Iowa County WI Archives News.....The Reunion-600 Veterans June 1885 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/wifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com December 31, 2006, 5:45 am Dodgeville Chronicle, Friday, June 26, 1885, Front Page June 1885 “THE REUNION-The Largest and Grandest Gathering in the History of the County. 600 Veterans and 10,000 of their friends do Honor to Dodgeville’s Hospitality.” “The sixth annual reunion of the Southwestern Wisconsin Veteran Association held at Dodgeville on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, was probably the largest and was most certainly one of the most successful and pleasant gatherings ever held in Iowa County.” “As we have heretofore mentioned, the people of Dodgeville had their hearts in this matter. They wanted to give ‘the boys’ a welcome that would indicate to some extent their appreciation of the noble sacrifices they had made in preserving the Union and making this indeed ‘the land of the free;’ and without boasting we can say that right royally they succeeded.” From end to end and side to side the village was beautifully decorated, and at night innumerable Chinese lanterns added brilliancy to the scene. To give a list of those whose displays were worthy of mention would require more space than we have at our command, but we mention those of the banking houses of S. W. Reese and Orville Strong, the Marks House, the shops of F. W. Stratman & Co., and F. W. Stratman’s residence, as being conspicuously tasteful and profuse, while Jonathan Rudersdorf ‘hit the nail on the head ‘ by raising, in addition to numerous flags, etc, a numerously magnified portrait of ‘The Army Bean.’ In all other respects the arrangements were ample, and although the crowd of visitors numbered thousands on Wednesday and by Thursday noon had swelled to at least ten thousand, we heard of no complaints of lack of places to sleep or of anyone who did not get an abundance to eat.” “The special attractions provided in the way of military companies and bands were: “The University Battalion from Madison which had on the ground two 3- inch cannon and a Gatling gun.” Two companies of University militia. The Monroe Guards. The Darlington Rifles. The Henderson Drum Corps from Dubuque. The Shullsburg Juvenile Drum Corps. The Mineral Point Drum Corps. The Richland Center Brass Band. The Mineral Point Band. The Monroe Band. The Boscobel Band. The Spring Green Band. The Harmonia Band of Lancaster.” “Each of these organizations acquitted itself in a manner worthy of the highest praise, and their several members also established themselves in the good opinion of our citizens by their gentlemanly deportment and courteous conduct.” “Some of the bands were playing constantly, and the maneuvers of the militia companies and the firing of the cannon and especially the Gatling gun absorbed the attention of a large part of the crowd.” “Wednesday evening was devoted to a campfire around the grandstand in the courthouse yard, and short speeches, songs, stories, etc, very pleasantly occupied the time until a late hour.” “Thursday morning, the rising sun was greeted with a salute of 38 guns which aroused the multitude from their slumbers and inaugurated the exercises of the day.” At nine o’clock, the military companies and several hundred of the veterans formed in column and paraded the principal streets, to the soul- stirring music of the several bands and drum corps, and after being reviewed by Gov. Rusk and other distinguished guests, ‘brought up’ with the crowd at the grandstand, where the exercises were opened with an eloquent address by Captain C. H. Baxter, president of the association.” “Rev. E. E. Clough followed with prayer, and Mr. F. W. Stratman, president of the village, made an address of welcome to the soldiers and visitors. His plain, simple but hearty manner much pleased the people. He said: “Mr. President, veterans of this reunion, ladies and gentlemen: I esteem it a most pleasant duty which devolves upon me, as president of this beautiful village to give you all a most hearty welcome, and more especially to you , the veterans of many hard fought battles and perilous hardships which you have endured. To you we owe our peace and prosperity. It was you who responded so nobly to the call of our Chief magistrate when our country was in danger to arm and save it. You left the plow in the furrow, the tools in the workshop, your wives and children, father, mother, brothers and sisters, the dearest treasures on earth, and went forth with a strong arm, a willing mind and true patriotic heart, to rescue from danger this our beloved land of liberty and universal freedom. Surely this was true patriotism then in you.” “I recollect very well that I too was full of enthusiasm and wanted to go and take part in the struggle, but my wife came with two little children, with tears, deploringly asking, ‘Will you leave me and the little ones?’ I did not go. Though you went, leaving all such dear ones at home; nd therefore one thing I can say, I never did and I never will do or say anything against the loyal, patriotic boys in blue who made such noble sacrifices for the benefit of me and mine and all of this great assemblage of people who have met here today to do them honor. Our people are loyal to the core. Yes, men and women at this place have stood shoulder to shoulder to promote the cause of our glorious Union; and you may be assured that you are indeed welcome in such a community. I am not a man who can make a speech, but can go to the anvil, shape iron and make the sparks fly; therefore I must be content to let the heart give utterance to all the tongue would gladly say, and close by once again tendering to you , one and all, in behalf of the village of Dodgeville, a true, hearty and joyous welcome.” “Dr. Vivian was to have made the response on behalf of the veterans, having been unexpectedly called away, the response was made by J. P. Smelker, esq., but as he spoke entirely off hand we were unable to obtain a report of his remarks.” “Then came the original poem by Miss Medora Clark, which was one of the lead features of the programme. It is replete with noble thoughts and its measure is perfect. It is well worth reading again and again. Miss Clark read it herself in a very effective manner, showing that she is not only a poetess, but an elocutionist as well. Socially, she is very pleasant and agreeable, and those who met her while here, express the wish that she may visit Dodgeville often…” “The Glee Club led by George Carter of Madison, sand ‘We are the Boys,’ and Honorable W. T. Price made a forcible speech, the main point of which was that all soldiers should be pensioned. Mr. Price is a powerful speaker. On the part of many there are objections to his theory, but his eloquence and force and earnestness were not questioned.” The ‘Battle Cry of Freedom’ was sung and then came impromptu speeches. The first was Governor Rusk’s. He too was in favor off pensioning all soldiers. He was the first to propose that. It was the only way that justice could be done. The Governor said that on a Sunday a week or two before, he had read a two-column article in a newspaper by some man who said it was the Union soldiers who burned Columbia, South Carolina, and said the Governor, throwing his whole strength and voice into his utterances, ‘I have been mad ever since I read the paper. The man who wrote it is a liar and I know it, and he knows it, and if I had him here in this crowd, I’d smash him. I was in sight of Columbia when it was burned. The rebels burned it themselves. They had to get out of it and they set fire to their supplies and to the cotton, and the whole thing was on fire before we got across the river.’ “The Governor showed great intensity of feeling and would up by intimating in his forcible way, that he would like to have the whole gang of rebs who had caused so much suffering and who were now lying so much about the Union soldiers, he would like to have them where he and the big crowd before him could smash them, and the Governor was loudly applauded.” “The next speaker called out was Rev. Webster of Warren, who had been a prisoner in rebel hands. He spoke in favor of pensioning all who had been prisoners and was bitter against the difficulties in the way of securing a pension; against the proofs which are required to be given, and sneered at the little $4.00 a month his hearers inferred he was receiving. He was very complimentary towards the Dodgeville people for the preparation they had made for the soldiers. When he met Mr. Price, here, he said that this gentleman had asked him what he was here for and said that such a people as the Dodgeville people had no need of a preacher.” “Rev. E. E. Clough, who was a prominent speaker at the camp fire the night before, was called out again, and unbosomed himself about some of his army experiences. He had gone into the army from the east and was on the Potomac. He didn’t agree with Price who held that a private soldier was as much as a general. He though Gen. Grant was more than he was. Mr. Clough had advanced in the army till he became an adjutant of a Negro regiment. He told a story of how on some occasion he was sent out to forage on the enemy. ‘To tell it all to you,’ said he, ‘I went out to steal a horse.’ “He and his men had got in somewhere, a big fellow who was very ugly and cursed them a great deal. They prodded him out with their bayonets and made him show them where he had four horses hid and they took them. Near them, they found a poor white woman who pleadingly inquired whether they were really Union soldiers. ‘Be you northern soldiers sir,’ she repeated, ‘or are you fooling me?’ And when they had gained her confidence, she said her husband had been hid in the woods for twenty months and the man whose horses they had taken had hunted him with bloodhounds.” “The speeches were all listened to with much interest, and although there were bands of music constantly in hearing, they did not seem to disturb the listeners.” “At two o’clock the soldiers met in the courtroom for a business meeting. A motion was made that the next reunion be held at Mineral Point, at a time to be fixed hereafter by the officers. This motion, after some parlance, carried. Then arose a discussion as to what preparation should be made for their reception. Some of the soldiers were opposed to employing militia companies, on account of the expense to the citizens where the reunions are held, but the matter was finally settled by Martin Oswald, who moved that the Mineral Point people be allowed to make such arrangement as they might see proper.” Col. J. G. Knight of Darlington, offered the following resolution which was unanimously adopted: “Resolved that the thanks of this association are hereby given to the citizens of Dodgeville for their very liberal and successful efforts to make the Reunion of 1885 so signal and grand a success. Officers for the ensuing year were then chosen as follows: Chas. S. Baxter President James G. Knight Vice-President G. W. Stevenson Commander Calvert Spensley Ass’t Commander Thomas Priestly Adjutant John Meehan Ass’t Adjutant George Jeuck Quartermaster Herman Buchner Ass’t Quartermaster C. H. Wannemaker Drum Major Martin Oswald Ass’t Drum Major “Gov. Rusk made his appearance at this time. He said he had been alluded to as having had something to do with the presence of the militia companies, and wished to say a few words. He said that when he was first invited to a reunion of these soldiers (then a Grant County Organization) he was invited as Jerry Rusk, not as governor and he had gone as Jerry Rusk. He had since then been invited as governor, but had gone as Jerry Rusk, and that he was the way he was here now, and if he had any business with the Governor of Wisconsin, he would communicate with him at Madison.” “When I come to the reunions I don’t want to be met and escorted by soldiers. Why I could have walked down yesterday in half the time I was waiting for that infernal train to get out of the way. Just what these reunions are coming to is not apparent. When the first one was held, all that asked of the Governor and all that was sent might have come down as an express package. Each year the call has been growing, until this year there are two carloads. And I will say that you can have of Jerry Rusk all that you want of him and he will do as far as his influence goes with the Governor, for you.” “Three cheers were given for Governor Rusk.” “The following resolution was offered by R. J. Whittleton of Harvard, Ill, and was unanimously adopted by a rising vote: “Resolved, That the soldiers and citizens assembled at Dodgeville, Wisconsin, June 18, 1885, do hereby tender to our beloved commander Ulysses S. Grant, our most earnest and heartfelt sympathy in this his our of great suffering. That if it be God’s will, it is our most fervent prayer that our great hero may yet win the battle he is now waging against disease, and live to enjoy with his grateful countrymen many happy years.” “Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded by the President of this Association to General U. S. Grant.” “On motion of Col. J. G. Knight, the thanks of the Association were tendered to the officers of the Association for the very able and intelligent manner in which they have discharged their several duties.” “On motion of Captain Thomas Priestly, the thanks of the Association unanimously tendered to the several military companies, artillerymen, drum corps, bands, army posts, and all others who contributed so liberally and cheerfully to make the Reunion so pleasant and entertaining to the veterans and citizens in attendance.” “The entire affair passed off with the best of order and the heartiest of good feeling and without a fracas of any kind or an accident worthy of mention. The only thing that can be in the least regretted in connection with it is the fact that the expenses were somewhat in excess of the money raised, but as it was such a success we have no doubt that our citizens will deem it worth even more than it cost and cheerfully make up the deficit without burdening anyone.” “The list of the veterans enrolled will be found on our fourth page.” [A short list of the veterans of Co. C, and Co. H, 31st regiment, are listed here.] Beaumont, George Co. C, 31st Hyde’s Mill Brumer, Casper Co. C, 31st Arena Buckingham, William Co. C, 31st Ridgeway Collingwood, W. H. Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Crook, Peter Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Davies, Thomas B. Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Dochnall, Joseph Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Edwards, David Co. C, 31st Mineral Point Evans, Eph. D., Sgt. Co. C, 31st St. Paul, MN Hubbard, Peter Co. C, 31st Hyde’s Mill Hunter, William Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Jeardoe, Paul, 1st Lt. Co. C, 31st Platteville LaBounty, Joseph Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Lewis, Benjamin Co. C, 31st Barneveld Miner, L. O. Co. C, 31st Iowa Peterson, A. Co. C, 31st Wyoming Stewart, Thomas Co. C, 31st Ridgeway Thomas, Benj. Jr, Sgt Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Thomas, J. A. Co. C, 31st Montfort Villemont, F. G. Co. C, 31st Arena Wiest, John Co. C, 31st Dodgeville Hewitt, Byron, Sgt. Co. F, 8th & Capt. Co. H, 31st Rockford, IL Perkins, John Co. H, 31st Mineral Point Perkins, Philip Co. H, 31st Ridgeway Ramsden, James Co. H, 31st Mineral Point TYRER, ELISHA Co. H, 31st Dodgeville File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/iowa/newspapers/thereuni15gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 16.1 Kb