Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-12-28
DEATH OF CAPT.
j. E. LEAHY.
A Prominent Citizen, Lumberman and
Civil War Veteran Long in
Public Life.

1
Another of Wausau's old and promi
.nent citizens has passed away-Capt.
John E. Leahy. The end came at the
county hospital on Thursday morning
at 1:30 o'clock, Dec. %, 1915. For six
months or more Mr.. Leahy had been
in declining health and had been
missed at his usual haunts, principal
| ly at the Wausau Club house, where
he delighted in playing whist with
his friends. Since the death of Mrs.
Leahy, on the 25th of February, 1913,
he had resided alone, having house
| keeper at his residence at Fourth
street, which had been the Leahy
| home for many years. Several weeks
ago he became much worse so that he
was confined to his bed and he was
taken to the hospital, trusting that
by good care and treatment he would
| have an early recovery, but his age
and general condition made it impos-
sible for him to recuperate. A resi-
dence of nearly fifty years in Wausau
and much of that time actively and
extensively engaged in the lumber
business, and that he was man Of
education and ability, made him very
widely known. His death was unex-
pected to his many friends and came
as a shock to them. Flags on our
court house, city hall and other pub
lie buildings were at half mast from
the morning of his death until the
afternoon of interment.
Capt. John E. Leahy was the pro-
duct of the granite hills of New
Hampshire. He was born at Dover,
in that state, February Is, 1912, and
moved to Wisconsin in 1849, lad of
seven, and had therefore resided in
Wisconsin sixty-six years of his life.
Capt. Leahy resided in Portland,
Dodge county, until sixteen years of
age and piled his time as the average
farmer boy does, receiving the usual
schooling and performing his part of
the every day routine of farm life.
After graduating from log school
house and teaching several terms.
young Leahy went TO the state uni
versity at Madison, where he spent
nearly four years. He was a class
mate of Judge w. G. Silverthorn and
of the late Col. George w Bird and
Hon. John G. Spooner. From the
university Mr.. Leahy enlisted in the
army in July, 1863. He was between
twenty-one and twenty-five years OF
age when, on January 10, 1864, he was
mustered in as first lieutenant in
Company G, 35th Wisconsin Infantry.
On April 18th the regiment was or
dered to St Louis, where further
orders were received to proceed to the
Red River country, but it went in
stead to New Orleans and was sent to
Port Hudson. On June 10Th of that
year his regiment went to MOrganzia
to be assigned to the First Brigade,
Bird Division Of the 10Th Army Corps.
In July the brigade went to Arkan-
Sas, where it performed guard duty
and secuted and worked on the forti-
ficatiOns until August, when it re-
turned to Morganzia. Capt. Leahy
was in the expedition to SimmspOrt,
where he engaged in several skirmish-
es and went afterwards to Duvall's
Bluff, on the White river, in Arkan-
sas, where his regiment was assigned
to the Reserve Corps of the military
division of West Mississippi, per-
formed duty there and until Febru-
airy, 1865.
They were then ordered to Algiers,
La, and were engaged in the siege of
Spanish fort and capture of Mo-
bile. They reached Fort Blakely after
its equalization and went into camp
below Mobile. Then they moved sue
cessiyely to Whistler's Station, Man
nahubba Bluffs and Macintosh Bluffs,
in Alabama, and engaged in erecting
Notifications until the rebels aban-
doned their possessions. They next
went into camp at Mobile and
in June received orders to pro-
coed to Texas. They were stationed
at several points on the coast
and on the Rio Grande. They
were mustered out at Brownsville,
Texas, and his regiment returned to
Wisconsin. Mr.. Leahy received his
commission as captain March II, 1866
1t was this year that Capt. Leahy
located in Wausau, fOrty-nine years
ago. He intended to remain in the
South and engage in the cotton bust
ness, but after living there few
months he came to Wisconsin on a
visit. Meeting an old friend who was
numbering in this pinery, he came
here and finally moved to Stevens
Point and from there came to Wau-
sau in the fall Of 1866. He engaged
in lumber and logging operations and
built up large and profitable trade.
His operations were mainly on
Trappe river where he logged timber
for years. In 1882 he entered into
business with NJ. P. Beebe and they
built what was for years known as
the Leahy & Beebe saw mill, which
is now owned by the Jacob MOrtenson