Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-09-02
Hancock and the Soldiers.
The Narrative of Capt Chas. Laagridge
of tie 9Th Wisc3nstn. - HIS brutal
treatment of Volunteer Soldiers.
[ Esukesha Freeman


we mus. confess that il bears every mark
of genuneness--we shall be obliged to
retract what we have SAID heretofore as to
Gen. Hancock's being gentleman. We
had hoped that for once the Democrats
had selected respectable man as their
fgure-t cad, but this does not look like it,
We copy from an Interview in the Lan
caster Herald with Capt Chas. Lang
ridge, formerly OF the 9Th Wisconsin.
After stating that Dr.. Castleman's strict
ures en- the General are entirely within
the truth the Captain says in regard to
one Of the Doctors stories:
"Dr Castleman has not clothed that
outrage with more than half its real
atrocity. II is what he refers to as hap.
pening August 10, 1862 Possibly, how.
ever, this incident is only another of
similar kind That happened the same day
and in the line OF march some distance
from me. The General resolved we
should have no water-it looked as II he
premeditGted the wlckedness the night
before and had kept riding along the
brigade TO see that the resolve was en-
forced. | will tell you what know aud
what will be sustained by any others
who know the facts. On the 1SH of
August we marched over the old
Williamsburg battle ground, and at
about O'Clock halted on an eminence
at the base OF which was a small mill
pond. The day had been intensely hot
and dusty, anu as soon as the boys broke
ranks they made for the mill pond with
soap and towels. After TAPS (cal to re
tire) that evening, The boys were ordered
to have their canteens filed ready for an
early start the next morning. The only
possible place tor filling the Ganteens was
to get water out OF this mill pend, which
WAS literally S pond OF s08p.suds, for
thousands OF men had soaped and bathed
themselves in 1t. We took the early start
and after marching q few miles we no.
ticed men IN regiments ahead OF us were
breaking 10 the left with canteens, evi.
IDENTITY going for water. The men of our
regiment then asked permission of their
officers 10 go Tor fresh water. Permission
was gwen, and, as usual, few selected %
take CAnteens for the whole company.
The stream proved to be a mill race Of
fine, clear running water--I think from
saw.mill The men got their can,eens
filled, or nearly so, when to their surprise
Hancock aud his staff rode out from be-
hind the mill and compelled them to
empty their canteens and 60 back to their
without water. About noon
was the next opportunity for short halt
and peremptOry orders were given by
Hancock that the men should have no
opportunity 10 get water, We went on
and reached Yorktown about two
O'Clock. We had started from VIII.
and on a hot day in August in
that suitry climate We had marched Is or
70 miles, with only soap suds drenched of
our bodies IN our csnteens when We start
ed, and without any water IN them after
we were required TO empty them. Here
near \ orktOwn we halted, and Hancock
and his st,tf on horseback, made their APP
pearance in front OF the 9th Wisconsin
The men began calling, water, wateTl"
Hancock rode up to the officer command
ing the first division. This happened to
be myself. | wa Lieutenant ana in COM
mand. What is your name, sir? he de
| gave him my name. "A Cd
Id pretty officer you are, TO allow your
men TO call water when the command
ing General rides round in review. | de-
msnd the names of the parties SO that /
can punish them howled the General |
answered, Occupying the position do,
General, in front OF my men, it is impossi.
BILE for me to designate them He then
went 10 the officer CONN snding the Sec
ond division, Enoch Touen, and the same
role was repeated Then said he, by
Cd, III punish the whole id regi-
ment Aud he went TO Lieut. Col. Emery
81 Portage, who was in command Of
the reglm Mt, and ordered him to put
his regiment hrOuQh battalion 3rlU on
The double qRsct for one hour! And this
=
one hour--alter our fatigue and heat and
we were compelled to undergo
This Is the sort OF man or brute General
is, aud | think every volunteer
soldier under him al that time will attest
these facts
Scan you direct how inquiry may be
made of otheTY'
Il do not know where the soldiers all
sre Our brigade WAS COMPOSED OF the
5Gh Wisconsin, Oh Maine, 40 b Peuasyl.
vsnia ald 43i New Nofk-ali voiuntee 6,
The Colonel OF our regiment WAS Hon.
Amasa COBB, now Of Lincoln, Nebraska,
a Judge OF the Supreme Court OF that
State. Our Quartermaster WAS Col, Jonu
G Clark oi this place. Company \ WAS
enlisted at MsnitowOc by Capt. Temp.
Clark; Company f in Waukesha county
by Capt | VI Bean; Company D al Bea
yer Dam, by Capt Catiin; Company / At
Tsycheedah by Capt. Emerson Company
c st Milwaukee by Capt, Aereus; Cpm
psny IL in RChlAnd county by Capt Il.
Hawkins Company Il 81 Jsnesyille by
Capt. Wheeler; Company X In Dunn
county by Capt. Evans; Company q 81
Berlin Oy Cspt. Bugh aud Company b 81
Milwaukee by Capt. Hlbbard,