Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-09-15

one of AZ men in his company out of
| 106 up and ready to march against
Abonita Pass when the peace message
was delivered by Col. Born. He was
one of five who took part in planting
| the American colors at a. M, July 81,
over Ponce in place of the, Spanish en-
blem. He was camped for three weeks
in the mountains about Coamo and did
not miss one day of active duty on ac-
count of sickness from start to finish
Laramie weighed l32 pounds when he
enlisted and l2S pounds when he
returned, being down to ia pounds a
part Of the time in Ponce.
1t was $50 o'clock on the evening of
May that Chas. a. Podawiltz quickly
determined to enlist in Uncle Sam s
service after half-hour's consideration
of the matter, and an hour later he was
speeding toward Camp Harvey, Mil
waukee. The next day he was exam
lDed and accepted as private in Com
pany A, Second regiment, and was
assigned tent mate of Chas Laramie.
| These two boys were boon companions
throughout the campaign, always serv-
ing together. whether on hospital duty.
outpost, guard or patrol service. What
has been said above in reference to
Laramie applies equally to Podawiltz.
He took part in the flag raising at
| Ponce, reported for duty every day
stood the campaign well. He visited
of the Third regiment band all forenoon
on the day of his departure and reports
the boys well and then i'll high spirits
Parker had been sick for a short time,
but was again on his feet and with the
| band.
Podawiltz weighed 135 pounds when
he entered the army and 12S pounds
when he returned. He, too, tells in
terestlng tales of excitement while on
outpost duty in the mountains about
Coamo. He rendered most efficient
service while on hospital duty in
in Charleston and made nice record
there as nurse. Mr.. PoGawiltz was
taken sick with malaria on the boat
after being three days on the homeward
voyage. He would not report his case
to the hospital for that would mean
detention III New York and delay in
reaching Grand Rapids. He held the
fever in check by liberal use of quinine,
but has been confined at home this
week a rather sick boy. His tempera-
ture went as high as 105 and was 103
when he stepped off the train last Sat-
urday. Charles was able to enjoy a
short drive Wednesday afternoon and
is improving rapidly.
Fritz Brandstedt, Arthur Houston
and Earl Ridgman enlisted in Company
A at Marshfeld, June %, on the first
call for recruits. Were taken direct to
Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, but left
behind with recruits Of regiment when
Second Wisconsin moved to Charleston.
Later they were ordered to overtake
their company and, with the exception
| of RIdgman who was detained In the
division hospital with fever, reached
Charleston in time to be put into Gen.
| Ernst forced marches which were the
subject of so much adverse comment.
| The two Centralia boys stood the test
like hardy soldiers, but admit that the
march was generally considered unnec-
essarily hard by those who took part
On the second forced march Houston
| had been transferred to the regiment
band and he continued a musician
| thereafter. He was taken down with
| typhoid at Ponce and has record of
| three weeks in the hospital, regaining
| strength in time to get release from the
sick cot one week before the start home
ward. He weighed a good $50 pounds
at time of enlistment, but could not
bring the scales up to more than 115
when he returned. Mr.. Houston has
| been confined at home since his arrival.
Constant nursing of mother aud sisters
is bringing him out all right and he is
| expected soon to be himself again,
| Fritz Brandstedt did not find a sick
day that kept him from duty during the
campaign. His weight was 15S pounds
when he started and 164 pounds on
return. He is one of the few for whom
Starvation Ridge seems to have had no
terrors. Fritz enjoyed the distinction,
with Laramie and Podawiltz, of being
assigned to the corporals' squad of ten
that guarded Gen. Wilson's headquar-
ters. Fritz made good our prediction
that he is the genuine stuff that soldiers
are made of and he has been hearty
and vigorous since reaching home.
Earl Ridgman, as has been stated,
was left behind his company at Chick
amauga, being carried to the hospital
on an ambulance the day before they
in the hospital about ten days, then
to Grants headquarters and later again
changed to Fifth Illinois regiment.
With the Fifth Illinois he started for
| Cuba, but the regiment after a march
of five miles to Rossvile, was ordered
to return to Camp Thomas. Three
weeks in camp was followed by an
order to Newport News and here Ridg-
man was transferred to the First Ken
lucky regiment. When the Kentuck-
ians lined up to make a start for the
front Earl was advised by the surgeon
in charge that he:was still too weak for
active service. Another disappoint-
ment thus met him, he being trans
ferred to the Sixteenth Pennsylvania
while the Kentucky forces started to
the front. But Ridgman was deter
mined to get to his comrades and Com
pany A across the water. He finally
found opportunity at Newport News,
through assistance of friends, to get
aboard boat carrying provisions to
Ponce by way of Charleston, Jackson
vile and Santiago. He took passage
thereon and washed dishes all the way
over to pay his fare. Thus he landed
at Ponce, Porto Rico, in time to spend
about three weeks on the island and
then return with his own company on
the OLDHAM.
The Omaha Exposition of 1898
Beats the Centennial Exposition which