Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-05-13
intimate STORY OF
FORTY-NINTH 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 his.
tory Of the regiment, and It's services
in the War OF the Rebellion, which
mas been put in manuscript form by
Colonel James Keigwin, who succeeded
John w, Ray as colonel, the latter re-
signing in June, 1852, and Keigwin
continuing colonel till the close OF the
war In his reminiscent talk Colonel
Keigwin has much to say OF the part
which Jacksonville played in the
great contest, and of early military life
Ia 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 dairy of his exam
nations, and 1t lis OF record In the
department at Washington, that, as
keigwin says, there we're more able
bodied, unsound men under 45 years
OF age than can now be found on the
same number of square miles on the
I face of the globe and If 'one should
search the catalogue Of all diseases to
which the human race is heir, they
will be found duplicated in that rec
Crd."
PrOhIbittOnIsts Imbibed 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 we're two staid citizens,
| S. B. Diffendeffer and Isaac Gather.
The latter was a 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 Jeffersonyiue 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,
I and as Lieutenant Barr was assisting
j her on the steamer he let go his grasp
Of the infant, and 1t 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
Wh-n the regiment went into action
some months later at Chickasaw
Bluffs. the father Of the little one wss
killed.
Marriage ns Military Necessity.
When the steamer bearing the Forty
ninth infantry was steaming down the
river Colonel KeigWin discovered that
two young women had disobeyed the
order to leave the boat at New Al
many, and they explained that their
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
Kegwin demonstrated. but in vain
The young women were determined.
After thinking over the matter and
finding II impossible to secure mar
rage license. and further encouraged
by he 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 10 marry
the two couples on the ground Of
military necessity and the chaplain
pronounced the ceremony after first
securing a copy Of the order. 50 as to
project himself, he said, in case his
conference called for a bin Of particu.
lars. The young wives then remained
aboard till Memphis was reached
Eighteen months after this wedding
Oh board the steamer, by which time
tie husbands ana their regiment had
wandered into Texas, one Of the men