Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-11-23
The Ex-secretary Of Agriculture
Passes Away Suddenly at
His Viroqua Home.
-NENTFUL LIFE AT AN END.
Illness That Attacked the Old Warrior
fiEour Weeks Ago Proves Fatal
His Career in the Army
and Congress.

lie dropped OIL allnOsC WITHOUT "arH-
ing, Or a struggle.
Jeremiah McLain Rusk, ex-se,cretarv
OF agriculture, was born IN Morgan
County, o., June II, 1880, the youngest
of ten children of Daniel and Jane Falk-
ner Rusk. He obtained his education
I'D the schools near his home and grew
to manhood on his fathers farm. He
has never since relinquished the occupa-
tionof a farmer although his varied capa--
b;lities have frequently been. called
into requisition for positions of honor
and responsibility. After his fathers
death, he engaged to drive a stage be-
tween GAINESVILLE and Newark, o., thus
contributing to the support Of his mother
and two sisters, who with himself COM
prised the family then living at home:
1t was one of the old-time Concord
stages that young Rusk at the age o. ID
was proud to drive, and he managed
the horses with dexterity. 1t was then
he first met James A. Garfield who, as
q canal boy, was driving a single mule
along an Ohio towpath, and he often
twitted the future President as he rap
idly passed him with his well-fed team
of four sprightly horses. In 1919 he
married Mary Martin, of Ohio, and in
1858 moved to Wisconsin and took
up farm in Bad AK, now Yer
non County. In addition to his success
full efforts as farmer, he engaged in
stage driving, having esta bished a line
between Sparta and Prairie du Chen,
and also opened a hotel at Niroqua, the
county seat. His success in capturing
and bringing to justice thief who had
eiuded the grasp Of the regular officers
of the law, made him so popular that IN
1885 he was chosen sheriff, and III 1897
! & f1,n, 10 in, 10
represented his section in the state leg
islature.
September II, 1862, he entered the
Federal army as major of the Twenty
fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, q
| regiment which he had raised. He de-
clined the colonelcy, alleging want OF
military experience, but his soldIerly
qualities practically gave him the COM
lnand from the start His first
service was in the Minnesota
| Indian campaign, and in 1868 he
participated in the siege and capture
of Vicksburg. In February, 1884, when
in command Of his regiment, he joined
| Sherman i'll the Meridian campaign.
officer for the skill with which he
handled his regiment in all the en-
eagements about Atlanta. When Nc
| Pherson fell in front Of Atlanta, on
July %, 1864, Rusk was lead
ing the advance, and In that hard
| fought contest lost one-third of his men.
At one time in this battle he was cut off
| from his command, surrounded by the
enemy and ordered to surrender; but
by chivalarous dash he broke through
the Confederate line and escaped to his
regiment with only slight wound and
the loss of his horse. which fell rid
/ II ~5ckk
to the Sea-" Col. Rusk was in command of
the advance of the Seventeenth Corps
| bv special appointment. On the march
| through the Carolinas, at the battle of
Salkahatchie, which took place in Feb
ruary. 1868, there was race, in which
all divisions took part, to reach the river
first. Mowers division was the winner,
and Col. Rusk was in its advance bri-
gade. Gen. Mower rode up
and inquired where the brigade
commander was, Rusk replied that
he did not know but he
was ready to move and did not want to
be LETT behind and be superseded by an
other brigade because of the absence Of
mander would not at first listen to his
protest, but finally said to one of his
staff: Bring up that colonel who OBJ
jected to remaining behind, and we will
give him taste of what be is yearning
for" Col. Rusk made the attack, car
ried the point, and crossed the river
amid the plaudits of Gen. Mower
and all who saw him and his brave
men accomplish the daring feat.
Here again he lost his horse by
shot from a battery, which at the
same instant killed the regiment
tai bugler who rode close behind. Gen.
S,>r To l.
are entitled to and l hope will receive
the general thanks of the executive and
the people of your state for your, faith
fulness to the troops under your care.
The able manner in which you have
discharged every duty in the field en-
titles YOU to the gratitude Of all who
love the cause you have served SO
WE'LL"
In June, 1865, when mustered out of
the service, Col. Rusk was presented
by the officers of his regiment with a
testimonial acknowledging him "a gem
tleman, hero and soldier" Col.
Rusk was subsequently promoted to be
brigadier-general by brevet for his
He returned to his Wisconsin home,
and in November, 1865, was elected by
the Republican party to be state bank
comptroller, was reelected in 1867, and
held the office until, on his own recon-
mendation, it was abolished by amend
ment to the state constitution.
In November, 1870, he was elected to
Congress by the largest majority ever
given a representative from Wisconsin.
His career at Washington began in
March, 1871, at the meeting of the
Forty second Congress, in which he
served on the committee on public
lands and militia. During his second
term he was chairman of the
committee on Invalid pensions,
and member of that on
mines and mining, and being elected
third time, in 1874, he served on the
committee on invalid pensions and agri-
culture. A speech delivered by him in
the House of Representative on the