FROM THE SECRETARY

Thank you for your continuing support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Warm summer days have finally returned to Wisconsin, and we are grateful to see so many of you come back to visit our outstanding museum.

This spring it was great to see so many end-of-the-school-year tours being scheduled for students, teachers, and parents eager to see the museum. Visitors also continue to share overwhelming positive feedback with our staff regarding the detailed exhibits and unique items on display that draw in so many from all corners of the Badger state, the nation, and the world.

This issue of The Bugle is special as it focuses on veteran stories from the southcentral part of the state from communities in the counties of Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Grant, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, and Sauk. Many of those stories go all the way back to the days of the Civil War. It is fitting that this issue also pays tribute to the 160th anniversary of the historic Civil War battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Thousands of Wisconsin service members, including many from communities in southcentral Wisconsin, served and died in these decisive battles that ultimately determined the course of our nation.

As I have traveled around the state this spring meeting with veterans and families, I listened to their personal experiences, concerns, and how we can continue to make a positive difference for them and the ones they love. The impact of sharing veteran stories is incredible, and it has an amazing ability to connect people across the years and from many diverse backgrounds.

Our Wisconsin Veterans Museum is a benefit for our veterans and is committed to preserving their experiences for future generations. As we continually embrace the essence of our museum’s motto, “Every Veteran Is a Story,” it rings true no matter what era, service, or circumstance.

I urge my fellow veterans to consider sharing their own personal stories of service with our museum, no matter how small. There is always something for us to learn from every shared veteran experience. Please visit our museum’s website and share your story, a photo, or a fond memory of your time in uniform. No matter if a veteran served 50 years ago or five years ago, their story is a vital part of our history.

On your next visit to downtown Madison, I hope you can stop by so you can experience our museum for yourself and connect with the impressive history of our Wisconsin veterans.

Yours in Service,

James Bond Secretary-designee Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs

Dear Friends of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Greetings! I hope you all are enjoying your summer so far. It has been an exciting last few months, especially as we celebrated our 30th anniversary at 30 West Mifflin Street. Our event on June 6 was special and drove home what a great community surrounds this museum. We have accomplished all we have thanks to all our supporters over the years, and it makes me optimistic for the future.

This issue finishes our approach of focusing on a specific region of Wisconsin, highlighting stories in our collection from that area. We’re concluding with Madison, southcentral Wisconsin, and the Driftless region. This area is of special personal interest, as my mother’s family is from Green and Juneau Counties. I count among my many Wisconsin Veteran ancestors Oswald Babler, a Civil War veteran who helped found New Glarus; Sam Steffen of Elroy, who served as a Marine in Peking during the 1911 Chinese Revolution; Ray H. Schoonover, a WWI veteran who represented Green County in the Assembly in the 1940s; and my grandfather, John A. Steffen of Elroy, who served in Europe during and after World War II. I have Grandpa’s trumpet from Germany in my office at the museum, alongside a souvenir from Sam Steffen’s China service. I recognize and honor their service alongside the thousands of Wisconsin veterans we remember every day.

You’ll also notice a Civil War theme to this issue. This is tied to the 160th Anniversaries of Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Chickamauga/Chattanooga in 1863, all battles that marked this state and left legacies visible and audible today.

The museum continues our extensive online offerings which continue to attract audiences from across the state, nation, and world. These are only possible with the help and support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation. I encourage everyone to see what is available at our website.

Best wishes to all of you and thank you for your continuing support. See you at the museum soon.

Best,

Chris Kolakowski

Cordelia Harvey did not serve in Union Army during the Civil War, but she made it her life’s mission to make sure that sick and wounded Union soldiers received the care they deserved. After her husband, Wisconsin Governor Louis Harvey, died while visiting wounded Wisconsin troops in Tennessee, Cordelia began advocating for the creation of hospitals in Wisconsin where wounded soldiers could recover away from the fighting and the front lines in a more familiar environment. She met with President Lincoln multiple times to plead her case. She succeeded. Harvey Hospital in Madison treated more than 600 wounded Wisconsin soldiers during the war. Afterward, Harvey led the conversion of the hospital into an orphanage for children who lost their parents during the Civil War. Harvey Hospital became the Soldiers’ Orphans Home and cared for more than 650 children. The Harveys are buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison.

Karl Ruf was born in Germany but immigrated to the U.S. as a child. His family settled in Monroe, Wisconsin where he and his father worked as saddlers. Karl volunteered to serve in the Civil War in October 1861. He joined the 9th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, which was also known as the 1st German regiment, a unit composed almost entirely of German immigrants. They saw action in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and present-day Oklahoma. Ruf rose in the ranks from private to first sergeant, and in September 1864, he left the 9th Wisconsin to become adjutant for the newly formed 45th Wisconsin Infantry. With them, he saw out the remainder of the war from Nashville, Tennessee.

By: Russ Horton Reference Archivist