Current Issue of the Wisconsin Magazine of History
Fall 2025, Volume 109, Number 5
Artist Don Troini's rendition of the moment Frank Wallar of the Sixth Wisconsin seized the flag of the Second Mississippi on the second day at Gettysburg, earning the company's only Medal of Honor. Photo by Don Troiani / Bridgeman Images
Cover Story
Loyal Hearts Ready for War
By James Marten
The Iron Brigade—made up of several units from Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin—suffered the highest percentage of casualties of any brigade in the Union army over the course of the Civil War. While this had lasting impacts on the generation of men called to serve, the experience of war was different for each soldier. Author James Marten highlights the stories of three volunteers, all from Vernon County, Wisconsin, whose wartime experiences could not have been more different, from spending time in Andersonville’s notorious prison to earning a medal of honor at Gettysburg. Through diary entries, pension records, and more, readers see a more complete and nuanced history of one Wisconsin company during the Civil War while capturing the experiences of Wisconsin’s Civil War soldiers in all their humanity and brotherhood.
Joe Guyon in his Carlisle football gear, 1913. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LC-DIG-GGBAIN-14518
Featured Story
Running Interference
By Mary Elise Antoine
Joseph Guyon, football hall of famer, got his start at Carlisle Indian Industrial School under the coaching of Glenn “Pop” Warner. But it was a Wisconsin prep school that helped him go pro. Guyon, an Ojibwe from the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota, was a student at Carlisle from 1911 to 1913, playing on the “winningest team in early college football.” However, in order to pursue his education beyond a sixth-grade level, Guyon moved to Keewatin Acadamy, a prep school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin—against the wishes of Warner and Carlisle. Author Mary Elise Antoine delves into the history of both schools to uncover how Guyon became the player he was and how he came to play professionally, all while discussing his pursuit of higher education.
Archbishop Tourian, seated in the center in white vestments, during a visit to the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church of New York City in 1931. Two years later, he would be assassinated during this church’s Christmas Eve service. PROJECT SAVE
Assassination in the Church
By John C. Savagian
In 1933, Armenian Archbishop Ghevont Tourian was assassinated in New York City. Despite being 900 miles away, a milkman in Milwaukee found himself implicated in the murder, as Armenians in southeast Wisconsin began to boycott his milk. In reality, his customers were taking sides in a much larger diocesan battle. To some, Tourian was the rightful leader of the Armenian church in the West, to others, a puppet of the Soviet Union. As he traveled and spoke around the country, tensions mounted in Armenian communities, culminating in the archbishop’s murder and further divisions within the church. Author John Savagian deftly weaves the history of the Armenian people’s struggle to survive genocide and war with their first few decades in America, where religious and political factions became further entrenched. Within these factions, Milwaukee’s Armenians fought for what they believed was right—and the results of this schism are still evident today.
Book Excerpt
Chainsaw Love Field Notes on the World’s Most Dynamic Power Tool
By James Card
In this recent release from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, author James Card celebrates this formidable power tool with unflinching style while sharing stories and reflections about the world of chainsaws and the people who use and appreciate them. This excerpt gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at chainsaw competitions, their rules and regulations, and the sawyers who compete.
A subscription to the Wisconsin Magazine of History is a benefit of membership to the Wisconsin Historical Society. The current issue, described above, will become available in the online archives as soon the next issue is published.
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