Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-12-01
BACK WARD
ABOUT FIFTY YEARS
More Memories of Early Days in Potos Billy Glib
sons Joke on the Preacher How Did Grant
County Towns Get Their Names?
BY HERMAN BUCHNER

they enlisted in Potosi, resided IN
adjoining towns.
In connection with Capt. Schwan' &
company it would not be out of place
to reprint an article written some
years ago, and heretofore published
in one of the county papers. The
name of the paper which should have
credit, I cannot recall. SO l give
credit to all of them.
MEMORIES.
The events of the fall of the year
of 1862 have left a deep impression
upon my mind. | was a school girl
then and attended the school in the
village of Potosi where [ resided.
Prof Ziba Schwan was the principal.
The fall term had just commenced.
The town had been pretty we'll
drained by the recruiting officers, so
that the upper class of the school was
composed principally of girls. There
was a molly crew of us. can hardly
recall them all. but there was Lizzie
Price, Merida McNab, Mary Jones,
Helen Angel, Mary Fairall, Laura
and Eliza White, Sadie Kinney.
Margaret Runion, Mary Banda, Mary
Jane Pauley, Mrs. Jane Dauch. Louisa
Dauch. Laura Templeton, Josie
Woolley, and, of course. Marcia E.
st. John. and others. Many of them
are still alive and married, others
have passed to the beyond. We all
loved our teacher, he was great
favorite, not only in the school, but
with the peopls of our village, who
looked upon him with great respect.
He VISA a learned man, polite and
dignifed, but yet of a pleasant and
sometimes jovial disposition. One
morning school was called, and in
stead of proceeding with the lessons.
he addressed the school and said !:
''Dear pupils, you will know that our
country is in danger. Plowshares
and running books have been turned
into swords and bayonets, the country
needs every man and it is every
patriots duty 10 rally to the protec-
tion Of our flag. | feel it my duty
to give up this school and take my
chances with others who have gone
before me, and therefore must bid you
all good bye. These were not the
exact words he used. but about as
near as | can remember them. He
spoke with great feeling, tears were
streaming down his cheeks before he
had finished, and hardly dry eye
could be found in the school room.
A company had been organized in the
village and Prof. Swan was elected
Captain. For some time the company
drilled on the school ground. / can
we'll recall how we girls used to sit
on the side hill above the school house
and watch the boys drill. Finally
the company was assigned to the 25th
Wis. Reg. and was thereafter known
as Co. H. The time soon came for
the Company to join the regim ent at
Lacrosse. 1t was on the 4th day of
Septem Der, 1862, if I remember cor
rectly. 1t was rainy day and the
sluices of heaven seemed to be opened.
Co c.. commanded by Captain Far
quharson, had arrived the night before
from Lancaster, and Co. E. com
manded by Captain Scott, had come
from Platteville, all bound for La
Crosse. In spite of rain and wind
many of the people were at the island
landing that memorable morning to
see the three companies off for the
war. Soon the War Eagle, river
steamboat, took our friends on their
way up the river to the regiments
rendezvous. Those who remained
ashore overwhelmed with grief and
sorrow and with tear stained eye soon
after sought their lonesome homes.
Not over one-half of the members of
the three companies ever returned
from the war.
Marica E. Buchner.
Uncle Billy Gibson was we'll
LpoUn cho roctar around Potosi in ifs