USA > Ohio > Butler County > A history and biographical cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio, with illustrations and sketches of its representative men and pioneers. Vol. 1 > Part 51
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A large portion of the early drilling of recruits was done here by Captain John MeCleary, son of Andrew McCleary, of West Hamilton. He had been admitted into the regular army, and was at home ou a leave of absence when the civil war broke out. He was a graduate of the United States Military Academy, at West Point, . in the class of 1854, and was appointed a second lieu- tenant in 1855. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1860, and captain on the 17th of May, 1861. He was breveted as major for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Gettysburg, and afterwards was creditably employed as an officer in command of a post in South Carolina during the reconstruction period. He was a participant in the battles of Antietam, September 16 and
17, 1862 ; crossing of the Potomac at Shepherdstown, August 18, 1862; Skinner's, at or near Leetown, Vir- ginia, September 20, 1862; Snicker's Gap, November 3, 1862; Fredericksburg, 13th and 14th of December; Chancellorsville, May 1, 1863; Gettysburg, July 2, 1863.
Major MeCleary died on the 25th of February, 1868. He had been complaining a little for a day or two, and kept in his room. On the morning of his death, he wrote an order which he gave to his servant for his breakfast, but when the boy returned with it he found McCleary insensible and bathed in blood. The doctor reached him immediately, and tried to rally him, but it was of no avail, and he went off unconscious and without pain. The cause of his death was the bursting of an ancurism of the. aorta, opening into the œesophagus. Ilis remains were carefully embalined and sent home, under the charge of au officer. The ladies of the army decorated the coffin most beautifully with flowers. Major James P. Roy, commanding the military. post of Charles- ton, South Carolina, issued a general order announcing Major MeCleary's death. The deceased had, he said, been continuously in the service of his country for four- teen years. "In the performance of his duty during this period, a large share of which has been checkered by events memorable in history, he has borne his part with a fidelity only equaled by that modesty of deport- ment which distinguished his personal character. On the frontier, in warfare with the savages, in marches across the continent, in the arduous and hard fought campaigns of the army of the Potomac in the late stu- peudous war, . no superior has found him deficient in courage aud capacity, and no comrade has kuown him but to respect him. His record has been uniformly that of a duty officer, a conscientious soldier. Of irreproach- able morals and unsullied honor, his private character has been that of a retiring and estimable gentleman. Iu him the army loses a valuable officer and his asso- ciates a trustworthy friend."
The commandant of the other detachment of his reg- iment, then stationed at Fort Gibson, iu the Cherokee · nation, Brevet-major M. Bryant, also issued a feeling order in respect to the decease of Major MeCleary. He said :
" Major MeCleary entered the service iu 1854, hav- ing graduated that year from the United States Military Academy. He served several years on the western frontier and in California, where he performed arduous and gallant services in campaigns against hostile Indians, and in the late war, participating in every battle in which his regiment was engaged, from Yorktown to Gettysburg, receiving the brevet of major for gallant and meritorious services in the latter battle.
" A high-toned and estimable gentleman, a gallant aud true-hearted soldier, has gone to his rest, leaving behind him a bright example of soldierly bearing, and of a conscientious and upright performance of duty,
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worthy the cmulation of the comrades who now mourn his loss. As a token of respeet for the memory of the deceased, the officers of the regiment will wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days."
The Butler Grays, organized at Princeton, under com- mand of Captain Murphy, was one of the best in the county. A splendid flag was presented to it by the ladies of Princeton and vicinity, through Miss Mollie Urmston.
The Reeder Cadets, who were young fellows from the ages of fifteen to seventeen, organized under the super- vision of Captain N. Reeder. Their officers were Charles Potter, Captain; Thomas Shafer, First Lieutenant; F. A. Lighter, Second Lieutenant; and Joseph Wyman, Orderly Sergeant. They received many gifts from the citizens of Hamilton.
The Butler Pioneers suffered much from shortness of tobacco. As their money had given out they could get no more. But the establishment of a sutler afterwards enabled them to get as much as they wanted, and have the value deducted from their monthly pay.
B. F. Miller and F. W. Keil began recruiting for a new company, and a roll was also left at Heppards's store, in Collinsville, and with W. S. Lewis, New London.
The three months' recruits returned home in July and August, and were warmly received.
The University Rifles returned from their campaign in Western Virginia on the 8th of August. They were weleomed home by the military companies of the city and a large erowd of citizens, who greeted them with a salute of artillery and musketry, and the cheers of assem- bled thousands.
A fine company, under the style of Union Rifles, composed mainly of citizens of Union Township, left Ox- ford, on the 8th of August, for Camp Dennison.
Captain Stone's company of three years volunteers, the Anderson Grays, went into camp at the Hamilton Fair Grounds on the 10th of August. Captain Thoms, of Seven-Mile, had a company partly ready.
On the 15th of August, 1861, there wer? at Camp Hamilton three companies, the Anderson Grays, the Butler Blues, and Captain Reeder's. The last twe were not full, but were being rapidly filled up.
Captain Stone's and Captain J. S. Earhart's eom- panies were sworn into the service of the United States on Tuesday, the 20th of August. Captain Fred. Heser left Hamilton for Camp Dennison on the 221, with sev- enty or eighty good fighting men, to join the Porschner regiment, which was to join Fremont's eolunin imme- diately.
By an arrangement of the commissioners the families of sueh volunteers from Butler County as had been sworn into the public service conld obtain relief by ap- plication, as follows: Those living in the townships of Morgan, Reily, Oxford, Milford, Hanover, and Ross ap- ply to J. J. Owens; in Wayne, Madison, Lemon, Lib-
erty, and Union, to William Davidson ; in St. Clair and Fairfield Township, and in the eity of Hamilton, to James Giffen.
The location of Camp Hamilton was changed in Au- gust from the Fair Ground to the common at the lead of Third Street, on the old cricket ground. This was done principally to seeure a good parade ground, where there would be no obstruction to drill.
Dr. Mallory began raising a company in Hamilton in September. He had forty-two names on his roll.
Charles Murray was also getting up a company of cavalry. The company, when completed, would be com- manded by Captain White, a graduate of West Point, and for twelve years a captain in the regular army. The company was to be attached to Colonel Taylor's reg- iment, which was to be ordered to St. Louis.
W. H. Wade was engaged in recruiting for a cavalry company. It was nearly full, and only a few men more were wanted. It was to be under the command of Cap- tain Hunt, late of Burdsall's dragoons, well known for their effective service in Western Virginia.
One of the earliest companies raised was by William Clement Rossman. It was attached to the Third Ohio Infantry, its colonel being Isaae Marrow, of Columbus; its lieutenant-colonel, Jolin Beatty, of Morrow County; and its major, J. Warren Keifer, of Clarke Connty. The regiment was at first at Camp Jackson, but afterwards at Camp Dennison. The three months' service had ex- pired before they were called upon to take the field. and a great portion of the regiment re-enlisted. On the 20th of January they were supplied with arms and ammuni- tion, and ordered to Grafton, Virginia, being the first three years' regiment to leave the State. At Rich Mount- ain, although present, the regiment was not engaged, as the fighting was in the rear of the fortifications. It joined in the pursuit of the enemy, and afterwards assisted in fortifying the passes of the Alleghenies.
The rebels, under General Robert E. Lee, attacked their position at Elkwater Junetion, on the 11th of Sep- tember, driving in the pickets as they advaneed. Colonel John A. Washington, of Mount Vernon, Virginia, was killed in this eontest. It returned to Cineinnati on the 28th of November, re-embarked for Louisville, and thence marched to Camp Jenkins, four miles distant, where the army of the Ohio was organized. It was placed in the Third Division, General Ormsby M. Mitchel command- ing. It went into Winter-quarters at Bacon Creck. Colonel Marrow here resigned, and promotions followed throughout the entire regiment.
From this eamp, which it left on the 22d of February, 1862, it went to Bowling Green, entering that place just as the rebels left it, and then going to Nashville. It took an etive part in all the events of that stirring and brilliant campaign, including the capture of Murfreesboro, and the occupation of Shelbyville and Fayetteville. In the battle of Bridgeport the Third acted its part. In the
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latter part of August General Bragg, with the rebel army, made a bold push towards Louisville, Kentucky, and Buell concentrated his forces in that direction. The march northward was extremely fatiguing. The roads were very dry, and there was scarcely any water, but they reached Louisville on the 25th of September. -
Shortly after, in marching out, it was a part of the forces that engaged with the rebels at Perryville. It fought bravely aud valiantly, nearly one-third of its num- ber being brought to the ground. Color-sergeant Wil- liam V. McCoubrie was shot down while carrying the flag a little in advance of the guard, and five others sub- sequently shared the same fate. The last hero who held the standard aloft was a beardless boy of seventeen, David C. Walker, who successfully carried it through the action, and was made color-sergeant on the field by Colonel Beatty. General Rousseau, after the close of the action, rode up to the regiment and thanked it for its gallant conduct. Its loss in the action was two hun- dred and fifteen killed and wounded.
In the battle of Stone River it took a noble part, being commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Lawson. It en- gaged very early, maintaining its line until, upon the edge of a cotton field, the whole tide of battle scemed to roll down from the right and launch itself upon the center, where the Third was. It then began to give ground, stubbornily, delivering its fire steadily and effect- ively, though receiving two volumes for one. It was long exposed to a galling fire, and lost heavily. The second day it was occupied in guarding a ford, but on the last day it was again under fire. This was the end of the battle, and the rebels then retreated to Shelbyville.
In April, 1863, the Third was detached from the army proper, and in company with the Fifty-first and Seventy- third Indiaua, Eightieth Illinois, and two companies of the First Alabama cavalry, was dispatched to destroy the Rome Iron Works, and the foundries and arsenals also sitrated there. On the 30th of April the command was attacked by General Roddy, with a large cavalry force. After a fierce contest the enemy were soon routed, but General Forrest was near by, and soon after made a fresh attack. After a severe engagement he was com- pelled to retreat.
Shortly after, the rebels again engaged, the Union troops losing a large number of men. The horses and men were both woru ont, and it was determined to send forward two hundred and fifty of the best mounted men to destroy the iron works and Rome. Ferry-boats could not be found at the Catoosa River, the troops going up the road four miles to a ford, which wet. their animuni- tion. Forrest came up again, and demanded their sur- render, which they were compelled to yieldl.
They were immediately sont to Belle Isle, and from there to Libby Prison, the officers being retained there uutil a late period in the war. The men were paroled, aud afterwards exchanged. They were stationed at vari-
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ous places nntil the conclusion of their term of service, many of the officers and men then re-enlisting in other regiments.
Heury Smith, of Captain Rossman's company, Third Ohio Volunteers, died at Annapolis, Maryland, February 21, 1863, from wounds received at the battle of Stone River. He was wounded and taken prisoner at Mur- freesboro, and removed from there to Richmond, Virginia, where he was exchanged. His remains were brought to this city.
Alexander Schmidtman entered into the service of his country as a soldier soon after the breaking out of the Rebellion, and was a faithful member of Company F, Sixth Reginent Ohio Volunteers, until the failure of his health. He took part in several of the severest battles fought during the war, among which was that at Pitts- burg Landing. He was then taken sick, patiently suf- fering during his protracted illness. He died September 7, 1863, in the thirty-uiuth year of his age.
The First Cavalry was organized in the Summer of 1861. A large number of men desired to join this reg- iment, and the officers were consequently enabled to use dis- crimination in the selection of recruits. It was mustered into the service on the 5th of October, at Camp Chase, and three of the companies were soon after assigned on detached service in West Virginia. Several lost their lives, and among them was Seeley Meusch. He was an earnest worker in the organization of the company, riding regu- larly to drill from Seven-Mile after his day's work, and shrinking from no labor or trouble in getting in men and horses. He left for his father's home in Michigan, where he intended to leave his infant child, on the express con- dition that he should be telegraphed if any thing oc- curred, and on being notified that they were about to depart he immediately joined them in camp. During the short time spent in Carthage in the laborious drilling inci- dent to the preparing of men and horses for immediate service, Mensch was most efficient and industrious, ro- sponding with ready acquiescence to the entirely unex- pected order to leave for Virginia.
During the four weeks' campaign, immediately follow- ing the departure from Clarksburg, in which, it is safe to say, no dragoons ever saw harder or more exacting service, Mensch was always the ready, cheerful, and brave sollier. In the midst of perplexing irregularities of the company in the arrangement of nesses, the distri- bution of the equipments, and the incidental disatisfac- tion and chafing of the men against each other, while learning camp duty and camp life, he did nuich by his conciliation and kindness to settle all into regularity and content. When by the severe picket and guard duty to which the company was exposed. as the only cavalry in the brigade, the men were so worn ont as to be really unfit for further service, Mensch was always willing and ready to volunteer in the place of some weaker, though not so severely tasked comrade. If there was auy scout-
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ing promising danger, or any midnight expedition looking towards a skirmish, Mensch asked to go. He was one of their best couriers, riding fearlessly, but with discretion. He was present in the ardnous march around the flank of the enemy entrenched at Rich Mountain, and was in the fight afterwards. He was under the fire of the enemy for nearly an hour without flinching, although not permitted to fight, only regretting that the logs, rocks, and trees prevented his being at the cannon's month. He was in that section of his company that rode next morning first of all the army into the camp of the rebels. He was patient in difficulty, cheerful under hardship, fearless in assault, cool in danger, for bearing with his comrades, respectful and obedient to offiecrs, and perfectly brave. His was an intelligent and active brav- ery too. He understood perfectly well what he joined the army for -- what he wanted to accomplish, and why he wanted it. He fought on principle, recognizing the magnitude of the issues at stake and the duty which pre- sented itself to him as a eitizen and a man. There were no hostile soldiers near the camp, and no dangers antiei- pated. He was fired upon by murderous citizens skulk- ing in the bushes.
On the 9th of December the regiment went to Louis- ville, where it arrived on the 11th, being the first reg- iment of cavalry to enter that department. It remained in Louisville and Lebanon until the 28th of February, when it moved to Nashville. In the meantime Colonel O. P. Ransom and Lieutenant-colonel T. C. H. Smith had resigned, and the command devolved upon a new colonel, Minor Millikin, a native of Butler County. On the 14th of March, the First Cavalry took the advance of the column moving towards Columbia, encountering aud putting to flight the rear guard of the enemy. The regiment marched through Tennessee with General Thomas's division, arriving at Pittsburg Landing just after the battle of that name had been fought. It par- tieipated in the advance upon Corinth!, having frequent skirn ishes with the enemy, and afterwards joined in the pursuit of Beauregard's army. During this pursuit?it had four sharp engagements with the enemy, with, how- ever, but little loss. During June the regiment was constantly employed in scouting and reconnoitering, and a detachment from Tuscumbia, under command of Col- onel Emery, had a severe engagement about the 1st of July with Roddy's rebel commaud. Although successful, the detachment suffered severely, losing among others Captain Emery, mortally wounded.
On the 15th of July Captain Writer, with a squad, was attacked by a superior force of rebel cavalry under General Anderson. Two of the men were captured and four injured, and the captain was severely wounded. On the 25th of July companies E and K, commanded by Captain Eggleston, with two companies of the Tenth Kentucky Infantry, were attacked by a large body of rebel cavalry under General Anderson. They held out
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for a considerable time, but were finally compelled to retire, the enemy having captured the infantry, Captain Eggleston, and twenty-one of the cavalry. On the 1st of August the regiment moved for Decherd, Tennessee, arriving there on the 5th. Colonel Millikin, with six companies, moved to MeMinuville soon after, while four companies, under Captain Pitten, went on a seout to Fayetteville, where on the 19th Lieutenant Rhea, of Company I, and six men were captured. Considerable skirmishing was done, and in October the regiment, or portions of it, participated in an engagement near Shep- herdstown, and in the advance on Perryville. On the day after the last battle the regiment was reunited, and remained so until its final discharge, a period ef three years.
General Morgan and his band of guerrillas becoming troublesome, the First Ohio and the First Kentucky cavalry were sent in pursuit of him, following him many miles through the center of the State. With other troops with whom they were brigaded they met Morgan's com- mand of twenty-five hundred men at Gallatin, routing it, and capturing twenty-five prisoners. In the advance on Murfreesboro it moved out on the Franklin Pike, reach- ing that town in the afternoon, and routing the rebel foree stationed there. On the 29th it encountered and defeated Wharton's brigade of rebel cavalry. On the evening of the same day the brigade and regiment took position upon the extreme right of the army, and held it throughout the struggle. On the 31st the brigade covered the retreat of our infantry, falling baek slowly. Colonel Millikin had received no orders from his brigade commander applicable to sueli a case, and took the re- sponsibility of sending orderlies to the various regimental commanders of the brigade, requesting them to support him in a saber charge upon the advancing foe. The oe- casion was pressing, and Colonel Millikin, without waiting for a response, wheeled his men into line, and threw it upon the enemy, driving them a quarter of a mile. The rebels gathered and closed in on his rear, making his situation one of extreme difficulty. Perceiving his dan- ger, he turned his men about, and they fought their way through, but among those who lay dead on the field was the gallant young commander, Minor Millikin. Besides him, Major D. A. B. Moore and Lieutenant Condit were killed, and Adjutant Scott aud Lientenant Fordyce wounded, together with many non-commissioned officers and privates. The command of the regimeut devolved upon Major Langhlin, under whom it continued to fight until the battle of Stone River was complete.
In June it did much skirmishing and reconnoitering, and captured large quantities of rebel stores. This it continued in July, and in August several hundred horses and mules were captured. On the 20 of September it went in the direction of Rome, Georgia, meeting the enemy, and driving them from their position after a contest, of an hour. The loss was ten killed and wounded.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
Ou the 19th the First arrived on the Chickamauga bat- tle-field, and after being engaged the whole morning, were ordered, under Lieutenant-colonel. Cupp, to charge the enemy's line. The mistake of issuing such an order was quickly perceived, and was immediately counter- manded, but not before the two hundred and fifty men had started under a deadly fire. One moment more and scarcely one could have been saved. Lieutenant-colonel Cupp was killed, aud one-fifth of the rank and file were among the killed and wounded. He was universally beloved, and was brave to a fault. The command now devolved upon Major T. J. Patten, under whom the reg- iment fell back to Chattanooga:
On the 26th of September General Crook's division, of which the First Cavalry was a part, was dispatched to guard a line on the Tennessee River of fifty miles in length. On the 1st the rebel General Wheeler, with eight thousand cavalry, broke through this weak defeuse. His advance was met by a battalion of the First, under Major James Scott, and a severe engagement followed, in which Captain Conn, of Company B, was wounded and twenty-five men of the battalion were wounded and captured. The rebels compelled them to retire, but General Crooks soon took up the pursuit and drove them for a long distance. On the 10th the rebels succeeded, with a remnant of the overwhelming force that had. crossed the Tennessee in triumph eight days before, in recrossing that stream. They were weakened, demoral- ized, and dislicartened; they had lost their artillery and more than a thousand prisoners, and had been five times routed by a force of less than half their numbers.
On the 18th of November, with five hundred men in its rauks, the First Cavalry moved towards Chattanooga, arriving there on the morning of the 22d of November. On the evening of the same day General Sherman, having already moved his forces across the river above the town, the First Chio and five other cavalry regiments, under Col- onel Long, crossed over under cover of the infantry, and made a raid in the rear of Bragg's position, which for its brilliant success and happy termination is unsurpassed in the annals of the cavalry. The results were the de- struction of twenty miles of railroad and the largest per- cussion cap and torpedo manufactory in the Confederacy ; two hundred wagons burned, six hundred horses and mules, and five hundred prisoners captured. Only twenty men were lost. On this raid the First had a severe en- gagement with the enemy at Cleveland, losing fifteen men, but inflicting on the enemy a loss of at least fifty.
On the 27th of October Colonel Long's division marched towards Knoxville, having several severe skir- mishes by the way, and capturing many prisoners. Then it went on a raid into North Carolina, bringing back only one hundred and twenty effective men, instead of the five hundred it had had a month before.
At Calhoun, a town on the Hiawassee River, Decem. ber 16th, the rebel General Wheeler, with twenty-eight
hundred men, attacked a wagon train lying upon the opposite side of the Tennessee River, guarded by infantry alone. . Perceiving their danger, Colonel Long, with sixty-five men of the First Cavalry, immediately crossed over, and charging the enemy, in connection with the infantry, completely routed the rebels. Leaving the in- fantry, the little band of cavalry pushed forward four miles, scattering the rebels, aud inflicting upon them a loss of twenty-five killed and eighty wounded, and cap- turing one hundred and thirty-one prisoners. This bril- liant affair cost the cavalry but one man killed and three wounded. Taking into account the disparity of numbers, it is almost impossible to find a parallel in the history of modern warfare.
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