USA > Wisconsin > Eau Claire County > History of Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, past and present; including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county > Part 22
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of the regiment. While the battalion was resting on the field they first met their Brigade Commander, General Andrew S. Burt. The General, alone and dismounted, came out from under the shade and approached Lieutenant Cousins. He wore a plain service uniform, showing considerable wear, and was close up to the Battalion Adjutant before that officer discovered the stars on the shoulder straps. The General hardly waited for the formal salute, but stepped forward and extended his hand, in- troducing himself, remarked, "Possibly the order has not yet reached you, but I have the honor to be your Brigade Commander. My name is Burt."
General Andrew S. Burt had for many years been Colonel of the 25th Infantry, colored, and had made a soldierly, well- disciplined body of men out of that regiment. He was one of the first officers in the regular service promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers. He had a long and splendid record and the Third Infantry of Wisconsin was pleased to be assigned to his brigade. General Burt also expressed pleasure at having the Wisconsin men assigned to him.
Grounds for the camp were assigned to the regiment just off the Kelley Field. Streets were mapped out, all facing north. Baggage was very late in arriving and many of the companies were unable to put up their tents before night fall. Major George's tent and that of his Adjutant were but a few feet from the monument of the First Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, where they did severe fighting on September 23, 1863. There were other monuments in all directions.
The camp was very well shaded and ground level. The Kelley Field, just to the west of the camp, furnished fine opportunity for drilling and parade. There were also fine grounds to the east of the camp in the woods, and here the battalion drilled during the stay at Camp Thomas in the battle exercises.
On Tuesday evening the 17th, the Third put on evening parade on the historical Kelley Field and the exercises attracted a number of spectators.
The regiment began daily drills, but during the mid-day hours, ten to four o'clock, owing to the heat, to which the men were unaccustomed, Colonel Moore ordered a general rest.
Friday, May 20, unwelcome news reached the regiment that General Burt, to whom they had become much attached, had been transferred and ordered to Tampa. The command of the brigade devolved upon Colonel C. B. Hunt, of the First Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
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Sunday, May 22, occurred the first death in the regiment, that of Private Charles Eck, of E Company. Ile had been re- ported sick on Saturday and died at 4:20 Sunday morning. Captain Ballard was with him at the time of his death. The body was removed during the day and later interred in the National Cemetery at Chattanooga. Private Eck was one of those who had joined the company at the call for troops and his death was deeply regretted by all his comrades.
Monday, May 23, a division review was held in the morning. Fifty-four hundred men passed the reviewing officer. The Third Wisconsin and the Sixteenth Pennsylvania were pronounced the best appearing regiments.
Wednesday, May 25, a battle exercise was held. The division took part in the exercise. The first battalion of the Third marched to Snodgrass IIill, where they took post, and later under orders fell back towards McFarlane's Gap. This was the ground over which Wisconsin troops fought in September, 1863. Evening parade was before General James II. Wilson, who re- viewed the regiment following parade.
May 27 the regiment was vaccinated from the Colonel down and many sore arms were the result for some days. Some of the men, after passing the surgeons themselves, found much amusement in watching the others while the surgeons were per- forming their task upon them. Some men would walk up with- out a flinch or change of expression and smile while the virus was being applied. Others showed the greatest concern and several fainted.
May 28, through the Chattanooga papers, the pleasing in- formation reached the regiment that their long-time friend, Cap- tain Charles King, had been named by President MeKinley for Brigadier General of Volunteers. Major George's battalion wired him their congratulations. This day was taken up with a tiresome, thorough inspection of equipment. Late in the after- noon General Charles R. Boardman arrived from Jacksonville. He represented Governor Scofield and presented new commis- sions made out on parchment. The regiment paraded before him. He was much pleased with the inspections reports on the Wisconsin troops.
On Monday, May 30, the regiment assembled about the First Wisconsin monument at 10:30 and held Memorial day services. Addresses were made by Colonel Moore and the Chaplain. Never before did the men of the regiment so fully appreciate the mean- ing of the day. On this historical spot the First Wisconsin and
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the Tenth Wisconsin, on September 19 and 20, 1863, rendered valiant service for the Union cause. The Tenth Wisconsin monu- ment shows a full-size figure of a soldier made to represent the brave Lieutenant Colonel John A. Ely, whose regiment was driven back across the ground now occupied by the Third In- fantry camp to the LaFayette road beyond the old Kelley Field. Colonel Ely fell at daybreak on September 20. Out of the 240 men of the Tenth Infantry engaged, the total loss was 211 killed and wounded.
June 1 a rumor reached the camp the Third would in all probability be ordered to the Philippines, but nothing further was heard concerning such an order. Several years afterwards it was learned it had been seriously considered by the authorities and it was probably only a rule established many years previ- ously by a division commander that prevented the Third from going to the Philippines in General King's brigade.
Had battalion drill on June 2, Captain Ballard of E Company commanded. He was the senior captain of the battalion as well as of the regiment, and at frequent intervals during the absenee or sickness of Major George Captain Ballard was in command. He was fully competent to handle the battalion and reflected credit not only upon himself but his company.
On June 3, Colonel Moore was in command of the brigade owing to the absence of Colonel Culver, of the Fifth Illinois, and Colonel Hunt, of Ohio. The brigade was reviewed by Colonel Moore in the evening.
Large detail from the regiment engaged June 8 and 9 in building bath houses. Captain Hommel, of A Company, took charge of this work and made the plans, and by the use of canvas partitions a very serviceable row of bath houses was erected in the woods east of the camp. The pipes supplying the water to the baths were placed very near the surface of the ground and the hot sun heated the water to a point where it was scalding when the showers were turned on. However the baths were exceedingly popular and served their purpose well.
June 9 orders were received to recruit the companies to 106 men and a Lieutenant from each battalion and a noncommis- sioned officer from each company were detailed to go to the home stations for this purpose. Lieutenant Hiram Nye, First Lieutenant C Company, Hudson, went from the First Battalion, together with Sergeants Horace L. Whittier, of E Company, Eau Claire ; Milton F. Swant, of H Company, Menomonie ; Charles
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W. Newton, of I Company, Superior, and Alfred P. Goss, of C Company, Hudson.
On the 11th a division review was held. The Third Wis- consin was the first regiment to pass and had the opportunity of seeing the other regiments march by.
On June 15 an order came from headquarters directing that a Lieutenant from each company not already represented at home stations be sent on recruiting service at once. Lieutenant Cochrane, of E Company, was sent on this duty to Eau Claire. On this day General O. H. Ernest assumed command of the brigade. The Third is in the First Brigade, First Division, First Army Corps. Colonel Hunt, of the First Ohio, had been in command since the departure of General Burt.
Sunday, June 26, orders were received to prepare to move at once. Twelve regiments, it was announced, would probably go. The First Kentucky was dropped from the First Brigade and the Eighth Massachusetts took its place.
This day arrived the E Company recruits. The names appear elsewhere in this article, following the names of the original muster roll. The rookies were given a hearty welcome by the veterans of the company.
Friday, July 1, was a welcome day, as Major Doyan paid off the regiment in crisp new bills. The Major was a Wisconsin man.
July 3, Sunday, just after parade, received an order to pre- pare to start at any moment for the front.
Independence Day was a day of rush and uncertainty. It opened with a salute by the Ohio battery in honor of the birth of the nation. The regimental commissary had gone to the depot at five o'clock to draw travel rations in accordance with orders. There the commissary found orders which directed the issue be withheld until three o'clock. In the meantime the regi- ment was breaking camp and preparing for the march to the trains. Shortly after three came an order directing the remak- ing of the camp and putting up of tents. It had been expected the regiment would march to Ringgold at eight in the evening. It was a disgusted and tired regiment at sundown.
Early July 5 the commissary again reported for rations and after hours of delay the travel ration was issued. Again came the order to pack up and march to Ringgold. At three o'clock the regiment swung into the road for the twelve-mile march to the waiting trains.
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The recruits who joined in June had not been fully equipped or drilled and were left behind. They numbered about twenty in each company, or two hundred and forty in all. Major George, of the First Battalion, was left in command of the re- cruits and Captain Ballard, of E Company, commanded the bat- talion. Among other officers left behind was the popular, able and soldierly First Lieutenant of I Company, William H. Smith. Major Jeff and Billy Smith, as they were popularly called by their fellow officers, with tear-dimmed eyes watched the de- parture of the regiment.
The march led through a beautiful country and the regiment was heartily greeted by the wayside, excepting in one instance. In this case an unreconstructed rebel paraded his premises with an old musket over his shoulder, shouting threats of destruction upon the marching column. At one point a group of pretty girls came out with buckets of cooling drinks for officers and men. Ringgold was reached about dark and the regiment quickly entrained in three sections and was away for the coast.
Wednesday morning found the trains in Atlanta and all that day they were traveling from Atlanta to the sea. The train service was slow and a number of breakdowns of the engines occurred. It was not until the morning of Friday, July 7, the regiment reached Charleston. After considerable delay the Third was assigned to its barracks, which were the old ware- houses on the docks, and into these they quickly moved. From the docks could be seen Fort Sumter, and two torpedo boats were anchored but a few rods from the docks. Down the bay were two recently captured Spanish prizes. On Friday, July 8, the day following arrival, the regiment marched through the city to Marion Square and there held evening parade just back of the heroic statue of John C. Calhoun and between the statne and the South Carolina Military Academy. This academy had been an institution of learning previons to the Civil War and when Charleston fell was taken by the Federal troops, who maintained a large garrison there for several years.
The people and officials of Charleston extended a hearty wel- come to the troops. Every courtesy was shown them. Mer- chants sold the soldiers at cost price. Committees of ladies visited the organizations with a view to giving attention to the sick. They advised the city hospitals would care for those men the surgeons thought needed such care. The mayor of Charles- ton supplied each regiment with one thousand pounds of ice daily. Many invitations from citizens to officers and men for
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meals were extended. All clubs were thrown open to officers. The people of Charleston did what they could to make the stay of the troops pleasant and comfortable.
Thursday, July 14, came the news of the surrender of San- tiago. When the regiment left Camp Thomas it was intended to rush it through to Santiago for the reinforcement of General Shafter, who had called for additional troops. In the mean- time, however, General Miles had gone into Santiago and quickly brought the Spaniards to terms. It was now announced the Third would go to Puerto Rico in an expedition under command of General Miles. The work of loading began on the 13th, and officers slept on board that night. Throughout the night a large force was engaged in coaling and loading. Major George and Lieutenant Smith, with the recruits left at Camp Thomas, arrived and were given a hearty welcome. Lieutenant Smith at once took command of the Superior Company, it having been with- out officers for several days, Captain Newton and Lieutenant Swift both being sick in the hospital.
On the morning of the 14th, orders came to unload. The same condition of indecision appeared to prevail as just before the regiment left Camp Thomas. A fire in the hold of the vessel during the day burned a part of the bedding rolls belonging to officers, but did no other damage.
July 15 the orders were first to load and then to unload. This was repeated several times.
On Saturday, July 16, the regiment was ordered out for one of the practice marches which occasioned so much comment in the Wisconsin papers. Many men fell out during the march and some were very ill after being taken back. to the barracks. The day was particularly hot and very few of the men were properly prepared for a long march. Some had eaten little or no breakfasts and for some distance the line of march lay through the city.
Another such march was taken on Monday, the 18th, over a different route, and while some men fell out the number was not as great as on Saturday. On Monday's march the column crossed a long bridge, which swayed, and the motion caused several men to become sick.
These marches eaused much criticism iu Wisconsin and the brigade and division commanders were severely censured. Gov- ernor Seofield demanded an investigation by the war department.
The marches were severe and unealled for, but a few weeks later the regiment thought nothing of making considerably longer
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marches under worse conditions, without a man falling out or grumbling. Had these marches been made to meet an enemy there would have been no falling out. As it was, the men were heartily tired of the indecision and uncertainty as to move- ments. They were anxious to be in Spanish territory. Time and time again had the boat been loaded and then unloaded. Just before the march began, a rumor came the regiment was to go up the coast several miles and go into a bivonac camp for a couple of weeks. The disappointment, and the failure to prop- erly prepare themselves for the march were largely responsible for the unfortunate results.
On the 19th again they were loading. Men worked all night. of the 18th-19th, loading the transportation into Transport No. 21. About five o'clock on the 20th the men were ordered aboard the Obdam. This was a freighter which had been purchased by the government. Its official title was "Transport No. 30, Quar- termaster's Department, U. S. A." It was illy fitted for car- rying a large body of men. All the afternoon thousands of citizens had been crowding the dock and at six o'clock the Obdam pushed off, the regimental band playing national airs and men and citizens wildly cheering. Just beyond Sumter anchor was dropped for the night.
Eleven companies of the Third traveled on the Obdam, one company being detached and sent on No. 21 with the transpor- tation. The officers' horses were carried on the Obdam. General Wilson and staff traveled with the Third and General Ernst and staff with the Second, which was on the "Grand Duchess." Early on the morning of July 21 the Charleston bar was crossed and the troops were on their way to Puerto Rico.
July 25 land was sighted in the afternoon about four o'clock. It was expected to meet a warship at this point. None, how- ever, was in sight. At dark all lights were ordered out and the Obdam cruised at half speed in a circle throughout the night. During the night, out of the darkness, came "The Wasp." Great consternation and fright was caused by her searchlight being suddenly thrown on the boat. She had come up with all lights ont and discovered the Obdam before the lookout on that boat knew another boat was anywhere about. The searchlight came through the blackness like a shaft of fire.
Orders were then received to proceed to Guanico, where Gen- eral Miles had effected a landing the day before.
The Obdam proceeded under full steam and about daylight was met by a warship, the Columbia. This great fighting ma-
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chine looked decidedly grim in the morning light. She wore her battle garb of bluish-gray paint and was stripped for action. Guided by the Columbia, the Obdam made its way into the beautiful, tranquil harbor. Here a glorious view unfolded itself to the interested soldiers. They were not allowed to disembark and after an interval again steamed out into deeper water, where they came to anchor. The Massachusetts, in all her grim glory, lay but a few rods away.
At daylight, July 28, Thursday, the naval vessels and trans- ports were on their way to Ponce. Accompanying the Obdam were the Massachusetts and the eruisers Gloucester and Dixie. Orders were given to disembark and the Third Infantry was given the honor of leading the way. The shallow harbor made it necessary to use lighters and the ships were anchored at a considerable distance from the shore. Major George, First Bat- talion, was given the lead, and Captain Ballard, with E Com- pany, entered the first lighter, which was slowly propelled towards the shore. The men were in readiness to fight for a landing. As the ships eame to anehor they were surrounded by small boats containing natives cheering for the "Americanos," but on the dock could be seen many men in uniform. These, from the ships, resembled soldiers. It was found later, how- ever, they were members of the Ponce fire department. Their red shirts made them very conspicuous. They were there to welcome and not repel. Captain Ballard landed without resist- anee and was directed by General Miles, who had run in ahead of the lighter in a launch, to take immediate possession of the custom house. The other companies were disembarked as rap- idly as possible. Before landing of the troops the civil authori- ties, through the foreign representatives, had surrendered the city to the naval officers. The garrison had withdrawn and was fleeing down the military road in the direction of Coamo. The story of the surrender and the landing of the troops is told in the La Nueva Era, a newspaper published at Ponce, in the issue of July 30, 1898. The paper was printed principally in the Spanish language, but a few columns gave the account of the landing of the troops in English, and it is quoted herewith :
"On the 27th inst., at 2 p. m., a fleet approaching the port was signalled from the signal hill, and truly from all the roofs and points of vantage of the city eould be seen three ships near- ing our harbor at great speed, of which two were apparently transports and the other a tug. It did not take them long to come into port and anchor. After a while a boat was seen to
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leave the side of one of the ships bearing a white flag, reached the shore shortly afterwards with an officer, who on landing bent his steps to the captain of the port's office in search of the mili- tary commander of the town, for whom he had a despatch.
"The captain of the port answered him that he had no mili- tary jurisdiction and sent for the military commander, residing up town here, to take delivery of the despatch brought by said officer. At about this time a small volunteer force got into posi- tion near the custom house, and the two companies of the regu- lars, which on the first alarm of the approach of the American fleet had been ordered to the port, were stationed on the road leading from here to the harbor. With the latter forces came the late military commander of this district, Colonel Sanmartin.
"On the latter being informed that there was an American officer bearing, under flag of truce, a despateh for him, he replied that without direct authority from the governor general he could not receive it. On getting this reply the American officer in- formed the captain of the port that he would give half an hour's grace for the military commander to come and take delivery of the despatch.
"In the meantime Sanmartin had come up town and had a conference with the governor general by wire, laying before him the state of affairs. But as the hour fixed by the American officer was drawing to its close, and he threatened to return on board with the despatch undelivered, two members of the conn- sular body-Messrs. F. M. Toro, British vice consul, and P. J. Rosaly, vice consul of the Netherlands- went down to the port together with our mayor-Mr. R. U. Colom-and one of our citizens-Mr. P. J. Fournier-with the object of requesting an extension of the time fixed by the officer to await the reply of the governor general.
"It seems that the latter's answer to the military commander was that he should do his duty; by which, we suppose, he implied that resistance should be made, in spite of the immense superior- ity of the invading forces and of the fleet, which, by this time, had increased by the arrival of several vessels more. As the American commander grew impatient at the non-return of the first boat sent ashore, they sent another, bringing two officers and a squad of soldiers, who bore with them the American flag and two rockets for signalling, we presume, in case of need. Said officers with the squad and flag advanced as far as the very door of captain of the port's office; but the British vice consul requested that the soldiers should withdraw to the seashore, the
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officer with Old Glory, etc., remaining, however, at the door of the building. The consular and other officers entered the build- ing. They were there received by the captain of the port, who, by the way, was dressed in a soiled white drill suit without any insignia to denote his rank. The German vice consul-Mr. H. C. Fritze-joined his colleagues of England and the Netherlands in their good offices in the matter, together with the American mer- chant, Mr. Lucas Valliviese.
"Said consuls began to work to bring about the surrender of the town (which had been demanded at discretion), in their desire to avoid bloodshed and damage to the town, as the Spanish forces were insignificant, compared with those of the United States and besides the Spaniards having no defensive works or artillery to answer the fire of the fleet. At about 10 p. m. it was rumored that an armistice had been arranged, in virtue of which the Spanish forces would evacuate the town and that the Ameri- can troops would not land within a stipulated time to allow the former forces to get well on their way to Aibonito. It was re- ported that this arrangement was firm and the people began to treat more freely about the peaceful solution of the conflict. But unhappily their joy was of short duration as-about 1 a. m. -it began to be noised about that the governor general had de- posed the military commander, Sanmartin, ordering him to give up the command to the lieutenant-colonel of the Civil Guards, instructing the latter to offer resistance to the invading forces.
"On this becoming known the alarm was great among all classes, and the exodus to the neighboring country, which had already begun in the afternoon and evening, was immense, ap- proaching nearly to a panic. But the vice consuls continued their labors to obtain that the armistice arranged with Colonel Sanmartin by them should be respected and kept in good faith, and the representative of England and Germany protested against its being broken and brought to bear on the negotiations all the weight that their nations represent.
"The lieutenant-colonel of the Civil Guard, on his part, seeing the impossibility of resistance to the powerful fleet of the enemy, which had been reinforced by several ships more, with the means he had at his disposal, decided at length to evacuate the town, retiring with all the forces under his command, by the road leading to the interior of the island.
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