USA > Indiana > Pike County > History of Pike and Dubois counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. : together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 29
USA > Indiana > Dubois County > History of Pike and Dubois counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. : together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 29
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325
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
Williamsport, the 26th of May. The Government finding that regimental bands were not as effective in subduing rebels as guns, the boys were soon after discharged. John Q. Trafzer was principal musician. The boys returned home, but many of them afterward joined other regiments and did effective service.
In the fall of 1861, the fires of patriotism were burning warmer than ever, and old Pike was doing her duty nobly and her sturdy yeomanry were enlisting to maintain the honor of the "ohl flag." Col. James Shanklin of Evansville, W. T. B. MeIn- tire and Dr. A. R. Byrer were particularly active in soliciting vol- unteers.
Nearly two whole companies were raised but only one was mustered as a company with Forty-second. James G. Jones William T. B. MeIntire and Gideon R. Kellams, were colonels of the regiment; Charles Denby, James G. Shankles, W. T. B. MeIntire, Gideon R. Kellams and William M. Cockrum were lieutenant-colonels in the order named. There were Majs. Shanklin, MeIntire, French, Kellams and Scammahorn. The men were en- listed and allowed to remain at home until the company was full and then they were taken to Princeton in carriages by their friends and then by train to Evansville. The company officers were W. T. B. MeIntire and John Burch, captains; A. R. Byrer, Hugh Penner. William Davidson and J. B. T. Dearing, first lieutenants; Hugh Penner, John Burch, William F. Caldwell and William Allison, second lientenants. The company originally consisted of ninety-seven enlisted men and two regimental officers, and re- ceived at different times 105 recruits. besides there were a larg number of recruits in Company G. The regiment was organized at Evansville, October 9, and soon after left for the seat of war, passing Henderson, Calhoun, Owensboro, thence to Nashville, and Huntsville, back to Nashville and Louisville, and then joined in the pursuit of Bragg, fought in the battle of Perryville, losing 160 in killed, wounded and missing, Miles C. Barret being one of the killed. The regiment went with Rosecrans' army to Nash- ville thence to Murfreesboro. took part in that bloody battle on December 31, 1862, and January 2, 1563, losing 17 killed and 87 wounded. It then went into camp until June 24, when Rose- erans began his advance upon Chattanooga. On September 19 and 20, it was engaged in the terrible struggle at Chickamauga.
6
326
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
the river of death, losing & killed. 53 wounded and 32 missing 93 in all.
Among the badly wounded was Col. Cockrum, who was cap- tured but lived to be mustered out with the regiment. In Jan- ary, 1864, the regiment re-enlisted as veterans. returned home on furlough, was welcomed by Morton in behalf of the State, and in March returned to the field, engaged in the Atlanta campaign. losing 103 in killed, wounded and missing. At Six Mile Range near Allatoona the regiment was on picket duty. within fifty yards of the enemy, seven days and nights without relief.
The regiment was in the pursuit of Hood. the "march to the sea," through the Carolinas, losing ten men, passed from Golds- boro to Richmond on to Washington, thence to Louisville, where July 21, it was mustered out and left for Indianapolis, and on the 25th was given a public reception at which Gen. Sherman was present. During its term of service the regiment was engaged in 20 battles and lost 86 killed on the field, 443 wounded and 100 prisoners-629 in all. When mustered out the regiment num- bered 846 men.
Opinion of the Reporter's Correspondence .- The following earnest appeal appeared in The Reporter of August 13, 1861:
"This may be said to be 'a time that tries men's souls'- rebels and traitors conspire to destroy this once happy, peaceful and heaven favored republic and to establish anarchy and despot- ism on its ruins. . They have combined all their energies and schemes to subvert the national Government that has ever blessed them, a flag that has ever protected them and a people that has never wronged them. They have raised their unholy hands to pull down and destroy the tree of liberty that was planted by our pilgrim fathers and nurtured by the blood of our Revolutionary sires. And whilst these ungodly rebels and perjured traitors are moving earth and hell for the accomplishment of their unholy purposes and damnable designs, all true men stand ready to sustain the officers of the Government to put down this accursed rebellion. It is true that all patriotic citizens are not expected or required to enter the field of blood, but there is no neutrality in this con- test. They who are not for their country openly and uncondi- tionally are against it. * * * The man that shows no evi- dence of concern for the success of our arms, who hangs his head
327
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
like a bull-rush at the defeat of rebels and never looks cheerful when our arms are successful. talks of defeat with indiffer- ence. that man, rest assured, is a black-hearted traitor. And strange as it may appear. we have a few such individuals among us. Let such be watched with jealous eye, let all loyal eiti- zens withdraw from such an one their custom, patronage and social intercourse-let the mark of Cain fall and fasten upon his visage, that his guilt may be manifest to all -- let the ghosts of Judas and Arnold haunt him in his midnight slumber and attend him as his destroying angel as he wanders to and fro a guilty fugitive. Ah, let Satan blush and devils bewail the faet. that there are men viler, blacker and more hell-deserving than themselves." G. * * * *
The Fifty-eighth Regiment .- For the Fifty-eighth Regiment Pike County furnished two whole companies-G and I-and there were men of this county in every company of the regiment except one or two. The company officers of G were W. H. Donahey, Nathan Evans and J. E. Chappell.captains ; S. H. Spillman, Joseph Grant, Nathan Evans, R. P. Craft, J. E. Chappell and Robert Cromwell. first lieutenants ; George Labanee, Sasser Sullivan, J. S. Ewing, J. E. Chappell, Robert Cromwell and J. W. Simpson. second lieutenants. Of I were Jackson M. Kinman and William E. Chappell, captains; the first lieutenants were W. E. Chappell, Quincy A. Harper and T. J. Smith; second lieutenants, L. R. Hargrave, R. A. Ward and M. S. Chappell. Capt. Donahey. of G, resigned, and Evans succeeded him till March, 1865, when Chappell remained with the company. Lieuts. Grant and Sul- livan were dismissed in 1862. G mustered at first 83 enlisted men, and received 73 recruits. Company I had originally 85 men, and received 76 recruits. Of 11 officers but 4 were dis- charged with the company -- 3 had died, and the others were dis- charged. Twenty-seven privates died of disease and 3 were killed; 80 non-commissioned officers and privates were discharged for vari- ous causes, and 6 deserted. The regiment was organized at Princeton in October under Col. H. M. Carr. It joined Buell's forces at Louisville, passed slowly through Kentucky during the winter, arrived at Nashville in March, reached Shiloh Monday evening after the fight of April 6 and 7, joined in the siege of Corinth till its capture, returned to Louisville, passing through
328
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
northern Alabama, Shelbyville, Tenn., Dechard, Nashville, and joined in the pursuit of Bragg from Louisville; had a slight skir- mish at Lavergne; fought two days at the battle of Stone River. losing 110 men, 18 of whom were killed. It was in the brig- ade that first entered Chattanooga; fought through the entire battle of Chickamauga, losing 171 men out of 400 engaged-vol- umes for its bravery. It scaled Mission Ridge on November 23. in front of 18 guns, and lost 66 men. It immediately start- ed for Knoxville to assist in relieving Burnside. After the siege was raised it encamped among the hills of east Tennessee: fed on scanty rations, and on January 24 re-enlisted and returned home on furlough. In April was assigned to the engineer de- partment. In October 170 veterans of the Tenth were assigned to the Fifty-eighth. They did all the bridging for Sherman during the Atlanta campaign; was assigned to Slocum's command in the "march to the sea," bridging the Savannah, 3,000 feet in width. In December, 1864, the non-veterans returned home. At Sister's Ferry, in February, 1865, they bridged the Savannah, working six days and nights in water from two to four feet deep. They made in the campaign over 16,000 feet of bridges. After the surrender they went with the army to Washington, bridging riv- ers as they went, and were in the grand review. They arrived in Louisville, July 25, where they were mustered out. They were given a reception at Indianapolis on the 27th. The regiment lost in battle and by disease 265 men. (War presents comic as well as tragie pictures. The Fifty-eighth had just left Princeton after having received the blessings of friends and a New Testament from the hands of the Rev. McMasters; the train had just left the station; friends were there; a rustic lass was weeping ; a sym- pathetic individual interposed to know the cause. Between her sobs she said: "The boys are all gone to war." "But there are plenty left." "Yes," said she, "but they are not worth a durn.")
The next troops for the service from Pike were Company G, of the Sixty-fifth. This was raised under the July call of 1862. The company officers of the company were J. M. Hammond, J. H. Keys and S. K. Leavitt, captains; first lieutenants. J. H. Bass, Miles Chambers, R. K. Davidson and Jacob M Are. second lieutenants, N. L. Critser, Thomas Hornbrook. ( E Ft -ton and George W. Parker; A. R. Byers was first assistant, the urgeon.
329
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
The company had eighty-one enlisted men, and received twenty- one recruits. Of the officers Leavitt, McAtee and Parker only were mustered out with the regiment, and only sixty out of the one hundred and one privates. Of these John Alkaline and E. W. Frederick were killed in battle. Jacob Simpson, Lewis Brumfield, James Butler, James J. Conrad, John Connett, Henry Dorset, Harrison Dunning, David Denney, Charles C. Fowler, Richard Kinman, E. F. Meck, J. A. Steele, W. H. Tooley and B. F. Shaver died in the service, and George H. Sills, William Masters and Henry Hillman were starved in prison. The regiment was mustered on the 18th and 20th of August, with John W. Foster as colonel. The regiment first went to Henderson to guard against guerillas; on the 27th embarked for Green River, disem- barked at Ashbyville, marched all night and attacked Adam Johnson's rebel regiment, with loss to the enemy; captured Madi- sonville, and the companies were distributed in different parts of the State. At Glasgow, the regiment was attached to Graham's brigade of cavalry, and in April was mounted by order of Gen. Burnside. After a few skirmishes, it was ordered to east Ten- nessee, being among the first troops to arrive there. It made a raid of 110 miles above Knoxville, on the 20th of September; fought the enemy at Tellico on the 22d; again at Bluntsville losing 13 men, John Alkaline being killed; and again at Rhea- town on the 11th of October; and on the 15th at Bristol. On the 1st of December, at Walker's Ford, it lost 12 men. The regi- ment had a fight with Longstreet's infantry at Bean Station on December 14th, losing 17 men; the next day at Powder Spring Gap, 14 men were lost; again the same day at Skagg's Mills, 3 were lost; at Dandridge, on the17th, 1 man was mortally wounded. On the 21st of April, 1869, the regiment was dismounted and assigned to the Second Brigade, Third Division and Twenty- third Army Corps, participated in the engagement in the Atlanta campaign and pursuit of Hood, losing 39 men in all. It was at Columbia, Franklin and at Nashville. In. Jannary it was trans- ferred to Alexandria, Va .; thence to near Wilmington; was en- gaged at Fort Anderson and other minor points .. After the sur- render of Johnson, the regiment was mustered out June 22, 1865. Soon it returned to Indianapolis and was discharged. The regi- ment lost during its term of service, 26 killed, 86 wounded and
330
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
61 prisoners. The next organized body of troops for the war from Pike were those of Company H. of the Eightieth.
This company was organized under the July call of 1862. Sasser Sullivan, an old soldier of the Mexican war, also a volun- teer before this time in the war of the Rebellion. was, to a great extent. instrumental in raising this company. It was almost entirely enlisted at Winslow. The men were from that place and vicinity. The commissioned officers at first were W. H. H. Joy. captain: J. J. Collins. first lieutenant; and James F. Ruark, sec- ond lieutenant. On the resignation of Capt. Ivy, the office was tendered James S. Epperson, of Company F. but declined, and was then given to Joseph P. Glezen, Lieut. Collins resigned in March, 1863, and J. P. Glezen was made capta'n and then second lieutenant; Q. C. Ashby was made first lieutenant, but was mus- tered out May 15, 1865, from the loss of a leg. The sergeants be- sides those whose names have been mentioned in connection with commissions, were George C. Dearing. M. M. Frambles and Willis Brewster. The company consisted of 101 enlisted men and a full line of commissioned officers. The regi-
ment was rendezvoused at Princeton in August and September of 1862, and left camp on September 8th; was first taken to Covington, Ky., and then to Louisville, and placed in Buell's army to oppose the threatened attack of Bragg. Just one month after leaving Princeton, the regiment fought in the battle of Per- ryville, in which Nathan Beadles, of Company H. was killed and Milton Spaggius mortally wounded. The regiment lost in the engagement 150 men and officers. After Bragg had left Kentucky, the regiment remained doing guard duty or chas- ing Morgan till August 18, 1863, when, with Burnside's army, it passed through Cumberland Gap into east Tennessee; was at the siege of Knoxville; at the battle of Kingston and Mossy Creek, and in the spring of 1864, formed a part of Sher- man's army, under Gen. Schofield. It was at Resaca, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek, and the fights about Atlanta, sustain- ing a loss of 175 in killed and wounded; then joined in the pursuit of Hood until that was abandoned; then was de- tached with the Twenty-third Corps as a part of Thomas' army. On the 30th of November, it was at the desperately fought battle of Franklin, and again on the 15th and 16th of
331
IIISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
December at Nashville. After the annihilation of Hood's army, it was transferred by rail and water to North Carolina, was con- spicuous at Fort Anderson, took part in the campaigns against Wilmington, Kingston, Goldsboro and Raleigh. Three hundred and twenty of the regiment were present for discharge, and a reception at State House Grove given by Martin, Hovey and others. During its term of service, the regiment sustained a loss of 325 men and officers killed and wounded, and 2 prisoners, and traveled 7,245 miles, of which nearly 4,000 were on foot.
The quota of Indiana under calls of the President for July 7 and August 5, each for 300,000 men was 42,500, but was filled by volunteers, except a fraction over 6,000 which was to be filled by a general draft on the 6th of October: Accordingly, prepara- tions were made for that event. Henry B. Custin was appointed draft commissioner; R. Hanel, marshal, and John W. Posey, surgeon. The enrolling officer presented the following statement on September 19, 1862, for the county: Total militia, 1,386; volunteers in the service, 891; number subject to draft, 1,157. Volunteering had continued up to the time of the draft, so that there was a deficiency in but one township, Lockhart, of eleven men. Enrolling board for the First District, to which Pike then belonged were; Provost Marshal Blythe Hynes, succeeded in May, 1864, by C. K. Drew, and he by James W. Hartman in August, and in November, Alvah Johnson received the office; William G. Ralston was surgeon. Under the call of October, 1863, the quota of the State was 18,597, and of the county 118, but owing to the energetic efforts of friends to the cause the number was furnished, the men going to the various old regiments already in the field and were incorporated with them.
Indiana Legion .- Under orders of the governor, the State was divided into districts for military purposes, the men being formed into companies, regiments and brigades, ready to be called 'in case of invasion as was almost continually threatened. There were two companies organized in the county, one the Petersburg Guards, August 7, 1862, and the Jefferson Home Guards, August 12, 1862. These, however, were never called into service.
One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Regiment .- In October, 1863, the President issued a call for 300,000 men, and the first organ- ized body under the call furnished by the county was Company
332
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
F, of the Tenth Cavalry (One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Regi- ment ). The officers of the company were: A. H. Alexander, cap- tain; E. F. Littlepage, first lieutenant. and William L. Shaw. Lemuel L. Kelso, second lieutenants. The company mustered 111 men and received 1 recruit. The Tenth was recruited in the fall and winter of 1863, but was not mustered into the service until January 8, 1864. The men rendezvoused at Vincennes and Columbus. The regiment did not leave the State till May 3, 1864. They went dismounted and were stationed at Pulaski, Tenn., and Decatur, Ala., guarding the Northern Alabama Railroad during the Atlanta campaign. They had several skirmishes with the rebels under Reddy, Wheeler and Forrest. At Pulaski, on September 28, in an engagement with Wheeler, the regiment lost 50 men. A detachment under Mayor Williamson fought Hood's forces at Decatur four days and lost, 4 killed and 8 wounded. A portion of the regiment under Col. Gresham fought at Nashville, Little Harpeth, Reynold's Hill and Sugar Creek, and lost, 8 killed, 43 wounded, and 75 cap- tured. The regiment in these various engagements captured 4 colors, 300 prisoners and their arms from the enemy. In December and Jan- uary Williamson's detachinent fought at Flint River, Indian Creek, Courtland and Mount Hope, and captured from the enemy 10 pieces of artillery, 130 men, 130 wagons, and 300 mules. In February, 1865, the detachments were reunited and sent down the Mississippi to New Orleans, thence to Mobile and assisted in its capture. The Tenth proceeded to Eufaula and Montgomery, Ala., thence to Columbus and Vicksburg, Miss., and arrived at the latter place in July. The regiment did guard-duty the re- maining portion of its time. In April, the regiment lost 38 men in the explosion of the "Sultana," and in May, 1867, 5 killed and 75 wounded in a collision on the Louisville & Nash- ville Railroad. The Tenth was mustered out on 31st of Au- gust, 1865, arrived in Indianapolis on the 5th of September, with' 28 officers and 519 men for discharge, and was honored with a dinner and reception.
The heavy drain on the country in men and money, the tre- mendous tension to which the minds had been held so long, were well calculated to cool the ardor of the friends of the Administra- tion and embolden its enemies, and it had some enemies in every
333
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
portion of the State: but be it said to the credit of Pike County. there was little outspoken disloyalty and barring one possible exception there were no overt acts. The fires of patriotism burned anew, the songs and blessings of patriotic women, the speeches of brave men who had been to the front and made bare their breasts to the storm of battle, and had endured the hardships of camp life, or told how their comrades had rotted with loathsome diseases or starved in rebel hells, as they showed an empty sleeve or leaned upon crutches, told in burning words the country's peril, and cried out in thunder tones, the Macedonian call, "come over and help us." The aggregate of the President's calls of all classes, of February 1. March 14, April 23 and July 18, 1864, amounted to 983,000 men. Old soldiers were furloughed home. recruiting officers visited every precinct in the county and State, recruiting became quite brisk and nearly all of the old regiments filled their much depleted ranks. For the coming draft, and other needs of the Government, the following changes had taken place in the offices of the county: P. C. Hammond had succeeded H. B. Custin as draft commissioner; Goodlet Morgan had taken the place of R. Harrell as marshal, and Harrell had become assistant revenue collector. To the energy and efficiency of these officers does the county owe a great deal for her splendid showing in sending forth so many men. The following statement shows the condition of the county by townships, for the year 1864, ex- cept the call of December:
TOWNSHIPS.
First
Enrollment .
Quota and
Deficiency.
Credits by
Volunteers.
Credits by Draft.
Total
Credits.
Deficiencies.
Surplus.
Washington.
256
111
170
170
69
Madison.
67
33
34
34
5
Monroe ..
148
51
58
5
63
1
Jefferson
272
82
110
23
133
6
Marion.
111
27
40
11
51
6
Patoka
144
51
66
66
8
('lay.
78
29
35
35
6
Logan
102
18
39
18
57
1
Lockhart.
157
34
66
26
92
4
One Hundred and Forty-Third Regiment .- Under the final call for troops of December 19, 1564, one company, I, was raised in this county. The officers were as follows: Ira J. Burch, cap-
334
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
tain; Benjamin F. Laswell, first lieutenant, and Willis M. Cole- man, William E. Haynes, second lieutenants. This regiment was mustered into the service on February 21, 1865, at Indian- apolis, under Col. John F. Grill, and left for Nashville on the 24th. It went to Murfeesboro and remained till May, doing guard duty, till it was sent to Tullahoma, thence to Nashville, thence to Clarksville, after which a portion went to Fort Donelson. The regiment was soon after brought together at Nashville and mustered out on 21st of October, 1865. It arrived at Indian- apolis with thirty officers and 691 men, was publicly received and mustered out.
The following is the quota of Pike for the last call:
TOWNSHIPS.
Second
Enrollment.
under Call.
Surplus
December 19
Quota and
Deficiency
New
Recruits.
Veterans.
Credits by
Draft.
Credits by
Enrollment
and Draft.
One Year
Two Years
Three Years.
Deficiency.
Surplus.
Washington
256
46
1
1
1
47
Madison.
67
15
15
1
1
1
14
Jefferson.
171
15
15
15
15
15
Marion
81
18
18
5
5
5
13
Patoka.
141
4
4
4
4
4
Clay
70
1
1
Logan.
69
12
12
10
10
10
2
Lockhart.
106
18
18
6
6
5
1
12
Not counting the number who went irregularly, and leaving out the One Hundred and Fifty-second and the Thirty-sixth Battery there is a showing for the county of 1,763 men being a surplus over all calls of forty-eight men. This is a splendid showing for the county and well illustrates her patriotism and self-sacrifices for the cause. The roll of honor of the dead, is long but their memory is not forgotten,
Aid to Soldiers and their Families .- In July, 1861, the county commissioners ordered the township trustees to supply widows, children or wives of volunteer soldiers with supplies at the rate of 75 cents for each head of family, 40 cents for each child under ten years of age. This, with some little variations, sometimes more liberal, sometimes less so, continued to the close of the war. In any case where the trustee failed to do his duty in this regard, other parties were appointed to do the work. The following shows the amount of aid furnished by the county and townships, as far as reported:
.
Monroe.
135
Quota
335
HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
RELIEF.
Pike County
29,449.24
13,863.36
Jefferson Township.
4.800.00
Patoka Township.
1,600.00
All the Townships Total.
35,899.24
15,000.00
64,62.80
The above does not include the vast number of boxes of deli- cacies and other supplies furnished by private enterprises.
Size of Indiana Soldiers .- - The following remark, although seemingly a strange one, is made by Dr. B. A. Gould, an eminent statistician. on the measurement of 115.254 Indiana soldiers: " One thing will certainly interest yon -- that it is evident from our statisties that the In liana men are the tallest of all natives of the United States, and these latter the tallest of all civilized coun- tries."
CHAPTER VI.
COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF THE COUNTY- ALEXANDRIA-PETERSBURG-STENDAL-PIKEVILLE-UNION-WINS- LOW -- HOSMER -- PLEASANTVILLE- HIGHBANKS-ALFORDS -- ALGIERS CITY -- ARCADIA -- AUGUSTA -- ARTHUR -- OTWELL.
T THE earliest record of a town in Pike County is that of Alex- andria. About 1815 Hosea Smith laid off a town at White Oak Springs and gave it the above name. It would undoubtedly have been chosen as the county seat had he been willing to donate the land; but this he refused to do, and the town had its exist- ence only on paper.
The history of Petersburg begins with the appointment of five commissioners to select a seat of justice for Pike County. At the first meeting of the county commissioners in 1817. these five "good and lawful men" made their report. They seem to have expected that their selection would not be satisfactory to all the people of the county, and so give at considerable length the reasons for their choice. We give the report in full:
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