History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 62

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096

USA > Ohio > Knox County > History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present > Part 62

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COMPANY G.

Killed .- Captain L. A. Patrick, Thomas D. Ayres, Henry Cullison, Eli Lefever, Jacob Wolf.

Wounded .-- Lieutenant James Ball, Lieutenant Maholm Wil- loughby, C. M. Taylor, Jacob Ayres, Heber Sims, Augustus Ball, Martin Modi, Henry Weeks, John Crill, William Bergen, Samuel Henry, Ayres Arsinger, Thomas D. Hoar, Sidney Wood, Jacob Black, Robert Wells, James M. Black, Charles Sommers, J. B. Brown, Mathew Moore, Abram Crider, Wesley Hoar, Job Hardin, James Perin, M. Holler, W. H. H. Davis, David McFarland.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

WAR OF THE REBELLION-CONCLUDED.

ORGANIZATION OF COMPANY F, ONE HUNDRED AND TWEN- TY-FIFTH REGIMENT-MUSTER ROLL-OPERATIONS OF THE REGIMENT IN THE FIELD-SECOND OHIO HEAVY ARTIL- LERY -- EIGHTEENTH UNITED STATES REGULARS-CAPTAIN COE'S SHARPSHOOTERS-LIST OF REGIMENTS IN WHICH KNOX COUNTY WAS REPRESENTED-ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SECOND OHIO NATIONAL GUARD-MUSTER ROLLS- "SQUIRREL HUNTERS"-CLOSE OF THE WAR.

D URING the fall of 1862, the business of draft- ing, hiring substitutes and volunteering was going on rapidly in this county, under the two calls of the President for six hundred thousand men. About this time one company was raised, princi- pally in the vicinity of Martinsburgh, by Captain S. B. Parks. Colonel Banning was also at home as- sisting in the recruiting business, and through his exertions and those of C. C. Baugh, and Albert Barnes of Martinsburgh, about one and a half com- panies were raised in the county. A squad under Lieutenant Barnes formed part of company G. Captain Parks had raised a company for the three months' service, at Martinsburgh, and had con- ducted it to Camp Chase, where it remained on guard duty until its term of service expired. The men raised in the fall of 1862, were taken to Camp Mansfield, thence to Camp Cleveland, where they were consolidated with other parts of companies and battalions, which had been gathered at that point by Colonel Emerson Opdyke, the consolida- tion forming the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio; of which Emerson Opdyke became colonel and Henry B. Banning lieutenant colonel.

Muster-roll of company F, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth regiment, mustered into service De- cember 17, 1862:

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Captain Steen B. Parks, September 24, 1862. First Lieutenant David Humphrey, September 24, 1862. Second Lieutenant Charles T. Clark, September 24, 1862. NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

First Sergeant Henry N. Penfield, October 16, 1862. Sergeant Jacob Jewel, October 22, 1862. Sergeant Jeremiah S. Stinger, October 13, 1862. Sergeant James R. Brown, October 8, 1862. Sergeant David Blystone, October 5, 1862. Corporal Alexander H. Postel, October 27, 1862. Corporal Jonathan Sims, October 22, 1862. Corporal John Wasmon, October 22, 1862. Corporal Henry G. Russell, October 23, 1862.

Corporal John R. Beatty, October 29, 1862. Corporal John R. Clark, October 28, 1862. Corporal William Reagh, November 4, 1862.

PRIVATES.

Brown, Frederick, October 27, 1862. Beckholt, William, October 20, 1862.

Beeny, William, October 30, 1862. Brown, William, December 4, 1862. Baerman, John P., November 22. 1862. Cattrell, Leander, October 22, 1862. Chapman, George, October 28, 1862. Clark, William, November 11, 1862. Cooper, Daniel, October 28, 1862. Chase, Levi, November 13, 1862. Clere, Claud, November 14, 1862. Dorsey, John, November 13, 1862. Duckman Augustus, November 13, 1862. Dulybon, Matthew, November 12, 1862. Denny, James, October 8, 1862. Flemming, James C., October 29, 1862. Forney, Adam L., October 28, 1862. Fawcett, Thompson I., October 25, 1862. Foltz, Eli J., November 11, 1862. Goetz, John, November 20, 1862. Graham, Henry, October 22, 1862. Hess, David K., November 13, 1862. Harris, Manoah P., October 6, 1862. Hall, Nathan K., October 10, 1862. Hall, Thomas I., October 10, 1862. Heimback, John, October 14, 1862. Hoffman, Henry, October 22, 1862. Hassbyze, Charles, October 25, 1862. Jennings, William T., October 22, 1862. Jewell, Charles, October 17, 1862. Jewell, David L., October 10, 1862. Keyes, Joseph H., October 8, 1862. Kime, Franklin, October 6, 1862. Lowry, William, December 22, 1862. Lawyer, Michael W., October 12, 1862. Ling, Conrad, November 11, 1862. Maxson, Alfred, October 8, 1862. McNarland, William M., October 10, 1862.

McNarland, John, October 20, 1862. Meek, William A., October 10, 1862. McManell, John, November 12, 1862. Melich, Jefferson, October 9, 1862. Murphy, Marion F., October 20, 1862. Musk, Aaron, October 4, 1862. McNatt, Isaac, October 24, 1862.

Maloy, William, November 27, 1862. Moore, John, December 4, 1862. Newcomer, Christian, October 28, 1862.

North, John, October 4, 1862. Porter, William, October 29, 1862.

Pfister, Matthias November 12, 1862. Regh, John P., November 4, 1862. Ross, Elmos N., November 23, 1862. Sailor, Samuel, October 5, 1862.

Scott, James F., October 5, 1862.

. Scott, William B., October 19, 1862. Seasight, Clay C., October 24, 1862.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

Stewart, John A., October 28, 1862. Sperry, Joseph H., November 7, 1862. Shoalts, Orlando, November 7, 1862. Sigler, Philip M., October 21, 1862. Siemen, George, November 24, 1862. Schneider, Henry, November 22, 1862. Schneider, John, November 22, 1862. Shad, Jacob, November 22, 1862. Sauther, Jacob, November 27, 1862. Tuttle, Amos, October 20, 1862. Tuttle, Cary, October 20, 1862. Thompson, James, October 14, 1862. Tipton, Elijah, October 22, 1862. Trimble, T. Edson, October 22, 1862. Vaugn, Benjamin, October 22, 1862. Willemin, James, October 7, 1862. Whitmore, Henry, October 27, 1862. Williams, Joseph, October 5, 1862. Woodruff, Marion, October 20, 1862. Wallace, James, November 15, 1862. Williams, David, November 21, 1862. Wilcox, Edward, October 8, '62. Yeoder, Jacob, October 4, '62. Yeoder, Alexander, October 24, '62. Grass, John, November 12, '62. Grime, Joseph, November 14, '62. Gumunder, Frederick, November 22, '62.

Klein, George, November 22, '62.

COMPANY G.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Sergeant Charles W. Fisher, October 10, '61.

Corporal William V. Nickerson. October 10, '61. PRIVATES.

Chasman, Henry, October 10, '61.

Dillen, Eli H., October 10, '61.

Gassaway, Benton, October 20, 61.

Hargrove, Duckworth, October 11, '61.

Hillis, Melvin, October 11, '61.

Johnson, Joseph, October 10, '61.

Jones, John, November 13, '61.

Menyhune, I. H., October 13, '61.

Singer, John, October 10, '61.

Smith, James C., October 11, '61.

Thompson, Charles, October 11, '61.

Vallandingham, G. B., October 8, '6r.

Elder, Thomas, November 12, '61.

The One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth was partly composed of drafted men and substitutes, but became one of the best in the service. Captain Parks' company became company F of this regi- ment.

The regiment left Cleveland January 3, 1863, southward bound, and on the eighth went into camp a mile beyond Louisville, Kentucky. Its first skirmish was at Franklin, Tennessee, where it was placed on the skirmish line, and drove the rebels from that place. This was in February, and on the

ninth of March the rebels attempted to retake the place, but were driven back by the One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth. The attempt was repeated April roth, but the rebels were again repulsed, and pursued by the regiment to Columbia.

During the summer it did a great deal of hard marching, and on the eleventh of September was engaged in severe skirmishing near Lee & Gor- don's mills, and the enemy was forced back across Chickamauga creek. From this time until the eighteenth of September the regiment was engaged in almost constant skirmishing until the opening of the battle of Chickamauga. In this great battle it saw its first hard fighting. At one P. M. the divis- ion to which it was attached, was ordered to sup- port the left of the National lines. It entered the field on the double-quick, and was soon actively engaged. One of the officers thus writes :

Side by side and shoulder to shoulder did the men of the One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth contest that bloody field, aim- ing low and promptly obeying orders. Nine prisoners were taken, three of whom were captured by the colonel himself, and three by Adjutant E. G. Whitesides. The rebels were routed in confusion, and after dark we bivouacked on the field without fire, without supper, and many of our men without blankets, while a cold north wind chilled our wearied limbs almost to numbness. At two P. M. of the twentieth we were again called to arms, and having marched two miles to a new position, we halted. A hasty breakfast was prepared and eaten, and we then took our place as a reserve near the left of McCook's and at the right of Thomas' corps. The battle opened on Thomas' left at eight A. M. so severely that the division was ordered to move on the double-quick to support it. Through. some mis- apprehension a gap was left in McCook's line unprotected, through which the enemy poured, driving his corps almost com- pletely from the field, and exposing the troops in that vicinity to a murderous cross-fire.

At this moment Generals Thomas and Garfield rode up to the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio, and the former said, "This point must be held." Colonel Opdyke replied that it could be held, and, riding to the front of the regiment, led in a charge made by the brigade, and the rebels were driven back. The enemy now advanced their second line, but the advanced position was held until the enemy's fire literally enfiladed the regiment, killing Lieutenant King and many more, and seriously wounding Captain Youmans and Lieutenant Barnes. The latter died of his wounds, October 2, 1863. The regiment retired slowly and in good order to the former position, which Gen- eral Thomas said must be held. Here the fight

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

was renewed with increased fury. For two long hours a sea of fire swept the field, covering the ground with friend and foe. Colonel Opdyke rode along the lines encouraging his men amid the fly- ing bullets, both himself and horse being struck, but escaping serious injury. The enemy were re- pulsed with great slaughter. At 3 P. M. the Forty- first Ohio came up and lay down a few yards in rear of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth, just as the enemy made his last assault. The men of the Forty-first recognized Colonel Opdyke, who had formerly served in that regiment as captain, and gave him three rousing cheers. The regiment held the position until the firing ceased and night closed upon the bloody field, then fell back with the army to Rossville, and thence to Chattanooga. So prominent had been the bravery of the regiment in this action that General Rosecrans compli- mented it, and General Woods christened it the "Tiger Regiment of Ohio." The next battle in which the regiment took part was the storming of Mission Ridge, November 26, 1863. It was in the front of the battle and captured a rebel battery located in front of Bragg's headquarters. Its loss was severe. In the pursuit of the enemy the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth was in the advance, fol- lowing as far as Bird's mills, when it was ordered to return to Chattanooga.

On the twenty-eighth of November the regiment started, with other troops of the Fourth corps to the relief of Burnside at Knoxville. From this place it moved on the sixteenth of December toward Dandridge, where the enemy was found and a severe fight took place in which the regiment suffered severe losses. The National troops were driven back, but night coming to their relief, they built large and numerous fires to deceive the enemy as to their numbers, and commenced a retreat to Knoxville, where they arrived in safety. The regi- ment went into winter quarters at Loudon.

In the spring of 1864, General Sherman concen- trated the troops for his Atlanta campaign. The One Hundred and Twenty-fifth was attached to the Third brigade, Second division, Fourth army corps, and engaged in the first battle of the cam- paign, at Dalton, May 7, 1863. General Howard sent an order to General Harker to send a regi- ment of his best troops to dislodge the enemy from

Rocky Face ridge, and the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth was detailed for this work. It moved up the steep side of the mountain, charged the enemy and drove him from his works, with a loss of four killed and eighteen wounded. The enemy was followed along the crest of the moun- tain to his main works, where the regiment halted and threw up temporary works for the. night. On the following day an attack was made by the brigade upon the rebel works, but after consider- able hard fighting and loss, the National forces were compelled to withdraw and again encamped upon the ground occupied the night previous. During the night of the twelfth the enemy evacuated his position before Dalton, and the National forces started in pursuit, coming up with him on the fourteenth at Resaca. Here the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth was again conspicuous for its bravery and efficiency. It charged upon the enemy, driv- ing him from his works, and holding the position until relieved at night. Colonel Harker, com- manding the brigade, and Colonel Opdyke were wounded. At Lost Mountain it again distin- guished itself by a sweeping charge across a deep miry stream, driving the enemy from his works in the face of a murderous artillery fire. The regi- ment was again in the charge at Kennesaw Moun- tain, where the National forces were repulsed, and the regiment lost heavily, General Harker receiving his death wound.

After the fall of Atlanta the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth was one of the regiments sent back to watch the movements of Hood. It was in the battle of Franklin where it gallantly charged the enemy, capturing eighty prisoners and two battle flags. Its lost was severe.

Part of the regiment was on the skirmish line at the battle of Nashville and did good execution. At 7 A. M. the regiment advanced upon the enemy's works, and after a sharp fight carried them. The next day, the sixteenth of December, the regiment again charged with the brigade, and the rebels fled in confusion. This was its last battle. It was mustered out at Camp Chase, October 17, 1865.

SECOND OHIO HEAVY ARTILLERY.

By the middle of 1863, the National armies had made important captures of forts and other strong-

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

holds belonging to the enemy. It became neces- sary to recruit a class of troops whose duty it should be to fortify, garrison and hold these cap- tures. This culminated in the formation of heavy artillery regiments numbering twenty-four hundred men each. Two of these were raised in Ohio. The companies numbered about two hundred men each. One of these companies was partly recruited in Mt. Vernon, about forty men from this place en- tering Battery I, Second Ohio heavy artillery, under Captain Thomas A. Stevenson. Battery I was mustered into the United States service Sep- tember 7, 1863, at Covington, Kentucky, and Oc- tober IIth moved to Fort De Wolf, at Shepherds- ville, Kentucky. Remaining here until January 10, 1864, it went to Fort Nelson (Camp Nelson), Kentucky. May 26, 1865, the battery moved from Camp Nelson to Camp Sedgwick, at Cleveland, Tennessee, and while there was engaged (seven- teenth of August) with a rebel cavalry force under Wheeler.

October 9, 1864, the battery was transferred to Fort Galpin, at Knoxville, and on December 7th it marched with the forces under Brigadier Gen- eral Jacob Ammen, to Bean's Station. It returned to Galpin, where it remained until August 23, 1865, when it was taken to Nashville and mus- tered out of service. August 29, 1865, it was paid, and finally discharged at Camp Chase.

EIGHTEENTH UNITED STATES REGULARS.

In the summer of 1861 Lieutenant Ogden, of the regular army, opened a recruiting office in Mt. Vernon to procure men for the Eighteenth United States regulars-a new regiment then organizing under Colonel Carrington. Lieutenant Ogden was assisted by Lieutenant H. B. Freeman, a resi- dent of Mt. Vernon.

About forty men were recruited in Knox county and forwarded, in detachments, to the general rendezvous of the regiment at Columbus. The company entered the field the following fall, and did active and efficient service during the war. It was engaged in the battles at and near Lebanon, Mill Springs, Somerset, and Louisville, Kentucky ; also at Fort Donelson, Nashville, Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, and Mission Ridge. It fought all through the Atlanta

campaign, and was with Thomas' army at Frank- lin, Columbia, and Nashville.

Lieutenant Freeman was wounded at Chicka- mauga and fell into the hands of the enemy. He was a prisoner in Libby, Macon, Charleston and Columbia, where he escaped and was concealed until Sherman's army came through when he joined it. Several of the Knox county boys lost their lives in this regiment, among whom were Jesse Headington, company F, killed at Stone River; Henry Davy, company G, died in Ander- sonville; M. Burch, company B, killed. Several were wounded and died in the service.

In addition to the foregoing organizations that were sent into the war by Knox county there were many squads raised in different parts of the county, recruited by various individuals and placed gen- erally in Ohio regiments, but it is not possible to give a detailed history of these scattered fragments. Captain Charles H. Coe, of Centerburgh, raised a company or squad of sharps-hooters; Captain Coe entering the service November 16, 1862. Ten companies of this class of troops were recruited in Ohio, but only three of these were recognized as sharp-shooters during the war.

Quite a number of men from Knox also went into the Third Ohio cavalry, and the county was represented in the following Ohio regiments by one or more men, often by a squad: the Second (George Hollister of Milford township being a captain in this regiment ;) Twenty-third, Thirty-first, Fifty-second, Sixty-first, Seventy-sixth, Seventy-ninth, Eightieth, Eighty-second, Eighty-fifth, One Hun- dred and Seventh, One Hundred and Eighty- seventh and One Hundred and Ninety-fifth.

A squad of thirty or more men was recruited in the fall of 1861, and taken into the Eighty- second regiment by Loyd Lippet of Mount Vernon.

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SECOND O. N. G.

The incipient beginnings of the One Hundred and Forty-second Ohio National Guard, six companies of which were from Knox county, date as far back as April 11, 1863, when the legislature of Ohio passed the well known militia law, dividing the State and the different counties into militiary districts, for bet- ter and more perfect organization, and to facilitate the raising of troops.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

The following documents speak for themselves:

STATE OF OHIO EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, COLUMBUS, June 27, 1863.

To the People of Ohio:

I have this moment (4 P. M.) received the following dispatch from Major General Burnside, and lose not a moment in laying it before you :

"CINCINNATI, June 27, 1863.

To Governor Tod:

It is of the utmost importance that the people of Ohio should respond with the greatest alacrity to the call of the President for troops from this State.

[The call here referred to was one for one hundred thousand men from the States of Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania for six months, to repel a threatened invasion. Ohio's quota was thirty thousand.]

The enemy is now threatening our northern cities with a large force. The vital necessity of promptly meeting and driv- ing him back must be felt by every man. The sudden call of last year which resulted in such an immense loss of time, labor and money ; the stoppage of all business transactions, and the risk of serious loss of property, should be remembered. The recurrence of that excitement can be avoided now by the prompt efforts of the people in aid of the President's call, and the im- mediate organization of a well-disciplined force. I feel con- fident that the people of Ohio have only to know the necessity for this call to insure an instant and hearty response.

I pledge my full and earnest co-operation in every effort to meet and repel the threatened danger.

A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General."

This appeal of General Burnside must be promptly re- sponded to or our State is certain to be invaded. Allow me to recommend that all places of business be closed at 3 P. M. of each day for the coming week, and that every man devote him- self to the noble work of raising troops to save our State from invasion.

The camps of rendezvous heretofore designated by ine are in complete readiness to receive all who wish to respond to the call. If the enemy know that we are prepared to give them a warm reception, they may not attempt to invade us, but if we remain destitute of a force to meet them, they are certain to do SO.

Rally then for the protection of your firesides so sacred and dear to all.

In response to the above, the following military notice was issued by the trustees and clerk of Clin- ton township:

Notice is hereby given that the township of Clinton, in Knox county, has been by us, in pursuance of the act to organ- ize and discipline the military of Ohio, passed April 11, 1863, divided into the following company districts.

After designating the boundaries of the districts, four in number, the notice continues :

All persons liable to perform military duty in each of said military districts, are hereby notified to incet on Saturday, the fourth day of July, 1863, at I P. M., to elect by ballot one cap-

tain, one first lieutenant, and one second lieutenant for the com- pany in their respective districts-each district to raise one com- pany. The election for the First district will be held at Ewalt's school-house; for the Second district, at the Market house; for the Third district, at the city council chamber; and for the Fourth district, at the school-house in sub-district number six in said township.

SAMUEL DAVIS, TRUMAN WARD, GEO. E. RAYMOND,

Trustees.

M. L. MILLS, Clerk. 1

Similar notices were posted in every township in the county, and thus was the county thoroughly or- ganized and every man subject to military duty en- rolled.

Lee invaded Pennsylvania, was driven back at Gettysburgh, and thus closed the threatened inva- sion of the northern States for the time. The One Hundred and Forty-second regiment was part of the militia organized at this time.

The first company was recruited and organized at Mt. Vernon in July, 1863, by William C. Cooper, who was elected captain, and subsequently became colonel of the regiment. These militia organiza- tions were at first intended as home guards, indeed, nothing more was expected of them, and according to the terms of their enlistment no legal means could be used to compel them to go beyond the borders of the State. In the spring of 1864, when the Government determined to put forth all its power and crush the rebellion at one mighty blow, it turned toward Ohio and these "Home Guards" for help, and was not disappointed. More than thirty-two thousand of them were suddenly trans- ferred to "National Guards," and were, as volun- teers, mustered into the service of the United States, for one hundred days. Ohio produced this great army of men after three years of volunteer- ing, during which she had furnished nearly two hundred thousand men. The history of the Na- tional guard of Ohio would of itself make a vol- ume, but it is sufficient here to say that it was a grand uprising of a grand, earnest, and patriotic people, in which Knox county contributed her share and added her might to the great host that swept south to the assistance of the Government, occupying the forts and defences, thus releasing the veterans to move against the rebel armies.

The men went forth, too, at a time in the war and in the year that they could not well be spared from their homes and farms. Somebody must hold

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

the plow that the great army in front might be fed. The National Guard was called out the first of May, just as they (a large proportion of them were farmers) were preparing to put in spring crops. Many of these left the plow standing in the furrow, as did their forefathers at Lexington; and the women and children only were left in hundreds of homes, to till the soil. Others left their workshops, banks and stores, and ---

"Like mountain torrents pouring to the main, From every glen a living stream came forth,

From every hill in crowds they hastened down .- "

The history of the National Guard reveals more clearly than almost any other act in the great drama, the terrible earnestness, patriotism, and determination of the people.

The following from the Secretary of War would seem appropiate here :

WASHINGTON, May 26, 1864. To His Excellency Governor Brough :

This morning's report of the adjutant general shows that since the date of the proposition made by you and other gov- ernors of the Western States to the President, thirty-eight regi- ments of infantry troops, numbering over thirty-two thousand men have been called out, armed and equipped, and sent from the State of Ohio to the respective points designated by the de- partment, and this while the draft is going on for three years men, and all the veteran troops in the field have re-enlisted.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 62

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096