NEW LONDON PRESS

March 11, 1925

(Found on Wisconsin Historical Society Website)

BRADT DESCRIBES WAUPACA MEN IN BATTLE OF SHILOH

County Boys Among First to Face Enemy’s Charge; Many Were Killed

It has been written that a little child shall lead us. Well, a little girl who attends the primary school in Northport, and reads The Press, looked up at a picture of the War Eagle and asked me what became of "Old Abe."

This question caused me to disgressence more from my original intention of writing only a few lines about each Wisconsin regiment, and stating the percentage of their losses. So, thinking that "Old Abe" was deserving of more attention than that which I have given him, I shall tell you more about this noble bird and his untimely death.

Towards the close of the Civil War, when the maimed and emaciated soldier boys came straggling back home, it became evident that we must have homes for many thousands who could never again support themselves. It is certainly to the credit of Wisconsin that we were the first to promote and build one.

The credit for securing this home belongs to three energetic women of Milwaukee, Mrs. Lydia Hewitt, Mrs. Hannah Vedder, and Mrs. E.L. Buttrick, who, returning home from a Chicago Sanitary fair held to raise funds for the field hospitals, said: "We will have a fair of our own, and will build a home in Milwaukee for the crippled boys who have no homes." To their everlasting credit they and their co-workers won our blessings by building the first volunteer soldiers’ home in the world. Here is where "Old Abe" put in his work once more.

"Old Abe" Draws Crowds

After three years of active service, "Old Abe" was mustered out with the veterans, and a home was provided for him in the capitol building at Madison, but his services did not end with his honorable discharge, as there was still more work for him to do.

The fair was one of the greatest ever held in the Northwest. "Old Abe" was the greatest attraction there. It is said that he drew about him such crowds that he had to be taken away for a rest. Not only the eagle, but his photographs as well, were on exhibition, and thousands of these were sold. For many years his picture was as familiar to the people of this state as the pictures of the martyred president whose honored name he bore.

But poor "Old Abe" who had cheered the boys along the battlefront, and who had helped so materially in providing for their future comfort, met with a violent death. He was overcome by smoke in one of the capitol fires. Although he was taken from the building alive and every attention given him, he died.

$110,000 for Veteran Homes

At this and other fairs $110,000 were raised including donations from all parts of the state. The land was purchased and, I think, some buildings were erected before it was merged into a national soldiers’ home.

The Veterans’ Home, at Waupaca, was built by the W.R.C. and the G.A.R. and contributions from certain sympathetic individuals who saw the need for a home where the veterans could take their wives, and where their widows and mothers could pass their last days in peace and comfort.

The soldiers’ orphans home at Madison was purchased and maintained for some time by the friends of Mrs. Harvey, and was conducted as a private institution until March 31, 1866, when its maintenance was assumed by the state.

Undoubtedly it seems strange to the people of the present day to hear that back in the sixties we had to contribute out of our meager pay to build and maintain those homes for cripples and orphans, but one must bear in mind that this nation had put up its last dollar and its last man, and had spent, during the four years of war, about nine billion dollars. In 1861, the assessed valuation of the whole nation was only about nine billions and that, although we had been heavily taxed, we were still in debt over six million dollars in gold. Greenbacks were worth only forty cents on the dollar. Thus the returning soldiers and their friends had to provide for their broken and needy comrades and the widows and the orphans. Later the government was extremely generous with us; and I trust that the boys of the World War will soon find that he American Republic is not ungrateful.

16^th in Sixteen Battles

We had about eighteen men in the 16^th Wisconsin. Four of them never returned. This organization was one of the best in Grant’s old Army of the Tennessee. It fought in sixteen pitched battles. The losses were 147 men killed in action and 24 ho died of disease, a total of 20-1/2 per cent deaths. More than 300 were wounded in battle.

Most of the Waupaca county men were in Company A, which was commanded by Captain Saxe. This company was on picket duty the night before the battle of Shiloh, and a man from the southwestern part of this county was the first to discover the approach of the Confederate army. He thought he could hear the rumbling of the artillery. Using the butt of his musket, he pounded down hard a place in the road, and, by lying down with his ear to the spot, he could plainly hear the enemy forming their battle lines. He called attention to the fact, but nothing was done.

Company A Meets Attack

At about daylight Company A was relieved. Captain Saxe, who would not take a dare from a Missouri colonel. When the latter east a slur on Wisconsin soldiers, Captain Saxe led his men to the front, where the enemy was well formed and charging down upon them, three lines deep. It was about eighty men against many thousand. At the first fire sixteen men of this company were killed and wounded. Sergeant Williams was the first man killed at Shiloh and Captain Saxe the first officer. The boys picked up their wounded and retreated with the enemy close on their heels.

This attack was a complete surprise to our whole army. The well-formed lines of the Confederates fairly swept our unformed men out of their camps before many of them had time to dress or to pick up their arms.

The Union troops fell back before this terrible onslaught of shot and shell, and formed by companies, regiments, brigades, etc., wherever they best could, and faced the enemy in irregular and broken lines. The fighting lasted all day, our men continually falling back and getting into better formation. The extreme left, where the 18^th (the writer’s regiment) stood, was completely out-flanked, our colonel and major killed, and all the field officers wounded. Adjutant Coleman was wounded and Lieutenant Park, our old circuit judge took his place, until he was slightly wounded and his sword smashed by a ball. Every commander, excepting one, was killed, wounded, or made prisoner during the day.

Refuse to Strike Colors

Our regiment, the 18^th, was new and undisciplined. When ordered to retreat they naturally broke up, part of them joining General Prentiss’ division. He refused to retreat and was soon surrounded and obliged to surrender. Part of the 18^th, however, ran to the right and joined the 16^th in what was called the "hornets nest." Here the 16^th and 18^th and some Illinois troops made their last stand, and, although outflanked and exposed to a heavy, continuous crossfire from three sides, they would not retreat, not strike their colors. I doubt if there has ever been more determined fighting on any battlefield than was done by our undisciplined Wisconsin boys at Shiloh. The 16^th and 18^th held the left until help came the next day, as I have told you in my story of the 14^th in my last letter.

George Spurr in Command

Soon after Captain Saxe was killed Lieutenant Coly Smith was mortally wounded, and 2^nd Lieutenant George A. Spurr, well-known in New London, took command of Company A. Soon after he was made captain. Eight color-bearers of the regiment were killed in this battle, and fire buried in a circle around the flagstaff in the Shiloh National cemetery. The flag of the 16^th Wisconsin, which they had defended so gallantly on that bloody field, was later chosen to be placed in General Grant’s tomb at Riverside Park, New York City.