Alonzo Beedy

Co. K, 16th WI. Infantry

History of Green County, Wisconsin, Union Publishing Company, 1884

 

SIXTEENTH WISCONSIN REGIMENT.

The 16th regiment was organized, and ordered into camp at Madison early in November; Benjamin Allen colonel. The field and staff officers were, Cassius Fairchild, lieutenant-colonel; Thomas Reynolds, major; George Sabin, adjutant; J. E. Jones, quartermaster; G. W. Eastman, surgeon; I. H. Rogers and Ira A. Torrey, assistants. The companies were filled up from the counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee, Waushara, Green Lake, Adams, Chippewa, Dodge, Dane and Lafayette. The regiment was nearly full on the 26th of December, and was afterward fully equipped by the State, as were also the other regiments. The numerical strength of the 16th at the above date was about 900. This regiment, one of the largest that left Wisconsin, had its organization completed about the middle of February, 1862, and left Camp Randall on the 13th day of March, under orders for St. Louis. Here they remained but one day, embarking on the 15th for Fort Henry, Tenn., to join Gen. Grant's command. Previous to their arrival, Gen. Grant had moved his command to Savannah, at which place the regiment joined him, on the 20th of March. They took part in the battle of Shiloh, on the 6th and 7th of April. They were posted as the advance-guard of the army, in which position they exchanged the first shot with the enemy, and afterwards nobly did their duty during that terrible first day's battle. Capt. Saxe was killed at the first fire; and Capt. Pease received a mortal wound, from the effects of which he died on the 22d of April. Col. Allen, Lieut-Col. Fairchild, and Captains Train and Wheeler were wounded. The total loss in killed and wounded at this battle was 245. In no action of Wisconsin regiments had more bravery and determined resistance been shown than in the action of this regiment in that memorable contest. The coolness and intrepidity of the field-officers-in connection with whom should be mentioned Adjt. Sabin, and in which they were nobly supported by the whole regiment-has already become a prominent item in the history of this war. The many attempts of the enemy to entrap the regiment on the morning of the 6th instant were most gallantly repulsed, and, by the coolness of the colonel, most ingeniously thwarted. They participated in the siege of Corinth under command of Gen. Halleck, and, after its occupation by our troops, were stationed in the vicinity during the summer, and took part in the battle of Corinth on the 3d and 4th of October, where their loss was thirty-five in killed and wounded. After their return from the pursuit of the enemy which followed this battle, they were stationed for a short time at Grand Junction, from which place they marched, on the 28th of November, in the direction of Holly Springs. On the 30th they were engaged in the battle in front of the rebel stronghold on the Tailahatchie, which resulted in the surrender of the enemy's fortifications at that place, which were entered by our troops on the 1st of December. The regiment at this date numbered 499. Having become so reduced, it was deemed advisable by the commanding general to consolidate the ten companies into five, which was doie. Col. Allen returned to Wisconsin, where, assisted by his surplus line officers, he recruited five additional companies from among the drafted men in camps of rendezvous. At the close of 1862, the regiment was near Grand Junction, Tenn. The 16th regiment left Moscow, Tenn., on the 10th of January, 1863, and engaged on duty on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad; was subsequently transferred to Lake Providence, and took part in cutting a canal to the lake, where tlhey remained until about August 1, at which time they moved down the river to Vicksburg, and, on the 28th of September, marched to Red Bone Church, twelve miles from Vicksburg. Here Lieut.-Col. Fairchild was placed in command. They remained until February, 1864, when they moved into the fortifications at Vicksburg, and acted as a part of the garrison. On the 4th of March they were joined by three companies which had been recruited in Wisconsin. The old companies re-enlisted, and on the 6th left Vicksburg for Wisconsin, on veteran furlough, arriving at Madison on the 16th, where they were publicly welcomed by the State officers and members of the legislature. After their thirty days' respite from military matters. they rendezvoused at Camp Randall on April 18, and reached Cairo on the 22d. A number of changes in the regiment now took place, Lieut.-Col. Cassius Fairchild being promoted colonel. On the 4th of May, it being attached to the 1st brigade, 3d division, left Cairo and proceeded by transports to Clifton, Tenn. Taking up their line of march to join Sherman's army, they proceeded by way of Huntsville, Warrenton, Ala., and Rome, Ga., and reached Ackworth on the 8th of June, after a march of 320 miles. Here they took position and began their advance southward. The enemy were first encountered on the 15th, near Kenesaw Mountain. The regiment took part in the movements in that vicinity, including Bald Bill, driving the rebels out of and beyond their intrenchments. The 12th and 16th regiments were inseparably connected in the bloody fight of the 22d of July, both regiments exhibiting the greatest valor and bravery. Thence they proceeded towards Atlanta, and took part in destroying the railroad from that place to Jonesborough. They took part in the skirmish near that place, and also at Lovejoy. The casualties from June 9 to Sept. 9, 1864, of the 16th were: Killed,thirty-eight; wounded, seventy-two. The regiment remained at Atlanta until October 3, and participated in the Savannah campaign From Savannah they went to Goldsborough, and thence to Raleigh, where the rebel general, Johnson, surrendered on the 26th of April, 1865. The march homeward was by way of Richmond and Washington City, where the regiment took part in the grand reviews. Proceeding from thence on the 7th of June, they were ordered to Louisville, Ky., reaching there on the 12th of July, and going into camp, when they were mustered out, and on the 14th took the cars for Wisconsin, reaching Madison on July 16, where they were publicly received by the State officers. They were paid off on the 19th of August, and the regiment was disbanded, Col. Fairchild was brevetted brigadier-general for meritorious services in the war.

Men in the Sixteenth Regiment from Green County.

John J. Green,Calvin C. Smith, James Norris, Isaac T. Carr, George Richmond, Horatio G. Cleveland, John S. Steadman, George W. Andre, Louis Baker, Leroy Baxter, Alonzo Beedy, Peter Benson, James Bradley, Jonathan Brean, Edwin R. Brown, Joseph A. Brown, Sandford S. Brown, Solomon Bruger, Ezra Blumer, William Blunt, William T. Burkholder, Elmore J. Clark, John D. Cline, Albert T. De Haven, Wesley W. De Haven, Richard Denuare, Walter Divan, Dwight M. Devereaux, William Edwards, Gottleib Eitel, John W. Ennis, Thomas I. Gallion, Jacob Garrett, Richard Garrett, John K. Glass, George W. Gleason, Samuel Gyer, Norman Hill, August C. Hingee, James Heekman, Frank Hopkins, Julius C. Hurlbut, Joseph I. Jones, Joel Kelly, Charles H. Linzee, Duman Linzee, Peter Martin, William Moore, James Morton, Milo Niles, Kundt Olsen, Albert Peebles, Leonard Pierson. William Reinhart, Simon Rigel, Sylvester Roberts, Cheny Rogers, Simon Saucerman, Edwin Scovil, P. A. Sheppard, Clarles Shriner, Lewis W. Shull, Morgan Shull, Morris D. Smith, Ralph Smith, Abraham Snyder, William

Snyder, John Q. A. Soper, Theodore W. Spalding, Levi Starr, William Starr, Philip H. Strunk, Christian Stuky, Miner Taylor, John H. Trogner, Joseph D. Trogner, E. W. Van

Horn, Sumner W. Wiggins, La Fayette W. Wilcox, Porter Whipple, James White, John A. White, Joseph White, and William H. Youngblood.

 

Done