History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 31

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716

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AFTER the disasters of the Peninsular campaign in June, 1862, and the consequent call of the President for three hundred thousand more men. it is well known that, notwithstanding the many severe drains which the North had had to bear. its sons again ral- lied with undaunted fortitude in defense of their country. Cuyahoga. Lorain and Medina counties had done their full share in sending out the one hundred and twenty thousand men which already represented Ohio in the field, but when recruiting offices were opened in them for a new regiment. the farmers, me- chanics, clerks and professional men of these counties promptly responded. and by the middle of July ten companies with full ranks were in the camp of ren- dezvous at Cleveland.

Of these, six companies, A, B, C. D, E and G. were principally from Cuyahoga county. During the war ('nyahoga county was represented in Company A by eighty-one members: in Company B by eighty- two members; in Company C by seventy-two; in Com- pany D by ninety-three: in Company E by eighty-nine: and in Company G by eighty-four. These, with five in Company H and fourteen in Company I, made a total of five hundred and twenty men from Cuyahoga county in the regiment during its term of service. Nine-tenths of these were recruited during the months of July and August, 1862.

In the latter part of August the ten companies were organized into a regiment under the name of the One Hundred and Third Ohio Infantry, with John S. Casement, of Painesville, as colonel : James T. Ster- ling, of Cleveland. as lieutenant-colonel, and Dewitt C. Howard. as major. On the 3rd of September the new regiment set out for Cinemnati. and after a brief stay at Covington. on the opposite side of the river. made its first march, on the 6th of September, to Fort Mitchell, three miles from the latter city. On the eighth of September the regiment was duly mus-

tered into the United States service; there being then nine hundred and seventy-two officers and men in its ranks.

On the 18th of September the One Hundred and Third, having been united with Buell's army, started in pursuit of the retreating forces of Bragg. The next day it was placed in the advance and took its first lesson in skirmishing. At Snow's Pond, where the regiment camped during the latter part of September and the forepart of October, the men suffered much from sickness, caused by the stagnant water they were obliged to use, nearly half the regiment being sick at once, though fortunately few cases were fatal.

On the 6th the One Hundred and Third moved for- ward as a part of the brigade of General Quincy A. Gilmore, but was soon separated from it and ordered to Frankfort. the capital of Kentucky. It remained there five months (except during a trip of a few days to Louisville), a period which is described as very comfortably spent. and as being fruitful of the most pleasant relations with the citizens of that ancient Kentucky city.

On the 5th of April. 1863. the One Hundred and Third moved southward. becoming part of the force of Gen. S. P. Carter, operating against the rebel Gen- eral Pegram. After considerable skirmishing at vari- ous points, the rebels attempted to make a stand at Monticello, beyond the Cumberland river but were easily defeated by the Union cavalry, before the in- fantry could come up. The command, however, was ordered back to the Cumberland river, which was made the southern line of defense by the Union forces. After a few weeks spent on the north bank of the river, and some very severe marching in the forepart of July. nearly all the rebels having been driven ont of Kentucky, a large body of Union troops was concentrated at Danville and organized into the Twenty-third army corps, under Major General Hartsuff, for the purpose of marching to the relief of the Unionists of East Tennessee. On the 17th of August General Burnside took the chief command, and on the next day the army, numbering about twenty thousand men, set out on its way.

The march over the mountains was one of extraor- dinary severity. Southern roads, as all soldiers of the late war well know, are of the most detestable description, and Southern mountain roads are per- fectly abommable-resembling cow-paths in which there have been no cows for twenty years. The men were obliged not only to carry their knapsacks, guns, cartridge-boxes. canteens and haversacks along these wretched trails, but to build bridges, lay corduroy roads. and help along the artillery and wagons, day after day and night after night, and all on half ra- tions, or even less.

Still, however, they struggled on, with extraordi- nary patience under the circumstances, passing Crab Orchard, Burnside's Point, Emery's Iron Works, etc., to Concord in East Tennessee. The enemy fled be- fore them, and after reaching Tennessee the labors of

*Principally from Col. P. C. Hayes' "Journal-History" of the Regi- ment.

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the troops were less severe. The loval Tennesseeans were wild with delight at the appearance of the old flag and its defenders. Every little village was pro- fusely decorated with the long-concealed National flags, while the people-men, women and children- thronged in crowds along the line of march to wel- come and to bless the soldiers of the Union. After taking possession of Knoxville, the principal place in East Tennessee, on the 1st of September, the Virginia and Tennessee railroad was utilized by the troops; the One Hundred and Third and other regiments going by rail up the valley a short distance northeast of Greenville.

At the latter place the enthusiasm reached its cli- max. All the people for miles around flocked to the depot, and nearly every one brought a basket of re- freshments-pies, cakes, meats. etc.,-for the benefit of the men who had come to protect them from rebel rule. Not only were the soldiers in a body greeted with the wildest cheers as they arrived. bnt hundreds of individuals were seized, shaken by the hand, blessed and wept over by the excited inhabitants. And this was only a more striking example of what was felt and expressed throughout East Tennessee by the persecuted, plundered Unionists of that devoted region.

After several marches and countermarches in the vicinity of Greenville, the command moved up the valley, in the latter part of September, to Johnson's station and the Watanga river. After some skirmish- ing the enemy retired, and the command moved back to Greenville, and thence to Bull's Gap. On the 9th of October an advance was made to Blue Springs, where the rebels were met and companies A and D of the One Hundred and Third were sent forward as skirmishers. They came upon a large force of the enemy which charged and drove them back: killing, wounding and capturing a considerable number. Other companies of the regiment were sent to the relief of those mentioned, but Gen. Burnside was not yet ready for a general engagement, and the whole com- mand was soon ordered back to Bull's Gap.

Ere long, however, he was ready, and on the eleventh of October he ordered a general advance. A smart engagement took place at Blue Springs, and the One Hundred and Third lay on their arms all night expecting a battle. The enemy, however, fled under cover of the darkness. Numerous other marches, forward, backward and sideways, were made in the dismal autumn weather, but they were not of sufficient importance to be recorded here. Early in November all the Union forces in East Tennessee were concen- trated at Knoxville, to repel a threatened attack by Gen. Longstreet. The One Hundred and Third reached that city on the fourth. About the fifteenth Longstreet appeared and sat down before the place with the evident intention of capturing it; at the same time, by means of his numerous cavalry, cutting off all communication between the Union forces and their comrades in other localities.

He pushed his advance close to the Union picket line. and a constant firing between the two sides was the natural result. Numerous fortifications were built by the rebels to facilitate the siege, and the Unionists responded with equal zeal, until every hill around Knoxville was seamed with breastworks and bristled with cannon.

On the morning of the 25th of November Gen- eral Longstreet sent forward a division of his best troops to attempt a surprise of the pickets while being relieved, to be followed by an assault upon the breast- works. A hostile movement of some kind was ex- pected, and six companies of the One Hundred and Third were ordered ont to relieve the two which had previously been considered sufficient. There was some accidental delay, and the relief did not reach the post until about one o'clock in the afternoon. Just as the six companies were being stationed, the enemy charged with a yell and a volley.

As this was the first time the regiment had been in a serions fight, it was very natural there should be some wavering. The men quickly recovered, how- ever, and volley after volley, closely aimed. soon tes- tified to the coolness and courage of the sons of northern Ohio. Heavy firing ensned on both sides for about an hour and a half. The One Hundred and Third was assisted by the pickets of the Twenty- fourth Kentucky and the Sixty-fifth Illinois, and at length, by the whole strength of those regiments. The struggle grew hotter, but finally the rebels were seen to waver. when the Union commanders gave the spirit-stirring order " charge bayonets." and with a thundering cheer the whole line went forward at full speed. Before they could be reached, the sons of chivalry broke and fled to their works on a neighbor- ing hill, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. Our men then resumed their old position.

This was known as the battle of Armstrong Hill, and was the first severe conflict of the One Hundred and Third Ohio. The companies engaged had about thirty-five men killed and wounded.

The siege continued, and its hardships speedily increased. Overcoats and superfluous clothing had all been thrown away during the toilsome marches of summer. the blouses and pantaloons with which the men had started from Kentucky had been worn out, the broken communications had prevented the issue of new articles, and in many cases. while the cold had rapidly become more severe, the men were reduced to shirts and drawers, with the addition of blouses with- out sleeves, and with pantaloons with no legs below the knees.

Rations, too, which had been of only half the regn- lar amount since the command entered Tennessee, were now reduced to a quarter size, or even less, and the men were on the verge of starvation. They reme- died this to some extent, however, by excursions after corn up the French Broad river, a section which Long- street had been unable to invest. Even this resource was exhausted in time, and hunger became the daily

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companion of all the infantry of the command. Those who had money could occasionally purchase food, fre- quently giving from half a dollar to a dollar for a sin- gle army-cracker, commonly known as a "hard tack." and from a quarter to half a dollar for an ear of corn. Those who had no money did the best they could on their quarter rations.

Fortunately the time of the worst suffering was not of long duration. The victory of Mission Ridge warned Longstreet that he could only gain Knoxville by a desperate venture, and the defeat of his attack on Fort Saunders showed him that the venture had failed. On the 4th of December six regiments of Union cavalry evaded the enemy and rode into Knox- ville, bringing news that the victors of Grant's army were on their way to the relief of the beleaguered city. Longstreet, too, heard the news. abandoned the hope- less task and retreated up the valley of the Tennessee toward Virginia. Deep was the joy and wild were the cheers when the defenders of Knoxville learned that the enemy had fled, and that they were once more free.

The command was soon ordered to pursue the enemy, and did so, though in very wretched circum- stances as to clothes and rations. The men had been paid off, but supplies could not yet be furnished. Terrible indeed were the marches to and fro in the valley of the Tennessee, and the cold and rainy New Year's day of 1864 was long remembered by the half- clad, half-fed, tentless soldiers as the very acme of wretchedness. At length, on the 12th of January, Longstreet started to retreat out of the State from Dandridge, and the Unionists. deceived by his ma- nenvers, also beat a hasty and most dismal retreat to Knoxville. Here they were furnished with ample supplies, for the first time in over six months, and were allowed a month to rest.

During March and April there was more marching up and down the Tennessee valley, with few or no results, but in the latter part of the last named month the Twenty-third corps was concentrated at Charles- ton under General Schofieldl; the One Hundred and Third being in the second brigade of the third divis- ion of that corps. On the 3d of May the whole army set forth on Sherman's grand campaign against At- lanta.

On the 13th of May, the Twenty-third corps came in front of Rasaca, which Gen. Johnson had strongly fortified to resist the advance of Sherman. The next day, after various maneuvers, the Twenty-third corps was brought, about noon, in front of the rebel works. An open field, nearly a mile across, lay spread before the eyes of the Union soldiers, through which ran a small creek. On the high bank on the farther side of this stream lay the rebel infantry, ensconced behind three lines of formidable breastworks, while a large number of cannon were massed on a small elevation, well situated tor giving full sweep to their grape and canister.

Soon after taking their position the Second and

Third divisions of the Twenty-third corps (the One Hundred and Third being included in the latter) were ordered to charge the works. Away they went across the open field, the enemy's camion and rifles tearing the ranks at every step and cutting down the men by the hundred. Still they pressed on until they reached the foot of the hill which was crowned by the rebel breastworks. Here the assailants were ordered to lie down, and for nearly half an hour remained in that position. They were somewhat covered from the enemy's fire, but were in the most trying position to the nerves which a soldier can well occupy, lying in- active on the ground, with a storm of rifle bullets and grape shot continually whistling over them, solid shot plunging by with resistless fury, and vengeance-seek- ing shells bursting in every direction.

At the end of the time mentioned, the order, "charge bayonet." rang from the lips of the com- mander, and was repeated by the line officers. The men sprang to their feet with a thundering cheer, and rushed up the hill. The hail of bullets, canister and grape was redoubled, the soldiers fell thicker and faster at every step, but the survivors swept on with increasing pace, captured the first line of works the moment they were reached, pursued the flying foe into the second line, and cleared that, too, at the point of the bayonet.

But in the meantime the second Division had been stopped by an unexpected swamp, thrown into con- fusion, and compelled to retreat with heavy loss. All the enemy's fire was then concentrated on the Third division, and it was found utterly impossible to ad- vance against the third line. But the men held the ground they had won: keeping a constant fire on the rebels until nearly night, when they were relieved by other troops. In this, the second battle of the regi- ment. more than a third of the number engaged were killed or wounded; captains W. W. Hutchinson and J. T. Philpot being slam on the field.

The next day the battle raged furiously at various points along the line, but the One Hundred and Third was not engaged. The enemy suffered so severely that he retreated during the night, leaving his elab- orate fortifications to the triumphant Unionists. The latter pursued him through Cassville, Cartersville, etc., and drove him from his works on Pumpkin Vine creek, where the One Hundred and Third, though under heavy artillery and picket fire, was not serious- ly engaged until the 20 of June.

On that day the regiment was ordered forward and came to an open field, guarded on the farther side by a heavy line of rebel pickets behind strong breast- works. " Forward " was the instant order. and for- ward went the depleted regiment, under quite a heavy fire. which wounded nine or ten of the men, easily capturing the advanced works, and driving their oc- enpants back to the main line. Though the One Hundred and Third was not required to attack this line. yet a tremendous rain storm made the succeed- ing night, spent so close to the enemy that no files

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could be allowed, one of the most wretchedly memor- able in the history of the regiment. At daylight they discovered that the foe had withdrawn under cover of the darkness, and the way was once more clear, at least for a short distance.

On the 10th of June the command again moved forward, and on the 19th the regiment was engaged in heavy skirmishing all day; having eight men killed or wounded and driving the enemy back to Morse's Creek. The next day a small, select body of men, of which the One Hundred and Third furnished five, dashed across a bridge in face of the enemy, se- enred a foothold on the farther side and opened a path of which the brigade promptly availed itself. During the night the rebels again retreated.

On the 8th of July the One Hundred and Third crossed the Chattahoochie river. the foremost troops of Sherman's army, and on the 20th of the same month, after innumerable marches and maneuvers among the mountains of Georgia, came into position before the celebrated city of Atlanta. On the 22nd the brigade made a desperate forced march to take part in the battle in which McPherson fell, but the Seventeenth corps had whipped the enemy before the reinforcements could arrive. On the 1st of August the brigade moved to the extreme right, and for sev- eral days was kept on the move for purposes unknown to any but the commander-in-chief.

On the 28th of August the regiment, with other troops, abandoned its position north of Atlanta, moved clear around the city to the south, and began tearing up the railroad running in that direction. On the 3rd of September these operations forced the evacuation of Atlanta by the enemy, and one of the greatest and most difficult campaigns in the history of warfare was brought to a glorious and successful ter- mination. Immediately afterwards the One Hundred and Third marched to Decatur, where the men ob- tained a few weeks of much needed rest. Though it had not been in so many severe engagements as some regiments, yet the numerous marches and skirmishes and constant service under fire had terribly depleted the ranks: for, out of between four hundred and fifty and five hundred men with which the regiment started on the campaign. there were now but a hundred and ninety-five for duty.

At this time (September 10. 1864. ) Lt. Col. Sterling resigned his position and Capt. Philip C. Hayes was commissioned in his place.

Shortly after its arrival at Decatur the gallant little regiment was detailed as General Schofield's headquarter guard, and after that, except on one oc- casion, did no more fighting. The Twenty-third corps went northward in pursuit of Hood, and, after Sherman returned to make his grand " march to the sea," went on in company with the Fourth corps to reinforce Gen. Thomas. At Spring Hill, Tennes- see, the enemy threatened the wagon train of the two corps just mentioned, when a division was interposed to check them. The One Hundred and Third, which

was, of course, with the headquarter train, was or- dered to support a battery. A> was expected, the rebels made a fierce attack, so fierce, in fact, that the division was driven back in considerable disorder. The battery and the One Hundred and Third, how- ever, held their ground, and by their deadly fire checked the advance of the foe until the division could rally, when the rebels were obliged to retire. The regiment was warmly complimented by both Gens. Schofield and Stanley for its brave and op- portune conduct.

The regiment continued with the Twenty-third corps, but was prevented by its duty at headquarters from taking part in the battles of Franklin and Nash- ville. After those great victories, the corps followed Hood for a time. but without important results. In January, 1865, at Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee, the One Hundred and Third was presented by the ladies of Cleveland with a new flag, in place of the riddled and worn out banner, of which only a few tatters fluttered over the heads of the color-bearers.

On the 15th of Jannary the Twenty-third corps started on one of those long expeditions which were so common during the war for the Union, but which. considering the ease and rapidity with which they were executed, had no example in the wars of the old world. After a trip by way of the Tennessee river, Cincinnati, Washington, etc., of nearly three thou- sand miles, the corps brought up at Fort Fisher, North Carolina. It then took part in the capture of Wil- mington, and the movements which led to the sur- render of Gien. Johnston and the final collapse of the rebellion, but the One Hundred and Third was not again brought under fire.

On the 30th of April Col. Casement resigned, and Lt. Col. Hayes was commissioned as colonel.

On the 12th of June the regiment started for home. It met with a most unfortunate accident on the 1st of July the train: on which it was traveling being thrown off the track while crossing the mountains of Pennsylvania, and twenty-seven men being more or less injured-three or four of them fatally. The regiment reached Cleveland the same day, when it received an enthusiastic ovation and a generous ban- quet from the citizens. It mustered but about three hundred men all told, out of the gallant thousand who left the same place, less than three years before. On the 22nd of July, 1865, the last payments were made, and the One Hundred and Third Ohio Infantry was mustered out of the service of the United States.

MEMBERS FROM CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

FIELD AND STAFF.

Phlip C. Hayes, eur. as Capt. July 16, 1862 Promoted to Lieut, Col. Nov. 15. 1864: to Col. June 6, 1865. Mustered out with Reg. James F. Sterling, enr. Capt. Co B, îth Inf. Promoted Sept. 1, 1562, to Lieut. Col. 103d Inf Resigued Sept. 10, 1964

Heury S. Pickands, enr. as ist Lieut. Aug 14. 1562. Promoted to Capt. Dec. 9. 1862, to Major May 18, 1965, and to Lieut. Col. May 25, 1865. Mustered out with the Reg

John S. White, enr. as Adj't Aug 18, 1862. Res. Oct. 1, 1864

George O Butler, enr as Asst. Surg. Ang 19, 1862, Res. May 29, 18f3. George A. Hubbard, eur, as Chaplain, Aug. 15, 1962. Res. Oct. 1, 1864,

1 32

GENERAL HISTORY OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF.

Barnabas Browu, enr. as Sergt. Co. D. Aug. 6, 1862. Promoted to Com. Sergt. Nov. 1, 1863.

Edward J. Dewey, enl. Aug 9, Co. B; app. Hosp. Steward at Camp Nelson, Ky.

COMPANY A

Franklin A. Smith, enr. Co. D. as 1st Sergt. July 27, 1862. Promoted to 1st Lieut. Co. A, Aug 15, 1863, and to Capt. Jan. 31. 1865. Mustered out with the Reg. June 12. 1-65.

Michael. Duncan. enr. as Sergt. Aug 15, 1-62. Promoted to 1st Sergt. July 1, 1863, and to 1st Lieut. May 29, 1865. Mustered out with the Reg. June 12, 1865

James M. McWilliams, enr. as Sergt. July 26, 1862. Promoted to 1st Sergt . and 2d Lieut. May 9, 1663. Resigned March 18, 1864

DeWitt C. Hotchkiss, enr. as 1st Sergt. July 22, 1862. Promoted to 2d Lieut. Nov. 24, 1862. Transf. to Co. H.

James D Markell, enr. as Sergt. Aug 8, 1862.

Elias L. Bradley, enr. as Corp. July 7, 1562. Promoted to Sergt. July 1, 1863. Mustered out May 3, 1865.

Charles O. Roberts, enr. as Corp Aug. 8, 1862. Promoted to Sergt. July 1, 1863.

Wilson H. Burrell, enl. Aug 8, 1862. Disch. June 22, 1865. William Ross, enl. Ang. 16, 1862. Promoted to Sergt. Sept. 1, 1863. Ira Henderson, enr as Corp. Aug 6, 1862.

William Stowell, enl. Aug. 29, 1862 Promoted to Corp. Joseph Perry, enl. Aug. 13, 1862. Promoted to Corp.

John McKeen. enl. Aug. 13, 1862. Promoted to Corp Michael Collins. enl. July 7, 1862. Promoted to Corp. Ezra Brewster. enl. Aug. 21. 1862. Promoted to Corp. Charles Cole. enl. Aug. 4. 1862. Promoted to Corp.

John B. Abraham, enl. Aug, 14. 1>62.

George Ashelger, enl. Aug. 15, 1862. Alfred Adair. enl. Aug. 14, 1862. Disch. March 3, 1863. David Boyd. enl. July 28, 1862.

John Brennan, enl July 28, 1862.

Francis Bromley, enl. Aug. 18. 1862

William Bear. enl. Aug 21, 1862. Taken prisoner at Mill Springs, Ky , Oct 5. 1863. Paroled Jan. 16, 1865. Disch June 30, 1865.

William C. Benedict, enl. Aug. 8, 1862. Died at Walton, Ky., Oct. 8, 1862. Joseph P Card, enl Aug 15, 1862. Transf. to Co. C.

James Canfield, enl. July 25, 1862. Mustered out May 23, 1865.

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History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 31

Author: Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716