The
70th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
This regiment was organized in
1861, at West Union, Ohio.
It had its rendezvous at the old
fair grounds, lying on the
Maysville and Zanesville
turnpike, named Camp Hamer, in
honor of General Thomas L.
Hamer, of Georgetown, Ohio,
who was in the Mexican war.
The regiment remained there
during the months of Oct., Nov.,
and Dec., 1861, and moved to
Ripley, Ohio, Dec. 25, 1861.
There it remained in camp until
Feb. 18, 1862. The
regiment was formed of Adams
County men, except one company
from Brown County and two from
Hamilton County.
The original field officers were:
Joseph R. Cockerill,
colonel;
Dewitt C. Loudon,
lieutenant colonel;
John W. McFerran, major;
Henry L. Phillips, first
lieutenant and adjutant;
Israel H. DeBruin,
quartermaster;
John M. Sullivan,
chaplain;
Charles H. Swain,
surgeon;
Thomas J. Ferrell,
assistant surgeon;
Robert H.
Von Harlinger and
Frederck Jaeger,
assistant surgeons.
Col.
Cockerill resigned Apr.
13, 1864, and Lieutenant
Colonel Dewitt C.
Loudon was promoted to
colonel. He resigned Aug.
9, 1864.
Major McFerran died Oct.
3, 1862, at Fort Pickering, near
Memphis, Tennessee.
William Brown was the
second major. He was
promoted to lieutenant colonel
Apr. 26, 1864, and was killed
Aug. 3, 1864, in battle near
Atlantic.
Thomas Brown was the
third major, promoted from
captain of Company H.
Surgeon Charles H. Swain
resigned Aug. 3, 1863, and
Robert H. Von Harlinger was
appointed in his place and
served during the remaining
service of the regiment.
Frederick Jaeger was an
assistant surgeon, appointed
Sept. 7, 1862, and resigned Jan.
29, 1864.
Andrew Urban was the
second adjutant, and
Lindsey L. Edgington the
third adjutant.
Rev. H. I. DeBruin,
quartermaster, resigned June 2,
1863, and
John Heaton was appointed
in his place, followed by
Charles A. Grimes and
Francis Richards.
Joseph Blackburn,
captain of Company F, was the
first chaplain. He
resigned Aug. 28, 1862, and was
followed by John M. Sullivan,
who resigned Jan. 16, 1864.
The original officers of Company
A were:
W. B. Brown, captain;
Lewis Love, first
lieutenant;
Brice Cooper, second
lieutenant;
This company was raised about
Winchester, Fincastle, and North
Liberty.
The original officers of Company
B were:
James F. Summers,
captain;
Samuel G. Richards, first
lieutenant
William P. Spurgeon,
second lieutenant.
This company was raised about
Locust Grove and in the
northeastern part of the county.
The original officers of Company
C were:
Reason T. Naylor,
captain;
Valentine Zimmerman,
first lieutenant;
W. R. Stewart, second
lieutenant;
This company was raised in
Monroe Township and in the
vicinity of West Union
Page 345 -
The original officers of Company D were:
Charles Johnson, captain;
Samuel M. Woodruff, first
lieutenant;
Joseph W. Denham, second
lieutenant.
This company was raised in
Cincinnati, Hamilton County.
The original officers of Company
E were:
John T. Wilson, captain
John Campbell, first
lieutenant;
Joseph Spurgeon, second
lieutenant.
This company was raised in the
vicinity of Tranquility,
Eckmansville, and North Liberty.
The original officers of
Company F were:
Joseph blackburn,
captain;
James Drennen, first
lieutenant;
Isaac W. Adams, second
lieutenant.
This company was raised in the
western part of Adams County and
Brown County.
The original officers of
Company G were:
N. W. Foster, captain;
John H. Truitt, first
lieutenant;
John Nelson, second
lieutenant.
This company was raised around
Manchester, Stout's Run, and
Gift Ridge.
Company H,
Benjamin F. Wiles,
captain;
William H. Herbert, first
lieutenant;
John Taylor, second
lieutenant.
This company was raised in the
western part of Adams County and
the eastern part of Brown
County.
Company I.
David B. Carter, captain;
Joinville Reiff, first
lieutenant;
George A. Foster, second
lieutenant.
This company was raised in
Hamilton County.
Company K,
Felix Slone, captain;
William R. Harmon, first
lieutenant;
Amos F. Ellis, second
lieutenant.
This company was from Brown
County.
The first soldier from Adams
County killed in battle was
William J. Ellis from
Company G, killed at Shiloh on
Apr. 6, 1862.
The first soldier from Adams
County wounded was Henry
Kress from Manchester,
wounded in the battle of Shiloh
on the same morning.
The following is a list of the
battles in which the regiment
participated:
Shiloh, Tenn, Apr. 6-7, 1862;
Russell House, May 17, 1862;
Battle of Resaca, May 7 to May,
1864; siege of Corinth opening
April 29, and closing with the
capture of Corinth, May 30,
1862; capture of Holly Springs,
Miss., July 1, 1862; captured
canon and ammunition at Fort
Randolph, Miss., Oct. 1, 1862;
siege of Vicksburg from June 20
to July 4, 1863; Jackson, Miss.,
July 9-16, 1863; Black River,
Miss., July 5, 1863;
Chattanooga, Tenn., Nov. 23,
1863; Battle of Missionary
Ridge, Nov. 25, 1863; Knoxville
Raid during the month of
December, 1863, and driving
Longstreet from Knoxville after
the battle of Missionary Ridge;
Dallas, Ga., May 25, to June 4,
1864; Champion Hills, May 16,
1863; New Hope Church, Ga., June
2, 1864; Kenesaw Mountain, Ga.,
June 30, 1864; Little Kenesaw
Mountain, Ga., June 20, 1864;
Big Shanty, June 8, 1864;
Atlanta, Ga., July 22, 1864;
Ezra Church, Ga., July 28, 1864;
Jonesboro, Ga., July 28, to
Sept. 2, 1864; Lovejoy Station,
Ga., Sept. 2 - 6, 1864;
Statesboro, Ga., Dec. 4, 1864;
Fort McAllister, Ga., Dec. 13,
1864; Rome,
Page 346 -
Ga., October, 1864; Aversboro,
N. C., Mar. 16-20, 1865;
Bentonville, N. C., Mar. 19-21,
1865; Raleigh's March to the
Sea; Little Rock, Ark., August,
1865.
Two hundred and forty-four died of disease or were
killed in battles. Of this
number sixty-one were killed in
battle or died of wounds.
The following is a list of the
members of the regiment, except
from Companies D, I and K, who
were killed in battle or died in
the service.
Robert B. Baird, Company
A, died Apr. 6, '65, of wounds;
George
Baker,
sergeant, May 21, '62;
Charles S. Ball, killed
in battle, Apr. 7, '62;
George W. Bartholonew,
Nov. 19, 1861;
Corwin Bell, June 4,
1865;
Wm. H. H. Black, Nov. 25,
1864;
James M. Brady, Jul. 11,
1864;
Erwin A. Brattin, Jan.
30, 1863;
Jesse M. Breckenridge,
May 17, 1862;
Austin Brewer, Mar. 25,
1864;
John W. Burba, Apr. 1,
1862;
Robert W. F. Carl, June
5, 1864;
John H. Corbin, Feb. 28,
1862;
Washington I. Foster,
Dec. 1, 1863;
Boon Funk, July 22, 1864,
killed in battle;
John A. Hamilton, Jan.
10, 1863;
Jackson Harvey, June 12,
1862;
Edward Hasson, Nov. 25,
1863;
Christian Holmes, Mar.
23, 1865;
Jonathan M. Howland, June
12, 1864, of wounds;
Elias H. Kines, Apr. 18,
1864;
James B. Lamonda, May 25,
1864;
John P. Liggette, killed
in battle of Ezra Church, Ga.,
July 28,1 864;
Daniel Lyons, sergeant,
Sept. 19, 1864, of wounds;
Thomas McBride, killed in
the battle of New Hope Church,
Ga., June 2, 1864;
Robert J. McKnight,
killed in railroad accident
March, 1864;
William H. Marlott, Oct.
13, 1862;
George E. Maun, Dec. 10,
1864;
William R. Maxwell, Dec.
2, 1864;
Andrew Morris, killed in
battle, Apr. 7, 1862;
Henry C. Morris,
corporal, died Dec. 14, 1864, of
wounds;
William W. Myers, Nov.
24, 1864;
John H. Nevel, Sept. 13,
1862;
Francis A. Purdin, May
23, 1864;
John H. Ramsey, June 5,
1862;
John Reed, Jan. 12, 1862;
Tarry W. Reed, May 16,
1864;
Hiram S. Reeves, June 10,
1864;
John T. Rhodes, Feb. 11,
1864;
Thomas Robinson, July 26,
1862;
Isaac Shankel, killed in
battle of Ezra Church, Ga., July
28, 1864;
Louis J. Skinner, Sept.
13, 1862;
Henry L. Smith, corporal,
Sept. 11, 1863;
James M. Stultz, Apr. 3,
1862;
Byron Swisher, June 3,
1862;
John M. Thompson,
captured Dec. 4, 1864, at
Statesboro, Ga., and died in
Rebel Prison, Mar. 24, 1865;
Samuel Thompson, Mar. 10,
1865;
George W. Walker, Dec. 3,
1863;
Madison Walker, Sept. 18,
1863;
Nathaniel W. Williams,
Jan. 29, 1863.
COMPANY B.
James
Alexander, killed July 4,
1863;
John Baggott, Apr. 6,
1862;
William T. Buck, Aug. 19,
1863;
George Compton, June 13,
1862;
John D. Compton, killed
Dec. 13, 1864;
William A. Cook, Apr. 7,
1862;
John L. Dillinger, killed
Aug. 15, 1864;
Sylvester G. Francis,
Apr. 7, 1862;
Isaac Howsier, Feb. 7,
1863;
Henry Jackson, July 5,
1862;
Henry J. Jackson, May 15,
1862;
Daniel Lighter, Oct. 8,
1863;
John McMillen, July 28,
1864;
Samuel M. Matthias, Sept.
20, 1863;
John Moder, Feb. 19,
1865, of wounds;
John Moomaw, May 2, 1862;
Samuel Newman, Apr. 20,
1862;
Alexander Parker, May 27,
1862, of wounds;
Louis F. Shafer, June 29,
1864, of wounds;
James F. Summers,
captain, killed July 28, 1864;
Page 347 -
John F. Tarleton,
corporal, May 21, 1862;
Philip B. Taylor, Aug.
28, 1862;
James Tener, corporal,
Mar. 13, 1862;
John M. Thompson,
corporal, Apr. 4, 1862;
Jacob Wright, Dec. 8,
1864;
Milton Yanky, Dec. 25,
1861;
Thomas W. Young, Apr. 14,
1863;
John E. Zinkhorn, May 28,
1863.
COMPANY C.
Benjamin
Ayers, Sept. 2, 1862;
Hiram Carter, May 22,
1862;
John H. Duffey died in
Rebel prison;
Robert B. Fitch died of
diseasae;
Andrew J. Griffith, Apr. 17,
1863;
Henry Grooms, Mar. 23,
1864;
Uriah W. Irwin, corporal,
Sept. 10, 1862;
Nathan Mahaffey, killed
Dec. 13, 1864;
Samel S. Mahaffey, killed
Apr. 6, 1862;
Elias Matheny June 29,
1864;
Daniel Nicholas, Mar. 25,
1864;
William Potts, died at
Big Black River, Miss.;
George Purtee, July 5,
1862;
John Purtee, Aug. 25,
1863;
William Roder, Oct. 20,
1863;
Davis Roderick, sergeant,
killed Dec. 13, 1864;
John Rathwell died in
Rebel prison, May 17, 1862;
Frederick Siberal, June
10, 1865;
Abner Smalley, killed
Aug. 14, 1864;
Charles Taylor died at
home;
John Thornburg, corporal,
died of wounds;
Jefferson Waldren, July
24, 1862;
David Wales, May 29,
1862;
David Wilmoth, July 3,
1864.
COMPANY E.
Cyrus Allison,
first sergeant, June 25, 1862;
Jacob T. Baldridge,
corporal, killed Aug. 17, 1864;
James F. Batson, killed
Aug. 17, 1864;
Alexandere Brown,
corporal, Sept. 6, 1863;
Michael F. Duffey,
corporal, July 20, 1862, killed
July 2, 1864;
Samuel M. Hamilton,
killed Apr. 8, 1862;
William M. Hamilton, May
24, 1862;
Nathan P. Harsha, Oct. 9,
1863;
John M. Humes, May 5,
1862;
John C. McClure, Sept. 6,
1862;
William W. McFadden, Mar.
28, 1864;
George C. McGinness, June
7, 1862;
Abrham Maxwell, killed
Apr. 6, 1862;
William Mercer, July 3,
1862;
Samuel H. Moore, Jan. 13,
1863;
Thomas Moore, July 17,
1863;
Joseph A. Rodgers, Apr.
16, 1862; of wounds;
William S. Seaton, Apr.
14, 1862;
Joseph L. Shinn, May 19,
1862;
Thomas Sheffler, killed
July 28, 1864;
Louis V. Srebenthall,
Feb. 13, 1865;
David W. Vance, May 2,
1862;
Sharezer Walt, Aug. 13,
1864;
Sampson Walker, June 2,
1864;
David C. Young, sergeant,
Mar. 15, 1862.
COMPANY F.
Marion Brinker,
Dec. 15, 1864, of wounds;
William B. Brown, killed
Aug. 3, 1864;
John S. Burbage, June 18,
1862;
James Cochran, Sept. 27,
1864;
Wilson M. Ellis, June 28,
1862;
William Gettis, July 14,
1863;
Oliver Gray, June 22,
1862;
Thomas E. Grier,
first sergeant, Nov. 28,1 864,
of wounds;
Marquis D. L. Hare,
captain, killed Mar. 21, 1865;
Wilson Haysleet, Oct. 6,
1864;
Benjamin F. Jacobs, June
10, 1862;
Presley J. Lane, corporal,
Apr. 19, 1862;
Richard E. Lytle, May 10,
1862;
John W. McFerren, major,
Oct. 3, 1862;
Alexander C. Neal, Sept.
13, 1862;
John L. Swisher, Jan. 30,
1863;
Nelson B. Thompson,
sergeant, June 12, 1863;
Andrew Urban, adjutant,
killed Sept. 3, 1864;
William H. Vaugh, July
18, 1862.
Page 348 -
COMPANY G.
Byron Best, May
29, 1865;
Samuel Bradford, Oct. 1,
1862;
Casper Dougal, June 2,
1862;
William J. Ellis, killed
Apr. 6, 1862;
George Elrod,Nov. 13,
1862;
Thomas C. Elrod,
corporal, Oct. 30, 1862;
James H. Fields,
corporal, killed Aug. 9, 1864;
Henry Hayslip, Aug. 24,
1864, of wounds;
James W. Hayslip, Aug.
31, 1864;
Nelson Hempleman, Aug.
18, 1864, of wounds;
Noah T. Jones, musician,
Dec. 4, 1862;
Alexander Little,
corporal, Apr. 22, 1862; of
wounds;
Joseph Little, Oct. 25,
1863;
James W. McDaniel, June
1, 1862;
Edwin C. Marsh, Sept. 22,
1864;
Alexander Ralsin, July
30, 1863;
William Rape, May 18,
1862;
Aaron Robuck, Jan. 23,
1863;
Rerlemon Ryan, May 31,
1864;
James Shelton, May 22,
1862;
Joseph R. Shively, killed
Apr. 6, 1862;
Matthew Tucker, May 27,
1862;
Abraham Watson, Oct. 17,
1864;
James Watson, Mar. 19,
1862;
Joh n Robuck, drowned in
the Ohio River eighty miles
below Louisville, Ky., Aug.,
1865, while on the way home.
COMPANY H.
Jacob Beam,
Sept. 9, 1862;
Harrison Bowman, May 13,
1862;
Samuel Brady, Sept. 30,
1864, of wounds;
James Fryar, July 18,
1862;
Augustus Gill, captured
Apr. 6, 1862; and died Apr. 27,
1862;
Henry H. Gray, Apr. 11,
1864;
William H. Greenlee, Mar.
31, 1862;
Jesse L. Howland, May 24,
1862;
Alexander Hudson, Dec. 28,
1862;
Michael Joyce, Dec. 28,
1863;
Charles Junnper,
sergeant, Mar. 1, 1864;
James Kilgore, May
28, 1864, of wounds;
David King,
Thomas Laughlin.
Oct. 16, 1862;
Valentine Miller,
Oct. 17, 1863;
William A. Ramsey, Oct.
13, 1863, of wounds;
George R. Shafer, Jan.
11, 1864;
James Smith, Oct. 31,
1862;
Martin Smith, May 9,
1863;
William Sullivan, Jan.
15, 1862:
David Thatcher, July 18,
1865;
James O. Thoroman,
September, 1863;
Stephen Tucker, May 20,
1862.
Of the officers and soldiers in
this regiment, the following
have sketches in this work:
Gen. Joseph R. Cockerill, Major
John W. McFerren, Lieutenant
Colonel Henry L. Phillips,
Captain L. L. Edgington, Hon,
John T. Wilson, John Campbell,
Hugh McSurely, Thomas W.
Connelley and John K.
Polland, deceased.
The Seventieth Ohio Infantry was organized by J. R.
Cockerill, of West Union.
This regiment was formed Oct. 1,
1861. Its place of
rendezvous was situated on the
old fair grounds at West Union,
and was named in honor of
Gen. Thomas L. Hamer.
The camp guard lines followed
the old fair ground fence and
the tents stood about half-way
between where the late residence
of Jacob Woods stands and
the entrance to the grounds on
the east. The regiments
drilled in the field to the
south of the present site of
Shuster Bros'. Mills.
During dress parade, Col.
Cockerill stood and gave
command from a position about
midway between two large locust
trees that stand along the
street or lane leading from near
the present residence of Mrs.
John Leonard to the old fair
ground gate. while the
regiment was located at West
Union the patriotic citizens and
relatives of the soldier boys
visited them daily and brought
the soldiers clothing, food and
furniture and other camp
comforts. The regiment did
not have any guns until about
Page 349 -
its departure from Paducah for
the battle field at Shiloh.
It had done military duty of all
kinds, except fighting, without
arms. Each soldier had a
stick on the end of which was
fastened an old bayonet.
On Christmas day, 1861, the
regiment marched from Camp Hamer
to Ripley, one division going
via Bentonville and Aberdeen and
thence by boat to Ripley; and
the other division marching over
the old state road, via Decatur.
Companies D and I of Cincinnati
joined the regiment at Ripley,
where it remained until Feb. 17,
1862, when it boarded the old
steamer Magnolia for Cincinnati.
From Cincinnati it was ordered
to Paducah, where it went into
camp, and remained until the
movement was begun up the
Tennessee toward Shiloh.
The regiment as already stated
participated in the battle of
Shiloh and was complimented by
Gen. Sherman for
valiant service rendered on that
bloody field. It is related that
before the battle, the
Confederates had planned an
assault on the Federal forces to
be made on Saturday. The
regiment had taken position near
the landing of Shiloh, had
stacked arms and begun
preparations for dinner.
Major McFerren
with seven men advanced, but he
had not gone far, when suddenly
came the challenge "Halt! who
comes there?" Quick as a
flash, the doughty little major
answered, "The advanced guard of
the army of the United States."
"The hell you say." The
Rebel picket discharged his
musket aimlessly, and
precipitately retreated toward
the Confederate lines.
This incident delayed the
Confederate advancement until
Sunday morning, and as seen in
the light of history saved the
Federal forces from certain
defeat. From the advance
sheets of "A History of
the Seventieth Regiment" by
T. W. Connolly, we glean the
following, deemed worthy of a
place here:
"The first man of the regiment, killed in battle was
William J. Ellis of Company
H, at Shiloh, Sunday morning,
Apr. 6, 1862. The second
capture from the regiment was
made near Shiloh on Apr. 4,
1862, when Lieutenant W. H.
Herbert, Co. H, Jesse
McKinley, George
Lowery, J. M. Sutton,
Thomas Everton,
Samuel Cox,
William Mc. and
Paul Gaddis were made
prisoners on picket line.
On May 9, 1862, between Shiloh
and Corinth, the regiment
received its first pay in silver
and gold.
At the storming of Fort McAllister on Dec. 13, 1864,
the 70th Ohio Regiment flag was
the first placed on the fort and
this was done seven minutes
after commencing. As a
recognition of bravery, this
regiment had the honor of
manning the fort for one month
afterward.
On Feb. 5, 1864, it was mustered out at Little Rock,
Ark. On Aug. 14, 1865,
about three hundred were still
left to march from Bufort to
take part in the grand review at
Washington at the close of the
war. It took part in
thirty-five battles and
skirmishes. The regiment
came to Camp Dennison after
being mustered out and every man
received his discharge and last
pay.
After the regiment was mustered out at Little Rock,
Arkansas, while coming up on the
Ohio River from Cairo, on the
steamer Argosa, and eighty miles
below Louisville, near Cave
rock, the mud drum of the boat
burst while a severe storm was
raging, at which time
twenty-three members of the
regiment were scalded severely
and nine were drowned in the
river.
Page 350 -
Companies F
and H of the 81st O. V. I.
This regiment was organized from
the state at large. Brevet
Brigadier General Robert N.
Adams, now living at
Minneapolis, Minnesota, was
second colonel of the regiment
The
late John A. Turley, of
Portsmouth, Ohio, afterwards
colonel of the 91st O. V. I. was
the original lieutenant colonel
of the regiment.
Frank Evans and William H. Chamberlin, both
Miami University students were,
in turn, majors of the regiment.
William Clay Henry, of Buena Vista, was also major
of the regiment.
Cornelius C. Platter, of
Ross County, was adjutant and
afterwards captain of Company D.
Companies C and I were organized
at Greenfield, Ohio.
Company D was organized at Upper
Sandusky. Company F, was
organized at Cincinnati, but a
number of the men were from Adams
and Scioto counties.
Company H was organized from
Adams and Scioto counties.
Company K was from Galion, Ohio.
The regiment was in the following battles: Shiloh,
Tenn., Apr. 6-7, 1862; Corinth,
Miss., (siege of), April 30 to
May 25, 1862; Corinth, Miss.,
Oct. 3-4, 1862; Tuscumbia, Ala.,
Apr. 24, 1863; Town Creek, Ala.,
Apr. 28, 1863; Ley's Ferry, Ga.,
May 14-15, 1864; Rome Cross
Roads, Ga., May 16, 1864;
Dallas, Ga., May 25 to June 4,
1864; Atlanta, Ga. (Hood's
First Sortie), July 22, 1864;
Atlanta, Ga. (Hood's
Second Sorty), July 28, 1864;
Atlanta, Ga. (siege of), July
28, to Sept. 2, 1864; Jonesboro,
Ga., August 31 to Sept. 1, 1864;
Lovejoy Station, Ga., Sept. 2-6,
1864; Savannah, Ga. (siege of),
Dec. 10-21, 1864; Bentonville,
N. C., Mar. 19-21, 1865;
Sherman's March to the Sea.
The original officers of Company F were Orzo J.
Dodds, captain; William
Clay Henry, first
lieutenant; Mahlin G. Bailey,
second lieutenant.
Benjamin P. Howell, a Miami University student,
was at one time captain of the
company.
William M. Murphy, of Adams County, was the
second lieutenant, promoted from
sergeant major. He died
since the war.
The following members of the company were from Adams
County:
Albert B. Baird, first
sergeant, resides in Cincinnati;
David W. McCall,
sergeant, died Oct. 4, 1862, of
wounds received in the battle of
Corinth the same day;
Samuel Devoss, sergeant;
Joshau B. Truitt, died
June 3, 1862, at Rome, Ohio;
Abner McCall, corporal,
killed Oct. 3, 1862, at the
battle of Corinth;
James Woodworth,
corporal, wounded July 22, 1864,
at Corinth;
John Hayslip;
George W. Easter, corporal,
wounded Oct. 3, 1862, at the
battle of Corinth;
Leonard Young, wounded
July 22, 1864, at Atlanta, Ga.;
Price J. Jones, corporal,
afterward first lieutenant Co.
H;
Charles H. Baird;
William M. Buck;
William M. Furnier;
James T. Pitts;
John D. Truitt, died July
28, 1864, at Atlanta, Ga., of
wounds received in the battle of
Atlanta July 22, 1864;
Joseph W. Britton,
discharged July 16, 1862, for
disability;
Samuel M. Hayward;
William McCandless, wounded
Oct. 3, 1862, at the battle of
Corinth;
Joseph W. Porter, wounded
Oct. 3, 1862, at the battle of
Corinth.
The original officers of company H were:
[Pg. 351]
Charles M.
Hughes, captain;
Robert E. Roney, first
lieutenant;
William Pittman, second
lieutenant.
W. Clay Henry, was the
second captain of the company
and
Cornelius C. Platter the
second first lieutenant.
Daniel Worley was first
lieutenant.
Henry C. Doddridge was a
sergeant. He afterwards
became a first lieutenant.
He was wounded and captured May
16, 1864.
John R. Baird was a
sergeant.
Captain David A. Murphy, who
has a portrait and a sketch in
this work, was a private in this
company. He was a soldier
with a record like that of
Chevalier Bavard - "without
fear and without reproach."
There were three brothers by the
name of Monk in this
company and six private soldiers
with the surname of Thompson.
Dr.
Peter J. Kline, one of the
most prominent physicians an
surgeons in the sate, residing
at Portsmouth, Ohio, was a
sergeant in Company I.
Dr. Kline is well known to
the people of Adams County, not
only for his high professional
standing, but also for his love
for the ex-soldiers of the civil
war and his devotions to their
interests. He is
constantly in demand to speak at
Soldiers' Reunions and on
Memorial Days. His record
as a soldier was one of the
best. He never failed in a
single duty and was always at
the front. No surviving
soldier of the civil war stands
higher in the public estimate
than he.
The following were the casualties in Company H:
George Adkins, died Sept.
2, 1862;
Isaac P. Clark, died Feb.
14, 1863, at Corinth, Miss.;
Elisha Decker, died Aug.
5, 1864, at Marietta, Ga.;
William H. Howard,
corporal, died May 30, 1864, of
wounds;
Thomas Hutchinson, died
Oct. 9, 1862, of disease;
John McGim, died Apr. 4,
1863, of disease;
James Maddox, killed July
22, 1864, near Atlanta, Ga.;
John K. Manley, killed
Aug. 11, 1864, at Atlanta, Ga.;
Samuel Morrison, died
July 3, 1863, at Corinth, Miss.,
of disease;
Joh n N. Murfin died Jan.
21, 1865, in hospital boat, of
disease;
Christopher Oppy, died
Sept. 14, 1864, at Rome, Ga.;
William T. Oppy, died
Aug. 6, 1863, in hospital;
James Peyton, killed July
22, 17864, at the battle of
Atlanta;
John Smiley, died Apr.
14, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn.;
Isaac O. Thompson, died
Aug. 31, 1863, of disease;
Francis M. Tumbleson,
died Mar. 5, 1863;
Samuel T. Watts, died May
25, 1864.
John B. Young, of Blue
Creek, Adams County, was a
member of Comopany H. He
wrote many interesting letters
to the county newspapers during
his service. He has a
separate sketch herein.
Mr. Young was a model
soldier, and has reason to be
proud of the services he
rendered his country.
Dr.
Kline has kindly furnished
the following:
The Eighty-first Ohio Regiment had its first experience
on the firing line when it
carried its colors into the
smoke of battle at Pittsburg
Landing on that memorable and
bloody Sabbath morning, Apr. 6,
1862. Amid the crash and
din of this fight, it was given
a position in the Army of
Tennessee, remaining ever
afterward in this gallant and
historic army until the close of
the war, three yeas later, when
with thinned ranks and those
colors so bright and new on that
Sabbath morning, now tattered
and battle-scarred, it stood at
the battle of Bentonville, N.
C., more than one thousand miles
from the scene of its first
action. By its gallantry
in action and patient endurance
on the march, it had added in no
[Pg. 352]
small degree to the brilliant
history of Gen. Sherman's
favorite army corps, led by his
most beloved lieutenant-general
James B. McPherson, who fell
while gallantly leading his men
on the twenty-second day of
July, 1864, in front of Atlanta
and only a short distance from
the line of the Eighty-first
Ohio. On the afternoon of
the same day, together with the
rest of the brigade to which it
belonged, it took part in a
charge on the left of the
Fifteenth Army Corps, retaking
the works out of which Morgan
L. Smith's Division had been
driven, and at the same time
recapturing the famous De
Grasses Battery of four
twenty-pound Parrots which had
fallen into the hands of the
enemy. On this charge they
were led by Dr. C. P. Dennis,
of Portsmouth, Ohio, then a
member of Gen. Morgan L.
Smith's staff. Early
in May, 1864, this regiment
marched across the little wooden
bridge which spans Chickamauga
Creek at Lee and
Gordon's Mills, with nine
hundred bright muskets in its
ranks.
Three months later only three hundred guns were stacked
by this command in the streets
of Atlanta. This was the
mute eloquence of the gallantry
of this regiment from Resaca to
the Gate City of the South.
By a strange coincident, it
furnished the first man killed
in the army of Tennessee,
Thomas D. Crossby, at
Resaca; and also the last one
killed in the campaign at
Atlanta, John M. Cowman.
After the capture of Atlanta,
together with its brigade, it
was transferred to the Fourth
Division of the Fifteenth Army
Corps; and become a part of
General John M. Corse's
command, of Altona fame.
It participated in Sherman's
March to the Sea; and was
present at the capture of
Savannah, Georgia, Dec. 21,
1864.
Turning northward unflinchingly and uncomplainingly, it
took up that terrible five
hundred miles march; through
swamps, across rivers, and over
all obstacles a determined and
desperate enemy could place in
its way. Together with the
rest of Sherman's army,
it joined in the Union cheer,
carried the last earthworks, and
for the last time met armed
resistence to the Union
cause at Gouldsborough, N. C.,
Mar. 21, 1865. From here
it marched three hundred and
fifty miles, reacing Washington
City; and together with the rest
of Sherman's army passed
in review May 24, 1865, and then
became citizen soldiers.
Companies E
and I, 91st Regiment, Ohio
Volunteer Infantry.
The 91st Regiment was
organized at Ironton, Ohio,
Sept. 7, 1862, to serve three
years, and served until the
twenty-fourth of June, 1865.
John Turley, of Scioto
County, was original colonel;
Benjamin F. Coates, of Adams
County, was the original
lieutenant colonel, Company E,
Captain Samuel E. Clark,
and Company I, Captain Thomas
C. Downey, were raised and
organized in Adams County.
The regiment participated in the
following battles:
Buffalo, W. Va., Sept. 26, 1862; Fayetteville, W. Va.,
May 19, 1863; Blake's Farm, W.
Va., May 21, 1863; Cloyd's
Mountain, Va., May 9, 1864; New
River Bridge, Va., May 10, 1864;
Cow Pasture River, Va., June 5,
1864; Lynchburg, Va., June
17-18, 1864; Stevenson's Depot,
Va., July 20, 1864; Winchester,
Va., July 24, 1864; Halltown,
Va., Aug. 25-26. 1864;
Martinsburgh, Va., Sept. .18,
1864; Opequan, Va., Sept. 19,
1864; Fisher's Hill, Va., Sept.
22, 1864; Cedar Creek, Va., Oct.
19, 1864; Myerstown, Va., Nov.
18, 1864.
Page 353 -
The following members of Company
E died in service:
Capt. Samuel E. Clark,
killed in the battle of Cloyd's
Mountain, Va.;
William Cruit, did June
1, 1864, in Rebel prison;
James A. Cruit, died Nov.
11, 1864, in Rebel prison;
Thomas M. Douglas, died
Sept. 18, 1864, at Baltimore,
Md.,
William L. Douglas, died
June 28, 1864, at Leesburg, Va.;
William Edward, died Mar.
20, 1864;
Ira W. Ellison,
Mar. 26, 1864, at Fayetteville,
W. Va.;
William P. Jones, died
June 15, 1865, in Rebel prison;
William A. Leatherwood,
killed in the battle of Cloyd's
Mountain, Va.;
Samuel R. McColm died
Aug. 10, 1864, at Baltimore,
Md.;
William Shreffler died
Aug. 19, 1862, at Point
Pleasant, W. Va.;
James J. Swanger, killed
in battle of Lynchburg, Va.;
John Ward, died Sept. 10,
1864, Antietam, Md.
The following members of Company
E were wounded in battle, viz:
William Cruit,
William P. Jones,
Nathan A. Woodrow,
James Barickman,
James Wilson,
John V. Kincaid in the
battle of Cloyd's Mountain, W.
Va.;
Thomas Thompson, Cow
Pasture River, W. Va.;
Franklin D. Bayless,
William T. Knox,
John Hagerty and
Edard B. Shultz in the
battle of Stevenson's Depot;
Joseph N. Moore at
Martinsburgh, Va.;
James M. Boyles,
George Foster,
Joseph A. Stroman,
Jacob Moore and
John H. Prather in the
battle of Opequan, Va.;
John Flemming,
Allen Flemming and
James P. McGovney in battle
of Fisher's Hill, Va;
Robert S. Moore, Lalathia
Coryell and Sidney
Stroman in battle of
Lynchburg, Va.
The following members of Company
I were wounded in the service:
Jesse M. Bond, Thomas A.
Clemmer, Joseph V. Delaplaine,
Lucien J. Fenton, R. St. Clair
Fulton, Joseph B. Gamel and
Robert Kennedy,
wounded in the battle of
Opequan;
Aaron T. Shriver, Lynchburg;
George W. Armstrong, Evan M.
Hughes, and Robert Palmer
in the battle of Stevenson's
Depot;
William L. Albert, at
Halltown.
Of Company I the following died
in service:
William Dickey and
Samuel L. McKee were killed
in the battle of Lynchburg, Va.;
Silas Duncan died Apr.
30, 1863, at Fayette Court
House, W. Va.;
Ira T. Hays, James B.
Johnson, James H. McCoy, James
F. Steen, William Taylor and
Garland Pulliam were all
killed in the battle of Opequan;
John A. McNeil, died Feb.
11, 1863, and
Samuel M. McNeil, died
Nov. 23, 1862, at Gauley Bridge;
Samuel Pursell died Aug.
11, 1864, at Antietam, Md.;
Algen Scott died July 13,
1863, at Winchester.
James Crawford
succeeded Samuel E. Clark
as captain of Company E and he
was discharged the eleventh of
October, 1864, and succeeded by
William D. Burbage, of
Washington, D. C.
Samuel P. Baldridge,
deceased, was lieutenant of
Company E, as was also Milton
Brown.
The second lieutenants were:
James C. Freeman, John H. Moore
and Eugene B. Williard,
of Hanging rock, Ohio.
Henry B. Woodrow,
sergeant of Company E was made
second lieutenant of Company H,
Dec. 2, 1864.
Of the officers of Company I,
Capt. Thomas C. Downey
resigned Nov. 29, 1862, and was
succeeded by Allen T. Wickoff.
Samuel T. Baldridge was
the original second lieutenant
of this Company I.
Page 354 -
Company G, 129th O. V.
I.
Companies I
and K, 141st O. V. I.
National guards were from Adams
County. The commissioned
officers of Company K were:
George Kirker, captain;
John N. Morris, first
lieutenant; Ellis Washburn,
second lieutenant.
Of Company K, the commissioned officers were:
Simon M. Fields, captain;
Robert Parker, first
lieutenant, and Thomas
Hayslip,
Page 355 -
second lieutenant. It was
mustered into service May 11,
1864, and mustered out Sept. 3,
1864.
During its service it was stationed at Charleston, W.
Va. There were no
casualties in either company.
Company G,
172d O. V. I.
Company H,
173d O. V. I.
Company G, H,
and I, 182d O. V. I.
Page 356 -
Company D, 191st
Regiment Ohio Volunteer
Infantry.
Seventh Ohio
Volunteer Cavalry.
Page 357 -
Page 358 -
oners; routed Forrest, Buford
and Rhoddy in their chosen
position at Ebenezer, capturing
two guns and 300 prisoners;
carried the works in your front
at Selma, capturing thirteen
guns and 1,100 prisoners, five
battle flags, and finally
crowned your success by a night
assault on the enemy's
entrenchments at Columbus, Ga.,
where you captured 1500
prisoners, twenty-four guns;
eight battle flags with vast
ammunitions of war; April 21,
you arrived at Macon, Ga.,
having captured on your march
300 prisoners, thirty-nine
pieces of artillery and thirteen
battle flags. Whether
mounted with the saber or
dismounted with carbines the
brave men of the Third, Fourth,
and Ffth Iowa; First and
Seventh Ohio and Tenth Missouri
triumphed in every conflict.
Battery F,
First Regiment Ohio Volunteer
Light Artillery.
Page 359 -
Company E,
First Regiment Ohio Volunteer
Heavy Artillery.
Company B,
Second Regiment Ohio Volunteer
Heavy Artillery.
Page 360 -
Second
Independent Battery Ohio
Volunteer Light Artillery.
Page 361 -
wait. Rochard S.
Postlewait, George W. Siberal,
Levi Smith and Henry
Wilson.
The
battery left West Union and went
to Cincinnati and from there to
Sandusky and from Sandusky it
went to Johnson's
Island and guarded the Rebel
prisoners officers of the
Confederate army placed on the
Island, until about December 1,
when it went to Cleveland and
was there about twenty-five
days. At Johnson's Island
it relieved the Eighth
Independent Battery. There
were no casualties in the
service but the weather was very
severe while they were stationed
at Johnson's Island, and being
from southern Ohio and
unaccustomed to the climate near
the lake, some of them came near
freezing to death. |