Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-07-16
Treason ia WiscoRsiB-CoppeIh eadism
i'll Ia Fayette and Grant Counties.
From the G. rant County Herald.l :

! iii La Fayette and Grant Counties.
From the Grant County Heraldl
The following account Of raid into
Georgetown, town OF SDelser, in this
| county. is from the Platteviile Witness, the
! facts reported by Me5srs. Gllmore snd
| Abel of said town. The raid took place
| on Saturday of week before last. The
psetense was to hold a Democratic mF ct
| ing at that place, but the design probably
| vas to find Mr. G Gorge E. Cabains, and
| severely handle him for dismlssing couple
] of Benton Irishman for disloyal conduct,
| such as hurrahing tor jeff. Davis and the
| CoDfedeEacy while at work tor him:
It appears that it had been previously
| whispered around among the sympathIzers
| in Georgetown and vicinity, that a Dem
ocrs.tic meeting would be held there on
! Saturday, at which the Murphy aud others
would speak. Dennis Murphy and his
| son, a. .. Murphy, are the reputed lead
ers of the Lafayette Copperheads.1 The
meeting was kept q profound secret from
the Union men, the first, they knew OF IL
| being the entranceinto town, about two
| O'Clock on Saturday, OF some thirty live or
| forty armed BeutOnItes, IN TWO horse Wag-
,ons. These proceeded to the place OF
meeting, where they were haraDgued Tor
| half al hour or more, by several speakers.
One OF them, the young Murphy we think,
| commenced by saying they intended TO
oppose the draft and the present Admins
tratlon, and the way to do; twas to or.
| ganIze-that was the object OF the meet
ing. Dennis Murphy SAID he had i've
| Thousand men armed and organized to re-
ri6g the draft. -s.. -.-. grr.ss.r-,
Another nan by name of Selkirk said
| they defed the whole State of Wisconsin
| to take the town of Benton, ShuIlsburg,
or New Dlggings. They had enough force
TO take all the UniOn men that came to do
! 1t and put them where they wanted them,
and they wOuldn'G get back alive. The
eldec Murphy proposed hurrahs tor jeff.
Davis aud the downfall of the Govern
| nIeng, and Others cheered for Lee and the
! Southern CUntederacy. After the speak
ing was over, and the crowd had become
sufficiently stirred up by the sedluous
speeches OF their leaders, they marched
! through tie village, drawing knives and
pistols, firing the latter off III the air, hur-
| raining tor everything reasonable, and
insullDg Unlon men with the clearly app
/ parent intention OF bringing on a coils
sion. There were only four or five UHlon
men IN the village, ana some OF these, ap-
| pretending trouble, immediately went tor
reintorcements aud arms. While they
were gone, the Copperheads dared any
man ID burrah for the Union, swearing
they would let day light through whoever
did SO. We understand that young man,
son OF Joseph Brandon, III, defiance OF his
threats, not only harrahed for the Union,
but told one OF the leaders, Selkrk, that
he was q I'D son OF b, and If
he wanted anything out Of him, to 'wade
| in" Selkirk said nothing, but sneaked
off among his crowd. ABOUT this time,
the Bentonltes getting wind, that a large
| number OF Union men We're coming to the
rescue, wisely concluded to leave, and
went off with considerable more haste and
less noise than when they came in, NUT
teTing threats TO come back In two weeks
with reinforcements and burn the town.
This Was about three O'Clock. BY five
o'clock there were at least one hundred
and twenty five Union men in the village,
armed and ready for a tight. 1t Was we'll
| the OOpperheads lett when they did, or,
excited as the Union men were, We do not
! believe a mothers sun of them would
| laFS SSC@peC Without SCll6IulnS TO remind
| him that 1t Is unsafe to insult and threaten
| loyal men. a wagon was sent TO Platte
| vile fer powder and shot, and, had they
been wanted, a hundred armed men could
! have been had from this place in half an
! hour.
There was tremendous excitement in
| Georgetown all the evening. Several men
accused OF joining in with the Benton
crowd were knocked down. What few
| Copperheads there were had TO keep very
quiet indeed. So high ran the; patriotic
enthusiasm, that a hundred and forty
names were Immediately enrolled for a
militia company. The excitement has
somewhat subsidized now, but if the rebels
ever come again, they will find the Georg
towners fully prepared to meet them.
This " invaslon," ridiculous and foolish
as 1t was, may yet teach Us a lesson. 1t
should warn Us SO be Oh our guard, pre-
pared for any emergency. We know the
| CopPerheads are ready. organized and
armed, and some Of them mean and des-
perate enough for any undertaking. Let
Us also organize, and show the grey backs
that there are Determined Union men
enough in our midst to crush into powder
all opposition to the Government at home.
= \ stitch IN time saves nine"