The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-10-27

Wisconsin; the season that young Alex
ander Ramsey, of Pennsylvania. was
appointed governor Of the new territory
by President Willard Fillmore, and
came west to assume the duties of his
new position.
Mrs. Nelson came Immediately to the
west, and spent one year in Chicago;
then she removed to a farm in Wal
worth county, Wisconsin, and COM
menced with the aid of her growing
son to fight the battle of life. Three
years later the family removed to the
village of Deer6eld, Dane county, in
the same state, where the mother of
this sketch still resides.
The early years of Knute Nelson we're
passed in doing ordinary farm labor
during the summer, and attending the
village school in the winter. When Is
years Of age young Nelson was enabled
to leave the farm temporarily and enter
Albion Academy. Here he remained a
student for three years, or until the war
broke out, in 1861, when he, with
some twenty of his fellow students en-
listed in the Fourth Wisconsin Infantry
and proceeded South to fight the battles
of his country.
For three years he served in that regi-
ment as private and non-commis-
stoned officer. His term expired in
July, 1864, and he was honorablv dis
charged from the service. His regiment
had for three years seen the most ardu-
Gus and dangerous service. It had been
with General Buffers command, and
the first Northern soldiers to find q
Judgement at New Orleans in May,
1852; had been in the expedition to
Vicksburg in the same year; and in the
first Red River campaign of 1863. 1t
was active in the siege of Port Hudson,
and did valiant service at the battles of
Bisland and Baton Rouge. It was in q
desperate charge in the last named en-
gagement that young Nelson was seri-
ously wounded by bullet through the
thigh. He fell Immediately beneath
the enemy's breastworks, his regiment
being forced to retire, and remained
there during the entire day. After
darkness had fallen the rebel pickets
advanced and the wounded Union SOL
der was taken prisoner and conveyed to
the hospital within the works. He was
thus prisoner from the 14th day of
June until the 9Th day of July, when
the fort surrendered, and the wounded
man was again restored to his COM
rades. His experiences were FORUM
ately brief, although far from pleasant.
During the last ten days of his captivity
he was forced to diet on mule beef and
corn bread.
After his discharge from the military
service in 1864, Mr.. Nelson returned to
the Albion academy and remained an
other year, being graduated therefrom
in the summer of 1865. In the fall of
that year he went to Madison and en-
tered the Office of Hon. William F.
Villas, now United States senator from
| Wisconsin, and commenced the study
of law. In the spring of 1867 he was
admitted to the bar, and at the general
election in the fall was elected mem.
Der of the assembly from Dane county.
He was only "a years of age, but his ex.
periences had been those of man much
older. He was reelected in the fall OF
1868, and during the session that fol.
lowed was an active friend and sup
porter of Hon. Matt Carpenter for 8
seat in the United States senate. Mr.
Nelson afterward devoted himself to thu
active practice of tho law until 1871
las county, Minnesota, and there opened
an Office. He bought farm adjoining
the village in the fall of that year
| which has ever since been and still il
/ his home.
| In 1872, '73 and "a he was county at
torney of Douglas county, and during
the years 1875, rs, ~ and ~ was state
senator from his district. In 1880 he
was an elector on the Republican state
ticket and cast his vote for James A.
Garfield for president. In 1882 oc.
Cured the first election for member OF
congress from the Fifth district under
the new congressional apportionment OF
1880. The fight was q three-cornered
affair. Mr.. Nelson having received the
regular Republican nomination, w. A.
Kindred, of Brainerd, his opponent in
the convention, bolted and ran as an in.
dependent candidate; while Hon. E. P.
Barnum, of Sank Centre, led the Demo.
cratic hosts. Nelson was victorious by
plurality of 4,500. In 1884 he was re-
elected over his Democratic competitor,
Hon. L. L. Baxter, of Fergus Falls, by
a majority of $4,000. In 1856 his only
opponent was the prohibition candi.
date, Mr.. Lang, and this time he was
elected by majority of nearly $1,000.
He declined to be a candidate for re-.
election, and in 1879, upon the expira.
ton of his third term, retired to private
life and has since busted himself in the
practice of his profession and in super.
vising the working of his farm.
He has for years held the position Of
regent of the University of Minnesota,
having been appointed thereto by Gov.
ernor Hubbard. During the last two o,
three years Mr.. Nelson has been gradu.
ally devoting less and less attention to
the practice of law and giving more of
his time to agricultural pursuits. His
health has only been moderately good
since suffering from severe attack OF
influenza, and he thinks outdoor life is