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 39
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The Thirty-fourth Regiment were mustered into the service
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for nine months, and were stationed at Columbus, Ky. Their term of service expiring, they returned home, and were mus- tered out in September, 1863.
The Thirty-fifth Regiment left the State on the 27th of Feb- ruary, 1864, with orders to report to Gen. Steele, at Alexandria, La. They left Milwaukee on the 18th of April, and proceeded to St. Louis, where they were fully equipped for active service. On the 26th, they proceeded down the river to the mouth of Red River. Failing to procure transportation to their original destination, they proceeded to New Orleans, and received orders to report to Gen. Ullman, at Port Hudson, at which place they disembarked on the 7th of May. At this place they remained until June 26, being engaged in guard and fatigue duty. At that date, they moved up to Morganzia, La., where the regiment was assigned to the first brigade, third division, Nineteenth Army Corps. From Morganzia, the regiment proceeded to Port Hudson and St. Charles, Ark, arriving July 24. Here they remained until the 7th of August, engaged in guard-duty and scouting, when they returned to Morganzia. On the 1st of October, they took part in an excursion to Simsport, in which several skirmishes with the enemy were had. They subsequently returned to Duvall's Bluff, where they remained until the 7th of February, 1865.
The Thirty-sixth Regiment were organized at Camp Randall (Frank A. Haskell, colonel), and mustered into the service on the 10th of May, with orders to report at Washington, D.C. Arriving at Washington May 14, they proceeded down the Potomac to Belle Plaine Landing, and from there proceeded to Spottsylvania by way of Fredericksburg. On the 18th they acted as a reserve in the engagement of that day, and on the 19th joined the first brigade, second division. On the 20th they accompanied Gen. Hancock in his march to North Anna, crossing the Mattapony and North Anna. On the 23d they were assigned to the support of a battery. They crossed the stream, and threw up a line of works. Accompanying the movement across the Pamunkey, on May 30, they found the rebels drawn up in line of battle near Tolopotomy Creek. At the battle at that place, the Thirty-sixth suffered severely. During the night, the regiment marched to Cold Harbor; and,
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on the morning of the 3d, the whole line marched on the enemy's position by brigades, when the Thirty-sixth again lost severely, and Col. Haskell was killed. The losses of the regi- ment from May 26 to June 7, as officially reported, were, sixty-four killed, or died of wounds, and one hundred and twenty-six wounded. Taking part in the general movement of the army of Gen. Grant across the James River, the Thirty- sixth with its corps crossed the peninsula to Charles City Court House, and on the 15th marched to Petersburg. In the gen- eral charge on the enemy's works, they formed in line of battle, and fought nobly ; Col. John A. Savage being mortally wounded. In this engagement, the regiment lost forty killed, or died of wounds, and eighty-one wounded.
On the 21st the regiment moved to the left of Petersburg. On the 24th they went into camp, and, for the first time in four weeks, had a good night's rest. In this vicinity, they remained until July 25. On the 26th they broke camp, and crossed the Appomattox and James Rivers, near Malvern Hill, to Strawberry Plain. Here a few guns were captured. The corps subsequently returned, and made a forced march to Petersburg on the 29th, arriving in time to witness the tremen- dous cannonading, and the deplorable failure of the under- taking of the mining operations. On the 24th of October the regiment marched to the enemy's position at Hatcher's Run, and, in the engagement which took place, captured a larger number of prisoners than it had men engaged. Capt. Fish and his regiment were highly commended by Gen. Egan for gallantry and daring coolness in charging, and driving back a greatly superior force.
After this affair, the regiment returned to its old camp, where it remained until the 5th of February, 1865.
The Thirty-seventh Regiment was organized under the call of the President of Feb. 1, 1864, and Samuel Harriman commis- sioned colonel. Six companies were mustered into service the latter part of March; and, their services being needed, they were sent forward, under command of Major Kershaw, and reported at Washington on the 1st of May. The six com- panics went into camp on Arlington Heights. On the 30th they embarked at Alexandria, and proceeded, by way of For-
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tress Monroe and York River, to White House, Va., arriving on the 2d of June. They were sent forward as guard to a supply-train, and at Cold Harbor were assigned to the first brigade. On the 12th they took position in the first line of works ; and, on the evening of that day, took part in the general movement of Grant's army across James River, to Petersburg, before which place they arrived on the afternoon of the 16th. On the 17th and 18th two severe engagements took place, in which the Thirty-seventh took an active part, and suffered severely. The regiment behaved with great gallantry ; and Gen. Grant issued a complimentary order, praising the division for their endurance and success. The casualties show the manner in which the Thirty-seventh stood up under a heavy fire at the first battle in which they were engaged. Killed, or died of wounds, sixty-five; wounded, ninety-three.
On the 22d of June the regiment returned to its old posi- tion near the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, where they remained until July 10, doing picket and fatigue duty. The explosion of the mine under the enemy's fort on the 30th of July, and the disastrous failure of the whole scheme, have become matters of history. The third division suffered greatly. Out of two hundred and fifty men who went out in the morn- ing, but ninety-five answered at roll-call that evening. The casualties, as reported, were fifty-seven killed, and fifty-three wounded. After the battle, the regiment was relieved from the front line, and withdrew to the rear, where it remained until the 19th of August. From the 19th to the 21st of August, there were a number of engagements on the Weldon Railroad, in which the regiment had four killed, and twelve wounded. On the 29th the brigade marched to Poplar-grove Church, at which another engagement took place. In Novem- ber the brigade moved to the mine, or crater fort, which they had occupied on the 30th of July. In December the regiment, with others, marched to Hawkins's Tavern to re-enforce the Second and Fifth Corps, under Gen. Warren, who, a few days before, made a raid on the Weldon Railroad. They met the corps on their return, and went into their old camp, on the Baxter Road, where they remained until the spring campaign opened.
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The Thirty-eighth Regiment began to organize March, 1864, under the supervision of Col. Bintliff. Before the regiment could be filled, the government discontinued the payment of bounties, when recruiting fell off, and almost entirely ceased. ยท In consequence of this, only four companies could be organ- ized, which, having been mustered into service, left Camp Randall, Madison, on the 3d of May, 1864, for Washington. Another company was sent forward in July, and other compa- nies in September. Col. Bintliff took command on their arrival before Petersburg, on the 1st of October, thus completing the regiment. On their arrival at Washington, they encamped on Arlington Heights. On the 30th they marched to Alexandria, and embarked for White House, at that time the base of sup- plies of Gen. Grant's army. On their arrival, they were tem- porarily consolidated with the First Minnesota, and assigned to the provisional brigade of Gen. Abercrombie, and were engaged in escorting supply-trains to Cold Harbor. On the 12th they moved to the front line of the works; in the evening com- menced Gen. Grant's grand flank movement to the rear of Richmond, arriving, on the 16th of June, in front of Peters- burg, and moving out under fire to the battle-field. They took an active part in the engagement on the 17th and 18th, in which the regiment had fifteen killed, and thirty-five wounded. They remained in the front lines till the 4th of July, fighting by day, and working by night. On that day they returned to the second lines, the battalion being reduced to forty men fit for duty. Here they encamped until the 19th, when they moved to the front, and assisted in repulsing an attack of the enemy. On the 30th of July, when the order was given to advance, after the explosion of the mine, the regiment which was selected to lead the charge faltered. Gen. Hartruft ordered the Thirty-eighth, scarcely numbering a hundred, to take the lead. Here they had nine killed, and ten wounded. Subsequently, the battalion was relieved from the front lines, and encamped behind the second line, where it remained until Aug. 6, when they returned to the first line, and were engaged in siege and picket duty until Aug. 19, when they moved towards the Weldon Railroad, and took part, with the Fifth Corps to obtain possession of the medium of
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supplies to the enemy. In the engagements that followed, the enemy were driven back, and, in the attempt to regain posses- sion of their works, were repulsed with great slaughter. The battalion proceeded to Reams Station, to re-enforce the Second Corps, and on the 26th fell back to near Yellow House, where they were engaged in ordinary duties until Sept. 26, when they moved toward Poplar-grove Church. In the engage- ment at that place, they took part, and also near Hatcher's Run. In the latter part of November, they moved opposite to Petersburg, and remained in their rifle-pits, under the heavy fire of the enemy, until the spring campaign opened.
The Thirty-ninth, Fortieth, and Forty-first Regiments of infantry, comprising Wisconsin's contribution to the "hundred days'" service, were recruited principally in the latter part of May, and beginning of June, 1864, and organized under the supervision of Col. Edwin Buttrick of Milwaukee, Col. W. Augustus Ray of Delavan, and Lieut .- Col. George B. Goodwin of Menasha respectively.
The Thirty-ninth left Camp Washburn, at Milwaukee, on the 13th of June, and were followed on the 15th by the Forty-first. Proceeding by way of Cairo, Ill., they arrived on the 17th at Memphis, Tenn., where both regiments were assigned to the third brigade, which was placed under com- mand of Col. Buttrick.
The Fortieth left Camp Randall on the 14th of June, and, moving by rail to Alton, Ill., proceeded thence by steamer down the Mississippi, landing on the 19th at Memphis, Tenn., where they were assigned to the second brigade, district of Memphis.
The regiments were placed in camp within the fortifications, and employed principally in garrison, picket, and railroad- guard duty, participating in occasional skirmishes on the picket-line. On the 21st of August, the rebel general, Forrest, with a force of about five thousand cavalry, made a dash upon the city at daylight, and succeeded, at one point, in passing through the lines. Our regiments were promptly hurried to the front, and, in the action which ensued, behaved with gallantry, sustaining slight loss. The rebels soon retired, with a few prisoners whom they had captured; and, after a march
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of two miles, our troops returned in the afternoon to camp. The term of service of these troops having expired in the beginning of September, they were ordered to return to Wis- consin for muster out of service. The Thirty-ninth and Forty- first were discharged at Camp Washington; and the Fortieth, which arrived on the 14th of September, was soon afterwards mustered out at Camp Randall.
The Forty-second Regiment, organized under the superin- tendence of Col. Ezra T. Sprague, formerly adjutant of the Eighth Infantry, under the call of July 18, 1864, were finally mustered into the United States service on the 7th of Septem- ber, 1864. From Camp Randall, they proceeded by rail to Cairo, Ill., at which place they arrived on the 22d of Sep- tember, and engaged in the discharge of post and garrison duty. On the 24th Col. Sprague was assigned to the command of the post, and Lieut .- Col. Botkin put in command of the regiment.
The Forty-third, Forty-fourth, and Forty-fifth Regiments were organized in the latter part of the year.
The First Cavalry, on the 14th of January, 1864, moved to Dandridge. They participated on the 17th in the battle at this place, sustaining a loss of thirty-two men killed, wounded, and missing. During the night, they fell back toward Knoxville, through which they passed on the 19th, encamping on the road to Sevierville. On the 21st, camp was moved sixteen miles beyond the latter place, on the Fair Garden Road, from which point, having effected a reconnoissance of the surrounding country, they returned on the 25th, with a number of prisoners, to Sevierville. In the engagement near this place, on the 27th, the regiment occupied the extreme left of our line, and sustained but trifling loss.
During the next three days, they marched to various points in the vicinity, going into camp on the 31st at Marysville, where the regiment was stationed as guard until the 9th of February, at which date they moved to Motley's Ford, on the Little Tennessee River. On the 24th they marched to Madi- sonville, and moving thence on the 10th of March, by way of Calhoun and Athens, encamped on the 12th at Cleveland, where they were joined on the 26th by Lieut .- Col. Torrey, with a large number of recruits from Wisconsin.
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Here the regiment was employed in guard-duty with frequent reconnoissances, as skirmishers, with the enemy, until the 3d of May, when they marched with the division, arriving on the 7th at Varnell's Station, on the Cleveland and Dalton Railroad. On the 9th the second brigade, under command of Col. La Grange, was ordered forward to develop the position of the enemy on the railroad, three miles from Varnell's. Nearly the whole of Gen. Wheeler's force, supported by a division of infantry, were drawn up in a strong position; and, after a severe engagement, our forces returned to camp, the principal loss sustained being prisoners captured by the rebels. Thence- forward the regiment, with the first cavalry division, accompa- nied the march of Gen. Sherman's forces, covering the left flank of our army, and taking part in daily actions with the enemy. On the 26th five companies, with a portion of an Indiana regiment, attacked a brigade of rebel cavalry near Burnt Hickory, seven miles from Dallas, routing the enemy with great loss, and capturing three officers and forty-four men; and on the 4th of June a detachment of the regiment occupied Ackworth, having previously defeated a small body of rebels who held the place. On the 6th, with the brigade, they participated in a sharp skirmish, and occupied Big Shanty, whence they marched on the 9th, on a reconnoissance to the front, and on the 16th moved with the left of the army to position before the enemy's lines on Lost Mountain, in which vicinity they remained, taking part in frequent engagements until the 1st of July, at which date they moved to Howell's Ferry, on the Sweetwater River. On the 3d they participated in a sharp skirmish near the Chattahoochee River, and next day returned to position near Lost Mountain. After the enemy's retreat across the river, they were employed in several reconnoissances and scouting-expeditions on the left of the army, and crossing the Chattahoochee on the 22d, near the rail- road-bridge, took part in a skirmish with the enemy on the right flank of the army, three miles south of Beechtown Creek. Forming a part of Gen. McCook's expedition to the rear of Atlanta, they crossed the Chattahoochee on the 27th, and, marching in a south-westerly direction, recrossed the river six miles below Campbelltown, where the regiment was detached
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from the main body, and, passing through the town, attacked the advance of the rebel general's (Armstrong) force, two thou- sand strong, at a point two miles and a half east of Campbell- town, on the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. After a severe engagement, they were compelled to withdraw, and returned to Marietta on the 31st, as escort to a pontoon-train and battery, having sustained, during the raid, a loss of thirty-one men. From Marietta, they moved ten miles south-west, where they were stationed, covering the return of stragglers from Gen. McCook's forces, until the 7th of August, when they marched to the railroad-bridge across the Chattahoochee. On the 10th they were put in motion towards Cartersville, at which place they arrived on the 12th, and were employed in scouting and forage-duty. On the 17th of October they again marched to Calhoun, and on the 4th of November were ordered to Louisville, Ky. Here they remained until the 4th of Decem- ber, when they proceeded to Bowling Green, and thence to Hopkinsville, where they drove the enemy from the town, capturing two pieces of artillery and fifteen prisoners. They pursued the enemy to Elizabethtown, where they captured eleven prisoners, when the pursuit was abandoned. The campaign being closed, the regiment went into winter-quarters at Waterloo, Ala., where they remained until the 10th of March, 1865.
The Second Cavalry, on the 27th of May, 1864, moved to Vicksburg ; and, on the 11th of May, the veterans returned from Wisconsin, Col. T. Stephens in command. The regiment were engaged in scouting in South-western Missouri and North- western Arkansas during the summer, and on the 1st of Sep- tember returned to Vicksburg, and were engaged, in the months of October, November, and December, in heavy scouting-duty. On the 2d of December Lieut .- Col. Dale, with two hundred and fifty men of the Second Cavalry, encountered a large body of the enemy near Yazoo City, on the Vicksburg Road, where two were killed, eight wounded, and twenty-seven reported as taken prisoners. On the 8th of December the regiment moved up the river to Memphis, and were engaged in scouting, &c., to the last of April, 1865.
The Third Cavalry, on the 30th of March, 1864, moved from
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Van Buren, and arrived at Little Rock on the 16th of April, 1864, when seven companies returned to Wisconsin on veteran furlough. They re-assembled on the 19th of June, and were again in camp at Duvall's Bluff, whence they subsequently moved to Huntsville, and were engaged in picket and guard duty, and as escort to trains between Little Rock and Duvall's Bluff. In August a detachment of one hundred and four men, under Major Derry, joined an expedition in pursuit of the rebel general's (Shelby) force. The other five companies were sta- tioned in Kansas and Missouri, engaged in scouting, picketing, forage, and escort-duty. Major Derry, on the 25th of Septem- ber, left on an expedition to Fort Smith, and returned to Little Rock on the 13th of October, 1864, where the regiment remained during the winter.
Lieut. Earll of the Fourth Cavalry on the 10th of January, 1864, left camp on a scouting-expedition, with a party of seven- teen men, and surprised a party of fifty rebels at Olive Church, twenty-three miles from Baton Rouge, and, gallantly charging upon them, succeeded in capturing twenty-five men and all the horses. In endeavoring to return to camp, they fell in with two parties of rebel cavalry, who succeeded in recapturing the men, and in taking Lieut. Earll prisoner. In February Col. Boardman and Capt. Keefe were engaged in scouting-expedi- tions in Louisiana ; and, in an expedition made in the month of May, Col. Boardman was struck by four balls, the last penetrat- ing the skull, and causing instant death. On the 27th of June the regiment embarked in transports, and moved up the river to Morganzia, where they went into camp. On the 25th of August they accompanied an expedition to Clinton, which accomplished its object, and returned. They also made two other movements on Clinton in the months of October and November, which were both highly successful. On the 27th the Fourth Wisconsin, with eight other cavalry regiments with pontoon-trains, left Baton Rouge for the purpose of making a feint on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, with the object of keep- ing the forces in the vicinity of Mobile from making a demon- stration on Gen. Sherman's army. Taking seventeen days' rations, they marched three hundred miles. Arriving within two miles of Mobile, they took a south-westerly course, and
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struck the Gulf of Mexico one hundred and forty miles east of New Orleans, when they embarked, and arrived at Baton Rouge on the 5th of January, 1865, without losing a man.
The thirteen batteries of light artillery were engaged during the year 1864 in active duty. Space will not admit of further details of the movements of this branch of the military service, including batteries A to M of heavy artillery. Both performed excellent service in their fields of labor.
Such is a brief account of the services of the Wisconsin regiments who served in the war in 1864. No State in the Union furnished better men, or men who fought more valiantly in the defence of the Union.
On the 15th of September, 1864, Gov. Lewis appointed Jason Downer, Esq., judge of the Supreme Court, to fill the place of Hon. Byron Paine, who had resigned his position, to take effect Nov. 15, 1864, in order to his accepting the position of lieu- tenant-colonel of the Forty-third Regiment, to which he had been commissioned on the 10th of August, on the organization of that regiment.
The November elections of this year were entered into with enthusiasm, as a President of the United States had to be chosen. The Republican Union electors were, W. W. Field, George C. Northrop, Henry Blood, Jonathan Bowman, Allen Worden, H. J. Turner, H. F. Belitz, and A. S. McDill. The Democratic electors were, Theodore Rodolph, Randall Wilcox, J. W. Webster, G. T. Thorn, J. S. Tripp, F. W. Horn, C. Morgan, and H. T. Ramsey. The Republican ticket was elected by an average majority of sixteen thousand.
At this election, the Republican Union party elected sixty- nine members of the assembly, and, with the held-over senators, had twenty-three members of the senate. The Democrats had thirty-three members of the assembly, and ten senators.
The electoral college, at a subsequent date, cast the vote of the State for Abraham Lincoln, President, and Andrew John- son, Vice-President.
CHAPTER LIII.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. LEWIS.
Events of 1865- Legislation - Message of Gov. Lewis - War Measures - Surren- der of Gen. Lee - The Draft, &c.
THE eighteenth session of the State legislature convened at Madison on the eleventh day of January, 1865, and adjourned on the tenth day of April, after a session of ninety days. The officers of both houses were similar to the preceding one of 1864. In the senate, Wyman Spooner, lieutenant- governor, presided; Frank M. Stewart was elected chief clerk, and Nelson Williams sergeant-at-arms. In the assembly, William W. Field was elected speaker, John S. Dean chief clerk, and Alonzo Wilcox sergeant- at-arms.
Gov. Lewis, in his message, said, -
" The financial condition of the State, considering the drafts that have necessa- rily been made upon the treasury, is very flattering. . . . Great credit is due to the secretary of state and state treasurer for their management in bringing about this result, and for the able and efficient manner in which they have discharged the duties of their respective departments."
The following is a list of the important measures passed by the legisla- ture, omitting those of a military character, which will be noticed here- after : -
An act to facilitate the conversion of the State currency, and to provide for tak- ing up certain State bonds; an amendatory act to guard the abuse of the elective franchise, and to preserve the purity of elections by a registration of electors; an act in relation to insurance-companies doing business in the State; to provide more effectually for the protection of State lands; an act to extend the right of suffrage, conferring this right on colored persons, provided, that at the next gen- eral election, held in November, 1865, a majority of the votes polled shall declare for such right; to provide for levying and collecting a State tax for the year 1865 (three hundred and fifty thousand dollars); to provide for taking a census, or enumeration of the people of this State; to authorize the conversion of State banks to national banking associations; to provide for completing the work on the State Capitol, by which the building-commissioners were authorizeil to contract for the continuation of the work on the south wing, and twenty-five thousand dollars appropriated for said work; to dispose of the swamp and overflowed lands and the proceeds thereof, by the provision of which act, the proceeds of the sales of
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