December Gazette. Ogle County Historical Society. Look at our new Paint Job. Thank you Don and Nancy Etnyre, also Bruce and Janet McMillan

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1 Gazette December 2012 Ogle County Historical Society Look at our new Paint Job Thank you Don and Nancy Etnyre, also Bruce and Janet McMillan

2 P a g e 2 Visit us at Autumn On Parade Visitors Park District Scavenger Hunt

3 P a g e 3 There is a display in the Museum of books which were written by people who were Ogle County residents at one time or another. One of the books is Dear Gang written by Dr. Sherwood Baker, who grew up in rural Mt. Morris. When he went to the University of Illinois Medical School in 1938, he became one of twelve new students to join Alpha Kappa Kappa. The book begins with Sherwood receiving his letter of acceptance. The book consists mainly of letters written in a round robin fashion among these twelve men. It follows them through medical school, World War II, marriages, births of children, returning to school under the G.I. Bill and establishing their practices. Dr. Baker did practice in Mt. Morris and the book contains several stories from those experiences. The stories are of historical interest of the period 1938 to I found it interesting to read of medical theories and practices that evolved over that period of time and how different they are from today. One gets to know these twelve men and their everyday lives. Historical Society members are permitted to borrow this book. by Dorothy A. Bowers A Drunkard s Soliloquy It was late last September, Or, perhaps it was November, That I staggered down the street with drunken pride, But my feet began to stutter, So I lay down in the gutter, And a pig came a long and lay down by my side, As I lay there in the gutter, A lady passing by was heard to say: You can tell a man that boozes by the company he chooses, And the gol-dorned pig got up and walked away.

4 P a g e 4 JUNIOR DOCENT FIELD TRIP By Bill Bailey On Friday, November 9, two of our Junior Docents, Blaise McGlinn and Abby Mongan, along with members Bill Bailey and Susan Davis and Abby s mom Jean traveled to Kenosha, WI to visit two of the three museums in the Kenosha Public Museum complex. Although our time was limited, we managed to see a lot. The Kenosha Public Museum, which is mainly art and natural history, has a complete set of the dioramas which Lorado Taft made featuring Renaissance artists in their studios or viewing their works. Copies of two of these are in the lobby of Oregon High School s old building. As far as anyone knows, there is only one other complete set of all eight dioramas. At the Civil War Museum, we were able to view the three displays of Civil War veteran s memorabilia which are on temporary loan from the Ogle County Historical Society. While it s nice to see some of our things on display in a nationally recognized museum, it will be nice to have them back here next spring. They also have temporary displays of Lincoln as portrayed in movies and TV to tie in with the new movie and of the art of Keith Rocco, a nationally known artist who does mainly Civil War subjects. Everyone agreed that the museum s two permanent exhibits, the Fiery Trial Gallery and the Veteran s Memorial Room, are well worth the trip. RECENT ACQUISITIONS By Bill Bailey The Historical Society has recently acquired several books, both by purchase and by donation. In addition to Dear Friends, mentioned in a separate article, we now have the third volume in the history of Stillman Valley, compiled by Sharon Hildebrand, and Vintage Barns of Northwestern Illinois, published by Sauk Valley Media. We also have Beautiful Dreamer: The Completed Works and Unfulfilled Plans of Sculptor Lorado Taft, by Lynn Allen Young, and the autobiography of William B. Barton, who was raised in Lee County but lived part of his adult life in Stillman Valley. We have also added several Civil War and Revolutionary War books to our collection in the Veteran s room. All of these books, with the exception of the Stillman Valley history, were donated by members. A big thank you goes out to all of them. As always, these books are available for check out by members. Come in on Thursday morning or call an officer or board member. Warren Miller, grandson of Gov. Frank Lowden, donated several items so that Otto could complete the new Gov. Lowden display in our research area. In addition to copies of family photographs, he sent a Lowden for Governor paperweight and a 1920 Republican National

5 Page 5 Convention Delegate s Badge which says Lowden for President. Donations by Lois Cline and Myrna Long Hanes have filled in some holes in our collection of Oregon High School yearbooks and given us a start on Forreston High School yearbooks. We also received a 1929 Mt. Morris College yearbook. It s always interesting to see things come in which expand our ability to interpret and present Ogle County history, but the most exciting thing to see come through our doors is a new volunteer. Please think about it. Autumn On Parade Thanks to Kathy we provided music at the Carriage House Musicians Kathy Stauffer, Sandy and Ken Sweitzer

6 P a g e 6 OGLE COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR by Bill Bailey #10-92 nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry-Part 1 In the weeks following the Union defeat at Second Bull Run in August 1862, President Lincoln issued two calls for volunteers, totaling 600,000 men. The 92 nd Illinois was one of four northern Illinois regiments raised at this time that trained at Camp Fuller in Rockford, which was built for the express purpose of training these four regiments and then dismantled. Five of the ten companies of the 92 nd were recruited from Ogle County, with three from Stephenson and two from Carroll. The Ogle County companies were from all over the county: two from the western part, commanded by Captains Lyman Preston and Matthew Van Buskirk of Polo, two from the central part, commanded by Wilbur Dennis of Byron and Albert Woodcock of Oregon, and one from the eastern part, under Captain James Brice of Lane Station (now Rochelle). In addition, Benjamin F. Sheets of Oregon, recently elected County Sherriff, was named Lieutenant-Colonel, second in command to Colonel Smith D. Atkins, a Freeport attorney who had helped raise the 11 th Illinois early in the war and resigned to take command of this new regiment. The companies traveled to Camp Fuller in late August, with Captain Woodcock s company going up the Rock River on the steamer Rockford. They were sworn into Federal service on September 4, 1862 by State Adjutant-general Allen Fuller, and according to the state records, the regiment remained in comfortable barracks drilling until October 10. This is what John M. King of Byron, a member of Capt. Dennis Company B, had to say about the comfortable barracks : The builders of these barracks had no practical knowledge of ventilation and knew nothing of the philosophy of the atmosphere. Every crack and crevice was nailed up and not a bit of fresh air was provided. When any of the boys were out on guard two hours in the night, he would declare when he returned that the barracks stank bad enough to knock him down. Although Rockford is in a healthy climate and Camp Fuller was in a healthy location on Rock River, yet this barrack was one of the greatest breeders of disease I have ever inhabited. Both John King and William Boddy, a Stephenson County recruit who lived near Winslow, wrote about receiving 48 hour furloughs to go home during training. The opportunity to do this was an inducement during recruiting, and was one of the reasons Camp Fuller was built for the four regiments recruited from this area. In addition, family members could travel to Rockford on weekends and visit their soldiers, who usually had free time on Sundays. Hundreds of family and friends came on September 20 to watch the 92 nd drill and put on a dress parade at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds (now Fairgrounds Park and surrounding housing developments on West Jefferson St.)

7 P a g e 7 On October 10 the 92 nd Illinois Infantry left Camp Fuller for the front. They traveled by train from Rockford to Chicago, where they changed trains and proceeded to Cincinnati via Michigan City, Lafayette and Indianapolis. The two trains carrying the regiment were halted north of Lafayette while repairs were made on a bridge over the Wabash River, and John King and many others took the opportunity to visit the Tippecanoe Battlefield, where William Henry Harrison defeated the Shawnees under Chief Tecumseh in While there they filled their pockets with apples and watched with delight as Richard McCann of Polo, a private in Company D, was attacked and chased back to the train by a deer. After arriving in Cincinnati on October 12, the men of the regiment marched across the Ohio River on a floating bridge made of coal barges and set their feet on the slave soil of Kentucky. During the time they were camped outside of Covington, many escaped slaves entered their camp, some of whom were then employed as servants by the officers. When Kentucky civil authorities ordered these escapees returned to their masters. Colonel Atkins refused; however, Army officials said that those who were not employed as servants could not remain in camp. This dilemma was solved by taking them outside the camp boundaries at night and pointing them in the direction of the Ohio River and freedom. Col. Atkins was indicted by the local courts but remained within the camp where he couldn t be arrested. The regiment spent the fall and early winter in northern Kentucky, attempting to track down small bands of Confederate raiders, especially the one led by John Hunt Morgan. They also guarded supplies and helped transfer prisoners captured farther south back to Cincinnati. The slavery issue reared its head again in mid-november, when the 92 nd marched through Lexington, where a large mob was waiting to remove the officer s servants and return them to their slave masters. Col. Atkins ordered his men to load their weapons and fix bayonets. The officer s servants remained with the regiment. The 92 nd Illinois was thereafter referred to as the Abolitionist Regiment. To be continued SINCE THE NEARLY 500 OGLE COUNTY MEN WHO SERVED IN THE 92 ND REPRE- SENT ALMOST ONE IN SIX OF THOSE WHO SERVED FROM OUR COUNTY, IT S GO- ING TO TAKE MORE THAN ONE COLUMN TO DO THEM JUSTICE

8 The Ogle County Historical Society PO Box 183 Oregon, Il Application for Membership $200 one person for life $15 per person, one year $25 per family, one year $2 per student, one year Name Street Address City State Zip Please indicate your areas of interest: Building and Grounds Fund Raising Library Conservancy Special Project Youth Essay Involvement Hospitality Tours/Docent Program Other (Please specify) The Gazette is published quarterly, (and sometimes supplementary issues), by The Ogle County Historical Society, PO Box 183, Oregon, Il The Gazette is distributed free to Mail to: The Ogle County Historical Society-PO Box 183-Oregon, Il

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