USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 20
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
killed and wounded. It was continually employed in skirmishing and fatigue duty during the siege of Vicksburg. After the fall of Vicksburg, the Fifty- fourth moved with the army upon Jackson, Missis- sippi, and was constantly engaged in skirmishing from the 9th to the 14th of July. It was engaged in the battle of Missionary Ridge, November 26, and the next day marched to the relief of the garrison at. Knoxville, Tennessee. It went into winter quarters, January 12. 1864, at Larkinsville, Alabama.
The regiment was mastered into the service as a veteran organization on the 22d of January, and at once started to Ohio on furlough. Returning, it entered on the Atlanta campaign on the ist of May. It participated in a general engagement at Resaca, and at Dallas, and in a severe skirmish at New Hope Church, June 6 and 4. It was in the general assault upon Kenesaw Mountain, June 27. losing twenty- eight killed and wounded, and was in a battle on the east side of Atlanta. July 21 and 22, sustaining a loss of ninety-four killed, wounded and missing. The Fifty-fourth lost eight men killed and wounded at Ezra Chapel, July 28; and from the 29th of July to the 22th of August, it was alnost continually engaged in skirmishing before Atlanta, was in the march to Savannah, and assisted in the capture of Fort Me Allis- ter, December 15th. It was closely engaged in the vicinity of Columbia, and participated in its last battle at Bentonsville, North Carolina, March 21. 1865. The regiment marched to Richmond, Virginia, and from thenee to Washington City, where it engaged in the grand review of the western army. It was mustered out at Camp Dennison, Ohio, August 24, 1865.
It marched during its term of service a distance of three thousand, six hundred and eighty-two miles, participated in four sieges, nine severe skirmishes, fifteen general engagements, and sustained a loss of five hundred and six mon killed, wounded and missing.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD REGIMENT OHIO VOLUN- TEER INFANTRY.
The One Hundred and Third Ohio was composed of men from the counties of Cuyahoga. Lorain and Me- dina. Ten companies rendezvoused at Cleveland, in August, 1862, and on the 3d of September, started for Cincinnati, which they found in a state of excitement and alarm, because of the near approach of the enemy, under Kirby Smith, upon Lexington, Kentucky. Having received arms in Cincinnati, the regiment crossed over to Covington, where it was furnished with clothing and other necessaries for camp-life. Thus equipped, it marched out to Fort Mitchell, on the evening of the 6th.
After a few days of painful suspense. information was received at headquarters that the enemy had re- treated. Immediate pursuit was ordered. The One Hundred and Third moved out on the 18th, with other forces, in pursuit, taking the pike toward Lexington.
Having followed the enemy three days, without being able to overtake him, the national forces returned as far as Snow's Pond, where they encamped for a short time. While here, sickness prostrated nearly one- half the regiment. It was now organized, with two other regiments, into a brigade, under the command of Brigadier-general Q. A. Gilmore. The regiment, with its brigade, moved ont, on the 6th of October, to repress the ontrages of the rebel cavalry, and, bo- coming separated from the brigade, went into camp on the bank of the Kentucky river, at Frank fort, where it remained until the 5th of April, 1863. At this date, the regiment marched to Stanford.
Marauding bands of mounted men, nominally be- longing to John Morgan's command, but, in reality. independent squads of freebooters, had kept all this region in a constant state of excitement and alarm, and gave considerable annoyance to the national troops-capturing parties stationed at outposts, and destroying supply trains. A large force was gathered at Stanford, and, on the 25th, an advance was ordered by General S. P. Carter, then commanding. The national forces moved forward to Somerset and Mill Springs, the enemy falling back all the time; but there were not wanting mdications of an intention, on the part of the rebels, to concentrate their scat- tered forces, for the purpose of making a stand, at some point favorable for defence. Our infantry had considerable difficulty in crossing the Cumberland. on account of high water; but, once crossed, it pushed rapidly after the enemy, preceded by the cavalry, which had crossed a little below. On the 30th, the cavalry came up with a body of rebels, when a smart. skirmish took place. On the 5th of May, our forces were ordered back to the Cumberland. The One Hundred and Third took a position near Stigall's ferry, where they were soon visited by a body of rebels, who fired on them from the southern bank. Much powder was expended. by both parties, but with little result.
On the 5th of July, the regiment, with other troops. marched toward Danville, where they remained a few days, and then fell back to lhekman bridge. Returning to Danville, shortly after, this regiment, was, with others, formed into the twenty-third army corps, and placed under the command of Major-general Hartsuff. The ninth army corps having been added to the force, at this point, the troops began to move on the 18th of August, under the command of General A. E. Burnside. No tongue can tell what that army suffered in its march from Danville, rin Stanford. Crab Orchard, the Cumberland. at Burnside's Point. Chitwood. Montgomery, Emery's Iron Works, and Lenoir to Concord, Tennessee. On the 19th of Sep- tember, the regiment joined in the general advance, which resulted in driving back the rebels to their main force, then assembled at Jonesboro.
On the 4th of November, the regiment proceeded by railroad to Knoxville, and was stationed with its brigade, on the south side of the river. Longstreet
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
was now advancing upon the city, with a large force. During the investment, our troops suffered the greatest hardships from insulicient clothing, short rations, and other privations. About noon, on the 25th, six companies of the regiment were sent out to relieve a company on picket-duty, and. while so do- ing. a heavy charge was made by the rebels, with the intention of capturing the whole. The men, assisted by the pickets of the Twenty-fourth Kentucky, and the Sixty-fifth Ilinois, poured into the ranks of the rebels a well-directed fire; but this did not cheek them in the least, for, with yells, of the most horrid description, they rushed upon the picket-line, and a desperate struggle ensued. The regiments of the respective pickets coming up, in full force, a bayonet charge was ordered, which soon decided the contest. for the rebels broke and tled, leaving their dead and wounded upon the field. The regiment lost, in this engagement. some thirty-five, in killed and wounded.
This regiment finally became a part of the grand army, with which Sherman marched to the sea, and. on the 13th of May, arrived in front of Resaca. The next day, the twenty-third corps charged the enemy's works, and carried his two lines. The regimeni lost, in this engagement, over one-third of its effective force. Among those who fell, were Captains W. W. Hutchinson and J. T. Philpot. The regiment finally reached Decatur on the 8th of September. It had lost heavily during this campaign. On May 1, its effective force numbered four hundred and fifty men; but. when it encamped at Decatur, it could only muster one Indred and ninety-five.
At Spring Hill, the regiment, while supporting a battery, showed conclusively what they were made of. On the 24th of February, 1865, the regimeni, with its corps, arrived at Wilmington, and, on the 6th of March, it started forward, moving through Kingston to Goldsboro, where it again met Sherman's army. The whole army soon took up its march, and, on the 13th of April, reached Raleigh, where the regiment remained till the 10th of June, when it started for Cleveland, Ohio, to be mastered out. As the train, conveying the men, was descending the western slope of the Alleghany mountains, a truck broke loose. throwing three of the cars down a steep embankment. causing the death of three men, and the mutilation of a much larger number. On the 19th, the regiment reached Cleveland, and, on the 22d. it was paid off, and mustered out.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOL- INTEER INFANTRY.
This regiment was composed almost wholly of Germans, It was organized August 25, 1862, at Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, Ohio. It lay in camp at this place until the latter part of September, when it moved under orders to Covington, Kentucky. This move was made with reference to an anticipated attack on Cincinnati by Kirby Smith's Grey-backs. The regiment went to Washington, D. C., after a short
time and was engaged for nearly a month in construet- ing fortifications around that city. In November it. was assigned to the Second Brigade, First Division, Eleventh Army Corps, Major-general Sigel command- ing. On April 29. 1863. the regiment, with its brigadeand division, moved across the Rappahannock to Chancellorsville, where, on the 2d and 3d of May, it took part in the battle of that name. In this disas- trous affair the One Hundred and Seventh suffered terribly, losing two hundred and twenty officers and men, killed, wounded and prisoners. The surgeon of the regiment, Dr. Hartman, of Cleveland, Ohio, and several officers were killed. July 1, it reached Gettys- burg and was at once engaged with the enemy, taking position on the right wing. The first day's fight the regiment and eleventh corps were compelled to fall back through the town of Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill, where a new line was formed and held during the remainder of the battle. In fafling back to this place the regiment lost in killed, wounded and prison- ers, two hundred and fifty officers and men. In the second day's tight, in a charge made about five o'clock in the afternoon, it again lost heavily. In this affair the regiment captured a Rebel tiag from the Eighth Louisiana Tigers. Aside from slight skirmishing it was not engaged in the third day's fight. Its total loss in the battle of Gettysburg-killed, wounded and prisoners-was over four hundred out of about five hundred and fifty. rank and file with which it entered. With one hundred and eleven guns, all that was left of the regiment. it joined in the pursuit of the Rebel army, following it to Hagerstown, and thence into Virginia. Its subsequent engagements were princi- pally light ones. The heaviest perhaps being at Sumterville, South Carolina, March 23, 1865, where it defeated the enemy, capturing three pieces of artil- lery, six horses, and fifteen prisoners. On April 16, 1865, news was received of the surrender of Lee's and Johnston's armies. Three weeks thereafter it was taken by steamer to Charleston, where it did provost duty until July 10, when it was mustered out of the service and sent home to Cleveland, where it was paid off and discharged.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
This regiment, although chiefly occupied in guard duty within the borders of the State, was an organ- ization of three years' troops, enlisted and mustered into the United States' service, the same as other volunteer troops, and was liable to service wherever required. It attained minimum strength on the 25th of December, 1863, and consisted of four companies before known as the "lloffman Battalion" raised at different times in 1862. At and before the time of forming the regiment, the Hoffman Battalion was under the command of a Lieutenant-colonel and Ma- jor. Six new companies were mustered in at Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, between the 8th and 15th of January, 1864. The four old companies had been on
HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OIIIO.
duty at Johnson's Island, nearly all the time since their muster in, but had frequently furnished detach- ments for service elsewhere, including a short and very active campaign in pursuit of Rebel troops, in Western Virginia in 1862.
The One Hundred and Twenty-eighth was chiefly occupied at the frontier posts of Johnson's Island and Sandusky. Fortune did not give the regiment an opportunity to earn laurels in battle, but it performed its duties always with faithfulness and efficiency. It left the Island on July 10, 1865, and was mustered ont at Camp Chase, Ohio, on the 17th.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIFTH REGIMENT OHIO NATIONAL GUARD.
This regiment was composed of men from Licking and ITardin connties, and one company of the Thirty- seventh Battallion, Ohio National Guard, of Lorain county. It was mustered into the United States' service on the 11th of May, 1864, and was ordered immediately to Washington City. Proceeding by way of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, the regiment arrived at North Mountain, where information was received that the bridge at Harper's Ferry was impass- able; and the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth, with other "hundred days' regiments, " was delayed await- ing the repair of the bridge. A picket was established, and every precaution taken for defence. In a few days the troops moved on, and the regiment arrived at Washington, May 22. It was placed in the de- fences south of the Potomac, with headquarters at Fort Albany, and detachments in Forts Craig and Tillinghast. The time was occupied in repairing and completing these forts, and drilling in infantry and heavy-artillery tactics. On the 5th of June the regi- ment was ordered to White House Landing, where it was employed in picket duty and in guarding Rebel prisoners. On the 16th of June the regiment was ordered to Bermuda Hundred, and proceeded on steamer, rid Fortress Monroe. up the James to Fort Powhattan. Here its progress was checked by the pontoon bridge on which the Army of the Potomac was crossing the James. The regiment debarked and marched to Bermuda Hundred, distant twenty-five
miles. The march was made during two of the hottest days of summer, and the men suffered greatly from dust and the want of water. The regiment arrived at Fort Spring Hill. on the eastern bank of the Appomattox. opposite Point of Rocks, on the 19th of June, and was engaged in picket and fatigue duty at Point of Rocks and at Broadway Landing. The regiment next moved to Cherry-stone Inlet, on the eastern shore of Virginia. Headquarters were established at Eastville, the county town of North- ampton county, and the companies were distributed at various points to guard the telegraph from Cherry- stone to Wilmington, to prevent raids from the oppo- site side of the bay, and to intercept blockade runners and Rebel mail-carriers. At the expiration of its term of service the regiment returned to Ohio, and
was mustered out at Camp Dennison on September 1, 1864.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH REGIMENT OHIO NATIONAL GUARD.
This regiment rendezvoused at Camp Taylor, near Cleveland. It was composed of eight companies from the city of Cleveland, one from Oberlin, this county, and one from Independence township, Cuyahoga county. It was, on the 5th of May, 1864, sworn into the United States service for one hundred days, and was immediately placed on the cars for Washington City.
On its arrival the regiment was ordered to garrison Forts Lincoln, Saratoga, Thayer. Bunker Hill, Slo- eum, Toften, and Stevens, forming part of the chain of fortifications surrounding the National capital. This important duty was fully and strictly performed, thereby enabling General Grant to draw from the for- mer garrisons of these forts the re-inforcements 80 much desired in his movement through the Wilder- ness toward Richmond. The One Hundred and Fif- tieth remained in these forts during the whole term of service, and participated in the fight before Wash- ington with a part of Early's Rebel corps, July 10 and 11, 1864. Companies G and K were engaged, but. being behind breastworks, did not suffer much. One man was killed and three or four men were wounded. The regiment was mustered out at Cleveland on the 23d of August, 1864. During its term of service the regiment was rigidly and effectively drilled, and at its muster ont had reached a point of military efficiency which fitted it for any emergency.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIXTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
This regiment was organized at ('amp Chase. Ohio, September 21. 1864, for one year. As soon as the organization was completed the regiment was ordered to Nashville, Tennessee, and assigned to the Second Brigade, Fourth Division. Twentieth Army Corps. Soon after its arrival it was detailed to perform pro- vost duty at Nashville, and during the siege and battle at that point was in the works; but with the exception of a few companies, under Major Cum- mings, the regiment was not engaged. Quite a num- ber of the officers and men were veteran sokliers, and their knowledge and experience gave the regiment considerable reputation for proficiency in drill and discipline.
The regiment was mustered out of service at Tod Barracks, Columbus, Ohio, on the 18th of June, 1865.
BATTERY "B." FIRST ONIO LIGHT ARTILLERY
was organized at Camp Dennison and mustered into the service October 8. 1861, with an aggregate strength of one hundred and forty-seven men. By order of Gen- eral O. M. Mitchell it left Cincinnati to report to General George H. Thomas, then in command at Camp Dick Robinson, Kentucky, The first experi- enee it had in the field was a brisk little affair at
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
Camp Wild Cat, in which it fred twelve rounds and silenced one of the enemy's guns. From Wild Cat it marched to London, Kentucky, where it remained two weeks. On November 5, the battery, under orders, joined the Seventeenth Ohio at Fishing Creek, and was engaged during the whole of that month in skir- mishes and seont duty, with headquarters at Somerset. January 27. it moved to Mill Springs to re-enforce General Thomas. It took part in the battle of Mill Springs, and performed very effective service. Feb- ruary to, it took up its line of march for Lonisville. Kentucky, where it embarked for Nashville: arriving there, it was assigned to Colonel Barnett's Artillery Reserve. July 18, 1862, il reported to Major-general Nelson at Murfreesboro, and, during the months of .July. August and September, was almost constantly on the march, and frequently engaged in skirmishes with the enemy. On December 26, the battery moved with its brigade and division from Nashville towards Murfreesboro, skirmishing heavily in and abont La Vergne. It was here that the present county re- corder lost his " good right arm." In the battle of Stone river it was stationed on the left of General Negley's division. It was involved in the disaster on the right, but succeeded in withdrawing all its guns from the field. It bore its full part in the battle, and lost seventeen men, killed, wounded and missing, and twenty-one horses killed. JJune 24, 1863, it joined in the advance of the national forces on Tullahoma. September 19, it engaged in the battle of Chicka- mauga. On the next day it was charged by the enemy, but succeeded in beating them off. A second charge soon followed which overwhelmed the battery. and it was obliged to leave two of its guns in the hands of the enemy. In this charge several members of the battery were wounded and captured. This was in the siege of Chattanooga. January 4, 1864, sixty- five of the original members of the battery re-enlisted as veterans, and were furloughed home for thirty days. The battery returned to Nashville in March, and on the 16th of that month reported to Bridge- port, Alabama, where it remained until Iuly, 1866. It was then sent home to Columbus, and there mus- tered out, being one of the last organizations to leave the service.
FIFTEENTH OHIO INDEPENDENT BATTERY
was recruited by Captain J. B. Burrows and First- lieutenant Edward Spear, Jr. This battery was mustered into the service on the 1st day of February, 1862, and was immediately ordered to Cincinnati. where it embarked February 16, under orders for Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, but on reaching Paducah, Kentucky, was disembarked by order of General Sherman. Horses were drawn here, and the battery embarked under orders to report to General Grant, at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. While proceeding up the Tennessee, and, when near Whitehall Landing. the boat was tired into by guerrillas, from the shore. The fire was returned with shell, under cover of which
the men of the battery landed, drove the guerrillas from Their cover, and captured some prisoners and horses. In this expedition, the battery lost one man wounded. It reported to General Grant on the 20th, and was assigned to the Fourth division, army of the Tennessee. The battery was on the first line during the seige of Vicksburg, having position on the Hall's Ferry road, southeast of the city, and within two hundred yards of the enemy's works, and enfilading several hundred yards of their line. In this, as in all the engagements in which the battery figured, most excellent service was performed, eliciting, on every occasion, the commendations of the command- ing officers. It expended two thousand, three hun- dred and one rounds of ammunition during the seige. The Fifteenth was with General Sherman, principally, and participated in his famous "march to the sea." An incident is related that, at the battle of Chatta- hoochee River, a bird flew upon the shoulder of Pri- vate Seth Bowers, who was acting No. t on one of the guns, where it remained during the engagement. At every discharge of the piece, the bird would thrust its head in the man's hair. After the recoil, it would again take its position on the man's shoulder, and watch the operations of loading. After the battle. the bird remained around the men's quarters, but, after a few days, disappeared.
The Fifteenth battery was mustered out June 20, 1865, at Columbus, Ohio.
SECOND REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY.
This regiment was recruited and organized in the summer and autumn of 1861, under the supervision of the late lon. B. F. Wade and Hon. John Hutchins, who received special authority from the war office. The regiment rendezvoused at Camp Wade, near Cleveland, Ohio, and the last company was mustered in on the toth of October, 1861. Being the first. cavalry regiment raised in the northern part of the State, it drew into its ranks a large proportion of wealth, intelligence, capacity and culture. Men and officers were almost wholly from the Western Reserve, and represented every trade and profession. The Second was uniformed, mounted and partly drilled at Cleveland, and, in the last of November, was ordered to Camp Dennison, where it received sabers, and con- tinned drilling during the month of December. Early in January, 1862. under orders from the war department, the Second proceeded, by rail, cio. Cin- cinnati, St. Louis and St. Joseph, to Platte City, Misssouri.
On the 18th of February, Doubleday's brigade, of which the Second was a part, was ordered to march through the border counties of Missouri to Fort Scott, Kansas. On the 2224 of February, and during the march. a scouting party of one hundred and twenty men of the Second Ohio cavalry was attacked in the streets of Independence, Missouri, by an equal force, under command of the subsequently infamous Quant- ril. As the result of the Second's "first fight,"
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
Quantril was routed in fifteen minutes, losing five killed, four wounded, and five captured, including one officer. The Second lost one killed and three wounded. Arriving at its destination about March 1, it remained for several months, doing garrison and sconting dnty.
In the fall following. it participated in the cam- paign ending in the victory of Prairie Grove, Ar- kansas, December 3, 1862. It also fought at Carthage and Newtonia. Missouri, and at Cow Hill, Wolf Creek, and White River, Arkansas.
In November and December, the Second was trans- ferred to the Eastern army, moving by rail to Camp Chase, Ohio, to remount and retit for the field. This accomplished, the regiment left early in April for Somerset, Kentucky, and remained in camp there, with the exception of an occasional reconnoissance. until the 22th of June.
In May and June, the Second fought twice at Steubenville, twice at Monticello, and once at Col- umbia, Kentucky.
On the 1st of July, the Second joined in the pur- suit of John Morgan, and followed the great raider twelve hundred miles, through three States, marching twenty hours out of the twenty-four, living wholty upon the gifts of the people for twenty-seven days, and finally sharing in the capture at Butlington Is- land.
January 1, 1864, nearly the entire regiment reen- listed. But lack of space forbids us following the regiment through all its encounters and privations. It was mustered out at Camp Chase, Ohio, September 11, 1865.
The Second fonght under twenty-three general officers. Its horses have drunk from, and its troopers have bathed in, the waters of the Arkansas, Kaw, Osage, Cygnes, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Scioto, Miami, Cumberland, Tennessee, Halston, Potomac, Shenandoah, Rappahannock, Rapidan, Bull Run, Mattapony, Pamunkey, Chickahominy, James, Appo- mattox, Blackwater, Nottoway, and Chesapeake. It campaigned through thirteen states and one territory. It traveled, as a regiment, on foot, horseback, by railroad and steamboat, on land, river, bay and ocean. It has marched an aggregate distance of twenty-seven thousand mites; has fought in ninety-seven battles and engagements. It has served in five different armies, forming a continuous line of armies from the head waters of the Arkansas to the mouth of the James; and its dead, sleeping where they fell, form a vidette-line half across the continent, a chain of pros- trate sentinels, two thousand miles long, Even in their graves, may not these patroit dead still guard the glory and the integrity of the Republic for which they fell?
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