River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-11-10
Obituary
EDGAR B. ARMSTRONG

The restlessnesS that distinguish
es American life to-day causes us
to regard with feeling of strange
ness any one who possesses the
stability of character to settle
in one place and there spend his
life; so unstable is our society that
we might we'll call this the Moving
Age Mr.. Edgar B. Armstrong
was not so constituted as to feel i'm
PEELED to be ever chasing after an
earthly paradise where wealth, ease,
and honor are reputed to exist for
him who goes in search of such a
land.
In 1857, when he was min eteen
years of age, he moved with his par
ents to the town of Trimbelle, Wis
consin, and his home has been in
Pierce county, not far from Trim
belle ever since, making period of
fifty-three years; more than forty
years of this time were spent on his
large farm just about halfway be-
tween River Falls and Prescott.
Three years ago he moved to River
Falls where he resided up to the
time of his death. He was born in
St. Lawrence county, New York,
September 81, 1888. When he was
a year old his parents moved to
Canada where he grew to manhood
and worked at his trade as mill
wright.
At time when true loyal citizens
were more valuable TO the nation
than all the riches of the Incas, Mr..
Armstrong offered his life as sac
riice upon the altar of his country.
On July 10, 1861, he enlisted at
Prescott, Wisconsin, III Company
B, Sixth Wisconsin infantry. The
following year he was transferred
to Battery B, Fourth United States
Artillery; he continued in the SER
vice until July Is, 1864, when he
was honorably discharged. Thus
he gave three of the best years of
his early manhood to bis country.
Few men took part in a greater
number of hard fought battles than
did Mr.. Armstrong. GAINESVILLE,
the second battle of Bull Run,
South Mountain, Fredericksburg,
Fitz-Hugh's Crossing, Chancellors-
Vile, Gettysburg, Mine Run. the
Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Laurel
Hill, North Anna, Cold Harbor,
Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, Hal
cher's Run, Five Forks, and Apo
mattox are formidable list How
any mortal man ever lived through
such a series of battles, some of
which were the bloodiest in the
annals of history, is impossible to
understand.
Mr.. Armstrong; large, erect,
commanding presence marked him
out as king of men, In addition
to this military bearing, he posses
sed courage that knew no fear.
This is illustrated by the part he
took in the famous battle of Gettys-
burg. Colonel Watrous gives the
following account of Mr.. Armstrong
at Gettysburg:
"At Gettysburg, Sergeant Arm
stong had command of section of
the battery that was in most ex-
posed position. The enemy, in
large force, was bearing down upon
that part of the line, coming with a
veil. An officer directed Armstrong
to cut the horses loose and hurry to
the rear with his men. Leave those
blessed old brass pieces for the
! Johnnies? Not yet, Mr.. Officer,
thought Sergeant Armstrong; not
vet. The brass guns were loaded
with three charges of canister, and
they barked right into the faces of
the yelling, charging soldies, brave
men as ever lived. Still another
volley was sent to them, and then
Sergeant Armstrong gave the COM
mand to retreat with ali possible
speed, and when the sun went down
on that 1st of July, 1868, the SER
geant stood by his guns on the
height of Gettysburg, the same
guns that he had made such de-
structive use of down in that hell
earlier in the day,--the guns that
did such good service in the rest of
the battle the guns that would
have been turned against the Yam
KEGS but for Armstrong refusal to
obey a superior"
Mr.. Armstrong was a lifelong
Mason. In the spring of 1860, when
he was only % years of age he was
made a Master Mason of the Pres
colt, Wisconsin, Lodge, number los.
A few years before his death, he
transferred his membership TO the