You may not know the name Lucius Fairchild unless you are a Civil War buff or political junkie. Fairchild was involved in both areas in the mid-1800s. Born in 1831 in Kent, Ohio, he moved to Madison in the Wisconsin Territory with his family in 1846. His father, Jairus Fairchild, became State Treasurer and got re-elected in 1849. He eventually became the first Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, in 1856 after Madison was incorporated as a city.

In 1858, with the Civil War approaching, Lucius volunteered as a private with the Wisconsin militia company known as the “Governor’s Guard.” When the war broke out, the Guard was accepted into federal service as Company K of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He fought in many of the famous Civil War battles: Battle of Hoke’s Run, First Battle of Bull Run, Second Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Antietam, Seminary Ridge, and the Battle of Gettysburg. In his last battle, Fairchild was shot in the upper arm, which caused his left arm to be amputated. His experience in these battles helped him get promoted to Brigadier General.

He resigned from the military in November 1863 and began his political career when he was appointed Secretary of State of Wisconsin (1864-1866). Part of his duties in this capacity was to issue bank checks from the State General Fund for bills paid by the state. See Fig. 1. This attractive check has the title of Secretary’s Office, Wisconsin. It is dated 1864 and printed in blue ink on white paper with the Wisconsin State Seal on the left. His signature appears at the bottom, and the check is cancelled. It is printed by J. Sage & Sons, Buffalo, NY.

He chose to stay in politics, ran for Governor, and was elected for three terms as Governor of Wisconsin (1866-1872). After his time as governor, Fairchild was appointed U.S. consul at Liverpool (1871) and then consul general at Paris (1880-1881), and lastly Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain.

In 1886-1887, Fairchild served as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, referred to as the G.A.R. It was formed in 1866 in Decatur, IL, for Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Their membership peaked in 1890 with 410,000 members. Five members of the G.A.R. were elected as U.S. Presidents with their help. They held National Encampments yearly in different states, with many of the veterans attending. Souvenir ribbon badges were given to those in attendance to be worn on their G.A.R. uniforms. See Fig. 2. The medal of the badge had an image of the Commander-in-Chief. In 1887, the G.A.R. National Encampment was held in St. Louis, MO. It was the 21st National Encampment. Fairchild’s bust appears on the obverse, but not his name. But you can recognize him by the mutton chop sideburns he wore. His name probably appeared on the pin bar or ribbon that the medal was suspended from.

With his many accomplishments, he left a legacy, and many things are named after him. The village of Fairchild, WI was incorporated in 1880 and bears his name as the 10th Governor of Wisconsin. It is a small village in Eau Claire County, WI, with a population in 2020 of 451 residents. One of the main industries in this village was logging. In WWII, the Liberty Ship SS Lucius Fairchild was built. He also has a mountain, a street, and a road named in his honor. He died in 1896 in Madison and is buried there at Forest Hill Cemetery.

For additional reading, you can refer to a previous article published in the N.O.W News from Spring, 2022, pages 9-13. Fairchild is mentioned in the article “Lyman C. Draper” by Jeff Keough.

Tom Casper has been collecting coins since 1953, but in 1967, he changed to collecting tokens and medals. He enjoys history and will occasionally write articles on pieces from his collection.

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