Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-05-20
INTIMATE STORY OF
FORTY-N|NTH INDIANA
Col. Keigwin Puts History of POpu-
lar Regiment Into Manuscript
for Preservation.
IN CAMP AND ON THE MARCH.
LIQUID Courage in Face Of Advance
of Morgan's Raiders Near
Jacksonville.

Survivors of the Forty-ninth Indiana
infantry are much interested In MS
tory Of the regiment, and Its services
in the War of the Rebellion, which
has been put in manuscript form by
Colonel James Keigwin, who succeeded
John w. Ray as colonel, the latter re-
signing in June, 1852, and KelgWln
continuing colonel till the close or the
war. In his reminiscent talk Colonei
Keigwin has much to say OF the part
which Jacksonville played in the
great contest, and of early military lie
In Clark county, and he Weaves IN
number of amusing Incidents, not only
bearing directly on regimental expert
ences, but along other lines. For IN
stance, when the draft was ordered IN
Clark county, Dr. William f. Collum
was examining surgeon to Whom
every man wanting exemption from
military duty was compelled to report.
DR.. Collum kept a dairy of his exam
nations, and it is Of record in the
department at Washington, that, as
Keigwin says, there were more able
bodied, unsound men under As years
Of age than can now be found ON the
same number of square miles on the
face Of the globe" and II "one should
search the catalogue Of all diseases to
which the human race is heir, they
will be found duplicated in that rec
Crd"
prohtbitfonfats Imb1bed Courage.
When the Morgan raid struck In
diana every able-bodied man In JEFF
fersonville was ordered out, formed
in companies, provided with arms and
equipments, and set to guard the pike
leading from Charlestown, over which
Morgan was supposed to be marching
Among them were two staid citizens,
s. B. Dtffendeffer and Isaac Gather.
The latter was pronounced prohibit
ZIONIST and an earnest Methodist. DIFF
fendeffer had filled his canteen with
something more substantial than water
and he was taking a good hearty pull
at the contents when he discovered
that Gather was looking at him. Com
mon courtesy demanded that Gather
should be invited to join, and to Diff
fendeffer's intense surprise the invi-
tation was accepted with alacrity.
After taking a long and strong pull
at the canteen Gathers courage be-
gan to be demonstrative, and he raised
his gun to an aim, pointed steadily
down the Charlestown pike, and shout
ed in stentorian tones, John Morgan,
If you are ever coming, come right
now!" Morgan failed to report.
After service in West Virginia the
regiment was transferred to the west,
and the steamer bearing the boys
anchored in front of Jacksonville for
the night, with instructions from the
Secretary of War that no furloughs
should be issued. Many of them were
in sight Of their homes, and, as a re-
suit, they stole overheard, spending
! the night in "Old jeff" and reporting
the next morning, while the steamer
was passing through the canal at the
falls. Lieutenant Thomas Barr, OF
Company B, was officer of the guard
and at the canal many relatives and
friends came to visit their loved ones
who were barred from leave of alb
sence. Among them was Mrs. William
Smith, with an infant in her arms
and as Lieutenant Barr was assisting
her on the steamer he let go his grasp
of the infant, and it fell into the
water between the boat and the canal
Without a seconds hesitation Barr
sprang to the rescue, without even
throwing aside his sword. He saved
the child, but at great risk of his life
When the regiment went into action
some months later at ChickasaW
Bluffs, the father of the little one was
killed.
Marriage as Military Necessity.
When the steamer bearing the Forty
ninth infantry was steaming down the
river Colonel Keigwin discovered thai
two young women had disobeyed the
order to leave the boat at New AL
many, and they explained that thei1
sweethearts were members of the regi
ment, and they had concluded to re
main aboard till Memphis was reach
ed, when they would be married
Keigwin demonstrated, but in vain
The young women were determined
After thinking over the matter and
finding it impossible to secure mar
riage license. and further encouraged
by the fact that all laws at that time
were in a chaotic condition as to en-
forcement, he concluded to issue an
order directing the chaplain to marry
the two couples, ION the ground OF
military necessity" and the chaplain
pronounced the ceremony after first
securing copy of the order, SO as to
protect himself, he said, in case his
conference called for bill of particu-
lars The young wives then remained
aboard till Memphis was reached.
Eighteen months after this wedding
on board the steamer, by which time
the husbands and their regiment had