Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-02-02
BY H. w. ROOD

week TO go over to the thriving
little city of Dodgeville in the interest
of patriotic instruction. Company c
Of my regiment was recruited there
for service in the civil war, and had
long been DESTROYS Of seeing the place
where the gallant young soldiers of
that company enlisted and began the
drill that made them so efficient in
the army.
OF those 100 men, found last week
in Dodgeville only one. Captain Daniel
Jones, now almost in sight of the S0th
milestone of his Journey Though so
far along in life, he is still active in
his grocery store. So genial and
pleasant in name he is that it is
not easy to imagine him as a captain
in uniform with drawn sword leading
a company of soldiers into battle.
Captain Jones enlisted in company
C on the 18th of September, 1861. He
came % Camp Randall as corporal
OF his company, and then went up
step by step until he came back to
Camp Randall on the 21st day of July,
1865, as captain of his company
most gallant and capable officer.
l went to. Dodgeville on Tuesday,
the 18th inst That evening attend
ed the joint installation of the local
Grand Army post and the Woman's
Relief corps. Those organizations
have a very pleasant home over
Strong's bank, not quite so large as
ours here in Madison, yet well fur
nished and comfortable. The post
once had large membership, but the
most of the comrades have been trans
ferred, one by one, to the nearbJ silent
city. There are now only q members,
and only nine of them were at the in
stallation, for the infirmities of age
are making themselves felt. But the
comrades whom / saw seemed whole
some and hearty, and in the hopeful
and happy expectation of living-until
they die, anyhow.
1t was jolly company of people
gathered in the hail. Not only were
the old comrades and the members of
the Relief Corps present, but a goodly
number good looking young people.
Up IN one corner, in a happy mood.
sat the members of the high school
orchestra, and they gave life and
spirit to the occasion as they drew
their bows and picked the strings. |
was pleased with the pride expressed
by the older folks in their bright
young musicians.
Before getting about the business
of the meeting, there was the kind OF
spread for which ladies' of the Relief
Corps are everywhere famous. | was
told by the preacher present that the
ladies of that particular corps are the
best cooks in Wisconsin-or some
thing to that effect. was also told
that the people in the hall on that oc-
oasion were among the very best folks
of Dodgeville. | was indeed glad to
find myself in so good company.
The officers OF the post We're in
stalled by Comrade Richard Carter.
and those of the corps by Mrs. R. j..
Hughes. Comrade j. p Smoker will
lie commander of the post for the en-
suing year, and Mrs. Oryille Strong
president of the corps.
BY the way, Comrade Carter claims
to have been the first man to enlist
from Wisconsin. He says he gave
Governor Randall his name at s
O'Clock on the morning of April 16,
1861, and then started off for Grant
county, where, in five days, he re-
cruited two full companies, one Of
which became company c of the sec
0nd Wisconsin, and the other, F of
the third. He went out as first SER
geant of company C, and was wound
ed in the battle of Bull Run, July 81,
1862. BY a general order he was
discharged during the following No
vember. In March, 1862, he again
entered the service in company | Of
the fifth regiment, where he became
lieutenant In 1864 he was commits
stoned captain and quartermaster of
subsistence, in which capacity he con-
tinued until his final discharge No
vember q, 1865, several months after
the close of the war. His was long
and honorable service
1t is sometimes said that Captain
Pliny Norcross was the first Wiscon-
sin man to enlist. The captain did
come down town from the university
on the 18th of April. 81, to enlist,
and it is question between the two
gallant captains of the time o. day.
D0dgeville has long had the best
of schools. / have been told that it
was good day for that city when
John Livingston became principal OF
schools there. Soon after he had en-
tered upon the duties of the position
the youngsters surprised the folks at
home by saying that the new teocher
was leaving the boys and girls in the
'fbig room" alone to govern them
selves while the teachers heard all
the recitations in other rooms. I sus.
peet that some of those fathers and
mothers who had their hands fun
in the government Of their own house
holds looked wise and prophesied no
end of trouble for the young school.
master by and by. But John Living
ston knew what he was about. BY
his own strong manhood he governed
those boys and girls in his absence,
and they reflected credit upon him
for his faith IN their manhood and wo.
manhood. John Livingston made our
schools said an old citizen to me,
and ever since then We have been
proud Of them.
AFfa- Eo-oFo-.- f--g-~-s-..t -.