USA > Indiana > Gibson County > History of Gibson County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 20
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The first service of the Seventeenth Regiment was in Virginia under General Reynolds. Later the regiment was sent to Kentucky and assigned to the division of Gen. T. J. Wood in General Buell's army.
In the early part of 1863 the regiment was detached from the brigade and division to which it had belonged up to this time, and was assigned to another brigade organized as mounted infantry. This brigade was organized and commanded by Col. John T. Wilder, and became famous and effective as Wilder's Brigade. It was as a part of Wilder's Brigade that the Seventeenth did the most effective service. They participated in all the campaigns and battles through Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, making raids and skirmishes within the enemy's lines to such an extent that they became known as invinci- bles. After all their strenuous campaigns they came to Macon, Georgia, where they had a sharp fight on the 20th of April, 1865, resulting in the cap- ture of that city with three thousand prisoners, including several high officers. Here the Seventeenth did post duty until the 8th of August, 1865, when the regiment was mustered out.
Under this call other enlistments from Gibson county were made in the Fourteenth Indiana, organized at Terre Haute by Col. Nathan Kimball, after-
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wards major-general. Another full company from this county became a part of the Twenty-fourth Indiana, organized at Vincennes by Col. (after- wards major-general) Alvin P. Hovey. And there were also a number from this county enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Indiana, being organized at Evansville by Colonel Veach, afterwards brigadier-general.
TWENTY-FOURTH REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
In the Twenty-fourth Indiana Frank M. Redburn was appointed first lieutenant of Company K at the organization of the company, and W. S. Pollard was second lieutenant. Redburn was promoted to major and Pollard to captain during the term of service. The Twenty-fourth Regiment saw service under General Grant at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg. It was in the division commanded by Gen. Alvin P. Hovey and distinguished itself in the battle of Champion Hills, where it charged and routed the enemy who was strongly entrenched.
THIRTY-THIRD REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
As the war progressed another call for three hundred thousand volun- teers was made by President Lincoln. This was after the battle of Bull Run, when the people of the North became conscious of the fact that the suppression of the rebellion was an undertaking of serious magnitude. It was realized then that this was to be a real war, and not a "breakfast spell," as some at first foolishly asserted.
Under this call there was abundant opportunity for the boys of Gibson county, who were so inclined, to enter the service. A company was enrolled in Princeton in the month of August, 1861, by James M. Henderson, who had been engaged in teaching in what was then the Morton Academy, Princeton. This company became a part of the Thirty-third Regiment, organized at Indi- anapolis by Col. John Coburn. The company was designated as Company F, and at the organization was officered as follows: Burr H. Polk, captain ; J. T. Fleming, first lieutenant; Francis Brunson, second lieutenant. James M. Henderson was appointed lieutenant-colonel at the organization of the regiment. Burr H. Polk was appointed to staff duty, with the rank of major,. soon after entering the service, and J. T. Fleming was promoted to captain of Company F. On the expiration of Captain Fleming's term of service W. S. Mccullough succeeded to the captaincy, James C. Mcclurkin to first lieutenant .. and Robert F. McConnell to second lieutenant. Robert M. McMaster, a
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Princeton boy, was appointed quartermaster of the regiment in November, 1864, and was mustered out with the regiment.
The Thirty-third Regiment was mustered into the United States service September 16, 1861, at Indianapolis, and soon after departed for the field of operations in Kentucky. The regiment was assigned to a brigade of which Col. John Coburn was commander, and served under him during the war. They spent the first year or so of their service in eastern Kentucky and eastern Tennessee. Cumberland Gap was captured and held by the command of which the Thirty-third was a part during the summer of 1862. In the fall of that year this position had to be abandoned and the forces occupying it had to retreat into Kentucky, on account of the aggressive movements of the Con- federate armies under Bragg and Kirby Smith. Early in October the Thirty- third Regiment was in the vicinity of Lexington and Covington. The regi- ment spent several months in Kentucky and then moved to Nashville, where they arrived early in February, 1863. Marching in the direction of Columbia, on the 4th of March they had a severe fight with a strong Confederate force under VanDorn, resulting in defeat and the capture of almost the entire regi- ment. After a few months in prison the regiment was paroled and returned to the army, then under command of Rosecrans in Tennessee. The regiment was on duty around Murfreesboro, Tullahoma, and vicinity, until the fol- lowing January, when they re-enlisted as a veteran organization. Returning from the thirty-day furlough granted, they were assigned to the Twentieth Army Corps under General Hooker, and participated in the movement of Sherman's army from Chattanooga towards Atlanta. In that cam- paign the Thirty-third was almost constantly engaged in marching and fight- ing. The principal battles in which they were engaged were: Resaca, New Hope Church. Culp Farm. Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek and in front of Atlanta. In this campaign the regiment lost more than three hundred killed and wounded. After the surrender of Atlanta the regiment was a part of Sherman's army that marched to the sea. Thence through the Carolinas to Goldsboro, and on to Washington, and then back to Louisville, where they were mustered out.
FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
In the month of September, 1861, two more companies were enlisted in Gibson county, one in Princeton by Nathaniel B. French and D. F. Embree, and the other in the eastern part of the county by Samuel G. Barrett and
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William M. Cockrum. These companies became part of the Forty-second Indiana Regiment, organized at Evansville by Col. James G. Jones.
The Princeton company was designated as Company E, and was organ- ized with N. B. French, captain, William A. Waters, first lieutenant, Frank Wade, second lieutenant. French was promoted to major; Dorsey was as- signed as adjutant ; Frank Embree became captain of the company, and was in command during the greater part of the service. In the latter part of the service Joseph R. Ashmead was promoted from lieutenant to the captaincy of the company. Others who' held commissions as lieutenants in the company were Ephraim Rutledge, who was killed in action at Goldsboro, William Jones and John R. Daugherty.
Company F of this regiment at the organization was officered as follows : Samuel G. Barrett, captain; Jacob W. Skelton, first lieutenant; William M. Cockrum, second lieutenant. Barrett and Skelton resigned after a few months, and Cockrum was promoted captain, and afterward to lieutenant- colonel, and was mustered out with the regiment. On the promotion of Cock- rum, Lieut. J. D. Skelton was made captain. Others who held commissions as lieutenants in this company were John Q. A. Steele, who was killed in action at Goldsboro, Adoniram A. Keys, John C. White and William McCleary.
The early part of service of the Forty-second Regiment was in the west- ern part of Kentucky. In the latter part of February, 1862, the regiment moved to Nashville, thence to Huntsville, where it remained on duty for several months. As a part of Rosseau's division the regiment joined in the retrograde march of Buell's army back through Tennessee and Kentucky to Louisville. With McCook's corps of Buell's army, the Forty-second moved from Louisville in pursuit of Bragg and found him ready for battle at Perrys- ville, on the 8th of October. The regiment bore a conspicuous part in that engagement and lost heavily in killed and wounded. Following the move- ments of the army the regiment arrived in Nashville in November. On the 26th of December they marched with the army, then under command of Rosecrans, toward Murfreesboro, and were engaged in the battle of Stone's River, December 31, 1862, and January 1 and 2, 1863, losing seventeen killed and eighty-seven wounded. The regiment remained in the vicinity of Mur- freesboro until the following June, when it again took up the march with Rosecrans' army towards Chattanooga. On the 19th and 20th of September the regiment was severely engaged in the battle of Chickamauga, losing ninety in killed, wounded and captured. In the battles of Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge the Forty-second lost forty-three in killed and wounded.
In January, 1864, the regiment re-enlisted as veterans, and after return-
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ing from furlough joined Sherman's army in the Atlanta campaign, and participated in all the principal battles. In November it marched with Sher- man's army from Atlanta to Savannah, thence through the Carolinas to Golds- boro, taking part in the battles of Averysboro and Bentonville. This was the closing campaign of the war and the Forty-second now turned their faces homeward, passing through Richmond, Washington to Louisville, where it was mustered out July 25, 1865.
FIFTY-EIGIITH REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
In October, 1861, Dr. Andrew Lewis was commissioned by Governor Morton to organize a regiment from the counties then composing the first congressional district, the organization camp to be at Princeton.
This camp was established in the county fair grounds in October, 1861, and was known as Camp Gibson. The regiment was designated as the Fifty- eighth Indiana, and after the preliminary work of organization by Dr. Lewis, H. M. Carr was regularly commissioned as colonel; George P. Buell, lieu- tenant-colonel ; James T. Embree, major ; Samuel Sterne, quartermaster ; Dr. W. W. Blair, surgeon; Rev. John J. Hight, chaplain. In addition to the field and staff officers, four full companies, with several enlistments in other com- panies, in this regiment, in all about four hundred men, were from Gibson county. After a few months' service in the field Colonel Carr resigned and George P. Buell was commissioned colonel, and James T. Embree, lieutenant- colonel. At that time Capt. Joseph Moore, of Company B, was promoted to major. For the greater part of the service Colonel Buell commanded the brigade and Lieutenant-Colonel Embree commanded the regiment. On the resignation of Colonel Embree in the latter part of 1863, Moore was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and was in command of the regiment during the rest of the service. At the close of the war Buell was breveted brigadier-general. In 1862 Dr. W. W. Blair was appointed medical director of Gen. T. J. Woods' division and served in this capacity until the close of his term of service. Doctor Blair is now ( 1914) the only member of General Woods' staff living.
Other Gibson county members of the regimental staff who succeeded by appointment or promotion, after the first organization, were: \V. A. Downey, major; Charles C. Whiting, John G. Behm and Edward Reynolds, adjutants ; Dr. S. E. Holtzman, surgcon, and Dr. James C. Patten, assistant surgeon.
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GIBSON COUNTY COMPANIES,
Company A was in command of Capt, Thomas G. Brown, who resigned in 1862, and was succeeded by Capt. William Davis, and on his resignation on account of wounds received at Chickamauga, Lieut. Charles C. Whiting was promoted to captain. Others who held commissions as lieutenants in this company were John G. Behm, Thomas Ruston. John Hoke and Oliver P. Bouldin.
Company B was organized with Captain Joseph Moore, First Lieutenant S. D. Ewing and Second Lieutenant Bedford Reavis. When Moore was promoted to major James M. Smith was transferred from Company K to. the captaincy of this company, and served as such until the expiration of his term in April, 1865, when Lieut. Jacob Davis was appointed captain. Others who held commissions as lieutenants in this company were : James D. Foster, who was killed at Chickamauga, Joseph N. Endicott and Robert M. Lucas.
Company C was organized with Captain W. A. Downey, First Lieutenant E. E. Woods, Second Lieutenant Joseph D. Fisher. Downey was promoted to major and was succeeded by Augustus Milburn, who was promoted from first lieutenant. Others who held commissions as lieutenants in this company were D. M. Hadlock and Monroe Key.
Company D at the time of its organization was officered by Captain M. G. Hargrove. First Lieutenant James C. Knox, Second Lieutenant George Whitman. From start to finish there were a great many changes in the officers of this company. The captains after the organization were Bryan C. Wal- pole, George Whitman, George Raffan and Henry C. Torrence. The last three were promoted from first lieutenant. Near the close of the war Charles C. Montgomery and John C. Clark were commissioned lieutenants.
Among those from Gibson county who held commissions in other com- panies of the Fifty-eighth were: John W. Emmerson, second lieutenant, Com- pany F; J. S. Ewing and James E. Chappel, second lieutenants in Company G; Quincy A. Harper, first lieutenant, Company I : Horace A. Hall, captain. and Samuel L. Snyder and S. F. Utley, lieutenants, in Company K.
The Fifty-eighth Regiment was mustered into the United States service on November 12, 1861, and on the 13th of December left their place of rendezvous in Camp Gibson for Louisville, going by way of Evansville, thence by boat. Marching from Louisville to Bardstown, where they were in camp for a week or so, they then moved on to Lebanon. They were assigned to General Woods' division of Gen. D. C. Buell's army, and during the winter of
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1861 and 1862 marched about through central Kentucky, and on the ist of March the regiment reached Nashville after the evacuation of that place. Leaving Nashville about the first of April, the regiment was with Buell's army on the march to Pittsburg Landing, arriving there on the evening of the second day's battle of Shiloh. It formed part of the force in advance towards Corinth, and was among the first of the Union ariny to enter that place after the evacuation. The regiment then joined in the movements of Buell's army through northern Alabama, to Shelbyville, Decherd, McMinnville, etc. It was in the retrograde movement of the army, leaving McMinnville about the first of September, marching through Nashville, Bowling Green, and arriving at Louisville September 29th, having engaged in a sharp skirmish with the rear of Bragg's army at Mumfordsville on the way.
On the Ist of October the regiment started out again from Louisville in pursuit of Bragg, who was then at Bardstown. It had a skirmish with the rear of the Confederate army near that place and drove them from the town, following the retreating Confederates through Danville, Crab Orchard, with occasional skirmishing, to near Mt. Vernon, when the chase was abandoned, and the regiment retraced its steps and turned again towards Nashville, where it arrived about the last of November.
On the 26th of December it formed a part of General Rosecrans' army in the advance on Murfreesboro, where Bragg's army was in force and ready for battle. The Fifty-eighth had a sharp fight at Lavergne, on the way, in which several of the regiment were wounded. In the battle of Stone's River the regiment was actively engaged December 31, 1862, and the succeeding days, losing heavily in killed and wounded. The regiment participated in all the movements of Rosecrans' army from Murfreesboro to Chattanooga, and was in the battle of Chickamauga, on the 19th and 20th of September, 1863. In that battle the loss of the regiment was one hundred and seventy in killed, wounded and missing, out of an aggregate of four hundred engaged.
The Fifty-eighth was in Wagner's brigade, Sheridan's division, in the battle of Mission Ridge, and had sixty-six killed and wounded in the charge on the Ridge. Following this battle the regiment was sent to Knoxville on a forced march to relieve the army there besieged by Longstreet. While in that section of the country the regiment re-enlisted as veterans and returned home on a furlough.
On the return of the regiment to Chattanooga in April it was assigned to the engineer corps and took charge of the pontoon trains of Sherman's army. In this service the regiment laid all of the bridges for the advance of Sherman's - army from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and thence to Savannah, with Sherman's
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march to the sea. Leaving Savannah, the regiment did all the bridging and repairing of roads through the Carolinas to Goldsboro, thence on through Virginia to Richmond and Washington. From here the regiment was sent to Louisville, which was the starting point and the finishing point. It was finally mustered out of the service on July 25, 1865.
SIXTY-FIFTH REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Under the call of 1862 the Sixty-fifth Regiment was organized in Prince- ton with John W. Foster as colonel. James L. Thornton, of Princeton, was quartermaster of this regiment. Company B of this regiment was officered as follows at the time of the organization : Captain, W. T. Stilwell; first lieu- tenant, James M. Hussey ; second lieutenant, Richard M. J. Miller. On the resignation of Captain Stilwell in September, 1864, Miller was promoted captain and served until the regiment was mustered out. James M. Skelton also held a commission as lieutenant in this company.
The Sixty-fifth Regiment was mustered into the service on the 20th of August, 1862, and moved to Henderson, Kentucky, and spent some time looking after the guerrillas operating in that vicinity. On the 27th of Au- gust the regiment had a lively engagement with Adam Johnson's Confederate regiment at Madisonville, defeating the enemy and taking possession of the town. For about one year after this the several companies of the Sixty-fifth were distributed in different counties in that part of the state, assigned to guard and patrol duty. In the meantime the regiment had been mounted and in August, 1863, became a part of Colonel Graham's brigade of cavalry and mounted infantry. On September 1, 1863, the brigade to which the regi- ment was attached arrived at Knoxville, Tennessee, being the first Union troops to reach that place. From this time until the following January the regiment was constantly engaged in marching and fighting in eastern Tennes- see, and some of the fighting was quite severe.
On the 21st of April, 1864, the regiment was dismounted and assigned to the Second Brigade, Third Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, and joined Sherman's army in the campaign to Atlanta. It participated in the battle of Resaca, and in all the battles and skirmishes of this campaign up to the capture of Atlanta. It then joined in the pursuit of Hood into Alabama and Tennessee, participating in the battles of Columbia, Franklin and Nash- ville. It was then transferred to Virginia where it participated in the attack on Fort Anderson and other battles and skirmishes in North Carolina. After
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the surrender of Johnson the Sixty-fifth moved to Greensboro, where it was mustered out on the 22d of June, 1865.
EIGHTIETH REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
In the month of September, 1862, the Eightieth Indiana Regiment was organized in Princeton. Louis Brooks was lieutenant-colonel of this regi- ment at the time of organization and had command of the regiment until after the battle of Perryville, when Charles Denby was transferred from the Forty-second and became colonel of the regiment. George T. Simonson was major at the time of organization, and afterwards promoted to lieutenant- colonel. Dr. W. P. Welborn was commissioned surgeon and Dr. A. W. Spain, assistant surgeon. Rev. M. M. C. Hobbs, a well-known Methodist minister, was the chaplain.
Company A of the Eightieth Regiment was composed largely of the citizens and business men in Princeton and vicinity. The company officers at the organization were: Captain, Charles Brownlee ; first lieutenant, Jesse C. Kimball; second lieutenant, William M. Duncan. On the resignation of Captain Brownlee in 1864 Duncan was promoted captain and served until the muster out of the regiment. Others who held commissions as lieutenants in this company were Henry C. Jerauld, William Archer and Jonah G. Tichenor.
Company E had for its first captain, Harrison M. Spain, who was pro- moted to major, and was succeeded by Enos H. Kirk. Those who held com- missions as lieutenants were Alexander J. Montgomery, William C. Fisher and James S. Moran.
Russell J. Showers was the first captain of Company F. He was killed in the battle of Resaca, and Lieut. James S. Epperson was promoted to captain. Others who held commissions as lieutenants were Thomas S. Craig, John M. Wolf, James H. C. Lowe and Alexander R. Smith.
On the 8th of September the Eightieth Regiment left Camp Gibson and in just one month afterward they were engaged in the battle of Perryville, in which the regiment suffered severely, losing in killed and wounded one hun- dred and fifty officers and men. The regiment remained in Kentucky during the fall and winter of 1862 and 1863, doing guard and patrol duty. In Au- gust, 1863, the regiment left Kentucky with General Burnside's army and marched across the Cumberland mountains into eastern Tennessee, and participated in the campaign in the vicinity of Kingston and Knoxville during the fall and winter following. In the spring of 1864 the regiment left
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eastern Tennessee with General Schofield's Twenty-third Corps, and joined Sherman's army in the Atlanta campaign. In this campaign the Eightieth participated in all the principal engagements from Dalton to Atlanta, includ- ing the battle of Resaca, Kenesaw and Peach Tree Creek, losing in this cam- paign one hundred and seventy-five in killed and wounded.
After the fall of Atlanta the regiment moved northward with the Twenty-third Corps in pursuit of Hood. It participated in the battles of Franklin and Nashville, which resulted in a rout and destruction of Hood's army. The regiment was then transferred to Virginia and joined the forces in the campaign against Wilmington, Kingston, Goldsboro and Raleigh. It bore a conspicuous part in the attack on Fort Anderson. After the sur- render of Johnson the regiment moved to Saulsbery, where it remained until June 22d, when it was mustered out of the service.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTIETH REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
In the early part of 1864 the One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment was organized. In this regiment Gibson county was largely represented. Of the commissioned officers Dr. J. Marshall Neely was surgeon, Albert Knowles was captain, and John R. Thomas was lieutenant of Company D. Nathan Wilson, Richard W. Hastings and D. W. Smith held commissions as lieu- tenants in Company F.
This regiment, with the One Hundred and Twenty-third, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth and One Hundred and Thirtieth, composed an Indiana division, and was under the command of Gen. Alvin P. Hovey. These regiments were largely composed of young men and boys and the division carried the name of "Hovey's Babies." The division was immediately placed on the firing line in the Atlanta campaign and these "babies" acquitted themselves as veterans in the many severe en- gagements in which they participated. They were assigned to the Twenty- third Corps and their history is identified with the other regiments of that command. They participated in the battles of Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, battles around Atlanta, in the pursuit after Hood, the battles of Franklin and Nashville.
After the battle of Nashville the regiment was transferred with the rest of the Twenty-third Corps to North Carolina, where it took a prominent part in the operation of the army in the section until the surrender of Johnson and the close of the war. The regiment remained for some time after this at Raleigh doing garrison duty.
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
In May, 1864, the One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Regiment was organ- ized to serve for a term of one hundred days. In this was one company from Gibson county, of which William Kurtz was captain, Francis Wade first lieutenant, Alexander C. Small second lieutenant. This regiment was especially organized for garrison duty and served the time in Tennesse, guard- ing forts and railroad bridges, thus relieving veteran troops for service at the front.
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
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