The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-11-16
FOUND DEAD IN BED.
Veteran George Smith, of Silver Lake,
Passes Suddenly to the Great
Beyond Yesterday.
LONG SERVICE IN THE WAR.

Served His Country for Nearly Five Years
on the Sunny Batt1efelds of the South
Was Wounded While Fighting in Front
of Atlanta, but Refused to Leave His
Comrades and Continued as a Corporal
Until the Regiment was Mustered Out.
A report was brought in from Silver
Lake today announcing that George
Smith, one of the best known residents
of the village and one of the best
known veterans of the civil war in this
part of the state, was found dead in
bed at his home Wednesday morning.
The conditions of the sudden death
were most pathetic. Mr.. Smith and
wife had been out calling the night
before and did not return home until
late During the war the deceased
lost one of his arms and when he and
his wife we're retiring that night he
complained of great deal of pain in
the stub of the arm. In the morning
Lrs. Smith called her husband at the
sua1 hour, but he failed to respond.
She got out of bed, but when she ap-
preached her husband he was lying
with his eyes open and was already
stiff and cold. Neighbors were called
in and a doctor summoned, but the
aged veteran had fought his last fight
and the examination of the doctor
showed that he had been lying dead at
the side of his wife several hours. The
sudden death is attributed to heart
disease.
The death of Corporal George Smith
marks the passing of one of the most
patriotic of the long line of heroes of
the civil war, who went from Kenosha
county to lay down their lives for their
country.
He was an early pioneer settler of
the town of Wheat1and, having come
to that town long before the breaking
out of the war. When Capt. Sheldon,
of Burlington, organized Company C,
of the First Wisconsin Infanty on Feb.
II, 1861, Smith was one of the first
men to enlist and when the army was
mustered out in July 1865, he was
among the soldiers who was named as
absent on account of wounds.
During the rebellion, with his famous
company, Corporal Smith saw much of
the hard fighting of the great struggle.
He followed the destiny of his company
during the long campaigns in the
East and South, and July 4, 1864, while
the regiment was fighting before At
1anta, a rebel bullet carried away the
arm of Corporal Smith.
He refused to leave the ranks and as
soon as the wound had healed he was
found marching with the boys again.
Among his comrades he was known as
the zone armed Corporal" On Sept.
10Th, 1864, he was transferred to
the 21st Wisconsin regiment and
later on, June 9Th, 1865, he was again
transferred to the 3rd Wisconsin regi-
tnent. AS a member of this regiment
he took part in the closing campaign
of the war and in one of the bloody
fights he was again carried to the rear
among the wounded. This wound did
not heal for many years and he was
not able to be present at the final
review or the VICTORIOUS army. ne
turning to this county after the war he
settled in Brighton on farm where
he lived until about q year ago when
he removed to Silver Lake to live. He
has always taken the most lively in
terest in the affairs of the Grand Army
and was one of the Charter members
of the Burlington post. His face was
always conspicuous among the COM
rades at the annual reunions of the
different companies to which he be-
1onged and his death will leave a va
cant chair around the camp fire which