'DEDICATORY IADDRESSES, 
II,~trrte   ts        cri'al  Ilet-                I
WIS-C —~'"ONSIN.
fWfednesday Elvening, January 24, 1s66.
ai~2i~i i;PRINTED AT THEP WISCONSI-N CAPITOL OFFICE, MADI80N, TWIN..  __~~~~~~-    _  -,. —; — I —







AD:DR-ESSES 
HON. I- A. LAPHAM, LL. D.,
AND
HON. EDWARD SALOMON.
AT THE DEDICATION OF THIE ROOMS IN THE SOUTH TIWING OF THE
CAPITOL FOR TIHE
STATE L  IrST&RI AL SOCIETY
OF WISCOONSIN,
Wednesday Eeni Iyg, Jabuary 24, 18 wgo:PUB3 LTISI-IIEID:BE- I VOTEl OF I -I  IEC+ISLATU IE.
MADISON, WIS.:
W. J. PARK, STATE PRINTER, WISCONSIN CAPITOT OFFICUE.
1866.








I NT RO  D U C T  R Y.
T-,IE STrTE I-IrsO',RICAL SOCIETYr having labored mt. Rany years
under (reat disadvantages and inconveniences, for want of proper
and commodious apartments, petitioned the legislature in January, 18i5, for the use of tlhe whole of the second story of tlhe
new south wing of the Cap'teol, which was readily granted, and the
building cormamissioners directed to finish and p-rep:lre the ro o is
for the reception of the Society's Library, Gallery and Collections.
During the year tihe room s were firlnshed under the direction of the
architect Ec  T. T.  ix, Esq., an-d:in consultation with the Library
comi:nttee of' the Society.  The two main roomsare each 56 feet
long by 2'54 feet wide, and 2t1 ieet high, which, with a hall beltv)ween,
13 feet wide, are lined'with shelves and cases.
At the annual meeting of the Society, held at the old roomns,
Jan. 2d, 1SGG5, Messrs. Horace Bublee, James Ioss, Col. S. V,
Shipman, S. U. Pinney and IF. G. Tibbits, were appointed a comnmittee of arrangements, for the appropriate dedication of the new
rooms.  The removal of thie Library commenced the next day,.
Jan. 3d, and was so far completed as to admit of the dedicationr
exercises on the 2-th of the month, which was designated for the.
occasion, and several hundred invitations sent out to the pioneers,
and prominent men of the state, and the friends of the Society inr
other parts of the country.  Responses were received from Hone.
J. P. Atwood, Hon. Arad J'oy, Col. W. H. Watson, Gen. IH. L..
Dousman, Col. John Hancock and others.
While the rooms were lighted, opened, and in their best order,
on the dedication evening, yet the audience was so large, that the
exrcises were necessarily held in the adjsininiag Assembiy Chamber.








DEDICATORY EXERCISES.
JANUARY 24, 1866.
The spacious Assembly Hall was densely filled at an early hour
of the evening. Hon. I. A. LAPFHAM, LLL D., President of the
Society, presided.
1. VOCAL MUSIC-Trio fronm the Creation, by some of the best musica2;
talent of the City, led by Mr. JOSEPH HAWES.
2. DEDICATORY PRAYER —by Rev. A. S. ALLEN.
3. VOCAL MUSIC-Sacred Quartette, —" Bow down tihine Bar."
4. PRESIDENT LAPHAM then made the following address:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:-On behalf of the Wisconsin State
Historical Society, I thank you for the interest, sympathy, and
good will for their affairs, you manifest by your presence here on
this occasion.
So far as I know, or have been able to ascertain, we are indebted to Eleazer Root, our first Superintendent of Public Instruction,
under the then newly organized State government, for the first
efficient movement for the establishment of a Society for the purpose of collecting and preserving the facts and details of our his~
tory-past and passing.  It was he who was most actively intern
ested in calling the meeting that was held in the Senate Chamber
of this Capitol on the evening of the 30th of January, 18.  He
was, with very great propriety, called upon to preside over the
deliberations of that meeting; General Winm. IR. Smith, our venerable and true friend, acted as Secretary.
Mr. H. C. Hobart offered a resolution, which was immediately
and unanimously adopted, declaring that it is expedient to found




;uchl an inst.itution in our State, (Gorge   cReed, John Y. Smith
and I. A. Lapham, were appointed a  uconittee to draft a, colnstistitution, which was soon reported, and also adopted.
Thirty-three gentlemien present, manifested their earnestness   in
the work by becoming members; his LExcellency, Nelson Dewey,
then Governor of the State, consentedl to beconne the first President, and the Rev. Charles LordL  of 5adiison,  was appointed to
the office of Pecording Seeretalry.
Goen. Smith zwas requested to deliver the first annual address,
which duty he performed, a year afteirwards, with great credit to
himself and benefit to the infant society-giving an epitome of
our early history, and laying down a chart fbr the future guidance
of the Society in the prosecution of' their voyage of usefulness,
then just commenced.
Such was  the origin of the Society, an important epoch in
whose history we are assembled here this evening to celebrate.
For five long years our Society remained in the helplessness of
of 1" mewlin  infacy;" only a few collections were made; only
a, few friends were added to our list, and fewr were the dolla'rs in
our treasury 
But our childhood days were numbered, when, on the 21st of
February., 1854, Governor Barstow  approved what tihe Legisla,
ture, with an enlightened liberality, worthy of the great State
they  represented,  a  law  appropriating  to  this Society, five
hundred  dollars per annum, until the  Legislature  shall, by
law otherwise direct, to be expended in " collecting, embodying,
arranginog and preserving in authentic form, a library of books,
maps, charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary and other
materials, illustrative of the history of Wisconsin; to rescue firom
oblivion the memory of its early pioneers, to obtain and preserve
narratives of their exploits, perils and hardy adventures; to secure
facts and statements relative to the history, genius, progress or
decay of our Indian tribes; to exhibit faithfully the antiquities,
and the past and present resources, of Wisconsin; also to aid in
the publication of such of the collections of the Society, as the




h.sciet;y shall,'from time to time; deem of value- and Jnterest; and
to aid in binding its books, pamphlets, manuscripts and papers."
He re is a formidable array of duties, truly-and all to be performed for the sum of five hundred dollars a year  How faithfully these duties have been performed, and witrh what economy
this money — subsequently increased  to  i,i000 annually —has
been expended, let our well filled shelves and eases answer.
From the date of this law, we leave our state of helpless infancy
and enter upon the second stage of our prog'res's, with the buoyancy and hope of youthfulness.
Rapid as has been our progress, we have not labored without
disheartening difficulties; among; the chief of which has been the
want of suitable accomnmodations for the precious article s entrusted
to our care.  it is needless to describe to any here present the
low-, da.mp, poorly-lighted, almost subterranean   apartments we
have occupied, in the basement of a church.    Wte have  been
compelled to grovel in those dismal rooms; and, if all desire to
accomplish any useful thing; all ambition for progress; and even
if all cheerfulness of sririt were not suppressed, it was certainly
not the fault of the apartments in vYLieh Nwe havye been coimpelled
to " bide our time I I
But allI this is now numbered with the past-we, to dcay, open,these magnificent rooms, in this splendid new State House.  Our
i /4n/cy and our yout]h are past, and we shall be "' of age tomorrow! "
5. VOCAL MUSIC —-' Vhe dearest f, )ot oon earlh.'
6. IHon. EDWA,) SALoMION, formerly Governor of the State, was thenr introduced by the President, who spoke as follows:
Jitr. IPrslidet, and Genttlemen of the State.istorical Society:
The great German poet and, philosopher, Gothle, in his immortal tragedy  "Faust.," thus. lets Faust, discourse while opening the
New Testament, and endeavoring to translate it fiom the original
in order to obtain ligot  and revelation from  it for his troubled
soul:




T"In the beginning was the wvord," I read;
But here I pause: Who helps me to proceed?
The WTord-so high I cannot, dare not rate it;
I iLust, then, otherwise translate it.
If by the spirit I am rightly taught,
It reads: "In the beginning was the Thought."
But study well this first line's lesson,
Nor let thy pen to error over-hasten!
Is it the Thought does all from Time's first hour?
It should read:  "In the beginning was the Power."
Yet even while I write this down, my finger
Is checked, a voice forbids me there to linger.
The spirit helps. At once I dare to read
And write:  " In the beginning was the Deed!"
Yes; deeds, facts, events form the sum total of the world's ex,
istence, its past and its present being.  An undiscovered field, the
future, always lies before us, shrouded in darkness, except that
sometimes the philosophy of past events enables us dimly to discern the future by judging of their probable consequences.  But
with fleet steps the past constantly pursues the future, winning
from it the ever varying present, and laying up its fruits and deeds
as things that were.  The present only has reality, thepast alone
stability. The event that has transpired, the deed that is done,
are irrevocable and unchangeable, are things of the past, events
of history. From them, by the inexorable laws of nature, grow
the actions of the present and the future, with all their pains,
their pleasures and their consequences. To profit from the past
is the part of human wisdom, that by it we may mould our present and our future action.  With all our existence, our civilization, institutions and enjoyments, physical, moral and intellectual,
we are as much the creatures of the past as of the present, and
must draw the origin of our present time and life from the past,
its deeds and events.
Who is bold enough to assert that even a single accomplishmen
of the present age, in art or science or any other branch of human
industry or pursuit, owes its existence exclusively to the genius
of this age? Every invention and every progress, however novel
or extraordinary, have their foundation  in  something already
known. Step by step only the genius of civilization advances,
and however rapid his strides, his foot-prints are clearly traceable




9
by the light of history.  Men live and die, generations come and
go, but their deeds live after them; nations and empires are Ibunded, rise and fall, but leave their works and their history to the
profit and advantages of future ages.
To record the past events and deeds of mankind is the field of
the historian, as wide and broad a field as human affairs are manifold and diversified. So we have histories of arts and sciences,
of literature, of commerce, of jurisprudence, of religion, of wars,
of discoveries, of adventures, of particular men, of States and
Nations, and of almost every conceivable object of general pursuit, interest or particular prominence.  That, however, which is
most generally signified by " history," is a narrative of the life,
events and acts of States and Nations.  The true general historian is
not a mere chronicler or annalist of events; he must assume also
the character of a critic, and, as it were, sit in judgment upon the
actions of mankind.  He must collect, classify, and truly relate
the facts, must trace and study the origin, cause and effect of ae~
tions and events; he must endeavor to penetrate into the inner.
most motives and recesses of the human mind, and especially of
those whose acts he assumes to portray; he must recount the triumphs, the defeats, the errors, the wise and unwise measures, the
follies and crimes of mankind; he must'" set down nought in
malice or favor, but present things truly."  Hence it is, that the
history of a great epoch, or a public man, is hardly ever justly
written by a cotemporary; because but few men are so entirely
above the passions and prejudices of their own age as to correctly
and justly appreciate the bearings of all things on public men
and matters of general and public concern.
The history of a people, nation or state, should not only treat
of its wars, its rulers, its great epochs and its great struggles, but
should also draw a faithful picture of the manners of the people,
their political institutions and life, their social enjoyments, their
religion, their literature, arts and sciences, their laws, their virtues
and their crimes,  For as the life of an individual is not only
made up by his single prominent deeds or acts of moment or im



~poat tance, but by his character,  his social and private relations,
ms joys and his troubles, nhs virtues and his faidlings, so te10  ife
of a ination, consisting of a collection of individuals bound together
bv certain political and other ties, has many an unostentatious
tr aita which distinguishes it from  other nations, and forms an esntal pnart of' its existence.
This is true of the history of all nation,-, ancient aid modern'
calihough when we read the historical works of somle authors, we
might, almost be led to believe that the history of kings and princes,
Ctheir quarrels, their virtues and their follies, constitute the history
of ihe people they ruled, and tfhat the history of mankind is only
a 2arrative of wars and slaughters   Whaen in other ages and other
countries the destinies of a nation were depending upon the will
and the acts of' a. single crowned head, the life of that nation was
bound up in the life of that man, and his history, is its history.
The history-of Napoleon I is that of France  during his reign,
and the history of Alexander that of Macedonia and Persia while
he held the scepter of that empire, for in both cases the individu9itiy of the nations they ruled was nerged in their sovereigns..     r'gut S~ar different and much more difficult is the task of the histosian who undertakes to record the events of a people with democoratic institutions, whose rulers are wholly or mainly the agents of',he people and are executing its sovereign will.  Thus it is with
the ihstory of our own country, whose government is the governruent of the people, whose rulers are but its agents, whose destinies
a-re i its own hands   The theory of our system of self governmcnt has been successfully carried out ever since the foundation
of t his Republic, and the people thereof lhave been and are setting
an example to other nations how  a free people can preserve its
independence, protect individual liberty, and become great and
mighty and prosperous.  The history of this free country never
was bound up or merged in the fate of any one man.  Its energies
are developed by the entire people, its strides in civilization, its
great advancements and accomplishments are in no instance trace,
abte to the energy and exertions of any one man, who, by his asu




perior statesmanship, directed the latent energy of the people.
Frederick the Great raised Prussia from an inferior position in the
family of independent states, to one of the great powers of Europe; Napoleon I made France, for a time, the most powerful of
the European nations; Cromwell made England more mighty, respected and feared than it had been before.  We, too, have had our
great men, at times, directing the affairs of this nation, but the
genius of our political institutions, well comprehended and sustained by them, happily forbids our having a Frederick, a Napoleon or a Cromwell.  Washington and Lincoln were both great
men in our history; the one has long since had the name of the
Father of his Country, and the other, no less deserving, has been
fitly called its Savior, and his name is called with veneration
throughout the civilized world, while his mortal remains have
scarcely found their last resting place.  But their greatness was
not the dazzling brilliance of the monarch, their azhievements and
the works they raised did not fall, and will not fall, to pieces with
the extinction of their lives; what they did to raise and save their
country remains and will remain, because it is a nation's property
and not their own. The power of Prussia waned with- Frederick's
death; France fell when Napoleon was conquered and exiled;
England's greatness was obscured when Cromwell went to his
grave; Alexander's empire fell to pieces with his death; but the
country which calls Washington its father, the nation of which he
stands as the founder, has steadily increased in power and civiliza-.
tion,and even the violent death of our late martyred President, could
not, for a moment, stop the nationin its onward march. The other day the bourse,fat Paris, experienced a great shock; French
state obligations suddenly fell; the money market of that great
metropolis became seriously unsettled, and a dangerous crisis seemed at hand; panic seized the commercial world, and fortunes were
lost in the twinkling of an eye, because —(be serious, my friends,
for it was a very serious matter!)-because the little son of LouisNapoleon had caught a cold! Because a certain little boy in Paris
was indisposed-seriously sick, if you please-that mighty empire,




12
that great nation shook and trembled from  one end to the other.
Nor was this financial shock without good cause; for when the
pillars of the present dynasty of France shake and threaten to
fall, as they did in the sickness of that boy, French finances may
well tremble; his death, the death of that tender child, might
mean another revolution and a new order of things within no dis.
tant day!
Reverse the picture. A few months before this little episode
in the history of France, the head of another mighty nation
that under his guidance for four long years had been carrying
on a most stupendous war with a large portion of its own rebellious people, a war in which millions of soldiers had been
employed, in which the existence of that nation and its government was at stake, and which was just then being triumphantly
and victoriously brought to a close-the head of that nation,
the man who for four years had held its destinies in his strong
hands and quelled that rebellion, was struck down by the as.
sassin's hand, at the very moment when the nation under his
guidance was victorious, but when public excitement was at its
greatest height.  There was no panic, no revolution. The nation stood aghast as the appalling news spread; but the government performed its functions with the same steadiness;
quietly the successor of the deceased assumed the duties of the
highest executive offico. One more grave-the most honored of
all —was added to the many hundred thousand in which lay
buried the youth and flower of a devoted patriotic people, so
recently fallen in their country's sacred cause! Uncounted tears
fell for the murdered chief, but the institutions of his country,
the functions of the government which he had so ably filled,
remained and were pursued undisturbed by his death at this
critical period.
And yet we had so often been told by statesmen and philosophers of other countries, that our system of government could
not long endure, that it lacked stability, and that in a great cri.is,
or in times of great public commotion, it would fall to pieces for




13
Want of power and coherence. We have made false their prophecies in more than one respect; so far our Republic has proved
the most stable of all forms of government.  Whence arises this
difference?  It lies in the fact already adverted to, that in our
form of government, its stability, its endurance, and the development and progress of the people under it, do not depend upon any
outsides impulse, or upon the energy or capacity of any one man,
or of a few men who are called upon to administer the affairs of
government, but it depends upon the virtue, the intelligence and
capacity of the entire people. They hold theoretically and practically the power of government, and the development of their resources, alone in their own hands, and as long as they will prove
true to democratic republican institutions, these will expand and
remain intact. The Republic will fall when its citizens cease to
be republicans, not sooner!
Thus we have illustrated why it is more difficult to write the
history of a republic, the history of our nation, than that of a
monarchy where the cause of events is more easily perceived. Here
the historian has to study the character of the entire people with
that same scrupulous adherence to truth that, in other countries, he
must bestow upon the character of the reigning prince whose will
or whim shapes the destiny of his people. Our public debates, in
and out of the legislative halls, our widely diffused public organs,
the newspapers, the individual character of our prominent public
men, our ordinary pursuits, our political campaigns preceding
every important election, the acts of our highest executive officers,
both state and national, our constitution and system of laws, the
administration of justice, our system of education, all these and
many other subjects in which the character of the people and their
institutions are brought to public life, must be carefully investiga'
ted and studied by the future historian who undertakes to write
the history of our own time and country.
I may be permitted to advert here, for further illustration, to
another subject which for the past five years has engrossed the attention of this nation, and which in future will form  one of the
most interestingchapters in the history of our country-the southern rebellion, its causes and its suppression by the gigantic war
just closed. It is now, I believe, universally acknowledged that




14
the cause of this fearful rebellion was the institution of African
slavery, on which was built in a great measure, or supposed at
least to rest, the wealth and power of the rebellious states. Many,
it is true, have maintained that this rebellion and this war would
have been avoided if there had not been in the northern states an
ever increasing anti-slavery sentiment and agitation, while others
as strongly assert that the immediate cause of the war was the
growing pro-slavery sentiment of the south, and the demands and
insolence of those who were wedded to an extension and perpetuation of slavery.  Both assertions, I believe, are true.
Had the North yielded to the demands of the slave-holding power, slivery would have become nationalized, and the South would
not have rebelled; and, on the other hand, if the extention and
perpetuation of slavery had not been the end and aim of all southern political exertions; if the people of the South had yielded to
the antislavery sentiment of the northern people, and I may well
say of the civilized worldd no war would have desolated their fair
land, hurling slavery from its throne by fire and sword, and forever burying it under the ruins of its false and wicked greatness.
But it was written in the book of fate, that this fierce contest
should arise to annihilate a wrong, which otherwise, under the
most favorable circumstances, could not have been peacefully abrogated for generations to come, since the Constitution in times of
peace forbade an interference on the part of Congress with the
domestic affairs of the States.  When the slave-holders found that
they were defeated in their schemes of extending and nationalizing
their fell institution, they made rebellion and raised war against
the very Government which had sheltered, ani protected, and never
wronged them.  To them may -now fitly be applied Milton's words
which he wrote of the rebellion in Heaven, waged against the
Most High by Satan, who
"When impious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God,
Raised impious war in Heaven, and battle proud,
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from the etherial sky,
With hideous ruin and combustion."




As our government is one of the people, so this war was the people's-war; it proved their power and strength and resources, their
devotion and endurance. It is a fact well worthy of note, that the
fiercer and hotter and bloodier the contest grew, the more sacrifices it demanded, the more determined became the people in support of its government. The triumphant majority by which Mr.
Lincoln was re-elected President in 1864 exceeded by far that
which made him President four years before that time. I need
not remind you, my friends, of the exciting scenes through which
we all passed during this war, how by hundred thousands only
were counted the men that the Government again and again demanded and received; how the father followed his son to avenge
his death, and the brother his brother to fight side by side with
him; how battle followed battle in swift and terrible succession;
how the brave citizen soldiers never faltered, but shed their heart's
blood, and laid down their noble lives upon the altar of their country, without murmur or complaint; how the mothers and sisters
and wives of our brave soldiers vied with them in their devotion
and patriotism, and succored, aided and nursed the sick and
wounded; how from a peaceful nation of farmers and merchants
and mechanics we had suddenly become the most warlike people
of the world, in order to maintain, what was most dear to us, our
country, its Government and free institutions.
One day, when I had the honor to occupy the executive chair in
yonder room below in this capitol, a woman came to me, and with
tremblimg voice asked for a writing from me that she might go
unhindered far down to the seat of carnage and destruction, to
bring home her only brother who was lingering at the point of
death in a hospital on the banks of the Mississippi. She was clad
in black, with pocr attire, for, alas, she had already lost her father,
who fell upon the battle field, and her husband, who, too, had died
in the service, stricken down by disease. Her simple request was
readily granted. A few weeks afterwards she again appeared be'.
fore me with a face smiling through tears. and accompanied by a
young man in a soldier's garment, who was still showing the effects of past disease.  "Here is my brother," she said, "I took him




from the hospital and brought him home; I stole him away, for
they would not let him go with me, and the poor boy would have
died down there if I had left him, He is now sufficiently restored
to return to his regiment, but he is reported as a deserter because
I took him away without permission. Here he is now ready to return and do his duty. I hope he will not be punished as a deserter, for he never meant to desert the flag. He is well again, and I
can now return him to his country."
That was a woman's devotion to her country's cause. Many,
many such eases adorn the unwritten history of this war. She was
a plain American woman with the spirit of a Spartan mother.
Such simple incidents show the character of this war, and their
preservation will aid the student in future generations to comprehend the nature of this mighty struggle and the spirit of the people who were engaged in it.
Truly remarkable is the interest with which the great mass of
the people followed the vicissitudes of this contest of arms; with
what accuracy of observation they followed the movements
of the contending forces, how eagerly they sought for information  from  the seat of military operations, and studied
the details of a great battle, and the fervor of their patriotic devotion was equalled by their undoubting faith in the final triumph
of our just cause. It was not a blind, fanatical zeal which prompted their untiring efforts, and upheld their courage even in the
darkest days of our struggle; but it was the consciousness which
sprang from an intelligent conviction of the rectitude of the cause,
and of the power of the nation's strength; a consciousness found*
ed upon an enlightened patriotism and a correct understanding.
A little more than two years ago I met in one of the western
villages of our State a simple blacksmith at his anvil, and on entering into conversation with him on that subject, which then
filled the minds and thoughts of all, I was much struck by the
breadth and correctness of his information concerning the movements of the armies in the field, the past and impending battles,
the strength and organization of the army, and the commanders
of corps and divisions. By bis logical, common-sense views, his
clear perception and accurate statement of the situation at the




17
seat of war, he might have put to shame many a learned student,
and perhaps many a blundering general, and curiously I inquired
how he, the simple mechanic, whose daily toil and labor apparently required his constant attention, had been enabled to obtain
such knowledge and information. He replied that it was from the
constant and attentive reading of newspapers containing accounts
of the war with which he generally occupied his evenings. " I
have two sons in the army," he added, "and the fate of our
country is at stake in this war; if I was not too old a man, I too
should have joined the army long since."
Yes, indeed, it was the people's war when the plain mechanic,
and the toiling tiller of the soil, after the performance of the day's
hard labor, could sit down in the evening, and, with scrupulous attention, read and study the movements of those great armies, and
apply himself to solve the problems of the statesman and the warrior.
But how can the historian do justice to that part of this great
drama which the soldier performed? How can he truly relate
the bravery, endurance, and heroism of many hundred thousand
loyal, stalwart men and youths who fought, and bled, and suffered through four long years to uphold the " Stars and Stripes?"
It is now a well established fact, acknowledged even by European
soldiers by profession, who had an opportunity to judge, that the
American soldiery, the rank and file of the great Union army,
in every material point, not only equalled the best armies ever
marshalled in hostile array, but in one important particular, that
of, intilligence, surpassed them. And yet they were not trained
to this pursuit by long years of patient practice and instruction;
from far different vocations and peaceful employments did they
all come,'and were hurried to the battle-field without more than
a few weeks', nay, days' even, sometimes, of the most necessary
instructions in military movements. And yet, this may truly be
said that, whenever they were repulsed or defeated in battle, it
was not for lack of courage or patrioism, but from some circumstance beyond their control, or by the fault of some commander.
No danger is there that the most prominent military leaders of
the great Union army will not receive due credit from us as well
2




as from posterity for all that they accomplished; their names and
deeds are indelibly written as well in the hearts of a grateful
people whom they led to victory, triumph, and peace, as in the
records of war; but the deeds of the others less prominent, and
yet, perhaps, no less deserving, and especially the heroism of the
"common soldier" should have a more enduring monument than
any monument of stone or metal.
" For'get not our wounded companions who stood
In the days of distress by our side;
While the moss of the valley grew red withb their blood,
They stirr'd not, but conquer'd and died."
When General Grant had executed his ever memorable and
daring enterprise of running the blockade of Vicksburg, which
enabled him to take his army to the south side of that formidable
rebel stronghold, and afterwards to surround and conquer it, all the
eyes of the civilized world were turned towards him with admiration, and those of the loyal people of this Republic with gratitude
also; but how many are there amongst a thousand, or a million
even, who can give the names of those brave and daring men that
volunteered to man the ships that were destined to run this fiery
ordeal? And, yet their deed deserves immortal fame. Who will
collect and put in form and shape for preservation the tales of
the uncounted iacidents of extreme valor, unsurpassed bravery,
uncomplaining endurance, unflinching self sacrifice and most exalted patriotism?
This was the people's war, and it is the people's duty to see
to it that the fame of its brave sons is not lost, or the memory
of their deeds die with those who saw them done. It is the
duty of the present age to preserve the facts and incidents of
this great struggle in all its ramifications. There is not a town
or hamlet in this State that has not some facts worthy of preservation in the annals of time concerning this war, and the part
which its people took in it, facts that centuries hence will be
eagerly sought for, and that the historian will value to exemplify
and to correct his judgment.  Those who labored, fought or fell
in this mighty contest, did so for their country, for us and pos



1i9
terity, and in justice to them, see to it, fellow-citizens, that the
memory of their exertions is not forgotten,
And here it is where the usefulness of this society, this State
Eistorical Society, receives its great importance. It should be
the receptacle of every important fact and event connected with
the history of our State and its people; its archives should be
the record from which the historian can gather the facts for his
work., What I have said in this connection, of the late rebellion
and war, because it is so important of itself and furnishes the best
example, is equally true of everything that pertains to the past or
present or future history of our young and noble State. Whoever
is in possession or within reach of any facts or things of value in
our history as a State, or any part thereof, let it be given to this
Society, by it to be treasured up and kept from destruction and
oblivion. Things of historic value scattered among the people,
and only preserved as relies in families, are easily lost and come
to the eye and knowledge of but few, but if dedicated to this Society, become the property of this and future generations, and
their benefit will thus be saved.
The noble enterprise of the few men who have formed and expended and labored for this Society, has accomplished much,
when we consider the brief period of its existence, the meagre resources at its command, and the obscurity in which it had to toil.
As the work of these men is for the benefit of the entire people of
the State, both State and people should assist them, and in time
the Society will be made, what it deserves to be, one of the
proudest institutions of the State, and one of greatest and best
ornaments.
With the dedication of its new and capacious rooms in this
capitol, which we celebrate on this occasion, commences, under
most auspicious circumstances, a new era in the life of this Society. For the first time, I believe, it is thus brought prominently
before the people, henceforth, as it deserves, to attract the attention of every one who visits the capitol, and to be constantly be.




20
fore the eyes, and within the reach, of the representatives of the
people at their annual assembling for the purposes of legislation.
And that at a time when the value of historic researches, and of
the preservation of the facts of history, must be apparent to the
most superficial observer of human affairs; at a time when, in the
young life of this State, as of every loyal State of the Union, we
have just closed a period of most painful yet proud events, when
the tattered and torn and blood-stained flags of our regiments that
are here deposited were the mute, yet now so eloquent witnesses of.
the patriotism, the heroism and sufferings of so many thousands of
the brave sons of this State, and remind us that we should have a
common depository of these events. Thanks to the energy of the
founders of this Society, we have such a depository. May the
people of the whole State recognize its value, and assist and sup-.
port it in its useful, disinterested and noble efforts-!
7. VOCAL MUSIC-''Star Spangled Banner."
8. BENEDICTION-by Rev. Mr. ALLEN.
President LAPHAM then invited the audience to pass into the
Historical Rooms, where the ample cases of Books, Art-Gallery,
Cabinet and Curiosities were examined with interest.




APPENDIX.-No. 1.
ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY.
When an organization, like that of the STATE HISTOBICAL
SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN,  attains to permanence, prominence;
and usefulness, the inquiring mind very naturally asks-to
whom are we indebted for its inception, and what were its feeble
beginnings, its struggles, its progress, and its final  7?
This Society has had for its history very similar experiences to
kindred institutions-an early organization by the foresight of a
hopeful few, followed by neglect, a brief sickly existence, and an
early death; and subsequently resuscitated again and again.
Like a little child first learning to walk-starts a few steps, loses,
confidence, and falls; then carefully rises, and renews the experi.
ment, gaining strength, and hope, and trust in each successive
effort-or, like.the old Kentucky hunter, his trusty gun, which.
had caused thQusands of buffalo, deer and other game to bite the
dust, once accidentally failing him, he would " pick the flint,.
and try the old rifle again."
The reminiscences of Mr. LAPHAM, in his dedicatory address,
have revived old-time recollections in the memories of several of
the pioneers who -participated, more or less, in the movements
towards the organization of a Historical Society, prior to, and
which culminated in, the formation of the present permanent and
prosperous institution. It has been deemed advisable to group




22
these reminiscences together, while yet within our reach, and place
them upon record for preservation and reference.
So far as the evidence goes, RICHARD H. MAGOON, an early
pioneer settler of what is now La Fayette county, and a participator in the Black Hawk war, was the first person in Wisconsin to
suggest the formatioa of a Historical Society. C. C. BRITT, now
of Portage, writes under date 8th March, 1866:  "My recollection is, that sometime in the fall of 1845, while I was publishing
the Mineral Point Democrat, RICHARD WI. MAGOON,$of La Fayette
county, in the course of a conversation upon matters of interest
to the then Territory, suggested the organization of an Historical
Society, to collect, from the pioneers then alive, such facts in
regard to the early history of Wisconsin, as they might possess,
as well as to treasure up those occurring in the future. The
importance of the matter was to me.so self-evident, that I at once
called public attention to the project, feeling, that having been
n meptin.Wd, it was already " on foot," though up to that interview
with Mr. MAGOON, I had no knowledge that the subject had ever
been broached in Wisconsin."
Mr. BRITT'S article appeared in the Mineral Point Democrat
of Oct. 22, 1845, and was as follows:
"WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCMETY.-A project is on foot for the organization of an Historical Association, having for its object the collection of
historical information in regard to Wisconsin. It strikes us that this is one
of the most laudable, and at the same time, feasible, undertakings of the
present day. Now, too, is the proper time to move in the matter, while
we have such ample facilities for getting at the truth. There are hundreds
of men now in Wisconsin who could furnish much valuable information
relative to the early history of the Territory, and who would gladly become
members of an association of the kind alluded to. A fe-w-years more, and
they will have passed away, and the future people of Wisconsin will seek
in vain for the information which they can now communicalte. Therefore,
now is the time to act. What say you, brethren of the press, will you help
to keep this ball in motion, until the object is attained?"
This notice was transferred to the Madison Argus of Oct. 28,
1845, then conducted  by SIMEON MILLS, JOHN Y. SMITH and
BENJAMIN HOLT, and warmly endorsed by the editors. Mr. BRITT




23
adds in his letter —  Well, this notice of mine was generally cop —
ied by the press of the Territory, eliciting favorable responses."
Gen. WM. R. SMITH writes that he well remembers BRITT'S article;
and adds:  " I and others about Mineral Point were calling the
attention of the public to this desirable matter; hence the publication in the newspaper.  Nothing, however, was defined —nothing
proposed; the public attention was merely sought to be aroused
on the subject of the formation of an Historical Society. The
several meetings which took place afterwards, having this matter
in view, were, in all probability, the result of public attention
having thus been aroused."
As Madison was then the focus for such gatherings, and the sessions of the Territoriol Legislature the occasion when the prominent men of the Territory met; but the brief session from Jan.
5th to Feb. 3d, 1846, passed away, and nothing was done towards
effecting an organization.
Meanwhile the Mineral Point Democrat, having ceased to exist;,
Mr. BRITT assisted his brother-in-law, Gen. JOHN A. BIROWN, in
conducting the Milwaukee Courier, in which, in September, 1846,
he renewed his faithful appeals, in behalf of his favorite project,.
in this wise:
"WIscONsIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY.-A project was broached last fall by
one of our editorial brethren in the Western part of the Territory, in favor
of organizing a Territorial Historical Society, having for its object the collection and preservation of all such facts as may be of interest connected
with the history of Wisconsin, from its earliest settlement down to the
present day. We had hoped to see an organization of this kind effected at
the Capitol during the last session of the Legislature, but unfortunately
nothing was done to accomplish the desired object. As the paper which
first spoke of this matter has ceased to exist, and the Proposition not being:
renewed by any of our editorial brethren, we would respectfully suggestthat an effort be made to effect the organization of a society by calling a,
meeting at the Capitol during the session of the Convention to frame a
State Constitution, to re-assemble, if necessary, to complete the organization during the coming session of the Legislature.
"'The reasons for selecting the time above mentioned are obvious, for then
there will be a larger number of our fellow citizens at the Capitol than at
any other period of the year, and, consequently, an organization can be ef —
fected with little, if any, extra expense of. either time or money. What say.
you, brethren of the press-aye or nay? "




24
BERIAH BROWN thus responded in the Madison Democrat of
Sept. 25, 1846:  " A good suggestion, which we hope the editors
of the Territory will press upon those interested in the matter.
Now is the time for action upon the subject.  Facts of the greatest interest in our history can now be collected and preserved with
little trouble which may, in a few years, be lost, or obtained with
the greatest difficulty.  During the session of the Convention
would probably be the best time that could be fixed upon for this
object, as every portion of the Territory will be more fully represented than it would probably be at any other time, and many of
the early settlers will be here to contribute much to the information sought to be preserved."   Several other papers also warmly
commended the suggestion,
The first Constitutional Convention assembled at Madison on
the 5th of October, 1846, and was composed of many of the
ablest men in the Territory.  Hon. THOMAS P. BURNETT, of
Grant, was among the number; but from illness he was unable
to reach Madison until the 14th of the month. What followed,
and his connection with it, may be seen from  the statements of
Hon. Gio. HYER, and Hon. A. HYATT SMITH:
MADISON, March 13th, 1866.
DEAR SIR: —My recollection as to the first effort to establish a State
Historical Society in Wisconsin, is this: Several of the papers of the then
Territory had urged the formation of such a society, and it was in accord-ance with such suggestions that several of the members of the first Constitutional Convention met in the Library room of the old Capitol to
consult together in relation to the matter. I remember seeing the written
notices posted for the call, and am under the impression that I wrote and'
posted the notices under which the first meeting was held. My interest in,
the formation of a Society was such as to leave these circumstances quitefresh, though many years have intervened.
Two or three meetings for that purpose were held during the session of'
the Convention, and a Society organized by the election of officers. I was
a member of the Convention, and distinctly remember meeting with other
delegates, and urging the necessity for such a Society; but I cannot now
recall the proceedings sufficiently clear to name the officers chosen. My
impression, however, is that Hon. Morgan L. Martin was chosen President
of the Society, though I think he was not present at the time.
I well remember the interest taken in it by Judge Burnett, who addressed&
the first meeting, urging the necessity of such a Society, and he was really,




25
the moving spirit in the undertaking. He was a man of education, and saw
at once the importance of such a Society in its relations to the future of
Wisconsin. Gov. Doty, Thos. W. Sutherland, Hon. A. Hyatt Smith, Gen.
Wm. R. Smith, Hon. D. A. J. Upham and others also took part in this organization; and, I think, Hon. A. Hyatt Smith was chairman of the first meet.
ing. I doubt not facts and circumstances forgotten by myself will be still
fresh in the memory of the survivors of those who participated in the
movement, who at that time, and since have taken so deep an interest in
the early history of Wisconsin.
Very truly yours,
GEORGE HYER.
L. C. DRAPER, Esq.
Hon. A. HYATT SMITH states, as the best of his recollection,
that early in the session of the Convention, he, together with
Judge BURNETT, Gov. DOTY, Gen. SMITH, T. W. SUTHERLAND,
GEO. HYER and a few others, met one evening in Judge BURNETT'S room, at Morrison's American Hotel, when the subject of
forming a Historical Society, which had been suggested in the
Territorial papers, was talked over, its importance recognized,
and a meeting agreed upon; which was held in the Library room
of the old capitol-Judge BURNETT, and Gov. DOTY, taking
special interest in the movement. This preliminary interview
and first meeting, took  place in October, between the 14th,
when Judge BURNETT arrived, and the 25th, when he left for
home on the reception of a message of the illness of his wife of
typhoid fever; his former illness, the exposure of the journey
day and night, caused a relapse in his own case, and both himself
and wife-died the same day, November 5th, ensuing. This circumstance fixes the time, pretty nearly, of the first meeting, and the
formation of the WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY; at which
there were about a dozen persons in attendance.  Mr. SMITH,
furthermore, thinks, that he was chosen chairman of the first
meeting; that a constitution was adopted, providing for life
and other members; that the officers chosen were to continue
in office only till January ensuing, when the annual meeting
was to be held; and that the officers thus chosen for the remainder
of year, were: Hon. A. HYATT SMITH, President; Hon. THos.
P. BURNETT, and Hon. JAMES D. POTY,  Vice Presidents; E. M;




26
WILLIAMSON, Treasurer; and THOMAS W. SUTHERLAND, Secretary. That several meetings were held during the session, and
Gov. DOTY was chosen to deliver the first address before the
Society at its annual meeting in January ensuing.
That at the annual meeting, soon after the commencement of
the Legislative session, in January, 1847, Gov. DOTY failed to
deliver the address; and that Hon. M. L. MARTIN was chosen
President of the Society for the year, and Messrs. WILLIAMSON
and SUTHERLAND re-elected Treasurer and Secretary; and the
newly chosen President designated to deliver the address-which,
however. he did not do during that organization. As a further
corroboration of this early movement, Hon. D. A. J. UPHAM, a
member of the first convention, writes: "There was such a Society
formed at the time of,the first Constiutional Convention; but I
cannot certainly name the officers who were chosen.  I recollect
of the organization, and of meeting several times with the movers
in the matter, who were Gov. DOTY, Gen. W. R. SMITH, MARSHALL M. STRONG, and, I think, HENRY S. BAIRD, and others.
I!do not think much was done other than making an organization."
Such are the recollections of Hon. GEO. HYER, Hon. A. HIYATT
SMITH, and Hon. D. A. J. UPHAM, relative to the first organization of the Society. E. M. WILLIAMSON remembers about this
early organization, and of being chosen treasurer; but pleasantly
adds, that {' not the first red cent ever passed into the treasury."
Gen. SIMEON MILLS also remembers that a society was organized
prior to the present one, and that Hon. M. L. MARTIN, as well as
he remembers, was made President.
The files of Madison and other papers of that day, which we
have in the Society, throw no light upon this early organization,
or of its subsequent meetings. This is accounted for in part,
from the infrequency of their publication, and also from the carelessness of the Secretary, who long since migrated to San Francisco, and died there. There is no hope that the records, if any
were ever made, of these early movements, are now extant.




27
Letters of Hon. H. S. BAIRD and Hon. M, L. MARTIN do not
throw any light upon this early organization, except to convey tho
impression, that there was a meeting of the Society during the
session of the second Constitutional Convention - probably in
January, 1848 - at which Gen. WM. R. SMITH was chosen Pres%
ident for the ensuing year, and Hon. M. L. MARTIN one of the
Vice-Presidents. Gen. DAVID ATWOOD has a distinct remembrance of such a meeting during that winter — his first winter at
the capital. But the meeting was probably poorly attended, and
the interest waning, as this is the last we hear of the old organization; and may safely set it down as having died a premature
death, like many similar institutions before and after it, for want
of proper care, nourishment and attention. Yet, doubtless, it
had its influence in keeping the: subject alive; so that after a
twelvemonth interim, it was revived under more auspicious circumstances.
" There may," writes Gen. W. R. SMITH, "have been a dozen
meetings on the desired object-they all proved abortive; the
only meeting that produced a real birth was that which was held
in the Senate Chamber, on the evening of January 30th, 1849;"
and, alluding to Mr. LAPHAM'S statement, that we are indebted to
Hon. ELEAZER ROOT for " the first efficient movement" for the
establishment of a Historical Society, Gen. SMITH adds: "I
cannot help but think it hard to-be deprived of the little merit —
if, indeed, any such there be- of having been mainly instrumental in the formation of the Society."
Hon. M. FRANK, of Kenosha, writes: "I recollect hearing
Prof. E. ROOT advocate the formation of such a society; but who
was the actual Originator, I have no recollections, or means of
determining."  Hon, GEO. REED, who, with Col. FRANK, also
participated in the organization of January, 1849, states that he
remembers that Mr. ROOT was active in that movement.
Rev. ALFRED BRUNSON writes: "I do not recollect seeing
Mr. ROOT at the organization of the State Historical Society in




28
1849; nor do I remember who, if any one, started the ball. It
ssemed to me rather simultaneous with a number of persons. Gen.
W. R. SMITH was a prominent man, and the first to deliver a set
address upon the history of Wisconsin; but it rather seems to me
that we had a conversation on the subject before he came into it.
When the ball was put in motion, he, of course, gave it a heavy
kick."
Hon. M. L. MARTIN writes:  "It seems to me, that Gen.
SMiTH had more to do in getting up the present Society than any
other single individual."
Hon. JOHN Y. SMITH, while under the impression, that in consequence of the notices of the newspaper press, and the effort at
an organization in 1846, that the movement of 1849 was rather
simultaneous in its character; yet he would think that Gen.
SMITH, from his well-known historical and antiquarian tastes,
was among the earliest and most active in the enterprise.
Gen. H. C. HOBART writes: "You have asked me to give my
recollections as to the person whe first substantially started the
idea of forming a State Historical Society in Wisconsin. I well
recollect the circumstances which surrounded and moved us at the
time of the first organization, in 1849. It was talked about some
time before it was founded; and I give it as my deliberate opinion, that any one may well hesitate to claim that he started the
idea. There never will be any doubt about the real father who
laid the foundation of its prosperity, and who deserves, and will
receive, that high position in the history of Wisconsin."
On the evening of January 29th, 1849, a preliminary meeting
was held at the American Hotel, Hon. JOHN Y. SMITH presiding,
and E. M. WILLIAMSON acting as Secret ary. Hon. E. ROOT stated
the object of the meeting-to take into consideration measures
for the formation of a State Historical Society. A meeting for
such an organization was called for the next evening, and the
Secretary was directed to invite suitable persons to address that
meeting.




29
The speakers at the meeting on the evening of the 30th, in the
Senate Chamber, were Hon. C. H. LARRABEE, Hon. SAMUEL
CRAWFORD, Gen. WM. R. SMITH, and Rev. ALFRED BRUNSON.
Gen. SMITH'S speech was evidently preparedwith most care, as it
alone was published in the Madison papers, filling three-quarters
of a column. The Society was organized, a constitution adopted
and officers elected; and yet truth extorts the confession, that for
the following four years scarcely any better success attended the
Society than during the organization of 1846. But on the 18th of
Jan., 1854, the Society was re-organized, a new constitution adopted, frequent meetings provided for, a live system of operations
agreed upon, which, with the annual appropriation soon after secured from the Legislature, gave it a vitality it never before possessed; and from that day the STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF
WISCONSIN entered upon a career of prosperity and usefulness
second to none in the Union.                    L. C. D.
APPENDIX-No. 2.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SOCIETY.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The State Historical Society, which is in process of removal
into the suit of rooms prepared for the reception of its Library
and collections in the south wing of the Capitol, will now, more
than ever, from its increased accessibility and conveniences, prove
its usefulness to the State officers, Courts, Legislature, and citizens
of the State. It is, for all practical purposes, the historical, statistical and miscellaneous department of the State Library. The
Society is subserving a useful object in gathering up the scattered




30
fragments of our eventful history, and has deservedly secured a
high reputation throughout our country, for the energy and spaco
oess which have thus far characterized its efforts. Its Library
no[ numbers 21,366 volumes, bound and unbound, of which over:eleven hundred are bound newspaper volumes, with a creditable
gallery of portraits of Wisconsin pioneers and prominent Indian
Chiefs, and a fine cabinet of curiosities. It has now become a
source of great pride to all the citizens of the State who are ac.
quainted with its excellence. If the State would grant the
Society the privilege of issuing a volume of collections once in
three years, it would be the medium of preserving many valuable
narratives of our gallant Wisconsin soldiers in the war for the
preservation of the Union, I commend this matter to your respectful consideration.- Gov. Fairchild's Message, Jan. 11, 1866:
THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The formal opening of the new and permanent Library Rooms
of the State Historical Society, which takes place this evening,
renders some sketch of the rise and progress of the Society appropriate.
The Society was organized in this city, on the 30th of January,
1849. Little was done, however, beyond a mere organization
until January, 1854. At that, time the Society was re-organized.  There were then fifty volumes, all of which were State
laws, journals of the legislature, and public documents, except two volumes of the Transactions of the American Ethnological Society, and a volume on American bibliographical literature. A small book case, three and a half feet wide and four feet
high was amply large enough to contain these five years collections.
During the first year after the organization, the book-case was
removed from the Executive rooms to the office of the Secretary
of State, and was under the charge of Dr, J. W. HUNT, since
deceased. That year 1,000 volumes and over 1,000 pamphlets
were added to it. The small book-case would no longer suffice.




31
The corresponding Secretary, Mr. LYMAN C. DRAPER, was obliged to open the doors of his private residence to make room for
the collection. In 1855, a small room in the corner of the basement of the Baptist church was secured for the collection. Here
from year to year it grew, until nearly the entire basement was
occupied. The rooms, however, were dark, damp and dingy;
From them the collection has recently been removed to the airy
and beautiful rooms assigned to the Society in the new Capitol.
The Library now numbers 21,36-6 volumes, bound and unbound,
of which 1,136 are bound newspaper files. Of the latter, 138
were published in the last century, several of them by Dr. FRANKLIN, and one volume in the century preceding. The Society has,
moreover, sixty oil paintings, mostly portraits; over 400 atlases,
maps and diagrams, some of them giving us the vague ideas entertained of the American continent nearly two hundred years ago.
The Society also has an exceedingly interesting collection of mementoes and relies of the recent war, and many curious articles,
both natural and artificial, sent it from various sections of the
State.
Few if any similar societies in the country can show so rapid a
progress. It is indeed one of the most creditable institutions of
the State, and deserves to receive its fostering care.- State Journal, Jan. 24, 1866.




OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY.
1866 —'68.
PRESIDENT:
INCREASE A. L A P H A M, LL. D., Milwaukee.
VICE'RzESIDENTS:
Gen. WM. R. SMITH, Mineral Point, Hon. JAS. T. LEWIS, Columbus,
Hon. HENRY S. BAIRD, Green Bay, Hon. HARL. S. ORTON, Milwaukee,
Hon. ED. SALOMON, Milwaukee,  Hon. L. J. FARWELL, Westport
Hon. JAS. R. DOOLITTLE, Racine, Hon. ANG. CAMERON, La Crosse,
Hon. WALT. D. McINDOE, Wausau, Hon. WM. A. LAWRENCE, Janesville.
Recording Secretary —Col. S. V. SHIPMAN.
Corresponding Secretary-LYMAN C. DRAPER.
Treasurer-O. M. CONOVER.
Librarian-DANIEL S. DURRIE.
CURATORS:
_br Three Years.     For Two Years.        Fobr One Year.
Gov. L. FAIRCHILD,  Dr. C. B. CHAPMAN,  Hon. JAMES ROSS,
Hon. E. B. DEAN, Jr., Hon. D. J. POWERS,  Prof. J. D. BUTLER,
Prof. E. S. CARR,   Dr. JOB. HOBBINS,    S. G. BENEDICT,
JOHN H. CLARK,    Gen. SIMEON MILLS,  S. H. CARPENTER,
Col. E. A. CALKINS,  F. G. TIBBITS,       E. W. SKINNER,
Col. F. H. FIRMIN,    WALDO ABEEL,        Hon. GEO. HYER,
Hon. L. B. VILAS,    Gen. G.P.DELAPLAINE, J. D. GURNEE,
Gen. D. ATWOOD,    S. U. PINNEY,          N. B. VAN SLYKE,
HORACE RUBLEE,   Hon. GEO. B. SMITH,  Hon. D. WORTHINGTON
OBJECTS oF COLLECTION.-The Society earnestly solicits of every editor
and publisher of a newspaper or periodical in the State the regular transmission of such publication; Books and pamphlets on all subjects of interest or reference; Magazines; Newspaper Files; Maps:; Engravings;
Portraits of Wisconsin pioneers and other prominent personages; War and
Indian relics; and other curiosities; Narratives of Early Settlement, Hardships, Border Wars, and of incidents connected with the part borne by
Wisconsin men in the late war of the rebellion.