Thursday, December 23, 2010

Volume 98; Number 28

www.bladepublishing.net

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

William H. Redfield: Civil War Soldier, Attorney, Judge,
and County Commissioner
One of the flags flown by Redfield’s 8th Wisconsin
Infantry, 22 July 1864, made by Gilbert Hubbard and Co. of
Chicago
This is the third in a series of stories that will
tell the history of some of the settlers who built
Todd County in the last half of the 1800s.
By Rin Porter
In 1866, William H. Redfield arrived in Todd
County from Wisconsin and Iowa, and settled on
a homestead located in Hartford Township on
the bank of the Long Prairie River, south of
what would become the site of the City of
Browerville. During his years in Todd County,
Redfield took an active part in community
affairs, farming, practicing law, and occasional-
ly teaching school (The Long Prairie Leader,
Dec. 21, 1939).
Born in 1821 in New York, Redfield married
Lavinia F. Williams in 1845, and they had a
daughter, Sarah. After their marriage, they
moved west. In the U.S. Census of 1850, the
Redfields are listed as living in Mukwonago, in
Waukesha County, Wisconsin, with their daugh-
ter Sarah and a newborn child. Also in their
home was Lavinia’s brother Hiram Williams.
Mukwonago was the home of the Bear Clan
branch of the Potowatomi Indians, and in 1837
became the first platted village in Waukesha
County. The first two settler families arrived
from New England in 1836. Mukwonago was
located at the junction of roads from Platteville
75¢
and Janesville to Milwaukee and Green Bay. A flour mill
and saw mill were soon built on the Mukwonago River.
(www.villageofmukwonago.com <http://www.villageof-
mukwonago.com>) Wisconsin became a Territory in 1837
and a State in 1848.
O.B. DeLaurier, the reporter for The Long Prairie
Leader who recorded so much of Todd County history,
wrote that at some point, William Redfield studied law
and became an attorney. This could have taken place
during the 1840s and 1850s in New York or Wisconsin.
No records of Redfield’s legal services could be found in
our internet search.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, William Redfield
enlisted in the Union army. Documents indicate that he
was part of two different regiments of infantry. He
enlisted in Company A of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry
Regiment on Sept. 26, 1861, as a resident of Waupaca
County, Wisconsin. But on Sept 11, 1862, he enlisted in
Company H of the 33rd Infantry Regiment of New York,
at Barry, New York. The documents say he transferred
out of New York’s Company H on Nov. 17, 1862. He was
mustered out of Company A, Wisconsin 8th Infantry, on
Sept. 16, 1864. It is possible that the New York enlist-
ment was due to a clerical error. He is listed on the ros-
ter of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry at their official website.
To make things even more confusing, O.B. DeLaurier
says that Redfield served in the 40th New York Infantry.
While Redfield was serving with the 8th Wisconsin
Infantry during the Civil War, his wife Lavinia died in
October 1863. After his military service was over,
Continued on page 20.

Seasonal Greetings from Christ the King & Zion Lutheran

Greetings from
your friends and neigh-
bors at Zion Lutheran
Church! All of God’s
blessings to you and
your homes in this
wonderful season of
celebration, light, and
joy.
What a truly
blessed time of year.
And one of my great
joys is to get to experi-
ence it through the
eyes of my children.
Kids love this time of
year, don’t they? It was
just a few days ago
that we went to cut our
Christmas tree, strung
lights inside and out,
and brought out all the
trimmings as we decked our halls together. We have been sledding, enjoying hot chocolate, and driving around
to see the lights around town. They have been growing ever more excited about Santa and the idea of a rein-
deer-guided sleigh helping Santa deliver presents to their carefully-hung stockings. And, of course, all the hol-
iday goodies have been delighting both them and me as well for quite a few weeks already!
But the primary experience I want for my kids this holiday season – and for everyone else – is hope. Santa
This truly is the most wonderful time of the year; it has been that now for over 2,000 years as the world cal- is a character which gives us hope. But it is the Christ-child who gives us an even more profound hope. As we
endar marks the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christian liturgical calendar has four short weeks of Advent prepa- gaze at the manger scene with the Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds and animals, we remember that God
ration for the Christmas season and then celebrates Christmas Day and the 12 days that follow. We will hope- acted in a mysterious, yet powerful way some 2,000 years ago. He entered human history in a new way and
fully put down our working tools for a while and bask in the glow of this season. God has come among us! We drew so intimately near to you and me. This same God promises to act with grace, mercy, and truth in our lives
have prepared the way of the Lord! right now. And He promises to act powerfully and wonderfully in the future, when His son comes again in glory.
Why not give the gift of time---catch up with each other, sing again the songs of this season of peace. Take And so, in this season of Christmas we hope beyond hope in the God who has acted in the past, who acts in
a moment this season to meet those marvelous people in church; those family members that we go over the our lives right now, and who will surely act in mighty ways in the future.
river and through the woods to visit; and to celebrate the wonder of this time. Celebrate the upcoming Twelve We’d love to have you worship with us on Christmas Eve, December 24th. We have two candlelight servic-
Days of Christmas. es at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to gather for song, meditation on God’s word, and to speak to
Blessings and peace from the tri-parish community of Catholic parishes in central Todd County: Christ the one another promises of God’s presence in our lives, both now and forever Christmas joy and peace be with
King, Browerville; St. Joseph, Clarissa and St. Joseph, Bertha. Peace be with you! you all.
Fr. Ralph G. Zimmerman, pastor Pastor Nate Loer Zion Lutheran Church, Browerville, Minnesota 320-594-6161

WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT

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Cloudy Snow Shower Snow Showers Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy
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