Historian George Wing said the news about Fort Sumter caused tobacco smoke at Ahnepee's Tremont and Kenosha Houses to thicken while William Nelson was scratching his bald spot, DeWayne Stebbins kept going to the tobacco box to fill his pipe and Judge Boalt kept nervously wiping his spectacles.
Hamp Smith took the news home to Hall's Mill and Bill Fagg went to Forestville the next day. Wing said that when the spring winds blew and the boats came in on the April 20th, throngs of people from Clay Banks, Silver Creek, Forestville and from the English, German and Belgian settlements came to Ahnapee to hear the news. By then there was also news of street fighting in Baltimore and the capture of Fort Pickens.
As nervous as Ahnapee's citizens continued to be, it was in August that Peter Schiesser told the Enterprize's Editor Dexter Garland that the war had little effect on Ahnapee. He went on to say that Boalt, McCummins and Strong were doing good business, new buildings were going up and Youngs was shipping large quantities of wood products for which he was being paid in gold.
Following the fall of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln asked for 75,000 soldiers for a three-month enlistment. A week later, Governor Randall issued a call and raised more volunteers - 36 companies - than the Union army would accept. Counting on a war of three months or less, Secretary of War Cameron advised cancelling all enlistments beyond one regiment, but the governor kept organizing regiments for the reserve.
By early May 1861, Col. J.C. Starkweather's 1st Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers was raised and uniformed at Milwaukee. Col. S, Park Coon's 2nd Regiment was at Madison and ready to respond. The 30th, 40th and 42nd Wisconsin were 90-day regiments, however things changed and the 43rd Wisconsin became a three year regiment.
Edward Decker served as president of a September 11, 1861 enthusiastic war meeting at Brandeis Hall in Kewaunee held to encourage enlistments. Math Simon was one of a committee of five appointed at the meeting, held in both German and English, to look after the destitute families of volunteers.
Privates were paid $13.00 per month plus $5.00 for their families. One hundred dollars in gold was to be paid upon honorable discharge and, based on other wars, the men felt they would probably also receive 100 acres of land. Then the Enterprize announced Congress raised pay to $15.00 in an effort to attract those with war experience. Fifteen dollars a month plus clothing and rations, in addition to the bounty, seemed to be a good deal.
Following the Battle of Bull Run, often called Manassas, Manitowoc's Carl Schmidt opened an office to recruit for the 9th Wisconsin, which was to be a German regiment ordered by the Adjutant General. Commanded by Col. Frederick Salomon, the regiment was expected to be attached to General Fremont's division in Missouri. It was said that volunteering was a way to demonstrate patriotism. Recruiting officers continued to come to Kewaunee County and when Manitowoc's Lt. George Waldo began organizing a company, he even brought a brass band.
From An-An-api-sebe, Where is the River (the history of what is now Algoma, Wisconsin from 1851-1897.)
Note: Enterprize was spelled as such until 1865 when it was renamed Enterprise. Ahnepee became Ahnapee in 1873, somewhat of an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" as the State of Wisconsin consistently spelled it.
Great post!
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