Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-12-19


that he considered it one of the
most courageous deeds of the war.
The story, as told by Captain Will
liam s. McCready, company G of the
nth, is as follows;
John Marquardt of my company
fell severely wounded in the assault
upon the confederate works at Vicks-
burg on the 22d day of May, 1863
His thigh was broken. l detailed
four men, just at dark, to bring him
on his blanket off the field. l with
three other men brought off Captain
Peaslee of my company, who Id
been shot through his head. In a
few. minutes the men detailed to
bring off Marquardt came to me and
reported that the rebel pickets came
out Of the fort after them and they
had to leave him OF be taken prison
ers
"On the following day we saw
nothing of Marquardt, but on the
oath we saw a handkerchief waving
at the foot of the fort where he had
been left. Lieutenant Shepard had
command Of the sharpshooters In our
front that morning and he called for
volunteers to go with him to bring
off some man who must be lying
there wounded, and was evidently
making signals. Corporal Nurty
Shea Of company e and Robert
Lent, company A, volunteered to 90
with him, and the three ran forward
about $50 yards to the rebel works
and brought Marquardt into our
lines.
t'Marquardt told us that the confed-
crates had declined to take him into
their works, but had given him water
and told him that if he would signal
his own men and could get their atten-
ton, they would not fire upon the
Lieutenant Shepard and those who
went with him did not, of course,
know anyth 'ng of this agreement
when they started on what seemed to
all of us a most perf1ous undertaking,
for every foot of the way was being
swept by the enemy with heavy
front and flank fire"
Lieutenant Shepard is now living at
Mineral Point, Corporal Shea was with
his company till the 9th Of April, 1865,
the date Of Lees surrender at Ap-
pomattax, when he was killed in ac-
ton at Fort BlakeIey, Alabama. do
not know what has become of Robert
Lent.
II have told this story from memory,
and just as it was, I was present and
saw it all. I consider it one Of the bra
vest and most gallant deeds l saw dur
ing the whole period of my service
from 1861 to 1865" Captain Charle
ton has this to say about the matter:
Having learned that Department
Commander Martin is making an
effort to secure from the government
a medal of honor for my old friend
and companion-in-arms in the days
that tried mems souls, to wit: First
Lieutenant Sidney E. Shepard, Com
pany E 18th Wisconsin Volunteer In
fantry, on account of the distinguished
bravery displayed by him and three Of
his men on the picket line at the
siege of Vicksburg on the Z4th Of
May. 1868, when he and they went up
almost to the rebel works and brought
into our lines John Marqu ardt Of Com
pany G, who had been despa rately
wounded in the charge of the 22d Of
May, in the face of the rebel FORCES.
when more than a thousand men of
both armies witnessed the heroic act,
I am glad to testify TO the truth OF the
story told by Captain MnCready of
Copany G. It is surprising mat our
government has SO long failed to re-
cognize Lieutenant Shepards bravery.
But l presume it is all own to his
extreme modesty, for he would neither
ask anything for himself nor permit
his friends to do it for him.
Il was with the regiment on that
occasion and was personally cognizant
of the circumstances; so can readily
testify to the truth of the story. No
Drawer or better man than Lieutenant
ever entered the service of
b s country. He was quite youthful
when he enlisted, yet was at once
chosen "a lieutenant of his company
He was fine looking young officer
man OF good morals and perfect gen