Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-05-11
Sketch of the History and Operations Of the
Fourth Cavalry Wisconsin Volunteers.

Fourth Cavalry Wisconsin Volunteers. =
The following sketch of one of our noblest
Wisconsin Regiments.will be read with IN
terest 1t Is taken from the News ans
Times: FL 81
AS the veterans of the 4th Reg. Wis. Cav
airy are about leaving for home, it is ftung
that few words should be written fstheir
services; and especially 30 az it is the senior
regiment of the old forces Of this Depart
ment.
Early in the spring of 1861, Wisconsin,
not less backward than its elder sisters mani
tested most vigorously its determination to
uphold the Union. Companies were raised
throughout the State, the services of which
we've rendered with the utmost loyalty and
fersor. They were assigned to regiments,
those nearest the lines of communication with
the capital having the honor of precedence.
On the 9th of May the 4th Regiment OF In
fantry was formed aud assigned 20 the first
brigade Wisconsin active militia, Brig. Gen.
Rufus King commanding.
1t was composed of companies from the
border counties, and numbering "a class of
men deemed the most hardy in the Union.
The field officers assigned were: Colonel,
Halbert f.. Paine Lieutenant Colonel, Sid
ney A. Bean; Major, Frederick A. Boardtdan.
Mustered into the State service, the regi-
ment went into camp at Camp Utley in RAJ
| cine, early in June, where il was organized
| and equipped in the best possible manner.
On the I'd of July, SCI, it was mustered into
the service of the United States, and shortly
after ordered TO Chambersburg, Penn, to
join Maj. Gen. PatterSon's command. Leav-
ing Wisconsin on the 10Th of July, it passed
successfully through Chicago, Toledo, Cleve-
land, Buffalo, Elmira and Wiliamsport to
Harrisburgh, receiving an ovation along the
entire route that has scarcely been excelled.
While awaiting Instructions in Harrisburg
the Army Of the Potomac advanced the bat
| tie of Bull Run was fought, and full of appre-
hension, all troops at Camp Curtin were hur-
ried to the front. Marching through the
streets of Baltimore at midnight through the
| hashed gloom, with no welcome, but with
| every gun loaded and capped, there was no
manifestation of the evident hate and rebel
lious hearts of its citizens. All appre hem
sion of danger to Washington soon passing
| the regiment was attached to Maj. Gen. Dix's
command, and sent to various portions of his
district-to Pikesvile Arsenal, to to the Re-
lay Houseron the Northern Central K. R., and
to the Relay House on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad 1t was, however, very shortly az
ter united at the latter place, having COM
plicity of duties which it had the honor of
doing creditably. In November It was or
dered to Join movement to be made in
Eastern Maryland and Virginia. a petition
of the citizens of the counties of Howard
Arundel and Baltimore, Maryland, containing
| twelve hundred names, was presented to the
Commanders of the Department and Army
asking its assignment as a permanent garri-
| son for Fort Dix-which it had erected-and
| the vicinity. Such a service of inactivity
| was undesired by officers and men, and
| through their efforts it left to participate in
| the .glories of the " Eastern Shore ExDedi-
| ton Tbs counties of Northumberland and
| Aceomac, Virginia. were reclaimed, and have
since been held-none the less valuable be-
| cause the victory which acquired them was
| BIC odless. t#st EsEt .-
Returning to Baltimore on the 10th of
| December, it erected the barracks on Patter-
| sons Park, since used as a hospital s.-..
| In the midst of the successes naugurated
| by the battle Of Mill Spring and the capture
| of Fort Henry, there was an earnest desire
| to share in the victories of the spring that
| the war-clouds betokened. On the 18th of
! February, 1862, the summons came III an or
| der to embark on the following day for
| Fortress Monroe. a few days were spent at
| Fortress Monroe and Newport News, from the
| latter of which the Constitution sailed March
| 9th, with the regiment and its long-while
| comrades-in-arms-the 9th Michigan and LIST
| Indiana regiments--each of them thousand
strong The rebel batteries'at Sewalls Point
| expended their fury on the desired prize on
| " in vain Luckily and singularily the Mer-
| rimac did not come out until two days later.
On the 18th of March, after trying pas
sage, the force debarked at Ship Island, and
| was assigned to the brigade of Brig. General
| Thomas Williams which moved on the 18th
of April to cooperate with Farraguts forces.
| Remaining at the Passes several days, for
| the transport Great Republic could not cross
the bar, it afterwards went to Bay Ronde for
| the purpose of landing in the rear of Fort St.
| Phillip, and assaulting it, if necessary While
| there, there was witnessed the grand sight of
| the fleet passing the Forts, from which the
| Great Republic was only FIVE miles distant.
Two companies of the regiment and other por-
tons of the command landed and made their
| way through the swamps to the Quarantine.
| The surrender of the Forts rendered it unnec
| sesary for any larger detachment to land, I'M
der the Instantaneous circumstances, so the
| transport fleet returned to the Passes. On
the last day of April the regiment crossed the
bar proceeded to New Orleans, and landed
| on the afternoon of the lst day of May. Com
panies E and G., under Major Boardman, (the
! same that debarl1ed in Bay Ronde) on the
| gunboat Kineo, were the first Of the land
| forces TO land the 3lst Regiment Massachu-
sets Volunteers followed, and then the bal,
| ance of the 4th Wisconsin. The flag of the
| latter was the first of the Army of the Union
| TO be unfurled in the city after its restora-
| ton, and its band the first TO recall the eiti-
| zens of the Crescent City their recollections
| of our National airs No other regiments
| landed on the lst of May except the 18th
Connecticut, which remained over night on
| the -levee. The 81 st Massachusetts and 4th
Wisconsin marched to the Custom House,
| which was occupied by both. Officers and
soldiers, furnished for news, invaded the rebel
Post-otfice and laid strong hands on the is
sues of city papers
On the following day two companies of the
regiment under Major Boardman, occupied
Lafayette Square, and guarded it uatil the
| 18th Connecticut, followed by the goth Mas
saehusetts, marched into the enclosure.
Gen. Buffers first coup o"etat was to collect
an immense concourse of citizens in the
neighborhood of st. Charles Hotel, march
his force of infantry and artillery into their
midst, and by the presence of bristling bayo-
nets and frowning cannon maintain a grim
composure among the crowd, az the splendid
band of the 4th Wisconsin discoursed TO it
the stirring strains of Yankee Doodle, Star
Spangled Banner, etc.
On the 18th of May six companies of the
| regiment and detachme Mt of the 6th Miehi-
| g,r under Gen Williams was pOuvaved NV