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.
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