Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2011, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== ROSTER of WISCONSIN VOLUNTEERS WAR OF THE REBELLION, 1861-1865 Compiled by Authority of the Legislature Under the Direction of Jeremiah M. Rusk, Governor and Chandler P. Chapman, Adjutant General Democrat Printing Co., State Printers - 1886 =========================================================================== iii PREFACE _______ In the preparation of this work no attempt has been made to do more than to compile and condense "the material facts in the military history of each soldier, as the same appears in the rec- ords and files of this office." It is believed that the roster is as nearly complete as the character of the material available for its preparation permits, and that no statement is made which is not based on some official document. That the rolls, returns, reports and records which form the basis of the roster, are frequently at fault, is beyond question. Made by so many different persons, with varying ideas of what was re- quired, with different degrees of faithfulness and clerical ability, it is not possible that all should be correct. Not infrequently two, three and even four different offical documents, each apparently entitled to the same degree of credence, have been found to give utterly irreconcilable statements as to the final disposition of the same man. It would have required something more infallible than human judgement to always select the correct report in such cases. The State does not possess a full complement of rolls and re- turns of any organization. It is evident that some which have been in the office have disappeared, and it is known that many which were supposed to have been sent never reached the office. When the rolls and returns are comparatively ample the roster is comparatively complete; and when the roster is meager it is because the material for its compilation is deficient. Many retained papers have been sent to the Adjutant General for use in this work, by ex-officers, 1st Sergeants and Company Clerks, in response to an urgent request sent to the address of all such persons known to this office. Doubtless very many more such papers are in the hands of individuals which should be in the custody of the State, where the information they contain could be available for the benefit of the entire membership of the organization. Provision has been made for the publication of other editions of this work. If future editions are to be an im- provement upon this, every surviving officer or soldier, who has -------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv PREFACE _______ any retained papers in his possession must place them tempora- rily or permanently, at the disposal of this office. Very little if any more can be done with the material now at hand. The papers most need are Muster In and Muster Out Rolls, Monthly Returns, (company and regimental) Bi-monthly Musters, Casualty Reports, and Descriptive Books. But all sorts of military papers are frequently useful in establishing some special fact required to be shown to the satisfaction of the Pension Office, even if not useful for the roster. Special difficulties have been met in the effort to determine the correct form of proper names, which frequently appear in from two to a dozen different forms in as many documents. The name most frequently used has been generally adopted as the one most likely to identify the man among his comrades. In all cases of apparent error in this particular, or when the name or its habitual form of writing, has been changed since the war, it is desirable that the Adjutant General be notified that an entry of the fact be made upon the office descriptive book to facilitate the future identification of the soldier. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEMORANDA OF LEGISLATION IN PERSUANCE OF WHICH THIS WORK HAS BEEN PREPARED AND PUBLISHED _________ In his second annual message delivered to the legislature Jan- uary 11, 1883, Governor Rusk called especial attention to the con- dition of the "War Records," and the necessity for early action for their care and preservation. No action was taken by the committees to whom this portion of the message was referred, nor by the legislature. In his bi-ennial message delivered to the legislature January 15, 1885, Governor Rusk said: "I invite your early and careful consideration to the necessity of making provision for compiling, perfecting and recopying the files and records of the Adjutant General's officer pertaining to the war of the rebellion. The demand for transcripts of the military history of soldiers steadily increases, and necessitates a use of the original papers which is now rapidly destroying them. The value of these records to the State, the soldiers and those dependent upon them cannot be overestimated, and it is beyond question that this value will increase for many years to come, as the impossibility of supplying their place by the testimony of individuals is rapidly decreasing. When this important work has been completed so as to meet the requirements of the office, I recommend that a complete roster of Wisconsin volunteers, showing the material facts in the military history of each soldier, be prepared and printed by the State. The example of all our neighboring States in this regard, is well worthy of our imitation. The cost will be trifling compared with the value of such a publication." On the 5th day of February, 1885, Hon. W. H. Blyton of Monroe, introduced in the Assembly, Bill No. 163 A, which after the usual routine of legislation, passed both houses unanimously and was approved by the Governor and published April 15, 1885, as chapter 244, Laws of 1885 as follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- vi PREFACE _______ [No. 163 A] [Published April 15, 1885] CHAPTER 244 AN ACT to authorize the governor and adjutant general to compile, perfect and recopy the records of the adjutant general's office pertaining to the war of the rebellion, and to appropriate a sum sufficient to carry out the provisions of this act. The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: Section 1. The governor and adjutant general as hereby authorized to cause the files and records of the adjutant general's office pertaining to the war of the rebellion, to be properly compiled, perfected and recopied in such manner as they may deem best and find practicable to provide for meeting the requirements of the daily work of said office, with the least practicable use of the original rolls and files. Section 2. The governor and adjutant general are hereby authorized to employ such extra clerks or copyists as they may deem to be necessary to the correct, prompt and efficient discharge of the duties imposed upon them by this act, and fix their compensation, which shall be paid out of the state treasury, on duly verified accounts, certified, approved and audited in like manner as the accounts of the regular clerks and said employes in said office are certified, approved and audited; provided, that the compensation of such clerks or copyists shall not exceed that paid for a similar grade of work in the office of the secretary of state. Section 3. The adjutant general is hereby authorized to examine the method adopted for the execution of similar work to that contemplated in this act, in the offices of the adjutant general of the United States army, and of Massachusetts and New York, and may be allowed his actual and reasonable traveling and other expenses necessarily incurred in making said examination, to be paid out of the state treasury, on duly verified accounts, approved and audited in like manner as his salary account is now approved, audited and paid. When the work of compiling, perfecting and recopying the war records of said office has made such progress as may render it practicable so to do, the adjutant general is hereby authorized and directed to prepare for publication a complete roster of Wisconsin volunteers, showing the material facts in the military history of each soldier as the same appears in the records and files of said office, in the general style of the printed roster of volunteers of the state of Illinois, with such additions and improvements as may be found practicable, without materially increasing the cost of such publication. Before said roster is printed, the work shall be submitted to a committee consisting of the governor of this state, the secretary of state and the department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic for approval, and when approved by said committee, two thousand five hundred copies of said roster shall be printed and bound in two volumes by the state printer, in the same general style as the roster of Illinois volunteers, now in the library of the adjutant general's office. Section 4. Said printed roster so published shall be distributed from the adjutant general's office as follows: To each member of the present leg- islature, one copy; to each state officer, five copies; to each assistant or deputy state officer or head of department, one copy; to each public library in this state, one copy; to the office of each clerk of circuit court, one copy; to each post of the Grand Army of the Republic in this state, one copy; to the university, each college, normal school and high school library, one copy; to each state library and state adjutant general's office, making like exchanges with this state, one copy; to the adjutant general of the United States army for distribution to the department at Washington, twenty copies; to the State Historical society, fifty copies; to the governor and adjutant general, each twenty-five copies; the remaining copies to the superintendent of public property, for sale to soldiers and citizens of the state at three dollars per set, not more than one set to any one person, and then only on affidavit that it is not purchased for sale. The receipts from such sales to be placed in the general fund. Section 5. The secretary of state is hereby authorized to purchase of the state printer stereotype plates of said roster at cost not exceeding seventy-five cents per page. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii PREFACE _______ Section 6. During the time that the adjutant general is charged with the labor and responsibility of carrying out the provisions of this act, he shall be paid such extra compensation therefor as shall with the salary now received by him equal the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars per month, to be paid out of the state treasury, in like manner as the clerks provided in this act are paid; provided, his entire time during the business hours can be devoted to this service. Section 7. There is hereby appropriated out of any money in the state treasury not otherwise appropriated as sum sufficient to carry out the provisions of this act. Section 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and publication. Approved April 3, 1885. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------