USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 24
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 24
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The regiment started for home on the 2d of May, arrived at Washington on the 13th, took part in the grand review of the Army of the Potomac on the 23d, was mustered out on the 4th of June, and was paid off and disbanded at Jackson, Mich., on the 14th day of June, 1865.
SOLDIERS FROM BERRIEN COUNTY IN TWENTY-SIXTH INFANTRY.
Company C.
2d Lieut. Sylvester R. Wilson, Galien ; com Jan. 2, 1865; pro. to Ist lieut .; must. out as 2d lieut., June 4, 1865.
Company G.
Capt. Asa G. Dailey, Dayton ; com. Aug. 4, 1862 ; resigned April 27, 1865. 1st Lieut. Win. M. Cady, Dayton ; com. Aug. 11, 1864; resigned April 9, 1864. Sergt. James M. Price, Weesaw ; enl. Aug. 15, 1862; disch. fer disability, Nov. 28, 1863.
Sergt. Sylvester R. Wilson, Galien ; enl. Aug. 7, 1862; pro. to 2d lieut., Co. C. Sergt. William Hulines, Dayton ; enl. Aug. 6, 1862; died in rebel prison, Salis- bury, N. C., Jan. 12, 1865.
Sergt. John Landor, Dayton; enl. Ang. 6, 1862; must. ont June 3, 1865. Sergt. Albert O. Ewen, New Buffalo; enl. Ang. 8, 1862; must. ont June 3, 1865. Corp. Henry Howland, Dayton ; enl. Aug. 6, 1862; must. out June 3, 1865.
Corp. David Bryant, Niles; enl. Ang. 14, 1862; must. ont June 19, 1865.
Corp. Winfield Wilson, Galien; enl. Ang. 12, 1862; must. ont June 4, 1865.
Corp. William De Armand, Bertrand; enl. Aug. 15, 1862; died of wounds re- ceived at Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864.
Corp. George Day, St. Joseph ; enl. Aug. 12, 1862; died of disease at Alexandria, Va., Feb. 15, 1863.
Corp. Reuben H. Rice, Galien : enl. Aug. 15, 1862; must. out June 10, 1865. Corp. Alvah H. Spalding, Galien ; enl. Ang. 22, 1862; must. out June 4, 1865. Corp. Albert H. Wheeler, Dayton ; enl. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must. out June 4, 1865. Chauncey E. Ashcroft, must. out June 29, 1865.
Charles E. Bradley, must. out June 29, 1865.
Selah Baxter, must. out June 29, 1865.
F. A. Burras, must. out June 29, 1865.
Milford L. Brightford, disch. for disability, April 20, 1865.
William L. Bennett, died in Andersonville prison, Nov. 26, 1864.
Uri M. Barber, died in Andersonville prison, Sept. 23, 1864.
John Bowen, missing in battle, May 12, 1864.
John A. Davidson, must. out June 4, 1865.
John F. Espy, died of disease at Weesaw, Mich., May 8, 1864.
T. J. Green, died of disease, Dec. 21, 1863.
Joseph F. Grooms, must. out June 4, 1865.
Joseph V. Grooms, disch. for disability, Feb. 17, 1865. John Haggerty, disch. for disability.
91
TWENTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY.
Joseph Happe, died in battle at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864. Daniel Harris, died in Salisbury prison, Jan. 12, 1865. Samuel Hills, must. out June 4, 1865. Gilbert F. Kinney, disch. for disability, May 2, 1863. Nelson Kinney, disch. for disability, Nov. 17, 1863. Robert Landon, must. out June 4, 1865. James Lavelle, must. out June 4, 1865. Obed Look, died of disease, Nov. 7, 1862. Elkanah A. Parish, died of disease at Dayton, Mich., Feb. 20, 1864. Edgar Potter, died of disease at Alexandria, April 9, 1863. Aaron Perks, died in battle at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864. James R. Ross, died of disease at Dayton, Mich., Feb. 20, 1864. Joseph Rouse, must. out June 4, 1865. David Stoner, must. out June 4, 1865. Alvin C. Spalding, must. out June 4, 1865. Abner P. Spalding, must. out June 4, 1865. George W. Spengelburch, died in rebel prison at Salisbury, Dec. 9, 1865. George W. Stoner, disch. for disability, June 17, 1863.
Nicholas Shoop, died of disease at Alexandria, Va., Jan. 21, 1864. Hiram A. Sackett, died in battle at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864. William Seward, died in battle at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864. Benjamin F. Yaw, disch. for disability, Dec. 16, 1863.
Jonathan Yaw, disch, for disability, Dec. 16, 1863.
FROM VAN BUREN COUNTY.
George Snow, must. out May 30, 1865.
CHAPTER XII.
TWENTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY - FIRST ENGIN-
EERS AND MECHANICS-FIRST SHARP-
SHOOTERS.
Organization of the Twenty-Eighth at Kalamazoo-Short Service in Kentucky and Tennessee-Transfer to North Carolina-Fight at Wise's Forks-Railroad Duty-Close of Service-Berrien and Van Buren Soldiers in the Twenty-Eighth-First Engineers-Fight at Lavergne, Tenn .- Severe Duty in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas-Muster Out-The First Sharpshooters-Fight- ing John Morgan in Indiana and Ohio-Services with the Army of the Potomac-Members from Berrien and Van Buren Counties.
TWENTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY.
THE colonel of this regiment was William W. Wheeler, of Niles, and there were about.one hundred and fifty men in it from Berrien and Van Buren Counties. Company H had over thirty men from Berrien County, and a few from Van Buren. Company G had nearly fifty from Van Bu- ren County, and about a dozen from Berrien. The other. representatives of the two counties were scattered through the different companies. The regiment was raised in the summer and early autumn of 1864, its rendezvous being at Kalamazoo, and it was completed in October of that year by the consolidation with it of several partially formed companies intended to form the 29th Infantry.
The new regiment left Kalamazoo on the 26th of Octo- ber for Louisville, Ky., arriving in that city on the 29th. On the 10th of November it was ordered to Camp Nelson to guard a wagon-train from that place to Nashville, Tenn. Arriving at that city on the 5th of December, it was as- signed to temporary duty at Nashville until Jan. 14, 1865, when it was embarked on steamboats, under orders to pro- ceed to Eastport, Miss. But on reaching Paducah, at the mouth of the Tennessee River, orders were received, chang- ing its destination to Louisville, Ky. Arriving at Louis- ville on the 18th of January, 1865, it was ordered to An- napolis, Md., but while on its way to that place another change of orders was made, under which it was moved to Alexandria, Va. There, having been assigned to the 2d
Brigade, 1st Division, of the 23d Army Corps, it embarked on ocean transports for Morehead City, N. C., where it ar- rived on the 24th of February, leaving at once by railroad for Newbern, and reaching that point on the following day.
On the 2d of March the regiment moved with its com- mand on the road to Kinston, but encountered the enemy, under the rebel Gen. Hoke, at Wise's Forks, and was there engaged on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of March, having twenty officers and men killed and wounded. After this affair the march was continued, the regiment reaching Kinston on the 14th and Goldsboro' on the 21st of March. It was then, with its brigade, assigned the duty of guarding the railroad line, and so continued until the 9th of April, when it was moved by way of Goldsboro' to Raleigh, ar- riving there on the 13th of that month.
After the substantial closing of the war by the surren- der of Johnston, the 28th remained in North Carolina, en- gaged on duty at Goldsboro', Raleigh, Charlotte, Lincoln- town, Wilmington, and Newbern, till the 5th of June, 1866, when it was mustered out of service. It was paid off and disbanded at Detroit, on the 8th of June, 1866.
BERRIEN COUNTY SOLDIERS IN THE TWENTY-EIGHTH. Field and Staff.
Col. Wm. W. Wheeler, Niles; com. Aug. 15, 1864; lieut .- col. and maj. 23d Inf .; must. out July 12, 1866.
Company B.
S. F. West, died of disease at Nashville, Jan. 9, 1865.
Company C.
Andrew Baer, must. out June 12, 1865.
Wilson J. Norton, must. ont June 12, 1865.
Willis S. Norton, disch. by order, July 26, 1865.
Charles E. Perry, disch. by order, May 26, 1865.
Paul Pasch, must. out June 5, 1866.
Abram Packard, died of disease at Alexandria, Va., Feb. 13, 1865.
James E. Sprang, must. out June 5, 1866.
James A. Shelden, must. out Sept. 12, 1865.
Company E.
Jolin Brott, must. out June 5, 1866.
Charles L. Cummings, must. out June 5, 1866.
Lawson T. Humphrey, must. out June 5, 1866.
George Hamilton must. out Oct. 6, 1865.
Wm. W. Jordan, must. out June 5, 1866.
Zephaniah Linsey, disch. by order, Aug. 26, 1865.
Frank Matron, must. out Aug. 23, 1865.
Michael Rohrer, must. ont June 5, 1866.
Archibald Schoonover, disch. by order, Sept. 5, 1865.
Luman Wireman, must. out June 14, 1865.
Company G.
Wm. Allen, must. out June 5, 1866. John A. Hunt, must. out May 22, 1865.
Henry D. Kirtland, disch. for disability. Ira Olds, died of disease at Detroit, March 4, 1865.
Daniel Quinn, must. out June 5, 1866.
Charles H. Stevens, must. out Sept. 13, 1865.
James D. Tilton, must. out June 5, 1866.
Wmn. S. Williams, must. out June 5, 1866.
Cornelius Williams, must. out Jan. 3, 1866. Wm. Wittier, must. out May 25, 1865.
Company H.
Sergt. Orrin W. Crossman, Benton; enl. Sept. 3, 1864; died of disease at Alex- andria, Va., Feb. 16, 1865.
Sergt. Orange C. Burbank, Benton; enl. Oct. 1, 1864; died of disease in North Carolina, Aug. 16, 1865.
Corp. Anthony Jerrue, Benton ; enl. Sept. 16, 1864; disch. by order, Sept. 6, '65. Corp. Delmont J. Coboneau, Berrien; enl. Sept. 10, 1864; sergeant; must. out June 5, 1866.
Corp. Francis H. Taylor, St. Joseph ; enl. Sept. 13, 1864; disch. for disability, Sept. 23, 1865.
Corp. James Hanna, St. Joseph ; enl. Sept. 1, 1864; must. out June 5, 1865.
Corp. Uriah Gress, Benton; enl. Sept. 19, 1864; disch. by order, May 19, 1865. Perry J. Ashley, died at Kalamazoo (shot), Dec. 6, 1861.
David Abbey, disch. by order, May 17, 1866.
Wm. Annable, must. out June 5, 1866.
92
HISTORY OF BERRIEN AND VAN BUREN COUNTIES, MICHIGAN.
W. S. Aikens, disch. at end of service, March 3, 1866. Frederick Barney, disch. by order, May 26, 1865. Richard W. Brown, must. ont July 7, 1865. Smith B. Barker, must. out June 5, 1866. Wm. W. Fenno, must. out June 5, 1866. George G. Gouchy, must. ont July 1, 1865. Lewis Herbert, must. out Sept. 13, 1865. Wm. E. Jakeway, must. out Dec. 4, 1865.
Richard S. Lawrence, died of disease at Louisville, Nov. 21, 1864. Charles E. Mowry, must. out June 12, 1865. George W. Odell, died of disease in Indiana, Nov. 23, 1864. Gain O. Robinson, died of disease at Alexandria, Va., Feb. 10, 1865. Humphrey Starks, must. out May 29, 1865. Harvey Smith, must. out June 5, 1866. Pardon D. Taylor, died of disease at Nashville, Jan. 10, 1865. Edmund Tappen, must. out June 5, 1866. Hiram Tubbs, must. out Sept. 13, 1865. Merrick Vincent, died of disease in North Carolina, June 5, 1865. Henry Weber, disch. by order, May 19, 1865. Calvin S. Warren, disch. for disability, Oct. 19, 1865. Arthur Worden, must. out June 5, 1866.
Company I.
Washington S. Blowers, died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 10, 1865. Fred. N. Bachman, must. out June 5, 1866. John Buchanan, must. out June 5, 1866. John J. Baxter, must. out June 5, 1866. George A, Cook, must. out June 5, 1866.
Frederick M. Cook, must. out July 14, 1865.
William C. Conklin, disch. by order, May 27, 1865. Amos L. Herrick, disch. for disability, Dec. 21, 1865. Daniel D. Havens, must. out June 5, 1866. Stephen R. Thayer, must. out Sept 13, 1865. John B. Woodward, died of disease at New York City, June 30, 1865.
Company K.
. Corp. Warren Beckwith, Watervliet; enl. Oct. 11, 1864; died of disease in North Carolina, June 8, 1865.
Daniel Aspinwall, must. out May 11, 1865. Perry Converse, must. out May 16, 1865. Silas J. Chapman, died of disease at Alexandria, Va., Feb. 16, 1865. Alexander Fisher, miist. out June 5, 1866. David W. Felson, must. ont June 5, 1866. Albert E. Heaton, must. ont May 15, 1865. Richard A. Lawrence, must. out May 20, 1865. Edward Measure, must. ont May 26, 1865. John H. Measure, must. out June 5, 1865. William H. Morey, must. out June 5, 1866. James P. Versan, must. ont June 5, 1866. Samuel Versan, must. ont June 5, 1866.
MEMBERS OF THE TWENTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY FROM VAN BUREN COUNTY.
Field and Stuff.
Q.M. John B. Upton, Lawrence ; com. Aug. 27, 1864 ; must. out June 5, 1866. Q.M. Sergt. Augustus H. Draper, Lawrence ; disch. by order, May 22, 1866. Com. Sergt. William H. Clay, Lawrence ; must. out Sept. 13, 1865.
Company C.
John Gamby, disch. at end of service, Feb. 6, 1866. Charles A. Woodward, must. out May 12, 1865.
Company D. -
Isaac Graham, died of disease at Louisville, Ky., March 30, 1865.
Company E.
Corp. Barker C. Storey, Bloomingdale; enl. Sept. 15, 1864; disch. for disability, Feb. 18, 1865.
Thomas J. Draper, must. out June 5, 1866. Thomas B. Draper, must. out May 25, 1866.
Henry M. Freeman, disch. for wounds, June 5, 1866. Edward M. Wetmore, must. out June 5, 1866.
Company G.
Capt. Eri Barber, Bangor ; com. Sept. 30, 1864; resigned Sept. 12, 1865. Capt. Edwin R. Farmer, Lawrence; com. Sept. 12, 1865 ; 1st lieut., Sept. 30, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866.
2d Lieut. Daniel Spicer, Antwerp; com. Sept. 30, 1864; must. out May 15, 1865. Sergt. Orville F. McNitt, Lawrence; enl. Sept. 5, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866. Sergt. Washington I. Bird, Decatur; enl. Sept. 2, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866. Sergt. Erastus V. Allen, Lawrence; enl. Sept. 3, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866. Sergt. Andrew Bartlett, Lawrence ; enl. Sept. 9, 1864 ; disch. by order, April 20, 1866.
Sergt. John Mayhard, Antwerp; enl. Sept. 13, 1864; disch. by order, April 16, 1866.
Corp. Robert H. Privitts, Lawrence; enl. Sept. 6, 1864; disch. by order, Aug. 25, 1865.
Corp. Orlen F. Olcott, Decatur; enl. Sept. 30, 1864; disch. by order, June 12, 1865.
Corp. John G. Youngs, Decatur ; enl. Sept. 1, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866. Corp. Wallace H. Page, Lawrence ; enl. Sept. 5, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866. Corp. Charles Kelley, Lawrence ; enl. Sept. 3, 1864 ; must. out Sept. 13, 1865. Corp. Lewis Herrington, Lawrence; enl. Sept. 12, 1864; must. ont June 5, 1866.
Sherman Andrews, died in action, Wise Forks, N. C., May 8, 1865.
Charles C. Butcher, died of disease at Newbern, N. C., March 26, 1865. Daniel Bancroft, died of disease at Alexandria, Va., Feb. 14, 1865.
James L. Cooper, must. out May 31, 1865.
Joseph C. Cook, must. out May 26, 1865. James Cannon, must. out June 5, 1866. James M. Drake, disch. for disability, Dec. 6, 1864. Isaac M. Drake, must out June 5, 1866.
Charles Doty, must. out June 5, 1866. John M. Dowejer, must. out June 5, 1866.
Larne Dyer, must. out June 5, 1866.
James E. Depilds, must. ont June 16, 1865.
George H. Eaton, must. out June 5, 1866. Pulaski Easton, must. out May 29, 1866.
Edward Forman, must. out June 7, 1865.
John Fitzpatrick, died of disease at Alexandria, Va., Feb. 1, 1865. Anios Gibbs, died of disease at Pittsburgh, Pa., Feb. 10, 1865.
Justice A. Irish, must. out May 31, 1865. Ezra McAllister, must. out June 5, 1866. Russell W. Menton, must. out June 5, 1866.
Lyman A. McNitt, must. out Sept. 13, 1865.
Thomas S. Nesbitt, must. out June 5, 1866.
Harvey Potter, must. out May 26, 1865.
Joseph Salisbury, must. out June 5, 1866.
Morris Stedman, must. out June 8, 1865.
Lyman F. Smith, died of disease at New York City, Aug. 22, 1865. Cassins M. C. Traver, died of disease at Charlotte, N. C., Aug. 28, 1865.
George W. Wells, must. out June 13, 1865.
Company H.
1st Lieut. George Platts, Bloomingdale; com. Feb. 2, 1866 ; 2d lieut., March 2, 1865; sergt., Sept. 10, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866.
Sergt. Dyer Newcomb, Lawrence; enl. Sept. 6, 1864; must. out May 27, 1866. Corp. Wm. H. Braman, Hamilton ; enl. Aug. 30, 1364; died of disease at Alex- andria, March 12, 1865.
Corp. Jefferson Slaybaugh, Hamilton; enl. Ang. 30, 1864; died of disease at Kalamazoo, Mich., Oct. 11, 1864.
Charles C. Crisler, must. out June 5, 1866.
Newcomb Dyer, must. out May 27, 1866.
Reuben Drake, must. out July 6, 1865.
Lewis Wise, must. out June 12, 1865.
Company I.
Sergt. Wm. H. Nichols, Lawrence; enl. Sept. 12, 1864; must. ont June 5, 1866. Amos Gibbs, died of disease at Pittsburgh, Pa., Feb. 10, 1865.
Abram A. Smith. must. out June 8, 1866.
Miles Spicer, disch. by order, May 24, 1865.
Company K.
Sergt. Allen Gorliam, Almena ; enl. Oct. 4, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866. Corp. Freenan Vanliew, Waverly ; enl. Sept. 30, 1864; must. out June 5, 1866.
FIRST ENGINEERS AND MECHANICS.
About half of Company G of this regiment was from Van Buren County, and there were a few in other com- panies from Berrien County. The regiment was raised in the summer and autumn of 1861, and left Marshall for Louisville, Ky., with ten companies, of one hundred men each, on the 17th of December in that year. It was soon divided into detachments, which were principally employed throughout the following year in building bridges and making repairs on the railroads between Louisville and Nashville, Nashville and Chattanooga, Nashville and Co- lumbia, Corinth and Decatur, Huntsville and Stevenson, and Memphis and Chattanooga. In June, 1861, alone, it built seven bridges on the Memphis and Charleston Rail- road, varying from eighty-four to three hundred and forty feet in length. During that year the regiment was in- creased by law to twelve companies, of one hundred and fifty men each, arranged in three battalions, but the men were not recruited till the next year.
On the 1st of January, 1862, the regiment was attacked
93
FIRST SHARPSHOOTERS.
at Lavergne, Tenn., by from three to four thousand rebel cavalry, with two pieces of artillery, under Gens. Wharton and Wheeler. The assailants were repulsed with serious loss. During the year 1863 the Engineers and Mechanics were engaged at their former work of building bridges and repairing railroads in Tennessee and North Alabama, for the benefit of Gen. Rosecrans' army. The one over Elk River, Tenn., was four hundred and sixty feet long, and the one over Duck River three hundred and fifty feet.
During the winter of 1863-64 the regiment, divided as usual into detachments, was engaged in building trestle- work and bridges, and also in constructing store-houses, etc., at Chattanooga and Bridgeport. Part of the time the men at Chattanooga were refitting saw-mills, and in March and April, 1864, they were running saw-mills, getting out railroad ties, working on the defenses. Other detachments were erecting block-houses on the Nashville and Chatta- nooga and other railroads.
The greater part of the regiment followed Sherman's army during the summer of 1864, building block-houses with which to hold the railroad from Chattanooga to At- lanta, the great artery which preserved the life of the army.
Although the time of the regiment expired in October, 1864, there were enough re-enlisted veterans and new recruits to maintain its full strength. During the latter part of the fall of 1864 it was very busily engaged in de- stroying rebel fortifications, rolling-mills, foundries, etc., and in constructing defenses for the small Union force which Gen. Sherman intended to leave behind him.
On the 16th of November the regiment, except two com- panies retained with the Army of the Cumberland, set out with Sherman's army on the great march to the sea, during which its duties were probably harder than that of any other regiment in the service. It had to keep pace with the army, marching over twenty miles a day, and performed an im- mense amount of extra service in destroying railroad tracks and bridges and in building bridges and corduroy roads for the use of the army. On the 10th and 11th of December it built a dam across the Ogeechee Canal, near Savannah, under the fire of rebel batteries. After the capture of that city, the regiment began work on fortifications there, which were completed in six days.
Having been carried to Beaufort, S. C., on transports, it set out with the army on its northward march on the 31st of January, 1865. Its course through the Carolinas was marked by its old work of alternate destruction and repair. At Edisto Station the men built a bridge under fire from the enemy's sharpshooters. At Lynch Creek they con- structed a crossing a mile long in the night, when the water was waist deep, and corduroyed it the next day for the trains. The regiment reached Goldsboro', N. C., on the 23d of March, 1865, and two days later was joined by the two companies which had been left in the Army of the Cumberland.
After the surrender of Gen. Johnston's army, the 1st Engineers and Mechanics moved north to Washington, participated in the grand review of Sherman's army on the 24th of May, was sent West early in June, and arrived at Nashville on the 1st of July, 1865. It was employed on the defenses there until the 22d of September, when it
was mustered out of service. It was paid off and disbanded at Jackson, Mich., on the 1st day of October, 1865.
VAN BUREN COUNTY SOLDIERS IN THE FIRST ENGINEERS AND MECHANICS.
Company G.
Sergt. Bradley W. Stanton, enl. Sept. 10, 1861; disch. at end of service, Oct. 29, 1864.
Corp. David H. Ganlt, enl. Sept. 16, 1861; disch. July 12, 1863.
Corp. Alva Hayes, enl. Sept. 14, 1861 ; disch. at end of service, Oct. 29, 1864.
Corp. Newland Nash, enl. Sept. 11, 1861; sergt. ; disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1×64.
Corp. Edmund N. Hayden, enl. Sept. 12, 1861; died of disease, March 22, 1864. Darius F. Austin, disch. for disability, July 23, 1863.
Renben H. Allen, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
James C. Brown, disch. for disability, Ang. 18, 1862.
Eli Bush, disch. for disability, April 28, 1862.
Cynerus Brown, died of disease at Louisville, Ky., March 13, 1862. Barnabas Brown, died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 30, 1863.
Clark K. Brewer, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
David D. Brown, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
Robert B. Bishop, veteran, Jan. 1, 1864.
William Craver, died of disease at Bridgeport, Ala. William H. Carr, must. ont Sept. 22, 1864.
Sylvester Dyer, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
Lewis Fosberry, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
Ezra 11. Fosmire, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
Elial L. Goble, disch. for disability, Sept. 16, 1862.
David H. Garrett, disch. for disability, July 23, 1863. Alonzo Libbie, disch. for disability, July 24, 1862. William Murch, disch. for disability, April 21, 1862.
Stephen A. Root, disch. for disability, June 23, 1862. John Richardson, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
James H. Root, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
William Reed, died of disease at Murfreesboro', Tenn., April 23, 1863.
Uriah Stephens, died of disease at Murfreesboro', Tenn., Jan. 10, 1863. Jesse Stevens, disch. by order, June 6, 1865.
John M. Vosburg, died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 31, 1863.
Daniel Van Tassel, veteran, enl. Jan. 1, 1864.
David S. Van Tassel, must. out Sept. 22, 1865.
Martin A. Wesgate, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
Company H.
Giles S. Noble, must. ont Sept. 22, 1865.
BERRIEN COUNTY MEN IN THE ENGINEER REGIMENT.
Company D.
George Scott, disch. by order, June 6, 1865.
Company F.
Addison M. Gustin, must. out Sept. 22, 1865.
Reuben F. Gustin, must. out Sept. 22, 1865.
FIRST SHARPSHOOTERS.
The formation of this regiment began at Kalamazoo in the autumn of 1862. Ira L. Evans, who had served over a year as a private in the 2d Infantry, recruited about thirty men from Niles and vicinity, and was commissioned as lieutenant. Other recruits were obtained from various parts of Berrien and Van Buren, amounting in all to nearly one hundred.
The incomplete regiment remained at Kalamazoo and Dearborn until the summer of 1863, when it went to In- diana to help drive Morgan's raiders from that State and Ohio. After returning to Dearborn and filling up its ranks, it proceeded to Chicago, where it acted as guard over rebel prisoners until March, 1864, when it joined the 9th Army Corps at Annapolis, Md.
With that corps it went through the Virginia campaign of 1864, taking part in nearly all the battles, and suffering heavy loss. In the Wilderness it had twenty-four officers and men killed and wounded. At Spottsylvania it gallantly charged a rebel battery, but was so terribly cut up by shell and canister that it was ordered to lie down and hold the
Edwin R. Murch, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
John M. Palmer, disch. at end of service, Oct. 31, 1864.
94
HISTORY OF BERRIEN AND VAN BUREN COUNTIES, MICHIGAN.
ground, which it did until night. During the conflict at Spottsylvania the regiment had one hundred and fifty-one officers and men killed and wounded.
After several sharp skirmishes at North Anna River, Tolopotomoy Creek, and Bethesda Church, it reached Cold Harbor on the 4th of June. It was but slightly engaged there, and on the 16th of June arrived in front of Peters- burg. The next day it participated in the successful charge on the enemy's works, and assisted in repelling two efforts to retake them, capturing eighty-eight officers and soldiers and a rebel battle-flag. The Sharpshooters were on the extreme left of the corps, and the Confederates made a night attack on its left and rear, inflicting heavy loss and nearly capturing the whole regiment. The greater portion, however, succeeded in cutting its way through the rebel lines, though several companies were badly shattered. Thirty-one officers and men were reported killed, forty-six wounded, and eighty-four missing.
The Sharpshooters were also actively engaged in the fight which followed the celebrated mine explosion on the 30th of July, capturing fifty prisoners, but also suffering a loss of three killed, twelve wounded, and thirty-three missing. The regiment likewise took part in engagements on the Weldon Railroad in August ; near " Peebles' House," on the 30th of September; and on the South Side Railroad, on the 27th of October. After the latter event the regi- ment served on picket, and in the trenches before Peters- burg until the 25th of March, when two companies aided in repelling the Confederate attack on Fort Steadman ; and in the final charge, which drove him behind his works, cap- tured more prisoners than they had men engaged, with but slight loss to themselves. The regiment lost heavily, how- ever, on the 2d of April, in making a feint against the enemy's left, in order to facilitate an attack on his right.
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