The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-12-31
Charles Wooster
Dies at His Home:
Ill Only One Day
" Sage of Silver Creek" Over.
come After Taxpayers
Meet, Dies -Promi-
nent in State.

Silver Creek. Neb.. Dec. S0.-(Spe
cial.)-Charles Wooster, known to Ne
braskans as the Sage of Silver
Creek" died at his home two miles
east Of Silver Creek following an Ill.
ness Of little more than a day. At
ter attending meeting of the tax.
payers league at Hastings, he return.
ed to Silver Creek and, as was his
usual custom, he started for his home
afoot. After having gone but a short
distance, he fell to the ground. ex.
hausted. Within a few moments the
hired man from the Wooster farm
drove by on his way to town and Mr..
Wooster hailed him and was taken
home. A physician was called and he
was found to be suffering from cold
and exhaustion.
Active In Politics.
Mr.. Wooster was a stormy petrol
in Nebraska politics for more than
generation. His exceedingly in.
dependent disposition made him ever
restive under any policy or any direc.
tion which he did not like and his
speeches in conventions of political
parties and farmers organizations
were oorrespondingly critical. More
than once he turned a convention into
an uproar by his keen and sometimes
bitter invective.
One of his particular activities In
the last dozen years was his attack
upon the right of the Union Pacific
railroad to hold titale to 400 strip
right-of-way through Nebraska
claimed under a grant of the United
States government dating back to
the 80. 1t was after the supreme
court of the United States had up.
held the companys principal conten-
ton Mr. Wooster became active.
When the company began to claim
physical possession of the land, Mr.
Wooster appeared before state legis-
lators and harried and worried tho
railroad representatives year after
year. 1t was largely due to his labor
that law was finally passed which
undertook to deprive the railroad OF
its power of eminent domain. This
is still awaiting the test of the courts.
In this long campaign, Mr.. Wooster
matched his wit and logic against
many an able lawer, with victory not
always resting with his opponents.
Charles Wooster was born in Hills
dale county, Michigan, May /. 1s43
He grew up in Hillsdale county, a
farm boy until IS, when he enlisted in
company G. Second Michigan cavalry,
September 2, 1851. He was given an
honorable discharge at Macon, Ga,
in July, 1865, and mustered out at
Jackson, Mich, September I. 1865.
J During the war he saw considerable
service. He was at New Madrid dur
ing the bombardment of Island No.
10. also at Hamburg landing in Mis-
sissppi and was at the siege OF Cor
inth in the spring Of 1862, and In the
battle Of Pennington during the seige
of C6rlnth.
Wounded i'm Leg.
Mr.. Wooster was wounded at
Thompson, Tenn, on the Nashville
railroad and was in the hospital for
three months. He was shot through
the leg. firing OF he in the hospital
and eager to rejoin his comrades, Mr..
Wooster requested the surgeon to al
low him to return to his regiment but
not being allowed to do so, he re-
turned to his regiment on his own
authority, finally rejoining his COM
pany. The cavalry, under Stanley,
had gone on south from Murphysboro.
so Mr.. Wooster got onto the back of
an old horse and overlook the cavalry
about Is miles south of Murphysboro,
on the Shelbyville road and there fell
into the ranks of his own company.
He was equipped with horse. saber
and pistol and almost Immediately
was in the line of battle, his wound
not even being healed at this time,
but in spite Of it, he went on an
eight-mile charge. He was in the
battles Of Danridge and Messy Creek
after the seige of Knoxville. and also
on raid from Kentucky to Tennes
see to cut the Tennessee railroad In
anticipation of the battle of Stone
River. He was in the battle of Chica-
maugua all of the second day, and
then participated in the raid after
Joe Wheeler.
During the winter of 1S63-64, Mr.
wooster re-enlisted, and was home on
furlough for short time in the
spring of 1864. He participated in the
14th army charge. under Thomas
was in the battle at Franklin in
1864. He was out on slsirmish duty
az the time the battle of Nashville
was fought. He followed the army
from Nashville and was on the Will
son raid down through Alabama, hav-
ing numerous engagements and
skirmishes. even fighting after Lees
surrender. He returned to Michiga
after his discharge, going to the farm.
He was a student at the Hillsdale col
lege. and also taught school.
In the wintr of 1868. he was mar
died to Helen M. Hitchcock in Adams
township, Hillsdale county. He came
to Nebraska in 1872. filing a soldiers
homestead claim and remained on the
(Turn In paxe Two. (oIumn TuaA