The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1906-10-17
LETTER
From The Captain OF Co. r.
3rd Regt. Wis. Cav.

L
bers of Company F, 3rd Regiment
Wisconsin Cavalry, especially,
hereby address these remarks, as
was more intimately associated with
Co. F.
It would be one of lifes greatest
pleasures to be present at your
annual reunion October 9Th 1906,
and enjoy with you the congenial
atmosphere ever present on oc-
casions of this particular kind. But
my duties deprive me of being
present.
There is something which is in
spring about these annual reunions.
There is no selfish motive which
brings you here. You are drawn
together by ties which more closely
bind men unto each other than do
any others that are formed in this
world. The bond of friendship which
were forged in the heat of battle
are enduring. Although more than
forty years have passed, and the
time since the days of the civil war
is constantly increasing, the affect
ionate regard in which the mem
bers of Company F, 3rd. Regt. Wis.
Cav. are held by me, does not
diminish, it grows with advancing
years.
It is indeed, an impressing and
beautiful spectacle to see those
who stood together more than a
generation ago defending with all
their power our national life meet
ing together annually, to renew the
old friendships, to recount the old
privations and hardships, to rejoice
in the old victories, and not forget
full of the virtues of those of our
comrades who from year to year are
stricken from the rolls by the great
enemy which capitulates to no
earthly power. Let US then con-
graduate each other that we are
able to enjoy the privilege OF as
sembling annually to keep alive the
recollections of the many hardships
and privations, which we're occasion
ally interspersed with pleasures
that banished the dark side of a
soldiers life.
Comrades, many of you recollect
the morning of the 3rd day OF De-
cembef, 1861. Captain David S.
Vittum assembled Co. f. 3rd. Wis.
Cav. in the old Court House at Bar
aboo, in order that our relatives
and friends might take a farewell
of us, and that few recruits might
be enrolled in the company. The
recruits were as follows, as | now
have them in mind, we're all under
age and required the consent OF
parent or guardian. Mr.. Case, Mr..
Copeland and Mrs. Pratt and Mrs.
Kelly brought in their sons as their
sacrifice to their country, -Harri-
son J. Case. Frederick A. Copeland,
Chas. Fl. Pratt and George 4.
Kelly. We were then conveyed to
Mazomanie in wagons. Messrs
Luce, Johnson and Hox furnished
music on our departure.
We took the cars at Mazomanie
on the morning of the 4th for James
vile, arriving there at noon, took
dinner at the Stevens House, and
our quarters we're in a commodious
hall in the Hyatt House, where we
remained two weeks until our camp
could be prepared at the fair grounds
one and a half miles east of city.
When our camps was completed,
our entire regiment of over 1000
men went into camp for the winter,
which was cold and stormy one.
At this time we thought of Valley
Forge, but blood stained tracks
were nowhere perceptible in or
about our camp as Uncle Samuel
had far better provided for our COM
fort. Our time here was spent in
drill and the many duties prepara-
tory to campaign duty or active
service.
On the 26th dav of March, 1862,
our regiment took its departure for
| st. Louis, Mo. We took our de-
parture on two trains at 5 o'clock
D. m. When within three miles of
Chicago, an axle of car broke
wrecking five cars, killing IA and
wounding about 100 of our regi-
ment.
a. 4La 07+h dou of March 1880