October 13, 2011 at 1:51 p.m.
Civil War Scrapbook
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Joyce (Millard) Buckingham tells us of her great uncle, Albert Millard who was raised on the Millard farm, located on County E, halfway between Rewey & Livingston. He was under Army age but very anxious to go to war.
One day when Albert was working in the field, he tied his horses to the fence and walked to Mifflin to enlist in the War of Rebellion. He enlisted without his parents* consent on April 24, 1862 into the Wisconsin 19th Inf Company I.
After months of honorable service, while on guard duty at a Federal Prison near Norfolk, Virginia, he was accidently shot on March 9, 1863 at midnight by one of his own men. He was only eighteen. By the time word got to his family, three weeks had passed and he had been buried in Virginia. His father went to Virginia and brought his body back. He is now buried in Rock Cemetery next to his parents, Charles & Betsy Millard.
A letter was written by Lt. Levi Welden of Co. I.,19th Reg. of Wisconsin Vol. to Charles Millard on March 9, 1863, telling of Albert's death. Enclosed with the letter was an order sent by the government to Charles Millard for the pay due his son and also a $100 bounty that the government allowed at the time of the Civil War.
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Helmenstine Brothers In The Civil War
In 1848, John Helmenstine (1803-1888) left a divided Germany in turmoil and war to go to America. He arrived at Blue Mounds, Wisconsin with his wife and eight children to enjoy peace and prosperity. However by 1861, America was a divided country at war with itself and three of his sons became involved in this conflict.
The oldest son, John (1828-1921) of rural Ridgeway, hired a Norwegian, Andrew Moe as a substitute in November of 1864. Moe was a veteran who had been discharged from the Wisconsin 15th Infantry Regiment for disability. Moe took part in the battle of Hatcher's Run in February of 1865 and later was sent to General Hospital in March. After the War, John was a shoemaker, farmer and local official in the village of Blue Mounds.
August Helmenstine (1839-1892) of Sublette, Lee County, Illinois volunteered for three years and re-enlisted in 1864. He served with Company C of the Illinois 7th Cavalry and mustered out as a Sergeant in 1865. The unit was first stationed in Missouri and later took part in battles at Island #10, Corinth, Murfreesboro, Stones River, Chattanooga and Chickamauga. After the war, August farmed in rural Blue Mounds.
William Helmenstine (1842-1923) of Ridgeway, Wisconsin enlisted in Company A of the 49th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment on February 18, 1865. The 49th organized and trained at Camp Randall in Madison and on March 8, left by rail through Chicago on the way to guard duty in Missouri. Although not involved in any battles of the 1009 men in the unit, 54 died of disease and 134 were disabled. After the War, William farmed in rural Blue Mounds, joined the GAR post in Mt. Horeb and retired to a home in Blue Mounds
To share your story, write it up and drop it off at the Iowa County Historical Society Museum 1-4 p.m. any weekday or E-MAIL it to IowaCountyScrapbook@gmail.com. If you would rather, you can call the Iowa County Historical Society at 935-7694.
