.Robert Alexander Spice.
Researched by: Landis
G. Scott
Contributed by:
Daniel J. Scott
(Copied verbatim from an article of an unknown author)
Robert Alexander Spice, of Oconto, Wisconsin, belonging
to G.A.R. Post No. 74, was born in
Quebec, Canada, October 7, 1844. He is the son of
Thomas and Ann/Jane (Logan) spice. He
came to Wisconsin and obtained employ in a saw mill
and as a lumberman near Oconto, where
he enlisted when he was 17, June 19, 1861, in Company
H, 4th Wisconsin Infantry for three
years. The company was first known as the Oconto "River
Drivers" and on its organization,
Joseph F. Loy was made Captain. The regiment left
the state July 15th, going to Baltimore,
where they arrived on the second day after Bull Run
and while the excitement was still at it's
height.
They camped at the Relay House and guarded the railroad
communications for a time
and were detailed for a brief service on the eastern
shore of Virginia. They returned to Baltimore
and in February, 1862, joined Butler's command and
in the spring went to Ship Island,
suffering greatly from confinement on the transports,
and went thence to participate in the
bombardment of Forts St. Phillip and Jackson, and
afterwards went up the river and were
engaged in the destruction of the Jackson railroad.
They went next to Vicksburg where they
were employed in the construction of the famous "cut
off." The regiment went next to Baton
Rouge to fight in that action and remained there some
time, performing military duty. They were
next assigned to the Teche expedition and went to
Berwick City, and were in camp Bisland,
when Mr. Spice was taken sick, passed about six weeks
in the hospital at New Orleans and
rejoined his regiment at Baton Rouge. The reconstruction
of the regiment into cavaly had taken
place and afterwards the command was engaged in scouting,
picketing and other military duty.
In May, 1864, Mr. Spice re-enlisted and took his veteran's
furlough. He went to Morganzia and
afterwards to Clinton, where he was in action, went
back to Baton Rouge and in October and
November was again in skirmishes at Clinton. In November
he went to West Pascagoula, Miss.,
and returned to Baton Rouge. He was in the cavalry
movement to the vicinity of Mobile and went
thence through Alabama to Eufaula, where information
was received that the rebellion was at an
end; they returned to Vicksburg after 70 days in the
saddle. During that time they were on short
rations most of the time, receiving about a pound
of meal daily and sometimes only parched
corn.
They expected to be discharged at Vicksburg, but were
sent to Texas where they were
stationed at San Antonio and Mr. Spice was sent with
an expedition against the Indians and
remained in Texas until the Spring of 1866 when he
returned to Wisconsin and received
honorable discharge. While at Olive Branch, La., he
was on picket. The rebels decoyed a squad
into an ambush and Mr. Spice received a severe fall.
The locality was a mud hole and when his
horse fell, the reserve of mounted men tumbled on
top of him and he was severely injured in his
back, from which he still suffers.
On returning to Wisconsin he located on a farm on which
he built a house which was afterwards
burned. He is till a resident on the place and was
one of the charter members of the Grand Army
Post at Oconto. He was married October 17, 1866 to
Emma Collins, of Oshkosh. Their children
are named Adelbert E., Ollie, Clara, Ernie, Mary,
Nellie and Laura.
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