USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County Wisconsin, including its civil, political, geological, mineralogical archaeological and military history > Part 31
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At the battle of Bald Hill, on the 21st, the Twelfth and Sixteenth Wisconsin were in the First Brigade of General Leggett's Division, on the extreme left of the line, and south of the Augusta Railroad. In the
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assault that morning on the enemy's works, these regiments had the advance. They crossed a corn-field and charged up a hill, under a withering fire from the Rebel intrenchments in front and on their right. Pressing forward without wavering, they entered the Rebel works with loud cheers, and began a hand-to-hand fight with clubbed muskets ; finally driving out the enemy, they held the works. The bri- gade pursued the Rebels sixty rods, when it was compelled to fall back to the hill it had taken, and which it held, in spite of repeated attempts by the enemy to recapture it. On the next day the Rebels moved around and attacked the hill from the front and rear almost simultaneously. The Wisconsin men held their ground, fighting the enemy in front until they were in disorder, and then, leaping over the breastworks and taking shelter on the other side, they repulsed the Rebels coming up in the rear. This remarkable feat they accom- plished four times. The Rebels were swarming all around like enraged bees. Finally they marched down the works in a compact column, capturing battery after battery and turning them on the Union men, thus enfilading the whole Union line. Moving triumphantly forward to the key position held by the First Brigade, they reached a position within a few rods of the Twelfth and Sixteenth Wisconsin, who poured in a terrific volley. But in spite of the dreadful carnage, the Rebels pressed on, and even into the works, only to be slain. The Sixth Corps now fell upon their rear and compelled them to relinquish the attack. During this battle the regiment fought at times back to back, the enemy in front, rear, and flank. A part of the regiment fought a party of Rebels who were under the works until daylight of the 23d. The enemy abandoned their dead and severely wounded about the Union position. The Twelfth, numbering less than six hundred men, lost in the two days' fighting 188 in killed, wounded, and missing. On the 21st it captured forty-eight prisoners and sev- eral hundred small arms. Five color-bearers were shot and both flag- staffs shot off. The heaviest loss was on the 21st. In fifteen minutes nearly one-fourth of the regiment's numbers fell. The Sixteenth lost 116 killed and wounded and seven missing in the two days' action.
The Twelfth was in the movement by Howard toward the Macon Railroad, on the 28th of July, and when at noon the Fifteenth Corps two miles in advance, was attacked, the regiment moved rapidly forward, outstripping all other reinforcements, and joined in the battle just at the moment to save the Federals from defeat. It lost on
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that day nineteen killed and wounded. Immediately afterward it took a position in the trenches in front of Atlanta, where it remained nearly a month. At Jonesboro, August 31, it joined in repulsing the enemy, after a severe battle. On the first of September it was also engaged, and the next day pursued the retreating foe.
In the march to the sea, the Twelfth assisted in the destruction of the Georgia Central Railroad, and reached the vicinity of Savannah on the 10th of December. It took position in the trenches and re- mained before the enemy's works, with only one change of location, until the evacuation of the city.
Proceeding with the Seventeenth Corps by water to Beaufort, it took part in a battle near Pocotaligo River. In the campaign through the Carolinas, it crossed the Edisto River, marched through deep swamps, charged upon the Rebels at Orangeburg, and drove them out of their place. It was present at the battle of Bentonville, partici- pated in the grand review at Washington, and arrived on the 7th of June at Louisville, Kentucky, where it was mustered out on the 16th of July, reaching Madison on the 9th of August, where the men were discharged.
SIXTEENTH INFANTRY.
This regiment went into camp at Camp Randall in November and December, 1861, with the following Grant County men in Co. I:
William Parker, Ellenboro; Morgan J. Smith, Presley Crowder, Paul B. Elliott, Jamestown; Wm. H. H. Townsend, D. Gray Purman, Wiley S. Scribner, John Seeley, John C. Loughran, John C. Long, Henry F. Willie, Wm. Allison, Wm. Austin, Wm. Brewer, Harwood Butler, Geo. Burchill, Joseph Baker, Joseph W. Dodd, Jacob Fawcett, Edward George, Wm. Gribble, Wm. Hoskins, Harrison C. Howard, Chas. V. Hall, August Link, Geo. Long, John Oates, John R. Spensley, James Williams, Carl Penn, Edwin Richards, Hazel Green; George C. Bevans, Platteville.
The regiment left Madison, March 13, 1862, and disembarked at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, March 20. In the battle of Shiloh the Sixteenth and Eighteenth Wisconsin were in General Prentiss's divi- sion, on the extreme left. The Eighteenth had reached the place only the night before, and had not even put up its tents. Saturday night four companies, A, B, C, and D, of the Sixteenth, went on picket. At 4:30 on Sunday morning these companies advanced to reconnoiter. Going on half a mile, they found the enemy's pickets behind the fence.
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A force of about three thousand of the enemy was immediately behind and it opened on the Union men, who fell back, pursued by the Rebels. The Sixteenth was immediately formed in line of battle, with the Eighteenth on its left. The enemy soon approached in great force and the Wisconsin men opened fire, which was replied to by a terrific fire from the Rebels, who advanced on the front and flanked the left of the Union line. There was no panic, but the regiment had to fall back under overwhelming numbers, doing so slowly, fighting as it went. The flank movement of the enemy resulted in the capture of General Prentiss and about two thousand Union soldiers, some of them of the Eighteenth Wisconsin. Of Company I, Sixteenth, William Austin and A. Clifford were killed. Among the wounded was Lieutenant D. Gray Purman.
The regiment took part in the siege of Corinth, being constantly engaged in the trenches and on picket duty. After the siege it re- mained at Corinth until the 17th of September, when it marched for Iuka, being in the left wing of the army advancing to meet Price. On the 2d of October the Sixteenth reinforced the troops that were en- gaged in obstructing the advance of the enemy near Corinth. For this purpose it marched out on the Chewalla road three miles and lay there all night, waiting for the Rebels, and early the next morning marched back to camp. The regiment advanced again with the bri- gade two miles and met the enemy, when a severe conflict ensued. At the first fire some regiments near the Sixteenth broke and ran, and the Sixteenth itself began to waver; but it was soon steadied and bravely held its position for about fifteen minutes in a galling enfilading fire, right and left, without any support whatever. At last it was ordered to retire, and did so in good order. On the next day the regiment cap- tured many prisoners in an engagement.
Immediately after the battle of Corinth the regiment was consoli- dated into five companies. February 1, 1863, it was transferred to Lake Providence, Louisiana, where it remained until August, when it went into camp near Vicksburg. In September it moved to Red Bone Church, near the Big Black, and guarded the fords of the river. Dur- ing the winter detachments of the regiment had frequent skirmishes with bands of Wirt Adams's cavalry. On February 5th the regiment went into Vicksburg. On the 4th of March it was joined by three full companies which had been recruited for the regiment, and on the 6th the reenlisted men, about three-fourths of the regiment, went home on
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veteran furlough. On the 5th of April the non-veterans and recruits embarked for Cairo, where they were joined by the veterans and one new company. The regiment was then assigned to the First Brigade, Third Division, Seventeenth Corps, and went to join Sherman's Army at Ackworth, Georgia, June 8. On the 10th it went to the front, the division occupying a position on the extreme left of the army, which was in front of the enemy's works at Lost and Kenesaw Mountains. The regiment remained here, occupying the trenches and constantly skirmishing, until the 19th, when the division moved forward to Brush Mountain, east of Kenesaw, without much opposition. On the 23d it went on a reconnoissance to the left, and on the 28th took part in a demonstration against the enemy's right. It left Brush Mount- ain on the evening of July 2, marching toward the mouth of Nickajack Creek and threatening the enemy's communications at Turner's Ferry, across the Chattahoochee.
The heroic action on the regiment at Bald Hill is described in the history of the Twelfth Wisconsin, pages 331-2. On coming before At- lanta, the regiment was occupied in picket and fatigue duties until the 9th of September. On the 3d of October it began a march to Chatta- nooga, in pursuit of Hood's army.
On the march to the sea the Sixteenth destroyed the railroad build- ings at Millen, on the 2d of December. On the 7th it crossed a large swamp and on the 11th took a position on the edge of a rice-field which had been overflowed, a few miles southwest of Savannah. It entered the city on the 21st and remained in camp there until January 4, 1865, when it marched to Fort Thunderbolt, and on the next day embarked for Beaufort. On the 30th the northward march was begun. On the 2d of February the regiment took part in the action at Whippy Swamp, and at Orangeburg crossed the North Edisto, waded through swamps, and aided in driving the enemy from his position. It took part in the battle at Bentonville and in the pursuit of the Rebels under Johnston, after which it marched through Richmond to Washington, and took part in the grand review of the army. On the 7th of June a part of the regiment was mustered out, and on the 16th of July the remainder were mustered out, and discharged at Madison on the 1st of August.
NINETEENTH INFANTRY.
This regiment went into camp at Racine in December, 1861, and January, 1862, with the following Grant County men in Company I :
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Daniel Leonard, Boscobel; Robert F. Bautz, George Carver, George Casson, Aaron A. Fuqua, George Farnsworth, Abner Green, Daniel Halstead, Carter E. Miller, Alfred J. Millard, Jacob J. Ostrander, Sam- uel Osmond, Michael Renney, Benj. Salomon, Henry Shumerhorn, Benj. F. Tilly, Levi Weldon, Calvin M. Wood, Muscoda.
The number of Grant County men in the regiment was too small to justify an extended history of the regiment here. It guarded Rebel prisoners at Madison until June 2, 1862, when it started for Washing- ton, and went thence to Fortress Monroe, where it was engaged in garrison and provost duty until April 14, 1863, when it went to Suf- folk, where an attack by Longstreet's corps was expected. It spent the summer on the York peninsula.
October 8, 1863, the regiment started from Newport News, for Newherne, North Carolina, where it did garrison duty. On the 26th the regiment moved to Yorktown and thence with Butler's army up the James River.
The regiment went into the trenches before Petersburg June 19, 1864, and took part in the assault on the 30th of June.
On the 13th of August 250 reenlisted men went home on furlough and the remainder were assigned to Norfolk as provost guards. On the return of the veterans, the regiment joined the army before Rich- mond. It took a distinguished part in the battle of Fair Oaks. After the battle, the regiment served on the lines near Chapin's Farm until April, 1865. During the previous year heavy details were made from the regiment to serve as sharpshooters. The regiment took a promi- nent part in the capture of Richmond The non-veterans were mustered out at the close of their term of service, on the twenty-eighth of April. The rest moved on the 27th from Richmond to Petersburg. They were mustered out at Richmond and started, on the 9th of August, 265 in number, for Wisconsin and were discharged at Madison.
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CHAPTER VII.
TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIFTH INFANTRY.
Twentieth Infantry-Battle of Prairie Grove-Twenty-fifth Infantry
TWENTIETH INFANTRY.
This regiment contained the following Grant County men :
Company A-Seth W. Rogers, Lancaster; Amos E. Morse, James H. Underwood, Geo. N. Brackett, Little Grant; Philetus H. Philbrick, Robert C. Taylor, Tafton.
Company C-John McDermott, Captain, Fennimore; Chas. E. Ste- phens, 1st Lieut., Boscobel; Jacob Mclaughlin, 2d Lieut., Boscobel; Chas. Birgeler, Hiram Brown, Harvey Clark, Norman B. Clark, Henry Craig, Henry Carver, Joseph Duchaime, Joshua N. Egbert, John V. B. France, Samuel Fitzgerald, Benj. F. Farley, James Farley, Amos Far- ley, Jesse A. Ferrell, John W. Hammond, Isaac Higgins, Abram Hough- taling. John Kenney, George Livingston, Sherman Livingston, Elias Lowers, Walter K. Lull, Eli W. Marble, Hartley Mars, Alfred M. Mc- Kinney, Geo. W. Mckinney, Gardner F. Martin, Joseph Miller, Jasper Newton, Wm. L. Nash, Leander Pettenger, John Powell, Jas. W. Rus- sell, Chas. A. St. John, Geo. W. Smith, Dunyon Smith, Sebastian Spei- dell, Benj. B. Sanborn, Wm. H. Stone, Hiram A. Taylor, Gardner W. Taylor, Loren Thurber, John Lyons, Jefferson Watkins, Noah W. Wat- kins, Madison Ward, Richard Willis, Ephraim N. Wright, Erasmus D. Wright, George J. Williams, Boscobel; Chas Boyle, Ellenboro; James L. Batten, Ambrose R. Bliss. Thomas Carr, Isaac Ewing, Robert Gra- ham, Byron Gilman, Jacob Hannis. Gilbert Lyons, Geo. Lyons, Henry McLimans, Marvin L. McLimans, John W. McReynolds, A. J. McDon- ald, Wm. McReynolds, Thomas Matthews, Richard Mott, Albert Nor- ton, Reuben Norton, Samuel C. Ransom, Leonard Ransom, Geo. Rob- inson, Alonzo N. Root, John M. Reynolds, Rollin Smith, Henry Stew- art, Solomon Stewart, George Smirl, Thomas M. Swart, Jas. V.Trapp, James Turner, E. N. Wright, Alfred Walters, Fennimore; Henry H. Fish, John Fish, Hickory Grove; John Betts, Mirza A. Skinner, Lan- caster; David E. Ackerson, Wm. Gulliford, Boone Elledge, Nicholas
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Francisco, John Gulliford, Louis Kellogg, Edward B. Smith, Marion; Adelbert E. Bliss, Alvin S. Richards, John G. Tyler, Millville; Wm. H. Shipley, Boscobel.
Company D-Wm. H. Gossett, John Jenkins, Peter Smith, Bosco- bel; Lorenzo Voss, Platteville.
Company F-Lafayette Brown, John A. Brown, Lemuel Eastman, Henry C. Jones, Alva E. Kies, Benj. F. Washburn, Clifton; Thomas Paine, Solomon E. Peak, Harrison; Patrick Burke, David Brown Or- rin D. Chappell, George L. Deigh, Henry P. Emerson, Garvin W. Hart, John Malone, William H. Sapp, Jamestown; James Booth, James L. Graham, John Hooper, James W. May, John T. Paine, Lewis A. Utt, Lawrence Williams, John F. Ware, Erasmus Williams, Platteville; Wm. Booth, Thomas Taylor, Potosi; Joseph F. Fortney, William W. Fortney, Emmett F. Holmes, Abel Harper, Geo. A. Ingalls, Geo.W. Is- rael, John Todd, Smelser; John Bell, Francis Chaussie, Isaac G. De Witt, Edwin F. Devoe, Joseph S. Gaston, Wm. L. Huff, Levi R. Kay, John T. Kendrick, Henry C. Smith, George W. Schnee, Wingville.
Company I-Wm. Harlocker, Captain, Mt. Hope; Thomas Bintliff, 1st, Lieut., Beetown; Albert P. Hall, 2d Lieut., David B. Arthur. Le- wellen Arthur, Henry Bass, Thomas G. Beadle, Joshua Beadle, Benj. F. Budworth, Thomas Click, George W. Day, Edward Hutchcroft, Jo- seph Huey, Richard Ishmael, George C. Johnson, Miner Johnson, John Kaufman, Anton Klockner, Reuben S. Morse, Bernhart Peasley, Rich- ard Pafford, Stephen W. Peyton, Andrew J. Pugh, John H. Rockefeller, Thomas Remey, Egbert A. Sprague, Lewis Wise, John E. Wise, Wm. Woodworth, Enos Woodruff, Lester Wagner, Wm. W. Waddle, Hen- ry Zimmerman, Beetown; Alex D. Ramsey, Cassville; Geo. F. Rhein, Fennimore; John C. Cauffman, Rufus M. Day, Lancaster; Isaac Bud- worth, Albert M. Barnum. John V. Barnes, Charles Cooley, Thomas Dewing, George W. Linton, Thomas F. Lloyd, David Thurston, Little Grant; Moses Bitney, Patrick Bourke, Edward Beitler, Benj Babcock, John Cull, John F. Chisholm, Alphonso Carlton, Theodore W. Clark, Wm. Chisholm, Henry Irwin, Arthur Jackson, Peter Keating, Jacob Lent, Alanson Lester, Melton Nye, Micajah B. Ousley, Daniel A. Par- ker, Alex. Parland, James Snell, John Stack, Chas. H. Snider, Charles Soward, John W. Smith, James P. Stone, Horace A. Gould, Stewart Tullock John G. White, William White, Marcus J. Whiteside, Wm. H. Whiteside, Millville; Charles R. Sandlebach, Mt. Hope; John H. Beit- ler, Luther Brown, David H. Cuyler, John J. Crumbaugh, Samuel Dob-
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bins John Havacom, William Moore, Bowen M. Nye, Wm. J. Quick, James Snodgrass, Francis M. Vanausdal, Cornelius Vanausdal, Cyrus W. Vesper, George W. Weaver, Reason J. Weaver, Patch Grove; James Woodhouse, Tafton; Sanford A. Gilmore, Waterloo; John Brock, Wy- alusing.
Company K-Austin R. Dewey, Fennimore.
The regiment wasenlisted in June and July, 1862, and rendezvoused at Camp Randall. It left the State August 20, for Benton Barracks, St. Louis.
The following recruits came to the regiment from Grant County :
Company E-Benjamin Garner, Potosi. Company F-Isom Tay- lor, Paris; Peter P. Deigh, Henry Hackman, Edward Ryan, William Todd, Wm. Ware, Smelser. Company J-Joseph Butts, Ira B. Dehart, Charles F. Hayden, Winston Remy, Charles Rockefeller, Manly E. Rice, James H. Stanley, Beetown; Albert Colburn, Boscobel; Robert Camp- bell, Charles Lucas, Cassville; Eli M. Kauffman, Glen Haven; Samuel Long, Elijah Trollope Little Grant; Wm. H. Horsfall, Jas. Snell, Mill- ville; Wm. A. Lyman, Tafton ; Henry Brander, Wingville.
On the 13th of September the regiment marched, with the rest of Herron's brigade, to Springfield, which they reached on the 24th, the distance being 135 miles. There were now about 150 cases of sickness in the regiment. It suffered much on this march for want of water.
On the 17th of October the regiment began a march to attack the Rebel camp at Cross Hollows, Arkansas. When near the Missouri State line, twenty or thirty of the Seventh Missouri Cavalry refused to cross the boundary into Arkansas. A detachment of the Twentieth was ordered forward, with fixed bayonets, to compel them to go. The Missourians reconsidered the matter and moved on. In one part of their march, crossing the Boston Mountains, the regiment was thirty hours without food, and with only six hours rest, and again it marched a whole day without food. On the 24th the regiment reached Cross Hollows and occupied the place without.opposition, the enemy having retreated. Remaining there until the 4th of November, the Twentieth started on the march northward to Wilson's Creek, and on the 11th joined Totten's command at Ozark. Through rain and mud, the regiment moved on, and on the 22d reached its former camp at Wilson's Creek. At this time many of the regiment were sick, one hundred being in the hospital at Springfield. It had, within two
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months and a half, marched four hundred miles and suffered much from exposure.
On the 3d of December the regiment again broke camp and moved with the rest of Herron's force, to effect a junction with Blunt's com- mand, which was then holding the enemy in check at Cane Hill, Ark- ansas. By a forced march over rough and difficult country, it arrived in the vicinity of Fayetteville on the 6th, having marched one hun- dred miles in three days.
BATTLE OF PRAIRIE GROVE.
At two o'clock on the morning of the 7th of December, the reveille sounded, and at three the First Brigade moved to join the Union forces at Cane Hill. During the forenoon it was ascertained that the Rebels, under Hindman, had made a flank movement and were on the march toward Rhea's Mills. Blunt's force moved toward them from the west and Herron's force approached them from the north, and the battle began at ten in the morning.
The Rebels numbered 26,000, with twenty-two pieces of artillery, General Herron had only 7,000 men and twenty-four pieces of artil- lery, and General Blunt 5,000, with twenty-four pieces. The Rebels had a strong position. They were on a wooded hill, with large open fields in their front and on their left. They could see all the move- ments of the Union forces and mass their men at any point that might be attacked. After considerable fighting, all the Union artillery was directed at once against the nearest of the enemy's guns, and it was silenced in two minutes. In the same manner, eight or nine of the most troublesome were got rid of. At two in the afternoon Blunt's forces arrived on the field, relieving the nearly exhausted and out- flanked forces of Herron. The Rebels were slowly driven back by inferior numbers, and at night an armistice was agreed upon. In the morning the enemy was gone.
Early in the fight the Twentieth Wisconsin stormed the hill in its front. It advanced on the double-quick for a hundred yards, then halted and fired two volleys and began to ascend the hill. The whole slope was covered with underbrush, and the regiment advanced with great difficulty, but pressed on with as good a line as possible, and soon came to a Rebel battery of six guns. The Twentieth fired a vol- ley, rushed over a rail fence between them and the Rebels, and captured the battery. Then it pressed on toward the Rebel infantry line. The right of the regiment advanced to within thirty feet of the Rebels, who
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opened a tremendous fire on it from the flank, forcing it to give way. On the left the fire was also galling, but not so severe. The regiment rallied and fought again, but the odds were too great. A heavy col- umn of Rebel infantry was seen advancing on the right. A minute more and the Twentieth would be surrounded, if it held its place; and so it fell back under the fire of five Rebel regiments at once. The cap- tured battery had been spiked, but it had to be abandoned by the Twentieth, which retired across an open field to a fence, where it re- mained and fought until the firing ceased at night.
In this terrible charge made by the Twentieth, it was scarcely twenty minutes from the time the first man fell until the regiment withdrew, but in that time fifty-one of its number were killed, one hundred and fifty wounded, and eight missing-nearly one-half of the whole number engaged.
General Herron wrote to Governor Salomon: "I congratulate you and the State on the glorious conduct of the Twentieth Wisconsin In- fantry in the great battle of Prairie Grove."
Captain John McDermott, of Company C, and Lieutenant Thomas Bintliff, of Company I, were killed in this terrible charge. Captain McDermott fell bearing the flag of the regiment, which he had seized when the color-bearer was shot. He was a warm-hearted, brave, earnest man. Lieutenant Bintliff was a Methodist minister from Bee- town. He was a fine musician and a kind, genial man, who was uni- versally loved.
The killed of the Grant County men at Prairie Grove were; Co. F- Addison G. Hicks, Albert A. Cady, James Stewart. Co. I-Alex. Par- land, Cyrus W. Vesper. The wounded were: Co. A-James H. Under- wood. Co. C-Sergt. Rollin Smith, J. M. Reynolds, Sherman Living- ston, Jeff. Watkins, Isaac Ewing, Samuel Fitzgerald, John Hammond, Abraham Houghtaling, Albert Norton, A. S. Richards. Co. F-John T. Paine, Thomas Paine, J. Harris, Emmett Holmes. Co. 1-John Stack, Egbert Sprague, C. W. Snider, G. W. Day, Moses Bitney, G. C. Johnson, C. R. Sandlebach, M. J. Whiteside, Wm. Waddle, James Woodhouse, A. M. Barnum, Edward Hutchcroft, Bernhart Peasley.
After the battle the Twentieth remained in camp at Prairie Grove until the 27th of December, when it accompanied a force of 12,000 of Federal troops, with thirty-six guns, upon a reconnoissance to Van Buren, on the Arkansas River, but found noenemy. Shortly after this the regiment marched back into Missouri and spent the rest of the
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winter there, moving from place to place in the southwestern part of the State.
On the 31st of March the regiment went into camp at Rolla. Dur- its six months' absence from that place it had marched 1,000 miles, and lost 246 men, including the discharged on account of disability and the wounded who had died. Of those who remained, 131 were absent sick.
On the 3d of June the regiment took the cars at Rolla for St. Louis, and the next morning embarked for Young's Point, opposite Vicks- burg. It landed there on the 10th and crossed the peninsula to the river below Vicksburg, crossed the river and took a position in the trenches on the left of the investing line. Here it lay, doing its part of the siege work, until the place surrendered. On the 5th of July Her- ron's division moved inside the defenses of the city.
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