From the Civil War to Camp Randall: Today the Phrase “On, Wisconsin!” Turns 161

MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – Monday marks the 161st birthday of the “On Wisconsin” battle cry. 

On November 25, 1863, the country was in the middle of the Civil War. Union troops, including from Wisconsin, were at the Battle of Missionary Ridge outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

Among the troops were soldiers from Wisconsin’s 24th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, according to the UW Alumni Association. They had met resistance from the Confederate army. 

As the legend goes, southern soldiers shot down the flag-bearers from the Union army. That’s when 18-year-old Arthur MacArthur grabbed the flags, ran up the hill, and dug it into the ground. He was shouting “On, Wisconsin!” 

It helped rally the Union troops to keep fighting. MacArthur won a Medal of Honor for his bravery. 

Meanwhile, the fight song was first composed in 1909. Funnily enough, William Purdy wrote it planning to send it to the University of Minnesota. His friend Carl Beck said it fit Wisconsin better, and helped him rewrite it. 

The song was first used when Wisconsin took on Minnesota in 1913. It stayed relatively unchanged until then-newcomer Mike Leckrone took over the UW Marching Band, and made some tweaks to get fans involved in the song sooner. Of course, Leckrone is now a legend in his own right.