Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-09-17

Abraham Lincoln. in little encamp-
ment of regular troops at the mouth
of the Crow Wing river, awarded the
contract, as the lowest bidder, for the
erection of the new fort a. that point
1t was called Fort Gaines and after
ward Fort Ripley. had no friends or
money, so | took INFO partnership
conn r. Irvine who had stonemason.
We managed to give bonds and we
were engaged together for two sum-
mers building the fort. But Jan. 16.
1851. started for California.
Il forgot to say that Just before
that the first legislature met. AL
though didn't want it l was made
enrolling clerk. Now there was
tailor here-Dick johnson was his
name-who wanted to have my pa
sition but he failed to get it. Well.
as was going away, said one day.
Say. Dick, lets have rubber of eu-
| SHAO 70 &c "HOUuCl AeSiSu III your
favor He said 'All right. and
blamed if turned single trick But
the legislature got onto it and instead
of johnson they appointed one l.. B.
Waite. Henry Rice said to me Calls
believe you'd sell your BIZ thright ,
AS | said, got away from Prairie
du Chen Jan. 16, 1851 / bought an
Indian train or pony sled (sort of a
toboggam put my trunk on and start
ed down river with an Indian driver
1t was about the coolest day | ever
felt. We stopped nights at the Indian
villages along the shore and slept in
teepee. At Lacrosse we found nothing
but little tavern. Well | went to
California with my own two wag-
ons and eight men who paid me 800
apiece to 90 along. spent six months
in getting there and stayed there
mining and trading until 1855. Then
came back to Lancaster and started
a store
when the war came | sold out my
business and went to the front as
captain OF Company f Seventh Wis
consin Volunteers. We were in the
first and second battles of Bull Run,
and in September, 1862, our brigade
received at S nth Mountain the name
of the Iron Brigade. We were holding
a mountain gap against artillery fire
above us. in front and both sides. We
went into action about o'clock and
remained in the gap until we sent the
enemy before us. some three hours
later. Mcclellan. in command, was
overlooking the battle from a promo
tory. Old Joe Hooker rode up on
his white horse to get some orders.
While McClellan's adiutant was writ
ing the orders the general inquired:
Say, Hooker, who are those men
holding the gap down there? They
hang on as if they were made of iron I"
. That's Gen. Gibbons brigade,
sir, answered old joe his brigade of
western volunteers from Indiana and
Wisconsin. And by the eternal, SIR,
if you'd seen those fellows at the sec
ond Bull Run, you'd sworn that they
were IRON
Then Hooker was so tickled at his
commander compliment that he
sailed away on the white horse with
out ever thinking of the orders he'd
come after. That's how we got the
name of the Iron Brigade. My regi-
ment-I was lieutenant colonel then
lost 1871 men that three hours-more
than any regiment in the brigade.
| "At Gettysburg was shot through
the right lung and lay on the battle
field for forty-three hours. But. for
tunately, was recognized by an old
friend from Carolina who mentioned
my name to southern colonel. The
colonel detailed two men to watch me
and pour water on my wounds or
should have died without doubt.
When the rebels retreated they put
me in neighboring house. where
was found by our troops.
81 was made colonel and brevet
brigadier general of volunteers, and
after long rest, captain and breyet
major of the Forty-fifth regular infan-
try But resigned to represent an
Alabama district in congress during
reconstruction times and after serving
nv term | went back to Lancaster.
where have lived since. Yes. my
skull IS scratched bit here BIZ a shell
and my right lung has shriyeled up.
/ A. 10 ~ aud fant bo4ra Ianr,