USA > Wisconsin > An illustrated history of Wisconsin from prehistoric to present periods : the story of the state interspersed with realistic and romantic events > Part 6
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"Gaylord, has an adjutant been appointed for the -th?"
"No, sir; but Senator Blush has handed in a recommendation and requested the naming of a young man in his town."
" Is the young man now in the army?" asked Governor Salomon.
" No, sir, he is a law student in the senator's office."
"General Gaylord, Mr. Levisee has told me about a law student who has already been in the army a year. We will make him adjutant of the new regiment. Ask Senator Blush to wait for a time."
"What is your friend's name, Brother Levisee?"
"Sergeant George Simmons."
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ROMANCES OF A BRIGADE.
"General, send the commission to-day, with an order for Lieutenant Simmons to report for duty in Wisconsin as soon as possible. By the way, general, I believe it would be a capital idea to give each company in the new regiments called for from this on, one lieutenant from the regiments that went into the service last year and have learned some- thing practical in the art of war."
" Excellent, sir, excellent," said Wisconsin's model adjutant gen- eral, and that rule prevailed until the end of the war, and gave many splendid men in the old regiments a chance to win distinction as officers.
When Sergeant Simmons came back to camp from picket duty one hot June day, his camp being opposite Fredericksburg, Va., up the Rappahannock river from the long brick house in which General King had headquarters, the orderly sergeant niet him with a salute, and, " Lieutenant Simmons, here's a letter and a paper for you-both from Madison."
The pale, tired soldier sat down in the shade of his tent and opened the paper. A marked item in the state Journal caught his eye and nearly took his breath. It read: "Governor Salomon has taken a step in officering the new regiments which will meet with the hearty approval of all classes of citizens, unless it be a few who care more for getting places for relatives and friends than they do for the service. Hereafter at least one lieutenant for each new company will be taken from non- commissioned officers and privates, who enlisted the first year of the war. The first commission under the new rule was issued to-day, making George Simmons, Company B, 2nd Wisconsin, first lieutenant and adju- tant of the -th regiment."
" Here's both good and bad news, boys. The governor has given me some shoulder straps; that's good news. I must leave Company B; that's bad news for me."
That night when the orderly called the roll he told the company of Simmons' promotion and they gave him three cheers. A week later he started for Wisconsin, and a month later that blessed, patriotic mother had marketed two of her cows and given her note for $150 to raise money enough to buy a uniform, a sword, horse, saddle and bridle for her adjutant son. There was a tear in the young warrior's eye and a tremble in his voice when he said: "My angel mother, I will take up that note with my first pay and before winter I will send you money enough to buy back the two cows."
"Never mind, my boy, never mind. All I want is for you to come back at the end of the war."
When the new regiment left for the front, there was not a finer appearing officer in it than young Simmons. His good mother was present to hug and kiss the brave soldier as she had all his life kissed and hugged her noble-hearted farmer boy. Lawyer Levisee left impor- tant cases to go and see his law student ride by the side of the colonel
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at the head of a thousand Wisconsin citizens-one thousand of the 95,000 our good state contributed for protection to flag and republic. As the head of the column reached the point where Mrs. Simmons and the lawyer stood, the mother half laughing and half crying, Adjutant Simmons saluted them with his sword, and that was the last time he saw them for two years; and they were years of hardships, dangers, sacrifices for the whole Union army, and particularly so for Simmons. He had been an invalid throughout the two years, but would not sur- render. He asked for no privileges in consequence of poor health and missed no marches or battles that his regiment took part in. A year after leaving the state Simmons was made captain of a company.
One evening late in July, 1864, the La Crosse daily contained an account of one of Sherman's hard-fought battles about Atlanta. It spoke in glowing terms of the part taken by the --- th regiment, giving the names of many of the dead and wounded. Among the latter was that of Captain George Simmons, "seriously and probably fatally shot, while gallantly leading his company in a charge on a battery."
The next day, while at General Sherman's headquarters, Captain Simmons' regimental commander received the following dispatch:
LA CROSSE, WIS., July 24, 1864. Commanding Officer -th Wisconsin, Sherman's Army, near Atlanta, Georgia:
Spare no expense in securing best of nursing for Captain Simmons, and as soon as he is well enough, send him to Wisconsin. Money sent by letter. LEVISEE.
THE HISTORY OF WISCONSIN . · IN TWELVE . .
MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE NUMBERS.
1893.
GENERAL CONTENTS.
JANUARY-Geology and Prehistoric Wisconsin, by the author. Romances of a Brigade, by Col. J. A. Watrous.
FEBRUARY-Spanish Explorers and Explorations; French Explorers and Ex- plorations, and the Origin of the French Nation, by the author. Romances of a Brigade, by Col. J. A. Watrous, and an article by E. W. Krackowizer, editor of the Sire and Sons' Department.
MARCH-Wisconsin Under French Dominion, Wisconsin Under English Rule, and Origin of the French Nation, by the author. Romances of a Brigade, by Col. J. A. Watrous, and Sire and Sons' Department, edited by E. W. Krackowizer.
APRIL-Northwest Territory, Early Settlers and Settlements ; Indian Disturbances, by the author.
MAY-Black Hawk and Wars in Which He Participated, by the author.
JUNE-Territorial Days, by the author.
JULY-Wisconsin in the Civil War, by Col. C. K. Pier.
AUGUST-Wisconsin in the Civil War, by Col. C. K. Pier.
SEPTEMBER-Primitive and Present Railways ; Wisconsin's Picturesque Spots, by the author.
OCTOBER-Primitive and Modern Cities in the State, by the author.
NOVEMBER-Agricultural and Manufacturing Interests, Educational and other Institutions, by the author.
DECEMBER-Our Representatives in Congress.
JESSE E. MATTESON, Author's Assistant.
MILWAUKEE. THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1893. FOND DU LAC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
WISCONSIN HISTORICAL PUBLISHING CO.
ROOM 6, MILLER BLOCK, MILWAUKEE, WIS. 495 MAIN STREET, FOND DU LAC, WIS.
C. S. MATTESON, PRESIDENT.
OFFICERS: { M. T. SIMMONS, TREASURER. ( J. E. MATTESON, SECRETARY.
THE ILLUSTRATED
HISTORICAL MAGAZINES OF WISCONSIN.
PUBLISHED ON THE 20TH DAY OF EACH MONTH DURING THE YEAR 1893.
The Twelve Illustrated Magazine Numbers will contain the full and complete history of the State of Wisconsin from the earliest prehistoric days to the present time.
Price, 50 Cents per number or $5.00 per year in advance.
We offer the following special inducements to local agents estab- lishing clubs :
For Cash Club of Ten Subscribers at $5.00 each, we will pay the agent $10.00 in gold, together with one year's subscription for our Historical Magazines, which we will bind in excellent Russian leather in December, 1893, if returned to us.
For Cash Club of Five Subscribers at $5.00 each, we will pay the agent $5.00 in gold, together with one year's subscription for our Historical Magazines.
For Cash Club of Three Subscribers at $5.00 each, we will pay the agent $3.00 in gold and six month's subscription for our Historical Magazines.
MAGAZINES ELEGANTLY BOUND.
Arrangements are being made with one of the best book binderies in the Northwest, to bind the Illustrated Historical Magazines in the latest. most durable and approved style of binding at Wholesale Binding Rates.
Our canvassers will shortly be furnished with samples of binding, together with a Price List.
For further information address,
WIS. HIST. PUB. CO.
Room 6, Miller Block, MILWAUKEE.
WISCONSIN'S HISTORICAL MAGAZINES
FOR 1893.
N MAKING the preliminary announcement of the leading feature of our Historical Magazines for 1893, the publishers call attention to the number and character of the general historical topics, as well as the character of the contributions.
In fiction the February and March numbers will contain the " Romances of a Brigade" from the pen of Col. J. A. Watrous. These romances are based upon historical facts, and are the best productions from the pen of that able writer.
The contents of the March number will be a pen painting of Wisconsin Under French Dominion, and Wisconsin Under English Rule, which describes the early Jesuites, traders and voyagers and their life among the savages. This inter- esting number will be illustrated by the best engravers in the Northwest. It is written by the author, C. S. Matteson, with the valuable assistance of Frances L. Brand, and includes as well the Northwest Territory, the Early Settlers and Settle- ments and Indian Disturbances, which will be the general topic of the April issue. This number will also be illustrated in an artistic manner.
A new and interesting feature will be introduced in future Historical Magazines under the management of E. W. Krackowizer. This department will pertain to the interests of the G. A. R. and Sons of Veterans, and all that goes to perpetuate the memory of the brave dead, and their companions who are fast responding to the final bugle call. It will endeavor to supply both the material and inspiration for Sons of Veterans' monthly patriotic execises as prescribed by that order's constitution.
All contributions to this Department should be addressed to "Editor Sire and Sons' Department."
Another new and interesting feature of the February and March numbers will be "The Origin of the French Nation," by Clark S. Matteson, which will be a concise review of France from its earliest days to the present time.
Black Hawk and the Wars in Which He Participated is graphically writ- ten and will be finely illustrated for the May number, and is one of the most interesting of the series, which is only equalled by Col. C. K. Pier's " Wisconsin in the Civil War," in the July and August numbers, with illustrations of battle scenes, etc. This valuable contribution gives the organization of each Command in all the arms of service who went from the state, with their various campaigns and losses until mustered out.
COPYRIGHTED 1892 BY
WISCONSIN HISTORICAL PUBLISHING CO.
CHAPTER XV.
SPANISH EXPLORERS AND EXPLORATIONS.
Columbus and His Discoveries .- Queen Isabella's Generosity .- Ferdinand's Perfidy .- Ponce de Leon, while Searching for the " Fountain of Life," Discovers Florida. - Balboa Discovers the Pacific Ocean, and is Beheaded by De Vila .- Life of Hernando Cortes, the Conqueror of Mexico .- Mexican Mythology .- Death of Montezuma, the Emperor of Mexico .- Alleged Discovery of the Mississippi by Pineda .- Narvaez, the Contemporary of Columbus, Participates in the Conquest of Domingo, Jamaica, and Cuba .- He is sent to Mexico to Arrest Cortes, but is Taken Prisoner at Zem- pollia .- His Death .- Cabeza de Vaca's Thrilling Experience .- Reaches Mexico after Seven Years of Vicissitudes .- Life of De Soto .- His Untimely Death on the Mississippi River, and His Burial .- The Visionary Corondo Searching for the "Seven Cities of Cibola."-The Spanish Claim the Whole Country from the Gulf to Canada .- Spain Surrenders Her Possessions in Florida.
LET us not forget the good, noble and generous Isabella, * Queen of Spain, while honoring the memory of the greatest of explorers whose names are recorded in history, and while revering the memory of Chris- topher Columbust and Queen Isabella, let us be generous and forgive the perfidy of Ferdinand, ¿ for allowing so great a man to die in poverty, after his valuable life had been shortened by bitter, persistent, and jealous persecutions.
On that third day of August, 1492, when Christopher Columbus, amidst the pomp and grandeur of the court of Spain, started in search
*It will be remembered that Queen Isabella, in her earnestness, while referring to the expense of equipping the expedition, said: "I pledge my jewels to raise the money." The Court Treasurer advanced most of the money to equip the three small vessels for Columbus, while the friends of Columbus furnished the balance. The total sum fur- nished was about $20,000.
+Columbus was born near Genoa, according to some authorities, in 1436, and, according to other authorities, in 1446. He was the son of a wool-comber, and for some time attended the great school of learning at Pavia, where he evinced a profound taste for astronomy and cosmography. He then went to sea, and, after making several voyages in the Mediterranean, finally settled in Lisbon in 1470. He then married Phillipa, the daughter of Bartholomew de Palestrello, who was a distinguished Italian navigator in the Portugese service, and with his wife obtained many valuable charts, journals, and memoranda.
Apparently with a view of better qualifying himself for the great enterprise, to which he believed Heaven had pointed him out, he made several voyages to the Azores, the Canaries, and the coast of Guinea, the limit of European navigation in those days. It was not until about 1483 that Columbus laid his scheme before John II., of Portugal. This monarch referred the matter to a junta of nautical and scientific men, who decided against it. The king, however, in a clandestine manner, took advantage of the detailed plan obtained from Columbus under false pretenses, and secretly sent out a vessel to examine the route. The emissaries of the king and their pilots, not being venturous navigators, soon returned to Lisbon and ridiculed the project.
Columbus; being disgusted with the duplicity of his sovereign, secretly left Lisbon in 1484, taking with him his motherless boy, Diego. He then unfolded his plans to the authorities at Genoa, who treated his scheme as a product of a visionary brain. Disap- pointed, but not despairing, Columbus turned his steps toward Spain. One day, weary and hungry, he stopped at the gate of the Convent of La Rabida, in Andalusia, to beg
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
of another hemisphere, the sun arose upon a beautiful unknown land, peopled only by savages; a land destined to become so great that the Old World§ will become only secondary in consideration.
The long line of early Spanish navigators and explorers is headed by the brave and resolute Columbus, || who discovered San Salvador, and, in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella, took possession of the country on Friday, October 12th, 1492.
We next find him, in 1498, on the coast of South America, and in 1502-1503, on the Central American coast.
Juan Ponce de Leon, " once the page of Ferdinand V., arose to distinction in the wars against the Moors, in Granada, and was one of the companions of the great navigator, on his second voyage to Hispaniola, in 1493, and finally became commander of the eastern province. In 1512, he became absorbed with the mythical idea that the "Fountain of Youth" existed in the Bahamas, and having failed to find it, he sailed westward, and arrived on the coast of Florida, on Easter Sunday, 1512.
bread and water for his child, and there met the Superior of the Convent, Juan Perez de Marchena, through whose influence he finally procured the favorable consideration of the king and queen of Spain.
On August 3d, 1492 Columbus set sail from the bar of Saltes, near Palos. He delayed a month at the Canaries, to refit the expedition, then on September 6th, he started over the unknown seas. After battling with the open disaffection of the crew, his perseverance was finally rewarded on the 12th of October, by the sight of land, which proved to be one of the Bahama Islands. Here he landed and solemnly planted the cross, and named the island, San Salvador. After discovering several of the West India Islands, including Cuba and Hayti, or San Domingo, he set sail for Spain, after first having settled a colony at Hispaniola, where he arrived on March 15th, 1493, and was received amidst great pomp and joy.
In September of the same year, he set sail from Cadiz, with 17 ships and 1500 men. On their voyage he discovered the Carribee Islands, Jamaica, etc., and returned in 1496. He again set sail in 1498, on the third expedition; this time he steered more southward, and discovered Trinidad and the mouths of the Orinoco, and landed at Paria, on the coast of South America. He then steered for Hispaniola, where he found everything in chaos. The king's mind had been poisoned by slanderous tongues, and an officer, named Bobadilla, had been appointed to supersede. Columbus as governor, and by the new governor Columbus was sent home in chains. After Columbus was released, he succeeded in equipping four vessels and 150 men, and on May 9th, 1502, again started out to seek a passage uniting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The mutinous character of his crew forced him to seek gold, and, after many difficulties and disasters, he returned to Spain in 1504.
¿Ferdinand's baseness was forcibly depicted in causing Columbus to be arrested and brought to Spain from Hispaniola in irons, and by allowing him to remain in pov- erty at Valladolid, many months prior to his death, which occurred May 20th, 1506. Ferdinand then repented of his great injustice, and gave Columbus a pompous funeral, and afterwards erected a magnificent monument to his memory.
§Max O'Rell, in "Jonathan and his Continent," after describing the expanse of 3000 miles of beautiful landscape between New York and San Francisco, dotted with its beautiful cities and inhabited by 60,000,000 people, says: "The luxury displayed at receptions, dinners, and dances, surpasses European imagination. At a ball given in New York, in the month of February, 1888, the walls were covered with roses, which did not cost less than $10,000.
| Columbus, believing that he had reached the islands lying off the coast of India, called the country "The West India," and the natives "Indians."
TPonce de Leon was born in Spain in 1460, and belonged to an ancient family. In consequence of his conquering the island of Porta Rica, in 1509, he was appointed its governor. He ruled it with great rigor until his removal, which was occasioned by political influences of the Columbus family.
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The banks being covered with beautiful foliage, intermingled with variegated flowers, he called the country "Florida," and took possession of the peninsula, in the name of his sovereign.
After returning to Spain in 1513, he was appointed governor of Florida, and while trying to colonize it, was wounded by one of the natives, from the effects of which wound he died, in Cuba, in 1521.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the son of a reduced nobleman at Xeres- de-Caballeros, took part in the great mercantile expedition of Rodrigo de Bastidas to the new world. After establishing himself at St. Domingo, he began cultivating the soil, but was so pressed by creditors that he had himsel smuggled on board a ship, in a cask, and joined the expedi- tion to the Isthmus of Darien in 1510, which was commanded by Francisco de Encisco.
An insurrection soon broke out which placed Balboa in supreme command of the new colony. In 1513, he set out in quest of a western ocean, and on September 25th, from a mountain top in the Isthmus of Panama, obtained the first sight of the Pacific ocean. The enthusiasm of this discovery was shared by all the learned men of that day.
Pedrarias de Vila, through the intrigues of the Spanish court, suc- ceeded in being appointed governor of the territory conquered by Bal- boa, notwithstanding the fact that Balboa had married the daughter of de Vila. Balboa, in the year 1517, through the cruel jealousy of his father-in-law, and in violation of all forms of justice, was beheaded at Santa Maria.
The history of the early Spanish conquerors in America is so fraught with the daring, dashing glory of their enterprises, that we shudder when we think of their application of the maxim that "the end justifies the means."
Hernando Cortes, the daring conqueror of Mexico, was born in 1485, at Medellin, a village of Estremadura, in Spain. He was edu- cated for the law, but adopted the profession of arms, and in 1511, he distinguished himself under Diego Velasquez, in the expedition against Cuba. This established his reputation, so that, in 1518, the conquest of Mexico was entrusted to him by Velasquez, then governor of Cuba. The commission was no sooner granted than the versatile governor tried to revoke it, being jealous of his dashing and sagacious lieutenant. Cortes, however, in defiance of the governor, remained in command. A greater enterprise was never undertaken, with so little regard for the great difficulties and dangers to be encountered. Cortes' whole force only amounted to about 700 men, which included thirteen muscatiers, with ten field pieces, and two or three small cannon. This was all the means placed at Cortes' disposal, to effect the conquest of the exten- sive empire of Mexico.
Early in the year 1519, he landed on the shores of Mexico, and, shortly after, sailed up the Tabasco river, and captured the town of
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
Tabasco. The gallant commander and his forces caused great terror to the Tabascians, who made liberal presents to their conquerors and vol- unteered full information about Mexico and her power.
After arriving off the coast of San Juan de Ulloa, Cortes was visited by many of the leading Mexican chiefs, with whom he entered into negotiations regarding a visit to Montezuma, the absolute ruler of Mexico.
The sagacious Montezuma sent rich presents to Cortes, but declined to invite the conqueror to visit the capital. Cortes, however, had resolved on visiting the emperor in his palace, and was undaunted by all opposition. After having founded the town of Vera Cruz, he burned his ships, so that his troops could not return, thereby giving them the only alternative-to conquer or die. Cortes, with his then reduced force of 400 Spaniards on foot, and fifteen horse, with a number of Indian followers, led by the treacherous chiefs, friendly to Monte- zuma, marched upon the capital. He overcame the Tlascalans on the way, and made them his firm allies. At Chalula, by order of Monte- zuma, a treacherous attempt was made to massacre Cortes' troops, which caused fearful vengennce to be wrecked on the city of Chalula. He reached the city of Mexico on the 8th of November, and was received with great pomp, by Montezuma in person.
The Spaniards, upon their arrival at the city of Mexico, were regarded as the descendants of the sun, which, according to Mexican prophecies, were to come from the east and subvert the Aztec empire. * This traditionary superstition was worth to Cortes an army of soldiers. One of Montezuma's generals caused an attack to be made on Cortes' colony at Vera Cruz, which resulted in the seizure of the emperor, by the intrepid Cortes, who had him conveyed to the Spanish quarters and forced him to surrender the offending general and three other officers, whom he caused to be burned in front of the emperor's palace.
Under the iron hand of Cortes, the entire empire was soon ceded to Spain. The capital city at that time contained, it is estimated, 300,000 inhabitants. In the meantime, Velasquez, jealous of the success of Cortes, sent an army of about 1000 men with artillery, and well provided, to compel the surrender of Cortes. The undaunted Cortes was equal to the emergency, however, a's history shows that he unex- pectedly met and overpowered the force sent against him, and secured their permanent allegiance.
During these disturbances, the Mexicans at the capital arose and drove out the Spanish forces with great loss. At this time the Emperor Montezuma, who was kept a prisoner, appeared on a terrace, for the
*According to the Aztec mythology, which was handed down by their predecessors, (the Taltics, ) their god Taotal, believed in pure sacrifices. Taotal had once reigned in Anahuac, but for some unknown reason, retired from earth, by way of the Mexican Gulf, promising to return. This tradation accelerated the success of Cortes, as the Mexicans believed that their god had returned.
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SPANISH EXPLORERS AND EXPLORATIONS.
purpose of pacifying his people, and was accidentally wounded with a stone, from the effects of which he died a few days later.
Cortes retired to Tlascala, and, after recruiting and reinforcing his army, subdued all the Mexican valley, and soon marched against the city of Mexico, which he recaptured, August 16th, 1521, after a siege of four months. Language cannot depict the horrors of the murderous assault of the two days following the capture of the city. In 1639, Cortes was divested of his civil rank. Undaunted and determined, the irrepressible conqueror, at his own expense, fitted out several expe- ditions, one of which discovered California.
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