History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 166

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899; Western Historical Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1304

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E. H. CHAPIN, carpenter and farmer, Sec. 3 ; P. O. Madison ; was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., Feb. 12, 1836 ; his father, Harvey Chapin, came to Wisconsin in 1845 or 1846 ; settled near Water- town, Jefferson Co., and died in March, 1868, aged 56 ; Mrs. Chiapin died in April, 1849. Mr. Chapin was married in November, 1860, to Anna Burdick, of Watertown, Wis., and has three children-Clara, Edith and Charles, all at home. He learned the carpenter's trade when 18 years old; has 80 acres of land, worth $4,000. Is a Republican.

D. F. CONLIN, farmer ; resides with his father on Sec. 23; P. O. Madison ; born Aug. 14, 1851, in Massachusetts ; when 2 years old, his parents, Mathew and Mary (Coyn) Conlin, came to Wis- consin in 1853 ; lived in Madison four years ; then removed to the town of Blooming Grove, where D. F. was brought up and has resided since, except three years at Mineral Point, Wis., in 1876-77-78. He is the present Town Treasurer of Blooming Grove, elected in the spring of 1880. Owns no land in Dane Co., but has an 80-acre farm in Iowa Co., Wis.

JOHN S. DAILY, M.D., office and residence on Sec. 9, in Blooming Grove; P. O. Madi- son ; was born in Herkimer Co., N. Y., Jan. 3, 1826 ; when 12 years of age, his father, Lawrence Daily, removed to Madison Co., N. Y., and in 1846 came to Wisconsin, and located in the town of Pleasant Springs (then called Rome Precinct). John S. came with his father, and built the first frame house in the town, in the winter of 1846-47, on cast half southwest quarter Sec. 5; he read medicine with Dr. J. B. Bowen, of Madison, attended lectures in Cleveland, Ohio, and commenced practice in Pleasant Springs in 1854, where he remained about three years, then removed to Cottage Grove and practiced there till 1878, except three years, 1863 to 1865 ; he practiced in Hammondsport, Steuben Co., N. Y. ; came to his present location in 1878. He was married, Sept. 6, 1846, in Madison Co., N. Y., just before starting for the West, to Elizabeth H. Burman, and has six children-Mary Jane, Josephine, Amelia, Clara, Clarence and Frederick A. ; lost one, Lawrence, died in 1864, aged 4 years. The Doctor held the office of Justice of the Peace, Constable and Highway Commissioner in Pleasant Springs, and helped to lay out early all the roads in the town ; while Justice of the Peace issued a summons in but two cases, both of which were settled before coming to trial, and he received no costs. His father lived in Pleasant Springs ten years, and in Cottage Grove two years, then returned to New York, where he died, in Yates Co., in 1867 ; his mother died in Cottage Grove, in 1859. He is a Republican, and both are, members of the Presbyterian Church ; has an 80-acre farm.

R. D. FROST, farmer, Sec. 20; P. O. Madison ; was born in the town of Schaghticoke, Rensselaer Co., N. Y .; when about 19 years old went to the city of Troy, N. Y., and went into business with Benjamin Marshall, of that place, manufacturing ginghams ; continued in that till 1850, then came to Wisconsin, settled in his present location, and has followed farming since. Was married in Troy, in 1841, to Miss S. M. Van Anden, a native of that county, born in 1820 ; has two children, Lewis D., now of Winona, Minn., and Emma E., now Mrs. Moses E. Flesh, of Pickaway Co., Ohio ; one daughter, Sarah N., died June 4, 1865, at the age of 16; his son, Lewis D., enlisted, in 1862, in Co. I, 23d W. V. I., as a private ; was in the service till the close of the war, and mustered out a first Lieutenant in command of

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his company, which had only twenty-seven men left out of a full company ; he was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Carrion Crow Bayou, La., but released two days after ; soon after his regiment was discharged he went to Little Rock, Ark., and took charge of Government wagon trains for about two years, then returned to Wisconsin, and went into the post office at Madison till elected Clerk of Court, which office he held four years ; is now engaged in manufacturing cigars in Winona, Minn. Mr. Frost, Sr., held the office of Chairman of his town ten or twelve terms in succession, and is the present Assessor ; is a Republican, and has 140 acres of land in his farm.

GEN. CHARLES R. GILL, was born August 17, 1830, in the town of Win- field, Herkimer Co., N. Y. His father, David Gill, was born in Pittsfield, Mass. ; and his mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Clark, was born in Hartford, Conn. ; from 1832 to 1843 he lived with his parents in the town of Frankfort, Herkimer Co., on the Mohawk River ; in the latter year, his father, who had up to that time been engaged in milling, removed to a farm in Genesee Co., N. Y., where he died a year later ; for the next five years Charles attended school, working on the farm during the vacation to enable him to defray current expenses; the next two years he spent in teaching and traveling in the South and West, with a view of finding a permanent situation as a teacher; arriving at majority, he determined to study law, and at once entered the law office of Messers. Wakeman & Bryan, at Batavia, N. Y., as a student ; with some assistance from his mother and older brothers and sisters, he was enabled to pursue his studies till the 4th day of September, 1854, on which day he was examined and admitted to practice in all the courts of the State. On the 17th of September, 1854, having completed his course of preparatory study and been admitted to the bar, Charles R. Gill was united in marriage to Martha A. Lanckton, of an adjoining town, and with her, less than three weeks thereafter, started for Watertown, Wis., where he immediately opened an office for the practice of his profession. Young in years, with little experience in the practical affairs of life, wholly untried in his chosen profession, among entire strangers, with but little ready money, borrowed from trusting relatives and friends, and likewise burdened with a debt for his library and houschold effects, the future must at times have looked gloomy enough to the youthful counselor, and to his more youthful, though not less hopeful, companion. During these dark hours of the first few months of his early settlement in the West, Gen. Gill has told the writer of this sketch that he frequently envied the stage-driver, and would gladly have exchanged places with him had it not been for his pride, and his determination to win success in a higher calling. Many weeks did not pass, however, before the young attorney had an opportunity to display his talents, and a few months were sufficient to establish him in the confidence of the people; and in three years he was enabled to visit his old home with several hundred dollars in his pocket, saved from the earnings of his practice, after having paid all his debts. He had reaped the first fruits in the field of his chosen profession, and was advancing to a more abundant harvest.

When Gen. Gill settled in Watertown, it was with the intention of making that his permanent home ; and, being of an active mind, he naturally took a lively interest in the public affairs of the little city. He Was at once identified with its interests, and soon became a recognized leader in the community. A short time after his location in Watertown he was elected Superintendent of the city schools, and was twice re-elected. During his first term he antagonized a certain faction which chanced to be in a majority in the Common Council, and an attempt was made by that body to control the action of the Board of Education in school matters. The Superintendent was a member of the School Board, and with the majority of the board resisted the authority attempted to be exercised by the Council. Charges were thereupon preferred against him and other members of the board, and they were notified to appear before the Common Council and show cause why they should not be removed from office for alleged misconduct. The answer of Gen. Gill was a complete refutation of the charges, but without hearing any testimony the Council removed him from office, claiming that this body had absolute discretion in the premises. Gen. Gill took the position in opposition to the city authorities and their legal advisers, that the Common Council could only remove for cause, and not for personal or partisan considerations. Hc took the matter at once to the Supreme Court, where the action of the Council was condemned, and that body was required to rescind its action and reinstate Charles R. Gill in his position as Superintendent of Schools. At the expiration of his second term he was again re-elected to this position, but soon after resigned, as professional duties required his whole time and attentiou. We have referred to this old controversy, not to revive the bitter feclings that were then engendered, but as showing the character of the man, his willingness to assume responsibilities when occasion demanded, and his ability and firmness in a most trying emergency. His professional reputation, as well as his personal standing in the community, was at stake, and his signal triumph must have inspired the confidence of his friends, as it gave him a wide celebrity as a lawyer throughout the

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State. Gill vs. The Common Council of Watertown, reported in the 9th of Wisconsin, p. 254, at once became a leading case on the subject of mandamus as a remedy for illegal removal from office, and, during the twenty years that have elapsed since that decision was rendered, its correctness as authority has never been questioned.

In 1856, Gen. Gill was nominated by acclamation for District Attorney by the Democratic Convention for Jefferson County, but was defeated at the polls by a faction in his own party. Two years later he was the nominee of the same party for the Assembly, but was defeated in the same manner. In 1857, he was elected Police Justice of the City of Watertown, an office at that time of considerable importance, but as the discharge of its duties interfered with the practice of his profession, and was likely to impair his standing at the bar, he resigned the position after serving about nine months. In 1859, the Democratic Senatorial Convention having nominated one of the bolting factions for the Senate, Gen. Gill announced himself an independent candidate for that office. The Republicans also placed a candidate in the field. In the triangular contest he was triumphantly elected, receiving within a few votes as many as both his competitors combined, and took his seat in the State Senate less than six years after he came to the State, and before he was thirty years of age. Though the youngest member in that body, he at once took a front rank as a debater, and during the last year of his term was the recognized leader of the war party.

In January, 1861, on the third day of the session of the Senate, he introduced a resolution for the appointment of " a committee to inquire into the expediency of immediately putting the State upon a war footing," and ably advocated its passage. The resolution was adopted, and Senator Gill appointed Chair- man of the committee. This is believed to have been the first war measure adopted by any free State. In a few days, the committee reported a bill to the Senate which provided that Wisconsin should raise and equip at once six regiments of infantry and two batteries of artillery. Congress was then engaged in the attempt to patch up another compromise, and the people were not yet prepared for a resort to arms. The bill was therefore laid upon the table. Seward had just made his great compromise, Union-saving speech in the United States Senate, and the country still believed there was to be no war. Ex-President Tyler's Virginia Peace Convention was soon after called, and most of the States sent Commissioners there. The proposition to send Commissioners came before the Wisconsin Legislature, and Senator Gill, believing that the time for saving the Union by compromise had passed, vigorously opposed the measure, and succeeded in securing its defeat. When, toward the close of the session, Fort Sumter was fired on, and the Govern- ment beat the long roll for soldiers, Senator Gill's bill was taken from the table, and, after some imma- terial amendments, was passed. Thus were the wisdom and foresight and courage of the young legislator fully vindicated. Fortunate would it have been for the whole country if every Northern State had followed. Gen. Gill's intrepid leadership, and, abandoning all attempts at compromise, had, at the very outset, com- menced vigorous preparations for war. The Union might have been saved without compromise and with little bloodshed.

At the extra session of the Legislature in the same year, Senator Gill was made Chairman of the joint select committee appointed to consider and report upon all measures for raising men and money to carry on the war, a position of great responsibility and surpassing importance. He took the lead in the Senate upon all such measures, advocating, however, more extensive preparations than the Legislature was then willing to adopt, but securing such action as enabled the State authorities to fill its quota of soldiers promptly when called for by the general Government.

The important part borne by Senator Gill in originating and advocating measures for a vigorous prose- cution of the war, somewhat obscured the otherwise brilliant record made by him during his term in the Senate upon other subjects of vital concern to the commonwealth. In the discussion of all questions relating to finance, taxation, railroads, insurance and banking, he participated, and showed not only a thorough knowledge of such affairs, but also a warm sympathy with the people. Indeed, his exposure of the rotten system of wild-cat banking, contributed much toward driving such irresponsible institutions out of existence, and compelling other banks of issue to protect their bill-holders by depositing with the Bank Comptroller securities for that purpose. Though young in years and in legislative experience, it is not too much to say that at the close of his legislative career Senator Gill was the foremost member of that body, and had acquired a reputation throughout the State as an able and safe legislator, as a fearless, progressive and brilliant popular leader.

The war was upon us, and armed rebellion was not to be suppressed by legislative enactment. The Government was calling for men, and Senator Gill conceived it to be his duty at the close of the extra session to go to the front. After a few weeks devoted to arranging his private affairs, he accepted a re- cruiting commission, enlisted as a private, was elected Captain of a company, and in the organization of the regiment, was commissioned as Colonel thereof.

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The State Journal, of Aug. 30, 1862, announces the appointment of Hon. Charles R. Gill, of Water- town, as Colonel of the 29th Wisconsin, and makes the following mention of the man :

Col. Gill is well known in the State, having represented his county in the Senate for two years. A lawyer by profession, he is a gentleman of superior talents, possessing that quickness and sagacity of apprehension, combined with indomitable energy and activity, which will render him, when united with military experience, a first-class officer.

While he does not pretend to any considerable knowledge or experience in military affairs, he at least stands on a par in this respect with most, if not all the new officers appointed since the War Department refused to permit ap- pointments from the army in the field, and we know of no man in the State who, in our opinion, will more rapidly acquire the necessary familiarity with the duties of hia new position than Col. Gill.

The manner in which he entered the service is worth relating. Finding that Watertown had done comparatively little toward furnishing volunteers, when the recent calls for more men were issued, Col. Gill procured a general recruiting commission, and called a war meeting in that city. Quite a large audience came together, which the Colo- nel proceeded to address with his usual earnestness and vehemence. Pretty soon some one in the audience called out in substance that it was a very fine thing no doubt for him to urge others to enlist, when he had a commission, and expected to get large pay and have comfortable fare himself.

Mr. Gill at once drew his commission from his pocket, tore it up, and declaring he was ready to go as a pri- vate, swore in for three years as a common soldier, and then went on with his address. Hia example was contagious, and between forty and fifty came forward and enlisted at once. Subsequently the company elected him Captain, and next, with several other Jefferson County companies, recommended him for Colonel of a regiment. Thus in the course of two or three weeks Col. Gill has risen from a private in the ranks to the position of Colonel. We doubt if another case of equally rapid promotion can be found, while it is well merited.

No Colonel was ever more devoted to his men, and in the field he proved an untiring, brave and faithful officer. He served through the long and arduous campaign against Vicksburg, under Gen. Grant, and took a prominent part in the battles of Port Gibson and Champion Hills, and other engagements, in all of which he distinguished himself by his courage and gallantry. The Daily Telegraph, of Corry, Penn., edited by Sergt. Maj. Tompkins, who was an officer of the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin Regiment, contains an account of the battle of Champion Hills, in its edition of Nov. 23, 1865, which we here reproduce. It is as follows :

The battle of Champion Hills, Miaa., was fought on the 16th of May, 1862. It commenced early in the morn- iog, and when it ended the light was fast fading down the hills. The Union forces engaged numbered about 17,000, opposed to which were Pemberton's grand army, which afterward made a stubborn and protracted defense of Vicks- burg. The right center of the Federal line bore the brunt of the battle, as was too sadly attested by its decimated ranks after the engagement, which showed a loss of 40 per cent in killed and wounded. When the battle-line was formed, a Wisconsin regiment occupied the post of honor, and was given the task of capturing a battery on the uppermost heights of the hill in its immediate front. The Colonel of this regimeut was a young man unknown to fame, although he was looked upon at horae as possessing more than ordinary ability and courage. When the order to advance was given, he led hia regiment forward to the foot of the hill, where there was-

" A lightning flash, just seen and gone ! A shot is heard-again the flame Flashed thick and fast-a volley came,"

and the ball of blood and carnage was opened. Onward through the storm of lead and fire pressed the valiant Colonel and his Badger regiment, until the battery was reached, captured, and the rebel infantry supporting it were either taken prisonera or put to flight. During this exploit, the gallant Colonel had been a conspicuous mark for the enemy, and his horae had been shot under him. But the rattle of musketry and roar of artillery fired his heart with courage, and the soldiery were inspired to daring deeds by his cheering voice, which was heard all along the lines, and his noble conduct, which was observed by the whole command. The " carrying" of the battery left him master of the situation, and from this time forward hia regiment was the " directing " phalanx of the Union column, and by ite noble behavior and skillfully executed movements, contributed more to the victory which crowned our arms on that day than any other command.

Our army had steadily pushed the enemy back for hours, and had nearly won the day, when the rebel center received heavy re-enforcements and opened upon our troops a terrific fire, under which our line wavered, and, with the exception of this Wisconsin regiment, broke and fell back in dieorder. It was a critical position, but the plucky Wisconsin Colonel saw at a glance that to abandon it was certain defeat, a disgraceful rout, and would, in all human prchability, involve the destruction of the whole army, and he resolved to hold it at all hazards. Cheered by the valor of their impetuous little Colonel, the Badger boys fought with deaperation, and held the rebels in check until the supporting column, which was far in the rear when the breach in the Union line occurred, had formed and was marching to their relief, and thus saved the day at Champion Hills.

Had this regiment retired sooner, inevitable disaster would have followed. That it did not, is owing to the pluck, patriotism and sagacity of its leader, who was highly complimented by his superiora for his personal bravery and the heroic part he so nobly acted. From that day hence his star shone with greater luster, and has been in the ascendancy. He will go into history as the hero of Champion Hills, and his deeds will adorn its brightest page. His name-Col. Charles R. Gill-we read in the papers to-day as the name of the successful candidate for Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin.

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At the close of the Vicksburg campaign, he was completely prostrated from exposure and fatigue, and he was compelled to resign and return to his home, on the verge of the grave. The Watertown Democrat, of July 9, 1863, contains the following personal item :

Col. C. R. Gill, of the 29th Wisconsin regiment, arrived at his home in this city last Saturday, seriously pros- trated by sickness, having been compelled to resign his commission as the only chance of saving his life ; he is now, we are glad to assure his many friends here and elsewhere, in a condition that promises fair for a full recovery from the diseases incurred during his arduous services in the field ; Col. Gill's military career. though short, has been brilliant and successful; no commander of a regiment has exhibited greater energy and efficiency, and more gallantly and bravely led his men into the fierce storm of battle ; where duty called, he has gone without hesitation or thought of himself; in the hard-fought engagements at Port Gibson and Champion Hills he took a prominent part, and received the acknowledgments of his superior officers for the courage and skill he displayed on those occasions; from the moment he assumed the responsibilities of his position in the army, he has devoted himself to their faithful dis- charge, and has always been a favorite with his noble regiment, and none more sincerely regret his unavoidable withdrawal than the companions who have fearlessly served their country with him, for all have been tried with fire, and not found wanting in any of the virtues that constitute the patriotic soldier and true officer ; we hope soon to have the pleasure of announcing his complete restoration to health and society.

Excellent care and treatment and a change of climate, partially restored him to health, and he soon after again actively engaged in the practice of his chosen profession ; his resignation was deeply regretted by the officers and men of his regiment, who expressed their sorrow in resolutions of the most flattering character ; the history of the war does not recall a more brilliant career in the whole volunteer service, than that of Col. Gill; he was only 31 years of age when he enlisted; was in the service less than a year, and was raised from the ranks to the command of a regiment, and in that responsible position won renown for heroism on the bloody battle-fields of the rebellion.

At the Union Republican State Convention of Wisconsin in 1865, Col. Gill was nominated for Attorney General, in a contest with older lawyers of prominence for that place upon the ticket. In accept- ing the nomination, he boldly defined his position upon questions of national politics, and, notwithstanding the protest of his friends, took issue with Senator Doolittle, who was then in the zenith of his power in that party and in the State, and sustained by such influential papers as the Wisconsin State Journal and the Chicago Tribune. As Chairman of the Committee on Resolutions, Senator Doolittle reported a platform which was adopted by the Convention, sustaining President Johnson's reconstruction policy, and opposed negro suffrage. At the very next session of the Legislature, the Republican members thereof, who had been elected upon that platform, unanimously adopted a resolution requesting Mr. Doolittle to resign his seat in the United States Senate, on the ground that he was not truly representing the party that had placed him in that high position. Never was the fall of a great leader more sudden and irretrievable, and never was the wisdom and sagacity of a minority standing for the right as against expediency more promptly and fully vindicated. It required moral courage of a high order for a young man just entering the political arena to stake his political life and future upon principles apparently unpopular and certainly obnoxious to the most influential faction in his own party. The triumph of a just cause is the highest reward for such heroism.

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History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 166

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899; Western Historical Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company Number of Pages: 1304

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899; Western Historical Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1304