Chapter III: Part 3

Mr. T. J. Ford, of Merna, has gone to Milwaukee to reside. This will be unwelcome news to his myriads of friends in McLean County, who admired him for his honorable principles and friendly bearing. Mr. Ford was born in Boston, Mass. When he was aged 12 he emigrated with his father to Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. When a very young man he enlisted in the army, and did such valiant service in the Union ranks that he was made sergeant. He carries to this day a ball in his left breast, which tells of his heroism more eloquently than sheepskin can portray. In 1866 he came to McLean County and located near Merna, where he owned a large tract of as fine a land as is in fertile Illinois.

Mr. Ford has one weakness, and it is a conspicuous fault, that of being a Republican. It is conspicuous because of his enthusiasm. He has taken so much interest in politics that he has frequently been called upon to make speeches, and on the stump he made a rousing impression by the wit and tone that he injected into his discourse. Though wayward enough to be a Republican, he had warm friends among all classes, who respected him for the staunch manner in which he spoke his convictions. Mr. Ford's wife died recently, and that broke the ties to his old home on the farm. Some days ago he had an immense sale, from which he realized large cash. This, it seems, was the preparatory step to his leaving. He bid farewell to the community in which he was such a prominent benefactor and left for the scenes of his boyhood. He has the best wishes of all who know him.

COMMENDED BY HIS SUPERIORS.

The Officers of the 24th Wisconsin Infantry Speak Highly of Thomas J. Ford.

Headquarters Company H, Twenty-fourth Regiment,
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry; Second
Division, Fourth Army Corps.

Loudon, Tenn., Feb. 17th, 1864.

I certify on honor that Sergt. Thomas J. Ford, of Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, is a member of my company, and I do recommend said Sergt. Thomas J. Ford for his good conduct, sobriety and soldiery bearings. He has been engaged with the regiment in four battles and several skirmishes, and has proved himself a faithful and brave soldier. His soldierly conduct, both in camp and in the field, cannot be surpassed. I do believe him as brave and true as any man ever enlisted in defense of his country.

GEORGE COOTE,

First Lieutenant, Commanding Company H, Twenty-fourth
Wisconsin Regiment.

WM. KENNEDY,

Captain Company G, Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Regiment.

I concur in the above.

T. S. WEST,

Colonel Twenty-fourth Wisconsin.

JOHN N. KIEFER,

Orderly Sergeant Company H, Twenty-fourth
Wisconsin Volunteers.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
the text and consultation of external sources.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example:
tomorrow, to-morrow; School House, School-House; martyrized; calked.

Table of Contents created by the transcriber.
Pg 11, 'goods boys' replaced by 'good boys'.
Pg 18, 'like a mon' replaced by 'like a man'.
Pg 30, 'he appared to' replaced by 'he appeared to'.
Pg 55, 'I reacher Resaca' replaced by 'I reached Resaca'.
Pg 71, 'Repubican party' replaced by 'Republican party'.
Pg 91, 'harrassing' replaced by 'harassing'.
Pg 95, 'Vounteers' replaced by 'Volunteers'.

End of Project Gutenberg's With the Rank and File, by Thomas J. Ford