Major William Henry: Kewaunee County's Most Distinguished Civil War Soldier

Forty-one year old William Henry was one of the Ahnapee and Forestville men boarding the Comet in Ahnapee on October 13,1861. The men joined the Manitowoc and Kewaunee Rifles, which came to be known as Co. E, 14th Wisconsin Voluntary Infantry. It was not long before the men were on the Civil War battlefields, many on the lists of killed or wounded. Some died of disease. Others came home. Though Henry enlisted as a Private, the old fisherman provided leadership. Maybe it was because Henry was a bit older than many of the men on the Comet that day. Perhaps it was as some said: He was a dour Scotsman who "knew what had to be done and he did it".

Kewaunee recruits were picked up earlier in the day, but it was at Ahnapee where  the men were really given a "send off." Recruits, wearing badges of red, white and blue, marched through the city while the band played and banners and handkerchiefs waved amidst the loud cheering. In its next edition, the Enterprize*  commented, "May they all have pleasant times, a short campaign, a brilliant victory and a safe return to their families." Little did the paper know what would come next. Sometime later one identified only as Lottie of Mishe-Nahma published a poem, "A Parting Tribute to the Ahnapee Volunteers."

The 14th went to Tennessee and saw action at Shiloh, also known as Pittsburg Landing. Overshadowing the news regarding men of Kewaunee County was that Governor Louis Harvey died. Harvey was taking medical supplies to Wisconsin troops, wounded at Shiloh and being cared for in hospital boats. On an overnight stop near Shiloh, Harvey was stepping from a tethered boat to a moving steamboat that was returning North when he fell into the Tennessee River and drowned. It took two weeks for his body to be found 65 miles down river.

William Henry was a part of Co. E, 14th Wisconsin during the battle at Shiloh and many credited him with saving lives. Lt. Waldo was the company's only officer killed. Ezra Austin had chest and leg wounds and died a short time after. J. Wintermayer had a bullet to the back of the neck and John Lovell had other injuries.

Later it was said that the 14th did such a credible job at Shiloh "due to the stand of the grizzled old fisherman from Wolf River."  Henry led much of Co. E. and part of the regiment without even being aware of it. He was silently directing battle by his advances and retreats. When his comrades realized what he was doing, they felt it was good to "tie to" and followed his lead. Henry advanced to captain. He and his men served with the same distinction at Vicksburg and Corinth they had shown at Shiloh.

With a three-week furlough in January 1864, Co. E joined family and friends in Kewaunee County. William Henry spent time recruiting to fill ranks, although most of his men had re-enlisted, thus getting both the $402 bounty and the furlough. Ranks were partially filled by those too young to go the first time, and the re-enlistees looked clean and neat. Then leave was extended. A February snowstorm blocked roads, preventing a return to Madison. The delay meant Co. E could not join the Red River expedition only to be organized under Major Worden to march with General Sherman in the famous March to the Sea. Co. E went through the Carolinas and to Washington, D.C. before rejoining their regiment at Montgomery. At the war's end, Co. E was in camp at Mobile, Alabama facing the prospect of being sent to the Mexican frontier. Things changed and Co. E was mustered out at Mobile 1865.

Henry's leadership was recognized and he became Kewaunee County's most distinguished soldier, advancing to the rank of major.

Note: Henry was an 1854 arrival in Wolf River. He occupied the log home on Rosier Place, now the southwest corner of Lake and Jefferson Streets in Algoma. Following his discharge at Mobile in October 1865 Henry returned to Ahnapee then living on the bluff on the north side of the river on the point at which the Ahnapee River meets Lake Michigan. It was at that point where Henry began building ships. As a shipwright he was much in demand.

*Enterprize became Enterprise in 1861. Ahnepee and Ahnapee were used interchangeably until 1873 when the village was incorporated.