The Biographical Dictionary of America/Barstow, William Augustus

​BARSTOW, William Augustus, governor of Wisconsin, was born at Plainfield, Conn., Sept. 13, 1813. He was educated in the village school; entered his brother's store at Norwich, Conn., as clerk in 1829; and engaged in the milling and forwarding business at Cleveland, Ohio, with another brother in 1834. He established a flour mill at Prairieville, Wisconsin T., in 1839; became prominent in local politics and removed to Madison. As secretary of state, he was influential in securing the charter of the Milwaukee and Mississippi railroad and was one of its first directors. He was governor of Wisconsin, 1854-'55; was defeated for re-election by Coles Bashford in 1855, and removed to Janesville, in 1857, where he engaged in banking, subsequently returning to milling business. In August, 1861 he recruited, ​equipped, mounted, and armed a cavalry regiment, and in February, 1862, he was made colonel. The regiment went to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and in June, 1862, Colonel Barstow was appointed provost martial-general of Kansas. He remained with his regiment in the southwest until February, 1863, when his health incapacitated him from further field duty, and he was assigned to court-martial duty in St. Louis. He was mustered out and honorably discharged March 4, 1865. He died Dec. 14, 1865.