Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-09-12
How comrade Hensey Got Into the

Comrade Charles D. Hensey, now
member of Lucius Fairchild Post,
came to Madison from Jefferson in or
der that his son, who is a student in
the university, might have home
while attending school He was
member of the 4th Wisconsin Cav
airy, the regiment in which two Wis
consin governors, Hoard and Peck,
served their country.
One evening while some of the COM
rades sat in a group awaiting the
opening of post meeting, Comrade
Hensey told how he he came to enlist
The story is of general interest and is
given here.
Il was born in Germany and came
to this country when | was seven
years old. My people came first to
Milwaukee, but in 1916 settled in
jefferson county. In 1856, when was
l9 years old, l went, with Martin Erie
del, a neighbor boy, to New Orleans
to seek my fortune. We got work get
ting out railroad timber, on the road
then being built from New Orleans
north through Mississippi We worked
there three years, then we took a yes
sci to Vera Cruz, on the coast of Mex
leo, and then went on foot over the
mountains to the city of Mexico, in
tending to work in the silver mines
near there. Not much was being done
though, and we could not find such
employment as we wished, so we
footed back to Vera Cruz and return
ed by boat to New Orleans, when we
went back to the work we had left.
I'm 1860 the war had already begun
in spirit down there People talked
war every where, and in many places
men were drilling in preparation for
war. We worked till the firing on
Fort Sumpter and the blocade, and
then We could not get out. At this
lime we were 26 miles out of New Or
leans on the road to Jackson, Mississ-
lpp1. The confederates did not com
pei US to go into the army for they
needed us on the railroad work.
"One day in April, 1862, Superin-
tendent Jones, who visited us about
Jnce month, came to look our work
over. We heard him say to our boss,
The ID yankees have already
taken Forts Jackson and Phillips
down the river from New Orleans,
and by this time are in the city
When | heard this remark l told Mar
TIN, my companion, that I was going
10 try to get ont of that and into the
city, where we could enlist in the
union army.
Stole supe rintendent's Car.
superintendent Jones had come to
US on handcar. While stopping there
his car was left by the track at the
station some distance from our camp.
We said we would swipe the car and
escape on it to New Orleans &c miles
away. We went to the station late at
night. No one was near us, and we
proceeded to construct a kind of
stockade, or pen, on the platform of
the car for protection in case we
should be fired upon. We thought
there must be pickets stationed along
the track.
1T was between one and two
o'clock in the morning when we
started out After we had gone about
four miles we came to a picket post
We were urging our car along as fast
as we could when there came out
sharp and clear on the night air the
challenge, Halt! Who goes there?
We put forth all the energy possible
and shouted, Special messenger from
JOnes' The guards were not satisfied
with our answer and fired upon US.
Their shot struck our stockade, but
we were not hit. They could not catch
us if they tried, so we were in no
further danger from them.
I'VE had then a clear run of about
nine miles, when we heard another
challenge. We were tired of course. by
this time, but we turned on all the
steam we had and lhouted as before.
Special messenger from Jones!'
These guards, too, fired at us, and
with the same result We congratulate
ed ourselves that we had taken time
time before starting to build our little
fort. 1t was better for stopping bullets
than We were. Two miles further
along we passed another picket post.
We could see the men. There were
only two Of them. They challenged us.
but we were making So good headwav
that they did not undertake to fire at
US.
'At this time we were within about
eleven miles of New Orleans. We be-
came more and more hopeful as we
rolled along, though our arms achcd.
We passed over eight miles more Of
the road without being disturbed.
When within five miles of the city we
were halted again. 1t was then getting
so light we could see that those
pickets wore the blue, and though we
were in danger from them, we were
happy. When they challenged US we
stopped, umped off the car, tipped the
thing into the ditch, went to them
and surrendered. I cannot help laugh
Ing now to think Of superintendent
Jones surprise when he came about
that time, to put his car on the track
l wonder what he said"
Wouldn't Believe the Story.
We told our story To the Yankee