 "I've been wondering why and how Anthony came to enlist on April 29, 1861. The answer came to me as I was putting a
Fort Sumter civil war commemorative stamp on a letter. According to the US Postal Service, Fort Sumter was attacked on April 12 and three days later President Lincoln asked
for 75,000 volunteers to respond to the attack.
"Lincoln's call for volunteers came two weeks before Anthony enlisted. I'm sure
Lincoln's appeal for volunteers was all over the Philadelphia newspapers. Thus, the mystery is solved." - from an e-mail from Leo Stimmler,
Aug. 8, 2011
"Leo, I am amazed at how fast Lincoln was able to mobilize the troops. When I was in Minnesota Rae and I and some other
cousins visited my dad's hometown, Claremont, and while visiting with a local historian we
were told about the recruiting station at Wasioja, MN. It was the site of a seminary and became the site of the enlistment of
67 men from Dodge county into Company C of the 2nd Minnesota Regiment in June, 1861. The history written about
this company, The Boys from Wasioja, tells about the high fever to join and defend the union. Married men
and seminary teachers were among the recruits. I always wondered how men with families would join the army and leave
the wife and kids at home to survive without them. I guess they were strong women then and got by with the help of
neighbors. Incidentally, last June the 150th anniversary of the Wasioja recruitment was reenacted with actors coming
from all over to play a part." - from an e-mail response from Dick Kampa,
Aug. 8, 2011
"Your account, Dick, of Lincoln's ability to quickly mobilize the
troops in Minnesota is fascinating and mirrors what happened in Philadelphia according to newspaper accounts that I
read today. If the newspaper reports are to be believed, enlistment was at a fever pitch in Philadelphia with
parades of the men enlisting and offers from women's groups to help the volunteers pay for their uniforms.
"I was also amazed at how quickly news traveled. Fort Sumter was
attacked on April 12 & 13 and two days later on April 15, there was a page one account of the attack in
the Philadelphia Inquirer with a drawing and the headline: 'Fort Sumter After the Bombardment.'
"No wonder Anthony joined the Jackson Rifles two weeks later on
April 29, 1861." - from an e-mail response from Leo Stimmler,
Aug. 8, 2011
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Stimmler/Stimler-Kampa Family Album
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