History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 29

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912

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The 178th Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., was organized at Camp Chase September 26, 1864, and mustered in for one year. It was at once ordered to report to Maj .- Gen. George H. Thomas at Nashville. The regiment remained in Nashville two weeks performing guard duty when it was sent to Tullahoma, where it com- posed part of the post command. It was soon ordered to Murfreesboro, and was there during the seige of that city by Hood's Confederate forces, which lasted 18 days. In December, 1864, the 178th was ordered to North Carolina. It landed at Morehead City, North Carolina, with the 23rd Army Corps, and a few days later took part in a skirmish with the enemy at Wise's Fork. After the surrender of John- ston's army, the regiment was ordered to Char- lotte, North Carolina, where it performed gar- rison duty until mustered out June 29, 1865. This regiment contained 31 men from Colum- biana County.

The 179th Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., was organized at Camp Chase in September, 1864,

and mustered in for one year September 27th .. It was ordered to Nashville, where it was as- signed to guard and provost duty. Picket and guard duty was always irksome to the soldiers, who would have greatly preferred to be at the front or on' the "firing line," in modern war parlance. But there had to be troops to per- form these routine duties, and the boys of the 176th and 179th, which had been brigaded to- gether, submitted as gracefully as possible. However 50 men were detailed from the 176th. and 179th, after the battle of Nashville in De- cember, 1864, and assigned to the First U. S. Engineers, to assist the latter organization in building block-houses along the Nashville & Chattanooga and other Southern railroads used by the Federal forces in transporting troops and supplies. The 179th was in the reserve at the time of the battle in Nashville, but not actively engaged. The regiment was mustered out at Nashville. June 17th, and paid off and discharged at Columbus June 21, 1865. A squad of Columbiana County boys, numbering about 18, under Lieut. George R. Gyger ( who in later years was Adjutant General of Ohio), composed a part of Company G, 179th Regi- ment.

Companies A and I, of the 19Ist Regiment,. Ohio Vol. Inf., each contained a number of men from Columbiana County. The regiment was organized at Columbus in January and February, 1865, to serve one year. It left Co- lumbus immediately after organization, under orders to proceed to Winchester, Virginia, and report to General Hancock. At Harper's Ferry the regiment was halted by command of Gen- eral Hancock, and ordered to report to Gen. John R. Brooke, and assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Army of the Shen- .andoah. Its only service was garrison duty in the valley, marching as far south as Winches- ter, where it remained until August 27, 1865, when it was mustered out of the service.

OTIIER BRANCHES OF THE SERVICE.

The Third Ohio Independent Battery was mustered into service in the spring of 1861. It was early attached to Gen. J. D. Cox's divis-

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ion, operating in West Virginia. Going into the service with a single gun, it soon added a captured gun. In February, 1862, the battery was recruited up to six guns and 161 men. It took part in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, the siege of Corinth and the battle of Iuka under Rosecrans. In the fall of 1862 the bat- tery moved with Grant's column on the Talla- hatchie, toward Jackson, and in the return to Memphis. In this campaign the men of the battery suffered from want of rations, and were compelled to subsist for days at a time on parched corn and hominy. The battery, now a part of Logan's division, moved with Grant's army to the rear of Vicksburg. It took part in the battles of Raymond, Jackson and Cham- pion Hills, and was in position in the rear of Vicksburg for 42 days. It went with Sherman to Meridian, and had a heavy artillery fight at Clinton, Mississippi. On July 22nd, at Leg- gett's Bald Knob, it was engaged from II o'clock a. m. until sundown. They drove the Rebels from Jonesboro. pursuing them to Love- joy's Station. The battery followed Hood up to Nashville and aided in its defense. From Nashville it was transferred to Fort Donelson. It was mustered out at Cleveland August I, 1865. Fifty-two members of this battery were from Columbiana County.

The Second Regiment, Ohio Vol. Cav .- the first regiment of cavalry to be raised in Northern Ohio --- was organized under the su- pervision of Hon. B. F. Wade and Hon. John Hutchins, and was mustered in October 10, 1861. The regiment had a remarkable career, making a splendid record. Twenty-one men from Salem were members of this regiment. It was equipped in Cleveland and transported to Camp Dennison for drill. Early in January, 1862, the Second was ordered to report to Gen- eral Hunter at Platte City, Missouri, and for three weeks scouted the Missouri border. On February 18th, Doubleday's brigade, of which the Second was a part, was ordered to Fort Scott, Kansas. On February 22nd a scouting party of 120 men of the Second was attacked in the streets of Independence, Missouri, by an equal force under command of Quantrell. In this, the 'Second's first fight, the enemy was

routed in 15 minutes time. Quantrell's loss was five killed, four wounded and five capt- ured. The Second lost one killed and three wounded. Early in April one battalion of the Second marched to Carthage, Missouri, where it broke up a guerrilla haunt and then returned to Fort Scott. In June the regiment moved southward, the horses being obliged to sub- sist on grass alone. In July the Second formed a part of a force which moved upon Fort Gib- son, capturing it, and in August returned to Fort Scott. In the early fall of this year 150 men and two officers were detailed from the Second to temporarily man a light battery of artillery, a transfer which was later made per- manent. Early in September the mounted por- tion of the regiment, with the battery men- tioned, moved with the army of General Blunt into Missouri and Arkansas, sharing in the campaign which ended in the victory of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, December 3, 1862. In this campaign the Second fought at Carthage, Newtonia, Cow Hill, Wolf Creek, White River and Prairie Grove. In November the Second was transferred to the East, and the dis- mounted portion moved to Camp Chase, where its members were re-equipped for the field. In February, 1863, the original 12 companies of the Second were consolidated into eight, and a battalion of four companies, raised for the Eighth Regiment, Ohio Vol. Cav., was added to the Second. In the early part of June four companies of the Second formed a force under General Saunders. They moved into Eastern Tennessee, attacked Knoxville and destroyed a large amount of supplies and several railroad bridges.

Kanitz's brigade, of which the Second was a part, joined in the pursuit of John Morgan. and followed that troublesome raider 1,200 miles through three States, finally sharing in the capture of the larger part of the Rebel force at Buffington Island. After this the reg- iment reassembled at Cincinnati, where almost the entire command was furloughed by Gen- eral Burnside as a reward for its gallantry and efficient service.

The Second reassembled at Stanford, Ken- tucky, and in August moved to Eastern Ten-

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nessee. It was brigaded with the Second East Tennessee, Ninth Michigan and Seventh Ohio Cavalry. After a forced march to Cumberland Gap, the Second fought in the battle of Blue Springs. The force pushed on up the valley, defeating the Rebels at Blountsford and Bris- tol. The Second engaged Wheeler's cavalry at Cumberland Gap, and during the siege at Knoxville operated on the enemy's flank, after the siege joining in the pursuit. On December 2nd it fought Longstreet's cavalry at Morris- town, on the 4th formed the advance of a brig- ade which attacked and fought 18 regiments for two hours at Russellville, and on the 6th was in the front five hours, in the battle of Bean Station. For the five days following it was almost constantly under fire. January 1, 1864, when the term of enlistment expired, out of . 470 men, 420 reenlisted and were furloughed. On March 20th the regiment, having secured 120 recruits, was ordered to Annapolis, Mary- land. The regiment moved to Camp Stone- man, D. C., and by the 30th was fully equipped. Early in May it moved, 800 strong, to Warren- ton Junction, reporting to General Burnside. On May 7th it engaged Rosser's cavalry with slight loss; and from that time on it was almost constantly employed in covering the right flank of the infantry, in the campaign of the Wilder- ness. The Second was transferred from the Ninth Army Corps and permanently attached to Sheridan's cavalry corps, Army of the Poto- mac. On May 31st the First Brigade of the Third Cavalry Division, of which the Second was now a part, advanced on Hanover Court House and in the engagement which followed the Second occupied the center and sustained the heaviest of the shock of battle. The enemy was driven and the crest and the Court House captured. The next day a portion of the First Brigade, including the Second Ohio Cavalry, proceeded to Ashland. The force had hardly arrived when they were surrounded by the enemy under Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, and an action ensued which lasted until sundown, when the Union forces withdrew, the Second covering the retreat. On June 22d the division moved on the raid to the Danville Railroad. The Sec- ond fought at Nottaway Court House, Stone

Creek and Ream Station, losing 100 men and five officers in killed, wounded and missing. Late in July it moved to the left of the army and did picket duty. Early in August the division withdrew to Washington City, thence to Winchester, where it arrived on the 17th. At 3 p. m. Early made an attack and at sun- down the division fell back, the Second acting as rear-guard. On the 19th Early again at- tacked, and after a sharp fight the division re- tired to Charlestown. Again Early attacked on the 22nd, when the Second was closely en- gaged. From Charlestown the division re -- treated to a position inclosing Harper's Ferry,. the Second twice engaging the enemy. On August 30th' the Second assisted in driving the enemy from Berryville. On September 13th McIntosh's brigade, including the Second, was ordered toward Winchester. The brigade charged (Second Ohio in front), and drove in the enemy's cavalry. The Second, with the aid of the Third New Jersey, captured an entire regiment of infantry. At the battles of Ope- quaw and Winchester, by four hours hard fight- ing and a bold charge, McIntosh's brigade won the day, and at night, when Early's army was retreating, the Second was the last to give up the pursuit. On the 20th the Second drove Wickham's cavalry through Front Royal, and skirmished in Luray Valley until the 25th. when it joined the army at New Market. At Waynesboro, on the 29th, Fitzhugh Lee at- tacked the command at sundown. The Sec- ond fought dismounted until all had with- drawn, and then prepared to retire as rear- guard, when retreat was cut off by a line of Rebel infantry. The Second charged through the column and continued as rear-guard until noon next day. The second shared in the re- pulse of Rosser's cavalry at Bridgewater. Dur- ing Sheridan's march down the valley, the Sec- ond fought from 8 o'clock a. m. until II p. m. On the 19th of October the Second shared in the battle of Cedar Creek, the men being in the saddle from daybreak until 9 p. m., and was present on the pike when Sheridan made liis immortal ride, joining in the charge which secured the final victory. On February 27th the Second, with the cavalry under Sheridan ..

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started on the last raid of the war. Near Waynesboro, March 2nd, Custer's division captured the remainded of Early's army. In this engagement the Second captured five pieces of artillery with caissons, 13 ambulances and wagons, 70 horses and mules, 650 prison- ers of war and 300 stand of arms. For this it received the thanks of General Custer on the field. It had the advance of the colunin enter- ing Charlottsville, where it captured more ar- tillery. With Sheridan's cavalry it joined the Army of the Potomac near Petersburg, there entering upon the campaign which closed the war. The regiment was mustered out Septem- ber Ist, and on the IIth was paid off and dis- charged at Camp Chase.

SIXTII CAVALRY NOT A "NEWSPAPER REGI- MENT."

The Sixth Regiment, Ohio Vol. Cav., was organized and mustered into the United States service early in October, 1861, at Warren, Ohio. C. C. Baker, who a number of years after the war, served two terms as auditor of Columbiana County, wrote the following sketch of the regiment for the "History of the Upper Ohio Valley :" "A\ historian has truth- fully said of this regiment-'The Sixth Ohio Cavalry as a newspaper regiment has not much history, but the record shows long lists of killed and wounded, and a record of battles that places it among the best regiments in the serv- ice.' The muster rolls in the War Department show that there were 4.265 men mustered into this regiment; four companies were perma- nently detached for service in the West and four companies recruited to fill their places. which increases the number of recruits largely over those of other regiments. Active service began early in 1862 with General Fremont in West Virginia. With his army they moved up the Shenandoah valley, where the regiment first drew saber on the enemy at Strasburg. Those who served in the early part of the war -in '61-'62-will remember that the cavalry was scattered about and used as escorts, order- lies for generals and staff officers down to 2nd lieutenants, and were of little use as a distinct-

ive branch of the army ; and it was at this time that General Hooker's joke went forth, 'offer- ing a liberal reward for a dead cavalryman.' Though the duty performed before was hard, there were perhaps some grounds for the sar- castic words of Hooker. During the winter of 1862-63 the cavalry was organized into one grand corps, composed of three divisions, each having three brigades and each brigade com- posed of five regiments. In this organization the Sixth took its place, in the Second Brigade, Second Division, and from that time on its history can be traced with the movements of that celebrated corps and division commanded by the famous Sheridan and the 'Old Reliable' General Gregg. The cavalry corps when thus organized soon took a front rank in the move- ments and battles of the war, and now no en- (lorsement is needed to the soliders' bravery who served at the front with General Sheri- dan's cavalry.

"Company C, of the Sixth was recruited at Salem, Ohio; it was the first to report at camp, always holding the proud honor of being the veteran troop of the regiment. Company M, one of the new companies of 1863, was largely made up of Columbiana County boys, as were · numerous recruits for the other companies. .

"A condensed list of the engagements in which the regiment was engaged and received casualties is all the space will permit, viz : Mount Jackson, Virginia; Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, Brandy Station, Aldie, Bristow Station, Middleburg, Upper- ville, Hanover, Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Au- burn Mills, Todd's Tavern, Sheridan's Raid, Wilderness, Haw's Shop, Cold Harbor, Tre- villian Station, St. Mary's Church, Deep Bot- tom, Hatcher's Run, Ream's Station, Peters- burg campaign, Boydstown Road, Dinwiddie Court House, Sailor's Creek, Farmville and Appomattox, where the regiment served as General Grant's escort on the memorable 9th of April when Lee surrendered; after which the regiment did provost service in Virginia and North Carolina until August, 1865, when it was ordered to Cleveland to be mustered out of the service-only numbering 375 men."

The 12tl1 Regiment, Ohio Vol. Cav., was

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recruited during September and October, 1863, from almost every county in the State, being mustered in November 24th. Squadron B and Company I of this regiment contained 163 men from Columbiana County. On November 29th the regiment moved from Camp Dennison to Mount Sterling, Kentucky. The regiment was a portion of General Burbridge's command in the first Saltville raid. Arrived in the vicinity of Pond Gap, after eight days forced march, the command started in pursuit of John Mor- gan, who with his force had just entered Ken- tucky. The command, after severe marching, reached Mount Sterling June 9, 1863, there en- gaging the Rebel raiders. The 12th again overtook Morgan at Cynthiana, scattering his forces, and continuing the pursuit for three days. The regiment had hard fighting at Salt- ville, September 20th. The 12th with its bri- gade charged up a hill occupied by the enemy and silenced a battery, driving the enemy from his works. The regiment did good service un- der Stoneman at Bristol, Abingdon and Mar- ion, and as a support to General Gillam in pur- suit of Vaughn. Under Stoneman, Brecken- ridge was engaged and defeated after 40 hours of fighting. In this engagement all the mem- bers of the 12th bearing sabers participated in a grand charge, driving back the enemy's cav- alry. After the capture of Saltville on Decem- ber 2Ist, they returned to Richmond, Ken- tucky. As a result of this raid four boats were captured, 150 miles of railroad, 13 trains and locomotives, lead mines, iron foundries and an immense quantities of stores of all kinds were destroyed. The regiment moved to Nashville March 6th, and thence to Knoxville. From this point, under Stoneman, the regiment pen- etrated North Carolina, attacked the Lynch- burg & East Tennessee Railroad at Christians- burg, Virginia, which was destroyed for 30 miles. They also cut the Danville & Charlotte Railroad at Greensboro, North Carolina, which drew the garrison to Salisbury : and cutting the railroad between them and Salisbury, that place, with stores and many federal prisoners. fell into the hands of the Union forces April 12th. The command assisted in the capture of Jefferson Davis; then moving through South

Carolina and Alabama, they captured Generals Bragg and Wheeler and their escorts and fin- ally reached Bridgeport, Alabama, having been in saddle 67 days. The 12th finally rendez- voused at Nashville, and was mustered out November 14, 1865.

Other regiments and organizations of Ohio troops contained scattering detachments and recruits from Columbiana County, among them the following named: Sixth Regiment, Ohio .Vol. Inf., two men; Seventh Ohio Vol. Inf., three men; 10th Ohio Vol. Inf., one man (John Reed, Wayne township, killed at Perry- ville, October 8, 1862) ; 13th, 26th, 34th, 35th and 38th Ohio Vol. Inf., one man each; 4Ist Ohio Vol. Inf., four men ; 43rd Ohio Vol. Inf., four men; 6Ist Ohio Vol. Inf., 17 men; 64th Ohio Vol. Inf., one man ; 118th Ohio Vol. Inf., one man; 126th Ohio Vol. Inf., seven men ; 27th U. S. Colored Cavalry, three men ; First Ohio Heavy Artillery, 18 men; Second Ohio Heavy Artillery, 10 men ; 26th Ohio Independ - ent Battery, 21 men; roth Ohio Vol. Cav., three men ; I Ith Ohio Vol. Cav., two men; 13th Ohio Vol. Cav., 13 men. Besides these a num- ber of Columbiana County men enlisted in regi- ments and organizations of other States, of whom the rosters of Ohio soldiers have no ac- curate record.

In gathering information for a number of the foregoing sketches credit is hereby given to Ensign's "History of Columbiana County," "History of the Upper Ohio Valley" ( Brant & Fuller ), and Hardesty's "Military History of Ohio," all of which have been helps in the col- lection of important data.

MORGAN'S RAID THROUGH THREE LOYAL STATES.

The dash of the Rebel raider, John Mor- gan, through a portion of Ohio in the summer of 1863. which created a good deal of panic in the sections traversed by the dashing Con- federate and his reckless band, has been re- ferred to casually in this chapter. It is worthy of a more detailed account in the history of a county in the bounds of which the raiders finally came to grief. The following sketch

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is compiled partly from Hardesty's "Military History of Ohio," and partly from the story of an eye-witness of the final surrender (a citizen of 'Columbiana County still living in 1905).

On June 27, 1863, John Morgan set out from Sparta, the county seat of White County, Tennessee, with a well-mounted force of 2,000 men and four guns. He crossed the Cumber- land near Barkesville, Kentucky, on the Ist and 2nd of July, with well-laid plans for a suc- cessful foray over "neutral" and loyal soil. On July 3rd he met his first setback at Tebbs Bend of Green River where 200 men of the 25th Michigan had 24 hours in which to prepare to stay his progress, which time had been diligent- ly used in entrenching. On July 4th with two regiments at hand Morgan gave battle to the sturdy "Wolverines," who couldn't think of surrendering on the Fourth of July, and was at last compelled to draw off, hav- ing inflicted a loss of six killed and 23 wounded and having about 50 killed and about five times that many wounded, two of his best officers, Colonel Chenault and Major Bunt, among the slain. At Lebanon Marion County, Kentucky, Colonel Hanson, of the 20th Kentucky, with 400 men held him seven hours July 5th, and although then obliged to surrender had so weakened Morgan's force, in connection with his loss at Tebbs Bend, that the latter, fearing the Union cavalry were closing about him, burned a good portion of the town and rode, through the dark of a rainy night, 10 miles in 90 min- utes to Springfield, Washington County, Ken- tncky. At Lebanon among the killed was Morgan's young brother. On July 7th Mor- gan reached the Ohio River at Brandenburg, Kentucky, his force somewhat increased by Kentucky sympathizers. Seizing two steam- boats, the "McCombs" and the "Alice Dean," he crossed the river.

Across Southeastern Indiana via Harrison, Floyd, Washington, Scott, Jefferson, Ripley and Dearborn counties, Morgan and his men dashed, tearing up railroads, burning public buildings and exacting a ransom for leaving private buildings unharmed; trading horses without giving "boot," scattering or capturing militia ; levying on kitchens and stables alike,

and levying upon stores and granaries for everything they saw that they wanted. Then, while Indiana people were preparing to de- fend the government stores at New Albany and Jeffersonville, and the Capitol at Indianapolis, Morgan crossed the Ohio and rendezvoused his troops at Harrison, Hamilton County, July 13th. On the preceding day General Burnside, commanding the "Department of Ohio," had put Cincinnati under martial law, and Gover- nor Todd called out portions of the State mili- tia. The militia forces of Hamilton, Butler and Clermount counties were ordered to report to Burnside at Cincinnati ; those of the counties- of Montgomery. Warren, Clinton, Fayette, Ross, Highland and Brown to Colonel Neff at Camp Dennison ; those of Franklin, Madison, Clarke, Greene, Pickaway and Fairfield to Brigadier General Mason at Camp Chase; and those of Washington, Noble, Monroe, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Hocking and others to Colonel Putnam at Marietta. A force of cavalry under General Hobson had been following Morgan from the Cumberland, which was thought to have him driven from his proposed invasion of Indiana into Ohio. Navigation of the Ohio was stopped and gunboats patroled the river "to remove all scows and flatboats which might aid Morgan in his escape to the Kentucky shore." Nothing could have been farther from Morgan's intentions than to return to the Kentucky shore, and nothing seemed farther from the fact than that he was retreating or alarmed. From the beginning he had been pursuing, and suc- cessfully, a well-formed plan of crossing the northern counties of Kentucky, the southern counties of Indiana and Ohio, and then again to cross the Ohio into West Virginia, and through a portion of that State into South- western Virginia. The misunderstanding of his purpose in crossing the Ohio abetted his scheme. Colonel Duke, his chief of staff and subsequently his biographer, says: "Here (at Harrison ) General Morgan began to maneuver for the benefit of the commanding officer at Cincinnati."

HOW MORGAN FOOLED BURNSIDE.

Having eluded the combined forces of Burnside and Hobson, which he conjectured:

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were likely to try to stop him when he should attempt to cross the Hamilton & Dayton Rail- road, he took the utmost pains to let them know his attempted crossing would be at Ham- ilton. Some of his troops were moved in that direction during the 13th. Wiseacres were captured and paroled after they had heard his march on Hamilton discussed, etc. The ruse succeeded; and while military and civil authorities were making arrangements to de- fend Hamilton, on the night of July 13-14 Mor- gan marched his cavalry through the very sub- urbs of Cincinnati without encountering a picket or receiving a shot from a city of a quarter million inhabitants, "under mar- tial law" and the command of Gen. A. E. Burnside. Duke says his force at this time was less than 2,000 me11. Greeley, in his "American Conflict," says he had 4,000 men and 10 cannon-evidently an over-esti- mate-although Burnside made the same mis- take. Of this night march Duke says: "We could trace our column from the saliva drop- ping from the horses' mouths. It was a terri- ble, trying march. Strong men fell out of their -saddles, and at every halt the officers were com- pelled to move continually about in their re- spective companies and pull and haul the men, who would fall asleep in the road. Many crept off into the fields and slept until they were awakened by the enemy. Day appeared just as we reached the last point where we had to apprehend danger. We had passed through Glendale and across all the principal suburban roads, and were near the Miami Railroad. We crossed the railroad without opposition and halted to feed our horses in sight of Camp Den- * nison. * That evening we were at Williamsburg, 28 miles east of Cincinnati, (in Clermont County), having marched, in 35 hours, more than 90 miles, * feel- ing comparatively safe."

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 29

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 912

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912