Photo By Melissa Dubois | Delton and Joyce Thorson from Augusta, Wis., stand with a long panoramic photo July...... read more read more
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An interesting artifact, a 100-plus-year-old panoramic photograph, was donated to the Fort McCoy History in July 2025 by a Wisconsin resident who believes she had family descendants in the photograph.
That resident, Joyce Thorson from Augusta, Wis., brought the long panoramic photo to the Fort McCoy Commemorative Area and the History Center. Augusta is located near Eau Claire, Wis., and Joyce visited Fort McCoy on July 11 with her husband Delton Thorson.
The photo shows the 1st Regiment, 10th Battalion of the Wisconsin National Guard. The picture also shows that it was taken at “Camp Bruce E. McCoy.”
According to installation history, Camp Bruce E. McCoy — named in honor of Robert Bruce McCoy’s father — was the official designation of the site from 1910 until it was renamed “Camp McCoy” on Nov. 19, 1926.
In 1909, the U.S. War Department purchased about 14,000 acres in west-central Wisconsin, creating the Sparta Maneuver Tract. This tract was split by a railroad into two sites: Camp Emory Upton (north) and Camp Robinson (south). In 1910, following $40,000 in improvements, the combined site was renamed Camp Bruce E. McCoy, honoring the Civil War veteran and father of Maj. Gen. Robert B. McCoy.
From 1910-1919, the camp expanded significantly, hosting artillery training during World War I and constructing new facilities, the history states. Training paused from 1919 to 1923 when the site served as the Sparta Ordnance Depot.
Then on Nov. 19, 1926, in the wake of Maj. Gen. Robert B. McCoy’s death in January of that year, the War Department officially renamed the reservation Camp McCoy, referencing his contributions.
In the donated photo, believed to be from around 1910 or soon thereafter, shows hundreds of Soldiers — some on horses — set up in formations in front of their encampment which is located in now what is the South Post Housing area at Fort McCoy.
Thorson said she believes her grandfather or her great uncles are possibly in the picture. They include Edward Rosenthal, William Rosenthal, and Louis Rosenthal.
The Fort McCoy History Center has similar photos to this one but none specifically of the 1st Regiment, 10th Battalion.
The 1st Regiment is known for it’s fighting in the Civil War, records show. ‘
“The 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a key volunteer infantry unit in the Union Army during the American Civil War, known for its significant engagements and contributions,” history states at https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2575. “The 1st Wisconsin Infantry was organized into a regiment of three-month service at Camp Scott in Milwaukee, and then mustered into service on April 27, 1861. Following that it reorganized for three-year service at Camp Scott, and mustered in again on October 19, 1861.The regiment left Wisconsin for Louisville, Kentucky, October 28-31, 1861, and moved through Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia during the war.
“The regiment lost 300 men during service,” the website states. “Six officers and 151 enlisted men were killed. One officer and 142 enlisted men died from disease.”
In major engagements during the Civil War, the 1st Wisconsin Infantry participated in several significant battles, including:
— Battle of Perryville (October 8, 1862).
— Battle of Stones River (December 30, 1862 - January 3, 1863).
— Battle of Chickamauga (September 19-20, 1863).
— Siege of Chattanooga (September 24 - November 23, 1863).
— Battle of Missionary Ridge (November 25, 1863).
The unit featured in the donated photo would also go on to support World War I and many future conflicts.
Learn more about Army history by visiting the Army Center for Military History at https://history.army.mil.
And learn more about Wisconsin’s history by visiting the Wisconsin Historical Society at https://www.wisconsinhistory.org.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: | 08.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2025 00:12 |
| Story ID: | 544873 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pre-World War I unit photo donated to Fort McCoy History Center; dates to 1910s, by Melissa Dubois and Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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