USA > Ohio > History of the Sixteenth battery of Ohio volunteer light artillery, U. S. A., from enlistment, August 20, 1861, to muster out, August 2, 1865 > Part 1
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Gc 973.74 0h3oha 1757987
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00825 1453
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/historyofsixteen00ohio
HISTORY
OF THE
16th SIXTEENTH BATTERY OF
OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY
U. S. A.
From Enlistment. August 20, 1861,
to Muster Out. August 2, 1865.
Compiled from the diaries of Comrades, the best recollections of survivors, and official records.
1906
.
1757987
F 8349 .61.16
W
OHIO ARTILLERY. 16th Battery, 1861-1865. History of the Sixteenth Battery of Chio Volunteer Light Artillery, U. S.A. From en- listment, August 20, 1861, to muster out, August 2, 1865. Compiled from the diaries of comrades, the best recollections of survivors, and official records. [n. p. ]1906. xiv, 202p. illus., ports. 19cm.
nina
Presented to my Friends,
1ª W. Conld & Family. By the Author. I've seen whors Brave Men battled, 129
While about them bullets rattled; Where the ground was torn to pieces, Without mich rogard for leases: Where mon trampled on their brothers,
And made human sieves of others; Where the Wounded and the Dying. Or the Bottle -fields were lying; where the BRAVE mehed on to slaughter, while the Wounded called for weton; there -- - But NOW YOU'L NOT WONDER Thich PLAG I WAS FIGHTING UNDER; If in doubt --- I can convince you , And will Grant YOU- On page 202. James M. Millor,
A TUTION Veteran. - 01 Years after. October 1924.
.
YaA. B. he theren was born in Ohio in 1829, and educa- Tut as west Point Military academy. the served in the war of the Rebellion as an Engineer and at a Cominden , attaining the ranking hun Sen. the was killed in battle, July 22, 1864.
15th Corfu, Badge
Amy Sherman wat Barn in Greie, Y.b. 8.1820, and edu- cated at the Mile. Tary Academy. He derved in the Flow- i da war, the Mex- 1 icon was, and The Rebellion war. He attained the rack/ U.S. Grant of general. He was born in Ohio.
died Feb. 14. 1896 april 27, 1322, and educated in the head. enny at west Point, the served in the texsean was, Subsequently he resigned from the tereny and ou- When He Reduction brok. out hu reentered The
% army Corps,
Budge
13" army Corps,
Badge
dufresne military Chieftain. the command ed in person at domal- son and Kicking, and in the battles name- diately preceding appre. Mattiy. He was President) O.O. Howard
17
was born in Maine, He died July 23 1885. was born in Felimon. Lot: 8.1830, and celu. 7.1. 9.1826, Helgen life as a langer, He served in the Mexican was and the way of the Rebellion chaining the catich at West Point Military Accideny. He served in Rition ida was und Hizo. of The Rebellion. He las! an arm ofthe wallle He deland 22 years in Conques, Con In House of Hair tako. He is now a lean- Benveni in the Regular Grany. det ine at 1886. 16ª Corper Badge
.
··
CONTENTS
Introductory
viii
Enlistment and Organization of the Battery
2
From Springfield to Cincinnati
3
St. Louis .
4
Jefferson City.
6
Benton Barracks
11
March to Pilot Knob
12
March to Doniphan.
14
Pocahontas and Jacksonport
16
Batesville
17
Augusta
20
Cotton Plant, and March to Clarendon
21
Clarendon to Helena
22
Old Town Landing
22
Return to Helena. .
23
Duvall's Bluff, Des Arc and the Win. Henderson ..
24
Expedition Down Yazoo Pass
25
Fort Pemberton.
27
Vicksburg Campaign.
28
"The Army of the Tennessee
20
Milliken's Bend
30
Richmond.
32
Running the Vicksburg Batteries
32
Grand Gulf and Hard Times Landing
33
Port Gibson.
36
Report of General Hover on Port Gibson.
40
Report of General McGinnis on Port Gibson
42
March from Port Gibson toward Jackson
43
Fourteen Mile Creek.
44
Raymond, Clinton and the Return toward Vicks- burg ..
45
Approaching Champion's Hill.
46
The Battle of Champion's Hill.
47
Report of General McClernand on Champion's Hill
58
Report of General Hovey on Champion's Hill
62
Report of General McGinnis on Champion's Hill. . Pemberton's Address to his Soldiers
68
March on Vicksburg.
09
The Siege of Vicksburg.
72
Surrender of Vicksburg
80
66
84
Report of General Hovey on Vicksburg.
Report of General Lawler on the Assault on Vicks-
burg
85
The March on Jackson.
86
Report of General Hovey on Jackson.
88
Report of Colonel Spicely on Jackson.
89
Changes in the Officers, Lt. Murdock's Resignation Transferred to Gulf Department.
92
Reviewed by Generals Grant and Banks 92
Brashear City
93
"Veteran Service"
95
In Texas.
96
Back in New Orleans
97
Camp of Reserve Artillery, Greenville, La.
99
How We Might Have Shot Maximilian
100
"The Girl I Left Behind Me"
101
Order for Muster Out.
101
Trip Home and Muster Out Roll
103
"Mustered Out"
104
Roster and Album
106-187
Roll of Honor
188-191
In Memory.
192
Lt. Mitchell's Address ..
194
Reunion of Battery Survivors
193-214
Extract from Ohio Roster. 214
Post-Office Addresses of Survivors and Widows ... 216
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Our Commanders in the Army of The Tennessee (and key)
xiv
Repairing Army Transportation
7
Old Magnolia Church.
37
Map of Theatre of War in the West.
39
Position of Rebel Battery at Champion's Hill
6+
Position of loth Ohio Battery at Champion Hill. . .
51
Yard of Old Champion House.
53
Map of Campaign against Jackson and Vicksburg 55
Position of Battery at Vicksburg 71
Map of Vicksburg Battlefieldl.
76
Did Camp Grounds, Siege of Vicksburg
Battery Monument. Vicksburg 87
Bris. General McGinnis.
105
wir. Hundred and Ten Portraits of Members of Battery 106-156
Comrades Present at Reunion in 1903. 210
&
Log Cabin Camp ..
Position of Battery at Battle of Port Gibson 35
91
-
PREFACE
As the years go by the survivors of the late civil war find themselves treasuring more and more the scenes and actions through which they passed in that war, and the record of events of which they themselves were a part. The history we ourselves helped to make must always be of the deepest interest to us. The first step toward a history of the Sixteenth Ohio Battery was taken at the Reunion of 1886, when a committee was appointed for this purpose, with Comrade James M. Miller as chairman. Some work was done, though it was not reported at any Reunion. Comrade Fletcher White had also done some work toward such a his- tory. To the Reunion of 1904 Comrade Miller sent a partial history he had worked up, urging the comrades to write him incidents and experiences to be used in completing the work. This history when examined by the other comrades was found incomplete. especially in the earlier stage of our serv- ice. as Comrade Miller had only come to the battery in De- cember, 1863: but he had transcribed most of the official reports bearing on our service. When this work was brought before the association. with the request made by Miller for aid in completing it. a committee was appointed "to co-operate with Comrade Miller in the preparation of a historical nar- rative of the battery from its organization to the close of its service." All the comrades present pledged this committee to send in letters of recollection; but nearly all failed to do this, and nothing was done that year. At the Reunion of 1905 some change was made in the committee, and they were
4
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY. Vii
again instructed to work on the history to its completion. The committee incorporated the work of Comrades Miller and White in the narrative now presented. They were able to make the earlier part of it full and accurate from the diaries of Comrades Cory and Stafford covering that period. Lieutenant Murdock also furnished some very valuable items of the Vicksburg campaign, which he as an officer had special opportunity of knowing best. Pains were taken by the committee to get the best and most accurate recollec- tions of all who could be consulted on the most important points. The unique feature of having in the book the war portraits and brief personal sketch of as many of the com- rades as could be obtained was suggested by Comrade Miller. The committee was able to get 112 of these, some only by persevering effort.
The committee herewith present their work as the best they were able to do with the material thus brought together. While imperfect. we may well be gratified that so much could still be gathered after so many years; and the hope is cherished that in the evening days of our life this narra- tive may prove of interest to us and those coming after us.
H. B. BELMER.
S. MCK. STAFFORD,
J. P. CORY.
In behalf of the comrades and myself. I wish in this pub- lic manner to thank the above committee for their cooper- ation and valuable assistance in the compilation of this little volume.
JAMES M. MILLER.
viii SIXTEENTH BATTERY CHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
INTRODUCTORY
EXTRACTS FROM
"OHIO IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION"
The State of Orio, which in the next four years was to contribute to the UNION CAUSE an army of soldiers amount- ing in the aggregate to THREE HUNDRED and TEN THOUSAND men, had in 1860 a population of not quite two-and-a-half mil- lions and was the third state in population and wealth in the Union. Along four hundred and thirty-six miles of her southern border lay slave states. Ohio, as well as the other states lying north of the Ohio river, never expected to need an army to fight her neighbors south of it: the spirit of the North was commercial, industrial, not military. The young men cared little for forming military companies, to drill and become familiar with military tactics and regu- lations. or to become skillful in handling aris. But there was a deep and intense feeling on the subject of slavery. and many foresaw that a conflict must come sooner or later.
Whether it was through a far-seeing anticipation of what was to grow out of this anti-slavery feeling, or whether it
Y
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
what later became a great and grand army, which only needed the electric flash bearing the news of the bombard- ment of Fort Sumter, the surrender. and the call of the President to protect the Capital from danger of sudden cap- ture by the conspirators, to arouse the patriotism of her loyal sons in offering their services in defending the integ- rity of the Union.
On the 15th of April, '61, Columbus was wild with the excitement of the President's call to arms. On the 16th the feeling was even more intense; troops were arriving, and in less than twenty-four hours after the receipt of the call the city was full of troops, the militia officers eagerly expressing their readiness for orders. But ONE single day was re- quired to raise the first two regiments in answer to the President's call. On the morning of the 18th of April the First and Second Ohio Regiments of Infantry were organ- ized from the first companies which had already hurriedly arrived at Columbus. They were made up of well-known militia companies from leading towns and cities, and from different parts of the state, as follows:
FIRST OHIO INFANTRY.
Company A. Lancaster Guards. B. Lafayette Guards. Dayton.
C. Dayton Light Guards.
D. Montgomery Guards.
E. Cleveland Greys.
F. Hibernian Guards, Cleveland.
G. Portsmouth Guards.
HI. Z mesville Guards.
I. Mansfield Guards.
K. Jackson Guards, Hamilton.
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY. XI
SECOND OHIO INFANTRY.
Company A. Rover Guards, Cincinnati.
B. Columbus Videttes.
C. Columbus Fencibles.
D. Zouave Guards, Cincinnati.
E. Lafavette Guards, Cincinnati.
F. Springfield Zouaves.
G. Pickaway Company.
H. Steubenville Company.
I. Covington Blues, Miami County.
K. Pickaway Company.
So prompt was their response to the cry of danger from the National Capital that within forty-eight hours after the telegraph call of the President the two Ohio regiments above noted were on their way to the rescue of the imperiled Capital. They met, however, with vexations delays on the route. and did not arrive on the Potomac until the danger was averted. They however participated in the three miths' campaign and rendered gallant service in the first flurry of the war around Washington.
So prompt and unanimous was the response to the call for volunteers that the Governor was overwhelned with of- fer- and petitious for service. By this time the attitude of Kentucky had become a source of alarm along the border. Her Governor had refused. with insult, the call of the Pres- ident for troops by stating. viz: " I say emphatically that Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose of "ordning her sister southern states." When this response Was made public Ohio's Governor immediately telegraphed Das War Department: "If Kentucky will not fill her quota who will till it for her." He more than kept his promise. In two daystwo more regiments were dispatched; in a week
Xii SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
the quota of the state was more than full; within ten days so many companies had been accepted that the state was forced to take ten extra regiments into her own pay. Be- fore two weeks had elapsed more companies had been of- fered than would have filled the quota of Ohio, the quota of Kentucky, and half the quota of Virginia.
Sixteen days after the President's call Adjutant-General Carrington announced that the offers of troops from Ohio were enough to fill the quota of seventy-five thousand men allotted to the entire country.
We can now read these statements with no emotion save that of pride at the magnificent, loyal and patriotic conduct of our noble State, which had in the National Service over two hundred regiments of all arins. In the course of the war she furnished two hundred and thirty regiments besides twenty-six independent batteries of artillery, five indepen- dent companies of cavalry, several companies of sharp- shooters, large parts of five regiments credited to West Virginia, two regiments credited to Kentucky, two regi- ment- transferred to " United States Colored Troops, " and a large proportion of the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Massa- chusetts.
In all these various organizations, as original members or as recruits. the State furnished to the National Service the magnificent ARMY OF THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY soldiers. They fought on nearly every battle-field of the war. Thirty-seven Ohio soldiers out of every thousand fell dead or were mortally wounded in battle. Eleven thousand two hundred and thirty-seven of them were killed or mortally wounded. Six thousand five hundred and sixty-three were left dead on the battle fields. Seventeen thousand six hundred and seventy- five died before the expiration of their terms of enlistment. of diseases contracted in the service.
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY. Xiii
The story we now seek to tell of our services, and the life led by us and its record, we are firmly persuaded, will never cease to be cherished by our grateful countrymen. and that no flag will ever be permitted to wave over the graves of our soldiers but the flag they fought to maintain.
Xiv SIXTEENTH BATTERY OIHO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Our Log-cabin Camp at Jefferson City. From a pencil sketch made at the time by comrade "Ike Richmond."
HISTORY
THE Sixteenth Battery of Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery was the Fourth in point of time to be mustered into the ser- vice, and ought rightly to have had that number instead of the Sixteenth. as the following dates of entering the service will prove: First Battery, July 31. 1861; Second Battery. July 20: Third Battery, Nov. 11; Fourth Battery, August 2; Isfth Battery, August 31. From the date of entering the Arrvice the Third Battery had no right to that number at all. being later than the Fourth and Fifth. The First. Second att Fourth only were before us, so that we were really the Fourth. But we made our record as the Sixteenth and are , proud of it that we would not exchange it for any other
The start for organizing a battery for the service had al- ready been made at Springfield and New Carlisle as early 4. April 15, 1861. Drilling was done by those enlisted at Bychplaces. But the first call for 75000 was filled by four times «» mitny clamoring to be accepted as could be used. This appany even sent a special messenger, Lieutenant Deme. ' ,Columbus to try to get the Governor to accept them, but build, and the matter was dropped, though drilling was hupt up for some time. But after the battle of Bull Run there was a call for 300, 000 more troops, and a chance now
.
.
1
2
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
for those who had been rejected before to enlist. Many of those who had been in the former company went into what became the Sixteenth Ohio Battery.
On August 20th, 1861, James A. Mitchell was commis- sioned to raise a company of volunteer light artillery, to serve for three years or the war; he had been captain of the earlier organization. The company was recruited in Springfield, Ohio, mainly from Clark County, with a de- tachment of some 25 or 30 men from Logan and Hardin Counties. There were in the start 168 men. But as a battery needs the full quota of men to be effective, the losses occurring from time to time were made good by details from infantry regiments and by recruits, to the number of 169, so that altogether 337 men served in the battery besides three colored cooks, making 340 in all.
The uniform date of enlistment of the original number was August 20th, 1861. On September 3rd these assembled on the Fair Grounds at Springfield. and the next day elected officers as follows: James A. Mitchell, of Springfield, cap- tain: R. P. Twist, of Vienna Cross Roads, and George Murdock, of Springfield, first lieutenants; E. H. Funston, of New Carlisle. I. N. Mitchell, of Springfield, second lieutenants. Lieutenants Twist, Murdock and Mitchell, and some eight or ten of the men, had been in the three months' service.
This company had been originally recruited to become a part of an artillery regiment to be raised by Colonel Sher- win, but he failed to raise the regiment, and the Adjutant General of Ohio. Buckingham, being slow to accept the battery. General Fremont by telegraph notified his accep- tance of it. and ordered it to St. Louis immediately. Owing to the battery not having gone into camp in its own state. and the mustering officer having failed to furnish the Adju- tant General of Ohio with a copy of the Muster-in Roll, it
3
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
did not receive its designated number till some time in December, hence instead of being the Fourth, it was num- bered the Sixteenth.
The company left Springfield on the afternoon of Septem- ber 5th. A farewell was given them in the public square, now Fountain Square. The ladies of New Carlisle had made a beautiful silk flag which was presented to them by Rev. Frank Merrick, M. E. minister of New Carlisle. in a stirring address. This flag was beautifully made of pure silk, and every stitch taken in making it was of love and loyalty. We carried it with us through all our marching and fighting till the close of the Vicksburg campaign. During the siege we put it for a short time on our fort, but we found there would be nothing left of either the flag or "the staff if left any length of time exposed to the shot and shell that filled the air; so after receiving a few scars and rents at the hands of the enemy we took it in, and sent it home after that great and successful campaign was over. It is now so sadly torn and worn that it will no longer bear unfurling at battery reunions, where it is always taken by Its custodian, Comrade James M. Bolinger, but is still re- vered and loved by the boys as one of the most precious relies of the time when life and health were freely offered for our country's good. Speeches were also made at this farewell meeting by Rev. John Braden, of Linden Hill Academy, and that grand old man, Granville Moody, after- wards colonel of the 74th U. V. I., and called the fighting parson. The company went by rail to
CINCINNATI
up! in the evening they were transferred to the steamboat. I. H. Thomas, and taken as far as Lawrenceburg on ac- .ant of a broken bridge on the O. &. M. R. R. While on the that they were mustered into the United States' service
--- -. 2508 -----
+
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
by Captain Lew Wilson, of the 19th Regiment, U. S. A. The medical examination was very superficial. From Law- renceburg they went by rail to
ST. LOUIS
arriving at two o'clock. a. m., September 7th, reporting to General Fremont's headquarters, but we found quarters only by daylight in a three-story brick building on Caron- delet Avenue, nearly opposite the Arsenal Park Gate. This building was floored and roofed but had no doors or windows. Just south of the house was a large common where for over a month we did an immense amount of tramping (drilling). We drew uniforms, blankets, etc., but could get no equip- ments, as everything was urgently demanded for the Eastern armies. especially for Mcclellan's Army of the Potomac. whereby injustice was done to General Fremont. who was ex- pected to drive the rebels out of his department, but was not furnished with the means for doing it. Rations had been drawn the first day, together with camp kettles and the usual tin cup. tin plate, knife. fork and spoon. The fare was com- mon "hard tack," beans, bacon. coffee and sugar, and occasionally hominy or rice: the latter the most difficult thing to cook fit to eat in camp kettles. At first cooks were appointed for the whole company, but this proving unsat- isfactory, messes of twelve to sixteen were formed, each managing its own cooking.
We now took our first lesson in military obedience, for many had not been accustomed to obey the commands of others: in fact the American boy finds this somewhat hard.
After some time there was a hitch in the commissary department; rations were short, and we found it necessary to look out for ourselves. So we took our first lesson in for- aging, on a bright moonlight night. Without previous ex-
5
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
perience we found that we could provide a more varied ration than Uncle Sam. Some new experiences were gained in cooking the things foraged, so different from the regular ration. It was said of one of the boys that he forgot to take the insides from his chicken before cooking it. Some of the boys found a tree in the grounds of General Frank P. Blair full of splendid pippins that gleamed in the moonlight. When they got them to camp they were found to be unripe quinces. Three others found a "Dutchman's " hen-house well stocked. One of them went in and began handing out to the others. The owner appeared on the scene-the two outside men ran with what they had. Then the "Dutch- man" said to the one inside, "Now, I'fe got you." The forager stooped and butted the man in the stomach, who doubled up and cried, "Ach, Himmell !" The forager rushed past him and cried, "Now you haven't got me !"
Being at the Arsenal we constantly saw evidences of the war in progress. Troops were coming continually to the Arsenal for ammunition and arms; some who had fought " mit Siegel." or had been with Mulligan at the surrender of Lexington, Mo. The contemplated forward movement by Fremont against Price caused great activity and tension in both military and civil circles. If we could have obtained our equipment promptly and had some drill with a battery We would doubtless have gone with the troops on this for- ward movement. Fremont was in command of the Western Department, including all the country from Illinois to the Rocky Mountains, but equipments, especially for batteries. were demanded in the East, so that we received none for three months, and could only drill on foot. This squad-drill without any sort of equipment became monotonous, but it was all we could do to make soldiers of ourselves.
Besides drilling we did some guard duty at the Arsenal, guarding prisoners, bridge burners and bushwhackers;
.
6
SIXTEENTH BATTERY OHIO VOLUNTEER LIGHT ARTILLERY.
a most repulsive lot. But all our guard duty was not over this sort. It fell to our lot to guard one distinguished offi- cer, Col. F. P. Blair, of the 1st Missouri regiment. For some reason General Fremont had put him under arrest. and details were made from our company to stand guard over him in his tent. Among others it fell to Fin. Torrence to stand guard in the evening. The relief guard failed to find him, and Fin stayed all night. Though we were green yet, as the failure of the relief guard to find him proves, he was soldier enough to know that he dared not leave his post, and especially when guarding so high an officer. Colonel Blair invited him into his tent and offered him liquid refreshment, but he was firm in his refusal, and would do nothing that might interfere with his firmly and vigilantly doing his duty. On September 25 we had our first drill with field guns -- not our own-in the Arsenal. On September 30th sergeants and corporals were appointed. On October 9th we drew knapsacks and canteens and over- coats, which would have made us feel as if getting ready for the march if we had been in possession of the one thing we wanted above everything else -- our battery.
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