Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 195, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1911 — Untitled [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

18TH WISCONSIN AT SHILOH

•lx Days After Leaving its Btat* New, Inexperienced Regiment Engaged in Famous Battle. On March 30, 1862, the Eighteenth. Wisconsin left Milwaukee and proceeded to Pittsburg Landing and became a part of General Grant’s force, which, Blx days .from the time the new, inexperienced regiment' left its state, one of the great battles of the war began, that of Shiloh, writes Lieut. Col. J. A. Watrous In the Milwaukee Sentinel. The Eighteenth reached Pittsburg Landing on April 6, and was placed with the dilvsibn of Gen. B. M. Prentiss, which occupied the most advanced position of any troops in the line. The soldiers put up their, tents, but their rations having run out they went to bed hungry, as a great many others did during the war. Early the next morning the pickets; fa front of Prentiss' division were driven in. The Eightenth did splendid service in that, its first battle, fighting like veterans. Thirty wer* killed and 95 wounded, many of the latter dying.

One hundred and seventy-five of the men and ten or twelve of “the officers were made prisoners at the time the most of General Prentiss’ division was captured. Yet there were enough left to make a body of 250 to participate in the second day’s battle, which resulted in driving back the enemr and giving Grant a victory. The Eighteenth was in MacArthur’s division, and but for the fact that Gen. Charles S. Hamilton’s suc-j cessful attack of the enemy at luka„ would have been in that battle. Hamilton defeated the enemy before MacArthur’s division reached the fieldThe regiment was constantly on dutyparticipated in various raids, burned bridges and destroyed railroads. It had important work In connection with the battle of Corinth, in October, 1862, and was given another opportunity to show its good mettle. In, this engagement it lost five killed and 21 wounded. It was on the reserve at the battle of Champion Hills, but had: several killed and a number wounded. The regiment acted aB sharpshooters during a portion of the Vicksburg campaign, losing ten killed and seven wounded. After the capture of Vicksburg it remained there until September 11, going from there to Helena, Ark. It joined Grant at Chattanooga on November 19,1863, having marched 250 miles through Mississippi, Alaba-

ma and a portion of Tenenssee to do so. The Eighteenth took part in the battle of Mission Ridge, and Joined in the pursuit of the enemy so far as Ringgold, Ga. It was on duty at Huntsville, Ala., until May 1, 1864, when it joined Sherman in his great campaign from Chattanooga' to Atlanta. The Eightenth was one of the regiments at Altoona Pass and helped to fight the battle bearing that, name, and it is said that no troops of that small force fought more valiantly than the Wisconsin soldiers. That was the battle which brought out. the remark.by Sherman, “Hold the fort, for I am coming.” The Confederates fought persistently for that pass, and though the Union force was small the enemy left 1,600 killed and wounded. The Eighteenth had some killed and wounded here. The Eighteenth re-enlisted, but was unable to take advantake of the thir-ty-day furlough until the following November. In January, 1866, it returned to Chattanooga, and in time was sent to General Sherman’s army, In the Carolines. The Eighteenth had three different colonels, J. 8. Alban, killed at Shiloh; Gabriel Bouck, resigned on January 4, 1864, and Charles H. Jackson, who was mustered out at the end of the war. Its first adjutant was the late Judge Gilbert S. Park of Stevens Point. Park afterward became captain of eompany G, and served until the end of the war. Another captain of the Eighteenth was the late State Senator William J. Kershaw. He remained with the regiment a short time and went out as a major with one of the later companies.

"Hold the Fort for I Am Coming."