Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
January 16, 1897



Heroes of '61
Chapter 3

Stewart Daniels

As stated in a former chapter, two Saukville boys, Stewart Daniels and Thomas Murphy, served as the regularly detailed foragers for the company on the march to the sea and during the Carolina campaign, and as such performed the arduous and dangerous duties of the forager with great credit to themselves and to the satisfaction of their commanders.

Although Stewart Daniels' home was in the town of Grafton, it was so near to the town line and to the village of Saukville, that he has been always reckoned as a Saukville boy by his comrades. Stewart was the first white child born in the territory now included in the town of Saukville, he first seeing the light in 1845, in his father's log cabin, which stood upon the site of the village of Saukville and was the seventh son in a family of nine children. Shortly after Stewart's birth his family moved nearly a mile south of the village, to the homestead on the banks of the Milwaukee river which for nearly thirty years was known as the "Daniels' farm," and which is now owned by the Opitz family.

Here Stewart lived and thrived in the wilderness, and as he grew in years and stature attended the village school in Saukville in the winter months; but though a bright boy who learned easily, he did not make the progress in his studies that he might have done, he caring more for hunting, fishing, trapping and such sports. He grew up a manly, healthy boy, with a frame remarkably well developed and knit, and although but sixteen when the war began he considered himself large and strong enough to undertake the life of a soldier in the field.

His father, Capt. George Cook Daniels, a pioneer of Puritan blood and a veteran of Indian wars, was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and ability, rough in appearance and speech, but a good neighbor, an upright, worthy citizen, and patriotic clear through. The names of the sons Nahum, DeWitt Clinton, Marion, Jerome, Baron Steuben, Jasper and Stewart, were nearly all taken from America's roll of honor and show the love of country possessed by the parents.

It is no wonder then, that when their country and flag was in danger these boys were nearly all ready to risk life and limb in their defense. Nahum, Marion, Baron S., Jasper and Stewart all entered the army, each in a different regiment. Baron S. died in the field, and the others remained in the service until the close of the war, Nahum becoming a captain and winning fame as Sherman's chief signal officer, and Jasper fighting his way up to a first lieutenancy. Jerome engaged in a fistic battle with a Copperhead in 1861, in which he lost a thumb, a loss that barred him from becoming a boy in blue.

Stewart being so young, and so many of his brothers being willing to go, his father thought that Stewart ought to stay at home, at least a year longer. But Stewart thought otherwise and October 28, 1861, he went to Port Washington and enlisted in the Ozaukee Rifles. He being under age his father took him home again, but Stewart ran away at the first opportunity and rejoined the Rifles. Taking the sheriff with him, his father brought Stewart home handcuffed and chained him to his bed. But that night he managed to loosen the chains from the bed, jumped out of a window, went to a neighbor's whom he induced to cut off the handcuffs, threw them and the chain into the river and was soon back to the company. After the Rifles reached Camp Randall his father made another attempt to bring Stewart home but the colonel would not let him take his boy without an order from the governor. For some unknown reason the governor did not issue the order, and the father went home alone.

Stewart made a fine soldier, following the fortunes of the gallant Rifles from its muster in to its muster out, participating in all the battles and campaigns in which his regiment took part, never missing a day's duty, and always ready to volunteer for any dangerous or exciting task. After the close of hostilities, Stewart returned home, but was not contented there, and was soon wandering over the great northwest. He has been a lumberman in Wisconsin and Minnesota, a Fenian member of the unfortunate Louis Reil's army, a scout for Generals Sheridan and Custer on the plains, one of the first adventurers at Pike's Peak, a volunteer soldier in several Indian wars, a ranch owner in Arizona, a prospector and engineer in Colorado, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Mexico, and a contractor in several places. In 1895, after making a prospecting journey across the great American Desert, he came east to visit his Ozaukee county friends, after an absence of twenty-seven years. During the past summer, Stewart joined a company of Americans bound for Cuba to assist the patriots there, and if still living is doubtless taking an active part in the struggle for liberty that is being waged in that unfortunate island. Although but fifty-one years Stewart has had a wonderful and varied experience, which if properly told would overshadow the wildest fiction, and hundreds of his old comrades and friends will wish him a safe return from his new field of adventure.

Thomas Murphy, Stewart Daniels' comrade forager, was a native of Canada, where he was born in 1845. Shortly after Tom's birth his father died, and after a few years his mother was married to a man named John Frawley, and with her husband and boy came to Wisconsin and settled upon a small farm in the northern part of the town of Saukville in 1854. Tom did not take kindly to his step-father, and being a wild, wayward boy soon ran away from home and became a sort of boy-tramp, knocking about from place to place. But he quickly became able to earn something, and before he was thirteen years of age he was well able to take care of himself.

Adversity is a severe school-master, but is often a good one, and in Tom's case he was not only thoroughly hardened and well prepared for the rough life of a soldier, but also picked up a good deal of sound patriotism - love for his adopted country. Being in the county when the Ozaukee Rifles was being recruited, he hastened to Port Washington, offering his services to Capt. Williams. But notwithstanding that he was 5 ft. 6 in. in heighth, he was so slimly built, and had such a round, childish face that he appeared to be even younger than he really was, and there was some hesitation about taking him as a recruit. In that slender frame there was splendid material, however, and Tom made one of the toughest and bravest soldiers in the company. He was so cowardly in camp that the smallest drummer could bluff him, but once in the field where minies and shells flew thickly, few of any dared lead where Tom Murphy dared not follow.

Tom had one great failing which has clung to him to this day, and that was a propensity for telling lies, - yes, barefaced falsehoods. Neither had he too great a regard for the seventh commandment, but age and wisdom have doubtless banished all traces of that failing, as he is now the head of a family and good citizen of the great city of Chicago. Like his comrade, Stewart Daniels, Tom Murphy was mustered in and mustered out with the regiment, and with the exception of short spells of illness never was absent from his post of duty. Tom was a great success as a forager. If there was any forage wanted and to be had, he and Stewart Daniels would be sure to bring it in. Tom had some faults but if all of our soldiers did as well as he did the Rebellion would not have lasted so long.

The cuts of the two noted foragers, Daniels and Murphy, printed herewith, are copies of photographs taken in Vicksburg, Miss., and show how the originals appeared at the age of eighteen, and after two years of hard campaigning.

Three pairs of brothers went from Saukville in the ranks of the Rifles. They were Chas. W. and Lyman W. Chapman, John and William Goggin, and Charles and Henry Thomas. But the Chapmans died of disease shortly after the battle of Shiloh. John Goggin went out as one of the corporals of the Rifles, but disease laid a firm hold on him, and he was discharged Dec. 16, 1862. Recovering from the sickness he again enlisted, this time in the 35th Wis., was commissioned second lieutenant Febr. 17, 1866, but was not mustered as such, being mustered out with the regiment a month later. He now lives in Milwaukee. William Goggin, a boy of sixteen, left school to march away with his brother and comrades, and gave up his young life for the flag, dying of disease at Monterey, Tenn., June 2, 1862. The Thomas boys were tough, wiry little fellows, Charles being nineteen years old, and 5 ft. 3 in. in heighth, and Henry eighteen years, and 5 ft. 2 in. in heighth. Charlie was killed at the writer's side in the battle of Bald Hill near Atlanta, Ga., July 21, 1864, as described in a former chapter. Henry was wounded the same day and never returned to the regiment. He is living at Eagle, Wis.

James O'Hare, the tallest member of the Rifles from the town of Saukville, was a native of Massachusetts and twenty-six years of age. He was a broad shouldered, big-hearted young man, measuring six feet and one-half inch in his stockings. Coming west with his parents in the 40’s, he worked on the farm until the war began. He was taken prisoner at Corinth, as stated in a previous paper, was exchanged, returned to the regiment and died of disease at Lake Providence, La., July 13, 1863. May his rest be peaceful.

There was another gallant soldier from the town of Saukville in the Sixteenth Wisconsin who deserves special mention here although not a member of the Ozaukee Rifles.

James McDonald, the subject of this sketch, was the son of a brave soldier of the British army and was born in King's county, Ireland, January 6, 1818. When a year old, he was brought to America by his parents; they settling near Quebec, Canada. In Canada James passed his boyhood, grew to manhood, secured a common school education, and married. His wife dying left him with six children to care for, and with them he came to Wisconsin and Ozaukee county in 1858, buying and settling upon a farm in the town of Saukville.

The beginning of the civil war found James McDonald a true patriot, arranged upon the side of freedom and union, and in the fall of 1862 he volunteered to fight for his adopted country "three years or during the war." He wanted to join his neighbors in the Rifles or old company "K" of the Sixteenth, but when he reached the regiment, company "K" had ceased to exist, it having been merged into Company "G" and he was assigned to "E" one of the best companies in the regiment.

Our hero was a great lover of music, played the violin beautifully, and having a remarkably sweet and well cultivated voice, sang charmingly. Of a happy jovial disposition he was very fond of good company and was the best of company himself, always as ready for a frolic as the youngest of his comrades. Always healthy, hardy, brave, cheerful and willing, he made an excellent soldier - one ever ready for duty - as ready for a bout with the enemy as was for a song or laugh with the boys. It is no wonder then that he became a great favorite with his comrades, for he never was so happy as when making others happy. He participated in all of the battles and campaigns in which the regiment was engaged, from the beginning of 1863 until the close of the war, always doing his duty, - no matter how trying it might be, - in a cheery, uncomplaining manner that was the admiration of his commanders and comrades. Often in bivouac or camp has the writer seen a crowd of pleased soldiers around "Jimmie" McDonald, listening with rapt attention to his charming renditions of Scotish or Irish music and songs. It was a treat to hear him.

After the war he returned to his farm in Saukville, was married to Miss Margaret Gough, a highly esteemed lady of that town, in 1867, and ten years later moved his family to Fremont, Neb., where his wife died in 1879. In 1880 he joined the colony planted in northern Nebraska by Gen. John O'Neil and in 1890 removed to Greely county, Neb. where he died respected and beloved by all who knew him, August 18, 1896. No more sterling patriot fought for the old flag during the civil war than sunny, gallant James McDonald, who as a soldier or a citizen was ever a gentleman, pure in speech, action and motive, and honest to the innermost core. The world is always bettered by having such men living in it, and when they leave it there is a void not easily filled. Those who knew him will ever revere the name and memory of James McDonald.