Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-01-23
ESTABLISHED 1856
aEmINIscENsEs OF WAR DAYS
One Of Vernon's Early Pioneers Writes
of Those Days.

VI EHoSS Oa3Ss
EDITOR CENSOR: have Just been
reading in the dear old CENSOR THAT
have read for fifty years. what H. w.
Rood said in the Grand Army corner
about the early days of our civil war.
1t at once carried my thoughts back to
the fall of Ft. Sumpter. James Berry,
who had been merchant in Spring
vile a few years and had failed, finan-
cially, bought forty acres of land that
had about ten acres plo>ved ready to be
sown to wheat, he having no team to
harrow the wheat in, and had just fin
ished sowing it. The writer had been
to Viroqua and heard that eft. Sumpt-
er had Fallen" and knowing that Mr..
Berry had served five-years enlist
ment in the regular army, and knowing
war meeting was called for the next
day, thought MIR. Berry ought to be
notified. On going to his place, telling
him FIT. Sumpter had fallen and want
ing him to go, he said, Il have my
wheat sown and yoke of oxen hired
to drag it in, or would CO." The writ
er said he would send team and hand
in the morning and drag it in, and
would take another team and go to the
war meeting with load of men. Berge
said, Charlie, that is like old Put, -
who left his pillow in the fie)' N the be-
ginning of the revolution | will
go, and go he did o. missed the
people there that lo,. ,.sN4 would enlist.
Keeping his pro- aoe received lieu
tenants COM ~ in the Eight Wis
eonsin req ~ That summer at
war me- ~ N Viroqua Berry, Smith
and , @ V of Springville, volunteered
foI sS%e years, or during the war.
WhAH., the writer started for home he
said, Hank are you going home now. "
mo" he replied. In passing through
Springvllle it was inquired rs Hank
coming homer" The answer was mo.
81 hope he will be the first one shot,
was said. Some parties went to Viro-
qua that evening and effected recon-
ciliation. In skirmish on the picket
line Hank was shot and slightly wound
ed, and a blood-stained garment sent
home with ''You got your wish. Lieu
tenant Berg told me he called to Hank
several times to halt, as he was eager
to ret ahead and have a shot. Hank
was creeping with his left hand and
feet on the ground, gun in right, when
a reb's bullet went through the muscle
of his left arm, grazing his side for
several inches. He refused to go to the
hospital. To such men all honor. Lieu
tenant Berry Was taken sick, went TO
to the hospital and later resigned and
came back home. The next spring
when the call "Three hundred thousand
more" was made, Mr.. Berry, mot
lieutenant now, c. M. Butt, John r.
Casson, c. A. Hunt and jeremiah M.
Rusk set to work hin earnest getting
volunteers for Co. A, 25th Wis. volun-
teers and in a short time had l60 or
more. Mr.. Hunt taking about forty of
the recruits with him, was given a cap
tain's commission in Go. X. Co. A of
the 25th Wis, think, was recruited in
as short time as any company OF the
regiment, the writer being one of the
number. why didn't he go?' Ask
Col Butt, my friend.
think the 25th did as good service
as any regiment according to its oppor-
| tunity.
Our frigate Philadelphia, while
chasing g pirate vessel IN the harbor OF
Tripof, ran aground, the crew taken
captive and the vessel made ready to be
used against us, when Stephen Decatur,
a midshipman on one of our men-of- war
at anchor near there. took boat-load
Oh men Diit udIh EOWCd IdNSiOeto~
ly to the Philadelphia, deceived the SEN
try by some of the crew understanding
their language, succeeded in getting to
the ship before being fired on and were
soon engaged in one of our most daring
exploits of hand to hand fighting. De
catur was felled to the deck and sab
er uplifted over him, when the assail-
ant was killed. Decatur arose and
fought like hon, set fire to the ship
and got away in safety In due time
after that event occurred a gathering
of many of the prominent men of our
government to do honor to the Hero
of the Philadelphia. "a Decatur, when
drinking his wine, held the glass up and
said, Here is to Opportunity.
When the war was over Major Rusk
returned brigadier general, Priyates
Butt, lieutenant colonel, Casson ii cap
tain, Hunt captain, Berry would have
been promoted to major, only he was
home on sick furlough, and Farquhar-
son of Boscobel, was ranking captain.
| am an inmate of the Patton Home
for the Aged, Portland, Oregon, and
this may be the last contribution appear
ing in the CENSOR over my signature,
and you may dump it in the waste bas-
ket, or cut it in two or more pieces, but
when read things of the early days
spent in Wisconsin, and especially dur
ing war times, it stirs my brain and
can't help IL. CHARLES WATERS.
n