Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
December 26, 1896



The Ozaukee Rifles
Chapter 26

There was a magnificent body of troops encamped along the Potomac, near Washington and Alexandria, at this time, consisting of the armies of the Potomac, the James, the Tennessee, and of Georgia, in all nearly if not quite 200,000 men. Our camp being but a short distance from Mount Vernon, thousands of Shermanís army visited the mansion and tomb of the Father of his country.

President Johnson having ordered a grand review, to take place in Washington, of all the armies encamped near the capital, Gen. Meade's command on May 23rd, and Gen. Shermanís on Wednesday, May 24th, we began to make preparations for it as soon as we were settled in camp, by brushing up and repairing uniforms, and burnishing our guns, bayonets and accoutrements. While Meade's army was being reviewed on the 23rd, Shermanís struck its tents and marching up to the south end of the famous Long Bridge, bivouacked on the plain between the bridge and the storied Arlington Heights. Sherman says in his Memoirs that, ìthe 15th, 17th, and 20th corps crossed Long Bridge and bivouacked in the streets around the capital, and the 14th corps closed up to the bridge.î Uncle Billy was simply mistaken or misinformed. Our corps did not cross the bridge until the morning of the 24th, and I am confident that none of his army did.

The 24th of May, 1865, dawned fair and beautiful in the Potomac valley, and at the first peep of day, Shermanís army was up and making preparations for the greatest military pageant of the war. As soon as it was light, the column began to pour across the bridge, and shortly after sunrise, our turn came and we were off. Crossing Long Bridge, (a mile long), we marched into the capital of the Nation between rows of barrels of ice water, placed there for our use, and between crowds of people of all colors and classes, who had risen early and hurried down to get the first glimpse of Shermanís ìBummers,î of whose exploits and heroism they had read so much. The contrast between the barren plains on the south bank of the river, and the beautiful city on the north was very great; and the effect upon the gallant boys who had been fighting and marching for over a year through a hostile region, where few except colored people were pleased to greet them, was still greater and cannot be easily described.

With battle-stained and tattered colors fluttering in the breeze, and the streets resounding with the martial music of their bands and drum corps, our boys closed their ranks, and keeping step to the music marched proudly through the admiring throngs up the hill past the capitol, which loomed above us like a mountain of white marble, and wheeling into the large open space in front of the building massed and stacked arms on the pavement, at 8 o'clock A.M., to await the signal for the start of the parade, which was to be given an hour later.

Into the square and streets in front (east) of the Capitol, Shermanís whole army of 65,000 men was soon massed, and here they were visited by many thousands of soldiers from other armies, by thousands of the inhabitants of the city, and by thousands of their relatives and friends who had come from their northern homes to welcome them back to ìGod's country.î Col. Cassius Fairchild, and Lieut. Col. Thos. Reynolds, who had rejoined us at Raleigh, headed our regiment that day, and among the first to greet them was the Colonel's brother, Gen. Lucius Fairchild, who had come down from Wisconsin, where he was serving as secretary of state, bringing beautiful wreaths of flowers with which to decorate our regimental colors. Governor Lewis was also on the ground extending a hearty welcome to his boys.

Promptly at 9 A.M., the signal-gun boomed, and Gen. Sherman, in full uniform and attended by his large and brilliant staff, wheeled around the north end of the Capitol and rode down Pennsylvania avenue, followed by Gen. John A. Logan, commanding the Army of the Tennessee, and his staff, and they by a magnificent band of over thirty pieces, which led the 15th corps, which ha the ìright of the line,î and post of honor. Our corps was the second, the 20th corps followed us, and the 14th brought up the rear. The whole army marched by ìcompany frontî close enmasse, with intervals of but a few paces, each division headed by its commander and staff, band and colored pioneer corps, armed with picks and shovels, and each followed by six ambulances to represent its train. Some regiments were followed by their colored cooks, each leading his indispensable pack mule, loaded with cooking utensils, hams, poultry, etc., often with a live rooster on the top of the load, who was not afraid of the cheering multitude, but answered the cheers with lusty crows.

As we wheeled into the Avenue on Capitol Hill, the scene that burst on our view was a grand and memorable one. At the north end of the Capitol several thousand school children were massed under the charge of their teachers, part of them singing patriotic songs and the rest bearing flowers which they continued to throw into the ranks of the passing troops. To the right, a great crowd of people in carriages and on foot were also profusely supplied with flowers which they showered upon us with lavish hands, and soon nearly every officer and man in the column had a bouquet or garland of some kind.

Farther down the hill, and on either side of the avenue up to the Treasury building three fourths of a mile away, all of the street that was not used by the marching column was one dense, enthusiastic multitude; while in the center of the avenue was a moving mass of blue, averaging fifty men in width, over which the glittering bayonets looked like a solid mass of steel, vibrating as the men kept step, with the regularity of a pendulum. On the house-tops, in the doors and windows, in the trees, on the telegraph poles, and on immense stands erected all along the street, were swarms of people. The Veterans Reserve Corps and the regulars furnished thousands of men to assist the police in keeping the center of the avenue clear for the troops, and although the infantry guards stood at intervals of ten feet, and platoons of cavalry guarded the street crossings, they had all they could do to hold the crowds in check.

On we marched, down the hill and up the avenue to the treasury building, across which was stretched an immense cloth bearing the following words in immense letters. ìTHE ONLY DEBT THIS NATION CAN NEVER PAY, IS THE DEBT IT OWES TO ITS DEFENDERS!î Other decorations bearing words of welcome, appeared on every hand, and the whole city was decked with Old Glory. But the best of all was the sincere, hearty welcome extended to us by the people themselves, who never ceased applauding while an old regiment with decimated ranks -- perhaps but a fragment of its former self -- passed by, and the appearance of the tattered and bullet-riven flag was the signal for rousing cheers, the colored people being especially enthusiastic.

But the grandest scene was yet to come, and it flashed upon us in all its glory of color, its bewildering sea of faces, and its thundering applause, as we wheeled around the north end of the treasury building and approached the White House grounds. A large reviewing stand had been erected in front of the White House, which was beautifully decorated with flags, evergreens and flowers, and was occupied by the President and Cabinet, Generals Grant, Sherman, Meade, and numerous other distinguished men. On the other side of the street a large stand had been erected and gaily decorated, which was occupied by the diplomatic corps, in their gorgeous costumes, the governors and other officials from the different Northern states, officers of the army and navy, and of foreign armies, members of the Supreme Court, members of congress, numerous distinguished citizens, and crowds of ladies. The spaces at either end of the stands, and all the surrounding buildings and trees were densely packed with humanity, and every regiment had particular friends in that crowd to lead the cheering for it.

ìBoys, touch elbows, keep a good line, and keep your eyes straight to the front until we pass the President!î commands our captain in a stage whisper, and with our hearts thumping as if they would burst through their prison walls, we try to march our best as we approach the President's stand, and we obey all the order except keeping our eyes to the front. I know of one boy in the line that took a sly peep out of the corner of his eye at the grim Andy Johnson, as our captain's sword flashes in salute and we marched proudly past. I never shall forget that scene. Our brigade was fortunate enough to have one of the best bands in the parade, both as to appearance and music, and as it wheeled out opposite the reviewing stand to play while its brigade passed, it was greeted with thunders of applause, and when the tattered colors of our regiment swept by, the cheers arose to a deafening roar. It was worth twenty years of any man's life to be a member of that army that day.

When Sherman had saluted and ridden by the stand, he wheeled into the White House grounds and dismounted, went up the reviewing stand and took his place by the President's side, and for six and one half hours stood while the army passed. Of the review he writes: ìIt was, in my judgment, the most magnificent army in existence - 65,000 men in splendid physique, who had just completed a march of nearly 2,000 miles in a hostile country, in good drill, and who realized that they were being closely scrutinized by thousands of their fellow-countrymen and by foreigners. The steadiness and firmness of the tread, the careful dress on the guides, the uniform intervals between the companies, all eyes directly to the front, and the bullet-riven flags, festooned with flowers, all attracted universal notice. Many good people, up to that time, had looked upon our Western army as a sort of a mob; but the world then saw, and recognized the fact, that it was an army in the proper sense, well organized, well commanded and disciplined; and there was no wonder that it had swept through the South like a tornado.î

But through all and over all this display and rejoicing, there was a deep tinge of sadness. Many though of the many thousands who had marched away in the ranks that sleep in Southern graves; while crape on the arms of the soldiers, on the breast of citizens and decorating the great buildings on every hand reminded all of our martyred chieftain, our immortal Lincoln, whose presence at that review would have added so much to the pleasure of that mighty host of boys in blue.

After the review, we encamped north of the city until June 7th, when, having turned over its great wagon trains to the Quartermaster General, Shermanís army began to leave Washington for Louisville, Ky., going by rail to Parkersburg, Pa., and thence by steamer down the Ohio. The ride over the Baltimore & Ohio railroad with its grand mountain scenery, its twenty-one tunnels, its steep grades and powerful locomotives, was a thrilling one. Train after train, loaded with happy, daredevil boys in blue, followed each other in quick succession along the road, the boys up to all sorts of pranks, making life a burden for the poor trackmen and others who came within reach, cheering wildly every welcoming crowd or group, and having a good time generally. The ride down the beautiful Ohio, past the great states of Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana, past populous cities and manufacturing centers, past oil wells, salt works, coal mines and fertile farms teeming with the gifts of nature, was a most enjoyable one, and the boys took the full measure of enjoyment from it. One of the days we were on the river happened to be a Sunday and thousands of people flocked down to the river banks to see the boat loaded with soldiers sweep by, and to welcome home the boys in blue. The boys tried to answer every cheer as only they could answer it, but constant cheering so used up their vocal organs that many of them were scarcely able to whisper when they reached Louisville.

We remained in camp near Louisville until the 12th of July, the different regiments being mustered out and sent home as fast as the officers could perform the work. When our regiment's turn came to go home, there was but very little left of Shermanís great army. It gradually dwindled away like snow in the early spring, and by August, ìShermanís Armyî had gone into history -- had become a thing of the past, and its members had scattered to all parts of the earth to begin life anew, a great many of them to remain in the country for which they had done so much, to enjoy its prosperity and to assist in perpetuating its greatness.

The old Sixteenth returned to Wisconsin, reaching Madison on Sunday, July 15, 1865, at noon. After eating a nice dinner, which had been prepared for us at the depot by the citizens of Madison, we marched up to the Capital Park, where we were welcomed with a salute of artillery, the ringing of the church bells, singing of patriotic songs by a male quartette, and addresses of welcome by Gov. Lewis, Secretary of State Fairchild, the Mayor of Madison, and others. After the reception, we marched to Camp Randall, where a few words of parting were spoken by Col. Fairchild, and the Sixteenth of Wisconsin broke ranks for the last time. A few days later it was paid off and passed out of existence, after a most honorable career.

The following members of the Ozaukee Rifles were mustered out with the regiment: Sergt. Major John P. McGinley, Thos. E. Wildman, Stewart Daniels, Dennis Mangin, Nic. Colling, Thos. Murphy, Mansel Barnes, Jas. H. Rooney, Louis Wert, James Wilson, Pat. Walsh, No. 2, and Philander Watkins. Patrick Keogh, Henry Thomas and Wm. W. Coleman, who had been wounded at Atlanta, Ga. in 1864, never returned to the regiment and were mustered out separately. Ogden Tomlinson who was on detatched service at the musterout of the regiment on July 26, 1865, being the last member of the company to leave the service.

Of the above names, McGinley, Wildman, Keogh, Coleman, Thomas, Daniels, Mangin, Colling, Murphy, Wilson, Walsh and Tomlinson returned to Ozaukee county after their musterout but they received no public reception; and beyond the limit of their personal friends, their return, after over three years and a half of hard and faithful service in behalf of their country and humanity, passed unnoticed. But I believe that the time will come when Ozaukee county will make some amends for her cruel wartime treatment of her boys in blue, by erecting a monument to their memory.
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Some short personal sketches of its members will be added to the forgoing history of the Ozaukee Rifles; after which short stories of Co. I, 9th Wis., and Co. H 24th Wis. will appear in these columns.