Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-05
MAJOR v. /. UPHAM.
The Coming Department Com
mander.

Grand Army, to be held at Osh.
kosh, commencing on the nth Of
March, have said that the only
man mentioned for department
commander is Major w. H. Up
ham, Of Marshfeld. This is what
The Sunday Telegraph said three
months ago, and it repeats the
echo. Major Upham is SO well
known to be eminently fitted for
the position that when the com
rades heard his name mentioned
in connection with the position
they said, that is right, let us'have
Upham," and they have been say
ing that ever since. Who is this
Major Bill Tpham? He was a
Racine boy when the war com
menced and enlisted in that com
pany of boys, F, of the I'd Wis
concin. The young soldier was
seriously wounded at the first bat
tale of Bull Run, July 2Ist, 1861,
and taken prisoner. The report
came back TO his Wisconsin home
that he was numbered among the
killed, and he was mourned as
dead. How we'll the writer of this
remembers a stop of half an hour
at Racine while on the way to
Washington as a soldier in the 9th
Wisconsin. The people of Racine
turned out by the hundreds to
cheer the boys on their way.
Among those Racine people was a
young lady who babe the boys
God speed and then told them of
her great sorroW-the loss Of a
brother in the I'd Wisconsin. |
can see that place as plainly to-day
as then-see the tears on her
cheeks and hear her trembling
voice as she said Il wanted my
brother to return, but | am glad
he went" But two weeks later
the sister learned of her brothers
captivity and seven or eight
months later she learned Of his
exchange and that President Lin
coin had appointed him cadit to
West Point. He graduated at the
end of four years and for number
of years was an officer in the reg
ular army, having in the meantime
married a Racine young lady.
Both decided that they did not de-
sire to remain in the regular army
all their lives and some IS years
ago, if we remember rightly, he
resigned and excepted a position,
at small salary, with manufac-
turing industry in Kewaunee
county. Twelve or fourteen years
ago he got foothold at Marsh
field, and commenced the con-
struction of various manufacturing
industries. Every enterprise he
touched seemed to prosper, but in
1887 the flames swept away near
ly all Of his enterprises, together
with most of the thriving city of
Marshheld. The next day he ran
up the stars and stripes and an
nounced to the discouraged people
of Marshheld that he would re-
build, and he commenced to rebuild
that very day, and a few months
later all of his enterprises were in
operation, and that, too, under far
more favorable circumstances than
ever before. The city of Marsh
field was rebuilt far more substan-
TALLY than it had been at first, and
to-day is city of between 4,OOC
and 5000 inhabitants, with every.
one admiring the pluck, the energy
and good citizenship of the gentle.
man who has always been leader
in its upbnilding. This man is
tireless in his energy, posesse:
great executive ability, knows how
to get along with men, is always {
genial gentleman and just such {
comrade as can be trusted with the
department of Wisconsin; is Jus
such a man as is needed at the
head Of that department at thi:
time; a man Of nerve, energy anc
unquestioned integrity. 1t look.
as though there would be no CD
position to his elevation to tina
honorable position-Suuaay Tele
gn9th