USA > Indiana > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana > Part 31
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Under the President's call for troops of December 19, 1846, the quota for Shelby County was 321 men. It is needless to say they were furnished. No single complete company was organized from these men, but several regiments were represented by Shelby County men. The most conspicuous showing of men from this county under that call was in the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment. The officers in that regiment that are credited to this county were: James M. Goodrich, First Lieutenant, Company D; James M. Teeple, Second Lieutenant, Company G. Company D, alone. contained more than fifty men from Shelby County. In the One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Regiment William J. Craycraft be- came Second Lieutenant of Company B.
The Morgan Raid .- In July. 1863, there occurred an affair that created more excitement in Southern Indiana than any other period has known. This was the raid of the Confederate General, John H. Morgan, through the southeastern portions of the State into Ohio. He crossed the Ohio River, at Corydon, this State, and began his short raid that spread more terror among the inhabitants than any other occurrence of the kind during the war. He proceeded northword to Paoli, in Orange County, then to Salem, the county seat of Washington County. From that place his next town of importance was Vernon, in Jennings County, whence he directed his course toward Lawrenceburg. He was finally captured with nearly all his band of about 4,000 men.
When the news arrived that Morgan had invaded Indiana soil, there was scarcely a town in the State in which the people did not at once conclude that they were to be the direct object of attack. Consternation spread with the most alarming rapidity. In Shelby- ville the excitement was fully equal to that in other places, and
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steps were taken to capture or repel the daring rebel. The mayor of the city assumed the lead in the matter, and issued the fol- lowing
PROCLAMATION !
FELLOW CITIZENS OF SHELBY COUNTY! You are all aware that John Morgan with his guerilla band of from 6,000 to 8,000 men, is invading our State, putting to death our citizens, applying the torch to our towns, our railroad bridges, mills, and newly gathered crops; horses, mules, beef cattle, wagons, farming implements, everything that can be of use to the citizen is destroyed wherever he goes. He is at this time marching in the direction of our county; he may, however, change his course, but of this we are not cer- tain. And in order to foil his designs upon this place, I call upon the citizens of Shelby County to bring forthwith to this city, all rifles, shotguns, and other arms that they may be in possession of, to be formed into companies and squads for the purpose of ambushing, bushwhacking and harrassing him in front until the organized troops in the rear overtake him.
I call upon others who have no arms to come in with axes, spades and picks, to be formed into working squads for the purpose of building stockades and barricading the ap- proaches, and be ready to fall timber. forming abattis to prevent his approach if we should ascertain definitely that he is marching upon this point.
Come in fellow-citizens, without delay and let us unite in solid body and beat back this Rebel invader in a manner so terrible and decisive as to render it their last attempt upon the State of Indiana.
JAMES E. MCGUIRE, Mayor of Shelbyville.
JULY 13, 1863.
A meeting was held at the Mayor's office and work was begun by enrolling and organizing the men into companies. The following from an eye witness appeared in the Daily Republican, December 18, 1886:
"Our meeting then adjourned. When we arrived upon the Public Square it was literally jammed with people, men, women and children all discussing the situation, and each one had their own plan of operations. All was confusion. No man would stand still long enough to hear the other's plan. The present whereabouts of John Morgan was what the cooler-headed wanted to know. We inquired by telegraph of Indianapolis, but received no reliable in- formation. Parties began recruiting a company of infantry, and others, among whom E. B. Amsden was the leader, commenced recruiting a company of cavalry, all to be armed with such guns as could be obtained either in the country or city. The Amsden party had the best of argument. They would say: 'What do you want to go in the infantry for? Morgan's men are mounted and none but mounted men can follow him,' which was true. The next morning recruiting was resumed with great vigor. Country people came streaming from all directions and by 9 o'clock the city was literally filled with people all anxiously inquiring the news. It had been learned that Morgan had passed through Salem, the county seat of Washington County, taking many valuable horses, and com- pelling Mr. Depauw, the banker, to give Morgan $5,000, and that he
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had marched out and would either strike Vernon or Seymour. Ex- citement now ran high and the people were very earnest but much perplexed to know what to do. Another effort was made to hold a meeting at the mayor's office but it was of no avail, you might as well have called upon the clouds to come and hover over and give shelter to those on the Public Square exposed to the rays of the sun, that burning hot July day."
A company of cavalry and one of infantry was formed, and every precaution taken to insure the safety of the town. Many ludicrous scenes and incidents occurred, the narrative of which would be too tedious for this work. This account of the Morgan Raid excitement will be closed with the following from the same article as last quoted :
" One of the details of infantry being posted near George Senour's field across the river, about 10 o'clock at night the squad concluded that pickets ought to have some whisky; so a purse was made up and one of their number appointed a committee to come into the city and get the 'commissary supplies.' The farmers having heard that the cavalry were seizing all horses that were brought to town, for the use of the new recruits, hitched their horses along the fences north of the river. The committee of one on his way to get the whisky discovered the horses and went back and told his comrades that Morgan was already in Shelbyville: that they had dismounted and thousands of horses were hitched along the fences and that the men had gone in a-foot. Whereupon the guards fired off their guns and started on a run for the city, not taking time to climb the embankment and cross the railroad bridge but wading the river wherever they came to it. All that night men and women staid upon the Public Square anxious as to their welfare. Morning came and with it the news that our troops had a skirmish with some of Morgan's men, near Lawrenceburg, but that Morgan had made his escape and was marching in the direc- tion of Harrison, Ohio. Then came a general hand-shaking and expressions of joy and gladness all around. Hundreds visited the Rebel prisoners in jail. The last duty our cavalry performed was to escort the Rebel prisoners to the train and deliver them to the proper authorities. Our troops were disbanded and peace and quiet reigned once more in Shelbyville."
Public opinion in 1863 and 1864- During the spring of 1863 there was another paper started in Shelbyville, advocating the principles of the Republican party. At the state election in the fall of 1862, the Democrats were successful in many of the northern states. This fact, alone, gave renewed impulse to the campaigns of 1863. The Republicans construed the result adversely to their
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conduct of the war, and on the testimony of no less authority than General Grant, they were determined to make a better showing on the field of battle. In Shelby County there was but little if any abatement in the tension of public opinion. During the summers of 1863 and 1864 mass meetings were held in all portions of the county at which the leading speakers made addresses, and resolu- tions covering the various phases of the public questions were dis- cussed and adopted. As the Administration adopted the emanci- pation theory the Democrats became more hostile toward its meth- ods of conducting the war. They were in for preserving " the Union as it was " and were opposed to the abolition of slavery. They did not want to disturb the " domestic relations " of any of the States. But it was impossible to fight out the war on any other grounds. Slavery had been the prime cause of the conflict and it was an element that was doomed to overthrow if the Union of the States was to be preserved with stability. There was no mean ground to be occupied between the Union without slavery and dis- union. Fortunately the sentiment of Union without slavery, pre- vailed.
Soldiers at home on furlough, wearing their uniforms, were the universal object of attention. It was not infrequent that they over- stepped the bounds of reason and duty in maintaining their princi- ples. They often became insolent and intolerant, and imagined that their coats of blue were sufficient excuses for whatever ex- cesses they saw fit to indulge. Collisions between the soldiers and citizens were of common occurrence all over the north. In this county they were not an exception. It is probable that few por- tions of the north were more deeply agitated than Shelby County. By some it has been alleged that there were several lodges of the Knights of the Golden Circle in the county, and it is probable that the allegations are true. The Union Banner charged it openly at the time, and it called attention to the times and places of meetings. Party strife ran high, and there were frequent physical encounters between the contending sides.
Notwithstanding all this, the volunteering went on with com- mendable zeal, and the number of men furnished by the County for the war shows well for a community in which there was so much active opposition to the methods of carrying on the struggle.
The Third Battery Light Artillery contanied several men from this county of whom Leonidas Thrasher was commissioned Second Lieutenant, August 15, 1861.
The Indiana Legion was an extensive organization throughout the State for the purpose of home defense in case of need. It served another purpose, however, that proved more useful than
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as Home Guards. It was the medium through which many good soldiers were brought into the service, that perhaps, would not otherwise so readily have entered the active service of the United States. The drilling, too, was useful in preparing men to a con- siderable extent for the evolutions that were required in actual war. In other words it was a training school where men learned the rudiments of knowledge in war that so soon enabled them to per- form in the face of the enemy like trained veterans. Shelby County had seven of these companies in the Legion and the roster of the officers reveals the names of many who led companies to the field of battle.
Bounty and Relief .- In order to stimulate volunteering, the United States Government authorized the payment of bounties early in the war to those who should enlist for the term of three years. In the first year of the war this amount was fixed at $100. Orders from the war department at various times authorized the payment of additional sums ranging as high as $400, accord- ing to the nature and term of service. The inequalities of bounties created great dissatisfaction, but it was claimed by the authorities that the exigencies of the times demanded it and could not be avoided. An additional inducement was offered in the way of a land-warrant for forty acres of public land to each soldier receiving an honorable discharge. This, taken with the amount of the bounty, which was considered about the value of a mule, brought about that that famous and popular phrase, "forty acres and a mule," and doubtless had much to do with the successful volunteering which characterized the war. Besides the national bounties, large and often extravagant sums were paid by many of the counties. These had the effect to lighten the drafts, but at the same time increased the taxes. The latter, however, cut but little figure in the question. People would not put a price on the Union, and no matter what was required to preserve it, that requirement was always met. In Shelby County this spirit was fully maintained and the Board of Commissioners at different times met the popular demand by offering bounties. These ranged all the way up to $500, and were offered . under the various calls of the President for troops.
Another important item came under the head of Relief. This included whatever sums were paid to support the families of those who had enlisted and were absent in the field of battle, and also the supplies forwarded to the soldiers themselves. A few months' experience showed how much the Government lacked of being prepared for supplying an army with the necessary comforts required by a soldier. Immediately after the opening of the war
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there was a Soldiers' Aid Society formed in Shelbyville by the leading ladies of the town. The work which those noble-hearted women did went far toward relieving the wants of the soldiers. Scarcely a week passed without a shipment to the front of mittens, socks, blankets and such other articles as a soldier would likely need to withstand the extremities of the seasons. These contri- butions were purely personal and the women of the whole county were requested to bring in whatever could be properly spared. In this way many dollars were spent in the soldiers' behalf which are not included in the following amount of Bounty and Relief paid by the county and townships:
Shelby County Bounty $121,840 00
Shelby County Relief
39,041 19
Amount of relief furnished by the various townships
20,000 00
independent of county
Total Bounty and Relief. $180,889 19
Men Furnished for the War .- The various calls made by the President for troops during the Rebellion were as follows:
First call, 75,000 men, three months' service, April 15, 1861. Second call, 42,034 men, three years' service, May 3, 1861. Third call, 300,000 men, nine months' service, August 4, IS62. Fourth call, 100.000 men. six months' service, June 15 1863. Fifth call, 300.000 men, three years' service. October 17, 1863. Sixth call, 500,000 men, three years' service, February 1, 1864. Seventh call, 200,000 men, three years' service, March 15, 1864. Eighth call, 500,000 men, one, two or three years' service, July 18, 1864.
Ninth call, 300,000 men, one, two or three years' service, De- cember 19, 1864.
These calls aggregate more than 2.300,000 men and give some idea of the magnitude of the Civil War in the United States. It will be interesting to know what part of this immense army was furnished by Shelby County. The first enrollment of the militia in Indiana after the commencement of the war was made September 19, 1862. The total militia force of the county was 3,285, of which 425 were exempt from bearing arms, leaving 2,860 subject to draft. The county was at that date credited with having furnished 1,238 volunteers, 973 of which were then in the service. It was under this enrollment that the first draft in Indiana occurred October 6, 1862, to supply the number required by the call of August 4th. The quota of Shelby County under that draft was 141 men, appor- tioned among these townships: Jackson, 20; Noble, 32; Liberty, 28;
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Hendricks, 22: Union, 19: Moral, 20. The draft officers were Martin M. Ray, Commissioner: Isaac Odell, Marshal, and John Y. Kennedy, Surgeon.
The call of October 17, 1863, demanded of Shelby County 254 men, which number was furnished without resorting to a draft. Under the calls of February Ist, March 15th, and July 18th. 1864, the total quotas for the county, was 1,217 men, to offset which it was credited with 1,009 new recruits, 108 veterans and 182 by draft, making 1,299, or seventy-two more than were required. The President's last call for troops, December 19, 1864, asked Shelby County for 321 men. Against this number the county was credited with 259 new recruits, forty-nine veterans and twenty-one by draft, making in all 329. This was the condition of the account with Shelby County, on the 14th of April, 1865, at which time all efforts to raise troops were abandoned. It shows a balance in favor of the county. The draft under this last call was made upon the basis of the third enrollment of the State, or second under the En- rollment Act of Congress. That enrollment showed Shelby County to have had a militia force of 2,369. These figures show that the county furnished 3,261 men for the war, or within twenty- four of the number first reported as its total militia force. This need not imply that there were that number of separate men from this county in the war, for there were not. A considerable number of the men enlisted twice, and some three times, and they were counted for each enlistment. It is probable that 400 will include the number of those who were thus recounted. Thus it will be seen that Shelby County alone furnished enough men to make more than three full regiments, a considerable army in itself.
The following is a roll of honor, as taken from the Adjutant General's Report for the State, and as that work contains many er- rors, it can hardly be hoped that this roll is free from mistakes. The list given comprises only the privates who died either from wounds or otherwise before receiving a final discharge. It doubtless con- tains many errors and omissions, but is the best that can be ob- tained at this time:
Company C, Seventh Regiment. ( Three Months. ) Smith, John R., killed at Bealington, Va., July 8, 1861.
Company A, Sixteenth Regiment. ( One Y'car.) Barch, Philip, died at Columbus, Ohio, July 23, 1861.
Company HI, Sixteenth Regiment. ( One Year.)
Cadmill, Robert T., died at Camp Seneca, November 5, 1861.
Potter, William, died at Aldie, Va., March 22, 1862.
Strange, George, died at Warrenton Junction, May 2, 1862.
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SHELBY COUNTY.
Company D, Seventeenth Regiment.
Deitzer, Nicholas, died August 21, 1863, of wounds received at Hoover's Gap.
Company K, Eighteenth Regiment.
Burlington, Benjamin B., died at Helena, Ark., August, 1862.
Crigler, Joshua, killed at Magnolia Hills, May 1, 1863. Hank, John, killed at Magnolia Hills, May 1, 1863. Ilays, Timothy, veteran, died March 19, 1864.
Hull, Daniel, died at Georgetown, Mo., September, 1861. Israel, George, killed at Magnolia Hills, May 1, 1863. Littlejohn, William F., killed at Magnolia Hills, May 1, 1863. Mclaughlin, John A., killed at Vicksburg, May 23, 1863. Miller, James T., killed at Vicksburg, May 22. 1863.
McCee, William, died at St. Louis, November, 1862.
Mann, James M., died at Black River, Miss., May IS, 1863.
Morris, Carloo, died at Indianola, Texas, November, 1864. Osburn, Wallace, died in Missouri, 1862.
Wilhelm, Benj. F. died at Booneville, Mo., September, 1861.
Young, Homer, died at Helena, Ark., 1862.
Company M, Twenty-first Regiment.
Britton, Alfred D., died of incision of neck, made by himself, September 7, 1864.
Gaines, Wm. H., died near Terrehutte, September 26, 1864.
Hyatt, Milton, died at New Orleans, October 25, 1864.
Pope, James, died at New Orleans, September 11, 1864.
Woodard, John, died at New Orleans, September 2, 1864.
Company D, Thirty-third Regiment.
Barger, Thos. H., died at London, Ky., November 19, 1861.
Boicourt, David, died at Big Shanty, Ga., June 25, 1864.
Casto, William, died at Crab Orchard, Ky., November 24, 1861. Corney, Frederick, died March 12, 1862.
Candell, Fountaine, died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December 12, IS6I.
Campbell, James, killed at Peach Tree Creek, Ga., July 20, 1864. Coalscott, Benj. F., died at Columbia, Tenn., March 7, 1863.
Divert, Jefferson T., died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December II, I862.
Erwin, John, died at Chattanooga, Tenn., November 8, 1864. Gillard, Jmaes, died at Spring Hill, Tenn., of wounds, March 7, 1863. Husted, James, died of wounds, July 20, 1864.
Hynes, Milton, died at Nashville, Tenn., April 27, 1863.
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MILITARY HISTORY.
Kennedy, Samuel, died at Crab Orchard, Ky,, February 14, 1862. Messick, Henry, died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December 19, 1861. McConnell, James, died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December 7, 1861. McConnell, Louis B., died at Sidney Pass, October 31, 1862.
McQueen, Benj. F., died at Spring Hill, Tenn., March 7, 1863, wounds.
McFerran, Lewis, killed at Wild Cat, Ky., October 21, 1861. Phillips, Emanuel, died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December 10, 1861. Phillips, Memory, died of wounds, Columbia, Tenn, March 7, 1863. Robertson, Win., died at Crab Orchard, Ky., November 27, 1862. Warble. Jacob, died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December 4, 1861. Willis ( Wills ), Andrew C., died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December 12, 1861.
Williams, Franklin, died at Kingston, Ga., June 22, 1864. Mitchell, Hiram, died at Nashville, July 15, 1864, wounds.
Winterrowd, Anderson, killed at Peach Tree Creek, Ga., July 20. 1864.
Smith, William, died January 24, 1862.
Norvell, Robert, died at Shelbyville. April 20. 1863, wounds.
Smith, Henry H., died at Crab Orchard, Ky., December 17, 1861.
Company L, Eighth Cavalry, ( Thirty-ninth ) Regiment.
Conrad, William H .. died at Nashville. June 26, 1864. Irwin, Wesley, died at Nashville. December 23, 1864.
Company F, Fifty-first Regiment.
Gatewood, John M .. died at Nashville. March 29, 1862. Gatewood. Robert, died at Nashville. January 28, 1863. Kendall, Ethan A., killed at Day's Gap, April 30, 1863. Lock, Levi, died at Woodsonville, Ky., March 21, 1862. Miller, Fielding J., died at Bardstown, Ky., January 4. 1862. McConnell. John E., died at Nicholasville, Ky., March 27, 1862.
Palmer, James. died at Bardstown, January 5, 1862. Parker, Washington. died at Day's Gap, May 3, 1863. Raines, Robert, died at Camp Morton, Ky., January 11, 1862. Shylock, John, died at Indianapolis, December 29, 1861.
Company I, Fifty-first Regiment.
Aldridge, James. killed at Stone River, December 31, 1862. Burr, Lewis R., died at Louisville. January 7, 1862. Creviston, Aaron, died at Nashville, March 26, 1862. Chambers, James, died at New Orleans, July 14, 1865. Ellington, Albert, died at Bardstown, December 28, 1861. German, Charles E., died at Bardstown, December 29. 1861. Holden, Charles, died at Stanford, Ky., February 1, 1862.
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SHELBY COUNTY.
Jarvis, John, died at Huntsville, July 2, 1862.
Smith, Samuel, died at Bardstown, February 4, 1862. Williams, Francis O., died at Lebanon, February 6, 1862.
Company B, Fifty-second Regiment.
Barton, Francis A., died October 6, 1864.
Company G, Fifty-second Regiment.
Medhiff, William, died February 15, 1862.
Company B, Seventieth Regiment.
Adams, George W., died at Bowling Green, September 30, 1862. Adams, John II., died at Lavergne, Tenn., June 20. 1863. Aydelott, Joseph W., died at Scottsville, Ky., November 27, 1862. Gordon, Zacheus, died at Bowling Green, November 27, 1862. Gibbons, John W., died at Scottsville, December 2, 1862. Hawkins, Alex. S., killed at Resacca, Ga., May 15, 1864. Lazar, Charles, died at Nashville, November 19, 1863. Miller, John W., died at Sandersville, Tenn., February 7, 1863. Miller, Thomas B, died at home. August 11, 1862.
Miller, Robert H., died at Chattanooga, July 22, 1864, wounds. McMillen, Abraham, died at Sandersville, February 22, 1863. McFall, James H., died at Bowling Green, November 7, 1862. Maholm, George H., killed by railroad accident, November 6, 1864 .. Newton, John II., died near Atlanta of wounds, August 12, 1864. Price, George A., died at Chattanooga, August 29, 1864. Powell, Elijah, died at Chattanooga, May 24. 1864. Rogers, Achilles, died of wounds, July 14, 1864.
Story, William, died at Bowling Green, August 30, 1862. Scofield, David F., died at Scottsville, Ky., December 17, 1862. Stoddard, Marshall, died at Scottsville, Kv., November 19, 1862. Smith, Adelman, died at Indianapolis, August 7, 1862. Tanner, Robert, died at Gallatin. Tenn .. May 7, 1863. Wheeler, Jeremiah. died at Gallatin, Tenn., December 23, 1862. Walton, John B., died at Gallatin, Tenn., December 15, 1862. Clark, James, died at Lookout Mountain, February 2, 1865. Frank, Chas. W., killed at Resacca, May 14, 1864. Goodrich, Louis, killed at Peach Tree Creek. July 20, 1864. Stubbs, Jesse, died at Jeffersonville, Ind., September 4, 1864.
Company F, Seventieth Regiment.
Andrews, John W., killed at Resacca, May 15, 1864. Arthur, James M., died at Murfreeboro, July 15, 1863. Bassett, Samuel, killed at Peach Tree Creek. July 20, 1864. Cox, John, killed at Dallas, Ga., May 25, 1864.
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MILITARY HISTORY.
Collins, Leander M., died at Murfreeboro, August 10, 1863, Hulsopple, William. died at Murfreeboro. August 1, 1863. Hulsopple, Andrew J., died at Bowling Green, November 1, 1862. Howery, Charles, died at Saundersville, January 28, 1863. Howard, Watson C., killed at Peach Tree Creek, July 20, 1864. Hacker, William A., killed at Kenesaw Mount, June 14, 1862. Joyce. Thomas S., died at Bowling Green, November 16, 1862. Nichols. Jasper, died at Gallatin, Tenn., Feburary 22, 1863. Odell. Jeremiah, killed at Kenesaw, June 15, 1864. Rouse, William T., killed at Dallas, Ga., May 27, 1864.
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