USA > Pennsylvania > Warren County > History of Warren County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 29
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The following list embraces the names of the Warren county men who joined the regiment for a term of six months, in July, 1863. Those shown as transferred were men who, after serving six months, re-enlisted to serve in the same regiment for a term of three years :
COMPANY M.
First Lieutenant George F. Cooke, transferred to Company H February 20, 1864; promoted to captain Company H May 11, 1864; wounded at Boyd- ton Plank Road ; mustered out with company July 8, 1865.
Second Lieutenant Warren M. Foster, mustered out with company Feb- ruary 20, 1864.
First Sergeant Albert R. Griffith, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Quartermaster-Sergeant Calvin B. Starrett, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Commissary-Sergeant Robert A. Falconer, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Sergeant Henry S. Thomas, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Sergeant John A. Akin, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Sergeant William M. Gibson, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Sergeant William T. Allison, transferred to company E January 26, 1864; mustered out as sergeant July 8, 1865.
Sergeant Charles E. Pettis, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; promoted to second lieutenant Company C September 1, 1864; to first lieu- tenant April 5, 1865 ; mustered out with company July 8, 1865.
Corporal Romyan Horner, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Corporal Mason S. Cogswell, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Corporal Augustus N. Jones, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Corporal Reuben Barrett, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. Corporal Henry Gates, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. Corporal Luman White, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. Corporal Levi Hare, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Corporal Oscar F. Bowers, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; died October 28 of wounds received at Boydton Plank Road October 27, 1864.
Bugler George F. Lidy, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. Blacksmith Matthias Amann, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Farrier James Dunn, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Privates.
Smith N. Brown, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
James Bump, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
David O. Babbitt, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
William C. Baker, transferred to Company E February 20, 1864 ; mus- tered out with company July 8, 1865.
William A. Billings, transferred to Company H February 20, 1864.
Dana L. Bean, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; mustered out with company July 8, 1865.
Marion H. Baker, transferred to Company E February 20, 1864; died at City Point, Va., June 26 of wounds received at Petersburg June 19, 1864.
Thomas A. Blanchard, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; pro- moted to sergeant February 20, 1864; to commissary-sergeant September I, 1864; commissioned first lieutenant June 9, 1865, not mustered ; mustered out as commissary-sergeant July 8, 1865.
Joseph Caughlin, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
John Caughlin, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Henry L. Chapel, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; mustered out with company July 8, 1865.
Samuel Eicles, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Peter Fertig, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; promoted to sergeant June 30, 1864; mustered out with company July 8, 1865.
Winfield Harris, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
James W. Hinton, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; mustered out with company July 8, 1865.
Asa L. Phillips, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. oseph Pentz, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
De Forest Pratt, transferred to Company E January 26, 1864; died June 20 of wounds received at Bethesda Church, Va., June 2, 1864.
George W. Roper, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. Adelbert Reeves, transferred to Company I February 20, 1864.
245
ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-THIRD REGIMENT.
Charles J. Samuelson, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. George W. Steele, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. Elijah Shepard, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. James Smith, mustered out with company February 20, 1864. John Z. Walling, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
Harmon Way, transferred to Company I February 20, 1864; killed at Boydton Plank Road, Va., October 27, 1864.
Charles R. Youngs, mustered out with company February 20, 1864.
ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-THIRD REGIMENT.
This regiment was recruited in compliance with the call of Governor Cur- tin, to serve for one hundred days, upon the occasion of the raid made by the rebel cavalryman, Harry Gilmore, upon the railroads leading into Baltimore, in July, 1864. Company E was from Lawrence county, and a part of com- pany I from Warren. The remaining companies were recruited at Pittsburgh, and were from Allegheny county. They rendezvoused at Camp Howe, near Pittsburgh, where a regimental organization was effected on the 19th of July, with the following field officers : John B. Clark, colonel ; James W. Ballentine, lieutenant-colonel; Horatio K. Tyler, major.
Soon after its organization it proceeded to Baltimore, and for two weeks was encamped at Mankin's Woods, where it formed part of a brigade com- manded by Colonel Nagle, and was thoroughly drilled. On the 10th of Au- gust Company B was ordered to Wilmington, Del., for the performance of pro- vost duty, and Colonel Clark was directed to station the remaining companies to guard the bridges on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, with headquarters at Havre-de-Grace, which was promptly executed. About three weeks after this disposition had been made, Colonel Clark was ordered to turn over his command to Lieutenant-Colonel Ballentine, and proceed with Companies A, F, D, and 1 to Wilmington, and take command of the district. This he proceeded to do, and placing the companies which he had taken with him in camp, made details from them daily, for various service, as the exigen- cies of his duty as commandant of the district required. This disposition re- mained unchanged until after the expiration of the term of service, when the command assembled at Baltimore, and thence proceeded to Pittsburgh, where on the 9th of November it was mustered out of service. Before leaving the field, however, Captain McMunn, of Company A, secured the re-enlistment of a considerable number of men from the several companies to serve during the war, who, upon their arrival at Baltimore, were distributed according to their preferences among cavalry and infantry regiments then serving at the front.
Of the Warren county men who served in Company I, Captain George J. Whitney is the only one whose name has been ascertained.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Two HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH REGIMENT.
This command was composed of men recruited for a term of one year in the counties of Crawford, Jefferson, McKean, Mercer, Erie, Warren, and West- moreland. Thus Company A in Crawford, B in Jefferson, C in Mckean and Jefferson, D in Mercer, F in Erie, G in Warren, and E, H, I, and K in West- moreland. The companies assembled at Camp Reynolds, near Pittsburgh, where, on the 16th of September, 1864, a regimental organization was effected, with the following field officers : James H. Trimble, colonel ; Levi A. Dodd, lieutenant-colonel ; Augustus A. Mechling, major.
Soon after its organization it moved to the front, and on the 20th was placed in the intrenchments at Bermuda [Hundred, where it was incorporated with a provisional brigade in the Army of the James. It had scarcely reached its position when it was ordered to mount the parapets, in full view of, and in point blank range of, the enemy's guns. The sudden appearance of the long lines of men upon the sand-bags, of which the works were constructed, attracted his attention, and he immediately opened upon them with his batteries. Two men of Company F were instantly killed 'by a shell. The object of thus ex- posing the command was to divert attention from the storming party, which was about to move upon Fort Harrison and which gallantly carried that work.
The picket line, which the regiment was [required to hold, extended from the James River on the right, opposite Dutch Gap, through a dense pine wood to an open space where was the regimental encampment. This space, a fourth of a mile in width, had been cleared of timber by converting it into an impen- etrable slashing, over which an unobstructed view of the enemy was obtained. The line after leaving the river was nearly straight until it reached this slash- ing, where it made an abrupt bend, leaving the apex of the angle close to the enemy's line. At this point many rebel deserters came into the Union lines. So common had this practice become that it was proving a serious drain upon the rebel strength ; so much so that General Pickett, who was in command, deter- mined to stop it. The most friendly relations had existed between the oppos- ing picket lines, the men frequently meeting for social conference and barter. But on the night of the 17th of November, quietly massing a picked body of men, the rebel leader suddenly burst upon the Union pickets, and before they could rally, or supports could come to their aid, captured fifty-four of their number, seized this projecting angle, and before morning had built a redoubt and so strengthened his lines that General Grant, after a careful survey of the ground, deemed it inexpedient to attempt to retake it. This was the end of the truce on the part of the pickets, hostilities never ceasing afterwards for an instant; and so long as the regiment remained on that line the men were obliged to hug the breastworks, or lie close in the bomb-proofs.
On the 27th of November the Two Hundred and Eleventh, with other Pennsylvania regiments with which it had been brigaded, was relieved by a
247
Two HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH REGIMENT.
brigade of colored troops, and was ordered to join the Army of the Potomac on the south side of the Appomattox. These regiments were subsequently organized into a division which became the Third of the Ninth Corps, to the command of which General Hartranft was assigned, the Two Hundred and Eleventh, Two Hundred and Fifth, and Two Hundred and Seventh, under command of Colonel Matthews, forming the Second Brigade. During the winter the regiment was thoroughly drilled, and made occasional expeditions with other troops of the corps, but without becoming engaged, though a con- siderable amount of fortifying was done in the movement upon Hatcher's Run, and the troops were there held in momentary expectation of bloody work.
Before the opening of the spring campaign Colonel Trimble resigned, and was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Dodd. The camp of the regiment was located midway between Fort Howard and Fort Alexander Hays, on the Army Line Railroad, to the extreme left of the division, which was posted in rear of, and acted as a support to, the Ninth Corps line. At the moment when this line was broken at Fort Steadman, at early dawn on the morning of the 25th of March, 1865, and the fort and a considerable portion of the line was captured, the Two Hundred and Eleventh was resting in its camp, nearly four miles away. The colonel and major were absent, and the lieutenant-colonel was sick in hospital. The command consequently devolved on Captain Will- iam A. Coulter. It was quickly summoned to the scene of disaster, and, marching rapidly, reached division headquarters at half-past six A. M. With little delay it was led, by order of General Hartranft, to the high open ground about Meade Station, just in rear of Fort Steadman, where it was formed and awaited the order to charge. The other regiments of the division, which were all nearer the scene of conflict than this, had been gathered in, and hav- ing checked the enemy's advance, were holding him at bay. A strong line had been formed around the fatal break, and the best possible disposition of the division for strength and efficiency had been made.
General Hartranft felt satisfied that the enemy could make no further advance, and that by a united assault his division could retake the captured works. His plan of attack was most ingenious. He already had five of his regiments posted in the immediate front, advantageously formed for a dash upon the enemy, who was swarming upon the fort, the covered ways, and the bomb-proofs. The Two Hundred and Eleventh was a mile away, but on high, open ground. It was a large regiment, and if put in motion drawn out in line, would instantly attract the attention of the foe, and, as he believed, would draw the fire of his artillery upon it. His other regiments, thus relieved from peril, could rush upon and overpower him. He accordingly sent word to their commanders to hold themselves in readiness to charge in fifteen minutes, and the signal to start should be the forward movement of the Two Hundred and Eleventh, which was in full view of them all. The general determined to lead
248
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
this regiment in person, and, though he expected that it would be sacrificed by the fire which the enemy could instantly bring to bear upon it, he was ready to share its perils, in order that his division might be victorious. The regi- ment was formed with nearly six hundred muskets in line, and put in motion. In the most perfect order it moved forward; but, contrary to the expectation of Hartranft, the enemy, at sight of the advance of this single regiment, instead of turning all his guns upon it, began to waver, and when the combined forces of the division rushed forward, he had little heart to offer opposition, and the fort, guns, small arms, and many prisoners were speedily taken. At the moment when all the plans had been perfected, and the columns were upon the point of moving, General Hartranft received an order from General Parke, in command of the corps, not to attempt to retake the fort until reinforcements from the Sixth Corps, which were on their way to his support, should arrive. But the order to move had already gone forth, and it could not be safely recalled. He therefore decided that it was better to disregard than to obey orders, and when the moment came, dashed forward with his men, winning an easy victory.
Great activity all along the Union lines was soon after inaugurated, and on the night of the 30th preparations were made by the division to assault. It was, however, deferred until the morning of the 2d of April. At a little before midnight of the Ist the regiment moved to the camp of the Two Hundred and Seventh, where it remained until half-past three of the following morning. It then moved to the front, passing around the right of Fort Sedgwick, and was formed with the brigade in column by regiments, the left resting on the Jeru- salem Plank Road, the First Brigade standing in like formation just in the rear. A strong force of pioneers was detailed from the leading brigade, well provided with axes and spades, all under command of Lieutenant Alexander of the Two Hundred and Eleventh. When all was in readiness, the word to advance was given. The pioneers, closely followed by the division in close column, and joined on the right and left by other troops of the corps, went forward, and a few moments later the heavy blows of the ax-men upon the well-adjusted abatis and chevaux-de-frise were heard. The work of destruction was scarcely begun, however, when a fearful discharge of grape and canister was brought to bear upon them, before which the stoutest heart might quail. But closing up where their ranks were swept away, they soon broke the obstructions, and, assisted by the ready hands of the troops which followed, made an ample opening for the advance of the column. With a rush, the ground in front of the rebel works was passed over, and pushing up the steep and slippery sides of the forts, the troops were soon in complete possession, the enemy either captives or in full retreat, and the rebel main line of works, from a short distance beyond the Jerusalem Plank Road on the left to a point four hundred yards to its right, was triumphantly carried and held by the division. The guns were immediately
249
Two HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH REGIMENT.
turned upon the foe, and with his own ammunition, death and destruction was dealt upon him. Though not without a fierce struggle was the ground held, for the enemy, intent on regaining his lost position, made repeated charges. But hastily throwing up lunets for the protection of the gunners, and rifle-pits for the infantry, the division succeeded in repulsing every assault. But this signal victory was not gained without great loss. Of the Two Hundred and Eleventh, four officers and seventeen enlisted men were killed, four officers and eighty-nine men wounded, and twenty-one missing ; an aggregate of one hun- dred and thirty-five. Few more desperate assaults, and none more successful, were delivered during the war than this.
During the following night the enemy quietly withdrew from the front, and evacuating the city under cover of darkness, retreated rapidly. The division entered on the following morning with little opposition. The Two Hundred and Eleventh was immediately ordered forward to the Appomattox, to picket the river bank. The railroad bridge and foot bridge were both found on fire. By vigorous efforts the former was saved and part of the latter. Towards noon the regiment marched back to camp. The remainder of its history is quickly told, for hostile operations were now at an end. It followed along the South Side Railroad in charge of trains until it reached Nottoway Court House, where news was received of the surrender of Lee's army, and where it remained until the 20th, and then proceeded via City Point to Alexandria. Here it encamped, and here, on the 2d of June, it was mustered out of service.
The members of Company G, the Warren county company, were as fol- lows: We will here explain, however, that there are no muster-out rolls of this and several other companies of the regiment on file at the adjutant-gen- eral's office of the State, consequently the record of the individual members cannot be shown.
Captain, Arial D. Frank; first lieutenant, David B. Peck; first ser- geant, William D. Johnson; sergeants, Joel R. Gardner, Perry L. Brooks, William A. Stewart, William Weld; corporals, William Jewell, Henry S. Thomas, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865, discharged by general order May 23, 1865 ; Hall A. Turrell, William A. Younie, Dwight W. Buel, Aaron M. Jones, Daniel P. Porter, John Russell ; privates, J. P. Aylesworth, Thomas Allen, George W. Allen, James F. Aikley, Charles C. Abbott, Cyrus Arters, William A. Billings, George A. Baker, John C. Brailey, William W. Briggs, Allen S. Briggs, J. L. Burroughs, John O. Baker, Levi F. Brown, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865 ; Jared F. Bartlett, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Reuben Barrett, David Bump, Joseph F. Babcock, wounded at Fort Steadman March 25, 1865; William Chandler, George W. Cooke, George W. Cogswell, Thomas Cooper, Green Clark, jr., John P. Enos, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865 ; Levi L. Everett, Samuel H. Fisher, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Delos
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Franklin, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Darius Fulkerson, Thomas Fulkerson, George Fox, David W. Gibson, Arthur W. Gregg, wounded at Fort Steadman, Va., March 25, 1865; William Gibson, John C. Hatton, A. T. Hackney, Jonathan Hall, Nelson B. Herrick, Darius D. Ham- lin, John R. Howard, Calvin Johnson, George Jones, Levi Jones, Lorenzo Kastator, died April 16 of wounds received at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865 ; John Knupp, George A. Lanning, Robert Love, John P. Lawson, Ludewick Loveland, James Mair, James Mathers, Samuel Mentell, Orrin D. Madison, Eugene McKinney, Andrew H. McLane, Edward J. McKee, Alonzo Nesmith, Henry Pilling, Andrew J. Parker, James O. Parmlee, Joseph H. Reynolds, Seth W. Rowley, Asa Rounds, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865 ; Thaddeus Reig, Ferdinand W. Sterrett, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Frank Stephenson, Melvin Sharp, Marshall Stanton, Samuel Smith, James A. Smith, James F. B. Shattuck, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865, died, date unknown; Mortimer Stanford, Myron Sturdevant, Thomas Strickland, James M. Tabor, George E. Tuttle, Samuel Vredenburg, wounded at Petersburg, April 2, 1865 ; Jefferson P. Vansile, T. J. Widdifield, Charles A. Waters, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Martin T. Wetmore, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Anson R. Whitney, Squire Weld, Franklin C. Wade, wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Augustus B. Wade, George W. Weaver.
INDEPENDENT COMPANY C (INFANTRY).
This company was recruited in Warren county, in the summer of 1862, for the One Hundred and Forty- fifth Regiment; but before reaching the camp of this regiment at Erie, the requisite number of companies had been accepted. It was accordingly mustered into service as an independent company, under Captain De Witt C. James, on the 4th of September, and immediately proceeded to Harrisburg. It was promptly armed, and sent forward into the Cumberland Valley with a provisional battalion, the rebel army being at this time in Mary- land, and threatening an invasion of the State. While the battle of Antietam was in progress on the 16th and 17th, the company was posted on picket across the valley near the State line, where it remained some ten days, picking up during that time one hundred and fifty rebel stragglers. Towards the close of the month it returned to Harrisburg, where Captain James was made provost marshal of the city, and the company was employed in provost duty, under the direction of Captain W. B. Lane, chief mustering and recruiting officer, being chiefly engaged in arresting deserters in the counties of Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster, Cumberland, Franklin, and Fulton. On the 2d of February, 1863, Second Lieutenant Eben N. Ford was mortally wounded while attempting to arrest a deserter in Fulton county, Pa.
On the 20th of March the company was transferred to Washington, D. C.,
251
OTHER COMMANDS.
where it performed provost duty until the 13th of May, when it was sent to Alexandria, under command of Lieutenant George W. McPherson, and was attached to Independent Battery H, Captain Borrowe. When the rebel Gen- eral Early made his demonstration upon Washington in July, 1864, this com- pany was ordered to the front, and posted on the picket line. In September, 1864, it was relieved from duty with the battery, and was assigned to guard duty at the military prisons in Alexandria. While engaged in this service about ten thousand persons, who had been arrested as deserters, were conducted to the front by this single company. In March, 1865, Captain James was ap- pointed an additional paymaster, and was confirmed by the Senate on the 6th of April, his commission dating April 14, being the last one signed by Presi- dent Lincoln. The company was mustered out of service at Harrisburg on the 20th of July, 1865. Its members were as follows :
Captains, De Witt C. James, resigned March 1, 1865 ; Sylvester H. Davis, mustered out with company. First licutenants, Sylvester H. Davis, promoted to captain ; George W. McPherson, mustered out with company. Second licutenants, Eben N. Ford, died at McConnellsburg, Pa., Febuary 13, of wounds received in attempting to arrest a deserter February 2, 1863 ; Amos E. Good- rich, mustered out with company. First sergeants, Robert Illingsworth, mus- tered out with company; Stacy W. Cogswell, discharged June 7, 1865 ; Mor- ris W. Gibbs, promoted to second lieutenant, Independent Battery H, Penn- sylvania Artillery, July 22, 1864. Sergeants, James Maloney, Joseph Longs- dorff, John Landers, Hiram P. Belknap, James H. Cole, Rasselas D. Moore, S. E. Orr, promoted to second lieutenant, United States Signal Corps, October 6, 1864. Corporals, George C. White, John Goheen, Oliver W. Yundt, Jerome Davis, Jacob W. Tomes, William K. Harmon, John W. Flatt, Leroy S. Strong, Lewis J. Kinnear, John E. Lyle, Amariah Cook, Lewis Hidecker. Privates, John W. Amlong, Delos M. Ackley, Lorenzo D. Allen, William H. Burger, David I. Ball, Philip Biglar, James Brown, William Bell, jr., Orange C. Bab- cock, Merritt Babcock, Edwin R. Bumpus, James Black, John Clark, Peter Campbell, James H. Carr, John Conners, John Carr, Thomas Covell, George Currie, James Coulter, Patrick Dillon, John Fitzeimmings, Samuel Filer, Oscar Fox, Nelson O. Fenton, Wallace L. Filer, Samuel Golden, William Godfrey, John W. Groover, Ira A. Goodrich, Lester Graham, Charles Hotelling, Rich- ard C. Hunter, Clarence C. Hull, William H. Harrison, George W. Hoffman, William Irvine, George Joy, Henry T. Jones, Charles Keenan, William Ken- nedy, C. S. Kirkpatrick, Alexander Kitchen, William Kline, Isaac F. Loveless, Richard Logan, Thomas Lay, William Littlefield, Daniel Lash, Loren Labree, George Loffenberger, John W. Lytle, Matthias E. Lesser, George W. Lucket. Joseph D. Magee, John Murphy, Sylvanus Martin, Lyman Martin, John W. Mead, Cyrus Moore, George C. Morrison, William H. Morrison, Jacob Morri- son, Samuel Maffett, Owen Mix, John Merchant, Michael McFarland, Robert 17
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