USA > Ohio > Union County > Jerome > History of Jerome Township, Union County, Ohio > Part 11
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The first battle of the regiment in the spring campaign of 1865 was March 25th, attacking the outposts and capturing a large number of prisoners, and on the 2nd of April an attack was made on the enemy's works at Petersburg, routing the rebels and taking possession of the fortifications. The regi- ment having captured a larger number of flags than any regi- ment in the Corps, was selected as the guard of honor to es- cort all the flags captured by the Corps to General Meade's headquarters. The regiment, after Lee's surrender, marched via Richmond to Washington, and was in the Grand Review.
The regiment participated in upward of twenty battles, and the loss by death was 230. The total casualties were almost 800. The regiment was mustered out at Washington, D. C., June 25th, 1865. Colonel Kiefer was wounded three times and was promoted to Brigadier-General and Brevet Major-General.
113TH REGIMENT, OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
'The 113th Regiment was organized at Camp Chase and Zanesville, Ohio, in the summer and fall of 1862. Seven companies rendezvoused at Camp Chase; then the regiment
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was ordered to Zanesville, where one company was added, and then to Camp Dennison, where a company was recruited, and the organization of nine companies was mustered in under Colonel James A. Wilcox. Two Jerome Township soldiers served in this regiment and William Sinsel died in the service.
Colonel Wilcox resigned April 29th, 1863, and Lieutenant Colonel John G. Mitchell was promoted to Colonel and com- manded the brigade in some of the hardest battles in which the regiment participated. He was promoted to Brigadier- General January 12th, 1865.
December 27th, 1862, the regiment was ordered to Louis- ville, Ky., and encamped there and at Maldraughs Hill until February, 1863. The regiment was transported to Nashville from Louisville by river, and by reason of the lack of room and sanitary environments on the boats many of the men were taken sick, and on arrival at Nashville were in a serious con- dition. The regiment was ordered to Franklin and assigned to General Gilbert's Division, Army of the Cumberland; was on garrison duty at Franklin and Shelbyville during the spring and summer, worked on the fortifications, and was sent out on some scouting expeditions.
The regiment was assigned to the Reserve Corps com- manded by General Gordon Granger, and moved with General Rosecran's army across the mountains to Chattanooga. In the last day's battle of Chickamauga, September 20th, 1863, the regiment, in General James Steadman's Division, arrived on the field at the most critical time, about 2 o'clock P. M., and reported to General George H. Thomas. They were or- dered to charge Longstreet's Veteran soldiers, who were flushed with victory as they were steadily pushing the thin and depleted lines of Thomas' army to the rear with terrible slaughter. The regiment, with other regiments of the Divi- sion, made a fierce assault against the onrushing Confederate lines, checking and driving them from the ridge, but with a loss of almost fifty per cent in killed and wounded, numbering upward of one hundred and forty. They held the line until the army was ordered to fall back, late in the evening.
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The regiment took an active part in all the campaigns around Chattanooga after the battle of Chickamauga, and marched to the relief of General Burnsides' army at Knox- ville, after the battle of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. This was one of the hardest campaigns of their service, as the weather was bad and the men, being without sufficient clothing, suffered greatly. Returning to Chatta- nooga just before Christmas, the regiment went into winter quarters near McAfee's Church, a few miles south of Chat- tanooga. The regiment did some reconnoitering and scouting during the winter, but the duties were light, and the tenth company was organized, as up to this time there had been only nine.
The regiment moved with General Sherman's army on the Atlanta campaign May 5th, and was heavily engaged in many of the hard battles of that campaign. In the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, fought June 2th, in which the 113th was in the advance line charging up against impregnable breastworks through Chiver-de-frese, the loss in the regiment was very heavy, being upward of 150 in killed and wounded. After the fall of Atlanta the regiment marched with Sherman to the sea and the last battle in which they were engaged was Bentonville, N. C., March 19th, 1865. They then marched to Washington and took part in the Grand Review. The losses during the war in killed, died of wounds and disease were two hundred and sixty-nine. The regiment was mus- tered out at Louisville, Ky., July 6th, 1865.
121ST REGIMENT, OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
The 121st Regiment was organized at Delaware, Ohio, during the summer of 1862, under Colonel William P. Reid, Lieutenant Colonel William S. Irwin, and Major R. R. Hen- derson. Major Henderson had considerable military experi- ence, as he served as a private in the Thirteenth Regiment, O. V. I., under the first call of the President for three months. He also served in the same regiment in the three years' serv-
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ice, was promoted to a Captaincy, and by reason of serious wounds in the battle of Shiloh was discharged from that regiment.
More Union County soldiers served in the 121st O. V. I. than in any other regiment. Marcenus C. Lawrence was mustered in as Captain of Company A, Aaron B. Robinson as Captain of Company I, and a number of soldiers from the county served in Company C. Captain Lawrence was pro- moted to Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Robinson was pro- moted successively to Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel of the regiment. Fifteen Jerome Township soldiers served in this regiment, and Lieutenant Robert B. Fleming, Otway B. Cone, and Lewis J. Ketch were killed in battle and several others were wounded.
Company A went into camp with 102 men and Company I with 116. Recruits were assigned to the different companies during their service, making the total number of enlistments 300. this being the greatest number of men from this county serving in any one regiment. Of this number seventeen were killed, forty-two died of wounds and disease, eighty-two were wounded, and thirty-two were taken prisoners, making a total loss of one hundred and seventy-three.
The 121st went to Cincinnati, crossed the Ohio River and went into camp at Covington, Ky., on the 12th of September. At this place it was armed with a lot of condemned Austrian rifles, which were absolutely worthless. The regiment then moved to Louisville and was attached to General McCook's Division. Inexperienced and without an hour's drilling, the regiment marched with General Buell's forces against Bragg's rebel army, and on the Sth of October was led into the battle of Perryville, where it received its first baptism of blood. Many strong men were broken down in these first months of hard service and never afterward returned to their com- panies.
The regiment was detailed to bury the dead at Perryville ; then continued in Kentucky performing guard duty until January, 1863. On the 31st of December, 1862, the regi-
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mental hospital was captured at Campbellsville, Ky., and S. B. Cone and James Cone were taken prisoners and paroled. On the 1st of February, 1863, the regiment moved into Tennessee and was employed in watching and protecting the right flank of General Rosecran's army, then stationed at Murfreesboro.
About this time Colonel H. B. Banning was transferred to the command of the regiment ; the prisoners of Perryville had been exchanged and they, with many of the sick, returned to their companies.
The 121st moved from Stone River with General Rose- cran's army, and on this march was engaged in a slight skir- mish with the rebel General Forrest at Triune, on the 3rd of June. A few days later it occupied Shelbyville, Tenn., and after remaining there several weeks advanced to Fayetteville, where it continued until the 1st of September, when orders were received to join the Reserve Corps under General Gor- don Granger and proceed to Chattanooga.
On the 20th of September, 1863, the regiment was engaged in that memorable charge of Steadman's Division at the battle of Chickamauga, in which they drove the enemy at the point of the bayonet from the field and held it against repeated attacks until the close of the battle. The 121st was the last regiment to leave the battlefield, and carried with them the flag of the Twenty-second Alabama Infantry, which was cap- tured and borne away in triumph by one Solomon Fish, of Mill Creek Township, a member of Company C. It is con- cluded that this timely aid of the Reserve Corps saved Gen- eral Thomas' army from defeat.
Captain Lawrence commanded the regiment on this occa- sion during the greater part of the battle, while yet ranking as a Captain, and Sergeant Otway Curry assumed command of Company A.
The loss of the regiment in this engagement was eleven officers and eighty-seven men. Of Company A. Amos Am- rine was missing; Thomas Marshall, John J. Ramage, Solo- mon Hisey, O. S. Myers, Henry F. Jackson and Samuel Walters were wounded, and Solomon Hisey was also taken
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prisoner. Of Company I, Lieutenant Fleming, Harrison Carpenter and James Harden were killed, and Captain A. B. Robinson, A. R. Gage, George Deland, John S. Gill, John W. Bryan, James M. Lucas, Sheridan McBratney, Thomas Page, John G. Rupright, Edwin Sager and Richard White were wounded.
After the battle of Chickamauga the regiment shared in the battles of Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, and in the march to the relief of Knoxville, then remained quietly in camp at Rossville until entering upon the Atlanta campaign.
Captain Lawrence was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in November, 1863, and was in command of the regiment during the winter of 1863 and 1864, Colonel Banning being home on recruiting service. On the 2nd of May, 1864, the 121st started on the Atlanta campaign. Companies A and I and two other companies were selected to make a dangerous charge upon Buzzards' Roost, which was successfully done with but little loss, then shared in the battle of Dalton a few days later, having passed through Snake Creek Gap, and from that point until the fall of Atlanta, September 1st, the regi- ment was continually under fire. It was in the engagement
at Resaca and, as a part of General J. C. Davis' Division, was at the capture of Rome, Ga. At the battle of Kenesaw Moun- tain the regiment held the extreme right of the Union forces, and with fixed bayonet charged up nearly to the breastworks of the enemy in a vain effort to drive them from their strong position. A deadly cross-fire of shot, shell and grape killed and disabled 150 out of less than 400 of the 121st. With few exceptions all were killed or wounded in the open field in front of the enemy's works, in about five minutes.
Company A lost in this engagement John G. Perry, killed ; O. B. Cone mortally wounded, and Henry F. Jackson, F. B. Hargrove, L. A. N. Craig, Henry Coats, W. H. Goff and Hiram Laughry wounded.
Company I lost, on the 20th, James Chapman, killed ; on the 22nd A. Drake and John Vanderau were wounded, and on the 27th Edward Phillips, Alexander Scott, I. N. Dillon,
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A. C. Rosecrans, John Kuhlman and Jeremiah Kirk were mortally wounded, and George Deland, J. Q. Converse, Wil- liam H. Bonnett, A. W. Davis, Van Dix, Alexander Gandy, Wesley Hawn, George Holloway, Josiah Knight, C. P. Morse, David Rea, H. McVay, John A. Wood, James A. Snodgrass, Daniel Cooperider, J. P. Goodrich and John Reed were wounded, and Lewis Ketch was killed. The two companies lost twelve killed and died of wounds and thirty wounded.
From the 9th of July until the 17th the regiment was en- gaged on the banks of the Chatahoochie River; on the 18th and 20th it routed the enemy and occupied their position at Peach Tree Creek, Company A losing two men - S. B. Cone and John Jolliff - wounded in this engagement, and on the 22nd joined its brigade and took position on the right of the National line, three miles from Atlanta. In the movement upon Jonesboro it took the advance, acting as skirmishers for the Second Division, leading the Fourteenth Corps. Captain Henderson of Company K and John Cooperider of Company I were wounded in this battle, and John Ports of Company A was killed.
On the 2nd of September Atlanta surrendered, and on the 6th the regiment went into camp near that city. The 121st entered the Atlanta campaign with 428 non-commissioned officers and men and eighteen commissioned officers. Four officers were killed and eight wounded. Twenty-two men were killed, two hundred and five wounded, and one captured. On the 29th of September the regiment joined the expedition against Forrest's rebel cavalry, and having driven him across Tennessee into Alabama, returned and marched in pursuit of Hood's army.
On the 2nd of October Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence re- signed, and on the 19th Colonel Banning left the regiment and the command devolved on A. B. Robinson, who had been promoted to Major and was mustered on the 17th of Septem- ber. Major Robinson was afterward promoted to Colonel
1
GEORGE W. MITCHELL 96th O. V. 1.
JACOB NONNEMAKER 96th O. V. I.
LIEUT. ROBERT F. FLEMING 12ist O. V. I.
SAMUEL NONVEMAKER 186ch O. V. I.
CAPTAIN JAMES D. BAIN 30th 0. V. I.
ALONZO M. GARNER 1st O. V. (
DAVID HAIN 13th O. V. 1.
SERGEANT ALANSON L. SESSLER 1st D. V. C.
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and commanded the regiment from the fall of Atlanta until the close of the war with marked ability.
The 121st joined General Sherman at Rome, Ga., and marched with his army to the sea. After the fall of Sa- vannah the regiment moved through the Carolinas, taking an active part in the engagement at Bentonville, losing six men killed and twenty wounded.
Company A lost John Sparks killed and J. L. Porter, T. Prosser, J. G. Irwin, and J. C. Warner wounded; and Com- pany I lost C. B. Miller killed, Captain C. P. Cavis mortally wounded, and P. Vanderau and James Dunn severely wounded.
The regiment joined the National forces in the march to Washington, was present at the Grand Review, and then pro- ceeded to Columbus, Ohio, where it was mustered out on the 12th day of June, 1865.
The 121st was one of the fighting regiments, and the Jerome Township boys who served in the regiment had a most remarkable record for hard service. They participated in a number of the hardest battles fought by the Army of the Cumberland, and the losses in killed, died of wounds and disease were 349, including nine commissioned officers.
Many of the facts in this brief history of their services were furnished by Colonel A. B. Robinson and other members of the regiment.
The large number of casualties is the best evidence that can be given of the dangerous service rendered by these com- panies, and the members are justly proud of the record of the One Hundred and Twenty-first.
128TH REGIMENT, OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
The nucleus of the 128th O. V. I., known as the Hoffman Battalion, was composed of four companies, A, B, C, and D, recruited in 1861 and 1862. Two brothers, Samuel H. Car- son and Andrew L. Carson, of Jerome Township, served in this regiment. This battalion was on duty at Johnson's
10
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Island during the first part of its service, but was sent to Virginia on scouting and reconnoitering expeditions before the regiment was fully recruited and organized.
In the fall of 1863 six new companies were recruited and the regiment was organized and mustered in at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio, in January, 1864, including the Hoffman Battalion, under Colonel Charles W. Hill.
The regiment in the spring of 1864 was assigned to duty at Johnson's Island, near Sandusky, guarding rebel officers, as this island had been designated for the exclusive confine- ment of commissioned officers. A large number of officers were confined on the island, and the duty of guarding them carefully was arduous but very monotonous.
In 1862 the number of prisoners so confined was an aver- age of about 850, as it varied during the different months by reason of an exchange of prisoners arranged by a cartel in July of that year. During the year 1863 the average number on the island was from 40 during the month of May to 2,623 in December.
In 1863, by reason of the organization of disloyal Orders in both Ohio and Indiana, and reported concentration of rebel troops in Canada for the purpose of releasing prisoners, the garrison at Johnson's Island was largely increased in Novem- ber by a dismounted detachment of the 12th Ohio Cavalry, a Battery of the 24th Ohio Light Artillery, First Ohio Heavy Artillery, Pennsylvania Battery, and other detachments.
In the winter of 1864 a brigade of the Sixth Army Corps was also sent to Johnson's Island under General Shaler, with the 24th Battery stationed at Sandusky, all under command of General Terry.
In April, 1864, General Terry was relieved and Colonel Hill of the 128th Regiment was assigned to command of the garrison. In the fall of 1864 the Sixth Veteran Reserve Corps was duly assigned to duty on the island and there was a continuous transfer of troops to and from the front. De- tachments of the 128th Regiment were detailed for duty and frequently sent to distant points guarding prisoners, thus
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reducing the force in the garrison, and their duties were very heavy at all times.
During the year 1864 the number of prisoners was largely increased, averaging from 2,500 in January to upward of 3,000 in December. As this prison was so near the Canadian border, and Canada was in sympathy with secession and the rebel army, there was great danger at all times that a release of the prisoners would be attempted by their emissaries in Canada, assisted by the Order of the Knights of the Golden Circle and Sons of Liberty, organized in the loyal States. The regiment was kept under the strictest discipline, at all times ready to repel an invasion or check any attempt of the prisoners to make their escape.
In addition to their duty of guarding prisoners, members of the regiment were required to perform a large part of the labor in erecting three forts, one at Cedar Point and two on the island, besides erecting magazine, so there was a great deal of physical labor necessary. The regiment was splen- didly drilled, and had the opportunity offered they would have acquitted themselves with honor on the field, as strict discip- line and drill had molded this organization into a fighting machine ready for any emergency.
Both officers and men would have hailed with delight an order to go to the front, but fortune was against them. The loss by death was sixty-four. The regiment was ordered from the island to Camp Chase July 10th, and was mustered out July 17th, 1865.
133RD REGIMENT, OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. ONE HUNDRED DAYS' SERVICE.
In the spring of 1864 the Army of the East, under General Grant in Virginia, and the Army of the Middle West, under General Sherman in Georgia, were organizing for a general forward movement all along the line. This was a most criti- cal period in the progress of the war and it was determined to move all of the veteran organizations to the front and utilize the National Guard, organized in many of the North-
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ern States, to garrison the forts and guard supplies, thus re- lieving the veterans from this service. Thirty thousand of the Ohio National Guard went into camp in one day in answer to the call of the President for "One hundred days' men."
The 133rd Regiment was organized under this call at Camp Chase, Ohio, by consolidation of two companies of the National Guard from Hancock County with the National Guard of Franklin County, numbering about 1,000 men in both organizations.
The regiment was mustered into the U. S. service May 6th, under Colonel Gustavus 'S. Innis, and was immediately ordered to Parkersburg, W. Va. Six soldiers of Jerome Township served in this regiment. In a few days it was ordered to New Creek and was there employed in guard duty and drill until about the 1st of June, when it was ordered to Washington and on to Bermuda Hundred, arriving June 12th, and was assigned to the First Brigade, First Division, Tenth Army Corps.
The Division was ordered out on an expedition June 16th to tear up and destroy the railroad between Petersburg and Richmond and cut off the enemy's communication between those two points.
The 133rd was engaged in a sharp fight as the regiment was ordered to support a battery that was shelling the rebel lines, and held the position for several hours while a detach- ment of the Division tore up several miles of railroad track. The troops then fell back slowly, keeping up a brisk fight all along the line and a few members of the regiment were wounded. This was their first experience on the firing line, and the men stood to their guns like veterans.
On the 17th of July the regiment was ordered to take steamer at Point of Rocks and move to Fort Powhatan, on the James River. Here the regiment was employed working on the fortifications for some time, and had frequent skir- inishes with the enemy, in one of which two men were killed. The men were kept continuously at work on the fortifications when not employed on guard and picket duty. Many mem-
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bers of the regiment were stricken with malarial fever of a very malignant type, and about one-third of the command was on the sick list or in hospital during the month of July. Notwithstanding that fact, the men were kept on duty, al- though weakened by these continual fevers.
The losses by death during the Hundred Days' Service were forty-seven. The regiment was mustered out at Camp Chase, Ohio, August 20th, 1864.
129TH REGIMENT, OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. SIX MONTHS' SERVICE.
The 129th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was or- ganized at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio, in the summer of 1863. The regiment was mustered into service for six months August 10th, under Colonel Howard D. Johns. About twenty men were recruited in Union County and as- signed as Company G, of which William H. Robinson was elected Second Lieutenant and Chester L. Robinson of Jerome Township was appointed a Sergeant. Four Jerome Town- ship soldiers served in this regiment.
A large number of both officers and men had seen service in other regiments, and the 129th was composed of excellent material and was soon under good discipline and well drilled. Immediately after muster the regiment was ordered to Camp Nelson, Kentucky, and was brigaded with the 86th Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, the 22nd Ohio Battery, Light Artillery, a detachment of Tennessee Mounted Infantry, and Colonel De Courcy was in command of the Brigade. The Brigade was attached to the Ninth Army Corps. August 20th they started on the march to Cumberland Gap by way of Crab Orchard, London and Barboursville.
The Brigade arrived at the Gap soon after the arrival of the army of General Burnsides from the opposite direction, and the rebel forces, strongly fortified, were completely in- vested. A few shells were fired from the forts, with some skirmishing on the picket lines as the Union froces advanced,
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but was a feeble resistance from the strongly fortified posi- tion.
As soon as the line of battle was formed and the 22nd Ohio Battery, under command of Captain Henry M. Neil, was in position, a demand was made on General Frazier, com- manding the rebel forces, for the immediate surrender of his army. General Frazier accepted the terms at once and with- out firing a shot. About 2,500 prisoners were captured, with thirteen or fourteen pieces of artillery, several thousand stands of arms and a large amount of ammunition, commis- sary and quartermaster's supplies. A few companies of cav- alry made their escape through the Union lines after the sur- render. The Brigade was assigned to garrison duty at the Gap under command of Colonel Lemert of the 86th O. V. I. They were sent out frequently on reconnoitering expeditions and were so employed with guard and picket duty until about the 1st of December. Early in December the regiment re- ceived marching orders and arrived on the banks of Clinch River December 2nd. Here the regiment had a brisk fight with a detachment of Longstreet's corps near where the Knoxville road crosses the Clinch River.
After this fight the regiment was on duty scouting, patrol- ing and watching the movements of the enemy along the river and had frequent skirmishes. Beginning with the "Cold New Year," January 1st, 1864, the weather was very cold and so continued during the winter. Having left their baggage at the Gap, the men were very thinly clad and suffered greatly, as their duties were very arduous and rations scarce.
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