Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-08-05
There's the fish theft or There

that outrage with more than halt its
real atrocity. 1t is what he refers to
as happening August 10, 1862. Pos
sibly, however, this incident is only
another OF similar kind that happened
the same day and in the line OF march
some distance from me. The Gener.
al resolved we should have no water
it looked as if he premeditated the
wieksdness the night beforehand
may have kept riding along the bri.
gsde to see that the resolve was en-
forced / will tell what | know and
what will be Eubstantiated by any
others who knew the facts. On the
18th of August we marched oyer the
old Williamsburg battle ground and
at about o'clock halted on an emf
nenoe at the base of which was a
small mill,pond. The day had been
intensely hot and dusty, and as soon
as the boys broke ranks they made
for the mill pond with soap and tow.
els. After taps (call TO retire. that
evening the boys were ordered to
have their canteens filed ready for
an early start the next morning. The
only possible place for filing the can
teens was to get water out of this
mill'pond, which was literally pond
of soap-suds, for thousands of men
had soaped and bathed themselves in
it, We took the early start, and at
ter marching a few miles we noticed
men in regiments ahead of us were
breaking to the left with canteens,
evidently going for water. The mon
Of our regiment then asked permits
sion of their officers to go for fresh
water. Permission was given, and,
as usual, few men were selected to
take canteeus for the whole com.
pany. The stream proved to be a
mill,race of fine, clear running water,
| think from a saw mill The men
got their canteens filled, or nearly so,
when, to their surprise, Hancock and
his staff rode out from behind the
mill and compelled them 20 empty
their canteons and go back to their
company without water. About noon
was the next opportunity for short
halt, aud leremptory orders were
given by Hancock that the men should
have no opportunity to get water
We wen: on and reached Yorktown
about two o'clock. We had started
from below Williamsburg, and on a
hot day in August in that sultry eli
mate we had marched IS or 90 miles
with only p-suds drenched off our
bodies in orr canteens wher we
started, ana without any water in
them after ge were required to emp,
ty them. Here near Yorktown we
halted and Hancock and his staff, on
horse back, made their appearance
in front of thu 5th Wisconsin. The
msr began calling Water, water y
Hancock rode up to the officer com.
handing the first division. This
happened to be myself. l was Lieu
tenant and was in command. what
is your name, sir?' he demanded.
gave him my name. "a Cd id
pretty officer ysu ere to allow your
men TO call Water when the com
handing General rides round in re-
siSv. I demand Iue names OF the
parties SO that l can punish them,
howlsd the General. | answered,
Occupying the position do, Gener-
al, in front of my msn,it is impossible
for me to designate Them He then
went to the officer commanding the
second division, Enoch Totten, and
the same role was repeated. 'TheD,
said he, 'by Cd, I'll punish the
whole id regiment And he went
to Lieut.. Colonel Emery, of Portage,
who was in command of the regi-
ment, and ordered him to put his
regiment through a battalion drill on
the doubIe-qHich for one hourl And
this punisbment-going on the run
tor one hour-after our day of IA
tigue and heat and privation, we were
compelled to undergo This is the
sort OF man or brute Gen. Hancock
10, and / think every volunteer SOL
dier under him at that time will at.
test these facts"
"Can you direct how inquiry may
be made Of oihers?"
81 do not know where the soldiers
all are. Our brigade was composed
Of the 5th Wisconsin, 9th Maine, 49th
Pennsylvania and ADD New York
all volunteers. The Colonel of our
regiment was Hon Amasa Cobb, now
Of Lincoln, Nebraska. Judge of the
Supreme Court OF that State. Our
Quartermaster was Col. John G.
Clark, of this place. Company A
was enlisted at Manitowoc by Capt.
Temp Clark; Company F in Wake
sha county by Capt. l. NJ Bean !;
Company D at Beaver Dam, by Capt.
Catlin Company | at Taycheedah
by Capt. Emerson Company G at
Milwaukee by Capt. Berens; Com
psny II in Richlahd county by Capt.
r. Hawkins Company Z at James,
vile by Capt. Wheeler; Company X
in Dunn county By Capt. Evans :;
Company G at Berlin by Capt Bugh
and Company 3 at Milwaukee by
Capt Hubbard.
Did you ever tell thass facts be.
fore Hancock was nominated for pres
ident ?"
Many time. Many people in
Lancaster have beard me tell them
from the time | came home from the
army and since. And here il q letter
from DR.. Ingersell, of Waukesha, a
brother of Bob Ingersoll On my
way home from the army | stopped
in Waukesha county to recruit my.
self and there fell in With DR.. Inger-
soil, an old friend Of mine. He writes
me that | Their told him of Hancook's
brutality (Which fact ! DO not re-
mamber) and he urges i; upon me as
a duty, that l tell it all to the public.
| shrink from the publicity but to me
/ II il sjr1DIv horrihla 70 raFIao+ tba+ .