American Civil War: 104 men formed Manitowoc Guards, only 36 lived to see war's end
Manitowoc County sent 2,467 men to the front lines during the Civil War. Nearly all of the men were volunteers. The men sent amounted to more than three-fifths of the entire voting population.
Following the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, 104 men from throughout the area assembled at Union Park in Manitowoc to form the Manitowoc Guards. Their average age was just under 24 years old and only four were married. Of these 104 men, only 36 would live to see the end of the Civil War.
The Manitowoc Guards made their way to Madison and mustered into service as Company A of the 5th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
It was on May 5, 1862, when Company A had their first combat casualties at the Battle of Williamsburg in Virginia. More than 70,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were involved in the intense battle, and by the end of the fight, Company A’s Jacob Cochems and David Woodcock had been killed.
Jacob Cochems was 22 years old at the time of his enlistment in May 1861 and was from Manitowoc. He was killed by a cannon blast that “blew him fully ten feet backwards, killing him instantly,” wrote Thomas Wagener, a member of Company A from Manitowoc. Wagener carried his body back to camp following the battle.
David Woodcock was 31 years old and from Manitowoc. He enlisted very early in the war on May 14, 1861. Private Woodcock was "killed by a musket ball" and, as fellow soldier James Anderson reported, “died in about an hour.” It was said that after Woodcock went down, he continued to shoot his rifle toward the enemy. Company A member George Engles wrote, “he told the boys not to come to his assistance — that he had to die, and they could not save him.”
Three were wounded in the battle with David Eddy, originally from Minnesota, mortally wounded.
“Our shells made terrible work in it; there was not a single tree within reach of our guns which was not torn to pieces,” wrote Thomas Wagener.
Manitowoc’s James Anderson wrote home to his family following the battle and said “our boys fought like devils and have earned a name for themselves and their state. I do not think there was another regiment on the field fought so desperate as ours [and] even our best generals stood and looked on amazed at our bravery.”
In June 1864, Sgt. James Leonard wrote, “We have twenty-eight of the old men all told, sick, well, wounded, and detached to go home to Manitowoc, provided no more get killed.” Company A of the 5th Wisconsin had left with 104 men and would make the journey home with 15 original members a few weeks later, in July 1864.
The flag of Company A, 5th Wisconsin, hangs proudly at the Manitowoc County Historical Society today as a testament to brave men who served.
Amy Meyer is the executive director of the Manitowoc County Historical Society.
MORE MANITOWOC HISTORY:
- Clarks Mills General Store was a hub of economic activity
- O. Torrison & Co. Store was among largest mercantile operations in Wisconsin
- Marge Miley, ‘Weekly Herald,’ ‘Wahrheit’: Manitowoc County newspaper history dates to 1850