Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-09-04


comrade this morning seemed touched
because there was not enough said about
the history of the brigade at the close
of the war. In fact you must remember
that the Second Wisconsin was the seed
out of which the whole brigade grew
Some pretty old seeds IN it too Gaugh-
ter) The Second Wisconsin was the
first to go down to Virginia, and it par
ticipated in battle, which occurred to
my mind just few minutes ago. Some
one was suggesting the anniver-
saries of different battles for reunions
for this brigade, and | was tempted
strongly to rise and suggest as deli
cate compliment to the Second Wiscon-
sin that perhaps the anniversary of the
first battle of Bull Run prolonged
laughter.) 1t would be very delicate
compliment, and would be very hearth
ly appreciated by all of the members
not by Gov. Fairchild because he was
not there. My friend, the President of
this Association, stated this morning
that there was an impression abroad at
an early day of the war that all the reb-
ell cavalry rode black horses. Now
want to tell something about the black
horse cavalry. 1t is q moving tale. The
Second Wisconsin went into the first
battle of Bull Run. 1t had splendid
field officers. General Sherman
thought that one of them would be
better on his staff, and the other, the
Lieutenant Colonel, failed to material
ize at the battle. The regiment got up
there on the road by the grace of God,
or some other means-I do not know
how it was, but they got there anyway
and some one told them to climb over
fence and charge a rebel battery
which was up on the hill by the Hunter
House. Well, they charged, and one
end weht one way and the other in an
other direction, and they split in the
middle before they had gone six
steps from the road Eacn kept
working up in their several directions
until there was not much of that
regiment left, only what might be called
a good sized meeting. The picture of
them on that side hill looked like two
town meetings going to war. | do not
know as anybody ever saw such per-
Torrance, but if one town meeting were
to charge on the other town meeting it
would look the same from a military
point of view. Well, some of us
seemed to work back-I don't know
how it was; there were no regular or
ders to that effect, but we got back, and
some were swearing and complaining
that we had no officers; that they had
come down there to lick the southern
confederacy, and they hadn't fair
chance. We moved back from Bull
Run and we got on plateau cannot
describe the place-and q lot of us who
belonged to the Second concluded that
we would go back without any officers,
and myself and another private of the
regiment undertook to organize squad
and we were going back there TO lick
those rebels anyway. There was con-
venient fence around some haystacks,
and with the aid of that fence we were
getting pretty good line. Laughter
We gradually came into shape, and the
attempt on the life of the southern con-
federacy was hanging over it like
storm-cloud. All of sudden. on the
left of us, we heard cry: "black horse
cavalrym A little ways over there we
saw large number of men who were
forming q hollow square, and it was as
good a one rs | ever saw; in fact, the
only one | ever saw. II lacked about
half of one side of being filled up. There
was a great gap in them through which
the cavalry might have poured without
any trouble. | was little nervous, and
didn't see any cavalry, but everybody
said there was cavalry. We took coun-
sci with the fellows along this fence and
we concluded if there was anything
good in military tactics this hollow
square was a good thing under
the circumstances. had heard
of the French regiments forming
hollow squares at Waterloo, and |
thought if there was anything that could
save the country and turn back the tide
of rebel victory it was hollow square
Well, we thought we had better 90 over
there, as we had just about enough men
to fill oat this square. We went over,
and it was the greatest hollow square
you ever saw. All we wanted was some
cavalry to come along and charge that
square. But they didn't come. We
didn t. see any the whole day. We were
standing there enjoying the situation
and feeling perfectly secure when the
Lieutenant Colonel of the Second Wis
consin came riding past one corner of
this square on horse called wild
Bill, and he was a remarkably good
goer, and was headed for Washington
at his best speed. Said Second Wis
consin fellow Immediately: 1--WE have
got to 90 too" and that hollow square
dissolved and departed as quickly as a
covey of quails. 1t all went and we
took up our line of march to the ford
of Bull Run, and got across there and
went to Cobb run, and there | found
another lot of men who were ranged
around the TANKS of some guns that
were planted there, and they said they
were waiting for the Black Horse Cavai-
ry. Well, | had determined if there was
any cavalry to be found around there
| was going to have trial with them,
so went in with that squad, and we
stood there for an hour looking up to
Bull Run. But no awful cavalry came.
Then we went back to Centerville.
This was my experience in the
first battle of Bull Run. Now ask YOU
in candor, in view of this statement of
the facts, it you ought not to appoint
our meeting to be the anniversary of
the 22d of July, 1861? Laughter)
Now this is an experience meeting"
Gen. Faircnild has read the report of
our friend Gen. Mansfield about the bat
tie of Gettysburg. There are many
here who remember Mansfield would
not tell the story for hundred dollars
if he was here, but he is in California
and | am entirely safe. He was very
remarkable in some respects. He was
a brave and gallant officer,
intelligent and efficient. He could
do one thing that | guess there
was no other man in the army
could do, except, perhaps, Frank
Haskell; don't care where you found
him he would always have clean col
lar, ''biled' shirt, and BACKED boots.
and looked as if he had just come out
of the dressing room, and from the
hands of his valet. He had to be shaved
every day 1t was a perfect mystery to
everybody how he could possibly do it.
but he did Well, rs he SAYS in his re-
port here, he was wounded in the leo at
Gettysburg. He was put on stretcher
and carried up into town, and they pro-
posed to take him into the house until
the surgeon could get an opportunity of
dressing his wounds. As he Law on the
stretcher he cast his eye up to the house.
1t was three-story, broad, beautiful
house; everything indicating that the
people who lived there were people of
wealth and refinement. Mansfield had
his orderly with hip-George Sumner.
He turned to him and said: George.
hustle around and see if you can't get
] II y