Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
May 15, 1897



Co. I, 9th Wisconsin
Chapter 3

Returned to Little Rock after the battle of Jenkins' Ferry, the Ninth was engaged for some time in the erection of a chain of forts around that town; and then settled down to the usual routine of garrison life. In the campaign just ended, the boys of the Ninth had suffered very much from hunger and exposure, and a rest in a comfortable camp, with plenty to eat, was greatly enjoyed by them.

In August, Companies H and I went home to Wisconsin on a thirty-day's veteran furlough, and all had a very pleasant time among their relatives, friends and old neighbors, with the exception of Sergt. Wm. F. Groth, of Cedarburg, who had been ailing for some time. He grew rapidly worse on the homeward trip, and died in Camp Randall, Madison, Wis., September 18, 1864. The survivors of the company returned to the regiment at the expiration of their furlough, and again cheerfully assumed the duties of the soldier.

On the 17th of November, the non-veterans of the regiment, whose term of enlistment had expired, were mustered out of the service at Little Rock, together with Col. C. E. Salomon and such other officers as were not required in a battalion; and the veterans and recruits were formed into an Independent Battalion of four companies, under the command of Lieut. Col. Jacobi. The Ozaukee members of Company I, who were mustered out at that time were Claude Augustin, August Bethke, John Fritsch, Henry Hackfield, Fred. Meyer, John F. Milkie, John M. Schmidt, Henry Tibor, John Schaefer, Joseph Schaub and John Wiltges. Seven of the Ozaukee squad still remained in the service, and were transferred to Company C of the Battalion. They were Carl F. Gross, Fred B. Hanns, Henry Haverkorst, Louis Heinemann, Paul Hemmer, Wm. Riebling and Frank Simon.

The Independent Battalion remained at Little Rock performing guard duties until January, 1865, when it formed part of an expedition to the Saline river, and returned to its camp at Little Rock with the loss of one man. Here they remained at their old duties until after the close of hostilities, and here the glad news of the successes of Sherman and his army reached them. Here the joyful tidings of the fall of Richmond, the surrender of Lee and the surrender of Johnston, and the sad news of Lincoln's assassination found them.

In June, the Battalion accompanied its brigade when it proceeded by transports to Camden, on the Washita river, 100 miles south of Little Rock, where they remained until August, when they marched back to Little Rock, reoccupied their old quarters and resumed guard duty in and around the city. Here the Battalion remained on duty until the 30th of January, 1866, when it was mustered out of the service and sent home. The boys had been so long in Little Rock that they had begun to feel quite at home there, and had become well acquainted. Reaching Milwaukee in the first week of February, the boys quickly scattered to their homes, and the old Ninth Wisconsin was but a memory.

Capt. Peter Spehn

Few if any of the resident veterans of the Civil war are better known to the people of Ozaukee county than is Capt. Peter Spehn, the venerable post master of the village of Grafton. Born in Baden, Germany, August 1, 1815, Peter Spehn grew to manhood in his native town, and received his military training during a six-year's term in the cavalry branch of the German army. In 1842, he was married to Anna Marie Drexel, and three years later came to America and to Milwaukee, Wis. That same year, he moved his family to a home in the wilderness, in what is now the town of Polk, Washington county, and in 1852, removed to a farm in the town of Grafton, this county, upon which he resided until after the war, rearing an interesting family of five boys and six girls, all of whom are now living and married.

In ante bellum days, there was a militia company in nearly every village and hamlet of Ozaukee county, and in 1856, Mr. Spehn was chosen captain of Grafton company, and remained its commander until he entered the Union army. It is a fact worth noting here, that Capt. Spehn was the only one of the militia captains of the county to tender his sword to the government in the hour of its peril. In 1857, Capt. Spehn was elected to the office of register of deeds for Ozaukee county, and was serving as such when Old Glory was fired upon at Ft. Sumter.

In the foregoing chapters, I told of the patriotic stand taken by Capt. Spehn when the government of this country was assailed by traitors, and was in danger of perishing. Although the father of a large family, the incumbent of a lucrative office, and well advanced in years, Capt. Spehn was not long in coming to the conclusion that his adopted government had the best claim on his services. Believing, as did millions of others, that this government "of the people, for the people, and by the people" should endure; that secession was impolitic, unconstitutional and rebellious; and that in its unprepared condition, the government would sorely need the services of every man of the North who had had a military training, he resigned the office of register of deeds, settled his business affairs, and tendered his services to Gov. Randall in defense of Freedom's banner.

Gov. Randall was not slow to accept the services of such an officer, and as has been told in the sketch of his company, Capt. Spehn was given a recruiting commission; and in those trying days of '61, recruited a company of one hundred of his countrymen, which became Company I of the Ninth Wisconsin infantry. He served with it in the field, sharing all of its privations and hardships for two years; and then broken down in health, was forced to resign and leave the service in his forty-ninth year, regretting sincerely that he could not remain with his boys until the end of war.

Returning to his farm at Grafton, Capt. Spehn recovered his health, partially, was soon taking a deep interest in politics, and in 1866 was elected chairman of the town board. In 1867, he was elected sheriff of Ozaukee county, and was re-elected in 1868. In 1870, he was again elected chairman of the town board and member of the county board and has filled that office during twenty terms. He is now serving his second term as post master at Grafton.

Always conscientious, upright and honorable in his dealings with his fellow men, Capt. Spehn in the eighty-third year of his age is highly respected; and his war record stamps him as a patriot of whom the county, state and country are greatly indebted, and whose declining years should be brightened and made happy by the esteem and kindly care of a grateful people. That he may live for many years to come, in the enjoyment of good health and happiness, under the bright folds of the flag he fought to render stainless; and that when he is finally ́mustered outî he may be marched away to the Celestial camp, there to receive his reward from the Eternal Commander, are the sincere wishes of a host of friends.