USA > Missouri > Recollections of the 26th Missouri Infantry, in the war for the union > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
"But after the movement had commenced, and the con- dition as well as disposition of the enemy became apparent. he had no confidence of our success, and became much de- pressed. This depression did not seem to be the result of any gloomy forebodings about himself, but of a fear-well founded, I think-that the assault would be carried too far, that we should lose the strength and flower of our army, and as a consequence Vicksburg, which we were sure to capture and reduce by delay.
"Later than twelve o'clock that day he told me he had become convinced that we could not gain the parapets with- out more than fifty per cent. of our men: that this would leave the enemy the larger force, which would be fresh. while ours would be exhausted and worn out, and that we had no chance of success. He asked me once if I did not think some one of us should go and see General McPherson in regard to the matter, and try to have the men ordered back to the camps. This, however. was but a few moments before we received a dispatch from General McClernand, saying that he was in part possession of the enemy's works: that if he could be supported he could carry the position. etc., and an order for us to move to his support.
174
MEMOIR OF GEN. G. B. BOOMER.
" As we left our positions to go to the support of Mc- Clernand, I saw your brother for the last time alive. He gave a broad, full smile, such as you know he could give, which seemed to say, 'I don't believe a word of the dispatch but am willing to go and see how it is.'
"A half hour afterwards we were both warmly engaged with the enemy in our new positions, when your brother was killed. He fell at the time of his greatest usefulness, and when moving most rapidly forward in the pathway of glory. In his case how speedily it led to the tomb !
'The decree went forth, and the arrrow sped By fate's irrevocable doom ; And the gallant young hero lies low with the dead ; But the halo of glory that encircles his head Remains uneclipsed by the tomb.'
"Your brother will never be forgotten by his compan- ions in arms; and we all, even before we could realize that we should see him in the flesh nevermore, in heart exclaim- ed, 'Wise counsellor ! Brave soldier ! Genial and faithful friend! Hail ! and farewell !'
"Very truly yours, J. B. SANBORN, Brigadier-General."
.
.
MAJOR R. C. CROWELL.
ROBERT CODDINGTON CROWELL, late Major of the 26th Missouri Volunteer infantry is a descendant of the Scotch Presbyterians whose ancestors formed a part of one of the first New Jersey colonies, and were active and loyal soldiers of our Revolution, and of the War of 1812.
He was born January 11th, 1832, in New York City, educated in the common schools of New York and New Jersey, moved to St. Louis, Mo., in June 1847, and while there worked as an errand boy and clerk in various lines of trade. Attending the St Louis Commercial College at night and during the day, when not otherwise employed, until April 1850, when he joined a small party of young men cross- ing the plains to California, where he remained with varying fortunes until January, 1852, at this date he returned to the Atlantic Coast and proceeded to learn the trade of a ship- wright. In June 1856, he again journeyed westward to St. Louis, and was immediately employed in various capacities by Eades & Nelson, Wrecking and Salvage Co., raising sunken steamboats along all the western rivers from north to south, when his health being impaired in this arduous service, he entered the mercantile business on his own account in Callaway County, Missouri. He moved in 1859, to Osage County, at St. Aubert Station, Missouri Pacific Railroad,
-
176
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
remaining there until the beginning of actual war, when he enlisted as a private in Co. K, 26th Missouri Volunteer Infantry. When this regiment was filled by consolidation of three skeleton commands at Pacific, Mo., January, 1862, he was commissioned Ist Lieutenant of Co. K in May, 1862. On the resignation of Capt. Ruckel, of Co. E, Lieut. Crowell was promoted to Captain of that company, and as Co. K was not filled to quota required by law, it was disbanded and the men transferred to other companies of the regiment.
At this time Co. E was wanting in drill and discipline, and Capt. Crowell was ordered by Col. Boomer to " make soldiers out of them," which he at once proceeded to do to the best of his ability, and in a very short time Company E was behind no other company in either drill or discipline and this with their pluck was manifested in their first bitter battle at Iuka, Miss., September 19, 1862, where they held their ground and emptied their cartridge boxes on the enemy until ordered to the rear to replenish ammunition, having held the right section of the IIth Ohio Battery until that moment and were relieved by a portion of the Eleventh Missouri Volunteer Infantry. Capt. Crowell was there wounded in the left shoulder and still carries the rebel lead.
The records show that Company E lost more men, killed and wounded, than any other company of like numbers engaged on the field. After forty days' absence in hospital Capt. Crowell rejoined his command and was immediately ordered to report at brigade headquarters as acting Assistant Adjutant General of 3d Brigade, 7th Division, 17th Army Corps, under Colonel Boomer as Brigade Commander. He remained in this capacity until May 16th, 1863, when on the death of Major Brown, at battle of Champion
-
177
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
Hills, Miss., he was promoted to be Major, serving with his regiment through the Vicksburg and Atlanta campaigns un- til he was ordered from the front to Chattanooga as Provost Marshal of the District of the Etowah, and there remained until ordered to Nashville, Tenn., where he was mustered out of the service in January 1865. Major Crowell after- ward returned to Missouri where he has since resided at Kansas City.
STIL PHOTOEN
CAPT. W. H. MENGEL. From a photograph taken during the war.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
CAPT. WILLIAM H. MENGEL was a clerk in the store of H. C. Finke at California, Mo., at the commencement of the war. and first enlisted in Capt. T. M. Rice's Co. G, Col. Allen P. Richardson's Regiment Missouri Home Guards (or Ist Regiment Missouri U. S. Reserve Corps, as it was called ) as Ist Sergeant. Shortly after enlistment he was pro- moted to 2d Lieutenant, and was mostly on detached service doing duty as guide for regiments from other states. In September he was sent to Lexington. Mo., with twenty men to guard a steamboat with provisions for the troops un-
1.79
TWENTY-SIXTH. MISSOURI INFANTRY.
der Col. Mulligan at Lexington. On arrival at that place. and after reporting to Col. Mulligan, Lieut. Mengel was at- tached to Col. White's command during the siege and in- vestment, was with the balance of the troops surrendered by Col. Mulligan to Sterling Price.
After being exchanged in October, 1861, Lieut. Mengel re-enlisted in the 26th Missouri Infantry, and at the mus- tering in of the regiment he was Ist Sergeant of Co. G; was promoted to 2d Lieut .; then Ist Lieut. Co. G; then Captain of Co. H, serving in that capacity until the regiment was mustered out at Savannah, Ga., in January. 1865.
Capt. Mengel's discharge, dated January 9, 1865, at Savannah, Ga., bears the following record of his service in said Regiment.
This officer has participated in the following named en- gagements and battles :
Siege and Battle of New Madrid and Island No. 10, March and April, 1862.
The capture of 5,000 prisoners at Tiptonville, Tenn.
Siege of Corinth, Miss., under General Halleck.
Battle of Iuka, Miss., September 19th, 1862.
Battle of Corinth, Miss., October 3d and 4th, 1862. In the Yazoo Pass Expedition, Spring, IS63.
In the campaign around Vicksburg.
In the Battle of Port Gibson, May Ist, 2d and 3d.
In the Battle of Raymond, May 12th.
In the Battle of Jackson, Miss., May 14th.
In the Battle of Champion Hills, Miss., May 16th. In the Assault on Vicksburg, May 22d. In the Siege of Vicksburg.
180
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
In the battle of Missionary Ridge, Tenn., November 25th, 1863.
In the Campaign on Atlanta, Ga.
In the Campaign and Siege of Savannah, Ga., where his service ends by reason of expiration of term of service, the 9th day of January, 1865.
[Signed]
B. D. DEAN,
Colonel Commanding Regiment.
Captain Mengel now resides in California, Mo., where he is in the lumber business.
-
.
LIEUT. W. W. WOODMANCY.
W. W. WOODMANCY, late Ist Lieutenant of Co. D, 26th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, was born in Dryden, Tompkins county, N. Y., March 16th, 1835, and at the age of nineteen obeyed the noted saying of Horace Greeley, and moved westward to Bloomington, Ill., which was then the terminus of the first railroad west of the now great city of Chicago. After remaining at Bloomington a short time he went to Southern Wisconsin, thence to Omaha, Nebraska, where he arrived in June, 1857, and remained until August, 1859, when he departed for Jefferson City, Mo., re- siding there until March, IS61, when he removed to the western part of Pettis county, Mo., near Knob Noster in Johnson county.
Soon after Lieut. Woodmancy arrived in the vicinity of Knob Noster, the war cry echoed throughout all parts of the country, and on the 4th day of July, 1861 at the meeting of the Johnson County Home Guards, in Warrensburg, the county seat of Johnson county, he was one of the 150, who volunteered to go to Lexington, Mo., for the purpose of securing arms for the Johnson County Home Guards, which were reported as being transported to Lexington by steamer from St. Louis, as there were no railroads in that part of the State in the early times.
182
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
After two days patiently waiting, the steamer with the arms arrived and preparations were being- made to turn them over to the volunteers, when a little incident worthy of mention transpired. ' While preparing to unload the arms, a man appeared on the scene armed with pistols, knives, etc .. defying any man or number of men to arrest him for any- thing he might say or do. He went so far in this bravado, that it became necessary for the boys of "hoop pole county," to arrest him, and send him to Jefferson Barracks, without the loss of a man or the shedding of any blood. After nine days' absence the detail returned with the arms to Warrens- burg and distributed them to the Home Guards, and after making one more trip. concluded that that kind of soldiering did not suit them, and on going to Jefferson City, heard of G. B. Boomer. who was there trying to form a regiment, but had so far recruited only six men.
Lieutenant Woodmancy with the others joined Boomer on the September 11th, 1861. After studying tactics and drilling about ten days, they organized a camp rendevous at the old town of Medora, twenty-one miles east of Jefferson City, and after four months, hard service, from Sept. 11th, 1861 to January 9th, 1862, was mustered into the regular vol- unteer service for three years. During their stay in camp at Medora, the following incidents occurred, the relation of which will be interesting to all comrades of the old " Boomer Battalion."
R. C. Crowell, being on recruiting service at Fulton, was captured by the Contederates, and in order to secure his return, it was agreed to capture and hold three promin- ent rebel citizens. To do this it was necessary to make a detail of about fifty men, who packed their knapsacks and
ยท 183
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
supplied themselves with sixty rounds of ammunition. and proceeded cautiously, under the cover of darkness, across the Missouri River, for the purpose of capturing the three unarmed men. Securing two of them they came to the third man and found him feigning sickness. Captain Koops, a German, told him they would haul him, and when asked how, replied, " mit de bagonet," which was so satisfactory to the man that he at once concluded to walk. After hold- ing these men a few days, they were released and permitted to return home.
Lieutenant Woodmancy, after his muster on January 9th, 1861, continued in active service with his regiment un- til the term of service expired, January 9th, 1865, when he was mustered out at Savannah, Ga. After visiting his old home and friends in New York, he returned to Missouri, and in July, 1865, purchased a farm, three miles north- east of Knob Noster, Mo., and on October 9th of the same year, married Miss L. V. Askren, of Pettis county, and has resided there ever since. His post office address is Knob Noster, Johnson county, Mo.
LIEUT. JOHN N. PRICKETT.
JOHN N. PRICKETT was born in Bond county, Illinois, December 24th, 1820, and was brought up on the farm in Bond and Montgomery counties. When the war broke out he was teaching school. He enlisted in Co. A, an inde- pendent company of Sharpshooters raised in St. Louis, Sep- tember 5th, 1861. and drilled in Filley's foundry on old Broadway. The company went with General Fremont on his expedition through Missouri to Springfield as his in- fantry body guard and returned with him to St. Louis, doing provost duty in the city until moved to St. Louis Arsenal, and was there until the company became part of the glorious 26th. Was with the regiment in all its marches, skirmishes and battles until after the Battle of Corinth, October 3d and 4th. When the regiment left Corinth, Comrade Prickett being unable to follow on account of sickness was left in the hospital at Corinth, Miss., and from there went to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., and was discharged for disability, January 6th, 1863. He enlisted again February 3d, 1865, at Alton, Ill., in Co. G, 150th Illinois Infantry. Was Ist Sergeant until July, and from that time until mustered out in January, 1866, served as Ist Lieutenant. The 150th was first on duty at Bridgeport, Ala., and along the railroad toward Chattanooga, and then at Cleveland, Tenn.
185
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
From thence to Dalton, Ga., from there to Spring Place, Ga., and then back to Dalton; from there to Atlanta, July 8th, August 14th to Lagrange, Ga., seventy miles on Macon and West Point Road, and was there until ordered back to Atlanta, January 17th, to be mustered out.
Lieutenant Prickett was discharged at Camp Butler, Ill .. January 31st, 1866.
Married Julia A. Denny, October 25th, 1866, who died January 18th, 1878. There are two children living by the first wife-Willie S. Prickett and Adie May Prickett.
Married Nancy S. Wiley, June 9th, 1881.
CAPT. JOHN W. MAUPIN.
JOHN W. MAUPIN was born May 18th, 1839, near Union, Franklin county, Missouri. His father was a native of Ken- tucky, and immigrated to Missouri at an early day. Being a staunch Union man, he, of course, urged his sons to re- spond to the first call for volunteers in 1861. John W., the youngest of three brothers, and the subject of this sketch, was the first to enlist. He served as private in the ranks of the three month's service and was at the capture of Camp Jack- son, May 10, 1861. At the expiration of the three month's service he enlisted for three years as Orderly Sergeant of Co. F. 26th Missouri Infantry. He participated in several battles and was wounded in the battle of Iuka, Miss., Sep- tember 19th, 1862.
While at home on leave of absence in September, 1863, he was married to Miss Josie N. Crowe. of St. Louis. He was twice promoted in the 26th Missouri for his bravery. In April. 1864. thinking that the war would soon close, and at the repeated and earnest request of his young wife, he re- signed and came home. He was not content to remain long however, for as times grew worse he recruited Co. D for the 47th Regiment, Missouri Volunteers and was commissioned captain of said company, in which he served until the close of the war. Capt. M. now lives in Austin, Tex., and is en-
187
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
gaged in the upholstering business. He has reared a family of four children, three sons and one daughter, as follows: George E., James A., Amos W., and M. Justine. His eld- est son, George, whom he named for Col. George Boomer, died not long since.
HENRY HOFMAN.
-
HENRY HOFMAN, of Taos, Cole county, Mo., was born August 30th, 1845, and enlisted in Co. H, 26th Missouri In- fantry, September 16th, 1861, and was honorably discharged April Ist, 1865. The following is his service record :
New Madrid, March 14, 1862; Island No. 10, April 7th. IS62; Iuka, September 19th. 1862; Corinth, October 3d and 4th. 1862; Raymond, May 12th, 1863; Jackson. Miss., May 14th, 1863; Champion Hills, May 16th, 1863; Siege of Vicksburg; Missionary Ridge, November 25th. 1863. Battle of Nashville, Tenn .; Battle of White Oak Swamp, N. C.
Comrade Hofman is a farmer, was married to Lucy Schaffer, November 4th, 1873; and has six children named as follows: Sophia, born January 3d, 1875; Margaretta, born August 10th, 1877: Albert, born January 16th, 1880; Annie, born July Sth. 1883; Robert, born January Ist, 1886; Alma, born October 28th, 1890.
-
LIEUT. A. W. FRITCHEY.
AMOS W. FRITCHEY is a native of Pennsylvania. En- listed April, 1861, in Co. D, 8th Illinois Volunteer In- fantry for three months. Was honorably discharged at ex- piration of service. Then enlisted September, 1861, at St. Louis, in Co. A, Holman's Independent Company of Sharp- shooters.
In the spring of 1862, at Bird's Point, was consolidated with the 26th Missouri Infantry in Co. A, as 8th Corporal.
In August, IS62, was promoted to Orderly Sergeant.
In November, 1861, was promoted to Ist Lieutenant, in command of Co. A.
Was wounded in right shoulder at Battle of Champion Hills, May 16th, 1863.
Was captured at Battle of Mission Ridge, November 25th, 1863.
Was held a prisoner of war until May 15th, 1865, then was paroled and honorably discharged by Special Order No. 229 from War Department.
At present is living in Claremont, Richland county, Ill., and follows the business of druggist.
W. M. JONES AND BROTHERS.
WILSON M. JONES, was born in Franklin county. Mis- souri, October 15th, 1839, reared on a farm in the western part of the county, and educated in the common schools. He enlisted in Co. F. 26th Missouri Volunteers, September 20th, 1861, and was the third of seven brothers, five of whom were in Co. F, 26th Missouri. Comrade Wilson M. Jones was shot on the spine, at Iuka, Miss., but was with his com- pany during the battle of Corinth, Oct. 3d and 4th, 1862. and on the march after the Confederate General Price. He was only able to partially use his limbs on account of the wounded spine, and was sent to the hospital at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, where by the spring of 1863, he had gained some strength. Seeing in the newspapers that the 26th Missouri was to go to Vicksburg, Comrade Jones con- cluded that he would rather die with the boys in the field than in the hospital. He found a friend to carry his knap- sack to the cars, and taking what the boys called "a French leave," made his way mostly by steamboat to Helena, Ark. Down on the Yazoo Pass he met the regiment returning to Helena and was with or near the command until after the siege of Vicksburg, when he again succumbed to a violent fever, was again sent north, and honorably discharged in
$
190
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
1 864. Comrade Wilson M. Jones has had varied experi- ences in life, and now resides at Dry Branch, Mo., and owns the finest lead mines in Franklin county.
THOMAS W. JONES. the eldest of the brothers served in the ISth Illinois Volunteers and died in 1867.
H. M. JONES, the youngest brother served in the 10th Missouri Cavalry, and now occupies the position of a Police Sergeant in St. Louis.
JOEL JONES, of Co. F, 26th Missouri Infantry, was dis- charged at Farmington, Miss., in May, 1862, and is now Dr. J. Jones, of Dade county, Mo.
GEORGE W. JONES of Co. F, 26th Missouri was dis- charged at Farmington. Miss., in May 1862, and in 1863 joined Co. M, roth Mo. Cav. He was wounded while with Gen. A. J. Smith, had three horses killed under him at the battle of Big Blue, Kansas, and received a slight wound while charging the rebel lines. He saw Confederate General Marmaduke, and was trying to give him a warm reception, when the third horse was killed and he was wounded. Com- rade G. W. Jones was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and died for want of attention.
DAVID C. JONES, of Co. F, 26th Missouri Infantry, was on' every march and in every battle, and never missed a day's duty, although only fifteen years old when he enlisted. Af-
191
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
ter the capture of Vicksburg, he sickened and died of ex- posure. David was never wounded, and was loved by all who knew him.
JOHN H. C. JONES, of Co. F. 26th Missouri, was taken sick at Vicksburg, sent north and transferred to the Veteran Relief Corps, and served his full term. He participated in all the battles up to Vicksburg, in which his company was engaged, and has resided in St. Louis since 1866, and now lives at 5744 Berlin avenue in that city.
JOHN A. NIEBLING.
JOHN A. NIEBLING, at the age of fifteen years, enlisted September 9th, 1861, under the name of his stepfather, John A. Poolman, as a Drummer in Co. A; Independent Sharp- shooters, which was mustered into the 26th Missouri Infan- try about six months afterward. He served with the regi- ment in all its marches and battles, and after being mustered out in St. Louis, dropped his stepfather's name (J. A. Pool- man) and resumed his own name, J. A. Neibling. He keeps a general store, and is Postmaster at Ferguson, Mis- souri.
-
JOHN H. ALLEN.
JOHN H. ALLEN, a member of Co. H, 26th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, was born in Roan county, Tennessee, on the 19th day of March, 1844, and consequently is now forty-eight years old. He removed with others to Osage county, Mo .. in 1855, where he has lived since, ex- cept when away in the army, or later while teaching music. His home is still the same on a neat little farm near Luystown, Mo. He has a family consisting of a wife and four children-two boys and two girls, all now grown, the youngest being sixteen years old.
Comrade Allen was seventeen years old when the war broke out, and he enlisted in Co. B, Osage County Home Guards, where he served with credit to himself and com- pany until same was discharged after arduous service along Missouri Pacific Railroad and Missouri River. As soon as the Home Guards were disbanded he enlisted under Capt. John F. F. Koops, of Co. H, 26th Missouri. He never shirked duty, but was often unfit for service, and would not go to hospital if he could walk, but diarrhea so reduced him that he fell over as if dead at Camp Clear Creek, Miss., when when he was sent to Benton Barracks where he re- mained three months before being able for duty. Com- rade Allen was with the regiment, and participated in all
193
TWENTY-SIXTH MISSOURI INFANTRY.
the marches, skirmishes, etc., up to the time of his being sent to the hospital.
In September, 1862, he thought he could stand service in the field, and securing his discharge from the hospital. joined the regiment then in camp at Jacinto, soon after marching with them to Iuka, where he was shot through both thighs. and lay until ten o'clock next day, when he was picked up by a detail engaged in burying the dead. Comrade Allen was in hospital at Iuka a short while, then removed to Corinth, Miss., where he lay in full view of one line of that awful battle for one day. He was moved that night to another point, out of range of Price's guns, from which he saw the second day's fight.
After lying in hospital at Jackson, Tenn., over five months, Allen was discharged, and was unable to get on a passenger car without help. He reached home in March. 1863, and engaged in farming. Has been unable to per- form manual labor of any sort for the past ten years, and has taught vocal music with fair success, when health would ad- mit, in Osage, Maries, Pulaski, Camden, Morgan and Cole counties. Has suffered since the war from wounds and disease, but was able to attend the reunion at Pacific. Mo .. in October, 1892.
SERG'T D. N. SIMONS.
SERG'T DAVID N. SIMONS was born in Jefferson, Scho- harie county, New York, December 22d, 1831. removed to Broome county, N. Y., in 1852, where he married his now deceased wife in 1854, removing with his family to Missouri in 1859.
Serg't Simons says: "Although nearly thirty years have rolled away since my discharge from the service. by reason of disability contracted in the line of duty at Camp Clear Creek, Miss., my recollections of the 26th Missouri In- fantry are still vivid and cherished with pleasurable and pa- triotic emotions.
" My connection with the regiment was so brief. and its active operations so comparatively uneventful while I marched in the ranks, that I can claim no part in the honors after- ward won by the distinguished services of the regiment on many a bloody field. Yet I consider it no small honor to have been associated, even briefly, with such brave and pa- triotic men, and I am proud to find my name on the roster of so distinguished an organization.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.