Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-08-25

became presidents, one Of the United
States, the other of the confederacy.
These two officers were on duty for q
short time In the two other forts
named.
While at Fort Crawford Lieutenant
Davis wooed and won General Taylor's
daughter, his first wife. 1t Is said to
have been a runaway match, but that
has been disputed. At all events Gen
eral Taylor was SO much offended
that he and Lieutenant Davis were
enemies until one day, while Taylor
was commanding an army and Davis
was colonel of a Mississippi regiment
in the Mexican war, Davis was serious
ly wounded in battle. Then General
Taylor rode up to the wounded colonel,
shook hands with him and warmly
complimented him for his bravery and
the good management of his COM
mand.
At the next general election Taylor
-"Old Rough and Ready" as he was
called-was elected president Four
years later General Pierce was chosen
DI6Slu6uI, anu one Ol TIE uTSL
he did was to offer his Mexican war
comrade, Colonel Jefferson Davis, a
seat in his cabinet, which the future
Confederate leader accepted. He made
a very good secretary of war
Speaking Of presidents, Wisconsin
people do not forget that volunteer
captain from Illinois campaigned In
their territory during the Black
Hawk war. He camped for a night
where Whitewater now stands, and
was also at Fort Atkinson before Gov
ernor W. D. Hoard made it prominent
by becoming the foremost butter and
cheese man in the country. That was
Capt Abraham Lincoln. Nor should
l stop here. A young lieutenant, with
his wife and daughter, went 20 years
ago to Fort Winnebago, where the
lieutenant was stationed for several
years. He was R. B. Marcy. Mrs.
Marcy was a prime social favorite and
their girl was beloved by the entire
garrison. She grew to beautiful wom-
anhood and married captain of the
engineer corps. In 1851 the captain,
who had retired to civil life, was adj
yanced over all the officers in the
army except Brevet Lieut. Gen Win.
field Scott, and was placed in active
command of the army. That Is what
happened to Maj. Gen. George B. Nc
Clellan, who three years later was the
choice of his party for president, and
officers who knew little Miss Marcy at
Fort Winnebago were almost per.
suaded to favor her husbands election
so that she could be mistress of the
White House. A recent mayor of New
York is her frstborn.
When General Mcclellan assumed
command Of the army in 1851 his
father-1n-law was a major and pay.
master. The general lost little time in
placing him on his staff as brigadier
general
Maj. David E. Twiggs was another
noted man. He served at Forts How.
ard and Winnebago. From 1928 ia
1880 Mrs. Twiggs was the only woman
at Winnebago. Twiggs was a briga.
der general on duty in Texas when
the great war came. He went with
the south, the only officer of his rank
who left the old army for the Confed.
eracy.
This story would not be complete
without reference to the social life
at those army posts of the early DAYS.
By the Fox river it is something over
100 miles from Fort Howard to Fort
Wtnnebago, and by the Wisconsin riy.
er from Fort Winnebago to Fort Craw.
ford it is 40 miles. In making visits
the travel was always by canoe. on
the rivers named and on Lake Whine.
bago from Oshkosh to Neenah. The
trip from Fort Howard to Fort Whine.
bago required a week or longer.
Sometimes friendly Indian did the
padding, but more frequently the
young officers and their wives were
the propellers.