Source: History of Crawford and Richland Counties, Wisconsin, Illustrated (1881) transcribed by Nancy Overlander
George Fairfield was born Sept. 10, 1839, in Fulton Co., Ohio. He left his home for Wisconsin, on the 28th, of May, 1857, in company with his brother-in-law, George Chapman, making the entire journey with teams. They arrived Crawford county, June 21, 1857. Mr. Fairfield enlisted in Prairie du Chien, April 27, 1861, in company C, 6th regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. His record in the army is an honorable one, and proves him to have been a brave and faithful soldier. He was known throughout the brigade as a leading spirit of personal adventure. He participated in many important battles among which were: Gainesville, second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, Fredericksburg, the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, North Anna River and others. He was in front of Petersburg during the first part of the siege of that city. He was promoted to corporal, May 29, 1862, and by request of Gen. Bragg, for bravery at the battle of Fredericksburg, he was promoted Feb. 1, 1863, to sergeant. He twice refused to be nominated for a commission, and on the 29th of April, 1864, refused the position of sergeant-major of Camp Randall, under Maj. Dill, preferring to go to his regiment, where he received the compliments of his captain. He received a gunshot wound in the head, at the battle of South Mountain, which carried away the sagittal suture down to cerebrum. From the effects of this would he was confined two months in the hospital at Washington City. At Gettysburg, his canteen, filled with water, was struck by a Minnie ball, while his regiment was making a charge on the 2nd Mississippi. The canteen of water resisting, to some extent, the force of the ball and diverting it from its course, doubtless saved his life. At Petersburg he was struck by the fragment of a shell, which fractured the left temporal bone. He was struck five times while in the service, with ball and shell. Soon after his last wound, he was discharged, his term of service having expired. In the military history of Wisconsin, by E. B. Quiner, Esq., the following acknowledgment is made: “To Sergt. George Fairfield, of Company C, 6th Wisconsin Infantry, we are indebted for the loan of a well-kept diary, from July, 1861, to the battle of South Mountain, where he was severely wounded, and during the Wilderness campaign to the assault at Petersburg, June 18, 1864, where he was again wounded.” At the close of the war, Mr. Fairfield returned to Seneca, Crawford county, where he taught school for one term. On the 2nd day of March, 1874, he purchased of J. F. Haskins, 100 acres of land on section 10 town 6, range 6 west, where he now resides. His farm is well stocked and in a good state of cultivation. Mr. Fairfield has been twice married. He was first married to Elnora J. Haskins, April 9, 1865. She died Feb. 18, 1880, leaving five children – Willard, Laverne, Jennie V., Lizzie L., and George E. Mr. Fairfield subsequently married Eliza J. Allen, Dec. 23, 1882, with whom his now living.
George Fairfield was born Sept. 10, 1839, in Fulton Co., Ohio. He left his home for Wisconsin, on the 28th, of May, 1857, in company with his brother-in-law, George Chapman, making the entire journey with teams. They arrived Crawford county, June 21, 1857. Mr. Fairfield enlisted in Prairie du Chien, April 27, 1861, in company C, 6th regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. His record in the army is an honorable one, and proves him to have been a brave and faithful soldier. He was known throughout the brigade as a leading spirit of personal adventure. He participated in many important battles among which were: Gainesville, second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, Fredericksburg, the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, North Anna River and others. He was in front of Petersburg during the first part of the siege of that city. He was promoted to corporal, May 29, 1862, and by request of Gen. Bragg, for bravery at the battle of Fredericksburg, he was promoted Feb. 1, 1863, to sergeant. He twice refused to be nominated for a commission, and on the 29th of April, 1864, refused the position of sergeant-major of Camp Randall, under Maj. Dill, preferring to go to his regiment, where he received the compliments of his captain. He received a gunshot wound in the head, at the battle of South Mountain, which carried away the sagittal suture down to cerebrum. From the effects of this would he was confined two months in the hospital at Washington City. At Gettysburg, his canteen, filled with water, was struck by a Minnie ball, while his regiment was making a charge on the 2nd Mississippi. The canteen of water resisting, to some extent, the force of the ball and diverting it from its course, doubtless saved his life. At Petersburg he was struck by the fragment of a shell, which fractured the left temporal bone. He was struck five times while in the service, with ball and shell. Soon after his last wound, he was discharged, his term of service having expired. In the military history of Wisconsin, by E. B. Quiner, Esq., the following acknowledgment is made: “To Sergt. George Fairfield, of Company C, 6th Wisconsin Infantry, we are indebted for the loan of a well-kept diary, from July, 1861, to the battle of South Mountain, where he was severely wounded, and during the Wilderness campaign to the assault at Petersburg, June 18, 1864, where he was again wounded.” At the close of the war, Mr. Fairfield returned to Seneca, Crawford county, where he taught school for one term. On the 2nd day of March, 1874, he purchased of J. F. Haskins, 100 acres of land on section 10 town 6, range 6 west, where he now resides. His farm is well stocked and in a good state of cultivation. Mr. Fairfield has been twice married. He was first married to Elnora J. Haskins, April 9, 1865. She died Feb. 18, 1880, leaving five children – Willard, Laverne, Jennie V., Lizzie L., and George E. Mr. Fairfield subsequently married Eliza J. Allen, Dec. 23, 1882, with whom his now living.
Source: History of Crawford and Richland Counties, Wisconsin, Illustrated (1881) transcribed by Nancy Overlander
George Fairfield was born Sept. 10, 1839, in Fulton Co., Ohio. He left his home for Wisconsin, on the 28th, of May, 1857, in company with his brother-in-law, George Chapman, making the entire journey with teams. They arrived Crawford county, June 21, 1857. Mr. Fairfield enlisted in Prairie du Chien, April 27, 1861, in company C, 6th regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. His record in the army is an honorable one, and proves him to have been a brave and faithful soldier. He was known throughout the brigade as a leading spirit of personal adventure. He participated in many important battles among which were: Gainesville, second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, Fredericksburg, the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, North Anna River and others. He was in front of Petersburg during the first part of the siege of that city. He was promoted to corporal, May 29, 1862, and by request of Gen. Bragg, for bravery at the battle of Fredericksburg, he was promoted Feb. 1, 1863, to sergeant. He twice refused to be nominated for a commission, and on the 29th of April, 1864, refused the position of sergeant-major of Camp Randall, under Maj. Dill, preferring to go to his regiment, where he received the compliments of his captain. He received a gunshot wound in the head, at the battle of South Mountain, which carried away the sagittal suture down to cerebrum. From the effects of this would he was confined two months in the hospital at Washington City. At Gettysburg, his canteen, filled with water, was struck by a Minnie ball, while his regiment was making a charge on the 2nd Mississippi. The canteen of water resisting, to some extent, the force of the ball and diverting it from its course, doubtless saved his life. At Petersburg he was struck by the fragment of a shell, which fractured the left temporal bone. He was struck five times while in the service, with ball and shell. Soon after his last wound, he was discharged, his term of service having expired. In the military history of Wisconsin, by E. B. Quiner, Esq., the following acknowledgment is made: “To Sergt. George Fairfield, of Company C, 6th Wisconsin Infantry, we are indebted for the loan of a well-kept diary, from July, 1861, to the battle of South Mountain, where he was severely wounded, and during the Wilderness campaign to the assault at Petersburg, June 18, 1864, where he was again wounded.” At the close of the war, Mr. Fairfield returned to Seneca, Crawford county, where he taught school for one term. On the 2nd day of March, 1874, he purchased of J. F. Haskins, 100 acres of land on section 10 town 6, range 6 west, where he now resides. His farm is well stocked and in a good state of cultivation. Mr. Fairfield has been twice married. He was first married to Elnora J. Haskins, April 9, 1865. She died Feb. 18, 1880, leaving five children – Willard, Laverne, Jennie V., Lizzie L., and George E. Mr. Fairfield subsequently married Eliza J. Allen, Dec. 23, 1882, with whom his now living.
George Fairfield was born Sept. 10, 1839, in Fulton Co., Ohio. He left his home for Wisconsin, on the 28th, of May, 1857, in company with his brother-in-law, George Chapman, making the entire journey with teams. They arrived Crawford county, June 21, 1857. Mr. Fairfield enlisted in Prairie du Chien, April 27, 1861, in company C, 6th regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. His record in the army is an honorable one, and proves him to have been a brave and faithful soldier. He was known throughout the brigade as a leading spirit of personal adventure. He participated in many important battles among which were: Gainesville, second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, Fredericksburg, the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, North Anna River and others. He was in front of Petersburg during the first part of the siege of that city. He was promoted to corporal, May 29, 1862, and by request of Gen. Bragg, for bravery at the battle of Fredericksburg, he was promoted Feb. 1, 1863, to sergeant. He twice refused to be nominated for a commission, and on the 29th of April, 1864, refused the position of sergeant-major of Camp Randall, under Maj. Dill, preferring to go to his regiment, where he received the compliments of his captain. He received a gunshot wound in the head, at the battle of South Mountain, which carried away the sagittal suture down to cerebrum. From the effects of this would he was confined two months in the hospital at Washington City. At Gettysburg, his canteen, filled with water, was struck by a Minnie ball, while his regiment was making a charge on the 2nd Mississippi. The canteen of water resisting, to some extent, the force of the ball and diverting it from its course, doubtless saved his life. At Petersburg he was struck by the fragment of a shell, which fractured the left temporal bone. He was struck five times while in the service, with ball and shell. Soon after his last wound, he was discharged, his term of service having expired. In the military history of Wisconsin, by E. B. Quiner, Esq., the following acknowledgment is made: “To Sergt. George Fairfield, of Company C, 6th Wisconsin Infantry, we are indebted for the loan of a well-kept diary, from July, 1861, to the battle of South Mountain, where he was severely wounded, and during the Wilderness campaign to the assault at Petersburg, June 18, 1864, where he was again wounded.” At the close of the war, Mr. Fairfield returned to Seneca, Crawford county, where he taught school for one term. On the 2nd day of March, 1874, he purchased of J. F. Haskins, 100 acres of land on section 10 town 6, range 6 west, where he now resides. His farm is well stocked and in a good state of cultivation. Mr. Fairfield has been twice married. He was first married to Elnora J. Haskins, April 9, 1865. She died Feb. 18, 1880, leaving five children – Willard, Laverne, Jennie V., Lizzie L., and George E. Mr. Fairfield subsequently married Eliza J. Allen, Dec. 23, 1882, with whom his now living.
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