Show 4 I I I TWELFTH WISCONSIN IN WAR Company Was Fortunate to Participate pate in Several Expeditions and Won Much Distinction Governor Randall called for tor the Twelfth WI Wisconsin somo omo time In ln September September Sep Ser 1861 and It was organized a at a Camp Randall In October with Col Cot George E. E nr Bryant ant In command and Do DoWitt DoWitt Witt C. C Poole Paolo now In the regular regula army as lieutenant colonel both o or of whom had served In the tho First WIsconsin WIscon sin aln writes Col Cot J J J. A A. A Watrous U. U S. S A. A In the Milwaukee co Sentinel Who shall be major was asked aske The governor go Wl was disposed to go M to one on of the that had gone out soon after Lincoln's first call tot toi that officer Early In Th September th the Second Wl Infantry moved from Camf CamI Kalorama then several miles from th the center of Washington but now a beau beautiful portion of the capital city to Chain Bridge and from t there er across the Potomac river Into Virginia where it was was expected that the tho enemy wa preparing to fight It was customary for officers In that thai vicinity to ride o out t toward the Con Confederate Confederate federate line to investigate and see th the sl sights One warm afternoon Capt CapLA E z zI I J 1 i w r j I IA A Shell Exploded In Company I. I William E E. Strong of Company F F. F Second Wisconsin rode out When he came ba back k he be had a blood curdling story to tell ten that attracted much attention at Me He had suddenly run into a squad quad of several Co Confederates and singe handed banded and alone bad had whipped them killing one or two and wounding others ethers As you fOU ou know that was early in the war and an Incident of that kind at that time was a big thing Governor Randall and other Wisconsin Wiscon sin people had seen the accounts of Captain Strongs Strong's encounter with jtb the enem enemy and it did not take long to de decide dedde cide clde that he should hould be major of ot the new regiment then forming and he was The major was soon oon detailed as an inspecting officer and andon on special duty most of the tune time reaching the responsible place of Inspector in inSpector inspector general of the corps At At th end of the war war he was wat wasa a B brevet ct brigadier general The Twelfth left Madison t the he second see sec ond end week In January 1862 and went direct to Weston Mo Io traveling from Crom I Hannibal miles in open freight cars cara when the thermometer Indicated 15 degrees below zero an and there w wano wat wa u no o fire in t the e cars It did a great dear I of or of guard duty in Missouri l and Kansas I and participated In various arious e expeditions 1 until May of that year car when I K it wen wem to Tennessee It was Its Us fortune tt tL II participate In several Important raids and to be assigned to responsible positions po pc in lD that state during the ne nest three months In these raids the Twelfth ran up against the enemy fe several eral times and won a good name When the VIcksburg campaign carat cam I I the Twelfth took tool its place with the attacking attacking at I tacking force and and was ou on duty until until Pemberton's surrender and then blued Sh Sherman In his campaign campal Il I against Jackson on Colonel rant was in command of the brigade From the capture of Jackson until the opening of the campaign th itt 1864 the Twelfth kept up Its reputation as a raider r and anda a of or railways frequently get got gotting ting Ing into hot skirmishes losing a con can considerable considerable number of men en At the af- af air Ir at Dalton Bolton olton station n during during- Sher Shel Sherman's Shermans mans man's mans Meridian expedition a shell ex exploded exploded In Ju Company I 1 I. killing hilling one man maD and wounding five others The regiment enlisted re-enlisted in March 1864 At the expiration of 30 days In Wisconsin It was ordered to the front and joined the army ou on the way lo to Atlanta June 8 8 and from that that time oath the end of the Ute campaign was aLmost al almost most constantly close to the front line Une of battles The losses of the regiment from the time it joined Sherman In June until July 14 were eight killed a and 16 wounded The part taken by by the Twelfth at what was then I called Bald Dald Hill but now known as aa Leggett Hill In ID honor of an Ohio general who commanded tho the division gave ave that regiment a test that few regiments ever underwent |