Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-04-21
BY H. w. ROOD

just now the interest OF many old
soldiers and their friends Is center
ing around the proposed trip to Vicks
burg IN May, TO be present at the
dedication of the Wisconsin monu
ment now nearing completion there.
The Vicksburg campaign began In
January, 1863. The first assault upon
the Notifications in the rear of the
city was made on the 18th day of
May, the second assault on the 22d
OF May, and then the siege began,
which ended with the surrender on
the following All of July. The ed
of next month Will be the forty-sev-
enth anniversary of the second as
sault and the beginning of the siege,
and that day was selected as the
time for the dedication of the mon
ument. Since the 22d of May comes
this year On Sunday, it has been de-
cided that the exercises will be held
until May %.
There are hundreds of old veter-
ans who wish to make this trip, and
VII do so If well enough at that
time. The Illinois Central road, and
others. suppose will give to all
who go to vickslrrg at that time a
rate of ore cent q mile. The dis
lance from Madisoa is 915 miles, ana
SO the fare for the round trip will
be $3.50. This tate will hold good
for all VINO go. whether old soldiers
or not Regular s,eepers Will be IS
one way. If two persons occupy a
berth, the cost vii be only $3.50
each. Tourist sleepers will cost half
as much. If two persons occupy one
llerth, the cost both ways will be only
$3.50. This makes it possible for those
who wish to see Vicksburg, the great
military park there, the old fortifica-
tons of the days of the siege. the
hundreds of monuments placed there
by the different states, and other
matters of interest. to do so at small
expense. 1t will no doubt be the
last opportunity Of the kind, and the
most should be made of it. The I'LL
nois Central passes. between here
and Vicksburg, through historic
ground, and the trip will be interest
ing all the way, especially to those
who were in General Grants army
during the first half of the year 1863.
Monuments and Markers.
The movement to erect Wisconsin
monuments at sicksburg began with
the legislature of 1901, when the gov
ernor was authorized to appoint
commission consisting of three or
more persons having belonged to
regiments or batteries that were in
the siege of Vicksburg, to go to
Vicksburg and locate the positions
OF the wisconsin organizations in the
lines, and the sum of one thousand
dollars was appropriated to pay the
necessary expenses of their trip. but
they were to have no further pay.
Their duties were thus outlined by
the legislature:
"Duty of Comm ssion. Section 2.
That it shall be the duty of the
commission to cooperate with the
national park commission in ascer-
tanning and exactly determining the
positions of each Wisconsin organ
cation in the siege of Vicksburg, and
also to recommend to the governor
of the state such subsequent legisla-
ton as will, in the opinion of the
commission, permanently and suita-
bly, mark the positions thus ascer-
tanned, and worthily commemorate
the valor and services OF Wisconsin
soldiers in the campaign and siege
of vicksburg.
This commission consisted of 80
the performance of the duty thus
assigned to them, but enough OF
them did so to locate the most adj
vanced positions of their regiments
and batteries during the siege, and
as a result the legislature of 1893
passed bill with the following
title: IAN act authorizing the cree
ton of monuments in the national
park to vicksburg in accordance
with the recommendations of the
commission heretofore appointed. and
appropriating sum of money to
carry out the provisions of this act.
BY his act the governor was au-
thorized to appoint a commission
consisting of three members, all of
whom had been soldiers in the siege
of Vfcksburg. one of whom was with
the army on the right of the line.
another in the center, and the other
on the left. The duty of the com
mission was to be ..to select ana
have erected monuments upon the
positions occupied by Wisconsin
troops on the siege line Of y.cksburg.
and at such other posiJionsA adjacent
thereto, as such commission shall Sc
lect." The members of this commits
sion were to serve without pay, but
we're 20 have their certified and ap-
proved expenses paid Also. the sum
Of $4,000 was appropriated to pay
for the monuments thus erected.
Members Of Commission.
rcvernor La Toilette appointed the
following named veterans Of the
ycksburg campaign as members of
the commission: from the right wing
of the besieging army. Comrade A.
G. Weissert. of Milwaukee, who
served in the Sth infantry: from the
center. Colonel w F. Villas, OF the
Dad rpoi1,aanf. from fha laff WING
George E. Bryant. colonel of the 18th