Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-02-13
LOCAL HISTORY.
Personal Experience of Henry f. Young
Capt. of Co. r., eth Reg. WIS, Vol Inf.

Capt. of Co. r., 9Th Reg. WIS., VOL AhI'
At the time of the firing on Ft.
Sumpter, | was owner and manager OF
a fourishing mill in the township OF
Cassville, Grant Co., Wis, situated
on Rattlesnake creek five miles from
the village of Cassville. was in
Cassville when heard of the attack
on Fl. Sumpter. Having quite
large quantity of wheat on hand L at
once began converting it into flour IN
anticipation of war. The wheat had
cost me IS cents per bushel, but Dy
the time it was ready for market 1t
aad fallen to so. | had gained some
knowledge of army tactics and drill
while member of the company en-
listed for service in the Mexican war.
was at that time a 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 small quad of my
neighbors who would gather at the
mill for that purpose and to talk over
the news, There was much enthusi-
asm 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 extremely so.
A German merchant named Rafauf
offered FIVE dollars apiece to the first
men who would enlist. In June or
july Capt. Hoe of Prairie du CHEN,
who was organizing company, sent
recruiting officer to Cassvllle who
enlisted six or seven of my squad into
the 9th Wis.
was trout fishing in Millville 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
inc was held in Tafton (now Bloom
ington) for the purpose of orgarizing
a company. There were plenty OF
men eager to 90 but as it was harvest
sine many felt it impossible to leave
at once. Samuel Woodhouse had
been drilling a squad at Tafton and it
was decided to meet at Lancaster
where our squads were Joined with
men being drilled by Jonn B. Calls.
We called ourselves the Lancaster
Union Guards, John B. Calls, Capt. ;
Samuel Woodhouse, 1st Lieut.; IL. f..
Strong, I'd Lieut..
By enlisting | left my wife and three
small children to care for themselves,
but felt that the Union must be pre-
served whatever the cost. This was
nv object in enlisting to SAGE the
J71jon.
We repaired at once to Madison,
Wis. where we were 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 a day at
Harris burg, Pa, caused by our
colonel's dissatisfaction with the car
provided. After a days delay we
went forward in what seemed to me
1he very same cars. In abouta week
we were brigaded and as is well known
became part of what was afterwards
known as the Iron Brigade.
We went into camp at Arlington,
where we had our first experience in
picket duty. There were many laugh
able incidents, one of which | recall i.
Mem bers of the Seventh while out on
ricket were alarmed by some stray
calves on which they fired. lew
NIGHTS previous some of the Sixth had
been equally alarmed by the banging
hoH
AS the men were returning through
the lines of the Sixth they were greet
ed with cries of eli, you Huckle ber-
ries, where are those calves that
charged you last night?" to which
ehev replied, CHOSE calves are all
eight, Bloody Sixth. We shut them
in the barn that charged on you fell
l0ws.'' Another -Peddlers were re-
garded as a legitimate prey by the
soldiers and | remember one day one
came into camp with load of boots.
While the peddIer was busy man got
on the wagon and fitted himself with
. pair, then jumped down and after
waking ABOUT in the mud returned to
she wagon and demanded his change.
Did YOU give me bill?" asked the
a,eddler. ..What was it?" The soldier
unblushingly answered, Twenty
dollars" Whereupon the pedlar gave
him eight dollars change, the price OF
-he boots being twelve dollars. No
one informed the vender of boots of
che fraud being practiced upon him.
After leaving Camp Arlington
was detailed for service in the Engi-
aeenng and Construction Corps under
Major Houston. l served in that
corps until the battle of Antietam
which was the first fight participant
ed in. hereby give some incidents
If that battle as described by me in a
etter written while the events we're
still fresh in my mind.
CAMP NEAR SHARPSBURG, J
Md, Sept. 26, 1862.
The first fire we were under was
he second morning after we crossed
lie Rappahannock river. That night