Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-10-27
LOGHL HISTORY.
Personal Experience of Henry
F. Young, Capt. of Co. f.,
9TH Reg. Wis. Vol. Inf.

At the time OF the firing OF Fl.
Sumpier l was owner and manager OF
a flourishing mill in the township of
Cassville, Grant county. Wis, situated
on Rattlesnake creek five miles from
the village of Cassville. was in
| Cassv;lle when | heard of the attack
on TT. Sumpter. Having quite
large quantity OF wheat on hand at
once began converting II into flour in
anticipation of war The wheat had
cost me 20 cents per bushel, but by the
time it was ready for market it had
fallen to so. had gained some knowl-
edge of army tactics and drill while a
member of the company enlisted for
service in the Mexican war. was at
that time young man in New Castle,
Penn. The company was drilled and
uniformed and ready to start when
the war ended and we were disbanded.
began drilling a small squad of
my neighbors who would gather at
the mill for that purpose and to talk
over the news. There was much en-
thusiasm for and against war. A
squad got together in Cassville which
| drilled The sentiment there was
largely antagonistic to war. But
those who were patriotic were ex-
tremely so. \ German merchant
named Rafauf offered five dollars
apiece to the first men who would en-
list. In June or july Capt. Hoe of
Prairie du Chen, who was organizing
a company. sent recruiting officer
to Cassville who enlisted six or seven
Of my squad into the Sixth Wis.
was trout-fshing in MillviIle when
word reached me Of the defeat at Bull
Run July 21st. From that moment
all time and thought were given to
preparation for enlistment. A meet
ing was held in Tafton NOW Bloom
ington) for the purpose of organizing
a company. There were plenty of
men eager to 60 but as it was harvest
time many felt it impossible to leave
/. at once. Samuel Woodhouse had
been drilling squad at Tafton and it
was decided to meet at Lancaster
where our squads were joined with
men being drilled by John B. Calls.
We called ourselves the Lancaster
Union Guards, John B. Calls, Capt. /;
Samuel Woodhouse, lst Lieut.; H. F..
Strong, End Lieut.
BY enlisting left my wife and
three small children to care for them
selves. But / felt that the Union
must be preserved, whatever the cost.
This was my object in enlisting 10
saUe the Unson.
We repaired at once to Madison,
Wis. where we we're mustered into
service and became Co. F. of the 9TH
Reg. Wis. Vol We were ordered to
Washington at once. The journey, as
! / remember it, was uneventful with
the exception OF delay Of day at
Harrisburg. Pa, caused by ou
colonies dissatisfaction with the cars
provided. After a days delay we
went forward in what seemed to me
the very same cars. In about week
we were brigaded and as is we'll
known became part Of what was after
wards known as the Iron Bytgadc.
awe went into camp at Arlington.
where we had our first experience in
picket duty. There were MANY laugh
able incidents, one of which recall.
Members of the Seventh while out on
picket were alarmed by some stray
calves, on which they fired. A few
nights previous some of the Sixth had
been equally alarmed by the banging
of barn door and had fred on it.
As the men were returning through
the lines Of the Sixth they were greet
ed with cries Of Hi, you buckle ber-
ries, where are those calves that
charged you last night?" to which
they replied, Those calves are all
right, Bloody Sixth We shut them
in the barn that charged on you fell
lows" Peddlers were re-
garded as legitimate prey by the sol
diers and I remembe one day one
came into camp with load of boots
While the peddler was busy a man
got on the wagon and fitted himself
with a pair, then jumped down and
after walking about in the mud re-
turned to the wagon and demanded
his change. "Did you give me
| bill2" asked the pedlar. What was