USA > Ohio > The history of Fuller's Ohio brigade, 1861-1865; its great march, with roster, portraits, battle maps and biographies > Part 2
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Honorable Stephen A. Douglass, in a speech delivered in Chicago May 1st, 1861, spoke of the secession conspiracy as follows :
"What cause, what excuse do the disunionists give us for breaking up the best government upon which the sun of heaven ever shed its rays? They are dissatisfied with the results of the Presidential election. The slavery question is a mere excuse, the election of Lincoln a mere pretext. The present secession movement is the result of an enormous conspiracy formed more than a year since by leaders in the southern Confederacy. They use the slavery question as a means to aid the accomplishment of
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INTRODUCTION
their ends. When the history of the two years from the Lecompton Char- ter down to the Presidential election shall be written, it will be shown that the scheme was deliberately made to break up this union. The conspiracy is now known. There are only two sides to the question. Every man must be for the United States or against it. There can be no neutrals in this war, only patriots or traitors."
Civil War was apprehended by leading statesmen of the United States during the half century preceding hostilities, by reason of slavery. In 1860, the slave population was about four million. Their estimated value was twenty-five million dollars. This monied interest overcame the moral side of the question with most southern citizens and with some people of the north.
The southern politicians openly proposed civil war in 1850 and again in 1856. There was no concealment of declaration of and preparation for war in the south after the election of Mr. Lincoln, but because the north did not immediately raise an army, they seemed convinced that the north was cowardly, and not willing to fight for the great principle of our govern- ment. The southern leaders were thereby enabled to commit their people finally to the war, claiming it to be a defence of their slave property.
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CHAPTER I.
CONDITIONS OF AFFAIRS AT THE OPENING OF THE WAR.
T HE ordinance of secession was passed by the State of South Carolina on December 20th, 1860. Other states followed, eleven in number.
Hostilities against the United States Government commenced at Charleston, South Carolina, by an artillery fire, January 9th, 1861, upon the Steamer "Star of the West."
Actual war between the North and the South began when Fort Sumpter was fired unon, April 12th, at half past four in the morning. Soon after this, a number of United States arsenals and forts were seized, the Missouri River was blockaded, and Pensacola and Norfolk Navy Yard was surrendered.
During the last months of 1860, acts of treason were committed all over the South. Floyd, while Secretary of War in Buchanan's Cabinet, traitorously stripped all the arsenals in the North of their arms and mili- tary stores, and collected them in the South. By one single order, one hundred and fifty thousand small arms of the most approved pattern were moved. He felonously took $870,000 of the Indian trust bonds from the vaults of the Department of the Interior and sent them south. During the trying winter of 1860-1861, the southern people were so defiant that they would not allow within their borders the expression of a sentiment hostile to their views. Before the outbreak of the war, the Southern Con- federacy was well established, and its troops had been drilling for months. These acts of treason were intended to make our American civilization go backward. They were the acts of the few against the many.
During this time in the North, continued concessions to secession were adopted. Prominent men in public and private life and a portion of the press promulgated the doctrine that the "government had no power to coerce the South into submission to the laws of the land," also that "if the North raised armies and sent them south, they would have to march over the dead bodies of the speakers."
Even the President of the United States, James Buchanan, announced that while a state had no right to secede. the constitution gave no power to the government to coerce a state which had, or was attempting to withdraw from the Union. This was in direct conflict to President Jackson's views. In 1832 he proclaimed to the people that there was nothing in the constitu- tion which gave the right to withdraw from the Union and that "the
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CONDITIONS.
Federal Union must and shall be preserved." He used prompt and ener- getic measures and completely crushed the contemplated secession of South Carolina at that time.
It was deemed unsafe for the President elect to go to the capitol of the nation to be sworn into office and he was obliged to be smuggled into Washington on the day previous to the one set for his arrival.
Gradually it dawned upon the loyal people, that a great conspiracy, called by many "the great slave-holders' rebellion," controlled by the prin- cipal politicians of the South was determined upon, for the purpose of establishing a Confederacy founded upon slavery and aristocracy.
On April 15th, 1861, when President Lincoln's first call for 75,000 troops came, the young men of the North flew to the defence of the nation. which the soldiers of 1776 fought to establish. And now these volunteers were to fight to preserve and maintain that which their forefathers intended these United States to be-a perpetual union with power to protect and preserve its own existence, to show that the union of states was not a de- lusion and a sham, and that the old claini of "states rights" whereby men were taught that their first duty was to the state, be swept aside.
The boys who enlisted were fired with a determination to save the na- tion. The motive for which they enlisted and offered their lives was that the American flag, without a single star erased, should float forever, over every part of the country.
Then followed a period of four years almost incessant hostilities, over fields of operation which embraced in their vast areas, forests and cultivated plains, mountain ranges and valleys, sea coasts, bayous, lakes, rivers, and trackiess swamps.
The armed participants were numbered by the millions. The Federal armies distributed from the Potomac to the Missouri Rivers, were organized in three principal grand divisions, designated as the Army of the Potomac in the east, the Army of the Cumberland in the center, and the Army of the Tennessee and the Mississippi in the west, extending as far as New Mexico. Beside the great distances covered by lines in front, many hun- dred miles of transportation were guarded in the rear. In hostile array in front of the Union Army were the Rebel Armies of Virginia, of Georgia, of the Tennessee and Missouri, also their army of slaves, four million in number, used for the purpose of building fortifications and cultivating the land, for teamsters, blacksmiths, and servants.
It was under the second call for troops, by President Lincoln, on May 'th. 1861, for three hundred thousand men for three years' service, that the regiments of the Ohio Brigade were organized.
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CHAPTER II.
ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENTS.
The Twenty-seventh Ohio Regiment was organized in July, 1861, at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, and mustered in, August 16th, under Colonel John W. Fuller. Colonel Fuller had recently returned from a three months' service in West Virginia, as Chief-of-staff to General Charles W. Hill. The Twenty-seventh was the sixth regiment formed for three years' service. Its rank and file represented nearly every county in the state and the cities of Cleveland, Columbus. Cincinnati. Toledo. Williamsburg. Ironton and Circleville. They marched out of camp on August 20th, 1861, nine hun- dred and fifty strong, each soldier clothed in uniform and equipped with knapsack, canteen, haversack, old Springfield rifle and cartridge box. At Columbus, Ohio, they took cars for Cincinnati, where they embarked by stearner for Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the soldiers receiving a most cordial reception by the citizens there and again at Washington, Indiana, and other places, men women and children bringing well-filled baskets of refresh- ments to them.
They arrived at St. Louis on the following day. There being no bridge, they were ferried over the Mississippi River on the morning of the 22nd and marched through the city to Benton Barracks, stopping on the way at the headquarters of General Fremont, who reviewed the regiment. At the same time, Mrs. Jessie Fremont presented a United States flag to the organization. At St. Louis they were joined with the Thirty-ninth Ohio, which had arrived two days previous, and with them served through- out the war.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THIRTY-NINTH.
The Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiment rendezvoused at Camp Colerain, ten miles north of Cincinnati, during the month of July, 1861. On the 31st of July, seven companies were mustered into service and on the 2nd of August, they moved to Camp Dennison, where the remaining three com- panies and the field and staff officers were mustered in. The Thirty-ninth was the third regiment to enlist from Ohio for three years. Being fully armed and equipped, the regiment moved on Sunday, August 18th, 1861. under command of Colonel John Groesbeck to St. Louis to join the forces or- ganizing under General Fremont, U. S. A., commanding the western de- partment, which comprehended Illinois, the states and territories west of
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ORGANIZATION OF THE THIRTY-NINTH
the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, and New Mexico. At Fre- mont's earnest solicitation, the Thirty-ninth and the Twenty-seventh Ohio regiments had been sent by the War Department. These two regiments were the first and only Ohio regiments to enter the state of Missouri in 1861.
TROOPS ORDERED.
ST. LOUIS, AUG. 13, 1861.
To the Secretary of Wl'ar:
Gen. Lyon's aid reports engagement with great loss on both sides : General Lyon killed. Colonel Sigel in command. retiring in good order from Springfield to Rolla. Let the Governor of Ohio be ordered forthwith to send me what disposable force he has. Order the utmost promptitude. The Thirty-ninth Regiment (Groesbeck's) might be telegraphed directly here.
J. C. FREMONT, General.
WAR DEPARTMENT, AUG. 16, 1861.
His Excellency, Governor I'm. Dennison, Columbus, Ohio:
Send Groesbeck's Thirty-ninth Regiment and Fuller's Twenty-seventh Regiment and all other available force to General Fremont without a moment's delay. Give them full supply of field artillery and small arms. Advise this department of your action.
SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War.
COL.WAGER
SWAYNE.
COL. HORACE PARK.
COL. JOHN H. RHODES
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COL JL. KIRBY
SMITH.
C
3
LIEUT. COL.
HERRICK.
MAJOR A.L.HOWE
WALTER F
FIELD OFFICERS OF THE 434 O. V. V. I.
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ORGANIZATION OF THE FORTY-THIRD
THE FORTY-TIIIRD OHIO.
The Forty-third Ohio Regiment was organized principally from men living in central and eastern Ohio, at Camp Andrews, Mount Vernon, Ohio, on February 7th, 1862, parts of two companies having been formed by Colonel J. L. Kirby Smith, a graduate of West Point, at Camp Chase, Ohio, in September 1861. Part of Company H was from Lorain County. It was recruited at a time when men were very difficult to procure, but through the energy and perseverence of Lieutenant-Colonel Wager Swayne, the Regiment was filled to the minimum number and mustered into service. After having been well drilled by its Colonel J. L. Kirby Smith, it left its rendezvous for the front on the 21st of February, 1862; were conveyed by boat down the Ohio River to Cairo, Illinois, and reported to Brigadier-Gen- eral John Pope at Commerce Vicenuri The Regiment wire at once resigned to John W. Fuller's Ohio Brigade, General D. S. Stanley's First Division.
THE SIXTY-THIRD OHIO.
The Sixty-third Ohio Regiment was organized by the consolidation of two battalions of recruits known as the Twenty-second and the Sixty-third Regiments, O. V. I. The battalion of the Twenty-second was recruited at Camp Worthington, Chillicothe, Ohio, and furnished for the new organi- zation six companies, A., B., E., H., I., K. The battalion of the Sixty-third was recruited at Marietta, Ohio.
The consolidation was occasioned by the earnest call of the govern- ment upon the state authorities for troops, directing that recruits be pushed into the field as rapidly as possible. The order for the consolidation was issued at Columbus, on the 18th of January, 1862, and the organization was completed on the 23rd of the same month, the Twenty-second having been ordered to report at Marietta, Ohio.
The Regiment was commanded by Colonel Sprague, who had been a Captain in the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry during a three months' service. The Regiment moved from Marietta on the 18th of February, under orders to report at Paducah, Kentucky. From this place it was or- dered to join Major-General John Pope's Army of the Mississippi at Com- merce, Missouri, and there was assigned to Fuller's Ohio Brigade. Stanley's First Division, in which it was united with the Twenty-seventh and Thirty- ninth, and Forty-third Ohio. Over ninety-five per cent of the men in these regiments were American born. Their average age was less than twenty years, and they composed the flower of Ohio youth. Among these regi- ments there was a unanimity of loyal sentiment and cordial, kindly feeling, which lasted throughout their service and to the end of the war.
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE
In April, May and June of 1861, many people of St. Louis, Missouri, were in sympathy with the South and the enemy's flag was displayed from residences and recruiting offices. The State of Missouri was in active rebellion against national authority. The Battle of Bull Run had been a severe blow to the prestige of the Union. Armed men swarmed over the state. A Confederate force of nearly fifty thousand men was already on the southern frontier, Pillow with twelve thousand, was advancing upon Cairo; Thompson with five thousand, upon Girardeau, Hardee with five thousand, upon Ironton, and Price with an estimated force of twenty-five thousand upon Lyon at Springfield. Their movement was intended to over- run Missouri and, supported by over a million of friendly population, to sieze St. Louis and make that city a center of operations for the invasion of Loyal states.
To meet this advancing force, Fremont, during the last dove of July 1861, had twenty-three thousand men of all arms, ten thousand of whom were three months men, whose term of service was expiring. General John Pope was fully occupied in North Missouri. General M. B. Prentiss had two regiments at Cairo, where fever and dysentery prevailed. General Lyon at Springfield had six thousand men, unpaid and badly fed and in need of clothing.
The soldiers in Missouri at this time who later rose to fame, were Lyon, Fremont, Grant, Blair, Schofield, Sherman, Steel, Pope, Halleck, and Sheridan.
A VERY RAW RECRUIT.
CHAPTER III.
DISCIPLINE OF THE REGIMENTS-BATTLE OF WILSON'S CREEK-MOVEMENTS OF FORCES UNDER MAJOR STURGESS.
The soldiers of the Twenty-seventh and Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiments received their first lessons at Camp Chase. Columbus, Ohio, and at Camp Dennison, respectively, and during their stay in Camp Benton, St. Louis, Missouri, the instruction was given principally by the commissioned and non-commissioned officers, who had just passed through the experience of three months' service and also under instructions of officers of the regular army, just come from hunting service. The discipline was severe, averag- ing ten hours a day, consisting mainly of field movements, battalion and squad drill, Zouave drill with musket, strikes and parries, loading and firing while kneeling or lying down, deploying as skirmishers and rallies upon the flag. It brought the men to a high state of prefection and effectiveness for the coming work in the field.
During drill hours, much good-natured bantering passed between the tall men who were placed on the right of a company and the short men on the left, the former being nick-named "Shanghais" and the latter "Little Roosters." Occupying this camp were several Missouri Regiments. The recruits were dressed in butternut clothing. They were thoroughly loyal to the Union, some of them having participated in the battle of Wilson's Creek, which took place August 10th, the bloodiest engagement thus far in the Civil War, in point of numbers.
General Lyon, commanding, at Wilson's Creek, against great odds fell upon the enemy with great fury and inspired his soldiers to deeds of almost super-human daring. While leading a column in a bayonet charge at the supreme moment, after having been wounded, he fell from his horse pierced by a bullet, and expired instantly. Major Sturgess, upon whom the com- mand now devolved, ordered a retreat and withdrew to Springfield. On returning shortly afterward to St. Louis, General Fremont gave him com- mand of a force to move to the aid of Union forces under Colonel Williams in an attack upon Green's band of rebels at Macon City.
The Order received by General Sturgess reads as follows : .
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, SEPT. 6. 1861.
Brigadier-General Sturgess, Commanding the Arsenal:
Colonel Williams has been forced to retreat with his command of eight hundred men from Shelbina, to Macon City, by a band of rebels under
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
Green, numbering three thousand, where he is now cut off from all lines of communication east of his position. In order to arrest the constant dep- redations in Marion, Shelby, Macon and adjoining counties, and to visit them with the whole vigor of martial law, I have resolved a combined attack on Green's men. To carry this movement, you will assume command of the following forces :
The Twenty-seventh Ohio, Colonel Fuller.
The Thirty-ninth Ohio, Colonel Groesbeck.
The First Squadron of Fremont's Hussars, Captain Blume.
Captain Swartz' full battery under command of the First Lieutenant.
Your main endeavor will be to cut off the enemy from the road leading to Shelbyville, and generally to render impossible the dispersion of his forces by squads, and to annihilate the gang of rebels as a whole. Communication between you and General Pope is subject to hazzard of interruption. Rc- port when necessary to these headquarters.
MAJOR-GENERAL FREMONT, Commanding.
Nine companies of the Twenty-seventh and nine companies of the Thirty-ninth Ohio (one company of each regiment having been left at St. Louis in charge of camp equipage) moved up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, sixty miles to St. Charles on the steamers "January" and "H. D. Bacon," thence to the town of Mexico in freight cars, where the command pulled down the rebel flag and hoisted in its place the "stars and stripes."
General Sturgess reported from St. Charles on September 7th, that his troops were still on boats, that the artillery and cavalry had not yet arrived, and that Major Krekel of the Home Guards, had started north the same morning, with an engine and eighteen cars, for troops of his own command and was thereby delayed.
RECRUITS. THE FIRST DRILL.
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DISCIPLINE OF THE REGIMENTS.
At St. Charles, an incident occured which showed the nervous state of mind of the soldiers who were constantly hearing camp rumors of danger and attack by the enemy. After the twelve o'clock midnight relief had been posted, the sound of a heavy musket shot came from the direction of an outer sentry. Long roll was sounded vigorously, and in a moment there was consternation and commotion from upper and lower deck of the crowded steamers. It was the first time these men had heard the long roll and it caused a more intense thrill of excitement than at any other time during the service. Companies fully armed. equipped and supplied with forty rounds of ammunition, were rapidly marched ashore and formed in line of battle. Hasty orders were given to load guns, fix bayonets, and be in readiness until further orders. For an hour. the men stood waiting and watching in noubit, with tin samnishing companies went in search of the enemy. Finally the word came that the sentinel on the outpost had fired on a squad of the enemy and killed two, and again that the sentinel had been shot. While they were considering with each other what should be done with their personal effects, should they not survive the conflict at hand, the skirmishers returned and reported that there was no enemy, no one killed nor wounded. but that the alarm was caused by a soldier standing in a lonely nook. firing at what he supposed to be the enemy approaching his beat, but which proved to be two hideous looking scare-crows posted astride of a fence in a back lot.
September 16th. the command arrived at Macon on cattle cars. Four companies of the Thirty-ninth Ohio were ordered to St. Joseph, Missouri, where they performed guard duty on the North Missouri Railroad. This separation lasted until about February 1st, when they were ordered to St. Louis and rejoined the company left there.
General Sturgess now received orders to go to the relief of the Union forces, besieged at Lexington. He moved his command to Utica, over the Hannibal and St. Joe Railroad. This was a most hazardous ride. The train. consisting of one locomotive and freight cars, rushed all night long, twist- ing, thumping and jerking over a worn-out road bed, anything but safe, at the rate of sixty miles an hour. The men riding on the tops of the cars, in danger every moment, clutched for safety with a death grip. This ride was through a country which the enemy showed a disposition to claim by shooting into the cars.
Arriving at Utica, a detail was made from the two regiments to unload cars. The young gentlemen of Company B and G, Twenty-seventh Regi- ment, whose spirits had never been curbed, whose enterprise over-reached their discretion, having in mind the possibilities of putting down the rebel- lion by taking some of the luxuries belonging to the enemy, raided me
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE
nearby bee-hives. The owner at once complained to General Sturgess, who became very angry at what he considered a breach of discipline and caused them to be drawn up in line. While they were standing in the hot sun, the honey melted in their haversacks and ran down their clothing, upon which the bees began to settle. Upon every bristle of their army pants was a bee. Then this commander posing as an army General, cursing thein and threat- ening in a violent manner, demanded to know why they had committed the "crime." But the bees were getting lively and stung the General between the eyes. He retreated, swinging his arms in an effort to keep them off, while the boys disappeared in the opposite direction. Sturgess placed the men of Company B under arrest. their muskets were taken from them, and the Captain was obliged to surrender his sword. The orderly was hand- cuffed and in that condition, was made to march all that day. On another occasion, he ordered a man tied to a cannon for some trifling offence, and at other times men were tied to fences for taking rails. General Sturgess' orders were at all times to protect the property of known secessionists, not- withstanding the fact that was pointed out to him that the very men whose property he was protecting were shooting Union citizens and soldiers.
General Sturgess was excitable and had a bad temper. He gave atten- tion to small things, never allowing the Volunteer Soldier the right of self- defence, and when aroused, treated him without the consideration to which he was entitled. General Sturgess' military career had been most unfortu- nate. He had ordered the needless retreat from the battle field of Wilson's Creek. He was found unsuited to lead armies and was relieved of his command at Springfield. in the following November, but was afterward given another command of other forces. On the other hand. General Stur- gess had a fine presence, was an educated soldier, and when the occasion required, could be a perfect gentleman. The writer found him so, when visiting him at his headquarter's tent for the purpose of having several sol- diers liberated from further punishment. His manner and language on that occasion were most polite and cordial. He died after the war at St. Paul. Minnesota.
The camp equipage and commissary stores unloaded at Utica, consisted of commodious Sibly tents, each suitable for eight men, when sleeping close together, a wagon drawn by four or six mules for each company, with army rations of bacon, hard bread, sugar, coffee, peas, beans, vinegar, rice, mo- lasses, candles, and soap. Subsequently all the above-named articles were eliminated from regular issue except hard bread, sugar, coffee and bacon.
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CHAPTER IV.
THE MARCH TO THE RELIEF OF LEXINGTON-MISSOURI-HARDSHIPS ON THE WAY-ARRIVAL AT KANSAS CITY.
On September 17th at eleven o'clock in the morning, twelve hundred men under Sturgess commenced a rapid march forward to relieve Mulli- gan's forces, then beseiged by Price's Army at Lexington. The sun shone hot from a clear sky, and long stretches of the way afforded no water. The country was almost a wilderness, containing few inhabitants. The roads were new across the vast rolling prairies, the grass as high as the men s shoulders, was swept by the wind like the waves of the sea. It was a land- scape of grandeur.
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