Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-11-18
story Of One Boy Soldier.

N----N
common that he may be reckoned as
typical soldier OF our union army.
There We're thousands like him. whose
service differed from his only in de-
tail. ] knew him well. for he was
my boy friend, schoolmate and com.
rade, and what | tell about him will
be true in every detail.
Daniel Titus was born in Oak Grove,
Dodge county, Wisconsin, April Z.
1S43, and was eighteen years old Just
before the first skot was fired on our
nag at Fort Sumter. There were in
his family I've boys and FIVE girls. In
the early day OF the gold excitement
in California his father and brother,
who was some years older than he,
left the mother and younger children
and went west In search of gold A
few years later the mother moved
with her children up into the town of
Richford, Waukesha county, where
she bought cheap farm and went
at it to bring UP her children as well
as she could. She hired her team
work done. but worked in the fields
as man would do, Daniel helping her
as much as he could; while the older
two girls worked out here and there
for the neighbors In the winter all
the children attended school in our
little log school house. BY and by
the elder two sisters were married to
young men of the community.
During those years the mother
made a brave fight to keep the wolf
from the door, She could get but lit
tie help from Maria, Nancy and Mary,
for they were all younger than Daniel.
She hardly ever heard from the hus-
band and George in California, for
the mails from there did not come on
an overland limited If / remember
emily they did not take much pains
TO write home; and, as they were not
successful gold hunters, they sent her
little or nothing to help her get along.
About 1859 Mr.. Titus, an old, disap-
pointed man returned home, but they
never saw George. or heard much
from him afte that.
Ny folks lied onIg naif mile from
Daniels, an 1 we two boys played to
gether, fisbed together, went to school
together end, when we came to be Did
enough. worked together. His home
was always open to me and mine to
him.
was sixteen iii the spring of 81,
and my father gave me permission to
do as some other boys of our commun.
ity used to do,-go away and work
out duriLg the summer | was soon
at home in the family of Dwight
Brown, a farmer in the town of vi
emma. Dane county, and engaged to
work for him six months. wrote
to Daniel that a nearby neighbor
wanted to hire boy, and he, thinking
he could thus help his old father and
mother, came down and began work
there During that summer we saw
each other almost daily. The war
had begun, but we thought we were
boys went, and so on the 9th of Oc1
tober | enlisted in what later became
company E of the 18th Wisconsin,
which was being then recruited in
Delton, four miles toward Reedsburg
from Kilbourn. | urged Daniel to
enlist with me, but, though he wanted
very much to go with me. he said it
was his duty to go home and stay with
his parents. So went up to Delton
without him.
On the first day Of the next month,
November, our company, under Cap
tain Abraham Vanderpoll, came rid
ing along in thirteen farm wagons
hound for Camp Randall, here at Mad
ison. | had got permission to go
ahead p=iie the company stopped
over night at Lodi. and stay with my
friends on the farm in Vienna, who,
by the way, had ali the summer treat
ed me as if | were their own boy. In
the morning | went over to see Dan
lei, who. was digging potatoes on a
hillside this side of the present Dane
station. J thought I'd try again to
get him to enlist out he said he yet
believed his first duty was to his par
ents and, though | urged him, he
seemed to be firm in his decision. AS
we stood talking We saw the wagon
train bringing my company over the
high hill on the wagon road half
mile asst of Tame It was a beautiful
morning, bright and clear. In the
'front.' wagon we're our officers, fifer
and drumr1ers ana color bearer Our
flag floated bright in the sunlight and
the rhythmic beat OF Jim Solomon's
big bass drum set my heart to thump
ing with pride to think i belonged
among the brave boys winding round
the hill and down the road below US
! hastily babe Daniel good bye, asked
him to come to camp TO see me before
going home and ran toward the wa.
CONS. The teams stopped as came
to the road. and Lieutenant Gillispie
asked me who It was that was coming
down the Hill waving his arms and
calling out. Hold on, hold on! wait
a minutel Hold on there!" | turned
and saw Daniel was coming. He was
soon there. and he told me be was go
ing to enlist and go with us. Though
was glad sent a feeling Of sympa.
tbs to he old father and mother
and sisters up In Waushara courtv '
sAv @ dcrcd what they would think 0. II