Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 35, number 2, winter, 1951

              best known of wisconsin's copper heads editor pomeroy was a seeker of notoriety a perfect medium was the editorial page of his newspapers he never lacked subjects upon which to spend his wrath finding in lincoln and the civil war prime targets for attack one of his opponents perhaps paying back in kind said of him he out deviled the devil in deviltry " brick pomeroy copperhead and curmudgeon by frank klement emotional oratory mixed with vicious charges and countercharges provided fuel for the presidential campaign of 1864 as the political pot boiled more vigorously marcus m pomeroy editor of the la crosse democrat fed the flames with searing attacks upon the lincoln administration the arro gant editor amazed his friends and aroused his foes by placing the caption the widow maker of the 19th century over a front-page picture of president lincoln.1 then several weeks later pomeroy employed his pointed pen to administer the editorial coup de grace the man who votes for lincoln now is a traitor and murderer he who pretending to war for wars against the constitution of our country is a traitor and lincoln is one of these men . . . and if he is elected to mis govern for another four years we trust some bold hand will pierce his heart with dagger point for the public good.2 la crosse weekly democrat aug 2 1864 2ibid aug 24 1864 even an epigrammatic epitaph was suggested in that issue beneath this turf the widow maker lies little in everything except in size.3 pomeroy's thirst for lincoln's blood made the assiduous editor a marked man it won for him the notoriety he sought.4 attention was focused on la crosse and men queried what manner of man is this?"5 55 # * a score of wisconsin citizens would have ventured an answer to that question many 3ibid this was a reprint from the appleton cres cent issue not given 4r f howard brick pomeroy's life and schemes in la crosse in la crosse chronicle jan 1 1905 this author who knew pomeroy personally entitled one section of his story pomeroy sought publicity 5no pomeroy letters have been uncovered for some phases of his life it is necessary to rely upon marcus mills pomeroy journey of life reminis cences and recollections of brick pomeroy new york 1890 this autobiography written twenty-five years after the civil war justifies its author's course of action 106