Thomas S. Allen

He moved to Wisconsin in 1847 and was in mining, surveying, and teaching around Dodgeville. He served a term in the State Assembly in 1857 and moved to Madison in 1860.

He helped form and enlisted in Company I, 2nd Wisconsin Infantry on 27 April 1861 and was commissioned Captain. He was promoted to Major of the Regiment on 22 August 1861. He was wounded in the neck and the wrist in action at Gainesville, VA on 28 August 1862 and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 30 August.

He relieved Col Fairchild in command of the Regiment on about 14 September, and was wounded in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862. He was, in turn, relieved by Captain George Ely, Company D.

He was promoted to Colonel of the 5th Wisconsin Infantry on 26 January 1863 (to rank from 25 December 1862). He was wounded again, in action at Rappahannock Station, VA on 7 November 1863. He mustered out in June 1864, but on 5 September 1864 he assumed command of the Battalion ("Reorganized" Fifth Infantry) that was the remainder of the regiment that did not muster out. He mustered out with them on 20 June 1865. He was honored by brevet to Brigadier General of Volunteers on 13 March 1865.

He was secretary of state of Wisconsin for two terms (1866-1870). He commanded the Grand Army of the Republic in Wisconsin (1869-1870), and moved to Oshkosh in 1870. He published the Oshkosh Northwestern (1870-1884) and the German-language Wisconsin Telegraph (1885-1902). Allen died at home of heart failure in 1905.

Service data from the Roster1. Further details from a biographical sketch in the Dictionary of Wisconsin History from the Wisconsin Historical Society. His picture is an engraving from a photograph, and is in the MOLLUS-Massachusetts2 collection.

07/26/1825; Andover, NY

12/12/1905; Winnebago, WI