USA > Ohio > Henry County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 38
USA > Ohio > Fulton County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 38
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ders captured from the rebel messengers. On the 3d of September the divi- sion marched for Nashville, thence to Gallatin, and from there to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where it arrived on the 10th, and from Bowling Green the Third Cavalry went to Mumfordsville, Ky., where the first battalion had a live- ly fight with three times its number, but after making three separate charges the rebels were driven inside their works. In this encounter the battalion lost two men killed and twelve wounded. The enemy's loss was twenty-eight killed and sixty wounded, among which was Lieutenant-Colonel Brown. The regiment reached Louisville on the 25th of September, and on the Ist of Oc- tober joined in the pursuit of Bragg, and near Bardstown the first battalion of the Third Cavalry, reinforced by two companies of the Second Ohio Infantry and Third Kentucky Cavalry, attacked the enemy, twelve hundred strong, but was forced to fall back with a loss of six inen killed, twenty wounded and seventeen captured. Among the wounded was Major Foster. The Second, Third and Fourth battalions of the Third Ohio Cavalry, under Colonel Zahm, were stationed most of the summer at Woodville, Ala., guarding the Mem- phis and Charleston Railroad, and was repeatedly attacked by guerillas from the mountains of Alabama. An expedition, by order of General Buel, under Major Paramore, was sent out and succeeded in driving the rebel guerillas from this section of the State. In this affair the detachment lost six men killed, and about twenty wounded ; the loss of the rebels was much more se- vere.
About this time the second and third battalions of the Third, were attached to the Second Brigade of cavalry, commanded by Colonel Lewis Zahm, of the Third. With this brigade they formed the rear guard of Buel's army in its march from Nashville to Louisville, after Bragg. On this march they were almost daily attacked and harassed by the enemy, but they brought all the trains through in safety, and for so doing were highly complimented by Gen- eral Buel. They engaged the advance rebel cavalry force of General Kir- by Smith, at Shelbyville, Ky., and drove them from the town, capturing a large number of prisoners. During the battle of Perryville the Third was en- gaged with the enemy at the ford of the Kentucky River, near Paris. After the battle, the Third went into camp at Danville, and on the 19th of October, a detachment under Major Seidell, with a detachment of the Fourth Cavalry, numbering in all two hundred and fifty men, were sent, under orders from General McCook, as an escort to special couriers to Lexington on a forced march of over forty miles While in camp near the old Henry Clay home, at Ashland, early on the morning of the 20th, the camp was completely sur- rounded by John Morgan's forces. They made an obstinate resistance, but were overpowered by force of numbers, and after being stripped of their valu- ables and horses, they were paroled by General Morgan, and sent into the Union lines, and from there sent to Camp Chase, O. An incident occurred
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
here worthy of note. Private Weis, of the Third, enquired for Morgan, and a person among the rebels was pointed out to him as the guerilla chief. Weis immediately drew bead on that officer and before he could be disarmed, shot and the reputed Morgan fell dead. It proved to be Charles Morgan, a cous- in of the general. The private was immediately killed by Morgan's men. From Danville the Third marched to Bowling Green, and were ordered to guard the railroad between that place and Gallatin with headquarters at Fountain Head Station. Morgan's forces at that time were at Gallatin. Col- olnel Zahm sent out a detachment of the Third to reconnoiter and learn the position and strength of Morgan's command. The rebel pickets were captured and the desired information obtained. The next morning the cavalry under Colonel Zahm, supported by a brigade of infantry from General Wood's divi- sion, commanded by Colonel Harket, attacked Morgan's camp and captured it, together with his camp equipage, and a large number of prisoners. During the winter a detachment of the Third under command of Captain E. M. Culier, under orders from Colonel Zahm, went up the Cumberland River to intercept a large drove of mules, and quartermaster's stores, which were being removed by the rebels, accompanied by an escort of Morgan's force. After a chase of twenty-six miles they succeeded in capturing the entire train, and drove off one hundred and forty-six mules, routing the escort and killing three and cap- turing seventeen, among whom were two rebel quartermasters and one pay- master. On the 27th of December the second attack was made on Franklin, in which the rebels were completely routed and driven from the place. The regiment then moved towards Triune, and before night again became engaged with the enemy, and on the 28th the enemy was again engaged by the brigade and was driven seven miles with great loss. After skirmishing during the day, on the evening of the 30th the Third was assigned a position on the ex- treme right of General Rosecrans's army. At two o'clock on the morning of the '3Ist, the first battalion of the regiment being on picket duty, apprised Colonel Zahm of the advance of the rebel forces. The colonel immediately placed his brigade in line of battle and notified General McCook, command- ing the right wing. The third battalion of the Third Cavalry were thrown out as skirmishers. At four o'clock in the morning the skirmish line was driven in and the brigade attacked by Wheeler's rebel cavalry. After two hours' hard fighting against a rebel force, numbering more than two to one, the brigade was forced from the field, it having suffered severely in loss of officers and men. During the morning of the 31st, the rebels having captured Gen- eral McCook's corps ammunition train, were removing it from the field when the second and third battalions of the Third Cavalry, which had already stood the shock of the morning, and remained at their posts, made a dash at the en- emy and recaptured the train, taking one hundred and forty prisoners and kill- ing a number of rebels, and horses. During the afternoon the regiment lost, in sustaining a rebel charge, thirteen men killed, and forty-nine wounded.
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On January 1, 1863, the Third Cavalry was detailed by General Rosecrans as guard to a train of four thousand wagons, for Nashville after supplies. The train was attacked by Wheeler's Cavalry, at Stewart's Creek. The Third being supported by the Tenth Ohio Infantry, repulsed the rebels with heavy loss. Later the same day the train was again attacked by the same force, and eight hundred men of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry forming the rear guard, were completely routed. The Third Ohio Cavalry coming up, a sharp fight ensued, lasting until after dark, when the rebels were again driven back. The train was safely taken to Nashville, loaded with supplies, and returned to Mur- freesboro in safety. After the battle of Stone River the regiment went in pur- suit of the enemy ; his rear guard was overtaken near Middleton, Tenn , and one of his trains captured and brought back to Murfreesboro. While the Third was in camp at Murfreesboro, in the winter of 1864, a detachment of the Third battalion, while on a scout under command of Lieutenant Brennard, were sur- rounded by the enemy who demanded their surrender, which was refused. Lieutenant Brennard then ordered a sabre charge and successfully cut his way through the enemy's lines with small loss, at the same time taking a number of prisoners.
After the battle of Chickamauga, in which the regiment took an active part, the command moved as the advance of General Crook's forces, in pursuit of General Wheeler's cavalry, and engaged them at McMinville and Farmington, at the latter place completely routing Wheeler's forces, large numbers of the enemy being killed and wounded. In this engagement the regiment lost two men killed, and twenty-three wounded. In November, Captain R. O. Wood, of the Third, had a tussle with the enemy near Dalton, Ga., in which he, Wood, was killed. In January, 1864, the Third Cavalry re-enlisted for another three years, and, at this time, out of the original thirteen hundred at organization, only four hundred were left. It left Nashville for Ohio on the 4th of February, and returned after two years' absence to its old camp at Monroeville. On March 2d it reassembled at Camp Monroeville, it having enlisted over one thousand new recruits while on veteran furlough, and on its return to Nichols- ville, Ky., it numbered over fifteen hundred men. It was re-equipped, armed, and mounted, and went into camp at Columbia, Tenn. It acted as advance guard of the Seventeenth Army Corps from Decatur to Rome, Ga. It was in the fight at Courtland, Ala., and routed the rebels under General Roddy's command, with a loss of a lieutenant-colonel, major, and upwards of thirty men killed and wounded. It was surprised before daylight at Moulton, Ala., the next morning, but rallied and drove the enemy from the field. At Rome the regiment was assigned to a position on the left flank of Sherman's army, and did good work in the engagements at Etowah, Kenesaw Mountain, Noody Creek, and the crossing of Chattahoochie River. It went to Roswell, Ga., and destroyed the rebel stores and factories at that place. On the 9th of July four
44
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
companies of the Third, commanded by Major Culver, had a severe fight with a superior force of the enemy, killing eight, and wounding a large number, and capturing a great many prisoners and horses. It was engaged in the bat- tles of Peach Tree Creek and Decatur, and made a raid to Covington and Stone Mountain. In the Kilpatrick raid the regiment was in the brigade in the advance till the rear of Atlanta was reached. It was also in the Stoneman raid, under General Garrard, and suffered severely. In the flanking movement on Jonesboro, the Third was the first to attack the enemy at Lovejoy Station, tak- ing possession of the railroad, after the capture of Atlanta. The regiment fol- lowed up Hood harassing his rear as far as Columbia, Tenn. At Franklin the Third was engaged with the rebel cavalry. It was also engaged in the battle before Nashville, and after Hood's defeat it followed his retreat across the Ten- nessee River into Alabama. It was engaged in the Wilson raid through Ala- bama and Georgia, and in the battles of Selma and Montgomery, Ala., and Macon and Griffin, Ga. It was sent home, paid off, and mustered out on the 14th of August, 1865, having been in the service nearly four years, and en- gaged in more raids and fights than any other cavalry regiment in the service from Ohio, and having actually captured over five thousand prisoners.
THE THIRTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY.
This regiment was organized at Camp Latty, at Defiance, and was recruited from the counties of Fulton, Henry, Defiance, Paulding and Williams. Com- panies I and K were wholly recruited from Fulton county, which also furnished nine men for Company C; twenty one men for Company E, five men for Company G, and three men each for Companies A and H, making a total of two hundred and forty-one men from this county mustered into the regiment at its organization. Fulton county also furnished for the Thirty-eighth Regi- ment, during the war, by way of recruits, one hundred and nine men, making a total of three hundred and fifty. On the 28th of September, 1861, the regi- ment was transferred to Camp Dennison, where it received its arms and equip- ments, and was drilled and disciplined, and then took cars to Cincinnati, and thence to Nicholsville, Ky., where it camped, on the morning of the 2d of Oc- tober. From this camp, about the middle of October, the regiment was or- dered to march to the relief of the garrison at Wild Cat, about sixty miles dis- tant, which place, after a forced march, it reached on the morning of the 19th of October, in company with the Fourteenth Ohio and Barnett's Battery, the last three miles of which was a double-quick, through mud and slush, up the Wild Cat Mountain. On the arrival was found five companies of the Thirty- third Indiana, hemmed in on three sides by rebel troops, under General Zolli- coffer. Barnett's Battery was unlimbered and immediately went into action, and commenced shelling the enemy, while some of the Fourteenth gained the summit and fortified it, while the Thirty-eighth was deployed in line of battle as
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FULTON COUNTY.
best they could be in the broken and rocky condition of the narrow pass in the hills. The rebels made two charges but were both times driven back, with loss, and, being unable to take the little fortified position, abandoned the attack and hastily retreated in the direction of London, leaving thirty killed and wounded on the field. They were pursued by the Ohio brigade and battery, but find- ing that Zollicoffer had already retreated from London, the brigade encamped a little north of the town and threw up fortifications. They remained here about two weeks, when orders were received to march back to Crab Orchard. This was a terrible march for the Thirty-eighth, and was ordered to take place in the evening. Captain Brailey's Company, I, was ordered to assist in get- ting the wagon train and artillery over Rock Castle River and up the Wild Cat hills. The night was exceedingly dark, a heavy rain falling, and the mud nearly a foot deep, and so slippery that the horses and mules were unable to draw the wagons and artillery. The river water was very cold, and about one hundred rods wide at the crossing, and hip-deep to the men. For two hours Company I worked incessantly, in the water, in lifting and pushing the wagons across the stream, and during the entire night, in pushing and pulling the wag- ons over the Wild Cat hills. So severe was this night's work on Company I, that on arriving at Crab Orchard, the next day, over twenty of the company were so overcome that they had to be left in the hospital at that place ; and ·several of them were so completely broken down that they were never after fit for duty, and were afterwards discharged for disability. The Thirty-eighth then marched to Staunton and Lebanon, and, about the middle of December, was ordered to Somerset, where it arrived on the 20th, in a terrible snow storm. Finding at that place that the Twelfth Kentucky was engaged in exchanging shots with Zollicoffer's troops across the Cumberland River, Companies I and K, of the Thirty-eighth, were detailed as pickets on the north bank of the river, and remained there from four P. M. until two o'clock the next afternoon, with- out any rations, the rain and sleet falling all the time. The regiment went into camp for the winter and threw up strong fortifications adjacent to the town. During the winter of 1861 and 1862, the regiment was constantly on duty. The measles broke out in the regiment, and camp diarrhoea and pneumonia were the order of the day ; and by the middle of January, 1862, out of nine hundred and ninety men, less than three hundred were fit for duty. The mor- tality was fearful. During the month of January, 1862, the regiment had sev- eral skirmishes with the rebel cavalry, and occasionally captured a few of the enemy. On the 19th of January the Thirty-eighth was ordered out, and marched rapidly towards Mill Springs. On arriving at Fishing Creek they found it so swollen by the recent rains that a hawser had to be stretched across the stream for the men to hold on to to enable them to cross. This was slow work, and the regiment arrived at Logan's Cross Roads just in time to see the enemy routed and in full retreat towards their fortifications at Mill Springs.
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
The Thirty-eighth joined in the chase after the retreating foe, and arrived at their fortifications about dark, too late to assault the works. The men lay on their arms during the night, the rain falling all the time, and the artillery shelling the works. At early dawn the Ohio brigade, to which the Thirty- eighth belonged, was ordered to charge the works, and on arriving at the place, found that the enemy had retreated across the river during the night, except one regiment, and a few sick and wounded, which were captured together with twenty cannon, all their camp and garrison equipage, and a large number of horses, mules, small arms, and other property. In March the regiment was transferred to Nashville, Tenn., and on the 19th of March it left Nashville with the army of the Ohio, for Pittsburg Landing, but did not arrive at that place in time to participate in the battle, but did take an active part in the siege of Cor- inth. After the retreat of the rebels from Corinth, the Thirty-eighth joined in the pursuit of Beauregard as far as Boonville; from there it marched back to. Corinth and on the 20th of June, marched with the Army of the Ohio to Tus- cumbia, Ala. After marching around through Alabama about six hundred miles, it on the 7th of August, 1862, reached Winchester, Tenn. During this month several expeditions were sent out to reconnoitre through the mountains in the direction of Chattanooga, then the headquarters of the rebel army, in all of which the Thirty- eighth took an active part. A party of eighty men of the Thirty-eighth made a forced march of thirty-six miles, captured Tracy City, and after destroying a large amount of tobacco, whisky, leather, and other arti- cles belonging to the rebels, returned to camp, having marched seventy-two miles, and captured the city, and destroyed the above named property, all in less than thirty-four hours. On September, 1, 1862, the regiment with the bal- ance of Buel's army began the retrograde movement, which terminated in the battle of Perryville, October 8, 1862. Here the Thirty-eighth bore a conspicu- ous part. In all the marching and fatigue, in excessively hot weather, over dusty roads, and suffering for lack of water, they arrived at Perrysville. The enemy was found in position on Champion Hills, near the town. The Thirty- eighth participated in this battle, and afterwards in the chase after Bragg as far as the Wild Cat Hills. On the 27th of October it went into camp on the Roll- ing Fork. Here it received a detachment of recruits from Fulton county.
About the Ist of November it took up its march for Nashville, Tenn., and guarded the railroad between Gallatin and Nashville. In the latter part of De- cember the regiment marched to Nashville to prepare for the fight which took place at Stone River, in which engagement the Thirty-eighth was wholly en- gaged. After the battle the regiment went into camp near the city, where it remained until the 13th of March, 1863, when it marched to Triune, Ga., and on the 23d of June marched with the Army of the Cumberland, and took an active part in the Tullahoma campaign. On the 17th of August the march for Chattanooga began. The Thirty-eighth marched with the center corps, crossed
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FULTON COUNTY.
the Cumberland Mountains, and the Tennessee River on rafts built of logs, on the night of September 2, 1863, thence marching over Lookout and Raccoon Mountains, arrived in Lookout Valley about the middle of September. The wagon train and everything else that was cumbersome, was sent to the rear. The entire train of the army was sent to Chattanooga, and the Thirty eighth, detailed by special order of General Thomas, was charged with the safe transit of the same. They started on the evening of the 18th of September, and be- fore morning were safely landed within six miles of Chattanooga. In conse- quence of this detail, the Thirty-eighth was not in the battle of Chickamauga.
On the 25th of November, 1863, the division to which the Thirty-eighth . belonged, assaulted the fortifications at the foot of Mission Ridge, ascended the hill and carried the works, driving the rebels. The regiment was on the ex- treme left, and although Bragg had considered the slope entirely sate as against direct assault, yet they moved up, up, up, until they reached the summit. The fire from the rebel batteries was terrible, but the shot went mostly over their heads. In this charge the Thirty-eighth lost seven men killed, and forty-one wounded. After pursuing the enemy as far as Ringgold, Ga., the regiment returned to Camp near Chattanooga, where it re-enlisted and returned home on veteran furlough. At the expiration of its furlough, having replenished its depleted ranks by recruits while at home, the regiment joined the army there at Ringgold, Ga., and when Sherman started on his Atlanta campaign, the Thirty- eighth numbered seven hundred and forty-one effective men On the 5th of May it marched to Buzzard's Roost Gap, where it was deployed and brought into action, and after skirmishing two days, a flank movement was ordered by the way of Smoky Creek Gap, nearly in the rear of Resaca. Here the Thirty- eighth entrenched itself and skirmished almost continually, and although no general engagement was brought on, the regiment lost thirty-five men in killed and wounded. The regiment took an active part in the affair at Kenesaw, skir- mishing almost continually, and on the 5th of July reached the banks of the Chattahoochie River. They crossed the river on the 17th, and on the 22d the Thirty-eighth had the honor of establishing the picket line of the Fourteenth Army Corps, near the city of Atlanta. It held this line until August 3d, when it moved to Utoy Creek, and on the 5th of August Companies A, C, and K, of the regiment charged the enemy's skirmish line with success, and out of one hundred and twenty men who charged, nine were killed, and forty- two wounded, of which four of the killed, and fifteen of the wounded were from Fulton county. On the night of August 31st the regiment took possession of the Macon Road near Red Oak Station, and on the night of September Ist, it was learned that the rebels were fortifying Jonesboro. The army was put in motion for that place, and about four o'clock P. M., came upon the pickets of Ilardee's Corps. Este's Brigade, to which the Thirty-eighth belonged, was brought up, and after an unsuccessful attack by Carlin's Division, assaulted the works. This brig-
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
ade consisted of the Fourteenth and Thirty-eighth Ohio, Tenth Kentucky and Seventy-fourth Indiana. Colonel Este gave the command "battalion forward, guide center ;" the brigade moved steadily forward amidst a shower of lead. A battery was brought to bear upon them with grape and canister, but they kept steadily on; the abattis was reached, and with a yell and a cheer, the rebel works were carried, and a hand to hand fight ensued. The rebels fought with desperation to hold their works, and not till many of them had been pierced with the bayonet, or knocked down with clubbed guns, did they finally surrender, and were marched as prisoners to the rear. In this charge the Thirty-eighth lost out of three hundred and sixty men that went into the fight, forty-two killed, and one hundred and eight wounded, making a total loss of one hundred and fifty, or nearly one-half of the men engaged. Of this number twelve of the killed, and twenty-three of the wounded were from Fulton county.
At the beginning of the fight Corporal O. P. Randall had the colors; he fell lifeless ; Corporal Baird next took them, and he, too, soon fell dead; Corporal Strawzer next seized them, and he fell severely wounded ; Corporal Dorsey then took the flag and bore it to the works. Of the five that had charge of the colors, but one, Corporal H. K. Brooks, escaped unhurt. He, although not wounded, had five balls pass through his clothing. This was the last of the severe fighting of the Thirty-eighth, although it marched with Sherman to the sea. It became necessary to burn a bridge on the Big Ogeechee River, and the Thirty- eighth was ordered to perform that duty. The regiment had already marched fifteen miles that day, and it was yet ten miles to the bridge. After marching the ten miles and burning the bridge, it was still fifteen miles to where the army went into camp for the night. The regiment took the wrong road, marched six miles out of the way, and at twelve o'clock at night, got within the picket lines and went into camp, having marched forty-six miles that day, and destroyed a large bridge. After reaching the sea, the regiment marched with Sherman through the Carolinas to Goldsboro, N. C., and after the surren- der of Johnson, went to Richmond, Va., and from there to Washington, D. C., attended the grand parade, and was reviewed by the president and his cabinet. From there it was sent by rail to Louisville, Ky., and on the 12th of July it was sent home and mustered out of the service, it having served three years and eleven months.
THIRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT-FIELD AND STAFF.1
Edwin D. Bradley, colonel, June 10, 1861; resigned Feb. 6, 1862. Edward H. Phelps, colonel, June 10, 1861 ; promoted from lieutentant-col- onel Feb. 6, 1862 ; killed Nov. 25, 1863, in battle of Mission Ridge, Tenn.
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