Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-07-22
A Young sriaadisr.


have just found concerning one OF
the most brilliant OF the many young
officers Wisconsin sent 10 the war,
Captain William e. Strong, company
f, I'd Wisconsin infantry. Captain
Strong went into the service from Ra-
cine. he enlisted on the 23d day OF
April, 1861, and was the next day
made captain OF his company On
the 7th day OF the following septem-
Der he was commissioned major OF
the 18th Wisconsin, under Colonel
George t. Bryant and on the Els;
of November. 1864, he became lieuten-
an colonel OF the regiment. On the
preceding 1st OF September he had
been breyetted brigadier general OF
The United States volunteers, and
March II, 1865, he was made a fuis
brigadier general He was mustered
out September /. 1866, having been in
the service almost FIVE years and five
months.
On the 18th OF December. 1862
Major Strong was appointed assistant
inspector general, and he served the
most OF the time after that as an OH
Ger on the stan OF General McPher-
son, and so saS absent from the regi-
ment Being on the staff OF General
Mcpherson, he was close by the gen.
eral when he was killed at the bat.
tie of Atlanta, Georgia, July %. 1864
Some time after leaving the service
General Strong went 10 Chicago to
live, where he became a leading clti
gem He died there several years
ago.
| have spoken OF Colonel Strong as
brilliant young officer. When he
entered the service as captain of
company f Of the "a regiment he was
only 10 years old When he came
home as a brigadier general he was
barely 25 What would some moth
er OF a 19year-old boy of today think
TO see him so to war commanding q
hundred men, half of whom were old
err than he, some twice as eli? But
Captain Strong had the appearance In
those days of a man OF % He was
tall. well rounded. and OF splendid
physique: and he had commanding
appearance.
While In the "a regiment in Vir-
gnia. young Captain Strong had q
perilous adventure with a half.doZen
rebel soldiers In whose presence he
one day Unexpectedly found himself
This is the story Of It. as he told Il
himself
Presence OF Mind.
AS was passing through thlckej
was surrounded BY six rebel sol
diers--four infantry and two cavalry.
The footmeh We're poorly dressed ana
badly armed. having old rusty mus
kets, The eayalrymen were wen
mounted and we'll armed
Seeing / was caught | thought ii
best TO surrender at once, So said.
Gentlemen, you have me-
Il was asked various questions as
TO who | was, where ! was going
what regiment | belonged to, etc. all
Of which refused to answer.
"One OF the footmen said. Let's
hang the id Yankee scouudrel. and
he pointed to a convenient linz.
Another said, No. let's take him
10 camp and hang him there
One Of the cayalrymen, who
seemed to be the leader. said Well
take him TO camp
They then marched me through
an open place---two footmen in front.
two IN the rear, and a cavalryman on
each side of me, was armed VITA
two reviewers aud my sword A(ter
going some twenty rods the sergeant
who was on my right noticing my
pistols, commanded me 70 halt ana
give them up, together with my
sword
Il said Certainly gentlemen. and
Immediately halted As | stopped,
they all filed past me. aud. Of course,
We're then in front Of me.
we were al this time in an opt
part OF the woods hut about sixty
yards 10 the rear there was thicl,e-
81 auderbrusb Thus everything
was In my favor was quick OF foo
and passable shot Yet the design
OF escape was not formed until /
brought my pistol pouches 20 tie
IRON, Of my body and my haials
touched The stocks. The grasplng
OF my pistols suggested uy cockiu@
then as ! drew them opt This g.
did. and thv moment so command
Of them I she, down the I've sces-
men nearest 70 me. about six feet OF.
Ono with each hand I ;heu hume.
diately turned and ran toward tha
thicket In the rear
The confusion ~ my captoss was
- great apparently, thar I had near
~ reached cover before any shots
were fred at me. One ball ssed
through my left cheek and out u my
mouth Another. musket ball,
went through my can;een.
Immediately after this yo,ley the
two o&yalyymeu separated, one 9,
my right. the other 70 my left. to Gu,
of my rotreat,--the remaining two
footmeu charging directly toward me
When the horsemen came up turaed
and fired three or four shots. hut the
balls few wild. then ran again. got
over a small knoll ana had nearly