The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-03-26
MILWAUKEE. March IS, 1886.

MILWAUKEE. March IS, 1886.
EDIToR TELEGRAPH:
q friend having shown me your his
tor y of :" The Kenosha War;" was re
U linded of Jas. S. Bucks somewhat
sacetious sketch of the affair in bis
book, Milwaukee under the Charter
and, thinking that it might interest
your readers, at once copied it for you
have livelv remembrance of the
departure of those troops, Nearly all
Milwaukee turned out to see them off.
| have seen regiments leave the place
for both the Mexican war and the late
civil war without half the stir that the
Kenosha furry occasiored. The ex-
element could not have been more III
tense in Kenosha than it was in Mil
waukee. JAY JEFFERSON.
"The war grew out of dispute be-
tween the farmers of KenOsha county
and one Champion /. Hutchinson as to
the ownership of some wheat stored
in his warehouse, for which they held
his receipts, and who Was attempting
to defraud them by placing it upon a
vessel and running it off, and as this
wheat was nearly all that many of
them had, it caused great excitement
and finally a riot, the principal rioter
or rioters being a widow by the name
of O'Neill, who depended upor the sale
of her wheat to pay for her land, and
and who made 1t so hot for the locals
who were attempting to deliver it to
the vessel that they were obliged to
call upon the United States marshal,
the late Lester III. Cotton, but not be-
| fore the plucky little woman had
placed their eyes in mourning. The
marshal made rfquiSition upon the
old Milwaukee City Guards, Capt. John
McManman, an Irish military com
pany then stationed in the Third
Ward, and upon the Washington
Guards, Capt. David George, a Ger
man company at that time perform
ing garrison duty in the First Ward,
| to go to the seat of war and help fight
the farmers. Both companies respond
ed to the call, though somewhat re-
lluctantly, and were marched to the
steamer, the Sam Ward. to the tune of
The Girl / left behind me-" The
steamer sped away to Kenosha, where,
upon her arrival, the soldiery were
kept from landing for short time
owingto ruse similar to the one that
kept Gen. Mcclellan from taking Ar.
lington Heights during the late un-
pleasantness, namely. an improvised
cannon formed of a section of stove
pipe placed upon the forewheels of q
wagon and manned by few of the
| Kenosha iremen, one of whom was
one of our we'll known fellow-citizens
William L. Hillsdale, who, with {
match-fuse in hand, stood gallanJly a
his post ready to sink the boat, if nee
essary; While in full view upon TIT
shore, as support for the improviset
battery. could be seen the serried rank
of the Kenosha infantry, composed 0
boys between the ages of seven AM
nine years, armed with broom sticks
pieces of lath and other dangerou
weapons. This outlook appeared 81
squally to the Milwaukee soldlery tina
several called out the bogus artillery
man, begging him not to fire, as the
were the friends of the farmers. TIL
eagle eye of Capt. Cotton detec ed thu
cheat, ran his boat alongside the piel
and landed the troops. The only occu
, pant of the pier at the time, beside
the aforementioned artillery, was
son of Erin who was seated upon hi
dray in expectation of a job. Capt
!. McManman rushed upon him. swor
( in hand, and ordered him to clear GU
of that, or he would cut his horse i
twain, upon which the frightened dray
man fastened to the shore as fast q
/. his old nag could travel.
Ell The troops formed in column of a
. tack, and, after being reminded tina
the eyes Of the world were upon then
the order zen avant'' was given, anG
led by the gallant McManman, starte
for the shore with visors down an
! bayonets fixed. They were promptl
met by the aforementioned ARTILLERY
and escorted to the Durkee HOUSE
where they took suction Il think tia
D is the proper spelling), in order to rem
q der them bullet-proof, after whic
6 they marched to the warehouse, unde
escort of the Kenosha infantry. an
surrounded it, to prevent Mothe
] O'Neil from going inside and cleanin
: out all the local officers of Kenosh,
Here they remained until the whes
was all delivered on board the vesse
when, the war being over, they return
). ed to Milwaukee. covered with glor
a and wheat dust.
Il Tradition has it that such was tn
excitement in Milwaukee when th
T; call was made for troops, on accour
t of the reports of those who were i
q the interest of Hutchinson, that ca
to go into regular battle would NJ
have caused any more dread. Some {
Q the guards resigned, and one actual
+ hid under bed, whence he was dra,
!. ged and drummed out for cowardic
This the writer had from one of tn
soldiers of that time. 1t was rio
: affair, and has often been the subjet
9 of laughter by the troops themselve
even up to this day."