USA > Wisconsin > An illustrated history of the state of Wisconsin : being a complete civil, political, and military history of the state, from its first exploration down to 1875 > Part 27
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The Sixth Regiment was called into Camp Randall, at Madi- son, about the 25th of June, and was under the command of Col. Lysander Cutler of Milwaukee. The field and staff officers were, J. P. Atwood, lieutenant-colonel; B. F. Sweet, major ; Frank A. Haskell, adjutant; J. N. Mason, quartermaster; C.
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B. Chapman, surgeon; A. W. Preston and A. D. Andrews, assistants; and Rev. N. A. Staples, chaplain. The companies forming the regiment were from Sauk County, Pierce County, Crawford County, and two from Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, Beloit, Buffalo County, Monroe and Juneau Counties. The numerical strength of this regiment when it left Camp Randall was 1,084 officers and privates. It was fully equipped by the State, arms excepted; was mustered into the United States ser- vice July 16; received marching-orders July 22; broke camp on the 28th, and started for Washington ; arrived at Baltimore Aug. 8; encamped in Patterson's Park. On the 29th of August, it was attached to Gen. King's brigade, and moved for- ward.
This regiment was afterward in camp at Camp Kalorma, also at Camp Lyon, near Chain Bridge, and also at Arlington Heights. Lieut .- Col. J. P. Atwood resigned in the month of September, owing to ill health. Many changes took place in this regiment during the year among the commissioned officers, by resignation, and otherwise, - more than all the other regi- ments combined.
The Seventh Regiment was called into camp during the month of August, 1861, and placed under the command of Col. Joseph Vandor. His associate commissioned and staff officers were, W. W. Robinson, lieutenant-colonel; Charles A. Ham- ilton, major ; Charles W. Cook, adjutant; H. P. Clinton, quar- termaster ; Henry Palmer, surgeon ; D. Cooper Ayres and Ernst Kramer, assistants; and Rev. S. L. Brown, chaplain. The companies were from Lodi, Columbia County, Platteville, Stoughton, Marquette County, Lancaster, Grand Rapids, Grant County, Dodge, Green Lake, and Rock Counties. When the regiment left the State, its numerical strength was 1016.
This regiment, unlike those that had gone before it, was mus- tered into the United States service by companies, by muster- ing-officers Brevet-Major Brooks and Capt. McIntyre, after being fully equipped by the State (arms excepted) ; and on the 4th of September received orders to move forward to Washing- ton City, where it arrived on Oct. 1, and was assigned to Gen. Rufus King's brigade, McDowell's division. Col. Vandor is a native of Hungary, and had seen service in the old country, and
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was a thorough disciplinarian. The regiment was in camp at Arlington Heights in 1861.
The Eighth Regiment was called into camp from the 1st to the 16th of September, 1861, and placed under the command of Col. Robert C. Murphy of St. Croix Falls. The other field and staff officers were, George W. Robinson, lieutenant-colonel ; J. W. Jefferson, major ; Ezra T. Sprague, adjutant; F. L. Bil- lings, quartermaster; S. P. Thornhill, surgeon; W. Hobbins and J. S. Murta, assistants ; and W. McKinley, chaplain. The companies were from the Counties of Waupaca, Sheboygan, Eau Claire, Crawford, La Crosse, Racine, and from Fox Lake, Fitchburg, Janesville, Belleville. The numerical strength of the regiment when it left Camp Randall was 966 men, and it was mustered into service by companies, by Major Brooks.
After being fully equipped (with the exception of arms), on the 30th of September, Col. Murphy received notice that he had been assigned, with his command, to Major-Gen. Fremont's division. On the 1st of October, orders were received to move forward to St. Louis, at which place they arrived Oct. 13. The fine appearance of the regiment elicited universal praise. It was received at St. Louis by the secretary of war, Hon. S. Cameron, and Adjutant-Gen. L. Thomas, who paid it a high compliment. This was the first regiment that had passed in that direction from the State. The next day after their arrival, an order came for them to move forward to Pilot Knob with the certainty of meeting the enemy. They went forward, and on the 21st took part in the battle of Frederickstown. The regiment was held as a reserve.
The Ninth Regiment was organized under a general order dated Aug. 26, 1861, giving the supervision of the organization to Lieut. W. Finkler of Milwaukee, who acted as quarter- master to the regiment. The Ninth was organized on a somewhat different plan from the other regiments of this State. The men were recruited, and sent into Camp Sigel, and organ- ized into companies, to a certain extent. The regiment was made up of Germans exclusively, and was placed under the command of Col. Frederic Salomon. The different companies were formed generally from the eastern counties of the State ; viz., Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, Fond
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du Lac, and a portion from Dane, Monroe, and Sauk Counties. The regiment was at Camp Sigel, and was fully equipped by the State.
On the 28th of December, the regiment was full, and await- ing marching-orders. The Tenth Regiment was organized under a general order from the adjutant-general's office, of Sept. 18, 1861, and called into Camp Holton at Milwaukee, and mustered into the government service in the month of October, and was placed under command of Col. A. R. Chapin. His associate field and staff officers were, Joshua Guppy, lieutenant- colonel; J. G. McMynn, major; W. A. Collins, adjutant ; Solon Marks, surgeon ; R. Mitchell and J. T. Reeve, assistants ; and J. L. Coffin, chaplain. This regiment was fully equipped by the State (arms excepted), and was mustered into the ser- vice of the United States by companies, by mustering-officer Capt. Trowbridge, Oct. 5 to 14. This regiment, although not composed of as heavy men as some that had gone before it, was, nevertheless, a splendid regiment. It received orders to move forward to Louisville, Ky., Nov. 1, 1861, and started on its way Nov. 9.
The companies of this regiment were from Waupun, Platte- ville, Juneau County, Jackson County, Grant County, Dodge County, Menosha and Walworth Counties.
The Eleventh Regiment, like the Tenth, was organized under a general order, Sept. 18, 1861. It was intended at the outset to be a Dane County regiment; but it was soon ascertained that Dane County had already honored too many drafts upon her citizens to be able to fill up the regiment, and it was determined to fill up the regiment outside of the county. It was called into Camp Randall during the month of October, and placed under the command of Col. Charles L. Harris, with the following field and staff officers: Charles. A. Wood, lieuten- ant-colonel ; Arthur Platt, major; Daniel Lincoln, adjutant ; Charles G. Mayer, quartermaster ; H. P. Strong, surgeon ; E. Everett and C. C. Barnes, assistants ; and Rev. J. B. Britton, chaplain. The companies were from Dane, Jefferson, Richland, and Iowa Counties, Fox River, and Neenah. Its numerical strength when it left Camp Randall was 1,046 men. It was fully equipped (with the exception of arms) by the State, and was mustered into the service by Capt. Lamont, United States
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Army. The regiment was unavoidably detained in camp some days after receiving orders to move forward. The delay gave an opportunity to perfect the drill. Col. Harris was a gradu- ate of West Point, served with credit in the three-months' campaign as lieutenant-colonel under Col. Starkweather of the First Regiment. The Eleventh broke camp Nov. 20, started for St. Louis, and went into quarters twenty miles below that city.
The Twelfth Regiment was called to Camp Randall in the month of October, and placed under the charge of Col. George E. Bryant, formerly captain of Company E, First Regiment (three months), with the following field and staff officers : D. W. C. Poole, lieutenant-colonel; W. E. Strong, major ; A. Sexton, quartermaster ; J. K. Proudfit, adjutant ; L. H. Cary, surgeon ; E. A. Woodward and A. F. S. Lindsfelt, assist- ants ; and Rev. L. B. Mason, chaplain. The companies were enlisted in the counties of Pierce, Sauk, Iowa, Washington, Columbia, Oconto, Wood, Brown, Richland, and Grant. On the 12th of November, they were still at Camp Randall, and had been detained for some time for want of money to pay them off. The regiment was assigned to Fort Leavenworth, and was fully equipped by the State, with the exception of arms.
The Thirteenth Regiment was organized under a general order dated Sept. 17, 1861, giving the counties of Rock and Green the authority to organize a regiment. The regiment ren- dezvoused in Janesville, and was placed under the command of Col. Maurice Maloney, with the following field and staff officers : James F. Chapman, lieutenant-colonel; Thomas O'Bigney, major ; W. Ruger, adjutant ; P. Eydesheimer, quartermaster ; John Evans, surgeon ; E. J. Horton and S. L. Lord, assistants ; and Rev. H. C. Tilton, chaplain. This regiment, like all the others that preceded it, was fully equipped by the State, except arms. It was the design to make up the regiment from the two counties named (Rock and Green) ; but, as in the case of Dane, it was found that these counties had already honored too many drafts upon their citizens to render it an easy thing to furnish one full regiment more : consequently some aid was extended from other counties, yet Rock County alone furnished five hundred for this regiment. The Thirteenth was ordered to Kansas.
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
WISCONSIN'S WAR RECORD.
Events of 1861, continued - Regimental History -Gov. Randall's Proclamation calling a Special Session of the Legislature - Legislation - The War, &c.
THE Fourteenth Regiment was organized, and called into Camp Wood at Fond du Lac, during the month of November, 1861, and placed under the command of Col. David E. Wood. The following were the field and staff officers: Isaac E. Mess- more, lieutenant-colonel ; John Hancock, major; B. E. Bower, adjutant; J. F. Conklin, quartermaster ; W. H. Walker, sur- geon ; D. D. Cameron, assistant ; and Rev. J. G. Rogers, chaplain.
The companies were enlisted from the counties of Wood, Waupacca, Portage, Winnebago, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Ke- waunee, Brown, Calumet, Sheboygan, Jackson, Dane, and Sauk. Its numerical strength was 859.
The regiment was fully equipped by the State, without arms, and was awaiting marching-orders.
The Fifteenth or Scandinavian Regiment was, on the 15th of December, in course of organization at Camp Randall. Hon. Hans Heg was commissioned as colonel of this regiment. As the duties of his office confined him to his former office, as state-prison commissioner, until Jan. 1, 1862, the organization was for some time under the supervision of Lieut .- Col. K. K. Jones. The other field and staff officers were, H. Borcheenius, adjutant ; Ole Heg, quartermaster ; S. J. Himoc, surgeon ; S. J. Hansen and G. T. Newell, assistants ; and Rev. C. L. Clausen, chaplain. On the 15th of December, about six hundred had been mustered into service. The Sixteenth Regiment was organized, and ordered into camp at Madison early in Novem-
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ber; Benjamin Allen, colonel. The field and staff officers were, Cassius Fairchild, lieutenant-colonel ; Thomas Reynolds, major ; George Sabin, adjutant ; J. E. Jones, quartermaster ; G. W. Eastman, surgeon ; I. H. Rogers and Ira A. Torrey, assistants. The companies were filled up from the counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee, Waushara, Green Lake, Adams, Chippewa, Dodge, Dane, and Lafayette. The regiment was nearly full on the 26th of December, and was afterward fully equipped by the State, as were also the other regiments. The numerical strength of the Sixteenth at the above date was about nine hundred.
The Seventeenth, or Irish Regiment so called, was in the month of December in an incipient state. No organization had then been formed, except the field and some of the staff officers. John L. Doran of Milwaukee had been commissioned as colonel. The recruiting was rapidly progressing. Of this regiment, A. G. Mallory was lieutenant-colonel ; Thomas Mc- Mahon, major; William Plunkett, adjutant ; John Gee, quar- termaster.
The Eighteenth Regiment was organized in the latter part of October, and was called into camp at Camp Randall, and placed under the command of Col. James S. Alban. It occupied the camp immediately after the Twelfth Regiment moved forward. The staff and field officers were, S. W. Beall, lieutenant-Colo- nel; W. H. Torry, major; G. L. Hart, adjutant ; J. D. Rogers, quartermaster ; George F. Huntington, surgeon ; L. G. Mead, assistant. This regiment was very nearly full at the close of this year, and was filled up mainly from the northern counties.
The Nineteenth Regiment was being organized at the close of this year (1861), under the special direction of Col. H. T. Sanders of Racine, who obtained his commission direct from the General Government, subject to the approval of Gov. Randall, which approval had already been granted. The regi- ment was called into camp of rendezvous at Racine. Supplies were drawn direct from the General Government for the regiment, under the direction of Capt. Trowbridge, United States mustering-officer, who had special charge of subsistence and transportation.
In addition to the infantry regiments heretofore noticed, there were in camp Utley, Racine, at the close of this year,
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seven batteries of artillery, each battery comprising about one hundred and fifty-five men.
A special permit from the war department was obtained by Edward Daniels to raise a regiment of cavalry ; and he received from Gov. Randall, on the 30th of June, 1861, a commission as lieutenant-colonel, as an indorsement of his commission from the General Government. He immediately commenced recruit- ing, and formed a camp of rendezvous at Ripon, and soon drew together over one thousand men. He soon after broke camp at Ripon, and moved to Kenosha, at which place the regiment was camped at the close of 1861. The field and staff officers were, Edward Daniels, colonel ; O. H. Lagrange, first major ; Henry Pomeroy, second major; H. N. Gregory, surgeon ; Charles Lord and H. W. Cansall, assistants; and J. E. Mann, quartermaster. The second cavalry regiment, like the first, was organized under a special permit from the General Government, granted to Hon. C. C. Washburn. Col. Washburn received his commission from Gov. Randall, indorsing the action of the General Government, Oct. 10, 1861, and immediately com- menced recruiting for his regiment, and formed a camp of rendezvous on the Fair Grounds at Milwaukee. The original field and staff officers, as far as known were, Thomas Stevens, lieutenant-colonel ; H. E. Eastman, major; Levi Sterling, third major ; W. H. Morgan, adjutant; C. G. Pease, surgeon; A. McBean, assistant ; W. H. Brisbane, chaplain.
On the 28th of December, the second cavalry numbered about six hundred men.
The third cavalry, like the two former regiments, was organ- ized by special commission from the General Government to . Ex-Gov. William A. Barstow. He was confined to a very limited space of time to fill up his regiment; but he was able to do so. The regiment was called into camp at Janesville. The original numerical strength of this regiment was about twelve hundred. Of the field and staff officers, E. A. Calkins was major ; B. S. Henning, second major; B. O. Reynolds, sur- geon ; W. H. Warner, assistant.
A Milwaukee cavalry company, consisting of eighty-four members, was raised in that city by Capt. Gustav Von Deutsch. consisting mostly of Germans. The company had all seen
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service. It was accepted by Gen. Fremont, and left Wisconsin for St. Louis in October. A company of sharpshooters was enlisted and raised, under a call of Col. Berdan, by Capt. W. P. Alexander of Beloit. The company left Madison the middle of September ; was mustered into the United States service at Weehawken Sept. 23, 1861; and at the close of 1861 was on the Potomac in the discharge of its duties.
The number of men in the first thirteen regiments, including the First (re-organized), the company of sharpshooters, and Milwaukee cavalry, was, in the aggregate, according to the report, 14,002; and the estimated strength of the five addi- tional regiments of infantry being raised at the close of 1861 in the State was 5,230. This, with the number of artillery then in camp, and the cavalry rapidly filling up, made the number 23,232, an excess of the quota required of Wisconsin (20,000) of 3,232.
Having given, in as condensed a form as possible, a history of the organization of the different regiments that were fitted out by the State in 1861, and sent forward to aid in the suppression of the Rebellion, it will be necessary to return in our narrative, and bring forward the legislative history.
On the 9th of May, Gov. Randall issued a proclamation in the following words: "The extraordinary condition of the country, growing out of the rebellion against the government of the United States, makes it necessary that the legislature of the State be convened for making the power of the State useful to the government, and to other loyal States; and, in pursuance of the authority vested in me by the Constitution ยท of the State of Wisconsin, I do hereby convene the legislature of the State for a special session thereof, to be held at Madison on Wednesday, May 15, 1861."
In accordance with this proclamation, the legislature con- vened on that day. The same officers that held positions at the regular session were re-elected.
The governor met the two houses in joint convention, and read his message. He stated, that, within ten days after he issued his first proclamation, a sufficient number of companies containing the requisite number of men responded, - sufficient to make up, at least, five regiments instead of one. He recom-
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Charles Dance
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mended, at least, six regiments be put into camp, to learn the duties of a soldier, and be ready for subsequent calls ; and sug- gested a calm, firm, deliberate, unimpassioned, yet bold consid- eration and action on measures designed to preserve the Union, and the putting-down of the Rebellion. "These gathering armies throughout the loyal States," says he, "are the instru- ments of God's vengeance to execute his just judgments : they are his flails, wherewith, on his great Southern threshing-floor, he will pound Rebellion for its sins."
The extra session adjourned, sine die, on the 27th of May. With the exception of an act amendatory of the banking-law, the measures adopted all pertain to the military exigencies of the times. The following is a synopsis of the work accom- plished : An act to provide a military force for immediate ser- vice to aid in protecting and defending the Union, authorizing the governor immediately to call into the service of the State three regiments, in addition to the three already called for by the General Government. It further authorized the governor, when the three regiments should be called into the service of the United States, to call out two more regiments, and hold them in readiness for any subsequent demand that might be made on the State by the National Government, and so on, dur- ing the war; holding two regiments in camp ready to be mus- tered when needed into the service of the United States. An act to provide for borrowing money to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, and defend the State in time of war. This act appointed the governor, secretary of state, and state treasurer, a committee to negotiate a loan upon State bonds, bearing six per cent interest, of one million of dollars, to be used as a war- fund; sixty per cent of this loan to be negotiated for specie; the balance might be exchanged for fully-secured bank-paper. These were the leading measures of the session. Two acts were passed in regard to the maintenance of families of volunteers, - one appropriating from the war-fund five dollars per month to each family; and the other authorizing counties, towns, cities, and villages to levy special taxes for the same purpose. Another act amended the laws of the previous session, so as to exempt volunteers from civil processes as soon as accepted by the State. An act to provide for the payment
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of discharged volunteers gave such as may have been called into service, and subsequently discharged (in consequence of the extension of time for which they were called, -from three months to three years), the regular army pay for the time they were in service.
The sum of fifty thousand dollars was appropriated for the purchase of arms and equipments for the State; the purchase to be made by three commissioners, appointed by the governor. A sum not to exceed ten thousand dollars was appropriated to pay for extra clerk hire, messengers, and other extraordinary expenditures in the executive department. An act to prevent the rendering of aid to rebels contained stringent provisions for the prompt punishment of offenders coming within that cate- gory. The act amending the banking-law prohibited the bank comptroller from receiving, after the 1st of December, 1861, as security for circulating bank-notes, any other public stocks than those of the State of Wisconsin and the United States.
These were all the measures passed, except appropriations to the chaplains, and to the clerk of the special committee, which reported a bill (that did not pass) in regard to re-organizing the militia of the State, and the act providing that the expenses of the extra session should be chargeable against the war-fund. Three joint resolutions were passed and signed by the governor ; viz., authorizing the governor to be absent from the State during the present war, recommending the war department to form a brigade of Wisconsin volunteers, and appoint Gen. Rufus King to its command.
Some excitement was had in the month of May, from the fact that many of the Wisconsin banks were discredited in Chicago, and that there was so much currency in circulation from banks in remote places, whose responsibility was ques- tionable, that meetings were held at some places at which farmers declined to receive for their produce Wisconsin cur- rency in good repute. Many of the banks reduced their circu- lation ; and bills were destroyed the last week in May to the value of $108,469. The bank comptroller, in April, made a call of two per cent additional security, as many of the bonds held as collateral for the circulating notes in circulation had depreciated in value.
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In accordance with the act of the legislature, approved May 11, 1861, appropriating forty thousand dollars for the enlarge- ment of the State Hospital for the Insane, the executive com- mittee of the board of trustees advertised for proposals for erection of the buildings required ; and, upon opening the same at the advertised time (June 6, 1861), the contract was awarded to Joseph Perkins, for the sum of twenty thousand and five hundred dollars, for furnishing the materials, and doing the mason-work; and the painting and glazing, with the material therefor, to Bradley and Norton, for nine thousand and fifty dollars. The heating-apparatus, gas pipes and fixtures, regis- ters, and sewerage, are not included in either of the above- mentioned contracts. The board of trustees, in their annual report for 1861, speak of the commendable zeal of the contract- ors in the prosecution of their work, which was commenced on the first of June of that year, and which was so far advanced as to be roofed and enclosed before the winter set in. The Board also report the whole number of patients in the hospital, since it was opened, in July, 1860, to October, 1861, one hun- dred and forty-five.
At the spring election of 1861, Orsamus Cole was re-elected justice of the supreme court.
Agreeably to an act of the legislature, approved March 9, 1861, authorizing the construction of the west wing of the State Capitol, the State building-commissioners advertised for pro- posals for doing the work. On the 1st of May, the bids were opened, of which there were fourteen, the price varying from $78,300 to $96,500. The lowest bid was that of A. B. Moxley, at the first-named price, who was a partner of J. W. Harvey; and the contract was to be carried out by them. Work was immediately commenced.
The administration of Gov. Randall closed with the year 1861; and, as he was not a candidate for re-election, there was much interest felt as to his successor and the remainder of the State officers. There was a strong disposition, in some portions of the State, to ignore party nominations; and, accordingly, a convention of Union men was called on the 24th of September, to nominate a State ticket. The following ticket was put in nomination : governor, Louis P. Harvey; lieutenant-governor,
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