History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 64

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854

USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881 > Part 64

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Few regiments present a better record upon battle fields and marches than the Fifteenth, while in respect to the intelligence and moral charac- ter of its officers and soldiers, it holds an enviable position.

It is worthy of note, that the Coshocton sol- diers in the Fifteenth, though not numerous, in following the varied vicissitudes of the regiment, as they did, from its muster in till its muster out, escaped without a death or a wound.

THIRTY-SEVENTHI.

In viewing the record of the Thirty-seventh Ohio, it would be well to note the fact that it was recruited as a German regiment, and as such was the third of its kind raised in Ohio. A large portion of the regiment was taken from Tusear- awas county, and the German settlements of Co- shocton county bordering on Tuscarawas con- tributed liberally in enlistments that were cred- ited to Tusearawas. The record of the regiment is as follows :

The Thirty-seventh was principally recruited among the patriotie Germans of Cleveland, To- ledo and Chillicothe. The counties of Auglaize, Franklin, Mahoning and Tuscarawas (Coshocton men) furnished a number of the men; Erie, Wyandot and Mercer also contributed liberally. Its organization was commenced under the call of President Lincoln for 300,000 men, in August, 1861. By the latter part of September, seven full companies had reported, and on the Ist of October 800 men were enrolled. With this num- ber the regiment was placed in Camp Dennison, and on the 2d of October it was mustered into the service armed and equipped. Colonel E. Siber, an accomplished German officer, who had seen active servece in Prussia and Brazil, was sc- leeted as the commander of the regiment; L. Von Blessingh, of Toledo, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Charles Ankele, of Cleveland, Major. Its line

officers were selected from those who had seen service in the preceding three months' cam- paign.

The regiment moved rin Cincinnati to a point on the Kanawha river, in West Virginia, where it reported to General Rosecrans, then command- ing that department. Shortly after its arrival, the regiment was sent up the Kanawha, in com- pany with other forces, to the oil works at Can- nelton, with the view of driving the rebel Gen- eral Floyd out of that valley. The national forces moved up the valley, marching along Loup creek, flanked, and forced the rebels to evacuate Cotton Hill, and pursued them to within seven miles of Raleigh Court House. On its return from this expedition, the regiment went into winter-quarters, at Clifton, where it occupied itself in drilling and perfecting its organization, guarding all the principal points in the vicinity, and occasionally sending out scouting parties in all sections of that part of West Virginia. In January, 1862, it went out on an expedition to Logan Court House, east of Guyandotte river, and eighty miles distant from Clifton. After marching and brisk skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry, the place was captured and all the war material destroyed. This accomplished, the reg- iment returned to Clifton, having suffered a loss of one officer and one man killed. In March, 1862, the Thirty-seventh Ohio was added to the third provisional brigade of the Kanawha divis- ion, and ordered to accompany that division on a raid to the southern part of West Virginia, with the view of reaching and destroying, if possible, the Virginia and East Tennessee railroad, near Wytheville, Virginia. But, after severe and un- successful fighting at and near Princeton, on East river, in which the regiment lost one officer and thirteen men killed, two officers and forty-six men wounded, and fourteen men missing, the national forces were compelled to retreat to Flat- top Mountain, where they remained in bivouac until the 1st of August, 1862. On that day the regiment marched to Raleigh, garrisoned the place, and scoured the country for a circuit of twenty-five miles.

In an expedition to Wyoming Court House, a detachment of the regiment fell into an ambus- cade, and were surrounded by the enemy, but cut

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

their way out of the difficulty with the loss of two killed, and one officer and seven men taken pris- oners. In the latter part of August the regiment marched in detachments to Fayetteville, Vir- ginia, which place was garrisoned by the Thirty- seventh and Thirty-fourth Ohio, and a temporary battery, composed of men from the Thirty-sev- enth Ohio on temporary duty.

On the 10th of September two companies of the regiment were sent out on the Princeton road, and, after reaching a spot one and a half miles from their starting point, they encountered the enemy in heavy force, making it necessary to fall back. Shortly after, the whole force was engaged with the enemy, led by General Loring. The fight lasted from 12 M. until dark, when Colonel Siber, the commanding officer of the Thirty- .seventh Ohio, being informed that another foree of the enemy was threatening the national rear and line of retreat, the retreat was sounded, and, at 2 o'clock in the morning, the regiment moved back on the Ganley road, taking a position on Cotton Hill, and engaging the enemy an hour with effective results. The retreat was then ro- sumed, and, on the 12th of September, the national troops crossed the Kanawha river at Camp Piatt, and arrived at Charleston on the next day. The enemy, who had followed at a respectful distance, was here engaged and kept at bay until dark. This stand was necessary in order to cover the retreat of a valuable train of seven hundred wag- ons loaded with the entire supplies of all the troops in the Kanawha valley.

After a very exhausting march of three days and nights, the Ohio river was reached on the 15th, at a point nearly opposite Ripley, Ohio, and the troops crossed over, but almost immediately thereafter re-crossed the river, and went into camp at Point Pleasant. In this unfortunate re- treat the Thirty-seventh Ohio lost two men killed, three wounded and sixty-three missing, of which latter a large portion were teamsters and train guards. All the company wagons, camp equip- age and officers' baggage were lost near Fayette- ville by a rear attack of the enemy.

On the 15th of October the company entered Kanawha valley, under command of Lieutenant L. Von Blessingh. Gauley Bridge was reached November 19th, where a camp was formed and

occupied up to December, 1862, on which day the regiment marched to Camp Piatt, and from thence embarked on steamers for Cincinnati. While lying at the wharf there Colonel Siber as- sumed command of the regiment, and was for- tunate enough to procure new Enfield rifles in exchange for the arms then in use. Proceeding down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, the regi- ment was landed at Napoleon, Arkansas, on the 16th of January, 1862. Here it was, with other regiments, formed into the Third Brigade, Second Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps. On the 21st of January the troops moved over to Mili- ken's bend, nearly opposite Vicksburg, Missis- sippi, where they were engaged in the construc- tion of the canal which was to isolate Vicksburg from the river, and make it an inland town. A freshet in the Mississippi river compelled the regiment, with the other troops, to seek higher ground for encampment. Young's Point was selected. From Young's Point a number of ex- peditions were sent to the east side of the Missis- sippi and up the Yazoo river. in all of which the Thirty-seventh participated.

On the 29th of April. 1862. the regiment, un- der the command of Lieutenant Colonel L. Von Blessingh, with eight other regiments of the di- vision embarked on steamers and were taken up the Yazoo river to Haines' Bluff. This move- ment was made as a feint to cover the movements of General Grant, to the southeast of Vicksburg. The regiment returned to the west side of the Mississippi and again went into camp at Young's Point, performing guard and fatigue duty until the 13th of May, when it was sent down to Grand Gulf. From that place it marched with the force under General Grant to the rear of Vicksburg, where it was assigned as a portion of the front line of the army investing that place. In the bloody but unsuccessful assaults on the enemy's works, May 19 and 22, and the subsequent siege of Vicksburg, the regiment lost nineteen killed and seventy-five wounded-inchiding among the wounded Lieutenant Colonel L. Von Blessingh. This casualty devolved the command of the regi- ment upon Major C. Hipp until the 18th of June, when Colonel Siber reported from his leave of absence, and resumed command.

After the surrender of Vicksburg the Thirty-

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

seventh participated in the expedition against Jackson, Mississippi, and on its capture, July 17, it performed provost-guard duty for some days. On the 23d of July it marched to a camp of rest and reorganization, called Camp Sherman, near Big Black river. It remained in this camp up to the 26th of September, 1863, on which day it marched into Vicksburg and embarked on the steamer Nashville for Memphis, Tennessee. From Memphis the regiment marched into Corinth, Mississippi; thence to Cherokee Station, Ala- bama, reaching the latter place on the 20th of October, and remaining in bivouac until the 26th of the same month.

The rebel General Forrest becoming trouble- some, the Thirty-seventh Ohio marched, with its division, to drive off his cavalry, who were oper- ating with the view of impeding the march of the national forces toward and for the relief of Chat- tanooga. On the 21st of November Chattanooga was reached, and on the nights of the 23d and 24th the regiment crossed the Tennessee river, opposite Mission Ridge, and held a hill in front of the enemy during the night of the 24th, in order to maintain communication with the first brigade of the division. On the morning of No- vember 25 the regiment participated in an as- sault on the enemy's fortified position, in which it lost five men killed and thirty-six wounded, five of the latter being officers. Although not successful in the charge, other points of the rebel line were broken and the enemy retreated dur- ing the following night, and was pursued as far as Ringgold.

At Gravesville, on the 29th of November, the regiment received orders to march with the di- vision to East Tennessee to drive the rebels un- der Longstreet from that part of the State. This campaign lasted for three weeks, and is memora- ble from the intense suffering endured by the troops. The weather was intensely cold, the men half clad, and numbers of them shoeless, and were compelled to subsist on half rations ; and yet these brave men endured all these privations without a murmur. On the contrary, unreasonable as it may seem, the men generally were in exuberant spirits, and it was noticed that more humorous jokes were current on that campaign than any that preceded it. On the march back, the regi-

ment remained at Bridgeport, Alabama, until the 26th of December, when it went into camp at Larkinsville, Alabama.

In the beginning of the month of February, 1864, the Thirty-seventh formed part of an expe- dition sent toward Lebanon, Alabama, and on the 15th of the same month it marched to Cleve- land, Tennessee, with the Fifteenth Army Corps, on a reconnoissance to the vicinity of Dalton, Georgia, returning to Larkinsville, Alabama, March 2.

On the 8th of March, three-fourths of the men having re-enlisted for another term of three years, they were again mustered into the service, and placed in the Second Brigade, Second Di- vision of the Fifteenth Army Corps. The usual thirty days' leave was accorded, which the regi- ment enjoyed at their homes in Ohio.

At the expiration of the furlough the men promptly rendezvoused at Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, and by the 28th of April, 1864, were again at the front, ready for duty. On their way to duty a disastrous railroad accident occurred near Mumfordsville, Kentucky, by which thirty men were wounded and one killed.

On the arrival of the regiment at Chattanooga it was newly armed and equipped, and was im- mediately ordered to join its division (May 10), then operating in Sugar creek valley, Georgia. On the 13th of May it participated in the advance on Resaca, in which it lost three killed, two of whom were officers, and ten men wounded.

The enemy having been driven out of his strongholds, the division and regiment crossed the Oostenaula river at Lay's Ferry, and marched towards Kingston, Georgia, reaching there on the 19th of May. At this time the Thirty-seventh Ohio was under the command of Major C. Hipp, Lieutenant Colonel L. Von Blessingh being in Ohio on sick leave.

In the march on Atlanta, Dallas was the next point reached. On the 23d of May, the enemy was encountered in strong force at that place, sheltered by a strongly fortified position. In this engagement and at New Hope Church (May 28, 29 and June 1), the regiment only lost four men wounded. On the retreat of the enemy, the Thirty-seventh pursued toward Acworth, and went into line of battle in front of Kenesaw

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Mountain, and participated in the memorable and disastrous assault made by the national forces against that stronghold, in which the enemy was compelled to fall back and abandon the position. Up to this point (from June 11 to July 2), the regiment lost four men killed and nineteen wounded.

Again on the march, the regiment was next found, with its division, to the extreme right of the army, supporting the Twenty-third Army Corps in the engagements near the Chattahoochie river and Nicojack creek. Immediately after, it was ordered to the left (July 12), and marched through Marietta, Rosswell Factories and across the Chattahoochie river. Strong breast works were built on the south side of the river, and the regiment moved by a rapid march to the Atlanta and Augusta railroad, which was distroyed for a considerable distance. It then moved through Decatur on Atlanta, and on the 20th of July, 1864, encamped within two miles of that city.

On the 22d of July the Thirty-seventh Ohio held a position on the right of its division, in the breastworks abandoned by the enemy on the pre- vious night. The enemy, receiving heavy rein- forcements, succeeded in breaking the national lines on the left, whereby the Thirty-seventh was flanked and compelled to "get out of that." In this reversed movement it lost four men killed, ten wounded, and thirty-eight taken prisoners. The national forces, stung to the quick by the suc- cess of the enemy, turned fiercely upon them, and with the help of the Sixteenth Army Corps, re- took the position and held it. On the 27th of July the Fifteenth Army Corps was moved to the right of the besieging army, thereby threatening the enemy's communication with Macon and the South generally. Perceiving too late the advan- tage that had been gained by the national move- ment, the enemy made an effort to drive them from their position, and for that purpose the bat- tle of Ezra Chapel was fought (a fierce encounter) in which the rebels were severely punished. The Thirty-seventh Ohio held the extreme right in this engagement, was deployed as skirmishers and completely frustrated an attempt of the enemy to turn the national right. Major C. Hipp com- manded the regiment in this affair, and lost his left arm at the commencement of the battle. This

devolved the command on Captain Morritz, who took the regiment through the remainder of the battle. The regiment lost one man killed and five wounded.

Very nearly a month (from July 28 to August 26) was consumed in advancing the national lines toward the fortifications in front of the railroad leading from Atlanta to East Point, during which period the regiment lost five men killed and eight wounded. It then moved with its division, over the Atlanta and Montgomery railroad, toward Jonesboro on the Atlantic and Macon railroad.

The 30th of August found the Thirty-seventh in line of battle, moving on Jonesboro in advance of the brigade. Driving the enemy's skirmishers before it, at sundown it had gained a position one- half mile west of the railroad, where, during the night, it threw up intrenchments, and participa- ted in the bloody repulse of the enemy's repeated charges on the national position. The loss of the regiment during these two days (August 30th and 31st), was two killed and seven wounded.

Jonesboro was entered by the national troops on the 1st of September at noon. By night, At- lanta was occupied, and the national forces in full pursuit of the rebel army. The pursuit was abandoned at Lovejoy's Station, and the regiment returned to East Point (September 7), where it went into camp and rested until the 4th of Octo- ber, 1864. The Thirty-seventh Ohio left its camp, in pursuit of the rebel forces under Hood, on the 4th of October. Forced marches were made over Northern Georgia and Alabama, and the enemy's cavalry rear guard encountered near Gadsden, Alabama, on the Coosa river. On the advance of the brigade in line of battle, the enemy retreated in such haste that it was useless for infantry to at- tempt the pursuit. The regiment then returned to Ruffin's Station, near the Chattahoochie river, where it remained up to the 13th of November. Lieutenant Colonel L. Von Blessingh, having re- covered from his illness, joined and resumed com- mand of the regiment, relieving Captain G. Boehm, who had taken the place of Captain Mor- ritz, absent on leave.

The great March to the Sea was forming, and its energetic commander, Major General W. T. Sherman, had ordered up to Atlanta all the regi-

Samuel Moore

MUSS-ENG CO.N.Y.

MRS. SUSANNAH MOORE.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

ments and divisions that could be spared front General Thomas and the other army corps.

On the 13th of November, 1864, the Thirty- seventh Ohio marehed into Atlanta to draw the necessary outfit for the long march about to be made. On the 15th it took up the line of march. The route of the regiment passed over Me- Donough's Indian Springs, near which place it crossed the Ocmulgee river; thence through the towns of Hillsboro and Clinton. At the latter place it performed, in company with the Fifteenth Michigan Infantry, valuable guard duty, in pre- venting the enemy's cavalry from crossing the road leading to Marion, with the view of cap- turing and destroying a division train, then parked in the town of Clinton. Covering the rear of the division, the regiment marched the next day to Griswold, where it joined its division, and having crossed the Georgia Central Railroad, marched through Ironton. It crossed the Oconee on the 26th of November and, after marching through extensive swamps, arrived at Sum- mertown, November 13. Continuing its march through the low and swampy lands of Georgia, along the southern side of the Ogeechee river, it crossed the Connonchee river on the 9th of De- cember; thence to the line of the Savannah and Gulf Railroad, miles of which, with the assistance of other regiments, it destroyed. Recrossing the Cannonchee, it passed the Ogeechee river and advanced to within nine miles of Savannah. On the 13th, it again crossed the Ogeechee, at King's bridge, advanced on Fort McAllister, which was invested by the national forces and carried by assault the same day.

After some days rest the division again marched to the Savannah and Gulf Railroad and completed its destruction for a distance of thirty miles. On the return of the brigade to Savannah it received orders to report to the headquarters of the Fif- teenth Army Corps to take part in the contem- plated general attack on Savannah. In the mean- time, however, the enemy evacuated the city, and the Thirty-seventh Ohio went into bivouac in a camp eleven miles west of the place.

It afterward moved into the immediate vicinity of the city and occupied itself in drilling, perfect- ing its equipment and in fortifying against the enemy, who, it was thought, might possibly make

an effort to regain possession of Savannah. On the 19th of January, 1865, the regiment, under orders, marched to Fort Thunderbolt, on the Savannah river, where it embarked for Beaufort, South Carolina, which was reached on the 22d of January. At this point the regiment went into camp until the 27th of January, when it returned to Beanfort and took the division train out of the transports then lying in port at that place. On the 30th it escorted this train to Pocotoligo, and from thence marched to McPhersonville, where it joined the division, and went with it through South Carolina and the southern part of North Carolina.

On this march it crossed Coosawattee, the Big and Little Combahee, the South and North Edisto, often wading through water up to the arm pits , of the men, and attacking the enemy in fortified positions. After crossing the Congaree, the regi- ment bivouacked on its banks, five miles south of Columbia, On the 16th of February it crossed the Saluda river, four miles above Columbia, and guarded the division train into Columbia. It crossed Broad river February 18, and was en- gaged for two days in destroying the track of the Columbia and Charleston railroad. On the 20th of February the regiment continued its march, crossing the Wateree and wading Lynch creek (which had assumed the dimensions of a river), on the 26th. At this point the regiment was compelled to halt until the 20 of March, to allow the balance of the division to come up, freshets and the carrying away of a bridge having retard- ed the march.

On the 7th of March, Cheraw, South Carolina, was entered, and the Great Pedee crossed.

The next day (March S), the State line of North Carolina was crossed. After having crossed the headwaters of the Little Pedee, Lumber river, and Little river, the regiment was ordered to escort General Howard's headquarters and pon- toon trains of the Army of the Tennessee (right wing). It brought the trains safely into Fayette- ville, North Carolina, on the 11th of March.

On the 14th of March, Cape Fear river was crossed, the regiment marching on the road lead- ing to Clinton, which was guarded from the enemy's cavalry, then demonstrating in the national front. On the 17th, Beaman's Cross-

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

roads was reached, and the national army drew near Goldsboro', North Carolina,

On the 22d of March, the regiment marched towards Goldsboro', crossed the Neuse river on the 24th and went into camp two miles east of the town. The regiment remained in this camp until the capitulation of Lee and Johnson, when, with the rest of the national army, it marched, via Richmond, Virginia, to Washington City, there passed in review before President Johnson and his Cabinet. Thence it was transported by rail to Louisville, Kentucky, where it lay until the latter part of June, when the regiment was sent with the Second Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps to Little Rock, Arkansas, arriving on the 4th of July. The regiment remained in camp there until the 12th of August, when it was mustered out and transported to Cleveland, Ohio, and there dischurged, and the men returned to their respective homes.

CHAPTER XLIII.

WAR OF THE REBELLION-CONTINUED.

Sixty-Ninth Battalion, or One Hundred and Forty-Second Ohio N. G. and One Hundred and Forty-Third Ohio N. G. -Review of the Sixty-Ninth Battalion-Rosters of Five Companies-Record of the One Hundred and Forty-Second and One Hundred and Forty-Third-Correspondence from the Front.

THE Sixty-ninth Battalion was originally com- posed of six companies, but at the time Gov- ernor Brough made a call upon the National Guard of Ohio there were but five companies. Two of these companies went into the One Hundred and Forty-second Ohio, and three into the One Hun- dred and Forty-third Ohio.

The Sixty-ninth Battalion absorbed nearly all of the fighting element that was left in Coshocton county, and the interest that was felt in the or- ganization is manifest in the following, published in the Age of date May 14, 1864:

was very unpropitious, a cold rain falling all day, and our streets were very muddy, but notwith- standing, a large concourse of people assembled at the depot to see the Sixty-ninth Battalion, O. N. G., depart, and many a friend wished them God speed and a safe return. They are as fine a look- ing body of men as have yet left the county, and are commanded by officers of known ability. Al- though calling them into service at the present time is very hard on many of them-in many cases no one being left to cultivate their farms- yet they went off cheerfully and in good spirits, determined to do their duty wherever they may be sent.

The Sixty-ninth Battalion was known in the. military records solely as part of the two regi- ments to which it was assigned as mentioned above. The muster rolls of the five companies are given as they were assigned.

Muster rolls of Companies E, G and H, of the One Hundred and Forty-third Ohio:

COMPANY E.

Officers :

N. R. Tidball, Captain.

D. F. Denman, First Lieutenant.

J. Willis, Second Lieutenant.

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History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 64

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 854

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854