Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1922-07-28
Pioneer Saw Lincoln
Take Oath of Office
William Wunsch also Watched Duel
of Merrimac and Monitor in
Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads
Folks hurrying along Atlantic av-
enue who nod pleasantly and pass on,
strangers leisuring along our streets
who glance and nothing more, at a
man who may almost any afternoon
be seen sitting in front of Cairney's
Meat Market, little know or even
suspect that the fine old gentleman,
sitting there in the shade and pass
ing the time of day was present at
the Inauguration of Abraham Lin
coin, saw the frigate Congress de-
stroyed by shell fire and the Cum
berland rammed and sunk with colors
flying by the Merrimac in Hampton
Roads March 8, 1862, saw the ar
rival of the Monitor that evening and
Justify cheered the victory of the lit
tie "cheese box" over the Confederate
ironclad the memorable day follow
ing.
For sixty years this same man,
William Wunsch of this city, has car
ried a scar on his left leg to remind
him of that thrilling night in 1852
when the Union forces abandoned
Norfolk navy yard in the darkness
while the Confederates hammered at
the gates of the city. Not alone of
those exciting days and nights can
Mr. Wunsch tell the interested
hearer but tales too, of the sea war
fare during the Civil War, of SER
vice with Hancock's Volunteers and
Indian skirmishes on the frontier fol-
lowing the Civil War and before
Clusters massacre. Tales too, of
Stevens county before the railroad
when pioneers walked on from the
end of the line at Benson to that
country lying north and west.
| Fifty-two years ago last Fourth of
July William Wunsch and John D.
Good walked up from Benson. Mr.,
Good built on the site of the present
Suckstorff Furniture store and Mr..
Wunsch bought the old Perkins
place on Pomme de Terre.
Mr.. Wunsch was born October 6,
1910, in Germany, the son Of Mr..
and Mrs Charles Wunsch. He came
to the United States with friends
when 13 years Of age settling at
Philadelphia. His parents came a
few years later.
October, 20, 1860, at the age of 20,
he enlisted in the United States Mar
ines and after a week at the bar
racks at Philadelphia he was trans
ferred to Washington, D. c., where
he spent the winter and was present
at the Inauguration of Abraham Lin
coin in the following spring. He
often had the honor Of saluting the
immortal Lincoln while stationed al
Washington. When war broke out
he was transferred to Fort Wash
ington on the Potomac and from
there sent to Norfolk and aboard
the frigate Roanoke. He saw ser
vice along the coast until March
1852, when he assisted in thu
abandonment of the Norfolk navy
yard by the Federal troops.
Mr.. Wunsch tells some interesting
incidents in connection with tina
nights work in the darkness whe1
it was expected that any momen
the Confederates would breal
through and interrupt the work o
spiking guns, hosting ammunition
overheard and preparing the ship
for burning. Early in the morning
the Federals withdrew. A rocket
the signal to touch fire to the ton
, mage in the yard, went up and sool
the navy yard was burning inferno
The Confederates managed to saw
most of the Merrimac with it's ma
chinery and were soon busy making
an ironclad Of her.
March 8, 1862, Mr. Wunsch
, aboard the Roanoke, watched tn
l Merrimac steam from the mouth Q
1 the Elizabeth river, attack and sin
l the Cumberland and rake the deck
t of the Congress with a shell fire tha
resulted in the burning and BLOWN
= up of that vessel. That evening h
= saw the arrival of the Monitor i
1 Hampton Roads and the next morn
= ing, Sunday, watched the Merrima
again steam out from the mouth c
= the Elizabeth river, this time t
a meet her defeat at the hands of tn
Union cheese box"
|, After serving four years in tn
S Marines Mr.. Wunsch joined Har
= cocks Volunteers, body of specia
= ly trained troops composed only {
e men with at least two years of az
s tive service He was in the thir
: regiment which was just moving u
e for action when Lee surrenderet
After the war he was assigned to tt
! Thirty-frst infantry which was late
e consolidated with the Twenty-secon,
r It was with this outfit that he serve
k three years on the frontier in MOI
t tana, going up from Council Bluff
r Ia, by boat to the junction of tt
f Yellowstone and Missouri rive
where he fried buffalo meat on IL
q -