Holcomb, Judson H. 7th Wisconsin, Co C.
Judson was born in Warren, Ohio in 1830, his father dying soon after he was
born. Judson's mother married a Dr. Root who had two sons of his own.
Judson didn't get along with Dr. Root's kids, so at the age of 12 in 1844, ran
away from home from Warren, down the Ohio, up the Mississippi, and descended
upon his two older sisters Hannah Beebe (15 years older) and Alvira Lane (7
years older), both of whom had moved with their husbands to the lead region in
S.W. Wisconsin in the early 40s. The Holcomb family has a letter dated in the
late 1850's from Jud's mother to her son. It was addressed to Judson H.
Holcomb, Platsvill, Grant Co, West Consin.
In 1850 he headed to California for the gold rush. He dug for gold and met a
future partner named Hale. Although not very successful in finding any gold, the
two of them opened a hardware store that did quite well, so well that in 1852
that they returned to Hales home in New Hampshire via Panama intending to invest
their savings of about $10,000 in cattle to be driven across the plains into
California. However, Judson left Hale to visit Platteville, Hale became ill and
died in 1854, so the trip to California was off. Judson invested his share in a
Hardware Store with Let Devenfort in Platteville.
Judson enlisted in the 7th Wis Vol, mustered out in 1865, wounded in the Battle
of the Wilderness and after getting out of the hospital, was detailed to the
Quarter Masters Dept. in Washington.
When the war closed, he came back to Platteville and the hardware store where he
remained until 1883. He got out on Doctor's orders that he had Bright's disease,
they decided - not long to live. He died 31 years later at 84.
The attached photo as taken by a photographer in Platteville named B.L.Nye.
