Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-15
NO. 47,
THE LADY ELGIN.
From The Sunday Telegraph.

Every year the local newspapers tell
over again the story OF the lost steamer
Lady Elgin, and repeat the accounts of
2 the survivors The history is harrow
ing one, and is read with ever renewed
and thrilling interest. The incidents
come home to the heart of Milwaukee:
many Of whose homes were desOlated by
the sad event. The facts are few. On
the 9th of September, 1860, the steamer
Lady Elgin was chartered for All excur-
sion to Chicago for the benefit of Capt.
Garrett Barry's company Of Union
Guards, some 400 passengers were on
board besides the'militiamen. Off Win
etka, II miles from Chicago, the steamer
i collided with the schooner Augusta, and
soon afterwards sunk. But 13 persons
were saved out Of the whole number of
passengers and crew. Capt. Barry was:
! among the lost. One Of the passengers,
was H. w. Gunnison, who had been q
resident of Milwaukee since 1848, when
he came here with Lucas Seaver as editor
Of The Commercial Advertiser (now The
News, which was established by Seaver
in that year. In 1860 Gunnison was
practicing law in this city, writing occa-
sionally for the press and delivering po-
Gticai addresses whenever called upon.
He escaped from the wreck, barely alive,
and prepared the most graphic, detailed
and interesting account of the catastro-
phe, and Of his own escape, which was
published. The circumstances leading
to the excursion, however, were Of the
greatest political Importance though the
extent of the tragedy overshadowed the
disputes in which it originated
Alexander W. Randall was governor
Of the state at the time. The conflict be-
tween the state Of Wisconsin and the fed
eral government, in regard to the matter
Of enforcing the punishment of S. M.
Booth, for violating@@the fugitive slave law,
had then been at its height. The state
supreme court hadnullifed in its decision,
the act Of congress, and had refused to
send up its record to the supreme court
ct the United States for review. The
latter court had, however, procured a GER
tilted copy, through the attorney for the
government and on such copy had pro-
ceeded with the appeal. and reversing
the Judgment OF the state court, affirmed
the validity OF tie slave act. Booth was
at that time in federal custody, but had
been once rescued by mob, from the
Milwaukee custom house, and there were
daily threats and apprehensions of an
other attempt Of the same kind. It was
freel~ talked that Judge Miller and the
United States Marshal Jehu Lewis, might
make a requisition for United States troops
to protect the prisoner, and that the state
militia companies would be called to re-
pei the federal soldiers
The people were largely republican,
and were III warm sympathy with Booth.
The claims of the federal government
to supremacy were derided and defied.
The populace were, apparently, as ready
to fly to arms to resist the United States
as they were year later to protect it
from southern aSSailants Gov Randall
was red hot states rights man, and re-
fected the EXTREMIST sentiments of the
public. The Union Guards, of which
Capt. Barry was in command, were COM
missioned and equipped by the state.
They were nearly all democrats, as was
Capt. Barry and they were stalwart sup
porters of the federal union and the enforce
ment ofthe laws Of the United States. The
phrase '"Union Slaver," was then one of
contempt or obloquy, and voluble profess
ions of attachment to the Union were un-
popular in Wisconsin.
It was reported to Gov. Randall that
Capt. Barry, in conversation, more or less
public, had spoken strongly in favor of
supporting the general government,in
the Booth crisis, and had said, that |Ef
the state militia should be called out, to
repel the United States troops in their at
tempt to enforce the law, he should dis
obey the state mandate, or order''
Upon hearing this report, Gov. Ran
dali peremptorily disbanded the Union
Guards, revoking the commission OF its
officers and dismissing them from the ser
vice of state. Their arms and equipments
were taken from them and returned to
the state. Capt. Barry and his men re-
ceived the order, but determined to MAIN
tain their organization, though, of course,
without any authority of law. Yet it
was not unlawful to maintain uniformed
company and to drill with arms. So the
guards determined to raise means or the
purchase of arms and equipments in place
of those taken from them by Gov. Ran
dall's order. For this purpose, the excur-
sion on the Lady Elgin was projected,
and the steamer started for Chicago with
the company and their four hundred
guests.
The balance of the story is that which
has been told and retold annually on the
anniversary of the catastrophe for twenty
years past.