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Subscribe to this newsletter hereSome how the September Wasioja Newsletter did not leave my computer.
My apologies. The editor. Recent Events Shivaree
Guides dressed in period costume hosted the guests through the four different gravesites of early citizens. A link to some pictures can be found at www.civilwarmn.com.
Casey DeLima and Sam Fiscus portrayed Thirza Garrison Sperry and Anson Sperry. Anson served in the Civil War where he learned to "take orders and not jaw back." He later met his wife, Thirza, who was from Wasioja, in Texas. Thirza was in Texas teaching through the Freedman's Bureau. Together they had twin children and their youngest "Little Willow" is buried with them at Wildwood. Thirza's parents donated the land for the Seminary in Wasioja in exchange for free education for their children. Thirza died the day after her beloved Seminary burned down. The next stop was the stone of Edmond Garrison who was played by Mike Eckers. Garrison served in Civil War Company "C" 2nd Regiment Minnesota 1st. He signed up at the Wasioja Recruiting station and was one of the ten students that Clinton Cilley led down to James George's office to enlist. He is the only member of Company C buried in Wasioja. John Patterson's grave was the next stop on the walk; Patterson was portrayed by Luke Myer. Patterson was the youngest to enlist from Wasioja he was 16 at the time, but told the Army he was 18. Patterson served with the 4th Minnesota. He first worked at Governor's Island in New York State at a Soldiers Hospital. Patterson was honorably discharged in 1865. Curtis Moses and Chief Wazi-Oji were both at Wildwood that day. Curtis came running out of the Devil's Staircase exclaiming that the Indians were coming and telling the story of how he had managed to kill three of them on his way up. After they managed to get the arrow out of his shoulder his friend Chief Wazi-Oji told the story of how he and Moses had become great friends and how Moses had named Wasioja after him.
Don't forget You can donate to Friends of Wasioja through their web site. www.civilwarmn.com
Notice This Month Did you Know that Minnesota has a Civil War Battlefield Site. In 1862 Minnesota had its own civil war within the larger Civil War, between Indians and white settlers. The absence of troops from this frontier state and the government's preoccupation with the war of the rebellion underlay the Sioux uprising. Militia and Minnesota volunteers finally suppressed the uprising. The Wood Lake battlefield
is as important to understanding this civil war as Gettysburg is to
understanding the larger conflict.” The Wood Lake Battle Site is the
location where the final hostile actions of the Lower Sioux occurred. It
ended the outbreak of hostilities that began on the early morning of
August 18, 1862; following an extended period of hopeless reservation,
confinement, and existence. The U.S. government largely ignored the
growing signs of frustration and dissatisfaction among the Indians and
did nothing to quell the possibility of an outbreak of hostilities. A Wood Lake Battle Field Preservation group is working to preserve this important site.www.woodlakebattlefield.com |
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