USA > Kentucky > The Union regiments of Kentucky, Vol. 2 > Part 3
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Company "G."
CAPTAINS-Elijah C. Phelps, Oliver P. Johnson, William R. Willis Ist LIEUT .- William Smith. SERGTS .- James W. Taylor, Francis M. Phelps. William J. Shannon, Paxton R. Phelps, John N. Conway, Dan- iel M. Deweese. CORPLS .- John M. Taylor, Pleasant Goodwin, Wm. F. Oldham, James T. Hampton, Henry C. Thickel, James P. Johnson, John M. Gott, Julian F. Phelps, Wm. Loving. WAGONER-Walter C. Loving. MUSICIANS-Shadrick G. Davenport, Simeon P. Lindsay.
PRIVATES-Samuel Atkins, John A. Basham, Oliver T. Buttram, Green B. Clark, William Deweese, Pierson R. Deweese, Virgil M. Dew- eese, William G. Deweese, Hugh Elmore, Watson Faris, Uriah B. Her- ald, James R. Hosey, Wm. R. Johnson, Sr., Wm. R. Johnson, Jr., John M. Keown. Calvin S. Keown, Orville H. Low, John Moore, Julian E. Phelps, John W. Raymer, Jacob Raymer, John H. Sowders, Joseph J. Taylor. Robert R. Walker, Francis M. Willis, James H. Warnel, Eli Beller, Benajah Basham, Henry Cox, Julian N. Duvall, Gravan B. Em- bray, James A. House, Pleasant M. Heath, Murry M. Jones, Joseph Kirby, Stephen Lancaster, Julian N. Phelps, James A. Phelps, John S. Phelps, William Y. Beller, Allen Daniels, Alford M. Key, Azel C. Miller, Martin H. Marshal, William Oller, Edison White, Isaac H. Williamson, Andrew Amas, George M. Booth, Jesse Elmore, Charles Elmore, James Goodwin, Moses E. Garrison, John B. Hasey, James Huck, Jas. Hannel, Lemuel Jackson, James C. Johnson, Joseph Jones, James K. Phelps, William M. Rayman, Pleasant T. Sowder, Samuel H. Whalin. Thomas Ashley, Jesse Deweese, James S Heath, Sam'l Phelps, Virgil M. Smith, James Williams.
Company "H."
CAPTAINS-Isaac R. Sketo, Jesse K. Freeman. 1st LIEUTS .- Ad- dison Turner, Joseph D. Youtz. 2d LIEUTS .- Jesse S. Hill, John C. Ham. SERGTS .- David E. Rhoads, Jas. R. Cross, William G. Stroud, William Roll, John Combs, Walthal H. Harvey, George B. Humphrey,
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Union Regiments of Kentucky.
Henry Tinsley. CORPLS .- Thomas Carter, Robert W. Casebier, Jacob Donohoo, William Milligan, David M. Dame, Mathew L. Ham, Mathew H. Vaught, Jasper Duvall. WAGONER-William Kyle.
PRIVATES-Ira D. Bodine, John Beasley, John D. Beasley, Wing R. Bruce, William Boze, Sherrod W. Brown, John D. Casebier, William Doss, Gabriel J. Doss, Azariah J. Doss, James Duvall, Geo. W. Edwards. Joseph Gossett, William G. Grundy, David Holland, William F. Hol- land, Wade E. Hughes, James W. Harper, William H. Ham, John Igle- hart, Robert Johnson, Charles Lewis, William Lewis, John Mason, Dan- iel B. Miller, James W. Peters, William Peasler, Moses Rhoads, Wm. Stobaugh. Solomon Shamk, Robert Vincent, Edward Vincent, John R. Vanoy, Thomas Wilcox, Albert R. Wilcox, William J. Wilkins, James L. Wilkins, John W. Wood, James Whitehouse, Archibald C. Youts, Jos. Atlice, William Browning, Wiley Browning, Dryen C. Browning, John Durham, Henry Estes, Fred C. Granger, Whitfield E. Griely, Thomas Hollis, Jacob L. Karmes, John W. Lewis, John C. Meeks, James E. Mil- ligan, Benjamin Mason, Christopher Norman, Bradford N. Strond, Har- din Stringer, Waller Vancleve, William Wilkins, Sr., Benjamin Stew- art, Joseph Brinkman, William L. Ford, Henry T. Glenn, William Mar- cum, William Miller, Charles Roan, Strather L. Sallie, William T. Str- baugh, James Watkins, Martin Gross, Obediah Norman, Adam Sto- baugh, John W. Cowan, James Johnson, Elijah Neal.
Company "1."
CAPTAINS-Joseph Fox, James R. Wise, Jonathan Simmons, 1st LIEUTS .- Thomas Bobbett, David Pool, Robert T. Kennedy, William H. Smith, Boyd Mercer. 2d LIEUTS .- Preston P. Doughty, William J. Long. Columbus Neel. SERGTS .- Virgil M. Taylor, James M. Benton. Robert Scanlin, Malcom McLain, John S. Camfield, James W. Lankford. CORPUS .- Eugene P. James, James M. McClure, John S. Hill, William C. Adkins, George W. Allen, Henry Hoops, Robert Davenport, Thos. M. Dobbs, Alex. Campbell, Sam II. Mansfield, Aaron S. Robertson. MUSICIAN-William J. Lovels. WAGONER-James Jinkins.
PRIVATES-John L. Barrow, John Bargar, Joseph W. Bowen, Jerry M. Bowlin, Jorden Bowlin, Thomas Devenport, Thomas J. Ergler, Geo. W. Ellison, William Espy, James Grigsby. Daniel Grant, Allen Hill. John W. Hunt, Azariah J. Honerton, Ben F. Kimmel, Ben D. Lankford. William G. Morrison, William E. Masters, Richard McClure, Amos Russ. Numan Rickets, Samuel J. Robertson, Philip Roney, Daniel Shirley. Isaac Summer, William Terrence, Henry Vaught, Alexander Willson. Patrick Walters, Levi Arnold, John D. Arnold, Martin Blake, Joseph M. Carr, James HI. Camfield, John Cox, William C. Harris, Levi J. Hun- ter. James Hill, Jacob Killmore, Jas. A. Morrison, William S. Mauzey. William E. Robinson, James Uzell, William Whitney, Wm. B. Wise. William W. Clifford, John H. Durham, Richard Johnson, James White- house, John Wood, John A. Adcock, Alex. Grant, Robert S. Graham. A. R. Killmore, Jacob Lewers, Thomas Phipps, Allen Rickets, King D. Short. James A. Stinson, R. V. Valandingham, B. Y. Vaught, Thomas J. Collins, Matthew W. Freeman, Ira Camfield, Elias Hill.
Company "K."
CAPTAINS-Martin Jefferson Roark, Columbus M. Martin, Wash. C. Shannon. 1st LIEUT .- James L. Roark. 2d LIEUT .- Green B. Eades. SERGTS .-- Kinchen L. Terry, Thos. McDonald, Augustus Lewis. Wm. H. Martin. Julius Vincent, James N. Campbell. CORPLS -Zach- ariah Stovall. John B. Blackwell, Seth Beasley, Robert H. Tolbert, Sam- ucl M. Pace, John A. Williams, William H. Hughes, Joseph L. Vick. Thomas H. Turner. WAGONER-John E. Gibbs. MUSICIAN-Sidney P. Walker.
PRIVATES-James A. Allen, Alexander B. Cox, Lewis Dwyer, Chas. B. Eades, W. Henry Gossett, William R. Hayes, Willoby P. Hill, Ken- yon Harper, Thomas Lovell, Wm. J. Letchford, William J. Lamb, Jno. W. Mathis, Jr., Anderson F. Miller, Nathan G. Neeley, John L. Neeley. Arington W. Oates, Wm. D. Oates, Chas. H. Oates, Lamberton Oates, Michael Shanks, Green B. Stewart, Louis Stanly, John A. Stanley. Richard Turner, Thomas J. Turner, Agel M. Terry, Riley Tyson, Silas
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Twelfth Kentucky Infantry.
Tyson, James A. Warner, William A. Williams, Alexander H. Williams, Thomas M. Wilcox, George B. Blackwell, Robert P. Bell, William L. Mark, Porter H. Calvert, Granville Corley, William Forrester, Joseph H. Hayes, James H. Latham, James S. Lewis, Henry C. McCrackin, William W. Oates, George L. Oates, Wm. A. Randolph, James H. Stewart, James Tyson, John G. Allen, George W. Buchannan, Zepha- niah Ball, John B. Bailes, James Crail, George B. Chandler, John Cobb, Richard Hany, Timothy Harper, James R. Hayes, Columbus A. Har- ris, James D. Ingram, Doctor F. Johnson, Philip Mercer, Bennett Mer- ver, William M. McDonald, Henry H. Neeley, Jacob Shanks, Jesse shanks, Isaac Shanks, John B. Staples, John A. Strader, William Tay- lor. Winchester W. Utley, Richard Williams, Henry Whanger, John R. Wells, George H. Tooley, John Livingston, Thomas B. Harrison, Riley R. Cobb, John W. Lane, Mathew N. Lanford, William Stewart, Benja- min Stewart, John Willis.
Twelfth Kentucky Infantry.
In September, 1861, the organization of the 12th Ky. Volunteer Infantry was commenced. Company A under Capt. C. C. Ham, and 1st Lieut. E. F. Hays and 2d Lieut. Samuel Tomlinson, was mustered into service by Gen. Geo. H. Thomas at Camp Dick Robinson. A short time after this it moved to the Cumberland river, near Waits- boro, Pulaski county, where the other companies which had been recruited in the counties of Pulaski, Wayne, Clinton, Russell and Cumberland assembled, and form- ally organized the regiment in October, 1861. Col. Wm. 1. Hoskins was the leader under whose call the com- panies were recruited, and the first camp of the regiment was on the Cumberland river, and was called Camp Hos- kins. He was an officer of fine appearance and soldierly qualities. His regiment became devotedly attached to him and he made it conspicuous for its good discipline and efficiency.
The first movement of the regiment was early in No- vember, 1861. It was sent with the 3d Ky. Infantry, under Col. Bramlette, upon an expedition into the counties of Wayne and Clinton, south of the Cumberland river. Very soon afterward the 12th was dispatched to Mill Spring to protect that section from marauding bands which claimed to belong to Zollicoffer's command. The object being accomplished, the regiment returned to its camp. Twice on its way it was drawn up in line of battle to defend itself against the advance of Zollicoffer's troops, who were in hot pursuit, they having been at Monticello, eight miles distant, while the 12th was at Mill Spring.
On the 2d of December, 1861, Zollicoffer appeared on the south bank of the Cumberland, opposite Camp Hos-
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kins, and began throwing shells over the river into the camp. To this the 12th promptly responded with its own battery, which was a little howitzer presented to the reg- iment by Gen. Nelson. It was mounted on two wheels and was drawn by the men. The gun was a great pet with the men. They carried it with them until the regi- ment reached Nashville, in the spring of 1862; there it was turned in and was placed on the ramparts of the capitol. The shelling caused the abandonment of Camp Hoskins. The 12th fell back about three miles, where it met a force under command of Gen. Schoepf. In a short time all these troops made a night march to Somerset, where others were encamped, all under command of Gen. Thomas. There the 12th remained until about the middle of January, when movements began which resulted in the battle of Mill Spring.
In January, 1862, the Confederate forces under Gen- erals Crittenden and Zollicoffer, occupied an entrenched camp on the north bank of the Cumberland river, not far from Mill Spring. Early Sunday morning, January 19th, the long roll was sounded. The 10th Ind. went forward, then Gen. S. S. Fry's 4th Ky. and 2d Minn. The battle was at Logan's Crossroads. The 12th came upon the field in the midst of the engagement. It opened fire, and as it charged forward across an open space the enemy gave way. The 12th is mentioned twice in Gen. Thomas' official report, once as follows:
"At this time the 12th Ky. (Col. W. A. Hoskins) and the Tennessee brigade reached the field to the left of the Minnesota regiment and opened fire on the right flank of the enemy, who then began to fall back. The 2d Minn. kept up a most galling fire in front, and the 9th Ohio charged the enemy on the right with bayonets fixed. turned their flank and drove them from the field, the whole line giving way and retreating in the utmost disorder and confusion."
Up to this time the 12th had not been mustered into the United States service. It was organized at the front in the very field of action, and the exigencies of the hour did not give opportunity for that formality. After the battle of Mill Spring it marched south of the Cumberland to the little village of Clio, where it went into camp. There it was regularly mustered into the service of the United States. In this service it remained until peace came in 1865.
After the fall of Fort Donelson, the 12th, with other regiments under Gen. Thomas, marched from Somerset through Danville, Lebanon, and Bardstown to Louisville.
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Twelfth Kentucky Infantry.
From thence they proceeded down the Ohio and up the Cumberland to Nashville, reaching there about the middle of March, 1862. A week later the 12th took up the line of march southwardly, with the army of Gen. Buell, in the first brigade of Gen. Thomas' division, being the advance troops of Buell's army. On Sunday, April 6, 1862, the battle of Shiloh was fought. On that day the 12th was on the way from Columbia, Tenn., in charge of the trains of Buell's army.
It arrived at Pittsburg Landing April 9th, passing over the battle ground, it went on to Corinth and per- formed its full share of service on the picket and skirmish lines. In one of these skirmishes it captured a beautiful Confederate flag.
On the 29th of May Corinth was evacuated by the Con- federates under Beauregard. On the 10th of June Hal- leck dispatched Buell's army toward Chattanooga; Bragg, however, who had superseded Beauregard, finding Buell moving in the direction of Chattanooga, determined to go there himself. The 12th Ky. shared the fortunes of Buell's army through the memorable summer of 1862. From Corinth it marched to Boonville, Miss., thence to Tuscumbia, Ala., where it remained until July 10th. It then entered upon the great march which was prolonged from week to week until the army reached Louisville, a distance of more than three hundred miles. From Tus- cumbia the march was to Winchester, Tenn., thence to Decherd. At Decherd the 12th made a night recon- noissance to the town of Altamont, about fifteen miles dis- tant. There it obtained information that Bragg's army was bivouacked not more than three miles away. The regiment returned rapidly to Decherd, and with the other forces marched at once northwardly through Tullahoma, Shelbyville and Murfreesboro to Nashville. These forced marches are remembered as the hardest the regiment ever made.
From Nashville to Bowling Green, thence through Munfordville and Elizabethtown until Louisville was reached September 25th. There it rested a few days and then moved in pursuit of Bragg.
On the battlefield at Perryville the 12th moved to dif- ferent points with reserves; but though constantly in hear- ing of the artillery and musketry, it was not brought into the engagement. Bragg having retreated from Ken- tucky, Buell took his army again to Nashville, where it was placed in command of Gen. Rosecrans. The 12th was, however, halted at Lebanon, Ky., where it spent the winter. From Lebanon the 12th made several recon-
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noissance where danger was apprehended, and once made a forced march to Hall's Gap, marching with cavalry in pursuit of the Confederate general, Pegram. On the 10th of April, 1863, the 12th marched to Bowling Green. At this time the regiment numbered seven hundred. It there spent several weeks on post duty. It was then ordered to Russellville. While stationed at Russellville, Gen. John Morgan, with a force of cavalry, appeared on the south bank of the Cumberland river near Burksville, Ky. In order to intercept his movements, Gen. Shackel- ford, with several regiments of cavalry and the 12th In- fantry and a battery of artillery, went from Russellville, through Bowling Green and Glasgow, toward Burksville. It marched to Lebanon and then returned through Glas- gow and Bowling Green to Russellville. In the spring of 1863 Gen. Burnside had been assigned to the com- mand of the Department of the Ohio. He gathered dur- ing the summer a force of twenty thousand at Camp Nelson. The 12th was ordered to join this force in August, 1863.
From Russellville the regiment went by rail to Louis- ville and Nicholasville. It then marched to Camp Nelson, and in a few days to Danville, where it was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 23d Army Corps. On the 16th of August Burnside took up his march for East Tennessee. The march was over the present route of the Cincinnati Southern railroad. When near the highest point of the mountains eight days' rations were dis- tributed, and a rapid advance upon Knoxville com- menced. Passing the state line the march was through Huntsville, Wartburg, Kingston and Loudon. Loudon there was a railroad bridge two thousand feet long. As the enemy retired it was burned. Knoxville was reached September 3d.
The 12th remained only a day or two at Knoxville. It passed on up the valley to the border of Virginia. At Watauga river it came up with the enemy; a sharp fight occurred and daily skirmishing. At Blue Springs the 12th was again engaged and suffered loss. Above Green- ville the opposing force met in the valley and mutually defied each other. From this field the Federals fell back to Bull's Gap. From thence they hastened by forced marches to Knoxville, where a more powerful enemy was to be encountered, viz .: Longstreet's corps, from Bragg's army at Chattanooga. With the utmost expedition Gen. Burnside concentrated his forces in Knoxville. The place had no defensive works, and fortifications were thrown up as the troops came in and took position. The
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12th was posted on Temperance Hill. Burnside had a force of about fifteen thousand. Longstreet came up very boldly, the cavalry and mounted infantry contesting his approach in a severe battle, in which Gen. Sanders fell. Fighting then began all around the lines, and on both sides of the river, until December 4th. Rations had be- come scarce. The troops suffered from cold and hunger.
On the 25th of November Gen. Grant won the great battle of Mission Ridge. Sherman had marched from the Mississippi river to take part in that battle, without halting. His troops went into the assault on Bragg's lines, and as soon as the victory was complete, Sherman hastened on to the relief of Knoxville. At Sherman's ap- proach Longstreet raised the siege, and moved up the valley toward Virginia.
The 12th with other infantry followed the cavalry in pursuit. The cavalry and mounted infantry fought a sharp battle at Bean's Station. Winter came on and the 12th went into camp at Strawberry Plains. There the veteran organization was made during the intensely cold spell in the first days of January, 1864. The proposition of re-enlistment as veterans being made to the 12th, to ascertain who would re-enlist; the regiment was drawn up in line, the colors moved ten paces to the front, and those who would become veterans were invited to step forward and form on the colors. Sergt. Thos. Davidson, of Company D, was the first man to respond. For this he was made a lieutenant. Scattering men from all the com- panies then stepped forward, and in a moment more nearly the entire regiment rushed to the new line.
A few days after this the regiment recrossed the mountains. It was a dreary winter march with worn-out shoes and without overcoats. From Nicholasville to Louisville the travel was by rail. At Louisville the regi- ment was mustered out of the old service and into the veteran organization.
The men were granted a furlough of thirty days. They left for their homes the last day of February, 1864. The day fixed for the rendezvous was April 1st. The place was Point Burnside, on Cumberland river, ten miles from Somerset. At this time Col. Hoskins resigned. He had been with the regiment continuously from its organiza- tion. Every man in the regiment was personally attached to him. The day he was to leave, the regiment was formed on the parade ground. Col. Hoskins addressed them a few words of farewell which brought tears to every eye. Lieut. Col. Lawrence H. Rousseau took command, and re- tained it until the close of the war. He was a gallant
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officer, always present with his men, and he faithfully led the regiment through many dangerous and bloody en- counters.
The 1st of May, 1864, the 12th received orders at Burn- side Point to proceed at once to Chattanooga. It marched through Somerset, Stanford, Crab Orchard, and Danville to Lebanon; from Lebanon it went by rail, being trans- ported from Nashville to Chattanooga on the top of the cars of a freight train. When the 12th arrived at Chat- tanooga Gen. Sherman's army had reached Kingston. The regiment, therefore, went on to that place by rail, and from thence it marched toward the front. The first night out, it reached "Burnt Hickory" and went into camp: about midnight it was attacked; one man was killed and several wounded by the fire.
The next day the regiment united with Sherman's great army at Pumpkin Vine creek, and was assigned to the 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 23d Army Corps. Gen. Scho- field commanded the corps, Gen. J. D. Cox the division, and Gen. McLean the brigade.
It participated in the continuous fighting of this cam- paign. Reaching the Chattahoochee river the 23d Corps moved rapidly up to the mouth of Soap creek. There a crossing was to be made. The enemy held the opposite bank of the Chattahoochee, and had fortified the heights. The 3d Division of the 23d Corps (Gen. Cox), was selected to effect the crossing. The 3d Brigade of the division commanded by Col. Byrd, went forward, and the 12th was selected as the regiment to lead the crossing. In the mouth of Soap creek, under cover of the woods, the en- gineers put together the canvas pontoon boats. Into these the 12th was loaded and while the corps opened and kept up a terrific fire upon the opposite heights, the pontoon boats, loaded with the 12th, quickly crossed. Forming on the bank as they waded out, they rushed up the hill and captured the line of works with a section of artillery. Three men of Company A-Chas. Miller, Jas. Vaught, and Jas. Carter-were the first to seize the artillery, and turned it and fired it upon the enemy. Their names are mentioned in Gen. Cox's official report. The 12th theu advanced with the 23d Corps and participated in the battle at Peach Tree creek where it suffered serious loss. In the engagement of August 6th it again suffered, and Capt. Geo. W. Hill was killed. It would be too tedious to mention in detail these well-known great battles. The 12th moved with the other forces on the grand wheel Sherman made to get upon the railroad, south of Atlanta. It took part in the fight at Utoy creek and assisted to
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tear up the railroad at Rough and Ready. It suffered severe loss in the fight at JJonesboro.
After the capture of Atlanta the 12th went into camp at Decatur, about ten miles east of Atlanta. The in- spector-general on the staff of Gen. Sherman made a re- port, a copy of which was sent to the 12th, in which the 12th was reported to have the best arranged and cleanest camp of any regiment in the army.
On the 1st of October, 1864, Hood crossed the Chat- tahoochee river, about forty miles west of Atlanta, with forty thousand men.
As soon as Hood's move became known, Sherman started in a pursuit which lasted during the entire month of October.
About November 1, 1864, the 4th and 23d Corps pro- ceeded by rail to Nashville, to be thenceforward under command of Gen. Thomas, while Sherman, with the re- mainder of his army, returned to Atlanta and took up his march to the sea.
From Nashville the two corps went partly by rail and partly by marching to Pulaski, and were under the immediate command of Gen. Schofield. The whole force at Pulaski was 22,000.
The troops remained quietly encamped at Pulaski un- til the 23d of November. It was then ascertained that Gen. Hood, with his veteran army, was moving northwardly and was advancing on Columbia by way of Lawrenceburg. Schofield, therefore, movede rapidly to Columbia. Had he been a little later Hood would have occupied Columbia and been squarely in his rear, and upon the line of his communications.
The position at Columbia was held a day or two and then Schofield crossed to the north bank of Duck river, and so posted his troops as to prevent the enemy crossing the river.
That night the entire regiment with the 16th Ky. and some other troops, all under command of Col. Rousseau, took position to guard the crossing during the coming day. The detachment held the crossing all day, Novem- ber 29th, though under tremendous fire of grape and shells and musketry. On this day, November 29th, the 12th lost seventy-five men killed and wounded. Of thirteen of- ficers on the field, seven were wounded-Capt. Mcclure and Lieutenants Davidson and Orman severely. At mid- night it withdrew and marched rapidly through Spring Hill to Franklin.
As Col. Rousseau with his little detachment ap- proached Franklin, about noon, November 30th, Gen.
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Cox greeted him warmly, saying: "I did not expect to see you and your men any more."
The breastworks at Franklin were built the day the troops reached there, November 30th. The 23d Corps was in the line where the assault fell; one division of the 4th Corps being on the right, and the other on the op- posite side of the river. The 12th and 16th Ky .. were in the second or reserve line of Riley's brigade, near the Columbia pike and near the cotton gin. The heaviest part of Hood's assault was at that point, and it broke the front line, upon which the 12th and 16th Ky. sprang for- ward and restored the line in their front. Other reserves, assisted by Opdycke's brigade, a little to the right, did not exactly restore the broken line in their front but impro- vised a new line which they held.
This forward rush of the 12th and 16th Ky. deserves particular mention. The uproar occasioned by the en- gagement with Wagner's brigades was distinctly heard, and as these brigades came rushing over the works the fast pursuing enemy was close upon them. At this mo- ยท ment there was confusion in the line of Riley's brigade in the works. Part of the line gave way, and the 12th and 16th Ky. and Sth Tenn. saw what was occurring in their front where the gin house stood. Instantly this second line shouted "To the works! To the works!" and swept forward with a sudden rush, and struck like a thunderbolt into the works. There they met the enemy; they inside, the enemy outside. Muskets crossed and flashed in each other's faces. Standards of both armies were upon the works at the same moment.
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