Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
May 8, 1897



Co. I, 9th Wisconsin
Chapter 2

While the Ninth was lying at St. Louis, a detail from its ranks was made to escort a paymaster down the river to Gen. Grant's army then investing Vicksburg. There was quite an effort made by some of the men to get on the detail, as the service the paymaster's guard would have to perform, was far preferable to such campaigning as the boys of the Ninth had seen so far. When the steamer upon which the paymaster and his guard embarked had reached appoint in the river below Cairo, Ill., it caught fire and was completely destroyed. In attempting to reach the bank of the river, a number of the guards were drowned, including two of the Ozaukee boys of Company I, George Bernhardt of Saukville, and Peter Loewen of Grafton. The accident happened on August 4, 1863.

In September, the regiment was sent by steamer down the river to Helena, Ark., reaching that place on the 15th, and remaining nearly a month. On the 10th of October, it started to march to Little Rock, Ark, where it went into winter quarters. In this camp in January, 1864, 230 members of the Ninth "veteranized" or re-enlisted; and two companies, C and K, left for Wisconsin on veteran furlough. Of surviving Ozaukee boys in Company I, the following named re-enlisted: Wm. Baden, George Fischer, Wm. F. Groth, Carl F. Gross, Fred. B. Hanns, Henry Haverkost, Louis Heinemann, Paul Hemmer and Wm. Riebling. Sergt. John M. Schmidt had been transferred to Company B, Jan. 1, '61. On the same day, Henry Meyer, who had been transferred to Company C before the regiment left Milwaukee, was transferred to Company A. He was afterwards wounded in the battle of Jenkinsí Ferry, recovered and was mustered out at the end of his three year's term.

The Ninth was noted for the number of its officers and men who were transferred from one company to another. What the cause or causes of all those transfers was or were, I have been unable to learn, but there were so many transfers that there must have been considerable confusion in the rolls, and a great deal of dissatisfaction, especially in regard to officers. Company I was now under the command of Capt. Phillip Kruer, who had been promoted from first lieutenant of Company H. The 1st Lieut., Hugo Koch, had also been transferred from Co. H; and the 2nd Lieut., David Veidt, had been transferred from Co. D. It was little wonder that Sergt. Schmidt wanted to be transferred to another company, and that many of the brave boys refused to "veteranize."

On its arrival at Little Rock, the Ninth had been assigned to the First Corps, First Division, Seventh Army Corps, General Steele commanding. The winter was spent quietly in the performance of fatigue and guard duties, work upon the fortifications, etc. Company E was detailed to serve as artillery. The brigade was commanded by Gen. Rice and the division by Gen. Salomon.

When the Red River expedition started up that river, Gen. Steele was ordered to co-operate by land, and on the 23rd of March, his command left Little Rock for the Red River country. On the 1st of April, Gen. Rice's brigade was guarding the supply and pontoon trains and when in the vicinity of Gendry's Creek, was attacked by a rebel force under Gen. Shelby. After a sharp fight, Shelby was repulsed by the Twenty-ninth Iowa, fiftieth Indiana and a section of Vogl's battery (Company E of the Ninth). At the junction of the Camden road, the brigade repulsed a second attack by Shelby.

On the 3rd, Rice's brigade encamped at Elkinsí Ford of the Little Missouri, where it remained until the 6th when it again moved onward and on the 10th, engaged in a severe skirmish, driving the enemy from one position to another till darkness ended the fight. On the 11th, it again moved forward and compelled the enemy to abandon his works and retreat. On the 14th, Rice's brigade was sent in advance to occupy a position which would prevent the rebels from reaching Camden before the Union forces and encamped that night near White Oak Creek, eighteen miles from Camden. On the 15th, the forces of the notorious, Marmaduke were encountered near the junction of the Washington and Camden roads, when a spirited fight occurred in which the enemy was driven from the field, and the brigade entered Camden that evening. From the 16th to the 23rd, the Ninth was guarding the pontoon bridge across the Washita river.

Here news was received of the failure of the Red River expedition, and Gen. Steele began his retreat to Little Rock. The enemy had succeeded in getting into his rear and capturing his supply trains, which left the Union troops on short rations. Leaving Camden on the 26th, nothing of importance occurred until the Union forces reached the Saline Bottom on the 29th where they were attacked so boldly that it soon became apparent that a battle must be fought before the little army could cross the river at Jenkins' Ferry. Gen. Salmon's division was the rear guard of the army, and Rice's brigade was sent out to hold the enemy in check. Being confronted by a great force of rebels, the brigade was heavily reinforced on the morning of the 30th.

That morning, Gen. Salmon's division was in line two and a half miles from the river, with a rebel army of 20,000 men, under the noted General Kirby Smith, in his front. In his rear, were parked several miles of wagon trains and artillery, which must cross the river before his troops could withdraw, and under these conditions, there was no alternative but to fight. To add to the difficulties of the situation, the whole river bottom was flooded.

At about 5:30 A.M., the skirmishing began, and Rice's brigade was the first engaged. He was soon ordered to fall back to a new line nearer the river, which movement had scarcely been accomplished when the enemy advanced to the attack. They at first tried to deceive our troops by appearing partly dressed in blue uniforms and by arriving before them a flock of sheep, hoping to create the impression among our men that they were a returned foraging expedition. But the ruse did not work, and after an unsuccessful attempt to turn the right of the Union line, the enemy attacked the left with such force and vigor that it was driven back about 250 yards. Being reinforced, Rice's brigade drove the rebels back to and beyond the first line, and the enemy's artillery was nearly silenced by the fire of the sharpshooters.

Reforming his lines, the enemy again advanced to the attack, and again was repulsed. Fresh supplies of ammunition were now distributed among the Union troops, preparations made to receive the next assault, and for some time the incessant roar of musketry extended along the whole line. Early in this assault, Gen. Rice was wounded, and the command of the brigade devolved upon Col. C. E. Salomon of the Ninth, who led it through the remainder of the action, and by a display of personal courage and coolness, did much to encourage his men to hold the line. After the third assault had been repulsed, the enemy retired out of range and at 2 P.M., the battle was over. The trains and artillery having passed safely across the river, the troops gathered up their dead and wounded comrades and retreated across the river without interruption or annoyance from the rebels. Gen. Salmon's division fought this battle unaided, the balance of the army being on the other side of the river, and won unfading laurels by its heroic fight. Gen. F. Salomon spoke in enthusiastic terms of the conduct of his troops, saying among other things: "Our men forgot that they were tired, forgot that they were hungry, and only remembered that they were ordered to hold their ground."

In this battle, our boys of the Ninth Wisconsin fought with a gallantry that won the admiration of their comrades of other regiments, and sustained the good name made by Wisconsin men on every battle field of the war. The losses of the regiment in the battle of Jenkins' Ferry were thirty-one killed and fifty-two wounded. Of the Ozaukee boys in Company I, Geo. Fischer was killed in the fight with Marmaduke near Camden on the 15th of April. Wm. Baden was mortally and Jacob Theilen was seriously wounded at Jenkinsí Ferry. Baden died of his wounds on the 22nd of the following month, and no further record of Theilen is given.