Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-02-17
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles, Camp
Fire, Festive Bugs, ETC., Etc.
Soldiers in Congress.

ond lieutenant of Company |, Twenty
fourth Wisconsin," he continued.
Mitchell, Col John G. Spooner and
Col. w. F. Villas are the only soldiers
who have been in the Senate from Wis
| consin. Among the soldiers who have
served in the House are the late G. G.
! Washburn, Of the Second Cavalry, who
| reached the rank of major general;
! Gen. Edward S. Bragg, of Fond du Lac,
who entered the army as captain; Col.
Gabriel Bouck, of Oshkosh, who was a
captain in the Second Wisconsin and
later colonel of the Eighteenth; Gilbert
NJ Woodward Of La Crosse, who was
q private and adjutant Of the Second;
Capt. O. 3. Thomas, of Prairie du
Chen, Thirty first; Gen. Halbert &.
Paine, QuartermaSter of the Second
and colonel of the Fourth; Capt. A. r.
Bushnell, Seventh; the late Alexander
McDill, of Portage County, surgeon OF
the Fourth; the late Gov. Jeremiah M.
Rusk Twenty-ffth; Gen Amasa Cobb,
Fifth, since chief justice of Nebraska;
Capt. Joseph Rankin, Twenty seventh;
Capt. Charles 3. Clark, Twenty first,
and Maj. S. D. Burchard, now Of Tex
as, nephew Of the Rum, ROmanism
and Rebellion Burchard. Senator Mitch
ell was twice elected to the House. In
the present House of Representative
there are four members from the State
who were in the army. Two OF them
served most of their time as privates
and the other two all OF their time.
the latter being John J. Jenkins, Of the
Tenth District, and Samuel \. Cook,
Of the Sixth District. Michael Grit
fin, of the Seventh, reached the rank Of
lieutenant in the Twelfth short time
before the war closed, and Edward $.
Minor, of the Eighth District, became
a lieutenant year or SO before the war
ended.
Let me tell you something about
Mitchell's company. Its three commits
stoned officers were under age when
they entered the service They were
Capt Fred Root and Lieuts- Robert
Chivas and John L. Mitchell Mitchell
is the son Of the Late millionaire bank
er and railroad president Alexander
Mitchell, and Chivas was his nephew.
Soon after going South Mr.. Mitchell
was made an aid on the staff of Gen.
w r. Sill, who was killed ct the battle
OF Stone River. Capt Root and Lieut..
GhivaS became very warm friends.
They tented and messed together and
seemed to be newer better satisfied than
when in each others company. They
took great pride in looking aftef the
interests of the men; were popular
with them. They had gone through
Perryville, Stone River several Skin
mishes and the great battle Of Chicka-
manga without injury, and had pretty
much made up their minds that they
were hullet-proof. In November, 1868,
Capt. Root was sick of a fever He
was still in a hospital at Chattanooga
when the battle of Missionary Ridge
was, feught, the 25th day Of the month.
The Twenty fourth, under the eye OF
Gen. Sheridan, was one OF the first it
not the first regiment to- start on the
charge up the ridge. The troops, We're
halted at the foot. There seemed. to
be indecision. Sheridan node to the
vicinity Of the TwentX-foHrth, where
he was seen. by Capt.. E.. e. Parsons,
who asked if they should. advance.
While he didtnot hear. ShaEidan's S, reply,
he understood the mods OF his, head ;o
mean. that the troops ShOHldt 60 aheaA,,
and the TWenty-f started. Seeing,
the advance Of this regiment, troops on
the right and left, started. and quickly
moved to victory. But many brave
men went to their death, Including gal
liant Bob Chivas. A. bullet struck HIM
in the shoulder and passed through his
heart. A Milwaukee post Of the Grandt
Army was named in honor of RobeEt
GhiYaS.
Capt Root had WORRIED and mourne4
over his, inability to be with his men,
A part of. the time his mind wandered.
At such times he YVES talking to his
men, encouraging them, directing them
and calling FOR cheers from them. Ihe
poor fellow was in this condition., ap-
parently,. when some ONE in the hos
pital spoke Of the losses of the Twenty
fourth ana mentioned the name Of Bob
Chiyas.
What is that YOU say about Iieut.
Chivas of my con3pamyS
HE was killed., sir"
''He, was killed.? Are you sure?"
Eyes, sir; instantly killed"
This weak. weary, worried hero
grassped his revolver, placed it to his
head, and a moment later had joined
Chivas on the other shore. Those who
know Of the ties that bind men who
t@Ht march, drill, fight and suffer to-
gether wilk say that the seyering OF
those ties by the killing of the one in
battle was the direct cause of the death
of the other in the hospital.
! Robert Chiyas was the only son of the
late Alexander Mitchell's sister. He
had been in this country only 81 short
time, had engaged in the lumber bust
ness and within a year accumulated
$4,000. He was great favorite with
his distinguished uncle, who was much
! attached to and had great faith in him.