USA > Ohio > Knox County > History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present > Part 57
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On the twelfth day of May, Major General Fremont, com- manding the mountain department, effected a junction with Generals Schenck and Milroy, bringing with him about twelve thousand men. Before this junction, however, the rebel Gen- eral Jackson had retired from the National front. The com- bined National forces lay at Franklin inactive until the twenty- fifth day of May, when they were ordered to the support of General Banks, then operating in the Shenandoah valley against the rebel army under Jackson. While the army was in camp at Franklin, the Thirty-second was transferred from Milroy's to Schenck's brigade, composed of the Thirty-second, Fifty-fifth, Seventy-third, Seventy-fifth and Eighty-second, Ohio volunteer infantry.
In Fremont's pursuit of Jackson up the Shenandoah valley, the Thirty-second bore its part and participated in the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic, on the eighth and ninth days of June, 1862. The regiment returned to Strausburgh about the last of June, was transferred to Piatt's brigade, and moved to Winchester, Virginia, July 5, 1862. It remained at Winches- ter doing garrison duty until the first of September, the day the place was evacuated by General White, when the regiment moved with the brigade to Harper's Ferry, and assisted in the defence of that place. After making a hard fight and losing one hundred and fifty of its number, the regiment, with the
whole command, was surrendered by the commanding officer of the post to the enemy as prisoners of war. The history of this unaccountable affair is yet to be written. The Thirty-sec- ond was parolled and sent to Annapolis, Maryland, whence it was transferred to Chicago, Illinois.
In the defence of Harper's Ferry, the regiment lost some gal- lant officers and brave men. Captain S. R. Breese, company H, who succeeded Captain Baxter, was killed by a musket ball, Captain M. W. Worden lost a leg, Lieutenant A. G. Hostetter was severely wounded in the foot, and Lieutenant E. B. Adams, of company F, lost a hand. Colonel Ford was placed under ar- rest and sent to Washington for trial by a military commission, on the charge of having neglected his duty in the defence of Maryland Heights. This trial resulted in his dismissal from the service November 8, 1862, by order of the War Department .*
At Chicago the regiment became almost completely demoral- ized. It had not been paid for eight months, and many of the men took "French leave" and went home to look after their families. Captain B. F. Potts was sent to Columbus to ask Governor Tod to procure an order from the War Department, transferring the regiment to Camp Taylor, near Cleveland. This application was successful, and the Thirty-second, or all that was left of it-thirty-five men, arrived at Camp Taylor De- . cember 1, 1862.
On the second of December, Captain B. F. Potts was ap- pointed by Governor Tod, lieutenant colonel of the regiment, and that energetic officer went immediately to work "recon- structing" the command. Within ten days, order prevailed, and eight hundred men had reported for duty. This happy re- sult was not attained, however, without decisive action in the case of several officers, who were charged with inciting disaffec- tion and revolt among the men. Secretary Stanton, of the War office, ordered their instant dismissal, which was consummated on the twenty-third of December, 1862. The men were paid in full, and, on the twelfth of January, 1863, declared to be ex- changed. On the eighteenth, orders were received to proceed to Memphis, Tennessee. In re-organizing the regiment, Lieu- tenant Colonel Potts was made colonel; Quartermaster R. H. Bentley, lieutenant colonel ; Captain A. M. Crumbacker, major ; Assistant Surgeon Brundige, surgeon, and Lieutenant George Sinclair, captain. The regiment left Camp Taylor, near Cleve- land, January 20th ; reached Memphis on the twenty-fifth of January, 1863, and was assigned to Logan's division, Seven- teenth army corps. At the battle of Champion Hills the Thir- ty-second made a bayonet charge and captured the First Missis- sippi rebel battery-men, guns and horses-with a loss of twen- ty-four men. For this gallant achievement, the captured battery was turned over to the regiment and manned by Company F during the entire siege of Vicksburgh. The total loss of the regiment during the campaign and siege of Vicksburgh was two hundred and twenty-five, rank and file. It participated in the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hills ; was in the extreme front of Logan's division when Vicksburgh surrendered, and was assigned to post duty under General Logan.
In August, 1863, the regiment accompanied Stevenson's
*The evidence afterward adduced proved almost conclusively the cor- rectness of Colonel Ford's position, and that he was not, as he always asserted, in any way to blame for the day's disaster. That he was made a "scapegoat" to shield the blunders of a superior officer was pretty well established, and he was afterward re-instated by President Lincoln. He did not, however, accept the position, but retired from the service.
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
expedition to Monroe, Louisana, and McPherson's expedition to Brownville, Mississippi, in October of the same year. It was also with Sherman in February, 1864, at Meridian, and lost twenty-two men at Baker's Creek, Mississippi, February 5, 1864, in which eugagement Captain W. A. McAllister was severe- ly wounded while gallantly leading the advance.
Colonel Potts had been assigned to the command of the Second brigade, Third division, Seventeenth army corps, in the autumn of 1863, and was thereafter but seldom in command of the regiment. In December and January, 1863-64, more than three-fourths of the regiment re-enlisted as veterans, and on the fourth of March, 1864, it was furloughed home. It re- joined the army at Cairo, Illinois, on the twenty-first of April, with its ranks largely augmented by recruits. The only change made while at home was the addition of Dr. T. P. Bond, of Champaign county, as assistant surgeon. On the twenty- seventh of April, the regiment embarked at Cairo with its division and corps, on transports, landing at Clifton. From there it marched to Ackworth, Georgia, where it joined Gen- eral Sherman on the tenth of June, 1864. The Thirty-second was identified with the movements of the Seventeenth army corps in Sherman's advance against Atlanta ; participated in the assault on Kennesaw mountain, June 27, 1864 and Nickajack Creek, near Howett's Ferry, on the Chattahoochie river, July 10, 1864; also in the battles of July, 20, 22 and 28, before Atlanta, and lost more than half its number in killed and wounded. In the affair of the twenty-second of July, Adjutant A. G. Philipps, of Mansfield, Ohio, was killed while encouraging the men, and Captains Huber and Potts were severely wounded. The regi- ment was commanded, in those battles, by Lieutenant Colonel J. J. Hibbetts, Colonel Potts being in command of the First brigade, Fourth division, Seventeenth army corps. (On the twelfth of January, 1865, Colonel Potts was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, on the special recommendation of General Sherman for gallantry before Atlanta, July 22, 1864.)
After the fall of Atlanta, the Thirty-second moved with the army in pursuit of Hood, after which it rejoined General Sher- man and accompanied him on his march to the sea.
On the tenth of December, 1864, the Thirty-second was in the advance of the army, and contributed its share towards driv- ing the enemy into his works at Savannah. In this expedition, the Savannah & Charleston railroad was cut, thus destroying the enemy's communications with Charleston. On the twenty- first of December, the regiment entered Savannah with the army, and went into camp near Fort Thunderbolt. After the review by General Sherman of the whole army, the Seventeenth army corps went by transport to Beaufort, South Carolina; thence to Pocatoligo station, on the Savannah & Charleston railroad.
On the first of February, 1865, the regiment moved with the army through the Carolinas, and, with the Thirteenth Iowa, was the first regiment to enter Columbia. (Colonel Hibbetts, with a mounted detachment of the regiment, entered and captured Fayettville, North Carolina, March 10, 1865, after a severe fight with Wade Hampton's Cavalry.)
On the twentieth and twenty-first of March, it was engaged with the enemy at Bentonville, North Carolina, where, on the twenty-first, Captain D. R. Potts, aid-de-camp of General B. F. Potts, was killed while gallantly leading the skirmish line of the brigade, in an assault on the enemy's works.
The regiment came out of the woods to see their friends at Goldsboro, moved with the army to Raleigh, North Carolina, and was present at the surrender of Johnson's army, May I,
1865. It marched with the army through Richmond, Virginia, to Washington city, where it participated in the grand review before President Johnson and his cabinet.
The regiment remained in camp near Washington until June 8, 1865, when it took the cars for Louisville. It lay there until July 20th, when it was mustered out of the service and pro- ceeded to Columbus, Ohio, at which place the men received their final discharge July 26, 1865.
During the stay of the Thirty-second in Washington, Lieu- tenant Colonel Hibbetts was commissioned colonel, vice B. F. Potts, promoted; Captain S. Guthrie was made lieutenant colo- nel and Captain Isaac B. Post, of company C promoted to ma- jor, vice Crumbacker, resigned.
The Thirty-second entered the field September 15, 1861, nine hundred and fifty strong, and during the war received more than one thousand six hundred recruits. Only five hundred and sixty-five remained at its muster-out. It is believed that the regiment lost and recruited more than any other from Ohio.
When company C came home to enjoy its vet- eran furlough, James H. Critchfield, Edwin H. Sprague and Isaac Cole, members of the company, brought with them at considerable trouble and ex- pense two fifteen-inch mortar shells. These shells . had been thrown by the federal mortar-boats into Vicksburgh, during the siege of that place. They were buried about four feet under ground, and were dug up by the men; each weighing, when loaded, two hundred and thirty pounds. They were placed upon two posts set in the ground for that purpose on the public square in Mount Vernon, in front of the Kremlin buildings, where they were a "seven days wonder." These shells are now (1881) in possession of Colonel Rogers, and serve as tops for his gate posts, at his residence on Gambier street-former residence of George B. Potwin.
THE FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT.
Company K of the Forty-third regiment was recruited mostly in the eastern and southern parts of Knox county. As the Forty-third was en- camped at Mount Vernon two or three months during the winter of 1861-2, other companies besides company K received recruits from this county. The camp was named Camp Andrews, in honor of Colonel Lorin Andrews of the Fourth Ohio; and the regiment was organized at this camp February 7, 1862. Lieutenant Colonel Wager Swayne was very active in recruiting the regiment. J. L. Kirby Smith, a nephew of the rebel General Kirby Smith, was made colonel. He was wounded at Corinth, and died October 12, 1862.
3II .
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
The following extracts from a letter written in February, 1881, by Lieutenant E. L. Lybarger, an officer in the Forty-third, will give an idea of the part taken by Knox county in the formation of this regiment :
Joseph Cochran of Fredericktown, Lieutenant Ed. Dunbar of Mount Vernon, and Captain William Walker of Milwood, were the only persons in Knox county cominissioned by the governor to recruit companies for the Forty-third. Captain Walker recruited sixty-nine men, or rather had credit for that number; I recruited not less than fifteen, while other enlisted men as- sisted in the work of filling a company. Lieutenant Dunbar, as nearly as I can recollect, had between fifteen and twenty men. Mr. Cochran assisted in a general way to fill the regiment, ex- pecting to be major. All efforts failing to fill the regiment up to the minimum number, in time, two companies from the camp of rendezvous at Lancaster were transferred to the Forty-third, and the regiment was immediately organized by the consolida- tion of those companies that up to this time had not a sufficient number to enable them to organize. This being the condition of Captain Walker's company, he had the choice of separating his men and distributing a portion among other companies, thus gaining the first and second lieutenantcies, or of keeping them together and being himself made captain. He left this matter to be decided by the men, and with one accord they re- fused to be separated, preferred to lose the lieutenantcies and make him captain of the company. This was done and the company was afterward known as Company K, and was also known as the Knox county company, though filled up to the required number by Stark county men.
Those recruited by Dunbar and Cochran, were, I believe, dis- tributed between companies C and F. There were not, all told, to exceed one hundred men from Knox county in the Forty- third at its organization. I think ninety is nearer the number. There, were, perhaps, between fifteen and twenty more men re- cruited and assigned to the regiment during the war, from Knox.
William Walker became captain of Company K ; E. Dunbar second lieutenant of company F, and Joseph Cochran quarter- master of the regiment. I was promoted to second lieutenant, April 28, 1863 ; first lieutenant in 1864, and received a captain's commission in 1865, which I did not accept, having been ap- pointed quartermaster of the regiment, which position I retained to the close of the war.
There were no other officers from Knox county in the regi- ment except, perhaps Sergeant Lindsey, who was promoted to a lieutenantcy and assigned to company F. Captain William Walker, being in a dying condition, resigned at Farmington, Mississippi, in the spring of 1862, and died at Milwood shortly after reaching home.
Of the original sixty-nine men of Captain Walker's company, but seventeen were mustered out with the regiment in 1865; battles, disease and discharges account for the others.
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I must say that the patriotic spirit manifested, and the gener- osity shown to the Forty-third by the citizens of Mount Vernon, by all parties and both sexes, while the regiment was quartered at camp Andrews, are worthy of all praise. Everything was done by the citizens to make the soldiers comfortable, contented and happy. The camp was daily in receipt of some token of the people's good will in the shape of luxuries and sweet-meats
of all kinds ; while the sick in the hospital were as well cared for and as kindly treated by the patriotic ladies as if they had been at home with their mothers, wives and sisters.
Muster-roll of company K, Forty-third Ohio regiment, mustered into the service February 14, 1862.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
Captain William Walker, October 26, 1861.
First Lieutenant Moses R. Shalters, November 1, '61.
Second Lieutenant Isaac Young, December 18, '61.
PRIVATES.
Anderson, Simon, November 15, 1861.
Butts, Joseph L., November 2,
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Baker, Isaac, November 20,
Bonnet, Lewis, November 13,
Bird, George, November 23,
Buck, William, November 26,
Beck, George, December 5,
Butler, Laben, December 7, 16
Beal, Michael, December 8,
Bluebaugh, David, December 9, ..
Bluebaugh, Peter, December 12,
Bluebaugh, Levi, December 12.
Beltz, Moses, December 13,
Boohecker, Samuel, December 11,
Bates, Levi, December 21,
Calvin, Samuel Y., December 12, Chapin, Lyman, October 29,
Clark, Philip, November 26,
Conkle, Philip, November 26, Clark, George W., January 23, Cope, John, November 28,
Cox, William, December 12,
Connell, George, November 12,
Denner, John G., November 7,
Dial, James, November 4, Dennis, Noah, December 27,
Duck, Adams, December 10,
Edwards, Clark, November 4,
Everhart, John, December 12,
Faucett, John, November 30, Fuller, Job, November 25, Fabra, Anthony, November 9,
Flood, John, November 18, Fry, Christopher, November 21,
Fry, Samuel, December 3, Greer, Robert, November 23, Graham, Alexander, November 17,
..
Green, Francis, December 6, Green, John C., November 6,
Grove, Samuel, January 13, Gibson, Adam, November 18, Hall, John M., October 29, Hour, John, November 13, Hawn, Marion, November 25, Hawn, John, November 25, Hardenger, Frederick, November 30,
Hardenger, Jacob, November 30, Hammill, , December 17,
Horn, Christopher, December 9,
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
Humes, Andrew, December 9, Huddlestown, H., November 20, Hanna, James D., November 15, King, William W., November 14, King, Anthony, December 3, Kirklin, Andrew, December 3, Kiger, Richard, December 4, Logsden, Francis, November 1,
Lepley, Josephus, November 13, Lepley, Daniel, November 13,
Lybarger, Edwin, November 25, Louis, Joseph, December 10, McClain, James G., October 28,
McClusky, Peter, October 30, McKinzey, John W., November 2, McKinzey, Davis, November I,
McGrevy, Henry, October 18, Moore, Patrick, December 12, Peigh, Henry, January 28,
Pearce, John, November 4,
Phillips, Peter, December 3,
Phillips, Joseph, January 25, 11
Packer, Josiah E., November 21, Rice, Benjamin, November 9,
Ritcher, Lorrence, November 6, Russell, Albert C., November 25, Ruble, Miles, November 25, Stull, Mathew, January 25, Sapp, William, November I, Shrimplin, Van B., November 1, Shrimplin, Allen, November I, Stull, Jeremiah, November 9, Stull, William, November 20, Shultz, Christopher, November 30, Spurgen, Oliver, December 8, Sapp, Joseph, November 23, Sells, Emanuel, November 15, Swartz, Christopher, November 6, Shroyer, Newton, November 27, Snider, Frederick, November 27, Shelder, Eli, November 18, Sutton, Caleb, November 16, South, Benjamin, November 26, South, Adam, December 9, Speakman, James, October 21, Shultz, Jacob, November 9, Taylor, Oliver, December 8, Tym, Benjamin, December 8, Thompson, Arthur, December 4, Teeters, Richard, November 8, Ullery, Morgan, November 13, Underwood, Obed, January 12, Williard, Peters, November 13, Wolf, John, Decemher 6, Wolf, Martin, December 10,
Warner, Edward, December 7, Walton, Richard, January I, Workman, Jacob, Deceniber 16, Workman, Amos, January 3,
Woods, Benjamin F., November 8, ..
Wallace, Henry H., November 12, Wallace, Alexander, November 12,
The following men of this county enlisted in company C of this regiment, and were mustered in December 31, 1861:
PRIVATES.
Berril, Ananias, November 20, I861.
Coffield, Jacob, December 5,
Fry, Harry C., December 5,
James, Origen, December 11,
Munson, Henry, December 3,
Murphy, Joseph, December 5,
Neal, William, December 20,
Rockwell, Tolbert, December 12,
Rouse, Erastus, November 20,
Vance, John, November 25, ..
Williams Adam, December 13,
COMPANY F, FORTY-THIRD O. V. I.
PRIVATES.
Barcus, Robert B., November 26, 1861.
Curren, John, November 14,
Campbell, John, November 26,
Holloway, John, November 23,
Hall, Thomas, November 20,
Hildebrandt, James S., November 20,
Hildebrandt, H, G., November 20,
Hall, John W., November 20,
Lindsley, John M., December 3,
Latham, William H., November 16,
Latham, John E., November 16,
Packer, Samuel, November 2,
Packer, Benjamin, November 20,
Price, Shaffer, December 2,
Stull, Jacob, January 2, I862.
Williby, John, November 28,
COMPANY G, FORTY-THIRD O. V. I.
PRIVATES.
Arnold, Richard, December 25, 1861.
Armstrong, John M., December 4, 14
Boyle, Ephraim D., November, 30,
Colville, Joseph A., November 30
Dunbar, Edward L., November 23,
Knoles, Joseph L., December 24, =
Kelley, Mathias, December 1I,
Robert, Amos, December 2, =
Bunyan, William H., November 27,
Black, Horatio B., November 23,
Shane, Francis L., November 22,
Wing, James L., November 28,
The regiment left Mount Vernon for the front February 21, 1862, and reported to Brigadier Gen- eral John Pope, commanding the district of Mis- sissippi on the twenty-sixth of February, and was immediately assigned to the Ohio brigade, com- posed of the Twenty-seventh, Thirty-ninth, Forty- third and Sixty-third regiments, First division, army of the Mississippi.
It was but a few days before the regiment was
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
introduced to active service, for in March, 1862, it was under fire at New Madrid, Missouri, and in all the operations against that post it bore a promi- nent part, especially in its final bombardment and capture on the thirteenth and fourteenth of March. The loss of the regiment in killed and wounded was quite severe.
It was in the movements against Island 10, and with the forces of General McCall in the capture of Tiptonville, Tennessee; it was also at the battle of Iuka, September 13, 1862. In all the operations of the army of the Mississippi around Corinth the Forty-third bore its part. Adjutant C. C. Hoyl and Van Buren Shrimplin, both of Knox county, were killed here. In the battle of the fourth of October, the Forty-third and Sixty-third Ohio claim to have done more to save the day than any other organizations. These regiments were posted, the Sixty-third immediately on the right, and the Forty- third immediately on the left of Battery Robinett, and between that battery and Battery Williams, and were entirely without works or protection of any sort. The grand assault was made by the rebels at daylight on the fourth. They opened on Bat- tery Robinett with artillery at about three hundred yards, and at 10 A. M., led by Colonel Rogers of the Second Texas, moved forward to the assault. The Forty-third and Sixty-third Ohio stood firmly at their posts, and succeeded in staggering the as- saulting column, and hurling it back, at a time when the National lines were broken, and troops appeared to be flying from every other part of the field. 'The opposing forces were but few feet apart and fought almost hand-to-hand, and men went down on both sides in great numbers. The casualties among the men were very severe. In a few min- utes of fighting over one-fourth of those engaged of the Forty-third were either killed or wounded. The loss in the Sixty-third was nearly half of those en- gaged.
During 1863, the regiment was engaged, mostly in Tennessee in scouting, skirmishing, marching from place to place, and doing guard duty. In December of that year the regiment almost unani- mously re-enlisted as veterans, and came home on furlough.
Upon the expiration of the furlough, they re- turned to the front in a body, and their first skir-
mish was at the taking from the rebels of Decatur, Alabama, which they occupied until the opening of Sherman's campaign against Atlanta.
While at Decatur the Ohio brigade was discon- tinued and a new brigade made, composed of the Forty-third and Sixty-third Ohio, Twenty-fifth Wis- consin, and Thirty-fifth New Jersey regiments, and placed under command of Colonel John W. Sprague, of the Sixty-third Ohio, and designated as the Second brigade, Fourth division, Sixteenth army corps.
The first battle in which the Forty-third was en- gaged in Sherman's victorious march, was at Re- saca, where its loss was quite severe. The next day after the battle the regiment was engaged in skirmishing, and the same evening (May 14th) Sprague's brigade was sent to the support of Gen- eral Logan, who was to make an assault on the position commanding the bridge across] the Ooste- naula. The assault was made about sunset, and it was found necessary to send Sprague's brigade in order to hold the ground gained by Logan.
The brigade moved forward in fine style and not only occupied the ground from whence their comrades were about being driven, but pushed the National lines up still further to the front and held the position thus gained until the night of May 15th, against repeated attempts to dislodge them. All that day was spent in heavy skirmishing with the enemy. The members of the Forty-third, as was their custom, took the advance in this mode of fighting, and it was made a day memorable in the annals of the regiment. The rebel skirmish line was literally annihilated, and the dead found the next morning where they had fallen, the rebels hav- ing retired during the night.
At Dallas the regiment took an important part in the advance on the enemy's position near Big Shanty, and soon thereafter were engaged in the siege of Kenesaw, with its deadly skirmishing, grand cannonading, and the disastrous repulse of the National forces on the twenty ninth of June.
On the morning of July 22d Colonel Swayne, in command of the Forty-third Ohio and Ninth Illi- nois mounted infantry, started for Decatur, twenty miles distant, with a train of some fifteen hundred wagons.
The train was attacked by Iverson's rebel divis-
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
ion, assigned to the duty of taking it, while Wheeler with two other divisions were to capture Sprague and his small command in Decatur. Through the audacity of Colonel Sprague, combined with the fearlessness and discipline of his command, although repulsed in a severe fight, not a wagon was lost. Thus was averted a calamity that must have been fatal to the National army at that time. On entering the town the next day it was found that the enemy had lost over six hundred men in the fight of the day previous, fully two-thirds of the National force in action. During the remainder of the Atlanta campaign, the Forty-third shared the trials and glories of the Sixteenth corps; and on the fourth and seventh of August, particularly, in advancing the National lines, won the thanks of Ransom, the division commander, by splendid and steady fight- ing.
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