USA > Ohio > The official war record of the 122nd regiment of Ohio volunteer infantry from October 8, 1862, to June 26, 1865. Copied from volumes 25, 27, 29, 33, 36, 37, 40, 42, 43, and 46, series I, U.S. war records, and from volumes 3 and 5 of series III > Part 1
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00824 2445
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD -
OF- THE 122ND REGIMENT OF-
OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
-FROM-
OCTOBER 8, 1862, TO JUNE 26, 1865.
COPIED FROM
Volumes 25, 27, 29, 33, 36, 37, 40, 42, 43 and 46, Series I, U. S. War Records, and from Volumes 3 and 5 of Series III.
BY
MOSES MOORHEAD GRANGER
Who served from September 10, 1862, to December 16, 1864, as Major and Lieutenant Colonel of Said Regiment.
ZANESVILLE, OHIO GEORGE LILIENTHAL, PRINTER
1912
m PPOT SHIT
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD OF- THE 122ND REGIMENT - OF
OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
-FROM-
OCTOBER 8, 1862, TO JUNE 26, 1865.
1779045
COPIED FROM
Volumes 25, 27, 29, 33, 36, 37, 40, 42, 43 and 46, Series I, U. S. War Records, and from Volumes 3 and 5 of Series III.
BY
MOSES MOORHEAD GRANGER
Who served from September 10, 1862, to December 16, 1864, as Major and Lieutenant Colonel of Said Regiment.
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD
OF
The 122nd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry
From October 8, 1862, to June 26, 1865.
The "War of the Rebellion" lasted from April 12. 1861. to the last of June, 1865. 2,763,670 men were furnished by the States and Territories under calls made by the President of the United States for service in the National army. These were or- ganized as
Regiments. Companies. Batferies.
Cavalry
258
170
Artillery
57
22
232
Infantry
1666
306
.
Total
1981
498
232
Making in all 2047 Regiments, having about 16.400 Regimental and Company commissioned officers.
General officers were commissioned to command the brigades, divisions, corps and armies. Laws and orders made it the duty of every commander of a detachment, company, regiment, brigade. division, corps and army, to make a written report to his com- mander of each and every skirmish, battle or action in which he was engaged, besides regular monthly and other periodical reports of himself and his command. Every commander above-in the line-could forward each report indorsing his views thereon, and all finally went to the War Department.
Other laws provided for compiling and publishing said re- ports. When published they made 128 octavo books, each con- taining on an average over 911 pages; total mumber of pages 138,579. They were designated as volumes "one," "two," and so on, including "fifty-three"; each volume relating to a specified campaign, or campaigns, but twenty volumes were published in two separate "parts"; twelve volumes were published in three
.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/officialwarreco00gran
4
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD
separate "parts"; three volumes were published in four separate "parts, " and one volume was published in five separate "parts," "relating specially to the subject of the First and Second series. It embraces the annual and special reports of the Secretary of War, of the General in Chief, and of the Chiefs of the several Staff Corps and Departments; the calls for troops, and the cor- respondence between the National and several State authorities.
SERIES IV.
This consists of three volumes-serials numbered 127 to 129, both included; and contains "Correspondence, orders, reports and returns of the Confederate authorities, similar to that indi- cated for the Union officials, as of the third series, but excluding the correspondence between the Union and Confederate authori- ties given in that series."
ATLAS.
"The index to the Atlas accompanying the volumes contains a complete table of contents, to which reference should be had for detailed information respecting the maps, sketches and ilhuis- trations therein published."
EXPLANATIONS.
On pages XXV to XLII, both ineluded, in Serial No. 130- The General Index will aid anyone searching for information about any person, or faet.
As every soldier-whether a comissioned or non-commissioned officer or private-was mustered into the United States service by a "mustering officer" duly detailed for that duty, the name of every one of the 2,763,670 appears at least once in these " War Records."
Volume 130, containing 1,248 pages, is a General Index. It states that the name of every person, who is named in any officer's report as to his command, and the volumes and pages in which any of said persons name appears, in any of Serials numbered 1 to 129, both ineluded ; being all of Series I, II, III and IV, are duly indexed.
Said 130 volumes constitute "Series One" of the War Rec- ords, which Series contains "Formal reports, both Union and Con- federate, of the first seizures of United States property in the Southern States, and of all military operations in the field, with the correspondence, orders and returns relating specially thereto.
5
OF THE 122ND REGIMENT, O. V. I.
SERIES TWO.
This consists of eight volumes-Serials numbered 114 to 121. both included ; and contains "Correspondence. orders, reports and returns, Union and Confederate, relating to prisoners of war. and (so far as the military authorities were concerned) to State or political prisoners."
SERIES THREE.
This consists of five volumes-Serials numbered 122 to 126, both included, and contains "Correspondence, orders, reports and returns of the Union authorities, (embracing their correspondence with the Confederate officials).
In order that every person wishing to know any fact about the One Hundred and Twenty Second (122) Ohio Volunteer In- l'antry may find it easily, I will copy the official records made be- tween the 8th day of October A. D. 1862, when said Regiment was mustered into the United States Military Service at Camp Zanesville, four miles westerly from the City of Zanesville, Ohio, by Captain Charles Convers Goddard of the 17th United States Regiment of Infantry, and the 26th day of June A. D. 1865, when said Regiment was mustered out of said service by J. C. Robinson. Brevet Major and A. C. M. Third Division, 6th Army Corps. at or near Washington City, D. C .; and so report all the marches, skirmishes, actions. combats, battles and other facts in the conduet of said Regiment, and its Companies and detach- ments; and as almost every one of said reports was made by a commanding officer who never belonged to said Regiment. this publication will furnish the testimony of disinterested witnesses.
I begin "The Official War Record of the One Hundred and Twenty Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry" with the following necessary
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT.
On the 23rd day of October A. D. 1862, said Regiment, under orders from David Tod, Governor of Ohio, marched from Camp Zanesville to the south end of Fifth street in that city ; embarked upon the sternwheeled steamers "Powell" and "Patton." and were transported on and by them down the Muskingum river to . Marietta ; traveled by railroad cars about 13 miles along the north side of the Ohio river; crossed by ferry to Parkersburg (then in Virginia ) ; and after a few days traveled by railroad cars to
-
6
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD
Clarksburg (then in Virginia) ; and thence again by railroad cars to New Creek Station on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad line in Allegany County, Maryland, and there made temporary camp on November 15, 1862, and were reported to Major General Robert C. Schenck, U. S. Vols.
The first report in the War Records as to said Regiment I now quote :
SERIES I. VOL. XXV, PART II, PAGES 92 AND 93. WAR RECORDS.
Winchester, Va., February 20, 1863. Maj. Genl. R. C. Schenck.
Dear Sir: Yours of the 16th inst .. but postmarked 18th. reached me last evening and I hasten to reply. Inclosed you will find a statement showing what batteries, regiments and detach- ments compose my command, by which it will be seen that I have under my immediate comntand at this place two 6 gun batteries of 10 pounders (one battery being Parrott guns, and the other reg- ulation guns), six regiments of infantry, two cavalry regiments, less one company, besides, two detached companies of cavalry. These aggregate for duty, as follows: Artillery 245, Infantry 3.984, Cavalry 1,306. That portion of my command, left behind under Col. James Washburn, and now at Romney, consists of two regiments of infantry, aggregating for duty 1,385 men, and one detached company of cavalry 60 strong. I understand that there are at Romney some five or six other companies of Pennsyl- vania cavalry, of the Ringgold battalion, and a full battery.
While at New Creek I reorganized my division into two brigades: The First Brigade to consist of the Eighty. Seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, the Ninth. Tenth and Twelfth Regiments Virginia Infantry, and Battery B, First Virginia Artillery, which is still its organization. This Brigade was for a time under command of Bragidier General Clusevet. but since the 12th ultimo, has been under the command of Col. George Ilay of the Eighty Seventh Regiment Pennsylvania. He is a most ardent patriot, a highly honorable gentleman and an excellent officer.
The Second Brigade consisted of the 110th, the 116th, the 122nd, the 123rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Battery D First ( West) Virginia Artillery, and was commanded by Col. James
7
OF THE 122ND REGIMENT, O. V. I.
Washburn of the 116th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Hle is a good officer.
Col. Washburn is left behind at Romney with only two regi- ments of his brigade, to-wit: the 116th and 123rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Company E Third ( West) Virginia Cavalry. The other half of his brigade, to-wit: the 110th and 122nd Regiments Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Battery D, First ( West) Virginia Artillery, are here, under the temporary command of Col. J. W. Keifer of the 110th Regiment, who is also a most excellent officer. The two brigades of my command, as originally organized, was, I think, the best disposition that could be made of these eight regiments.
I should be much pleased, if the good of the service would permit, to get back the two regiments I left west of the mountains, as they are two of my old veteran regiments that went through Virginia with me last year and participated in all the battles under Fremont and Pope. (Note Ang. 13, 1912 by Col. Granger.) (This is a mistake. The 116th and 123rd Ohio Volunteer Regi- ments were first organized in Ohio during August, September and October, 1862.)
If General Roberts is assigned to me, I would like to have him take command of my Second Brigade, if it can be gotten together, as it is the strongest in numbers.
You are informed as to the composition and strength of the forces under the rebel General Jones in my front. That force, as I am reliably informed, has recently been re-inforced by the forces under General Imboden, consisting of one battery, about 1,200 cavalry, and about 500 infantry, and they are promised the 25th and 31st Regiments Virginia Infantry, from Fredericksburg, and it is rumored that they are soon to be joined by Floyd with a force of about 6,000.
I am general with great respect, your obedient servant,
R. II. MILROY, Brigadier General.
VOL. 25, PART II, PAGES 123, 124.
General Orders No. 14.
IIdqrs. Middle Dept., 8th Army Corps. Baltimore, Md., March 5, 1863.
The following named troops of the Eighth Army Corps will constitute the Second Division, to the command of which, General
8
THE OFFICIAL, WAR RECORD
R. Il. Milroy, U. S. Volunteers, is assigned :
First Brigade, Brig. Gen. Washington L. Elliott, U. S. Volun- teers, commanding-
The 110th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Col. J. W. Keifer.
The 116th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Col. James Washburn.
The 122nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Col. W. Il. Ball.
The 123rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Col. W. T. Wilson.
Battery D. First Regiment Virginia Volunteer Artillery, Cap- tain John Carlin.
The First Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry, Col. An- drew T. Me Reynolds.
The Twelfth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. Col. L. B. Pierce.
The Thirteenth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. Col. James A. Galigher.
Second Brigade, Col. George Hay, 87th Regiment Pennsyl- vania Volunteer Infantry, commanding :
The Ninth Regiment Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Col. Isaac II. Duval.
The Tenth Regiment Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Col. Thomas M. Harris.
The Twelfth Regiment Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Col. JJohn B. Khmk.
The Eighty Seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer In- fantry, Lient. Col. John W. Schall.
Battery L, Fifth Regiment U. S. Artillery. Captain S. F. ('halfin.
Battery B. First Regiment Virginia Volunteer Artillery, Capt. John V. Keeper.
Company K. First Regiment Virginia Cavalry. Capt. Weston Rowand.
Companies D and E, Third Regiment Virginia Cavalry. Capt. James R. Utt.
By command of Major General Schenck.
WM. IL. CHIESEBROUGH.
Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Adjutant General.
9
OF THE 122ND REGIMENT, O. V. I.
VOLUME 25, PART I, PAGES 142 AND 143.
April 17, 1863, Colonel William HI. Ball in command of the One Ihindred and Twenty Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with two guns of Battery D, First West Virginia Artillery, Lieutenant Chalfant commanding, marched to Stump's tannery, and returned to Winchester next day; distance marched 40 miles. Captured a lot of leather from rebel owners.
May 5, 1863, Brigadier General Washington L. Elliott, with One Hundred and Tenth, One Hundred and Twenty Second and One Hundred and Twenty Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Tenth Virginia Infantry, went on seout up the valley, pro- voeding as far as Newmarket, Virginia, and returned to Winches- ter May 9, 1863. Captured nine prisoners and lost five men, of Company G, 122nd Ohio Volunteers-captured near Edinburg. Virginia.
The above paragraphs are in the "Itinerary of the Second Division, Eighth Army Corps-April 4-May 28, 1863. Major General Robert II. Milroy commanding said division.
VOL. 25. PART II, PAGES 34. 92, 123, 590, PAGES 33-4-5.
Troops in the Middle Military Department (or Eighth Army Corps) Major General Robert C. Schenck, U. S. A., commanding. January 31, 1863. Page 34. The troops at Winchester, Va., com- manded by Major General Robert HI. Milroy, U. S. A.
Ist New York Cavalry, Lieut. Col. Frederick Von Schickfuss. 110th Ohio. Lieut. Col. William N. Foster.
122nd Ohio, Col. William II. Ball.
13th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Col. James A. Galigher.
87th Pennsylvania Infantry, Lieut. Col. John W. Schall.
10th Virginia, Col. Thomas M. Harris.
9th West Virginia, Col. Isaac II. Duvall.
12th West Virginia. Col. John B. Klunk.
1st West Virginia Cavalry. Company K. Capt. Weston Row- and.
Brd West Virginia Cavalry. Company D, Capt. James R. Utt. Ist West Virginia Artillery, Battery B, Capt. John V. Keeper.
Ist West Virginia Artillery. Battery D. Capt. John Carlin.
SERIES I, VOL. 25, PAGE 590.
Extract from tri-monthly return of Middle Department.
10
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD
Eighth Army Corps, Major General Robert C. Schenek command- ing, for May 31, 1863. Headquarters, Baltimore, Maryland.
SECOND DIVISION. Maj. Gen. Robert HI. Milroy. First Brigade.
Brig. Gen. Washington L. Elliott.
110th Ohio, Lieut. Col. William II. Foster.
116th Ohio, Lieut. Col. Thomas F. Wildes.
122nd Ohio, Lieut. Col. Moses M. Granger.
123rd Ohio, Lieut. Col. William T. Wilson.
12th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Col. Lewis B. Pierce.
13th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Col. James A. Galigher.
West Virginia Battery (D), Capt. John Carlin. Second Brigade. Col. William G. Ely.
18th Connecticut, Col. William G. Ely.
87th Pennsylvania, Col. John W. Schall.
1st West Virginia Cavalry, Company K, Capt. Weston Rowand.
3rd West Virginia Cavalry, Companies D and E, Capt. James R. Utt.
5th U. S. Artillery, Battery L, Lieut. Wallace F. Randolph. Third Brigade. Col. A. T. McReynolds. 6th Maryland, Col. John W. Horn.
1st New York Cavalry, Major Timothy Quinn.
67th Pennsylvania, Lieut. Col. II. B. Burnham.
Baltimore (Maryland) Battery, Capt. F. W. Alexander.
SERIES I, VOL. 27, PART 2, PAGE 41. No. 383.
Report of Maj. Gen. Robert H. Milroy, U. S. Army, com- manding Second Division, of operations June 1-15.
Baltimore, Md., June 30, 1863.
Colonel : I have been compelled by the exigencies of public duties connected with my late command to defer until the present time a report of the recent operations about Winchester.+ Having no reports from Brigade commanders, and not even an oppor- tunity of conferring with them, I am still unable to give a detailed
11
OF THE 122ND REGIMENT, O. V. I.
report. A sense of duty to myself and to the officers and soldiers whom I had the honor to command requires that I should submit some general statements.
I occupied Winchester with my command on December 25 last, and continued in the occupancy up to Monday morning, the 15th instant, when, for reasons which will appear in the sequel of this report, I was compelled to evacuate it.
When I first occupied Winchester, the Valley of the Shenan- doah from Staunton to Strasburg was occupied by the rebel Gen- eral Jones, with a force variously estimated at from 5,000 to 6,000 men, and constituted principally of cavalry. Imboden at the same time occupied Cacapon Valley with a force composed of infantry, cavalry and artillery, estimated at 1,500 men. These were the only forces by which I was in danger of being assailed, unless by a force from Lee's army, which, it was supposed, would be prevented from hostile demonstrations in my direction by the Army of the Potomac.
The object of holding Winchester was to observe and hold in check the rebel forces in the Valley, and to secure the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad against depredations.
Late in March, in pursuance of an order issued upon my own suggestion, I stationed the Third Brigade of my Division, con- sisting of the Sixth Regiment Maryland Volunteer Infantry, Sixty Seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, First Regi- ment New York Cavalry, and the Baltimore Battery, at Berry- ville, Colonel McReynolds, of the First New York Cavalry, com- manding. My instructions to Colonel MeReynolds were to keep open our communication with Harper's Ferry and to watch the passes of the Blue Ridge (Snicker's and Ashby's Gaps) and the fords of the Shenandoah River known as Snicker's and Berry's. To this end he was to cause to be diligently scouted the country be- tween him and those localities, and as far south as Milwood. I was expressly instructed to undertake no offensive operations in force. Acting in accordance with these instructions, I kept my forces well in hand in the vicinities of Berryville and Winchester, ex- cepting that during the expedition of General Jones into West Virginia, by order from your headquarters, I sent portions of them into that State. During my occupancy of Winchester, I almost continually kept out heavy cavalry scouts on the Front Royal road as far as Front Royal, and on the Strasburg road as far as Strasburg. My cavalry frequently drove the enemy's
12
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD
piekets as far up the Valley as Woodstock, and I held almost un- disputed possession of the Valley as far as Strasburg until about June 1. By means of these cavalry expeditions, and information furnished me by Union citizens, I kept myself continually posted as to the rebel forces in the Valley under Jones and Imboden, and was at no time deceived as to their numbers or movements.
About June 1 the enemy became bolder, and small detach- ments of his cavalry were met as far down the Valley as Middle- town.
On Friday, June 12, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there had been any accumulation of rebel forces in my front, I sent out two strong reeonnoitering parties, one on the Strasburg and the other on the Front Royal road. The one on the Strasburg road consisted of the Eighty Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Thirteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, and one section of Battery L, Fifth U. S. Artillery, under command of Colonel Schall, of the Eighty Seventh Regiment . Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. This reconnaissance was conducted with energy, in pursuance of instructions, and its results were in every way satisfactory. The expedition proceeded up the Valley, the cavalry in advance, but within supporting distance of the infantry and artillery, until it had arrived within two miles of Middletown, at which place a messenger from Major Kerwin, who was in com- mand of the cavalry, announced to Colonel Schall that a superior foree of cavalry of the enemy had been discovered in line of battle immediately north of Middletown. The infantry and artil- lery were immediately concealed, the former in a dense grove to the right of the road and within 100 yards of the same, and the latter behind a ridge. Our cavalry retired, skirmishing with that of the enemy until he was drawn within reach of the fire of the infantry. Upon the first fire of our infantry the enemy re- treated precipitately, followed by our cavalry, which pursued beyond Middletown.
In this affair the enemy lost 50 (as has since been ascertained) in killed and wounded, and we took 37 prisoners.
Colonel Schall remained on the ground for an hour, during which time his cavalry scoured the country in every direction, but could detect no traces of an accumulation of rebel forces.
The prisoners taken all belonged to the Maryland Battalion and Fourteenth Virginia Cavalry, troops which had been in the Valley and on picket duty during the whole period of my occu-
13
OF THE 122ND REGIMENT, O. V. I.
paney of Winchester. Besides, separate examinations of the prisoners disclosed that there was no accumulation of forces there. Colonel Schall made his report to me about 7 o'clock in the evening, and it relieved me from all apprehensions of an attack from the Strasburg road. It is now known that no part of Lee's army approached Winchester from that direction.
The reconnaissance on the Front Royal road was abortive. The expedition consisted of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, about 400 strong, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Moss. It returned to Winchester about 3 o'clock in the afternoon on Fri- day. Its commanding officer reported that at Cedarville, a place about 12 miles from Winchester, he had encountered a large force of the enemy, composed of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. It did not appear, however, that he had placed himself in a position to ascertain the number or character of the force which he had encountered, or exercised the usual and necessary efforts to obtain that essential information. Officers of his command and reliable scouts who were present gave contradictory reports.
This report was discredited by myself and by General Elliott, my second in command. There was nothing in the report which indicated the presence of General Lee's army. It was supposed that the force on the Front Royal road could not be other than the enemy which we had faced during the occupancy of Win- chester, or that the anticipated cavalry raid of General Stuart was in progress, against either or both of which combined I could have held my position. I deemed it impossible that Lee's army, with its immense artillery and baggage trains, could have escaped from the Army of the Potomac, and crossed the Blue Ridge through Ashby's,' Chester, and Thornton Gaps in concentrie columns. The movement must have occupied five or six days, and notice of its being in progress could have been conveyed to me from General Hooker's headquarters in five minutes, for tele- graphic communication still existed between Baltimore and Winchester.
On Friday night I doubled my piekets and kept out strong patrols of cavalry on the leading roads, and I also sent a mes- senger to Colonel MeReynolds, at Berryville, notifying him that the enemy was reported to be in considerable force on the Front Royal road. I instructed him to keep a strong party of observa- tion in the direction of Millwood; to place his command in readi- ness to move at a moment's warning; if attacked by a superior
.
..
14
THE OFFICIAL WAR RECORD
force, to fall back upon Winchester by the route which he might deem most practicable, and that if his command should be needed at Winchester, he would be notified by four discharges from the large guns at the main fort at Winchester.
The whole forces under my command at this time were :
First Brigade, Brig. Gen. W. L. Elliott commanding-One IIundred and Tenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Keifer; One Hundred and Sixteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Washburn; One Hundred and Twenty Second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Ball; One Hundred and Twenty Third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Wilson ; Thirteenth Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, Colonel Gal- ligher; Twelfth Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, Lieutenant- Colonel Moss, and Battery L, Fifth U. S. Artillery, Lieutenant Randolph.
The Second Brigade, Colonel Ely, Eighteenth Connecticut, commanding-The Eighty Seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry, Colonel Schall; Twelfth Regiment West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Klunk; Eighteenth Regiment Con- neeticut Volunteer Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Nichols; Fifth Regiment Maryland Volunteer Infantry, Captain Holton; Battery D, First West Virginia Artillery, Captain Carlin; Company K, First West Virginia Cavalry, Lieutenant Dawson, and Companies D and E, Third West Virginia Cavalry, Captain White.
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