Kewaunee County and the Civil War, 5

Chauncey Thayer, a Kewaunee cooper, was in Kenosha when the Gov. Randall called for volunteers following the firing on Fort Sumter. He was the first Kewaunee County man to volunteer and even reenlisted. Thayer enlisted in Co. G, 1^st Wisconsin and went to the campaign of West Virginia.  Following his reenlistment, he became a 1^st lieutenant and later a captain in Co. H, 33^rd Infantry. After the war Thayer returned to the county and settled on a farm in Pierce Town before relocating to Clay Banks.

Kewaunee County’s 1860 population stood at 7,069 and Thayer was among the 1 in 17 that served. Four hundred eight men went to war, willingly and unwillingly. Of that number, 65, or 13%, died. Twice as many men died of such diseases as typhoid, lung ailments and dysentery as were killed in battle or died of wounds.

Kewaunee County’s struggling pioneers of 1861-1865 raised $20,692.87 in taxes for war at a time when a private’s pay was $13 per month. County citizens invested in 2 ½ million dollars worth of Liberty and Victory bonds, which paid 4 – 4 ½% interest.

Even children’s play seemed to be patriotic as they built snow forts and formed military companies in Eveland’s Swamp, today’s Perry Field. The demand for flags was so strong that a year after Fort Sumter, the price of bunting skyrocketed from $4.75 to $28 a piece. By 1864 the Enterprize was encouraging citizens to raise vegetables for the war effort.

Coins were scarce during the war and merchants had trouble making changes. Things got so bad that many used credit slips or used stamps as money. In 1862 the government began producing paper notes in coin denominations. Such notes were called Postal Currency.  Since the notes were printed on a sheet, one could tear off what was needed. Today’s collectors call the notes Fractional Currency. Ahnapee residents were also using shinplasters from Edward Decker’s bank to purchase such things as pies from Charles Hennemann’s bakery. The pies cost 5 cents.