Kewaunee County and the Civil War: Anderegg, Vaughn, Camp Sigel and Shiloh

 

 

Joseph Anderegg was one of the early settlers and platters of Wolf River. A Swiss carpenter, Anderegg built the first frame house on the north side of the river, near the present River City motel, for Simon Warner. He was elected as the first clerk of the Town of Wolf, and served as a road commissioner. He assisted in the building the footbridge at the mouth of Wolf River, served as the county's second Register of Deeds, was elected sheriff in 1864, and was the man after whom the G.A.R. post was named. Anderegg was elected clerk in the Village of Ahnapee's first historical business on July 12, 1873 and was a well respected and prominent businessman.

Anderegg was one of the Ahnapee soldiers who trained at Camp Sigel in Milwaukee. Named in honor of General Franz Sigel, a German soldier and immigrant who was responsible for the enlistment  many other immigrants, the camp was located in Milwaukee, not far from the lake front, where Wisconsin's 9th, 24th, 26th and 27th Volunteer Infantry units trained.

Anderegg was at Camp Sigel when he wrote to Edward Decker on October 17, 1862. Anderegg used stationery illustrating the Naval engagement near Fort Wright. In his letter, Anderegg said he was writing as promised, but thought the news was dull and that no doubt Decker had received plenty of letters with common complaints on all sides. Anderegg said he was well and contented to find the camp "as pleasant as it is." He reported the health of the company had been good but that "belly complaints" were starting because of what they were eating and because many were homesick. He said some wanted to be officers and others that were, were a "dam side" better and that was a credit to the company.

Why Mrs. Anderegg was in camp with her husband was not explained. Apparently she was returning to Ahnapee as Anderegg told Decker she would carry the letter and if his office had paid anything since Anderegg left, Decker was to give Mrs. Anderegg the money. Anderegg asked Decker to write a few lines when he could and to send the Enterprize* so he could follow election news. He also wanted news regarding his mother. Anderegg asked Decker to give his regards to Mr. Hammond and to "some others," but he did not include their names. Luther Hammond was the Kewaunee County treasurer who built his own office in 1859.

Levi Vaughn was another early settler. Vaughn defeated Oliver Rouse for sheriff in the 1858 county election and joined Manitowoc's George Waldo of Manitowoc when he was organizing a company for service about six months after the outbreak of the Civil War. Waldo had put in three months of military service before returning home to recruit.

Vaughn wrote to "Friend Hammond"  from the "Head Quarters, 14th Regt Wis Vol Infantry."  Written from Pittsburg Landing on June 21, 1862, the letter was in response to Hammond's letter of the 7th, which had just reached him that morning. Vaughn said he was surprised to get a letter from Kewaunee and had given up the thought. He told Hammond that the boys were huddled around him when he read the letter aloud and even "gave cheers to Kewaunee and Hammond" and the call for a grand review because they "skedaddled" before they could they could enjoy such a pleasure.

Vaughn went on to discuss Lots No. 3 and 4 which Hammond brought up. Vaughn wanted to buy them and would pay the $70. Vaughn had sent his wife money sometime before but questioned if she indeed had the funds to spare for the lots. He planned to write and ask, but told Hammond that if her funds were limited, it would take time to send additional money. Vaughn hoped that Hammond could stay the county orders until the money was there, something that created great anxiety in him. Vaughn closed saying "the Boys" and all respected him.

In his four page letter Vaughn described Pittsburg Landing as being on the Tennessee River about 18 miles from the "corner of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee." He said the landing was "of no importance except for past events" and that all but his regiment and the 6th and 7th Wisconsin had left the area. He said there was little fatigue work for them to do and the soldiers wanted work beside stealing chickens.

Vaughn said there had been a ferry and a stone boat at the landing and other crafts from there to Clarksville and Corinth with about 40 towns in between. He said the area was thinly settled and those who were there had left the fine country that was well-timbered with oak, elm, boxwood and blackjack. He felt Kewaunee had much better water though. He pointed out how much was ruined after two campaigns. The orchards remained and Vaughn expected to see peaches, apples and plums and even blackberries and other fruit ripen. When Vaughn discussed the people of the area, he discussed both races in a manor considered most pejorative today. He said the language of the country was "as old as Solomon and twice as meaner," and those inhabitants were responsible for starting all the trouble. They want to join the Rebels, and, Vaughn felt, he couldn't tell who was whom.

Mr. Vaughn concluded saying he and the Brigade belonged to Wallis' Division and "our out pickets are at Memphis." Vaughn expected to go there as the army was moving in all directions. It seemed as if Vaughn wrote his letter over a period of days as he said he was not as well as he was several days before, probably because they were in a "very bilious climate."

Pittsburg Landing is better known as Shiloh, the site of what is called the Battle of Shiloh on April 6 and 7, 1862. Though Union forces of over 62 thousand men outnumbered the Confederacy's 40,335 engaged soldiers, in a total of 23,741 casualties, the Confederacy lost a little over 13,000. As horrible as the carnage was, other battles took more lives. While Vaughn felt Pittsburg Landing was of no importance, it was a small place where railroads came together and vital to both the North and the South. Vaughn's comments seem to be unusual in view of the historical context of the Battle of Shiloh, however Vaughn's assessment came about two months following the battle, which is what he meant by "past events."

Captain George Waldo died at Shiloh. Ezra Austin was wounded there and died within a week. Samuel Gokie was at Shiloh and wounded at Vicksburg. Years later he set the fire in the Kewaunee County jail that took his life. John Lovell was wounded at Shiloh and many years later died in the Soldiers Home in Milwaukee.. William Sabins died of disease at Shiloh, but about two weeks following the battle.

The monument above is in honor of the Confederate soldiers who gave their lives in the battle and was errected by the Tennessee Division U.D.C. in 1935.



Information comes from An-An-api-sebe: Where is the River, c. 2001; Anderegg papers in the ARC at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; Shiloh Battlefield; all pictures are the blogger's. The photo of the painting was taken at Shiloh National Park Battlefield's Interpretive Center. The sculpture at the top is a battlefield monument provided by the State of Illinois to "commemorate those who gave their service to perpetuate the honor and gloru of the U.S."

* Renamed Enterprise in 1865.