutenant, .J. F. Pingrey ; first sergeant, Andrew A. Teele; second sergeant, W. E. Hawkins; third sergeant, J. H. Mues; fourth sergeant, C. R. Brink; first corporal, C. Berg; second corporal, M. J. Chamberlain ; third corporal, J. S. Allyn; fourth corporal. C. C. Johnson; ensign, W. W. Phelps; bugler, J. C. Hawes. Pri- vates: F. A. Meredith, T. B. McCord, William Philleo, Charles Betcher, W. P. Brown, L. F. Hubbard, Harvey Miller, A. Johnson. W. C. Williston, Benjamin Densmore, Daniel Dens- more, H. B. Wilson, W. W. Rich, T. R. Sterling, J. M. Hodgman, S. B. Morrow, L. H. Girard, C. H. Baker, A. Thomas, Allen Swain, W. W. DeKay, C. C. Webster, R. N. McLaren, G. W. Baldwin, John Foot, D. Mellen, Watts Sherman, H. C. Hoffman, J. Ashton, HI. Hickman, D. Heald, F. P. Downing, Herman Betcher.

The country districts were not idle. All over the county the people were full of patriotic fervor. Meetings were held in almost'every schoolhouse, at which spirited addresses were made

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by the representative men of the county. But few speeches, however, were needed. The flag of the country had been grossly insulted; the people were indignant and resolved that the insult should be resented, even if it took the last man and the last dollar in the northern states to punish the traitors and subdue the rebellion they had inaugurated. And among the people of the patriotic North none were braver or more devoted to the cause of the Union than the sons of Norway and Sweden who had found homes in Goodhue county. Not even native-born Americans made a better record. They were true to their oaths of allegiance and gallantly joined the ranks of the "boys in blue" and marched away to help defend the country of their adoption.

Following is a brief résumé of the service of the Minnesota regiments and companies in which Goodhue county men were mustered :

FIRST INFANTRY.

The 1st Infantry was organized in April, 1861, went into camp at Fort Snelling; mustered in by Captain Anderson D. Nelson, U. S. A., on the 29th; ordered to Washington, D. C., June 14, 1861. The following is a sketch of the marches, battles, sieges and skirmishes in which this regiment participated: First Bull Run, July 21, 1861: Edwards Ferry, October 22, 1861; Yorktown, May 7, 1862; Fair Oaks, June 1, 1862; Peach Orchard, June 29, 1862; Savage Station, June 29, 1862; Glendale, June 30, 1862; Nelson's Farm, June 30, 1862; Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862; Vienna, September 2, 1862; Antietam, September 17, 1862; first Fredericksburg, December 11, 12 and 13, 1862; second Fred- ericksburg, May 3, 1863; Gettysburg, July 2 and 3, 1863; and Bristow Station, October 14, 1863. Discharged at Fort Snelling May 5, 1864. The commissioned offieers from Goodhne county were : Company F, Colonel William Colvill, enlisted and com- missioned captain April 29, 1861; promoted major August 28, 1862; lieutenant colonel September 26, 1862, and colonel May 6, 1863; discharged with regiment May 5, 1864. Major A. Edward Welch, commissioned first lieutenant April 29, 1861; promoted major November 5, 1861, and died at Nashville, Tenn., February 1, 1864. Lieutenant Mark A. Hoyt, commissioned second lieu- tenant April 29, 1861; promoted to first lieutenant January 8, 1862; resigned July 18, 1862. Captain Martin Maginnis, en- listed April 29, 1861; promoted second lieutenant September 17, 1862; first lieutenant September 17, 1862, and captain July 28, 1863; discharged with regiment May 4, 1864. Lieutenant Heze- kiah Bruce, enlisted April 29, 1861; promoted second lieutenant .July 28, 1863; first lieutenant July 28, 1863; discharged with regi-

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ment May 4, 1864. Goodhue county had ninety-five soldiers in Company F and one in Company G.

SECOND INFANTRY.

The 2nd Infantry was organized in July, 1861. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., October, 1861, and assigned to the Army of the Ohio. The following embraces a sketch of the marches, battles and skirmishes in which this regiment participated : Mill Spring, January 19, 1862; Siege of Corinth, April, 1862; transferred to the Army of the Tennessee. Bragg's Raid; Perryville, October 8, 1862; skirmishes of the Tullahoma campaign; Chickamauga, September 19 and 20, 1863; Mission Ridge, November 25, 1863. Veteranized January. 1864. Battles and skirmishes of the At- lanta campaign, viz .: Resaca, June 14, 15 and 16, 1864; Kenesaw Mountain. June 27. 1864; Jonesboro; Sherman's march through Georgia and the Carolinas; Bentonville, March 19, 1865. Dis- charged at Fort Snelling July 11, 1865. The commissioned officers from Goodhue county were: Assistant surgeon, William Brown, commissioned September 5, 1862; promoted surgeon September 5, 1862; no record. Company I, Captain John Foot, mustered in July 30, 1861; resigned March 9, 1862. First Lieu- tenant William S. Grow, mustered in July 30, 1861; appointed quartermaster. Lieutenant William W. Wilson, enrolled June 26, 1861; promoted second lieutenant April 1, 1862, and first lieu- tenant July 19, 1862; resigned September 12, 1864. Goodhue county had twenty soldiers in Company I, eight in Company K, two in Company B, six in Company C, one in Company F, and one in Company G.

THIRD INFANTRY.

The 3rd Infantry was organized in October, 1861. Ordered to Nashville, Tenn., March, 1862. Captured and paroled at Mur- freesboro July, 1862. Ordered to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Min- nesota. Engaged in the Indian expedition of 1862. Participated in the battle of Wood Lake. September. 1862. Ordered to Little Rock, Ark., November, 1863. Veteranized January, 1864. En- gaged in battle of Fitzhugh's Woods, March 30, 1864. Ordered to Pine Bluff, Ark., April, 1864, and from there to Duvall's Bluff, September 2. 1865. Discharged at Fort Snelling. The commis- sioned officers from Goodhue county were: Company D, Colonel IIans Mattson, commissioned captain Company D October 22, 1861 ; promoted major May 29, 1862; promoted lieutenant colonel July 15. 1863, and colonel April 15. 1864; discharged with the regiment September 2. 1865. First Lieutenant Lars K. Aakers. commissioned October 3. 1861; resigned March 30, 1862. Second

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History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 54

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1264

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264