New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-04-15
EXCHANGE EAGLE FOR STAR

insignia Of General to Replace
Colonel's Shoulder Straps.
Eberhart Bill is Passed bv Both
Branches Of the Legislature.
Will, Put Col. Joseph Bobleter in
Command of Minnesota Militia.
By the provisions Of the Eherhart mil
itary bill, whiched passed both the sem
ate and the house Wednesday and which
was signed by Gov. 5. R. Van SAINT Fri
day, Col. Joseph Bobleter, of this city,
will be elevated to the rank of brigadier
general and placed in command of the
militia forces of Minnesota. Col. Bob
Letter has for years been the ranking Off
Ger of the state guard and his election to
the position now held by Gen. Bend is
conceded.
According to the bill introduced by
Senator A.. O. Eberhart, of Mankato,
militia officers cannot retain their rank
for longer period than ten years with
out re. election but they may have the
privilege of becoming candidates to sue
coed themselves. Now that the bill has
become a law, prominent officers whom it
will effect are Brigadier General Bend,
Col. Jos. Bobleter, Lieut.. Col. G.. w.
Mead, of the Second Infantry, and Lieut..
Col. G. E. Johnson, of the Third Infan-
Try. AS the first named has been at the
head of the North Star troops since the
creation Of the Office it is believed that
he will be willing to step out in favor
of the New Ulm officer. ~,
From the point of long and contjnu-
Gus service in the guard, Col. Bobleter
is justly entitled TO the distinguished
honor, he organizing its first company
thirty-two years ago and having since
contributed greatly to its maintenance
and welfare. In addition, he has bril-
liant war record. Born IN Austria April
10, 1916, Joseph Bobleter immigiated to
America In 1858 and settled at Dubuque,
Ia. There he attended school until Sept.
as, 1862, when be enlisted in the Thir-
teenth United States Infantry. ~
Although but mere youth, Is years
Of age, young Bobleter performed his
duties as soldier valiantly, participant
ing in the battle of Little Rock, Ark,
and fighting in innumerable skirmishes
in Mississippi. On June II, 1868 he was
discharged from the service for disability
and came to New Ulm, but that same
year went to Fort Smelling with Capt.
Jacob N,x's company of First Minnesota
Mounted Rangers. His ambition to share
the fortunes of this regiment were rude
~ shattered, however, for in his weaken.
ed condition following his experiences in
the South he could not pass the rigid
physical examination.
Undaunted, he left the presence of the
calvalry surgeon and sought the naval
recruiting Office in St. Paul. There bet
ter luck attended his efforts, for he was
accepted and assigned 20 Admiral David
d: Porter's flagship, the "Black Hawk"
It 1854 came the Red River expedition.
After the defeat of Gen. Banks at the
battle of Pleasant Hill, he, with others,
volunteered to carry importantdispatches
in a small transport to Admiral Porter
and Gen. Smith, who were then about
60miles below Shreveport. the objective
point Of the expedition. On the way up
the river masked battery of rebels was
encountered and IN the sharp engage
ment which followed he was struck by
a piece of shell, the missile shatterlng the
bones of his night ankle and he barely
escaping losing his right foot.
Discharged from the navy at Paducah,
KY, Dec. is, 1864, he enlisted, Jan. 90,
1865, in the Second Iowa Cavalry, with
which organization he served in Missis-
sippi and Alabama during the beginning
of the reconstruction period and until
September 10, Of the same year, when he
was mustered out at Selma, Ala. Return
ing to Dubuque his devotion to things
military again induced him to enlist and
he joined the Thirty first United States
Infantry on Dec. 2, 1865. One Of the
first duties of this regiment was to escort
the Sioux Indians who had taken part in
the New Ulm uprising of s62. from their
prison quarters at Rock Island, ILL.,, and
Davenport, Ia, to Fort Sully, Dakota,