Wisconsin to secede?

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Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall did not much care for slavery and was known as a rabid abolitionist. By 1860 anti-slavery feelings were running high in Wisconsin, often encouraged by the Governor. In March of 1860 a member of the Wisconsin legislature introduced a bill to declare War on the United States unless the Untied States abolished slavery. Secession supported sent out agents to see if the State Militia companies would support secession. It is even possible that Governor Randall would call out the militia and leave the union. When the question was put to the militia some companies support secession and some companies did not. The governor ordered the disloyal companies that would not support his secession plans to turn in their weapons and disband. In Milwaukee the militia companies did not seem to support secession with the exception of the Union Guards.

The Union Guard (originally the Irish City Guard) was against slavery, but believed that the issue was a federal issue not a state issue. The German Black Jagers, Green Jagers and Light Guard supported the Irish friends in the Union Guard. A grand lake excursion to Chicago was planned to show the strength of the anti-secession block. The Uinoin Guard with the German Black Jagers, Green Jagers and Light Guard boarded the Lady Elgin but the ship was supposable cursed by have engines sized from a captured slaver. During a storm the schooner Augusta rammed the Lady Elgin and the Lady Elgin quickly sank taking 350 souls with her. Because the Lady Elgin had arrived very late many of the anti-secessionists had went home and thus most of the police and fire depart called off the trip and were saved from the disaster. The loss of the Lady Elgin is the second worse loss of lives in a Great Lake shipwreck.

Below is the Milwaukee Light Guard who supported the Governors secession plans.

Milwaukee Light Guard - Sheet Music.jpg
 
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