History: Civil War Soldiers, Co. I; 14th WI Inf.
Contact:  Dee Zimmerman

----Source: Clark County News: August, 1953; Compiled by Dee Zimmerman for her weekly column "The Good Old Days" published July 9, 2003.

Clark County News July 1908

August 1953 The following is a list of the members of Company I 14th Wisconsin Vol. Inf. who resided in Clark County at the time of their enlistment:

Gustavus Ayers, Louis Lynch, Charles Bacon, Edward H. Markey, Charles F. Bone, Andrew J. Manley, Chauncey Blakeslee, William Neverman, Wilson S. Covill, John O'Neill, Hy G. Chamberlain, Nelson Osgood, Benjamin Darling, Robert F. Sturdevant, Jas. W. Ferguson, John R. Sturdevant, Benjamin Folsom, Washington Short, Alexander Green, Edward Houghton, Cyrus 0. Sturgeon, Joseph Ives, Thomas Vine, John F. King, Ferdinand C. Wage, George R. King, Thomas Whitmore, and more. Charles G. Bacon was wounded at the battle of Shiloh and died as a result of his wounds. He was a son of Orson Bacon, one of the early settlers in the town of Pine Valley. The entire farm of the elder Bacon is now comprised within the boundaries of the city of Neillsville. At this time, the land is quite extensively built up with handsome residences. The Grand Army Post, at Neillsville, is named in honor of and in memory of young Bacon Charles Bacon.

The following is a list of the Clark County members of Company I who were either killed, died of wounds, or lost their lives by a disease during their line of duty in the South:

Charles G. Bacon, John O'Neill, Henry Ross, Washington Short, Thomas Whitmore, Louis Lynch and Gustavus Ayers.

Louis Lynch was a son of James Lynch who was located in Neillsville and lived upon the block where the Congregational Church is now located.

John O'Neill was the son of James O'Neill, the founder of Neillsville.

Washington Short's wife is, still living. She remarried and her name is Mrs. George Haner. She is well known to all of the older residents of Clark County.

Henry Ross was a brother of Robert Ross, the lumberman, who for years resided at what is now known as Ross' Eddy, about a mile south of Neillsville.

(The above men are all buried near Shiloh, the area where they fought during the Civil War D.Z)

Since the close of the Civil War, many of the veterans have died and at the present time only ten veterans remain living.

Those still living are: James Ferguson who resides in the state of Washington and is engaged in the hardware business at Menatchee.

George R. King, whose home is in Humbird, is a son of George W. King, who was a prominent man in the county's early days. The elder King served as a member of the Assembly, Clark County District Attorney, Clark County Sheriff and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Thomas R. Vine, one of the survivors, makes his home in the town of Warner and his postal address is Greenwood.

Joseph Ives, is presently living at the Soldiers' Horne in the state of Oregon, near the city of Portland.

John R. Sturdevant is living in the city of Neillsville. He is known more familiarly as Rufe Sturdevant. Since the war, he has been Clark County Judge for two years. At present he is a Clark County Circuit Court Commissioner.

Edward Houghton is now a resident of Tacoma, Wash. He was at one time Clark County Treasurer for two years. In the war times, his home was at Houghtonberg, located in the southwestern part of the county, in the town of Mentor. The hamlet of Houghton took the name from the family of which Edward was a member.

Robert F. Sturdevant, whose home is at Olympia, Washington. After the Civil War, he served as Clark County Register of Deeds and later as the Clark County District Attorney.

After becoming a resident of Washington, he held in that state, the offices of state's attorney and also served a term as district judge, a court corresponding to our circuit court in Wisconsin.

Both of the Sturdevants, Robert F. and J.R., are sons of James W. Sturdevant, one of the old county settlers, who was a resident here at the time of the organization of Clark County.

Wilson S. Covill, is engaged in the hotel business at Olympia, Wash. He married Isabella J. O'Neill, in Neillsville, the eldest daughter of James O'Neill, our first settler. She was the first white child born in Clark County. Covill held the office of Clark County Sheriff during the years of 1869 and 1870.