History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 101

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490

USA > Ohio > Washington County > Marietta > History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 101

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY,

promoted to captain; First Lieutenant Robert H. Flem- ming. D. August 1, 1863, promoted to captain : First Lieutenant Nathan B. Smith, K. March 19. 1864. re- signed as second lieptenant July 7, 1865, not mustered as first lieutenant ; First Lieutenant John L. McIntyre, E, March 20, 1865, promoted to captain ; First Lieuten- ant Leonard A. Alarlow, C, March 29, 1865, promoted to captain : First Lieutenant Gordon B. West, G, March 29. 1865, promoted to captain; First Lieutenant Robert C. Berry, H, March 29, 1865, mustered out June 28, 1865; First Lieutenant Augustus McCarty, F, March 29. 1865. never mustered as lieutenant: First Lieutenant William W. Burris, C. March 29, 1865, mustered out with regiment ; First Lieutenant Joseph M. Mitchell, A March 20, 1865, mustered out with regiment; First Lieutenant William M. Atkinson, B, March 29. 1865, mustered out with regiment; First Lieutenant Benja- min T. Hill,* September 20, 1865, mustered out with regiment as first lieutenant and adjutant ; First Lieu- tenant Henry H. Dye, November 14, 1865, resigned Oc- tober 10, 1865, as second lieutenant : First Lieutenant William A. Day, E, November 16, 1865, mustered out with regiment as second lieutenant: First Lieutenant John Smith, K, December 30, 1865, mustered out with regiment as second lieutenant: First Lieutenant Thomas Wiseman, C. December 30, 1865, mustered out with regiment : First Lieutenant James P. Daugherty. March ;. 1866, mustered out with regiment as second lieutenant : Second Lieutenant Joseph J. Steenrod .* A. November 23. 1861, killed April 8, 1862; Second Lieu- tenant David F. Jones, B. December 2, 1861, promoted to first lieutenant : Second Lieutenant Marion N. Bur- ris. C. December 10, 1861, promoted to first lieutenant : Second Lieutenant Edward R. Moore. D. December 12, 1861, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieutenant Hanson Criswell,f E, ' December 12, 1861, promoted to first lieutenant : Second Lieutenant Oliphant S. Thomas." G, December 10. 1861, died May 31, 1862; Second Lieutenant David A. Henery,# F. December 21, 1861. promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lienten- ant Levi J. Fouraker. H. December 31, 1861, discharged October 21. 1863: Second Licutenant Henry Hoblet- zell,| I. December 31, 1861, dismissed January S. 1863: Second Lieutenant William H. Fisher, # K. November 5. 1861. promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieutenant Robert B. Griggs. K. March 6, 1862, discharged Aug- 11st 5. 1862: Second Lieutenant Charles H. Morris, A. April 8, 1862, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieu- tenant Thomas R. Campbell, B. August 26, 1862, died September 25. 1862; Second Lieutenant Robert E. Smithson, G. May 31, 1862, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieutenant Charles J. Eagler, B. August 26, 1802, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieutenant Jesse Hildebrand, Jr .. H, October 21. 1862, resigned January 23, 1864: Second Lieutenant Henry L. Pugh. F. August 26, 1862, promoted to first lieutenant : Second Lieutenant Nathan B. Smith,# K, October 21, 1862, promoted to first lieutenant: Second Lieutenant Gor- don B. We-t. G, February 11, 1863, promoted to first lieutenant; Second Lieutenant John L. McIntyre, t G. January 1, 1863, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieutenant Jesse S. Province. I. May 1, 1862, mustered out December 27. 1864: Second Lieutenant Isaac B. Kinkead, K. November 1, 1862, promoted to first lien-

tenant : Second Lieutenant Samuel Fulton, A, Febru- ary 13. 1863, promoted to first lieutenant : Second Lieu- tenant Robert H. Flemming, D, February 25, 1863, pro- moted to first lieutenant : Second Lieutenant Leonard A. Marlow, C. January 1, 1863. promoted to first lieu- tenant : Second Lieutenant Robert C. Berry, A. April 18. 1863. promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lien- tenant William E. Smithson, B. November 1, 1863, mustered out December 11, 1864: Second Lieutenant Benjamin T. Hill, adjutant. March 29, 1865, promoted to first lieutenant : Second Lieutenant Henry H. Dye, H, March 20, 1865, resigned October 10, 1865; Second Lieutenant William A. Day, E, March 29, 1865, pro- moted to first lieutenant; Second Lieutenant John Smith, March 29, 1865, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieutenant Thomas Wiseman, C, May 31, 1855. promoted to first lientenant : Second Lieutenant Joseph M. Mitchell E, March 29, 1865, promoted to first lieu- tenant : Second Lieutenant William W. Burris, A, June 20, 1865, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieuten- ant Henry H. Clindenst, September 29, 1865, never mus- tered : Second Lieutenant Gamaliel J. Lund, B, Novem- ber 14, 1865. mustered out with regiment as sergeant ; Second Lieutenant Jeremiah Fish,t November 14, 1865, mustered out with regiment as sergeant; Second Lieutenant James P. Daugherty, November 14, 1865, promoted to first lieutenant ; Second Lieutenant Will- jam H. Hose, November 14. 1862, mustered out with regiment ; Second Lieutenant William H. Hanson, G, November 16, 1865, mustered out with regiment as sergeant : Second Lieutenant Christopher Black,* De- cember 30, 1865, intistered out with regiment as ser- geant; Second Lieutenant William H. Bingman, # March 7, 1866, mustered out with regiment as sergeant.

Early in September, 1861, the quota of Ohio being full at the time, Governor F. Per- pont of Virginia, commissioned Jesse Hilde- brand, of Marietta, Ohio, colonel, and Wills DeHass, of Wheeling, lieutenant-colonel, to raise a regiment along the Ohio River for the United States service. It was soon manifest that the men composing the regiment would be nearly all recruited in Ohio, and as the gov- ernment would now accept them, Governor Dennison proposed to Colonel Hildebrand to enter the Ohio service, which proposition was accepted, and the organization was made the Seventy-seventh Regiment, Ohio Infantry. Recruiting officers were appointed October Ioth, and the place of rendezvous was Camp Tupper, Marietta. With the exception of Company A from Monroe County, Company E from Belmont County, and Company F

NOTE .- Officers not from Washington County are marked . * Monroe, t Belmont, ¿ Morgan, || West Virginia, ¿ Cambridge, Ohio.

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from Morgan County, all the companies of the regiment were almost entirely composed of Washington County men-there being some recruits from Monroe and Noble counties in several of them.

By the last of December the regiment was full and many men recruited for it were trans- ferred to the Sixty-third Ohio Infantry. On the 9th of January, 1862, the Seventy-seventh left Marietta for Camp Dennison, where the regiment was engaged in drilling until the seventeenth of February, when it was ordered to Cincinnati, and at once embarked on trans- ports for Paducah, Kentucky, for service on the Tennessee. Landing at Paducah on the 20th, it was assigned to Gen. W. T. Sherman's division. After drilling and doing guard duty without arms till the 9th of March, it was armed and brigaded with the Fifty-third and Fifty-seventh Ohio and Fifth cavalry reg- iments, and embarked on transports for Pitts- burgh Landing and other points on the Ten- nessee. Colonel Hildebrand being in com- mand of the brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel DeHass absent, the regiment was under com- mand of Maj. Benjamin D. Fearing. The regiment joined in the expedition to cut the enemy's communications by destroying the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, and landed at the mouth of Yellow Creek March 14th; but the heavy rains and the position of the enemy rendering this impracticable, the expe- dition returned next day and disembarked at Pittsburg Landing on the 16th. On the 17th it marched under General Sherman to near Monterey, in the direction of Corinth, where the enemy was in heavy force, and returning went into camp at Shiloh Church on the 18th. Still other reconnoissances towards Purdy and Corinth were made, and on the first of April the regiment moved with the division, by transports, to Eastport, Mississippi, driving the enemy from Eastport toward luka. After its return to Shiloh, the Third brigade, of which this regiment was a part, was encamped on the left of the Corinth road, the right of the brigade resting on the Church.

The Seventy-seventh camped on the left of the Corinth road, its right resting on Shiloh Church, which was used for regimental head- quarters. On Friday evening, April 4th, Captain Mason's company, B, was on picket near the Lee house, in front of Shiloh Church, and plainly heard the beating of drums a short distance south. They wondered whether our troops were moving toward Corinth. When daylight came they discovered that the birds, rabbits and squirrels were coming towards them and passing through the guard line, be- ing too much frightened to notice the pickets, thus showing that a large body was near on the south. Captain Mason at once established a few new vidette posts at favorable points of observation, and before noon a squad of gray- coated cavalry passed along the ridge, about 75 yards distant, several of them firing at the vidette. About two o'clock large bodies of cavalry were seen approaching the Union line, and filing off to the right, keeping under cover as much as possible. Soon after, column after column of infantry arrived at the same point, filing off to the right and left, taking up their position in line of battle. Several pieces of artillery also went into position on the ridge, just at the edge of the open field. Captain Mason, believing this display of the enemy worthy of reporting, sent Sergeant C. J. Eagler to inform Colonel Hildebrand just what had transpired, and then report back to the picket line. The sergeant promptly obeved the order, and Colonel Hildebrand, brigade commander, says he at once went to division headquarters and repeated the report the captain had sent him, word for word. General Sherman ridi- culed the idea of such a force being seen, and ordered the messenger arrested. In obedience to this order the colonel sent Captain Stevens, with a portion of his command, to arrest Eagler for bringing false and scary news from the front. On learning the object of his ar- rival, Captain Mason said to Captain Stevens : "You have not men enough to take Eagler ; he has simply obeyed my orders, which he swore to do when he enlisted. Go back to headquar-

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ters and have the order changed to my arrest, for I am responsible, and have sent in the facts, as all on duty here know."

Captain Stevens returned. reporting the facts as related. Soon after, Colonel Hilde- brand, with part of his staff. came out to the picket line, and, after saluting, said: "Cap- tain Mason, what does all this mean ?" He replied : "General, it means the enemy are di- rectly in our front. Do you wish to see them ? If so, ride to that little opening to the right, and about two rods in advance." He and his staff did so, accompanied by the captain, who pointed out the enemy, whom the colonel could see without the aid of a field-glass, when Colonel Hildebrand exclaimed: "My God! General Sherman has been deceived, for he told us to-day there was no enemy this side of Corinth, except some reconnoitering parties." He returned to camp. and took the precaution of doubling his picket line by detailing Com- panies C and G, Captains Sisson and McCor- mick, to relieve Company B, at dusk, Satur- day evening. He also reported to General Sherman that he had been to the picket line, and it was true that the enemy were in our front in force, with the appearance of a deter- mination to attack.

Notwithstanding these facts, orders were received near midnight. by company command- ers of the Seventy-seventh, "Form your com- panies on the color-line at daybreak in the morning, move to the old drill-ground, and drill one hour before breakfast." Captain Mason, receiving this order with the rest, and knowing that Colonel Hildebrand knew the facts above related, went to him, and after talking a few minutes, casually asked who originated the order for regimental drill in the morning. Colonel Hildebrand picked up a paper from his desk and observed: "This is the order of General Sherman, but we know it will be a different drill on the morrow than any of us has ever seen." That order has al- ways been a mystery to the Seventy-seventh.

Before daylight a battalion under Major Powell passed through our picket lines, recon- noitering, and at once became engaged with

the enemy's advance. An orderly was sent by Captain McCormick to brigade headquar- ters with a report of this fact, and the officers in command of the pickets received orders to hold their ground as long as possible, and if hard pressed to fall back slowly, which orders were strictly obeyed, the pickets becoming en- gaged at daybreak. This was probably the first time Ohio troops were engaged with the enemy at Shiloh, it being in fact the opening of that bloody contest.

AAt daylight the regiment was on its way to the drill-ground, but after having gone a few hundred yards, was overtaken by an or- derly and ordered back, to breakfast and fall into line immediately. It returned, but before, breakfast was over the orders were: "Seventy- seventh, fall into line, quick ! Company B will move to the front, deploy as skirmishers, and move forward to the Lee house." The regi- ment formed, and the skirmishers advanced rapidly across the bridge, about 50 yards in front, and were ordered by the captain to de- ploy to the right. In a few minutes they were directly under fire of the enemy. and many were shot down -- among the first killed being that noble soldier, George .\. Booth, of Mari- etta.

On the night of April 5th. Companies Cand G, under Captains Sisson and McCormick, re- lieved Company B. Captain Mason, on the picket line. When the pickets were changed that evening. the enemy was so near that his outposts could easily be seen by our men. Gen- eral Sherman had, the night before. ordered that on the morning of the 6th of April the Seventy-seventh Regiment should be posted covering the open field, to the right of the Lee house, near the advance picket line. In the morning it was found impossible to reach that position, as the enemy had forced the pickets to fall back, so that the skirmish line of the regi- ment met them between the Lee house and the creek which ran in front of the camp. The pickets were reinforced by the skirmishers, and the brigade formed in line of battle be- tween the church and the creek, covering the road to Corinth. Here the battle opened soon

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after sunrise by a heavy fire of musketry on 1 both sides, assisted on the Union side by Tay- lor's Chicago Battery. The enemy also had artillery engaged at this point. The line of the enemy, as they came down the western slope, could be distinctly marked in the woods, by the glitter of their polished muskets in the sunlight, and the fire was most deadly from the ponderous French rifled muskets with which the Seventy-seventh was armed. This position was held, with one slight change, for about two hours, and the valley was strewn thickly with the enemy's dead. while our losses were also heavy. After a bloody conflict of some hours, the left of the brigade was turned, and the Seventy-seventh changed position so that its left rested on the old church.

Writers of history give it the credit. in connection with the Fifty-seventh and a part of the Fifty-third, of holding the enemy so long in check at this point as to enable Sherman to save the fortunes of the day.

It was here that Col. E. C. Dawes, a Wash- ington County soldier, then adjutant of the Fifty-third ( in connection with Captain, after- ward Colonel, W. S. Jones), distinguished himself by rallying a part of his regiment and fighting bravely. The overwhelming number- of the enemy sweeping around the left ren- dlered it necessary, as the day advanced, after many hours of gallant fighting, for the brigade to again change to the ridge further north. contesting the ground with the foe, step by step, and losing brave men by the score. Each chosen position was, in its turn, assaulted and carried by the enemy, till about the middle of the afternoon, when the line was formed and held till the conflict of the day closed with the dusk of evening.

On the morning of the 7th the regiment was promptly in line, waiting orders to move to the attack, but as General Buell's army had arrived and joined General Grant's Force -. these fresh troops led the advance ; and before noon the enemy were in full retreat without the Seventy-seventh being actively engaged that day-though being in supporting distance

of the advance line the regiment was only a part of the time under fire. By the middle of the afternoon it occupied its old camp at the church.

On Tuesday morning, April 8th, General Sherman's division moved out the Corinth road in pursuit of the retreating enemy. General Breckenridge's division of Hardee's corps, with Forrest's brigade of Confederate cavalry. covered the enemy's retreat. A battalion of cavalry having reported to General Sherman that "the woods were full of Rebs," he asked Colonel Hildebrand to halt his brigade and send a regiment forward and "clean out the woods." Colonel Hildebrand selected his own regiment, whose position was in the rear of the brigade. The regiment moved promptly forward, and in a few minutes its skirmishers were engaged with the enemy. Coming for- ward into line and to a halt, a sharp fire was opened upon the cavalry brigade in its front. which proved to be Wirt Adams' Mississippi- ans. Forrest's Kentucky cavalry, and the Texas rangers. In a few moments it was seen that the cavalry were about to charge, and bayonets were fixed to receive them. On they came with dashing impetuosity, discharging their double-barreled shotguns as they came, thus killing and wounding enough to thin out our short line of battle. When within a rod or two of our line they halted and emptied their revolvers on our gallant men, while still out of reach of their bayonets. Then a dash was made to make prisoners of the survivors, which was partly successful, as Captain MeCormick (having his right arm broken by a gunshot ), Captain Chandler, Lieutenant Criswell, and about 35 men were captured several others of them being badly wounded. But for the timely order of Colonel Hildebrand, bringing the Fifty-third and Fifty-seventh Ohio Regi- ments to the rescue, the most of the regiment. and with it General Sherman, would have been made prisoners. The general had so much faith in the regiment, and appeared to doubt the report of his cavalry so much, that he felt sure of the success of the movement, and was

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almost abreast of the regiment when this pow- erful brigade of the enemy's best cavalry charged down upon its thinned ranks.

Among those killed in the battle on Sunday were non-commissioned officers George A. Booth, Lorain Burris, Jacob R. Batten, George A. Cavanaugh, John Cline. John P. Calvert, James Flemming, Benjamin M. Kimberley and John Sanford. Lieut. O. S. Thomas was mor- tally wounded, and died May 31. 1862; and Sergt .- Maj. G. B. West was wounded.

So great had been our loss in the first day's fight in killed and wounded, and by disease in camp, that the regiment took but about 210 men into this battle at "Fallen Timbers," as it is sometimes called, about 65 of whom it there lost. Among those killed here were Lieut. Joseph Steenrod. Andrew J. Duvall, William L. Porterfield, John H. Kepburn, James M. Baker, Percival Nott, Daniel Sipple, Lyman Wyss, and Royal A. Wright, non-commis- sioned officers, with 18 privates. Lieutenants Fisher, Fouraker, Garrett, White and Thomas Mitchell were wounded.

The regiment lost in the battles of Shiloh. including the fight of Tuesday, one officer and 50 men killed, seven officers and no men wounded. besides several reported missing in action-now almost certainly known to sleep on this bloody field in unmarked graves. Its loss was with, two or three exceptions, the largest of any regiment in the army. Three officers and 53 men were captured, the privates being pa- roled in a few days and the officers held until October, when they were paroled and soon ex- changed.

der my observation." He also spoke of Cap- tains Chandler and McCormick as meritorious officers-the latter being since brevetted major for "meritorious services in the battle of Shi- loh." Captain Mason, also, was distinguished for the part he took in these three battles.

General Sherman, in published orders, speaks in high terms of praise regarding the firmness in which the Seventy-seventh held the position at Shiloh Church against such fearful odds, and credited with saving from capture the Chicago artillery. He has since said much more in commendation of these gallant heroes, which it is hoped he will put into form for preservation in history.

After the battle and up to the capture of Corinth, May 30th, the Seventy-seventh took a prominent part in the siege, being often under fire, and all the time engaged in building works and otherwise aiding to capture the place by regular approaches. It advanced in pursuit of the retreating enemy as far as Chewalla, and during June and until July 21st, it was on ex- peditions to Holly Springs, Mississippi, Mos- cow, Macon, Lagrange, Tennessee, and other places. July 2Ist, it reached Memphis, where the men did guard duty till August 27th, when the regiment was ordered to Alton, Illinois, to guard prisoners of war and recruit its thinned ranks-relieving General Sherman's old regi- ment, the Thirteenth United States Infantry.

Being recruited up to a minimum, the regi- ment was ordered to join Gen. F. Steele's ex- pedition for the capture of Little Rock and other places in Arkansas, leaving on the 31st of July, 1863, for Helena, where it landed August 5th. It was here brigaded with the Forty-third Indiana and Thirty-sixth Iowa. as the Third Brigade of the Third Division of the Arkansas Expedition, and marched on the 11th for the State capital. The men were in fine condition, and endured the arduous march with commendable spirit. They exhibited the true spirit of tried soldiers in the various brushes with the enemy on the way. Halting a brief period at Clarendon and Duval's Bluffs, the army marched, on the first of September.

Col. Jesse Ilildebrand, himself a gallant officer, in his report as brigade commander, says: "With regard to the officers and men who participated in the affair at Fallen Tim- bers, and at Shiloh, I am happy to bear testi- mony to the fidelity, bravery and devotion of all. Maj. B. D. Fearing, who was in immedi- ate command of the Seventy-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was cool and brave, and acquitted himself with as much skill as an old officer of larger experience, and was not ex- celled by any other field officer who came un- across Grand Prairie without water, through

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a broiling hot sun in which many of the men were sunstruck, inflicting incurable if not fatal injuries, reaching Brownsville in the evening. On the 4th of September the regiment made a feint on the enemy's position at Bayon Meteor, accompanied by a few pieces of artillery, shell- ing them from their position and returning to Brownsville. On this march the command- ing officer of the regiment. Col. William B. Mason, met with a serious accident ; his horse becoming entangled in fallen telegraph wires, was unmanageable, and the colonel being thrown off with great force. received injuries which would ordinarily prove fatal, but a good constitution and the skill and care of Surgeon Wall enabled him to live through them.

On the roth of September the army drove the enemy from Little Rock and entered the capital. where the whole army encamped till December. The forces of Generals Fagan, Marmaduke, Shelby, and others, were hover- ing in the vicinity and awaiting an opportun- ity to make an assault, and if possible retake the place. General Steele had the railroad re- paired from Duval's Bluffs to Little Rock, and officers and men of the Seventy-seventh were detailed to run it, as well as to guard saw- mills in the vicinity while lumber was cut to build winter quarters. In this way, and in scouting the country, guarding supply trains to Pine Bluffs, and conducting court martial business, the officers and men were employed till December 20th, when almost all the men fit for military duty re-enlisted as veteran vol- unteers-a movement towards re-enlistment having begun in the regiment as early as Oc- tober. On the 23rd of December the regi- ment started to Columbus, Ohio, where it ar rived January roth, 1804. and on the 22nd of January the men were mustered as veterans and furloughed for 30 days. Colonel Mason, Captain McCormick, Captain Morris and Lieutenant Fisher were appointed recruiting officers, and when the regiment reached Camp Dennison, the rendezvous, to start for the field, it had about two hundred recruits in its ranks.

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History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 101

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1490

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490