USA > Ohio > History of the Seventeenth regiment, First brigade, Third division, Fourteenth corps, Army of the Cumberland, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865 > Part 16
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At daylight we found ourselves in line, Croxton's Brigade and Reynold's Divison on our left. and for abont a half hour Van Cleef's Division on our right, succeeded by Wood's Division. which remained closed up on our right without interval until its fatal withdrawal. Along the left the enemy tentatively felt our lines all morning, while Longstreet's newly arrived forces were being plac- ed for the attack upon the confused right; McCooks hapless corps then was up, worn out with hasty and most wearisome marching to complete the reknitting of Rosencrans' army. Up to 10 o'clock we felt that our second day would be a repetition of the first. a maintenance of our position. perhaps, nearer to Chatta- nooga and more defensible. For by this time all knew that we were acting on the defensive against an apparently superior force, fighting for position and safety. and not victory. But we felt confident that we could hold the field and be mas- ters of our own movements thereon. But a little thing, a single mistake, a few words, often decides the fate of battles. Thus at Chickamauga, a mistake and improper order, hastily, injudicously and weakly obeyed, broke our line, open- ed our center, and in a moment caused that which days of fiercest attack and most resolute struggling of the enemy would probably have failed in accomplish- ing, a simple order obliterated our center and left the reduced and disordered right wing helpless in the environment of fresh divisions of the enemy, and cut off from succor or support.
The story of this disaster is sad to record. Doubly so to me, for the responsi- bility I then assumed. by which I changed the so-called proverbial luck of the 17th, in passing through perils unscathed, when I declined to obey an order which would have carried the regiment and brigade away from the disaster and immediate peril. I never had a moment of more fearful responsibility than when a staff officer rode up and. in quick words, gave me the compliments of the General commanding. with the order to move my Brigade to the left and close up on Reynolds' Division, and while I was saying to him, "I am closed on Reynolds and engaged with the enemy," he touched his hat and spurred away. This was a fearful moment to me. I might have given the order a kind of literal obedience; that would have served for a poor technical defense of an act. which (while by the movement to the left and in rear of Reynolds, present security could be had for the Brigade.) yet would have opened the center to the enemy at the critical moment and point of the battle; and men of the 17th if I had
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OHIO VETERAN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
obeyed that order, as the General commanding the Division on my right, a few moments later, did a similar one, your old good luck would have rested with you. I could have placed you in reserve of Reynolds; safely, for the time. in his rear. But there was no reason for the order, and I knew toobey it was fatal to our army. I was then engaged. my battery in action and fully served. skir- mishers in from the front and firing along the line; Croxtons' Brigade close up on my left, he and General Reynolds in person within hailing distance of where Istood There was no opening,in the line on my left. Brannon's (our) Divis- ion was not in echelon, (as it is said General Rosencrans was informed it was.) but closed firmly up on. Reynolds to the left, and on Wood to the right. If I obey- ed this order, I would destroy this perfectly formed line, by opening a great gap in the center. Reynolds was near. the only Division commander I could consult. I sent Adjutant Davis at once to tell him of my orders and that I had decided not to obey, if he would approve my decision. Davis returned immediately with Rey- nolds' Adjutant General, who said that General Reynolds begged me not to obey the order, but stay, and he would take the responsibility. I stayed and sacrificed my Brigade. Could I but have known that the same order was sent to Gener- al Wood and that he would promptly obey it (as he did), how different would I have made the fortunes of my regiment and brigade, but how different and how much more disastrous might have been the result of the day.
But a few minutes elapsed before. with a great. rapid rush, passed quickly in my rear the whole of Wood's Division, and it was soon out of sight. A half hour after I had resolved to disobey this fatal order, there was not a company or squad in line, not a man of our army within a half mile on the right or rear of the three regiments and the battery of our Brigade. which was thus left thrust out, a little, thin, projecting line-a mere point -- sticking out of the right of all the army then not routed. The appalling fact (against which I had hop- ed) was now apparent that the interval left by Wood's withdrawal was not to be closed,and a blunder had ended all designs and brought chaos.
To extricate the Brigade and save the battery at this moment seemed hope- less. I threw a line of skirmishers out on one flank and ordered Ward. command- ing the 17th, to move by the right flank to the rising ground in the rear, and sent Adjutant Davis to order Church to follow the 17th, with his battery, and take position on the rising ground in rear of Reynolds' right requesting Davis to stay with and guide the battery to the designated point.
The 31st Ohio and 82d Indiana I wished to hold where we were until the skirmishers were driven in. There was no time to execute any movement. The 17th had just prepared to move, and the order just reached the battery when our skirmishers came flying in, the enemies, lines closely following, while the concen- trated force of their batteries made the place of the 17th impossible to live in. Its lines literally crumbled and in fragments were thrown to the rear. To try futher to save the guns of the battery, I ordered the 82d Indiana forward. It, too. with the 31st Ohio, went to pieces. Five guns of the battery were taken and thus in a few moments Regiments and Brigade were dissolved, and during the balance of the day the integrity of neither was restored. The right of the army was gone. McCook and Crittenden were beaten off the field entirely, and from that on till night, the left, under Thomas, stayed sullenly and stubbornly on the field, obstructing all of Longstreet's and Bragg's attempts against it, and immovable as the hill on which they fought was its front against the foe.
That night and the next morning shattered regiments, broken brigades and dissolved divisions were reunited and restored, and the next day our army, re- formed at Rossville and Chattanooga Creek. entirely recovered from panicy disor- der, seemed in good condition for another battle. There was to be no more fight- ing there. A day or two after. at night, the army was withdrawn to Chatta- nooga. Our Brigade was left at the creek as rear-guard, while the whole army and transportations passed in to Chattanooga. In the dawn we were alone, and under our orders withdrew bringing up the rear, and the 17th was the last regi-
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ment of Rosencrans' army to enter Chattanooga.
The last act of great interest and importance of the Regiment, while under my command, was its participation in the successful cooping of Brown's Ferry, one of the boldest movements, of the war; opening up the Wauhatchie Valley to Bridgeport as a line for supplies, and allowing Hooker to enter and hold Look- out Valley.
The further history of the Regiment, the fine record it made in the battle of Mission Ridge, the Atlanta campaign, the march to the sea, and its final muster out at the close of the war, must be told by some of you, my comrades, who stay- ed and went through all to the close; for after some months of suffering from chronic disease, impairing my usefulness in the service, I deemed it best to retire and take my seat in the Ohio Senate, to which I had been elected while in the field, and so in November, 1863, I severed my connection with the Regiment and in doing so ended relations with you, my comrades, that were very dear to me. and so agreeable and pleasant that not one thing is remembered as marring them, and not a single recollection forbidding my saying that they were the happiest I every enjoyed, outside of those of the family,
It is difficult to make any exact statement of the number enrolled in the regi - ment and to account for them accurately. In the table of Ohio Infantry Or- ganization in Reid's Ohio in the War, the original strength of the 17th is given as 852, an error which was carried on the Brigade rolls for some time in the field, and occurring by reason of one of the companies, G, not having been mustered in un- til it had been in service two or three months. Its enrollment added to the 852 in this table, gives the true-original strength of the Regiment, 939. It would take much time to ascertain from the copies of the rolls in the Adjutant General's office the number of these originally enlisted men, who re-enlisted when their terms of service expired, as veterans for furthur service in the Regiment continued as a veteran regiment, and I can only give a tolerably close estimate of its strength when originally mustered, Sep. 30, 1861, and when mustered out July 26, 1865: Originally enrolled 939
Recruits and new enlistments for veteran service 415
Total enrolled 1,354
Casualties-Killed in battle 52
Died of wounds and sickness 134
Transferred and prisoners. 65
Deserters .. 40
Discharged on expiration of term of service and for disability and by Resignation 440-731
Mustered out at close of war 623
While this statement is only approximately correct, I think it is practically so, perhaps as nearly so as will be made.
What a record of good fortune! Nearly four years in constant, active service; in the front of battle in some of the most important and destructive engage- ments of the war; subjected all the time to the exposures of daily duties of the camp and field life of a marching regiment in front of the enemy, and with so small a percentage of casualties by death, capture, sickness, desertion and dicharges.
Life's last bivouac will soon lose its weary march, when the veteran muster- . ing officer, Death, discharges us, may there be against each name on the muster out rolls, the last endorsement given the worthy soldier; "Honorably discharged. Full pay due this man to date of discharge; no charges or deductions,"
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OHIO VETERAN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Andy Bauman's Generosity.
The Lancaster, Ohio, "Gazette" in speaking of our first reunion, says "Andy Bauman, one of Lancaster's most public spirited citizens and an individual whose enterprise and activity on all occasions of general interest or moment can be relied upon, was on deck, you bet! Wednesday evening he threw open his elegant dining hall, and sumptuously banqueted all the ex-soldiers who could be accommodated; freezer after freezer of ice cream was demolished, while cakes of numerous kinds, candies, bon bons, nuts, cold meats, lemonade and ices, were brought in and stored away by the cord, almost. Andy was in his glory, and the boys were loud and vigorous in his praise The average citizen might well learn a lesson from Mr. Bauman's munificence and generosity. Such men make big cities. A vote of thanks was tendered him, and the old hall was made to ring with the old Regiment's war songs, the "Star Spangled Banner," "Rally Round the Flag," "John Brown's Body," and many others. Captain Clark . tooted the reveille, and the entire crowd were jocose, noisy and happy, and dis- persed for the night, with a feeling of gratitude for their genial, jolly, hospitable host, that will live as long as life lasts.'
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
CONTRIBUTED BY MEMBERS OF THE REGIMENT.'
ROLL OF HONOR.
Just after the battle of Stone River, while we lay in camp at Murfreesborough, Tennessee, a battalion of mounted infantry was organized, by selecting men from each company of our regiment, and others. Sergt. Henry H. Berry, Cor- poral James B. Hancock, Privates, David Houck, Samuel Holliday, Uriah H. Emick, and Thomas B. Osborn, Company B, were among those selected from our regiment. The organization was called the "Roll of Honor" and was command- ed by Lieut. Col. Choate of the 38th O. V. I. Captain Ezra Ricketts, Company F, commanded those, selected from our regiment. This troop was expected to scout, keep in the front, get all the information they could about the rebel's strength, position and intentions, harass the enemy's outposts, and keep in active duty all the time. Uriah H. Emick says: "While we lay at Triune, Tennessee, about seventy of the battalion, commanded by Colonel Choate, went south on the pike to Eagleville. Tennessee. Our company commanded by Captain Rick- etts, only numbered eighteen that day, were about one mile in advance, and had three of our boys about one-fourth mile in advance of us. Just as we were get- ting out of Eagleville, on south side, we met the rebel's advance, who outnumber- ed us two to one; but we drove them back, until they were reinforced; then we formed a line and had a sharp skirmish with them. They pressed us hard, and when we were not more than thirty steps away, Captain Ricketts ordered us to fix bayonets and charge, which we did, and drove them back about a quarterof a mile around a curve in the road and into the timber, but being largely reinforc- ed, they came after us, and we fell back to our former position, thinking we could hold them in check, until the balance of the battalion came to our assis- tance. However, they had formed in line in the northern edge of town, as soon as they heard us skirmishing, thinking we would join them, but as we did not, they advanced to us and we met in the town where no line could be formed, and a mixed fight ensned, in which we were routed and driven about a mile, on a good lively gallop. One of our boys was knocked off his horse, his foot caught in the stirrup, and he was dragged along with his head on the ground for some distance. When he got lose, the rebels were within ten or fifteen steps of us. I saw one of them shoot him in the thigh, just then we turned on them and checked them, got our wounded man and took him to camp with us."
Captain Oliver B. Brandt, Company H, writes the following:
"At the battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 20th, 1863, when we were routed by the fierce onslaught of the enemy in the morning, and had fallen back a short distance, and halted; Colonel Durbin Ward was heard to say, "Where is my horse? I want a horse." Some member of our regiment called out in a clear voice, amid the clash of arms, "Oh my kingdom for a horse," at which a cheer went np, that made the boys rally to the colors. A charge was made, and our bat- tery recaptured, the boys pulling the guns off by hand. Later we were driven back to the hill. When Longstreet made his famous charge near the close of the day, I was captured and taken to Richmond, Virginia, arriving there September 28th 1863, remained there until April 20th 1864, when I was transported to Macon. Georgia. There I remained until July, 1864, when I was among the six hundred
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who were taken to Charleston, South Carolina, and placed under the fire of our guns for three months. We were then transported to Columbia, South Car- olina. Here I made my escape, traveling about two hundred miles south. Near Waynesborough, Georgia. I was recaptured taken back to Columbia, South Carolina and placed in jail for a short time, then returned to the prisoners camp there. I was transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina. February 20th, 1865, again made my escape by running the guard lines; was recaptured near East Tennessee and sent to Richmond, Virginia, where I was finally paroled and sent north, March 13th. 1865."
Doctor David D. Benedict, our Surgeon, tells the Following:
"While on our march to the sea, one of the boys dropped back and asked for . a ticket to the ambulance. Being tired myself, I asked him to ride my horse, while I took his gun and charged through the Regiment to Company A, in the front, and marched along with the rest. After I thought the boy had enjoyed my horse long enough, I attempted to return; when the boys stopped me and what is more, made me march with them until we went into camp. Guess I marched and carried a musket about six miles. I enjoyed the joke with the rest.
Once when we were in camp, the boys got into the habit of coming with their tin cups and asking for some Castor Oil, claiming they were not well, but using it to grease their shoes. One day John Guseman, Company A, boasted that he would go the next morning and get oil enough to grease a dozen pair. Some of his comrades came and gave me the hint. At "Surgeons Call," up he came, cup in hand, and quite a crowd with him. Well. I said, "What's the mat- ter with you?" "Oh, I don't feel very well and think I need a big dose of Cas- tor Oil," I examined his tongue, felt his pulse, and said "You don't need any medicine." "Yes I do" said he. I turned to George L. Green, the Hospital Stew- ard and said, "George pour out two ounces of Castor Oil in the graduate." Tak .. ing it, I went to John and said, "Down with it then," and I made him take it. The boys used to ask him how the oil felt on his shoes. By the way, he was a good friend of mine, and I will tell how he got even with me, by one of the neatest tricks I ever saw. Somewhere in the Carolinas John came to my quarters, apparently in great distress, holding his left hand in his right, grunt- ing as if nearly killed. On examining (not very critically,) it looked as though he had run a piece of rail or large sliver in his wrist. I got my instruments cut around it carefully, got a good hold with the forceps, gave a pull, when he let up his thumb, and out came one of those long, slender pine needles, about fif- teen inches in length. They had a large head and tapered to a small point. John had passed the pine needle through a small hole made in the tough skin on his left hand near the wrist, and then up his sleeve, holding his right thumb over the point where it entered. The deception was complete. A large crowd had gathered and enjoyed the joke with me. It was so cute and well played, that I got him to try it on Dr. Fowler, which he did, successfully.
Once when we were marching in Georgia, we had been on the move all night, and of course we were very sleepy. I lay down by the side of a fence and was soon fast asleep, Some one shook me and said "get up you are on fire;" sure enough I was, and lost the tail of my old blue army overcoat.
After we had gone into camp at Fayetteville. North Carolina, the Head Quarter's team went out after forage. As they drove past my quarters "Sam Walker," the wagoner, who, by the way was the wag of the Regiment, said "Doc. what shall I bring you." "Oh, peanuts of course." They were unsuccessful in forage, but on his return Sam dumped in front of my tent some fifteen or
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT
twenty large bags of peanuts, calling out "Here's your rations Doc". The boys had peanuts at "Surgeons Call" next morning.
Jacob P. Sain, Company B, Writes as Follows:
No other march is so indelibly scarred into my memory as the march to the battle field of Mill Springs, Kentucky. We waded Fishing Creek January 19th, 1862, and that bath makes a cold chill amble up and down my spine to this day, whenever I think of it. The dreary march to the rebel entrenchments at the Cumberland River, will long live in my memory. Another march I now recall, after the evacuation of Corinth, Mississippi, which tried the endurance of the best of them.
The awkward man of Company B was Peter G. Shoemaker, I have known him to fall down, while standing still, and it was positively dangerous to march any place near him.
Then there was that pugnacious carpet knight, George Harris,
Company B, who would brandish his butcher knife, and say "Damn the seceshers," but the first bullet that whistled over our heads at Wild Cat. Ken- tucky, caused him to dive into a big cracker box, where his titanic mud hooks only, were visible.
I remember the gigantic negro who sat on the opposite side of Rockcastle River and who sang "Dixie." I recall a stanza.
"Old *Jollywhopper am a mighty mean man,
For he goes around de country burning up de fences,
Look away, look away, and see de flag.
Then throw away de tin, and bundle up de copper,
And damn such a man as old Jollywhopper,
Look away, look away Dixie Land.
Lord I wish I was in glory, away, away,
In de glorious land I take my stand,
To live and die in de Union band,
Away, away, look away and see de flag."
He stayed with our Regiment a while, then disappeared.
There were the twins, Abner and Ezra Cadwallader, of Company E. One day General Sel oepf, who commanded our brigade, having heard of them came to see them. He said "Where are dem Catwholleper poys?" After meeting them, he thus addressed them. "Poys tont be ashamed of dem pig noses, Bon- aparte had a pig nose, and I haf a pig nose myself."
There was one man who was perennially hungry, but he never went hungry long while there was anything in the "Confederacy." He was my brother William R. Sain, Company B. When Bill couldn't get a chicken, you could bet your lite they were scarce.
Then there was the jovial Wilson S. Stutor, Company B. The harder it rained while we were marching the louder he sang.
In the railroad mash up near Pataskala, Ohio, I was sitting in a seat, with a lady who was holding a baby in her arms. While the car was bumping over the ties, she jumped up and was going to throw the baby out of the window, but I caught her in time and made her sit down. When the train stopped I tried to get out at the door but the platforms being all mashed together, I had to crawl out at a window. There were three men fast at the front end of the car, and two at the other end. It was a horrible sight. *Zullicoffer.
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OHIO VETERAN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Rebel Treatment of Wounded Prisoners.
William K. Dixon. Company I, says he, with others, was wounded and captur- ed at Chickamauga, September 20th, 1863. He lay where he fell for two days and was then taken to a log house that was full of our wounded prisoners, forty- five being in and around the house. He was laid in the front yard and they all re- mained there about a week, with rations of one pint of corn meal gruel once a day. The wounds were not dressed until the wounded were sent into our lines at Chattanooga, Tennessee, and many died before that time. Some three or four days after the battle, the former occupants, a man and woman, returned to the house with an ox team to move their effects. The woman abused the wound- ed, and threatened to take the axe and knock their brains out, all because they had made bandages for their wounds of anything they could find in the house.
Wilson S. Stutor, Company B, writes as follows:
The first Christmas we had in the army was at Danville, Kentucky. The Dutch tent in Company G, was making a great noise at night, having imbibed freely during the day. I proposed to Isaac Grove, Company B, to have some fun with them and he agreed; so after the lights were out and all was quiet, we both threw clubs at once, among them. One of them must have been hit and thought it was one of his tent-mates that hit him, for they all got into a fight, the tent fell down and they were all put in the guard house.
When we made a reconnoissance below Somerset, Kentucky, in the direction of Mill Springs, as we were marching along, a woman with six children got on a fence and she said "Oh de Lord, heah's all de men of de Norf come down heah."
While in camp at Somerset, Kentucky, Isaac Grove, David and Solomon Stoneburner and Samuel Funk, Company B, put boards on our chimney flues, which made them smoke badly.
When we crossed Fishing Creek, all we had to eat was mush and molasses. There was snow on the ground; I took off my clothes made a bundle of them, my haversack, canteen, blanket and cartridge box; put it on the end of my gun and started into the creek. The swift current threw me off my feet twice, but finally I got across and dressed. Then we hurried through the mud half knee deep, to the battle field. Rations were very scarce and I was hungry, "Kate" Ruffner had a piece of meat about four inches square, and divided it with me about 2 a. m. I never tasted turkey or chicken that was half so sweet as that piece of fat meat; we had been about twenty-four hours without food or sleep, marching through mud.
January 1st, 1863 at Stone River, Tennessee, Thomas Osborn, Company B, found a Belgian rifle. He erawled to a tree in front of us to play sharp-shooter; but a rebel sharp-shooter in another tree, shot Tom's canteen strap half off his shoulder, and Tom came back and said he had enough sharp-shooting for that time.
While we lay at Gallatin, Tennessee, some of Company A boys got the 82nd Indiana Regiment out to look at an eclipse of the moon. While they were thus engaged, other Company A boys were helping themselves to frying pans, coffee pots, etc., belonging to the 82nd Indiana boys.
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