History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 129

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298

USA > Wisconsin > Richland County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 129
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 129

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

What were the results? The crossing of the river was seized and a lodgment made on a salient point of Lee's general line, which com- pelled him to fall back to the line of the Rapi- dan. Four guns with caisson and ammunition, five limbers with full complement of battery horses, all complete; one stand of colors, 500 prisoners, and many hundred stand of small arms, were taken by Russell's brigade alone. Two strong redoubts were taken by a line of battle not much heavier than an ordinary skir- mish line. To the two regiments of Upton there surrendered over 1,100 prisoners, with seven stand of colors. Most of these were from the regiments which had been broken and driven from their positions by Russell's brigade, and escaped from them only to fall into the hands of Upton's men.

When it is remembered that the entire strength of Russell's brigade was 1,549, officers and men, and that all these results were accomplished by them, assisted only by two regiments of another brigade, against more than double their number, thoroughly prepared in a chosen position, I think I am warranted in saying that the achieve. ment is without a parallel in the history of the war. The confederates fought under the eye of Gen. Lee, who stood with Gen. Jubal Early in the fort on the opposite side of the river, and was a witness of the disaster to his forces. The

chaplain of the 54th North Carolina, in an ac- count of the battle written by him to the Rich- mond Examiner, three days after, said: "The brigade (Hoke's) is almost annihilated; the 54th has only one captain left, with five lieutenants and fifteen men remaining. The fragments of the brigade are now collected under the com- mand of Lieut. Col. Tate, of the 6th, and at- tached to the Louisiana brigade. These frag- ments now number about 275 men."

The meed of praise was given to the 6th Maine and 5th Wisconsin for this unparalleled feat, by all who witnessed it, and had it not been for the desperate tenacity with which they clung to the earthworks they had stormed, until the supports came up, the attack must have re- sulted most disastrously to our troops. Nor can I close this already too long account more titly than by quoting from the general order issued from brigade headquarters the second day of the battle:

" Officers and soldiers :- Your gallant deeds of the 7th of November will live in the annals of your country, and will be not the least glo- rious of the exploits of the Army of the Poto- mac. To have carried by storm with a mere skirmish line and a feeble support in numbers, powerful earthworks, a strong natural position manned by the flower of the rebel army and strengthened by artillery, would be an achieve- ment that a division of our forces might well feel pride in, but it was not too much for the gal- lant sons of Maine and Wisconson."

After a long term of service, having, many of them, re-enlisted as veterans, the regiment was mustered out at Madison, July 20, 1865.

Company D, Hth Wisconsin Infantry, was organized in September, 1861, and first went into camp at camp Randall, where the men were mustered into the service of the United States, with Jesse S. Miller, as captain. The 11th regiment was attached to the second brigade, under Gen. Hovey, in Gen. Steel's com- mand, and under orders to proceed south, passed through Missouri to Arkansas. Its first engage-

912

HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

ment, of any note, was at Bayou Cache, July 7, 1862, when companies D, G, H, and I, held in check a vastly superior force of rebels, until the arrival of reinforcements. After this con- fiet the regiment arrived at Helena, on the 13th. In October they returned to Pilot Knob, Mo., where they remained in camp all winter. March 13, 1863, embarking at St. Genevieve, they soon landed at Memphis. From this point they were sent to Milliken's Bend, La., and were assigned to a position in the second brig- ade, fourteenth division of the thirteenth army corps.

When the morning of the Ist of April dawn- ed, it found the 11th leading the advance, and at Anderson Hill, near Port Gibson, Miss., they encountered the enemy and after a warm en- gagement, which proved no "April Fool busi- ness" the rebels were driven back in dire con- fusion. On May 15th, they took part in the bat- tle of Champion llills, and the following day cut off the retreat of the "boys in gray" at Black river bridge, where there was a warm contest, the boys of the 11th taking upward of a thousand prisoners, and a regimental stand of colors, as trophies of their valor.

On the 19th the regiment was found in the trenches before Vicksburg, and they participa- ted in that terrible and fatal charge made on the 22d of May. They were employed quite actively in the days of siege that lay before that place, and took a part in the ceremonies of the surrender on the glorious 4th of July, 1863. Immediately after that event, the regiment re- ceived marching orders and started for Jackson, taking a prominent part in the "second Teche campaign" and going as far as Opelousas. Re- turning over almost impassable roads and through mud and mire they took shipping at Algiers, on the 19th of November, for Brazos Santiago, Texas, where they received orders to reinforce the forces under Gen. Banks, at Ar- kansas Pass. While here, fresh orders were re- ceived sending them to Fort Esperenza, were they arrived too late to assist Gen. Washburne in re- | war. This fine regiment was mustered into the

ducing the enemy at that place. Three-fourths of the regiment having re-enlisted, they were reliev- ed from duty on February 11th and mustered in as veterans on Feb. 13th. Those who did not see fit to re-enlist were transferred for the balance of their term of service to the 33d regiment. The veterans in accordance with the custom of the war department, were allowed to return home on furlough of thirty days, and they reached Madison, March 21st, and received a magnifi- cent ovation from the hands of the State au- thorities and citizens of that city.

Having enjoyed themselves to the top of their bent, they returned, leaving the State on the 25th of April, and proceeded to Memphis. They afterward took part in the varions ex- peditions in northern Mississippi and Alabama, and always received the commendation of their commanders for good and efficient service. The regiment was mustered out at Mobile, Ala., Sept. 4, 1865, and reached home on the 18th of that month and year. The company from Rich- land passed through many vicissitudes in its career with the regiment, losing many officers by death and resignation, so that Henry Toms, who left only as a corporal came back the captain, more by the law of promotion than for any gal- iant deeds, for where all were heroes none could be called the bravest and most gallant. They left many of their comrades sleeping in southern graves, to be remembered and talked of when the shades of night have settled over a resting world, and whose names are enshrined in every patriotic breast.

Company HI, of the same regiment was partly raised in this county, and marching shoulder to shoulder with their comrades of company D, passed through the same experiences and par- ticipated in all the honor that hangs around the banners of the gallant 11th, a braver regimeut than which never left the Badger State. Com- pany 1, 12th Wisconsin Infantry, was also raised in the county of Richland, which was in- tensely loyal during the entire course of the

is truly Jahn walworth

915

HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

service during the fall of 1861, at Camp Ran- dall, Madison, and Col. George E. Bryant made colonel. They left Madison, the 11th of Janu- ary, 1862, with orders to report at Weston, Mo. They participated in all the engagements that led up to the seige of Vicksburg and were in at the submission of that rebel strong-hold, the reduction of which has been called "the crown- ing glory of the war in. the valley of the Mis- sissippi."

After the fall of that place, they were ordered to Natchez, Miss., where they remained until the 22d of November, 1863, when they pro- ceeded by steamer up the Mississippi, and landing at Vicksburg, marched thence ten miles, northeast to Bovina station, where they went into camp on the 26th, as guard to the railroad near the Black river. Under orders to join an expeditionary force under Gen. Gresham, they broke camp at Bovina on the 4th of December, and proceeding down the river from Vicksburg, landed early in the morning of the 6th, at Natehez. Here they joined the other forces as- signed to the expedition, and immediately marched in pursuit of Wirt Adams' rebel com- mand. Failing to discover any considerable force of the enemy, they returned on the sth to Natchez, remaining in camp at that place until the 21st, when they again marched on a seout- ing expedition to Fayette, Miss., from which they returned on the 23d, and went into camp on the Pine Ridge road, near the fortifications. Embarking at Natchez on the 23d of Jannary, 1864, they landed at Vicksburg on the following day, and marching thence ten miles in a north- easterly direction, encamped on the 25th, at lebron, where the 12th was re-organized as a veteran regiment.

Of 667 present with the regiment, 602 had been in the service upwards of two years, the remaining sixty-five having joined by enlist- ment since its organization. Five hundred and twenty of those whose term of service per- mitted re enlisted, and were again mustered into the service For thice ye .. rs. Of the others,

forty-eight promised to re-enlist on the expira- tion of two years from their respective dates of enrollment.

On the 3d of February, they left camp at Hebron, accompanying the celebrated Meridian expedition under command of Gen. Sherman. On the following day, they took part in the ac- tion at Bolton, Miss., with a loss of three killed and four wounded. The enemy was forced back a distance of two miles across Baker's creek, where the regiment repaired and held the bridge, until relieved on the morning of the 5th by the arrival of the third division With the ad- vance of the expedition, they marched through Jackson, Hillsboro and Decatur, to Meridian, and thence to Enterprise and Quitman, destroy- ing the railroad track, bridges,store-houses, and other rebel property on theirroute. Returning by way of Decatur, Canton and Black river bridge, they re-entered camp at Hebron on the 4th of March, having marched in thirty-one days about 416 miles. The veterans of the regiment left llebron on the 13th of March, and embark- ing at Vicksburg, proceeded up the Mississippi to Cairo, Ill., and thence by rail to Madison, Wis., where they arrived on the 21st. After a publie reception at the capital by the State au- thorities and members of the Legislature, they remained at Camp Randall until the 31st, when the men received their pay and dispersed to their homes, in the enjoyment of veteran fur- longh.

The veteran 12th left the regimental ron- dezvous at Camp Randall on the 30th of April, and arrived on the sd of May at Cairo, III., where they were joined by the non-veteran por- tion of the regiment, which had been left at Hebron, Miss. Accompanying the forces of Gen. Gresham, they embarked at Cairo on the 10th, with the first brigade, to which they had been transferred, and proeceding up the Tennessee river, landed on the 14th at Clifton, Tenn. They left Clifton next day, marching by way of Hunts- ville and Decatur, Ala., and Rome.Ga., a distance of nearly 300 miles, they joined the Army of the

916

HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

Tennessee, with Gen. Sherman's forees, at Aek- worth, Ga., on the 8th of June. They moved forward to Big Shanty on the 10th, and next day formed line of battle, and charged two miles through the timber, capturing the first skirmish line of the enemy in front of Kenesaw Moun- tain, before which the regiment was constantly employed in picket and fatigue duty, with fre- quent engagements with the enemy, during the remainder of the month, sustaining a loss of thirty-four men in killed, wounded and miss- ing.

Participating in Gen. McPherson's celebrated movement to the right of the army, they moved from position before Kenesaw Mountain on the evening of the 2d of July, and marching during the night by a cireuitous route, took po- sition near the Chattahoochie river, at the mouth of Nickajaek creek. On the 5th, form- ing a part of our line, they advanced towards the creek, driving the enemy from a strong line of rifle pits and forcing him across the stream, to his main works. They fortified the point thus gained and advanced the picket line to the bank of the ereek, occupying the position until the night of the 8th, when bridges were built and the skirmish line thrown across the stream, and established in rifle pits on the opposite bank. During the succeeding night, the enemy aband- oned his entire works on the right bank of the Chattahoochie and fell back to the south side of the river. At this time the regiment was transferred to the first brigade, third divis- ion, seventeenth army corps, with which they were afterwards identified. On the 17th of July, they were again put in motion towards the left with the Army of the Tennessee. Crossing the Chattahoochie at Roswell's Mills, they passed through Decatur, on the Georgia railroad, six miles nertheast of Atlanta, on the 19th, and crossing the railroad which they destroyed at this point, advanced on the following day to- wards Atlanta. Forcing back the enemy's skirmishers, as they advanced, they bivouacked in line during the night, and on the 21st, as part

of a storming party, carried a high fortified ridge in front, about four miles from Atlanta, which they held, although suffering severely from an enfilading fire on the right, repulsing the enemy's repeated attempts to recover the position. In this action the 12th captured forty-eight prisoners and 500 stand of arms, sus- taining a loss during the day of 154 in killed, wounded and missing.

During the night, the rebels evacuated their works on the right, which were next morning occupied by our troops. About noon, the enemy in great force fell upon the left of the line, out- flanking and forcing back the fourth division, which held the extreme flank of our army, and pushing rapidly forward to position in rear and within 300 yards of the works occupied by the 12th Wisconsin. While passing forward to the assault, the sixteenth corps, which arrived at this juncture on the field of battle, fell in turn upon the rebel rear, and with the seventeenth corps, succeeded in capturing nearly the whole of the attacking force. The general commanding the brigade having been wounded early in the action, Col. Bryant took charge of the brigade, Lieut. Col. Proudfit assuming command of the regiment. During the conflict, the heroic 12th fought oftimes in two wings, back to back, with the enemy on both fronts and one flank, one wing of the regiment being unprotected with works. They held their own, however, but the rebels continued the engagement outside of the works on the left and point of the ridge during the night, fighting often over the embankment at a distance of eight or ten feet, until near day- light, when they retired.

In the general movements of the army, as it closed upon Atlanta, they marched on the evening of the 26th, with the Army of the Ten- nessee around the rear of the Army of the Cum- berland, which they joined on its right the next day, advancing by the left on the city. Having taken part in several skirmishe-, as they ad- vanced, the regiment bivouacked in line for the night. Next morning the forward movement

917

HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

was continued until at the noon halt; the rebels attacked the fifteenth corps, then about two miles in advance. The 12th, which was immediately ordered to their resene, advanced on the double quick and ontstripped all other re-enforcements, arriving just in time to meet and check the onset of the confederates, which had succeeded in outflanking our troops. Taking their posi- tion on the right, they were soon joined by other bodies of men, and "the battle was on onee more" and raged with great fury until sunset, when the "Johnnies" withdrew from the field, their successive charges on our lines having met with great slaughter.

Next day the 12th was relieved, and for a change was set to doing picket and fatigue duty in the trenches before Atlanta, constantly exposed to the rebel fire until the 26th of August, when they set out with the Army of the Tennessee, marching toward Sand-town, on the right, but next day their direction was changed to the southeast, and on the 2 th they arrived at Fairburn. Having destroyed the Atlanta & West Point railroad at this point, they again took up the forward movement, and on the 31st of July, they arrived at Jonesboro, twenty-two miles from Atlanta, on the Macon & Western railroad, having been engaged in heavy skir- mishing as they took up their position, and they formed in line between the seventeenth and eigh- teenth corps. Shortly after noon, the enemy at- tacked in heavy force, and after a severe battle, were repulsed, our troops occupying the ground during the night. During the battle at this point, on the Ist of September, the regiment oc- cupied position on the extreme right of the seven- teenth corps and sustained but slight loss. Next day they marched in pursuit of the enemy, who had retreated during the night, leaving his wounded, with many stragglers, upon the fleld. Having advanced six miles to Lovejoy, where the rebels had occupied a new position, strongly fortified, the regiment was ordered forward and drove the enemy's skirmishers from a wooded hill, upon which they had been posted, to the

main force, when line of battle was formed, in which the regiment retained position until the 5th. At this date, they marched on the return to Atlanta, near which they went into camp on the 8th, and remained until late in the fall,

But it would be needless to give all the his- tory of this one of Wisconsin's most famous regiments, for it is well written in all the gen- erał histories of the war. Suffice it to say that after participating in all the campaigns around Atlanta, it took its way with the rest of Sher- man's forces in that unparalleled march to the sea, and was, on the conclusion of hostilities, mustered out July 16, 1865, having suffered, while in the service, a loss of fifty-nine killed in action, thirty-two who died of wounds and 202 of disease.

Company B, 25th Wisconsin Infantry, was organized in July 1862. And on the 14th of September, at Camp Solomon, at Lacrosse, they were mustered into the service of the United States, with Col. Milton Montgomery as the head of the regiment and Captain W. H. Joslin as the commanding officer of the com- pany. On the 19th of September they left the State with orders to report to Gen. John Pope, at St. Paul, Minn., to aid in suppressing the Indian difficulties in that State. After con- tributing to the preservation of tranquillity among the settlers, and airing the festive red- skin. they returned to the State and went into quarters at Camp Randall, where they arrived Dec. 18, 1862. Leaving there Feb. 17, 1863, for Cairo, whence they were taken to Colum- bus, Ky., and from there to join the army in the vicinity of Vicksburg. The regiment par- ticipated in the fatal mistake made by Sherman when he undertook to take the Yazoo bluffs, and had better success in the rear of Vicksburg. Here they remained, taking a hand in the trials and labors of that sanguinary siege, losing many a man from the diseases incident to that swampy ground. They enjoyed the spectaele of seeing the banner of the so-called Confeder- acy lowered from the heights of the city and

918

HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

the stronghold of strongholds delivered unto their keeping.

They soon received marching orders and pro- ceeded to Helena, Ark., where they remained employed principally in provost duty, until the Ist of February, 1864, when they embarked, and proceeding down the Mississippi, landed on the following day at Vicksburg. Marehing with the celebrated Meridian expedition, under command of Gen. Sherman, they left that place on the 3rd, and moving across the State of Mis- sissippi, reached Meridian on the 14th. After waiting here for two days the march was re- sumed, and the regiment arrived on the 26th at Canton, having marched a distance of 275 miles from Vicksburg. They left Canton on the 1st of March, and marched to Vicksburg where they again went into eamp, and remained until the 13th, when they again embarked, going up the Mississippi river to Cairo, arriving there on the 20th. Here they received orders to proceed to Columbus, Ky., and bad proceeded part of the way when they were countermanded and they were ordered to return, which they did. Re-embarking they proceeded up the Tennessee to Clump's landing, where they landed and bivonaeked for the night. On the following day they marched thirteen miles to Purdy, Tenn., having met and ronted a body of rebel cavalry under Col. Wisdom. They returned to the transports and the next day resumed their progress up the river. On the 2nd of April they landed at Waterloo, Ala., and marched thenee to Decatur, where they had a sharp skirmish with the enemy on the 17th. At this point the regiment was stationed for guard duty until May Ist, when they started on a march through Huntsville, to Chattanooga, Tenn., arriving there on the 5th. They imme- diately moved farward to join our forees under Sherman and formed into line at Resaea on the 9th of May, under the fire of the rebel guns.

From this time until the evacuation of Resa- ca, they were constantly under fire. They par- ticipated in the battles of the 13th, 14th and

15th of May. After the deeamping of the "boys in gray" they were pushed forward in pursuit, skirmishing every day until the 26th, when within two and one-half miles of Dallas, when forming in line shortly before noon, they were engaged in skirmishing until evening, when they advanced through Dallas, which had been abandoned by the enemy, and bivonacked for the night a short distance south of the town. On the 27th, they advanced to the front, and were engaged during the three following days in heavy skirmishing with the enemy, repulsing his attacks upon the picket line with heavy loss.

They occupied position in the front line until the 1st of June, when they were withdrawn from the trenches before daylight, and partici- pating in the general movement to the left to turn the rebel position at Allatoona Pass, marched six miles to Pumpkin Vine ereek, near which they bivouacked for the night, and on the afternoon of the following day changed position a mile to the right, where they were attacked by the enemy's batteries, which were soon sileneed by our artillery. Crossing the stream on the 3d, they advanced four miles, and having erected breast-works during the night, occupied the position until the afternoon of the 5th, when they moved four miles to the right. Next day they were again put in mo- tion, and passing through Ackworth, encamped nearly a mile from the town, remaining until the 10th, when they advanced four miles, ac- companying the army of the Tennessee in the movement to break the rebel lines between Kenesaw and Pine mountains. . On the follow- ing day, taking the lead of the second brigade, they advaneed two miles to the railroad, where line of battle was formed with the enemy on their flank and front. While holding this posi- tion, company C was detailed at three in the morning of the 12th, to build ritle pits in front, which they finished by daylight, and next day company D was employed in opening a road through the woods in their rear for more con- venient access to the teams. In the evening

919

HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

companies C, H and K, occupied the front line of rifle pits, and on the 15th, companies B, D, F, G and I were thrown forward on the skirm- ish line, under command of Lieut. Col Rusk, the balance of the regiment taking possession in the evening, in the front line, whence they afterward moved forward to support the picket line against the anticipated advance of the enemy.

The enemy having abandoned his line on Lost Mountain, on the 17th, they advanced on the 19th across the rebel works in their front, and in the afternoon, advanced still farther to- wards Kenesaw Mountain, establishing position on the erest of a hill, which they procceded to fortify. Here they were engaged in siege and fatigue duty, constantly exposed to the enemy's fire, until the morning of the 3d of July, when they were put in motion to accompany the movement of the Army of the Ten- nessee, on the right of our forces. March- ing on the road between Kenesaw and Lost Mountains, they advanced three miles, where they constructed breastworks, and were or- dered to support a battery, under heavy fire from the rebel artillery. They subsequently occupied the works in their front, which were abandoned by the enemy, and on the 5th con- tinned the movement to the right. Marching on the Sandtown road, they encamped in the evening two and a half miles from the Chatta- hootchie river, remaining until the 5th, when they advanced two miles towards the river. They again moved on the 9th, and passing through Marietta, where they bivouacked for the night, forded the Chattahootchie on the fol- lowing day, going into eamp on the south side of the river.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 129

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1298

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298