Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-03-03
From the Goth Wisconsin, 1t still Lives"
Correspondence of the State Journal
Pass CAyALLn TeNas Ian 81 1891

judging from the little notice taken of tn
f 18th, one would suppose that we were like
; disinherited child-not to be mentioned il
the family, lest the name should call up IN
i pleasant "reminiscences. Every other Wis
consln regiment receives frequent notice i
l mentioned with pride as having done so an(
so; having marched, fought, or made a mas
terly retreat; as being in camp at this o
that place; in good health or otherwise bu
the 29th is entirely ignored upon all such oc
} casions
This apparent ignorance of our existenc,
even, reminds me of the anecdote concernin!
the God-llke Daniel" who, travelling in
staSe-coach, had for fellow-passenger an ole
gentleman from Websters native town. Tn,
great man, like Mercury, wished to see il
what estimation he was held among mankind
and turned the conversation upon the people
OF that town, and the Webster family in par
tlcular. The old man remembered the bows
Leke and Dan, and went on to state what {
powerful speaker Zeke was He had hearc
MIN speak several times, and never witnessed
such grandeur OF style-neyer listened t.
such eloquence. "And Daniel" 0ueried the
God-like; "and Daniel, what Of him ?"-
Dan On, he's lawyer somewhere arounC
Boston ~
So in our case. You all speak elooaentl,
OF the I'd, 9Th, 18th, 18th, 23d, and in fac
all others; but the 29th ooh, it's some
where upon the Tesche !" Just as though
gentlemen editors, we had not been upon the
move since the 18th of last April; had moi
been at Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Vicks
burg and jackson, and in the thickest of the
nght, too; not supporting some battery back
IN the woods, but In advance, where manly
blows were given and received. It doesn't
seem to occur to any one that the 18th had to
march, IN order to arrive at some point upon
the Bayou Tesche; or, if they did, that il
tired them at all. Oh, mol Perhaps it is
supposed by you, as Gen. Dana appears to
think, that we have been heretofore fighting
upon wheels! In an order issued by him, he
winds up by hoping that some recommends.
lions therein contained might be complied
with CAS- it was expected that this army
would, IN future, fight on foot and not on
| wheels"
But he can't be expected to do US Justice,
though we do think it hard, that, coming as
many OF Us did, from Dane county; we
| should receive such cavalier treatment from
the Madison papers in particular. But it NAV
be owing to the fact that you have no cores
pondents in the 2Sth and can not hear from
us when you would really like to do so also
that we have not so many discharged men,
resigned officers, trotting around.t as have
some regiments [ wot Of However, if you
will permit me, l will in future keep you post
ed concerning our movements, provided you
Will give me permission to do SO and while
shall studiously avoid lauding my own regi-
ment to the prejudice of others, or contrary
to facts, shall at the same time endeavor to
remind the citizens of Wisconsin, and the
world at large, that the Goth regiment still
lives.
AS it would be useless for me to attempt
an account of our travels just now, | will
drop that part of the subject and proceed to
| generalities
! AS L shall endeavor to correct any false i'm
preston which may be made by erroneous
and incorrect statements made by others, so
| hope others will correct me if | state what
is untrue or III any way do injustice to others
or violence to facts. | saw in Patriot of
some date, an article, entitled I" Hard licks
from soldier, written by Coleman, formerly
Of the 18th Wisconsin. Being slightly ac-
quainted with him, | am disposed to think
that he intended to write facts, but as is evil
dent from his own showing his experience
has been more extensive in hospitals than
with the officers and men in the field.
Having had several months of intimate ac-
quaintance with surgeons, hospital stewards,
| &c, can fully confirm what he says con-
corning their Internal meanness to those I'M
der their charge, but in reference to resolu-
| tions unanimously carried &C., &C., think he
is rather wide of the mark.
| Men worn down by disease, with scarcely
| enough life remaining to care how the world
ways, may be nosed around by superiors, and
| suffer wrong without making a row; but our
volunteers are of a class not likely to be
| made the creatures of his will by any shout
| der strap, let him be cruel and yindictive as
| he choose.
too have been misused, nsulted and treat
ed with contempt by surgeons and unjust
| stewards, but it was when | had not the
| disposition to protect myself Yet do not
suppose that l would vote contrary to my
views upon any question, either to escape
extra duty or tickle my captain.
| would stake my reputation that nothing
of the kind ever occurred in this regiment,
| and do not believe it has often in others
Whisky and lager are ten times more bane-
full at home than is terror of officers in the
army, and is more sure to affect the politics
of a man. Only seven Palmer votes were
cast in our regiment, and one of those by
company commander Why did not he infu-
ence his men to vote as he did?
Simply because he could not. No more can
any officer unless the man is an idol, in which
case he ought not to vote at all. | have yet
to see the first man who has been misused
for voting contrary to the wishes OF his Off
| GERS, and am frequently With men from the
lth and 23d regiments. | have heard of
other complaints for instance, promotion of
pets-those who had influence at home, &C.,
but never of misuse for political opinions. l
| believe that such cases are rare, if they oc-
cur at ALL but will not assert what | do not
know positively, so | content myself with
| giving my opinion merely. If any one knows
l am mistaken, hope he will correct me,
think see Little Col CLIP allowing the
rights of voter trampled upon Why! he
would have an officer bucked and gagged,
| court martaled, and amonth's pay taken from
him, if he even attempted to interfere with
| a mans vote The guilds of tobacco he would
use would be frightful to behold Lieut.. Col.
Greene, though less a ''tyrant," would pro-
| tect his men from misusage for any cause.
We would not exchange him for any COM
| mander we have yet seen, unless we were
| obliged to do so; and as it is to be hoped
4 that our services as soldiers may not be re-
| Quired much longer, we shall probably keep
| him with us until our time is out. Perhaps
| it would be in order to mention that he, with
several line officers and Sergeants, is now in
Wisconsin recruiting for the 29th But as
none of them are likely to keep their lights
'sunder bushel," further mention would be
superfuous, while number OF recruits would
| not, as we muster for duty but four hundred
/ and fourteen men out of nine hundred and
| fifty with which we left the State. We lost
many by sickness before we had a smell OF
| powder; large number were killed and I'M
| fitted for service in the several actions we
L h,nf hnr lylH