Western Lakes & Mountains
4
Woodstock Soldier Meets Famous Cartoonist On The Battlefield by Brian Swartz
A “Maine at War” exclusive
N
oticing a suspicious-looking individual hanging around his military post one day in winter 1865, William Berry Lapham decided to find out who the man was. Lapham was in for quite the surprise. Born in Greenwood in late August 1828, Lapham grew up in Bethel and looked back fondly on “the dear old town” later in his life. A Gould Academy graduate, he later attended Waterville College (the antecedent to Colby College), but left without a degree. He subsequently studied medicine
with Dr. Almon Twitchell, a Bethel physician, and pursued further medical studies in Maine, New Hampshire, and New York until earning his medical degree in 1856. Returning to Oxford County, Lapham started practicing medicine at Bryant Pond in Woodstock. Beneath this doctor’s calm exterior beat a patriot’s heart. After the Maine Legislature authorized 10 infantry regiments to defend the United States in mid-April 1861, “I went to Augusta and took out enlistment papers, the first given to a citizen of Oxford county,” Lapham recalled.
Governor Israel Washburn Jr. offered him an assistant surgeon’s slot, but Lapham wanted to fight. He recruited by newspaper, poster, and personal contact and soon “had two-thirds of a company in camp,” but sent his men home after the War Department decided enough soldiers had reached Washington, D.C. that spring. In late autumn, Washburn summoned Lapham to provide medical care for the various new units gathering in Augusta. A year later, Lapham joined the 23rd Maine Infantry Regiment as a second lieutenant in Company F. The
Robert W. Libby & Sons, Inc.
WE GOT STUFF
RESPONSIBLE TIMBER HARVESTING 483 Old Meetinghouse Road Porter, Maine
Water Testing • Radon Testing Asbestos Testing • Food Testing Indoor Air Quality Analysis
Is your well water safe to drink? $5.00 OFF
Full Water Test with this ad Order your kit today!
1-800-244-8378 www.nelabservices.com Agent for Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines, Inc. U.S. DOT No. 076235
(207) 625-8285
libbylogging@myfairpoint.net
Logging & Chipping Land and Timber Management Selective Cutting and Harvesting Plans Land Purchaser and Timber Buyer ~ Professional Forester Services Available ~
FIREWOOD AVAILABLE - Call for Prices ROBERT LIBBY -
PRESIDENT
• CELL 207-284-3668
RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE PREDICTABLE
• We Invite Customer Inspection of the Most Updated Equipment & Storage Facilities • Local, Long Distance & International Moving • Detailed Free Estimates • Packing • Fireproof Storage • Office, Display & Electronic Moving • A Family Operated Business Since 1947
BLANCHETTE
MOVING & STORAGE CO.
blanchettemoving.com
(800) 371-7429
32 Lexington St., Lewiston Industrial Park, Lewiston, ME
(207) 782-7429
JACKMAN HARDWARE & SPORTING GOODS
Largest Sporting Goods Store In The Area
• Extensive Inventory • Heritage Ice Fishing Traps • Camping Supplies • UPS Shipping • Snowshoes • Ice Augers • Hunting, Fishing • Guns, Ammo, Boots
Everything you can think of!
OPEN 7 DAYS
207-668-5151
598 MAIN ST. • JACKMAN, ME
