USA > Indiana > Putnam County > Biographical and historical record of Putnam County, Indiana > Part 15
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General Sherman determined to make an assault on the enemy's position on Kenesaw Mountain. To. conceal his real intention, General Schofield was ordered to demon- strate vigorously on our right. On the morning of the 27th the regiment moved to its allotted position, and rapidly advancing drove the enemy into his intrenchments. Several attempts were made by the enemy to drive the regiment from its advanced posi- tion, but without success, and the regiment held its place until midnight of the 30th, when it was relieved by another regiment. The regiment lost in this battle six killed and forty wounded. At daybreak the regiment was again marching in pursuit of the enemy. who fell back slowly, skirmishing sharply, and making obstinate resistance at every favorable point of defense. At sundown the regiment joined in an impetuous charge, driving the enemy from his works and estab- lishing a line far in the advance. Support soon arrived, and the men lay down to rest, having been under fire for four days and four nights, and without rations for thirty hours, appeasing the pangs of hunger by eating blackberries gathered on the field of battle.
On the 4th of July certain demonstrations on the enemy's line of communications, and the capture of his entire line of riffe pits, cansed him to abandon his works and fall back to the Chattahoochee River. On the
The siege of Atlanta was now fairly be. gun. Fighting and skirmishing were of constant occurrence. The roar of artillery or the constant dropping of rifle balls, were familiar sounds. The enemy had extended his works southwest of Atlanta to the vicinity of East Point. General Schofield determined to dislodge him from two hills that com- manded the extreme right of our position. One brigade from each division was selected for this work. In our division the choice fell on the brigade to which the One Hundred and Twenty-third was attached. On the 6th of August the movement was made. Push- ing through a dense thicket of pines and oaks, the command emerged to an open field, upon the further side of which were the enemy's works, containing a battery, sup- ported by a heavy force. The order was given to charge! With a cheer the line swept forward, its ranks torn with a heavy artillery and musketry fire from the enemy, and carried the position. The regiment lost in this charge twenty-seven killed and wounded. Captain Fletcher G. Owens and Franklin F. Swain fell mortally wounded. Two color sergeants were shot down, and the colors seized by private Bruce Hicks, of Company G, who carried them triumphantly through the fight. The regiment was con- stantly under fire until the 29th of August, when it moved with its corps on the flank
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THE CIVIL WAR.
movement, which resulted in the evacuation of Atlanta by the rebel army. The regiment then returned, with its corps. and went into camp at Decatur. During this campaign the regiment lost twenty-eight killed and 105 wounded.
The rebel General Hood having crossed the Chattahoochee River, and interrupted onr communications, striking the railroad at Big Shanty, and capturing the small detach- ments in the block houses. our forces moved in pursuit. On the 4th of October the regi- ment left Decatur, and marching with its corps, proceeded to Rome. thence to Resaca, and thence, through Snake Creek Gap. to Gaylesville, Alabama, where further pursuit ceased. On the 30th the Twenty-third Corps was ordered to report to General Thomas at Nashville. The regiment marched with its corps to Chattanooga, and thence moved by rail to Columbia, Tennessee.
On the 16th of November the regiment was sent down Duck River. Six companies under Colonel MeQuiston were stationed op- posite Williamsport, the rest of the regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Walters, fortified a commanding eminence on Gordon's Ferry. The enemy menaced these points for several days. On the 30th it was ascertained that the enemy had passed our left flank and was marching on Franklin. Orders were received to rejoin Schofield at Franklin. The Ninety- first and One Hundred and Twenty-third Indiana, numbering in the aggregate seven hundred men, under Colonel Mehringer, of the Ninety-first, marched that night in the direction of Franklin. They had proceeded but a short distance when they found them- selves in the rear of Forrest's rebel cavalry, fifteen thousand strong. Their only mode of escape was by moving cantiously, and with great celerity around the enemy's left. There were but two alternatives. if unsuccessful -
capture or destruction. The command moved silently and rapidly forward, and after sixty hours' continuons marching, succeeded in elnding the enemy, and rejoined the brigade beneath the ramparts of Fort Negley, in the suburbs of Nashville,
During the first two weeks in December the regiment was engaged in strengthening the defenses of Nashville. On the 15th the regiment moved with the army nyon the rebel forces of General Hood, and took part in the battle of Nashville, on the 15th and 16th of December, losing in killed and wounded. The regiment then joined in the pursuit of Hood until the 27th, when it halted at Columbia, Tennessee, and went into camp. Ilere the regiment remained until the 3d of January, 1865, when it marched to Clifton, and, embarking on a steamboat, sailed for Cincinnati, where it took the railroad cars and was rapidly carried to Washington City. On the 18th of February the regiment em- barked with its brigade on a steamship, at Alexandria, Virginia, and, after a pleasant passage, landed at Fort Anderson, on the banks of Cape Fear River, North Carolina, which post was occupied until the Ist of March. The command then re-embarked and sailed to Moorhead City, and from thence proceeded, by railroad, to Newbern, North Carolina.
From Newbern the command (consisting of the First Division. Twenty-third Army Corps, and two provisional divisions), marched on the 3d of March. Advancing slowly along the line of the railroad toward Raleigh, con- structing rail and wagon roads as they moved, the advance encountered Bragg, at Wise's Forks, on the 7th, and skirmishing com- menced. At ten o'clock the next day the enemy made a furious assanlt. The First Division moved rapidly to the front, and in a short time the regiment, with its brigade,
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
was engaged in a severe battle. The rebel then moved to Raleigh. On the 25th of onset was very determined, but, being firmly August, the regiment left Raleigh for In- met, the enemy was driven back, and re- dianapolis, and reached that place on the 4th of September, with an aggregate of five hun- dred rank and file. On the 5th, the One Hundred and Twenty-third, as the guests of the ladies of Indianapolis, partook of a sumpt-
treated to his works, which were flanked by impassable swamps. For two days and nights the fighting continued, the enemy assaulting the slight works our troops had erected, but being repeatedly repulsed. At nons dinner at the Soldier's Home, and pro- noon of the 10th, Hoke's rebel division, the ' ceeding from thence to the State House grove, flower of Bragg's army, having made an ex- , were weleomed with addresses from General tensive detour, suddenly appeared in three Manfield and Colonel Trusler. The regiment lines of battle on our left flank, advancing was mustered out of the service of the United with the customary demoniae yell. The States on the 25th of August, 1865, at Second Brigade changed front, and in a short Raleigh, North Carolina, and after its arrival and reception in Indianapolis, received final Payment and discharge. time formed a new line nearly a mile distant. Major Robbins was placed in command of the skirmish line of four companies, and ad- vanced through a dense thicket, on a double- ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THIRD REGIMENT. quick, supported by the brigade. They had Company F of this regiment was furnished by P'ntnam County. Robert E. Smith was Captain, Richard S. Tennant, First Lieuten- ant. and James W. Beck, Second Lieutenant. moved but a few rods when the enemy was met, also advaneing. A withering volley poured into his ranks, and our brigade rushed on with a cheer. The enemy recoiled, and our lines extending, overlapped those of the enemy. and poured in an enfilading fire, for the service of the general Government a which completed his discomfiture.
After resting on the battle-field two days the Twenty-third Corps moved on Kingston, which was evacuated by the enemy npon our approach. The movement was continued, and Goldsboro reached on the 21st of March. Ilere General Sherman's forces were met. The regiment was stationed at Lenoir Insti- tute and employed in guarding the railroad. On the 9th of April the regiment marched for Goldsboro, and from thence moved with the army to Raleigh, arriving there on the 21st. On the 3d of May the regiment marched for Greensboro, arriving there on the 7th. The regiment moved by rail to Charlotte on the 15th, and went into camp with its division. The regiment remained at Charlotte, North Carolina, during the summer of 1865, and
The Governors of Ohio. Indiana, Ilinois, Jowa and Wisconsin having offered to raise force of volunteers to serve for 100 days, Governor Morton, on the 23d of April, 1864, issned his call for Indiana's proportion of that force. The troops thus raised were to perform sneh military services as might be required of them in any State, and were to be armed, subsisted, clothed and paid by the United States, but were not to receive any bounty. These troops were designed to aid in making the campaign of 1864 successful and decisive by relieving a large number of veterans from garrison and guard duty, and allow them to join their companions in arms, then abont entering upon one of the most active and important campaigns of the war. Their places were filled by the 100-day men as fast as the latter could be organized into regiments and sent forward from the camps
THE CIVIL WAR.
of rendezvous. The organizations from In- diana consisted of eight regiments, numbered consecutively from the One Hundred and Thirty-second to the One Hundred and Thirty- ninth, inclusive. The One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment was composed of nine companies raised in the Seventh Congress- ional District, and one company raised at Richmond in the Fifth District. These were organized into a regiment and mustered into service at Indianapolis on the 17th of May, 1864, with Robert N. Hudson as Colonel. The regiment left at once for Tennessee.
Each of these 100-day regiments, on arriving at Nashville, was assigned to duty at different places along the lines of the Nashville & Chattanooga, Tennessee & Ala- bama and Memphis & Charleston Railroads; and until the latter part of August, 1864, were constantly engaged in guarding these lines of communication used by General Sherman for the transportation of supplies to his army then advancing on Atlanta. The regiments all served beyond the period of 100 days, and returned to Indianapolis, where they were finally discharged from the service.
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINTH REGIMENT.
Company C, from this county, was organ- ized February 20, 1865, with Estes H. Lay- man as Captain, John P. Layman as First Lieutenant, and Samuel Talley as Second Lientenant. These officers served until the close of the war. Artemus W. Allen was Adjutant of the regiment from February 8, 1865, and Captain of Company A from Feb- ruary 28, 1865. James T. Johnston was Quartermaster of the regiment from Febru- ary 21, 1865.
The regiment was recruited in the Seventh Congressional District, and was organized at Indianapolis on the 1st day of March, 1865, with William HI. Fairbanks as Colonel. It
left Indianapolis on the 3d for Nashville, Tennessee, and was a few weeks afterward sent to Decatur, Alabama, in which vicinity it did duty until its muster ont. While stationed at that place the regiment received the surrender of the rebel forces commanded by Generals Roddy and Polk, together with large quantities of arms and munitions of war. On the 18th of September it proceeded to Nashville, where it was mustered out on the 27th of September, 1865. Arriving at Indianapolis on the 20th, with 30 officers and 800 men, it was publicly welcomed home at a reception meeting held in the Capitol grounds, and was addressed by Governor Morton, General Finnell, of Kentucky, and others.
LIGIIT ARTILLERY.
Putnam County furnished men for both the Eighteenth and Twentieth Batterier raised during the summer of 1862. Samue L. Hartman was for one year First Lieutc! ant of the Eighteenth, and was the: honorably dismissed. Moses M. Beck was successively Second Lieutenant, First Lieuten :- ant and Captain of the same battery. Milton A. Osborn was Captain for two years, and Thomas H. Stevenson Second Lientenant for one year, of the Twentieth Battery.
INDIANA LEGION.
Under the law providing for the organiza- tion of the Indiana Legion, eleven companies of militia were formed in this county, as follows:
Ellsworth Greys, organized at Greencastle July 23, 1861. Captain, S. P. Jones; First Lieutenant, William Lane; Second Lieuten- ants, T. C. Grooms (entered United States service) and A. T. Squire.
Warren Union Guards, organized at Put- namville July 10, 1861. Captain, Joel W.
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
McGrew; First Lieutenant, Whitfield Reed; Second Lieutenant, Josiah Williams.
Bourbon Greys, organized at Russellville August 15, 1861. Captain, Jolin Rogers; First Lieutenant, William H. Cord; Second Lieutenant, William Hickman.
Enfield Rovers, organized at Bainbridge, July 18, 1863. Captain, John M. Wampler; First Lieutenant, Richard S. Fisk; Second Lieutenant, Ephraim J. Parker.
Floyd Township Home Guards, organized at Groveland, August 7, 1863. Captain, John Wilkinson; First Lieutenant, William F. Hadden; Second Lientenant, Daniel T. Summers.
Allen's Battery, organized at Greencastle, July 23, 1863. Captain, William W. Allen; First Lieutenant, Messer B. Welch; Second Lieutenants, William II. Allen (resigned), and John D. Allen.
Putnam Blues, organized at Greencastle, July 23, 1863. Captain, Abisha L. Morri- son; First Lieutenant, James II. Kinkead; Second Lientenant, Thomas V. Peck.
Franklin Guards, organized August 10, 1853, at Carpentersville. Captain, Benja- min HI. Hawkins; First Lieutenant, John W. Humphrey; Second Lieutenant, Evan T. Grider.
Jefferson Cavalry, organized at Mount Meridian, August 14, 1863. Captain, John W. Allee; First Lieutenant, McCamey El- liott; Second Lieutenant, Hiram Larkin.
Marion Guards, organized August 18, 1863, at Fillmore. Captain, Richard M. Hazlett; First Lieutenants, John W. Dunlavy (declined) and John E. Nichol- son; Second Lientenant, Lawrence B. Dan- gerfield.
Jackson Guards, organized August 25, 1864, at New Maysville. Captain, Isaac M. Silvey; First Lieutenant, Levi W. Darnall; Second Lieutenant, Heber Biddle.
SUMMARY.
The official reports credited Putnan Coun- ty with 3,257 enlistinents during the war. Of these, a large number were re-enlistments of men who at first volunteered for short pe- riods; and 210 were veterans who had served the full term of three years and then re-en- listed for the war. In all, over 2,000 differ- ent volunteers from Putnam County served the Government during the civil war. Of these, at least half are still living.
Large amounts were paid by the several townships for bounties to raise their credit to their quotas and be safe from the oft-threat- ened draft. Several townships also paid reg- nlar allowances to the needy families of volunteers. The amounts thus contributed were as follows: By the county, bounty, $10,000; relief, $1,025; Jackson Township, bounty, 854,265. Franklin Township, bounty, $27,960. Russell Township, bounty, $38,000; relief, $6,000. Clinton Township, bounty, $24,800. Monroe Township, bounty, 822,700; relief, $360. Floyd Township, bounty, 828,- 950; relief, 81,008. Marion Township, bounty, $40,500. Greencastle Township, bounty, $24.302; relief, 84,350. Madison Township, bounty, $23,731; relief, $82. Washington Township, bounty, 857,381. Warren Township, bounty, $21,200; relief, $300. Jefferson Township, bounty, $21,500; relief, $132.65. Cloverdale Township, boun- ty, $25,000. Mill Creek Township, bounty, $20,818. All the townships, relief, 815,000. Total bounty, 8441,107; total relief, 828,- 260.65; grand total, $469,367.65.
SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.
The long and cruel war being over, the patriotic people of Putnam County resolved to do something to perpetuate the memory of the brave men who had laid down their
THE CIVIL WAR.
lives in defense of the National Government. son, condneted the dedicatory exercises in the
An organization was effected in 1865 un- der the name of the " Putnam County Sol- diers' Monument Association." with Colonel John R. Mahan as President, William D. Allen as Treasurer and David Jones as See- retary. The object of the Association was to erect a monument at the city of Greencastle to the memory of the soldiers of Putnam County whose lives were lost in the war of
The design of the monument is artistic and beautiful. Above the foundation the pedes- tal rises to the height of eight fect, a portion of which is handsomely paneled, upon which the names of the deceased soldiers are in- the Rebellion, the necessary funds to be ' scribed; above, on the sides of the monu- raised by voluntary contributions. The emi- ; ment, are battle scenes beautifully sculptured. nent sculptor, Thomas D. Jones, Esq., of | Surmounting the pedestal, or main body of Cincinnati, was commissioned to prepare ap- propriate plans and estimates, which were duly submitted and adopted.
The monument stands on the crowning eminence of Forest Hill Cemetery, overlook- ing the entire eity of Greencastle and a large scope of surrounding country. It was dedi- cated on the 2d day of July, 1570, Colonel Richard W. Thompson being the orator of the day. In the afternoon, Governor Conrad Baker, assisted by Hon. Delana E. William- subscription.
presence of several thousand people, who had gathered to witness the ceremony, including delegations from Indianapolis and Terra Hante and intervening points.
the moonment, is a life-size statue, six feet in height, representing an American soldier, exeented by Mr. Jones in marble, and re- garded by accomplished art critics as the ! most successful portrayal of the gallant vol- unteer yet achieved in this country. The total cost of the monument was $10,000, all Vof which was raised in Putnam County through the energetic efforts of the officers and members of the Association by voluntary
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
-
THE PRESS. K
sword " is a saying so trite that one is alnost ashamed to quote it, yet it is worth urging upon the attention of unob- servant people that the rapid ; progress of humanity in the nineteenth century is due, more than to any other one agency, to improved facilities of travel and communication. Railroads. mails and news- pipers have become necessities to mankind, though many are now living who are older than the oldest railroad, and to whom a daily paper onee seemed a useless extravaganec. Even now changes are made yearly, and improve- ments discovered of such moment that the future value and function of the newspaper cannot yet be estimated.
Types were first used to reproduce only the Bible, and such books as were demanded in large numbers. Then came the periodical and pamphlet. The reviews and magazines
HAT "the pen is | increased in number and frequency of publi- mightier than the | cation, and then the weekly newspaper was established, to be supplemented in time by the daily journals. At first only large cities could support papers: now it is a poor village that cannot have one or more, and a small county that has not its half dozen. One of the most important changes in the develop- ment of the country newspaper occurred from 1860 to 1570. Before the former date, home news, Jocals and correspondence were not considered worth printing, but the read- 1 ing matter was composed of reprints from the great journals, news from Europe, pro- ceedings of Congress, and heavy editorials on national polities. Now these are supplied by the large city papers, which are brought to every village by those annihilators of dis- tance, the railroads, and the home paper is largely filled with home news. The best county paper now is the one which gives the most space to town and county news, corre- spondenee from every postoffice, and the pro- ceedings of local organizations.
In Putnam County, to-day, are published five newspapers, while twice as many more have been issued that are now defunct, by
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THE PRESS.
change of name or suspension. Generally speaking, the editors have been men of intelligence and enterprise, while to-day the members of the press are considered to be far above the average in ability and scholar- ship.
The first paper published in Putnam County was
THE HOOSIER,
established about 1830, by a Mr. Childs. In September, 1834, Mr. Childs disposed of this pioneer paper to John W. Osborn, who con- tinned its publication, but changed its name to
THE PLOW BOY.
Mr. Osborn was the editor and proprietor of this rurally named sheet until 1837, when he sold the establishment to Wilkins Tannahill, originally from Nashville, Tennessee, who kept it about two years, and then disposed of it to William J. Burns. This gentleman again changed the name, and The Plow Boy became the
WEEKLY VISITOR.
In 1840 Delana R. Eckels bought two col- umns of the Visitor, to be conducted in the in- terest of the Democratic party. This arrange- ment, however, soon became an illustration of the truth that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and the Visitor suspended.
INDIANA PATRIOT.
The Indiana Patriot, a Democratic paper, was established in 1842, by Delana R. Eckels. and placed under the immediate management of Samuel Farley. It was continued under this arrangement until the outbreak of the Mexican war, when Judge James Hanna became editor.
WEEKLY HERALD.
Dr. William Mahan, in the year 1844, and continued to be published for two or three years.
In the year 1848, John Turk commenced the publication of a paper called
THE ARGUS.
This paper was regularly issned until 1853. The paper then suspended, there having been started the
PUTNAM REPUBLICAN BANNER.
This was founded in 1852,by Albert Patriek. He sold the Banner to Christopher W. Brown. The next proprietors were Rankin & Burke, but the ownership afterward re- verted to Mr. Brown. In 1866 Samuel J. Tilford bought the Banner, and on the 26th of January following he sold a one-half in- terest therein to George J. Langsdale. The latter gentleman became sole proprietor the following August, and is yet in active con- trol. Mr. Langsdale changed the name to that of
GREENCASTLE BANNER.
The Banner is published every Thursday, at 81.50 per year, and has been invariably Republican in political character.
THE INDIANA PRESS.
The Indiana Press was established in 1858, by Howard Briggs, who published it continuonsly for twenty-four years, and in April, 1882, sold to F. A. Arnold, of the Star.
THE STAR.
The first number of the Greencastle Star, an independent paper, was published May 2, 1874, by Feltus & Arnold. F. A. Arnold purchased the interest of his partner therein, September 1. 1875, since which time he has owned the entire paper. In April, 1882, he
A paper by this name was established by purchased the Press from Howard Briggs,
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
and consolidated the two papers under the mune of the Stur-Press. This paper was the first in the county to introduce steam power. It is Democratic in politics, and be- ing the official paper of Putnam County, has a wide influence in Western Indiana.
TIMES.
The Greencastle. Times was founded De- cember 1, 1881, by A. J. Neff, and has been published, regularly since as a Republican paper, in size a six-column quarto. In Jan- uary, 1884. Mr. Neff sold to A. A. Smith, the present editor and proprietor. The Times is published on Thursdays, at 81.25 a year.
THE PUTNAM DEMOCRAT.
This paper was established in April, 1884, by Howard. Briggs, and was published as a Democratie weekly until the spring of 1887. when Mr. Briggs, deeming that his party in Congress had failed to redeem its pledges by uot reducing our national tariff' schedules. threw off his allegiance to that party, and gave his adhesion to the Labor party, in the interest of which he now conducts his
paper. The Democrat is a six-column folio, and is issued on Wednesdays, at $1 per year. -
DAILY JOURNALISM.
A few years ago the Star-Press began a daily issue, but it was soon discontinued.
The Greencastle Daily News was estab- lished by Ed. and IIngh Marsh abont the middle of October, 1886. Early in 1887 Ed. S. Sheridan became proprietor, and changed the name of the paper to the Daily Courier. In March it suspended. It was independent in politics, and the press-work was done in the Times office.
AT CLOVERDALE.
A newspaper called The Bee was estab- lished January 1, 1877, by W. B. Harris. Its publication continued one year. / Lyman Nangle established The Local Item, April 12, 1575, and January 1, 1857, William E. Nangle started the Cloverdale Herald.
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