Racine County WI Archives News.....A TRIP TO PRAIRIE GROVE By L.S. Blake Esq February 4, 1863 ************************************************ 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: Brandy Forsman Br2877@gmail.com July 4, 2025, 8:28 am The Racine Advocate (Racine, Wisconsin) · Wed, Feb 4, 1863 · Page 2 February 4, 1863 Upon hearing of the battle at Prairie Grove, Ark., and that of my brother, Lieut. A. H. BLAKE, of the 20th Wis., was among the wounded, I was determined to go and bring him home if possible. I left home at 8 o'clock, P. M.,the 22d of Dec. In route for that place. I reached St. Louis at 11 A. M., Tuesday, the 23d. I stopped over here and got the necessary papers for the next day, as passes are to be procured only from one point to another. I took care for Rolla at 8 A. M., 24th, and reached that place at dark, 125 miles S. W. of St. Louis. At this place I fell in with Mr. Crane Sutler of the 90th Iowa Regt, and was happy to learn that he was going through to the battle ground at Prairie Grove. We took the stage next morning for Springfield; this stage was a lumber wagon without seats, and with high side-boards serving us as breast-works as we were traveling through the country infested by bushwhackers and jayhawkers. I will go back and speak of Rolla. Rolla is a town of about 700 inhabitants, with a military post about one mile South of the place, situated on a rise of ground overlooking the whole country for miles around. There are two or three regiments stationed at this post. About 28 miles from here we came to a small village called Wainesville. At this place Col. Siegel (a brother of the General) has a Cavalry regiment of about 600 men. He is stationed at this place, as it is the crossing place for rebels from Northern Missouri into the South, and where the guerrillas have done their works of death and devastation. We traveled through the day and brought up about 10 P. M. at Gasconade to stop for the night. We were called up in the morning, had breakfast, and started on our way. Nothing remarkable happened throughout the day. We stopped at a stage house at night, but could get no supper or lodging, so we took our blankets and lay down before the fire. We had a good night's rest although it was rather hard. We left in the morning for Springfield, 13 miles. This is a town of some 3000 inhabitants, situated on the summit of the Ozark mountains. Here I saw many Wis. cousin men; the Surgeon of the 20th Wisconsin, Dr. Chapman of Madison, is detailed at this place. I found everything under his charge clean and neat, something not to be seen in every hospital you enter on the frontier. I also met Lieut. Stone of the 20th Wis, on sick list at this place, whom I found to be of great assistance to the in procuring my passes, which I found to be a more difficult job than I had anticipated. We stopped at this place overnight, and as there was no stage running South from this place we got a carriage and paid $65 to carry us through to the battle-field, 125 miles: the first day's drive was about 65 miles. We stopped at a farm house belonging to one of the "Union" men of those parts. He would not let us, have any supper, and said we should have no breakfast, and that our horses might be missing in the morning, and we were of the same opinion, as a member of his family was seen climbing the hills by moonlight, we supposed, to notify the neighbors of the chance of jayhawking our horses; we concluded it was not the place for us, so we hitched up our team and drove about two miles through the woods and camped with a train. We sat in our carriage till morning, when we drove to the battle ground of Pea Ridge, and saw the ground that was stained by the blood of Gen. Ben MeCulloch. We also visited the battle ground of Wilson's Creek. I saw the Grove where our brave and glorious Gen. Lyon fell while in the set of placing a battery. This morning we visited the battle ground of Dug's Spring; this was the farm residence of the secessionist who has since *********Newspaper was creased********* with the exception of the spring, and there is a dead horse in that. We had breakfast at Elkhorn Tavern, the head-quarters of Gen. Sigel at the time of the battle of Pea Ridge. After breakfast we started on our way to Fayetteville, Ark., 33 miles. After we had driven a few miles we came up with a company of men, 13 in all; two of this number had been shot a short time before, one was dead and the other was dying.The bushwhackers had done their work; the circumstances were these: The guerillas came up to an old house where these men were stopping for the night and called for them to come out, and as one came to the door one of the guerrillas said to him: "It is hard, but I am going to shoot you." The man replied, "I guess not." But he shot, and the man fell dead. They then called out another and shot him. Then those that were in the house shut the door and refused to come out. They were told that if they did not they (the bush whackers) would burn the house down and kill every one of them. They finally yielded and gave themselves up. The guerrillas took their overcoats, pistols and five horses, and left for the mountains. It looked rather hard to see those men standing around their wagons looking upon their dead companions, with their horses gone, and in an enemy's country. We drove on as fast as possible reaching Fayetteville at 8 P. M. I immediately went to head-quarters and reported what had happened, and the wants of the living men. An escort with an ambulance was sent out in short time, and they were brought in; but the two men shot were dead and were buried the next day. That's the way things go down in Dixie. I immediately went to the different hospitals to find my brother. I found him without much difficulty, and much better than I expected. The surgeon had been successful in stopping the flow of blood, and was thought that he would be able to be moved in 16 or 18 days. I found him occupying a very good house in company with Major Thompson and Lieut.Stark of the 20th Iowa. The house was owned by one Stone, secessionist, who was absent in Texas.The elder lady of the house was very kind; the daughter was also a very pleasant and agreeable young lady, and played the piano to à charm for wounded Union soldiers. I stayed at this place (Fayetteville) 16 days.I employed myself in visiting the different hospitals and calling on what Wisconsin boys I could find. I saw Capt. Dale, he was looking very well. Lieut. Butler was looking well, and from appearances I should think he felt very well. I also saw Wm. Rogers, Seneca Flint and James Bolton from this place; they were all well. Lieut. Cole the 20th Wis, was stopping at the same house with myself, he had a gun-shot wound to the right arm above the elbow. They may save his arm, but it is very doubtful.Saw Dr. Reynolds, formerly of Ives' Grove. He is doing well, and is very skilled in the Hospital. He has 140 under his charge. Dr. Hutchins, of this place, I was happy to meet at Fayetteville. He is in charge of a large hospital, and seems to me to be the right man in the right place. His department is clean and well ventilated.Old gentleman, elder North of Kenosha is doing very good work in the hospital under his charge; he works very hard, preaches 6 or 8 times a week; he is taught everything by the boys. There were several things that looked hard to me, not being much acquainted with war. At different times as I passed the morning, dead men were lying on the side- walk with their shoes, overcoats and hats on. These men had died during the night and were laid out there for the dead cart to carry them to the dead house for burial. I was called on by the Medical Director to know if I would not take hold and, see to the making of bunks for wounded soldiers, which I was very happy to do; I took about 15 rebel prisoners and put them on the sweep of a horse power and sawed out enough lumber for a hundred bunks quicker than they had been in the habit of seeing it done down there. It was not hard work for the men as we had enough to relieve the others often. We made about 240 bunks in 3 days. The lumber we used was taken from the fences about the fine residences enclosing some of the finest yards and gardens in the place, of which there were many. On Sunday, the 11th of January, we preached in the public square. It does one good to hear them sing; it makes one think of the camp meetings of by-gone days. The prisoners appear to be happy and content; our army furnishes them better living and more of it than they have been furnished by the Confederate Government. On Sunday, the 11th, there was a rumor going around that the rebel Gen. Hindman was preparing to take Fayetteville, and I heard the land lady remark that the rebel pickets were her within 5 miles of the place, and advised her boarders to draw thier rations for it was not certain who would run the town within 24 hours, and I having a great deal of caution I thought best to draw my rations and start, and being a little lame I started early. I got a horse and buggy, got my brother in, drove 38 miles, and put him up at Elkhorn Tavern, at which place we overtook Col. Barstow, his son, and adjutant, on their way to St. Louis, and it being rainy the Col. asked my brother to have a seat with him in his carriage, which was a great favor to him as he was not able to travel in the rain. Nothing occured on the road to Springfield except that my horse gave out and I was obliged to foot it and push the buggy uphill. We reached Springfield on the fourth day, and stopped over one day to get passes and transfers to St. Louis. At this place I had left the box of Sanitary goods in my care on my way down, and found them all safe. Marmadake did not get them, and they were very much needed, as the battle here on Thursday had relieved the boys in the two hospitals south of the town of all their clothing; they had no time to get themselves out. I had the pleasure, if pleasure it be, of distributing the clothing myself, but it is not pleasant to go into a hospital and call for the boys of a certain regiment and give them garments and have other poor fellows looking on without any. One soldier asked me where those goods came from, and who they were intended for. I told him the Soldiers Relief Society of Racine had sent them to the 20th Wis. Regiment. His countenance fell and he looked sad, as he had no shirt. It may be that he got one, though he was not a member of the 20th. Ladies, those soldiers know you and your worthy President; they will call you by name although they never saw you; there was but one fault about the box sent by me, that was it did not have enough in it. But the boys were very thankful for what I did have. The battle of Springfield, on the 8th of January, was rather sharp for two or three hours. Marmaduke must have been somewhat deceived by his own friends, as some of the prisoners say they were told we had but few, and those sick; but they found sick men could fight for an hour or two.One sick soldier from Watertown had not been able to get out for days, but when he heard of the battle he took a gun and sailed in and was struck by a ball in the back. I think he will not live long, as he was very weak before the battle. The buildings in the place present rather a rough. Our forces made forted holes through them and fired out at the enemy. Marmaduke made some rather good shots; his battery was stationed about 13 miles from the principal square; he would throw his balls and shells through the streets and at the public houses with great accuracy. One of the balls struck the public house where I stopped, and went through it and through the dining room, some 60 feet. It hurt no one, but there was some pretty tall dodging done. I made up my mind that the country did not suit me; so I left Springfield on the 17th of January on stage for Rolla; the weather was pleasant but cool; after we had driven about 25 miles, all at once, and without notice, we were commanded to halt. A man made his appearance at the door of the stage and asked the names of all in the stage, and then rode off being well armed; this was about 2 P. M. We had not driven more than two miles further when another called out for us to halt, and the same ceremony was performed, or nearly so. We were stopped eight times that afternoon, I suppose for the purpose of ascertaining how many there were aboard the stage, and what the prospect of a prize was in case they should take us at night, as we drove until late. But they did not make their appearance at night. They were bushwhackers and jayhawkers, and I suppose they thought it would not pay to spend their time on us, we had other difficulties in getting to Rolla, and if the sound of the whistle of a locomotive ever suited my ears, it was then. I felt like getting home once more with my wounded brother. We took the ears for St. Louis and arrived there at 6 P. M. At this place I had to go through all the different departments to get a 20 days furlough for A soldier who had been in the service for 18 months without one day's rest or furlough, with a minnie ball through his breast, and a broken foot broken by a gun carriage in taking a battery at Prairie Grove. I suppose it is all 0. K., but I think the Government should give her men time to recover from their wounds before compelling them to take their discharge, or go back to their command. We left St. Louis at 3 P. M., 20th January, and reached home at 2 P. M., 21st. The following are the names of the killed, and of the wounded and sick Wisconsin boys in the hospital at Fayetteville, Ark., being about one eighth of the whole number in the hospital on the 12th of January, 1863. I have seen about every one of these boys and conversed with them personally:. COMPANY A CAPT. PETTIBONE. Killed James Cropeed Wm. Baen Frank Pergill Frank Rice color bearer L. E. Teel Peter Huntznyr. Wounded 2d Lieut. S. P. Jackson,contusion, slight. Corp'l L. Smith, left thigh, severe. E. W. Blake, left thigh, slight. Brownlee, left knee, severe. W. Heines, head, slight. A. Huddleston, right arm, slight. P. Dean, right leg, slight. W. Morrison, right thigh, slight. G. Pettingill, right shoulder, alight. H. E. Thompson, neck, slight. H. Underwood, right arm, slight. M. J. Paine, right leg. J. Posey, both thighs and shoulder, severe. E. W. Hestleroth, left shoulder, slight. B. Shaffer, foot, slight. Jerry Brandon, right arm, slight. Sergt. J. Frame, left leg, died Dec. 9, 1862. R L Wellhouse bayonet wound in back, died Dec. 12, 1862. COMPANY B CAPT. TELFAIR Killed Wm. Yokley. Wounded. 2d Lieut. F.A. Bird, left thigh. C. M. Atwood, right thumb, slight. J. Davolt, left foot, slight. B. R. Ewing, left thigh, slight. J. Hineman, left foot, slight. Holden, left shoulder, slight. G. Hoffman, left elbow, slight. COMPANY C CAPT. McDERMOTT Killed Elias Sawyer. Wounded. Sergt.K. Smith, left leg, slight. Corp'l J. MoReynolds, right hip and thigh, severe. Corp'l S.Livingston, neck and right shoulder severe. N, B. Clark, right thigh, and severe. J. Ewing, right arm breast, severe. S. Fitzgerald, right thigh, slight. J. Hammond, right hand, slight. A.Houghtaling, left leg, alight. Al Norton, right thigh, severe. A. S. Richarde, right thigh, slight. J. Watkins, head and hip, slight. G. W. Smith, right shoulder, died Dec.24, 1862. COMPANY D CAPT. A. GILLETT Wounded. Capt. A. Gillett, left foot, slight. Lieut. C.B. Butler, contusion, slight. Sergt. E. Ellis, right ear, slight. Corp. F. Swinger, natas and thigh, severe. Corp. S. Doane, leg, foot and elbow, severe. F.E. Garner, contusion, slight. J. Geissenheimer, right thigh, slight. C.Pagel, left hand, slight. G. H. Philippe, right thigh, slight. 0.G. Read, left leg, slight. J. L. Rockwell, wrist and arm, severe. S. D. Stevens, right shoulder, slight. B. J. Thompson, chin, slight. D, Tool, breast, slight. H. C. Wood, face, slight. J. Jenkins, left thigh, died Dec. 21, 1862. J. W. Rice, right leg, died Dee. 13, 1862. H. S. Rhemington, left thigh, died Dec. 12, 1862. COMPANY E CAPT. WEBER Killed John Waem?, Julius Werlich, Aug. Benton, Godfred Muster, Julius Wright. Wounded. Lieut. F. Kusel, contusion, slight. Serg't. H. Sommers, right thigh, slight. E. Schnause, right thigh, severe. G. Janish, hip and groin, severe. C. Rettig, left knee, slight. IL. Mueller, left thigh, slight. W. Tank, groin and thigh, severe. L. Zauener, left leg, slight. W. Bandle, right thigh, slight. H. Volkman, bayonet wound, back, slight. W. Hahn, left leg, slight. W. Wodke, chest, severe. A. Kluge, i back, died Dec. 25, 1862. F. Sneider, right leg, died Dec.18, 1862. COMPANY F CAPTAIN WHITMAN Killed Adeson Hicks, Hansan Shelbern, James Stewart, J.J. Litner. Wounded Lieut.. A. I. Blake, right shoulder, severe. Sergt. W. E. Minshall, left eye, severe. Corp. J. T Paine, left shoulder, slight. S. Payne, left thigh, slight. J. Harris, left hand and right arm, severe. R. Russel, left thigh and right foot, E. Holmes, right cheek, slight. J. Wagner, ***** G.Lamb, right arm, slight. G. P. Cady, right band, severe. A. Harper, chest and arm, died Dec. 16. D. Brown, right thigh, died Dec. 18. COMPANY G CAPTAIN MILLER Killed B. S. Dudley, Wm. Warner, Miles Barker, Preston Dawner, Peter Emerick, George Jobuson, M.M. Mereal, Morris Letan. Wounded Lt. J. Ferguson, left arm, severe. Sergt. O. S. Phillips, left foot slight. Sergt. W. Scott, left side, slight. Corp. T. Parr, right leg, severe. Corp. D..S. Burbank, contusion, slight. A. Hazlewood, right arm, slight. D. Foley, right thigh, slight. W. Brandt, left ankle, slight. M. W. O'Dean, right shoulder, severe. S. G. Lockwood, left thigh, severe. F. Larson, contusion, severe. C. Hiering, both legs, died Dec.26th.. COMPANY H CAPTAIN STRONG Capt. Henry C. Strong, contusion severe. Lieut. G. W. Root, mouth, slight. Lieut. G. W. Miller, right arm, slight. Corp. E. M. Lull, right thigh, slight. A. Nass, right thigh, slight. F. Cruger, right ankle, slight. B. Smith, right leg, slight. Lorenzo Howard, head, slight. David Weber, head, slight. A. LaFountains, thigh and chest, died December 17.1862. COMPANY I CAPTAIN HARLOCKE. Private S. W. Peyton, Bowels, died Dec. 9 Corp. John Stack, right ear, slight. C. W. Spider, left side, slight. E. A. Sprague, right leg, severe. G. Day, right side and head, slight. C. R.Sandleback, left leg and foot, severe. M. Bitney, left shoulder, severe. G. C. Johnson, right shoulder, slight. M. J. Whitesides, bead, slight. Wm. Waddle, right leg, slight. A. Barnum, side, leg and head, severe. J. Woodhouse, right thigh, severe. E. Hutheroft, face and chest, severe. B. Peacely, right leg, slight. COMPANY K CAPTAIN VANDEGRIFF Lieut. Cole, right arm, severe. Sergi. J. Blackstone, right arm, slight. Corp. J. M. Hunter, throat and hip, slight, F. Rinshs, right foot, slight. W. Nagues leg, severe. J.W. Hamilton, left hand and right arm severe. B. F. Hickman, left leg, slight. M. Aaron, left arm, slight. A. Dobbert, left leg, slight. H. Herbig, ****, slight. E. Hagar, arm ***arm, slight. M.I. Judd, hand, slight. G. Otto, foot, slight. D. W. Plopper, head, slight. S. Shaffer, left leg, slight. S. Smith, arm, slight. J. Sullivan, right hand, slight. W. Wilcox, *****, slight. Corp.J. Blackburn, right leg, died Dec. 18, 1862. J. D.Chandler, Co. A, foot and head, died Dec. 18, 1862. W. Humphrey, Co.K, left thigh, died Dec. 16. 1862. Additional Comments: I came across this newspaper article while researching my genealogy on the... Payne/Forsman/Blackburn/Yates families from Union Grove, Racine, Wisconsin. I knew it would take a great deal of effort to transcribe this article due to its length, but I feel it is a very important piece of history that is worth sharing with everyone. Remember... "We would not be who we are today if not for those who led the way." File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/racine/newspapers/atriptop34nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/wifiles/ File size: 21.1 Kb