21st Wisconsin Regiment 21st Reunion

 

Waupaca Record

October 1, 1908

 

21ST ANNUAL REUNION OF 21ST WIS. REG. ASS’N.

Held at Stevens Point Sept. 24 and 25 –

About 130 Member of the Association Were Present

 

            The twenty-first annual reunion of the Twenty-first Wisconsin Regiment was held in Stevens Point on Thursday and Friday of last week and was attended by about 130 members.  The following brief history of the Regiment is taken from the Stevens Point Journal:

            “The 21st regiment was organized at Oshkosh in September, 1862, and by reason of Gen. Bragg’s invasion was at once hurried to the front in Kentucky.  Within three weeks after leaving the state it took part in one of the severest minor battles of the war – the battle of Perrysville, or Chaplin Hills.  Readers of history probably have paid little attention to this battle, but the casualties for the number of men engaged was even larger than in most of the largest engagements.  In this battle alone the regiment had nearly two hundred men killed and wounded.  After that battle the history of the regiment was closely interwoven into the history of the Army of the Cumberland.  It took part in the battles of Stone River and Chickamauga and in many minor engagements, finally fighting step by step with General Sherman all the way from Chattanooga to Atlanta.  The history of the regiment is a most honorable one and today Stevens Point is honored by the presence of those of its members who have come together to clasp hands once more and renew recollections of the long ago.  Now all of them are old and gray, many of them are bowed down by the weight of many years, and in a little while, as we count the passing years, all will have answered the final roll call, but Wisconsin never placed in the field a finer looking body of men than those who composed the 21st regiment when it left the state.”

            The following, who were registered at the meeting, are now residents of this section or enlisted from here:

                                                            Company “A”

            Jerry Hallihan, Veterans’ Home; enlisted from Fond du Lac.

                                                            Company “B”

            David Servis, Veterans’ Home; enlisted from Vinland.

                                                            Company “G”

            Joseph H. Woodnorth, Waupaca; enlisted from Waupaca.

            Hiland S. Eldred, Cleveland, Minn.; enlisted from Lind; wounded at Chickamauga.

            Benjamin Hall, Pardeeville; enlisted from Dayton

            Benjamin F. Andrews, Iola; enlisted from St. Lawrence.

            Jacob Herbert, Ogdensburg; enlisted from St. Lawrence.

            W.H. Eaton, Bringhar, Iowa; enlisted from Springwater.

            Frank King, Stevens Point; enlisted from Dayton.

            James Hanson, Waupaca; enlisted from Waupaca; wounded in June 1864.

            S.S.Chandler, Waupaca; enlisted from Iola.

            George D. Ross, Harlan, Iowa; enlisted from Farmington; wounded at Atlanta.

            W.H. Jones, Neenah; enlisted from Scandinavia.

            A.K. Stow, Veterans’ Home; enlisted from Farmington.

            P.A. Ham, Waupaca; enlisted from Dayton.

            Calvin P. Day, Elderon; enlisted from Dayton.

            W.S. Stratton, Waupaca, enlisted from Dayton; wounded at Resaca.

                                                            Company “H”

            William R. Brown, Veterans’ Home; enlisted from Lamartine; wounded at Resaca.

                                                            Company “I”

            Frederick Reitz, Veterans’ Home; enlisted from Black River Falls.

            John Hillstrom, Amherst; enlisted from Amherst.

                                                            Company “K”

            W.E.S. Jones, Iola; enlisted from Iola.

            Austin A. Bierce, Iola; enlisted from Iola.

            J.W. Boynton, Amherst; enlisted from Cato.

            Hugh Hughes, Waupaca; enlisted from Waupaca

            James Syms, Veterans’ Home; enlisted from Two Rivers.

                                                Banquet on Thursday Evening

            On Thursday evening a banquet was given in the Masonic Temple by the ladies of he Presbyterian church.  A short address was made by Commander E.M. Copps in behalf of that city. John Dey, president of the association, responded and also acted as toastmaster.

            After supper brief addresses were made by Col. J.A. Watrous, adjutant general of the department of Wisconsin, G.A.R., and lieutenant colonel, retired in the United States army, chaplain W.R. Brown, H.L. Bacon, A.W. Ballard, J.H. Woodnorth and others.  Songs were sung by Capt. Dinsmore of the Veterans’ Home and M.J. Rawson of Madison.

            On Friday a fine picnic dinner was served by the members of the Stevens Point Woman’s Relief Corps in the court house square.

            At the business meeting the following officers were elected:

                        President – E.D. Davis, Oshkosh.

                        1st Vice President – A.W. Ballard, Omro.

                        2nd Vice President – HL. Bacon, Oshkosh.

                        Secretary and Treasurer – J.H. Woodnorth, Veterans’ Home

                        Chaplain – W.R. Brown, Veterans’ Home.

            The following were elected honorary members of the regiment:  Geo. W. Ghoca, Waupaca; W.M. Walker, Oshkosh; J.A. Watrous, Whitewater; H. McGlachlin, E.M. Copps, Stevens Point.

            Omro was selected as the next place of meeting.  The meeting was closed with “Auld Lang Syne”, and the benediction.