Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
September 4, 1897



26th Wisconsin
Chapter 12

Charles Gottschalk, of Cedarburg, was one of the teamsters of the Twenty-sixth and a good one he was, he taking the best of care of his mules. Early in October, while the regiment lay at the Chattahoochie bridge, Charlie concluded that his long-eared charges needed a feed of fresh grass, and learning that the teamsters of the pontoon train, which was corralled near by, were going outside of the picket line to graze their mules that day, Charlie asked for and received permission of the quartermaster to accompany them with his mules. Colonel Winkler's orderly also accompanied them with two of the Colonel's horses. Each teamster riding one of his mules and leading the other five, the cavalcade rode out through the picket line, and about two miles from camp, came to a large creek on the further bank of which was a field covered with luxuriant grass. Passing down through a narrow cut, they crossed the creek on a wagon-bridge some twenty-five feet in length, and entering the meadow, they gave the mules their freedom and the long-eared animals were soon wandering over the field and enjoying the feast.

Gottschalk who had supposed all the while that the pontoon men had the necessary guards near at hand, began pulling the long grass and stuffing it into a grain sack, which he had brought with him for that purpose intending to bring it to camp for a feed on the morrow. The orderly had picketed his horses, and the other teamsters had scattered around the field, none thinking of danger, when a yell suddenly broke the stillness, and looking up, our boys saw about 50 mounted rebel bushwhackers or guerrillas riding out of the woods and deploying in the edge of an adjoining field. Thinking that the guards which he supposed were near, would quickly open on the rebs and rout them, Charlie was not alarmed at first, and stood watching the Johnnies, noticing that some had guns, others revolvers and some sabres.

But no blue coats came to the rescue, and turning to look at his comrades, he saw them running for dear life. He was now thoroughly alarmed and throwing down the sack of grass, he called his saddle mule. The faithful animal, which was a pet of his, promptly trotted up to him, and springing upon its back, Gottschalk "lit out" at full speed for the bridge. And he started not a moment too soon, for as he did so, the rebels charged into the meadow with a yell, and there was a lively race for the bridge. The Colonel's orderly, Theodore Ehlert of Company C, had mounted one of the horses and leading the other, joined in the race. The rebel leader was mounted on a splendid horse, and seeing Gottschalk and Ehlert making for the bridge, he put his horse to its best gait and tried to reach it first. But Charlie's mule had had a good start and reached the goal first with the Colonel's horses a close second. Across the bridge they thundered and as they left its planks, they heard the hoofs of the pursuer's horse strike the other end. Away they went up through the cut, the rebel gaining with every stride of his noble horse, and calling on our boys to surrender. Part way up the cut, he caught up with them, but the passage was so narrow that he could not pass by to head them off, neither could he hit either of the boys with his revolver, which he blazed away with at a lively rate. Neither of our boys were armed, and they would have been at his mercy had he been able to get ahead of them, but he couldn't do that, and fearing to pursue them farther, he gave up the chase before they reached the top of the hill, after slightly wounding Gottschalk's mule.

It is needless to say that our boys did not slacken their speed until they had placed a long distance between them and the meadow; and the visions of Andersonville having gradually passed from their minds with the increasing distance, they brought their tired animals down to a more moderate pace. Riding down into the camp of the nearest Union troops, they gave the alarm and several companies went out to the meadow on the doublequick, under the guidance of Gottschalk, but they found the clearing deserted, the rebels having run off all the mules, and although their trail was followed for some distance, the bushwhackers got safely away with their booty.

Gottschalk had to hunt up five new mules to take the place of those captured from his team, but as mules were plenty in the Union camp just then, he had six new ones the second day, but not all to his liking. On that day, there being a scarcity of forage in camp, the Quartermaster Sergeant of the regiment, Geo. W. Jones, who three months later was commissioned Adjutant, and who since the war has been a successful and honored farmer of the town of Jackson, Washington county, was ordered to take a wagon and corporal's guard and go to Atlanta for a new supply. Jones called for volunteers to go as guard, many of the men liking to go to the city when such an opportunity was offered, and eight men and a corporal reported to him in marching order, in a very short time. The names of some of the squad have been forgotten, but the following are remembered: Corporal Christ. Frensz, Geo. H. Emmet, Eugene Hook and Mathias Strupp, of Company G (the West Bend Company); and Fred Mueller and Mich. Siebenaler, of Company K.

Gottschalk's green team was ordered out to make the trip, and he did not feel pleased with the duty; but he soon had the mules hitched up, and with little escort, was on the way to the city nine miles away. Sergt. Jones rode a horse and Gottschalk gave his extra mule to the corporal to ride. No lookout was kept for an enemy, and no attention was paid to keeping the guard together, as no one dreamt of there being an armed rebel within forty miles of that road.

All went well with the team and its escort until it had reached a point where the road crossed a clearing of ten acres or more in extent, about half way to the city. Sergt. Jones and the corporal were riding leisurely along some distance ahead the team. Two of the men were half a mile in the rear talking to a comrade who had just returned from the city, two were walking just ahead the "leaders" of the team, one was in the wagon and the others were walking some distance in the rear of the wagon. Just as the team got well into the clearing, a party of fifteen or twenty guerrillas, mounted and armed similar to those who had captured the mules two days previous, rode yelling out of the woods a short distance to the rear, and taking the guard completely by surprise, scattered it to the shelter of the woods as they dashed after the wagon firing right and left.

Gottschalk, who was unarmed, had been attentively watching his team, and did not dream of danger until he saw one of the men in front of his "leaders" catch the other by the shoulder, jerk him around, point to the rear and then take to his heels for the woods. Looking back, Gottschalk saw the rebs coming out of the woods, and now heard them give the old familiar yell. Laying his long "blacksnake" whip on to his mules with all his strength, he tried to make them run, but they were not used to the harness and made such poor work of running that in a few seconds, the rebs were around the wagon and calling upon Charlie to halt and surrender. Seeing that if he remained in his saddle, both he and his team would be captured and driven off, he concluded that it was best for him to desert the team, believing that the rebs would not be able to manage it well enough to drive it off before help came.

He had no time to discuss the matter in his mind, and the next moment he was on his feet and running for the timber at his best speed, while the team continued to make headway along the road and could not be stopped by the Johnnies. One of the rebs rode after Gottschalk, calling on him to halt, and sending revolver bullets after him every few seconds. When near the woods, the rebel was nearly up to Charlie, who was doing his very best sprinting, and he had just speed enough to carry him into the thick undergrowth of the woods in safety, whither the horseman could not follow.

When the Sergeant and Corporal heard the yelling and firing, they turned and rode back to the rescue at full speed, the Sergeant opening fire, when near enough, with his revolver and the Corporal with his rifle, but there was rather poor shooting all around as no one fell. Two or three of the guard had got behind trees and were blazing away at rebs, who rode up and down the road like mad, and fired at everything and anything. Remembering that there was a sack of mail in the wagon which contained a considerable sum of money that had been mailed to their friends at home by the members of the regiment, Sergt. Jones determined to save it at all hazards. But how to do so was the question, as his men were badly scattered. While pressing up close to the team and firing at intervals with his revolver to prevent any of the rebs from dismounting and seizing the mules, he noticed one of them crane his neck to look around a bend of the road in his, Jonesí, rear. This gave Jones a pointer and wheeling his horse, he rode back a few rods at a gallop, and then making believe he saw friends coming around the bend, he yelled: "Come on boys, come quick, and we will capture or shoot every one of them!" The ruse worked like a charm, and the next moment the guerrillas were flying as fast as their horses could carry them from the field. Eugene Hook got a parting shot at them which apparently wounded one of their number, and caused him to drop an overcoat which Hook quickly appropriated. The whole affair occupied but a very few minutes of time, and all on the road were in constant motion so that it was hard to hit them.

Meanwhile, one of the men who were half a mile in the rear when the firing began, started back to the camp of the regiment as fast as he could run, and arriving there, reported that everyone with the wagon was either "captured or killed." Col. Winkler immediately ordered out two companies, which were kept on the go all the afternoon looking for the Johnnies but without success.

As soon as the guerrillas retreated, Gottschalk ran back to the road and caught his team, and found it all safe. The guard who had been in the wagon when the fracas began, remained there quietly throughout the whole, the close canvas wagon-cover shielding him from the view of the enemy, and bobbed up serenely when the trouble was over. It is needless to add the that guard remained in their places and kept a strict lookout for Johnnies during the balance of the trip. When near Atlanta, the party met a company which had been sent out to rescue it; and when the wagon and its escort returned safely to the regiment, the boys in camp were greatly surprised, they having believed that the Johnnies had gobbled up the whole outfit.

A few days after this affair, a wagon belonging to another regiment was captured with its guard, and the wagon burned in sight of the picket line near the Chattahoochie bridge, but the return of the balance of Shermanís army made the bushwhackers leave that part of the country for the remainder of the Yankee army's stay.