Wisconsin Civil War History

20/01/2025

Grave of Medal of Honor recipient John Durham, Sergeant, Company F, 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Durham received his Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Perryville on Oct. 8, 1862.

His citation reads: “Seized tbe flag of his regiment when the color sergeant was shot and advanced with the flag midway between the lines, amid a shower of shot, shell, and bullets, until stopped by his commanding officer.”

Durham is buried at Leavenworth National Cemetery.

19/01/2025

Unidentified drummer boy of the 14th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.

I don’t know about you, but he looks to be more of a “drummer man”…

18/01/2025

Statue of Hans Christian Heg, Norwegian-American colonel of the 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Heg was mortally wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga on Sept. 19, 1863 and died of his wounds the next day.

The 15th Wisconsin was known as the “Scandinavian Regiment” due to its high number of Scandinavian-born members. Most came from Norway, but some also came from Denmark and Sweden.

The statue is located right outside the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison.

18/01/2025

Sheet music for the song “Hamilton’s Badger Boys”, first distributed in 1899 in honor of the 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. This song was first sung at Camp Pinkney in Maryland Heights, MD on July 22, 1861.

The Hamilton referenced in the song title is an homage to the regiment’s colonel, Charles Hamilton.

17/01/2025

Photo of the Booth brothers, who served in Company C, 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Pictured from left to right: First Lieutenant William Thomas Booth (wounded and captured at First Battle of Bull Run and discharged due to disability on March 3, 1863), Private George Booth (wounded at Antietam and discharged due to disability on January 17, 1863), and Sergeant Samuel Booth (wounded at Second Battle of Bull Run and mustered out with the regiment on June 28, 1864).

16/01/2025

Camped at Belle Plain in Stafford County, Henry Matrau, 6th Wisconsin Infantry, wrote home to his mother on January 14, 1863. Young Henry, only 17 at this time, explained that “we have been camped here for about 6 weeks and have got pretty good winter quarters up, so we are beginning to live quite comfortably.”

Matrau went on to detail the process of constructing and furnishing his shared dwelling. One can almost envision him looking around as he is writing: “Three of us have, by digging about 4 feet into the ground and raising it 6 log’s high, then using our shelter tent for roofing, made quite comfortable quarters. We have got a bunk made of poles covered with cedar boughs in the place of feathers, in one end. In the other a regular old fashioned fire place. Our cupboard comprises a shelf on which you can see a frying pan, plate of beans, tin coffee cups, sugar & coffee bags, knife, fork, & spoon, big chunk of mess pork pies, and to***co, & c, &c.”

As messmates, they apparently shared reading material, too, although he called it “a very limited supply.” Their literature consisted “generally of the Dayly Chronicle, Times, Tribune & Herald, & novels Handy Andy, Irish Dragoon, [and] Flying Dutchman. . . .” Matrau only cared that what they read “makes the time pass away. . . .”

Young Matrau received several promotions over his army career and mustered out as a captain in the summer of 1865. He lived until 1917.

Image courtesy of Find a Grave.

https://www.cvbt.org/

15/01/2025

Survivors of the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment at the dedication of their monument in Gettysburg on July 1, 1888, the 25th anniversary of the first day of the battle.

14/01/2025

Private Alexander White of Co. H, 16th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, circa 1861-1862.

According to the Official Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, White enlisted on Nov. 14, 1861 and was discharged on June 30, 1862.


📸: courtesy of

13/01/2025

JOHN WAYLES JEFFERSON (May 8, 1835-June 12, 1892)

Born in Charlottesville, VA as John Wayles Hemings, he was the grandson of Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings. His parents were Eston (Sally’s youngest child by Thomas) and Julie Ann Isaacs.

Eston was emancipated via Jefferson’s will when he died in 1826, so Eston and his family moved to Chillicothe, OH in 1837 and then onto Madison, WI in 1852. It was in Madison tbe family decided to change their surname from “Hemings” to “Jefferson” in an attempt to integrate into White society and protect themselves from slave catchers.

In Madison, Jefferson made a name for himself by operating the American House Hotel in downtown Madison. When the war broke out, he enlisted in the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was quickly promoted to Major.

During his service, Jefferson was injured in both the Siege of Corinth and Siege of Vicksburg. It was right before the Siege of Vicksburg that Jefferson was promoted to colonel of the 8th Wisconsin.

Mustering out on October 11, 1864, Jefferson returned to Madison where he died. He is laid to rest along with other Thomas Jefferson descendants at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison.

12/01/2025

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January 12, 1864: The 20th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment participates in an engagement in Matamoras, Mexico.

The regiment entered Mexico to rescue the American consul in Matamoras when he was caught in a local uprising between opposing Mexican forces.

The 20th Wisconsin served from August 23, 1862 - July 14, 1865, losing 5 officers and 100 enlisted men killed due to battle, plus another 1 officer and and 145 enlisted men who died of disease.


📸: Capt. Edward G. Miller, 20th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, courtesy of

11/01/2025

HORACE ARTIS (1842-1910)

Born into slavery near Norfolk, VA, Horace Artis escaped into Union lines soon after President Lincoln issued tbe Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He then found his way to Washington, DC where he enlisted in Co. F of the 31st USCT.

Artis’ regiment participated in the Siege of Petersburg and the pursuit of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia to Appomattox Courthouse.

After the war, Artis settled in Appleton, Wisconsin and raised his family. As can be seen by the ribbon he is wearing in the first photo, Artis was a proud member of Appleton’s Grand Army of the Republic post.

Artis and his family are buried in Appleton’s Riverside Cemetery.

10/01/2025

An incredible circa 1863 tintype image of a group of Union POW’s. This group was among 500 soldiers taken prisoner on March 25, 1863 at the Battle of Brentwood in Tennessee. A few months later they were exchanged for Confederate prisoners and were back with their units around Nashville.

The soldier on the second to the right is Private Porter Wait, Company C, 22nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

09/01/2025

CAPTURED CIVIL WAR CANNON

the has an actual cannon on display from the ?

This specific cannon (an M1841 6-pounder field gun) was captured by the 14th Wisconsin Infantry during the in April 1862.

09/01/2025

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January 8, 1862 - The 8th Wisconsin Light Artillery is mustered into service. Also known as Lyon’s Pinery Battery, they entered service in Racine, Wisconsin.

The Battery would see action at Corinth, Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, the siege of Chattanooga, and the Georgia Campaign,

The battery would lose 28 men in all: one officer and one enlisted man were killed in action and 28 others died of disease.


📸: the 8th Wisconsin Light Artillery monument
ℹ️: courtesy of the

07/01/2025

06/01/2025

My 3rd great-grandfather, George Phalen.

George Phalen was born March 25, 1841 in Providence, Rhode Island and his family settled in Mitchell, Wisconsin in his youth.

He enlisted in Co. I of the First Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, enlisting on September 17, 1861 and serving until he was discharged due to disability on June 17, 1863. During his service, he participated in the Battle of Perryville and Battle of Stones River before his discharge.

After the war, he lived a quiet life in the state that raised him until he passed away on November 16, 1919 in Milwaukee. He was laid to rest at Wood National Cemetery.

Fun fact - His brother, Richard, also served in the war as a Quartermaster in the 17th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He served for the duration of the war and participated in the Grand Review in Washington DC at the close of the war.

05/01/2025

On , we highlight “Old Abe”, the bald eagle mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Captured at a young age by Native Americans, “Old Abe” was sold to a merchant, who in turn sold the eagle to the “Eau Claire Badgers”, a company of volunteers from Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties who would form the nucleus of the 8th Wisconsin.

“Old Abe” would go on to serve in the Battle of Island No. 10, the Siege of Corinth, the Vicksburg Campaign, and the Red River Campaign. There are even a few reported instances of Confederates trying to shoot the eagle down during battle.

After the war, “Old Abe” returned to Wisconsin and became a celebrity. He appeared at many national events commemorating the war, and even had his own two-room apartment in the basement of the Wisconsin State Capitol, complete with a custom bathtub.

Old Abe died in February 1881 after a fire broke out in the basement of the State Capitol. He is memorialized today with many symbols, perhaps the best-known being the insignia for the 101st Airborne Division, the “Screaming Eagles”.


📸: First photo from the Liljenquist Collection at the . Second photo taken by at the