Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-02-27
An interesting Letter.

| tStLSE VIII no uUuuI NC nSSAOSbhG
to some persons besides him to whom
It was addressed:
"In March, 1861, was in Valpara.
ESQ. Chill, but when l found that the
storm of war was about to burst over
ny native land | shaped my course
toward Boston, which was then my
home. was born there September
20, 1854; SO, you see, l am now "
years of age.
Having arrived there I enlisted in
Company G of the 22d Massachusetts
regiment of infantry and 10 days
afterward we were in Washington.
Our first lieutenant was Nelson A i.
Miles, the present General Miles. He
was then % years old. was a serg-
cant of the company. Miles lad been
with us in Virginia but few months
when he was detailed for staff duty.
In September. 1862, he was colonel OF
the 61st New York regiment of in
fantry; and in August, 1864 he wore
the straps of a Major General. In
these later years he became as you
are aware, lieutenant general of the
army. / can assure you that from
What | have known of him, he has
beeu Well worthy that high rank. 1t
was Miles who first recommended me
for a commission.
81 was, while in the 22d Massa
clrsetts. shot three times in battle.
The last time when was wounded,
and was in hospital, received a let
ter from the company clerk telling NE
that had been elected, by vote of
the company, first lieutenant When l
was almost able to walk was stricken
with typhoid fever of the worst
form. and this completely used me up.
At my ouyalescence l was obliged.
with alany regrets, TO take my dis
charge from the army.
My physicians advised me 10 take
a rest of two years in order to regain
my heath AS | had a brother IN
Vernon county, Wisconsin, a teacher
and county surveyor, l went there on
visit Before starting for the west
| had sent money for the purchase Of
eighty acres of fine land. Shortly
after my arrival there draft was
ordered. and l got there just in time
for the enrolling officer to get my
name; and, as a result, | was draft
ed. My late discharge as an in
valid did not as one would think
exempt me from the draft. | thought
that great injustice was done some of
the men who reported at Ia Crosse
for examination, for many OF them
we're in Nc condition for army serv-
zee. The conditions were such at
that time that the men composing the
BOARD were not very particular about
the physical strength of the pef-,ns
who had been drafted The great
thing then was TO get men to fill the
quotas Nearly every man in the
town where | was living was drafted;
and this WIS the case almost every
where.
although I was in no physical con
dition to withstand the extreme ex-
posture of active army service, made
uO L W do even
glad-to serve my country again. Al.
ter reporting at La Crosse to the
provost marshal / was sent with
about 400 other conscripts ~, to
Madison, from there to be forwarded
to the front. I presume you can
imagine something of my mortifica-
ton to be placed in this class OF re-
cruits, after having left position in
South America paying me 500 a
month, and travelling over eight
thousand miles on the ocean to get
where | could enlist as a volunteer as
soon as possible after the beginning
cf the war; and then having been in
many battles, been three times wound
ed and discharged for disability. and
with orders to rest for two years
must confess that | was Inundated in
being classed as drafted man. There
WAS nothing to do, however, but to go
and make the best of it.
We were sent from Madison to
Chattanooga where we remained sew
eral days. Carver Clary can tell you
that l might have been post quarter
master sergeant there, for I was well
used to the duties of such a position
The quartermaster told me that his
sergeant had died a few days before
cur arrival, and he had been unable
as yet to find an enlisted nan capable
OF taking the place. The quarter
master was a fine man and officer and
he offered me every inducement to
remain with him. But I wanted to
so to the front and see the end of the
war from the ranks.
When we arrived at Atlanta it was
midnight on a Saturday and the cap
tain having charge of us was drunk.
told Carver Clary, Jason Phillips and
several others to follow me and, as
we had not yet been assigned to any
regiment, / would see If we could not
get ourselves so assigned. We very
quietly left the depot yard, found what
WAS called a Soldiers Rest and got
4 place to sleep a.. morning. In the
morning while I was trying to get ra.
tions FIR myself and the rest Of the
boys a sergeant told me that the
Twelfth wisconsin. camped about ~
teen miles north of Atlanta, near
Marietta. was an O. X. and he ad-
ViSad ms To 90 there We were uo-