Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-09-06


the captain under whom Mr.. Frazier
served, and win prove Of interest to
many in this section. as relating to the
one for whom the Grand Army post
here was named
VIRoCUA, Wis, May 81, 1905
Dear Mad, "a. By your request, com.
municated - me by your sister, Mrs.
Raynor, / do most cheerfully write q
brief accnurt of your late husbands
service in tns war of the rebellion as
best can afi II lapse Of forty years
since the close Of that cruel war, and
viii first say lat knew him for sever.
al years before the war as respected
farmer and citizen Of the town Of Jeffer-
son, Vernon county, state OF Wisconsin,
| | will further state that as a recruiting
| officer l called at his comfortable home
and enlisted him as soldier of Co. Q,
/ 1S regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, and
he immediate ely left his pleasant home
and family to ight i'll defense of the
country he loved so we'll and Joined
| said company at Huntsville, Ala, and
entered upon ais duties as soldier.
| will furth sr state that about the 18th
day of May. liter his enlistment, re.
! Joined my Co. @, then stationed at
| Whitesburg, Ala, and took charge of it
as captain nd commanded it to the
close Of the war, and from that time
| MAY 12) said Mir. Frazier and | were
near each other except for short time
when he was sick.
! My company and regiment remained
at Whitesbu until after the middle Of
| June, doing post and camp duty, such
as chasing afser rebel cavalry and bush
wackers At that time we were ordered
! TO Join Sherman's army, who was then
| on his cam aign against Atlanta, Ga,
| and we,then marched from Whitesburg,
| Chatanoogs, Tenn, and from there by
! the way of tsinggoid, ResaGca and Cal
| houn to AllaGoona Pass, Ga, and went
| into camp to guard the railroad and
| station there, and especially the ware.
| house, which was then flied with army
/ rations and other supplies. We remain
! ed there and IN that vicinity until the
/ following No smber.
l will no. speak briefly OF the part
| your husban ook in the battle Of Ala
toona, on the sh day Of October, 1864.
| l wish | had time and space 70 describe
| to you that battle ae I remember it, but
/ / will only az it was one of the moa6
/ brilliant Victories won by the Union
. armies, when one takes into cansidera-
tion the nun bers engaged on each side.
On the Union side there were only about
1900 men all old, divided into two forts
one on the W ct side of the railroad cut
that run thro Oh the hill, and the other
on the east le. My company was in
the west 70 The rebels had 5000
troops undeg command of General
French. Ic be brief l will say that
about y 8. Il. he rebels made charge
on the wesa eort, the one that your
husband waS They came with their
rebel yell an, N the run, firing at us as
they came, ) uckily for lis we had in
our fort thre mpanie5 oI an Illinois
regiment ar with 10 shooters, which
they used !fectively, and witr the
help of orr auskets, that 1t made II 90
hot for the rging columns that they
stopped whe within about three rods
of our fort = q laid down behind logs
and rocks tc' shelter but they kept up
| a continuous re at us and filed the air
I so thick with outlets that it was almost
impossible for a man to expose any part
of his body Or raise al arm above the
top of the en- .lank1nent around us, y hich
was about three feet Ugh, without get
ting hit wiUh bullet This hot and
3p. IA. During all this time C0mTade
Frazier was IN the front rank, bravely
doing his duty by loading and firing his
| mueket. At one time, in the hottest OF
the fight and when bullets were flying
thick as hal bullet passed through
/ Mr.. Frazier siousN between his shirt
and body acr - his back SO close that 1t
burned him nd for the time being he
. Thought he s wounded, but II did not
dampen his arior or courage and in 9
| moment or 0wo ne picked up his gun
and uontinu d loading and firing untiI
| the rebels & 70 Up the fight ard ran
away.
In this battle one-third or more oi
the men IL ,ur fort were killed o.
| wounded, and the rebel loss in killed o.
| wounded or Gaken prisoners was about
1900 men. And you may well be proud
that your hu land was one OF the men
who took pa in that battle
In JanEa1 1865, Mr. Frazier waf
transferred rom Nashville, Tenn, W th
his company and regiment, by water
and rail to N7w Burne. n G remain
ing there unt.i about March 2nd, when
he with his regiment aud company
$ srted on the march TO Goidboro, aud
ter three OF four days march were
met and attacked by the rebels at Wise
| Forks. where they engaged ia 8 battle
which lasted three or four days and
nights, and IL this fight Mr. Frazier
again showed his grit and bravery,
After this b tile we marched on to
Gold ,boro, aud from there to Raleigh,
near where 5ahngjn's army surrendered
April IA. 1865 From there We marched
TO Washington, D. C., and were in the
grand parade # Sherman's army IN re-
view through the streets Of Washing.
ton From there we wegs taken 70
Louisville, KY and mustered out OF the
service July 13. 1865, com ag from there
to Madison VIA. where the soldier
were paid of. Mr. Frazier rived home
about August /, 1865
| | desire to say, IL conclusion, that
your husband performed every duty az
signed to hifo faithfully aud efficiently
without q nr nuror complaint wheth-
er In Camp, tie or on the wearisome
marches. through rain Ut mnd, often
through dust ankle deep, SLING tho aiI
almost to suf3eatiOn, e9metitaes with s
&c rcity Of ager, and at the cSOs3 oi
day. tired ous GOOtsOfs and lame, would
lay down. perhaps oa few brush o.
limbs and few leaves Tor bed, with
nothing but a thin blanket and the star
~ heavens for r covering. and some
times the ratn pouring down. TheGs
are few Of fle yrivauons endured ry
your husband and hundreds Of thousand5
af other brave and patriotic msD who
ksfF their lpmiiie- and business taAl
{ esseir countrF ight be preserF ID to bs
I ac,icged by 30 who were 20 come ri