WI BIO - Dane Co - PLATT, Arthur B.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 616-617

Major Arthur B. PLATT, of Mazo Manie [Mazomanie], Dane County, Wisconsin, was 
born in Denbigh [Denbighshire], in the north of Wales, in 1817, a son of 
William and Elizabeth (WAINHOUSE) PLATT, both born and reared in England. 
The father was a Major in the British army, and distinguished himself in the 
Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns, under the Duke of Wellington. William and 
Elizabeth (WAINHOUSE) PLATT were the parents of three children, two sons and 
a daughter, and both are now deceased.

Arthur B. PLATT, our subject, received good instructions under private 
tutors, and was educated for a clergyman. But the young man did not take to 
such a calling in life, and sought preferment in the line of military 
advancement. His father had always been an ardent admirer of the Duke of 
Wellington, and when our subject reached his majority, he sought to have him 
commissioned, which ordinarily cost from 700 to 800 pounds. But in 
consideration of the gallant service rendered, the Duke replied to the 
request of the old Major, "Major, I anticipate your wish, and commission your 
son Arthur as Major." He was at once given command of the Thirty-first 
Regiment, and prepared to journey to India, where he was to join with the 
army there, sent out in 1825. They started in June 1842, and four months was 
consumed on the voyage to Calcutta, which was made on the vessel "Houghly." 
They were landed on the second day after arriving in that city, and at once 
made arrangements to march to the main army, 1,200 miles distant. The heat 
was most intense, the march very fatiguing, and soon after joining the army 
cholera broke out, the death rate then being appalling. The regiment was 
accompanied by a Chaplain of the Church of England and a Roman Catholic 
Priest. The former became so frightened that he failed to attend to the 
duties of burying the dead, and this duty fell to Arthur B. PLATT. He 
averaged burying fifteen per day during the epidemic, and so great had been 
the death rate from pestilence and war that out of a regiment of 1,200 only 
three reached England alive. [p 616]

War soon broke out with the marauding prince of that country [India], and a 
general struggle ensued. Five great battles were fought: Frezshah, 
Budawall, Alliwa, and Sobraon, in all of which the English were victorious, 
driving the native back to his own domain. At the battle of Frezshah the 
natives resorted to stratagem. Anticipating a charge of the British they dug 
trenches and filled them with kegs of powder, to which they attached a fuse, 
and when the British were crossing this death trap to charge, it was exploded 
and the regiment blown into the air. The second charge was ordered, and when 
within a few feet of the enemy, they turned loose a storm of cannister, which 
mowed down the men, and wounded Arthur B. PLATT in both limbs. He never 
fully recovered from these wounds. He was sent to Calcutta and given the 
best of medical treatment, and after making a tour down the Ganges River 
returned to that city and prepared for embarkment for England, disabled as he 
was. After waiting about two months for vessels large enough to transport 
his regiment, they at last embarked. While being towed out to sea, and while 
entering Hoogly bay, the vessel struck a bar, and was so disabled as to be 
sent to dry dock for repairs. This required a delay of two months more, but 
at last they succeeded in landing at England, in 1847.

Arthur B. PLATT next went to Massachusetts, where he did garrison duty one 
year; assisted in suppressing the Fenians at Dublin; and then returned to 
England, where he received a leave of absence for two years, on double pay. 
He was next sent on the paymaster's staff to the Bermuda Islands; returned to 
England in 1853, when the Crimean War broke out; was sent on paymaster's 
staff to the Rock of Gibraltar; and two years later, on account of physical 
infirmities, resigned his commission and came to the U. S., in 1855, locating 
in Madison [Dane County], Wisconsin. Mr. [Arthur B.] PLATT at once began 
agricultural pursuits.

In 1861 when the War of the Rebellion broke out, he was commissioned by 
Governor RANDALL as Major of the Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He 
served in the Army of the West, under General GRANT, and participated in the 
battles of Port Gibson, Jackson, Big Black River, and the siege of Vicksburg. 
At the latter place he was taken sick, sent to the hospital, and later, on 
account of ill health, resigned his commission and returned home. His 
resignation took place 09 July 1863.

In 1870 Arthur B. PLATT was united in marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth THORNBER, 
of Mazo Manie [Mazomanie, Dane County], Wisconsin. Mr. PLATT is a Democrat 
in his political views, and has always been a great admirer of John C. 
McCLELLAN and Grover CLEVELAND. For the past twelve years he has served as 
Commissioner of the poor and other minor offices. He is a man of firm 
religious principles, but is a member of no church.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly