All remember
the early days of 1801. Sumter had fallen; the
Southern Confederacy was formed; the South, with
stolen munitions of war, and stolen money, had
organized a formidable army; secession was
unmistakably resolved upon. So appalling were
these events, that the North stood awhile paralyzed
and awe stricken. Then came our President's
call, for seventy-five thousand men.
Everywhere throughout the Northern States there was
a hearty response - nowhere was it heartier than
upon the Reserve of Northern Ohio. Lorain took
a gallant part in this first outburst of northern
patriotism; and during the entire period of the war,
there was no time when she was found faithless to
duty. Wherever danger lurked
thickest, there we find the Lorain boys. Many, very many never
returned; their lives went out as a sacrifice.They
died the noblest deaths for their country, and
beneath the skies of the sunny South, where the
groves of the magnolia and the orange shed an
undying perfume - the spot, perhaps, unmarked and
unknown - they "sleep the sleep that knows no
waking."
"Rest on, embalmed
and sainted dead,
Dear as the blood ye gave;
No traitor's footsteps e'er shall tread
The herbage o'er your grave;
Nor shall your glory be forgot
While Fame her record keeps
For Honor mourns the hallowed spot
Where loyal valor sleeps." |
" 'The real heroes of this ware are the great,
brave, patient, nameless people.' It is to
their service through these varied scenes that we
now gladly turn. The victory was not won
through generalship - it is a libel on the word to
say that generalship delayed for four years the
success of twenty-five millions in conflict with ten
millions, or required a million men in the closing
campaigns to defeat a hundred thousand; it was won
by the sacrifices, the heroism, the sufferings and
the death of the men in the ranks.
Their story we now seek to tell. It will not
be picturesque or attractive, but full of dry
details of fruitless fighting, of tedious marches,
of heroic endurance, of patience, and of weariness.
Even such was the life they led for us; and its
record, we are firmly persuaded, will never cease
to be cherished by their grateful countrymen."
But let us not forget to pay a tribute of gratitude
and just praise to the noble and heroic women of
Lorain county, for their labors of affection and
mercy
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during these weary, gloomy days. Their
generous, loving hearts sent forth pitying tears and
prayers for the safety of loved ones, and the
preservation of the Union. While fair hands,
many of them unused to labor, were occupied in
preparing comforts for the well, dainties for the
sick, necessaries for the wounded, and cheer for
all, noble and self-sacrificing women all over the
North formed themselves into aid societies, the good
results of which can hardly be over-estimated.
Early and late these angels of mercy toiled and
gathered, forwarding boxes of everything needed by
the soldier. Yet, could the senders have seen
the tears of joy which often greeted its reception,
they would have felt amply compensated.
The historical sketches of the organizations following
are from the very valuable work, "Ohio in the War,"
by Whitelaw Reid. We have spent
considerable time at the office of the
adjutant-general, at Columbus, in procuring records.
Many muster-rolls are incomplete, or missing
altogether; those of the three-months' men
especially are nearly all destroyed. In cases
where less than full companies of men report for
muster, the column on the muster roll, headed "where
enrolled," will be filled with the place of
rendezvous - for instance, the greater part of the
soldiers from north-eastern Ohio rendezvoused at
Camp Taylor, near Cleveland. They are so
recorded at the office of the adjutant-general, and
no reference whatever is made to the county in which
they resided when enlistment occurred. We
have, by correspondence with ex-company officers,
endeavored to obtain the name of every citizen of
Lorain county who was a soldier of the rebellion,
and if omissions occur, the "boys" will, we trust,
be charitable, believing that we have done all that
circumstances would allow.
The spelling of names is verbatim as given on
muster-in-rolls, and the writer cannot be held
responsible for errors of that kind.
SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER
INFANTRY.
THE EIGHTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER
INFANTRY.
TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT OHIO
VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT OHIO
VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT OHIO
INFANTRY.
FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT OHIO
INFANTRY.
FIFTY-FOURTH REGIMENT OHIO
VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD REGIMENT
OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH REGIMENT
OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH
REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH
REGIMENT OHIO NATIONAL GUARD.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH REGIMENT
OHIO NATIONAL GUARD
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIXTH
REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
BATTERY "B," FIRST OHIO LIGHT
ARTILLERY.
FIFTEENTH OHIO INDEPENDENT
BATTERY.
SECOND REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER
CAVALRY.
THIRD REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER
CAVALRY.
TWELFTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER
CAVALRY.
THE SQUIRREL HUNTERS.
During the autumn of 1862, the Confederate General
Kirby Smith advanced upon Cincinnati with a
large army. Governor Tod issued a
proclamation calling upon all who would furnish
themselves with rations and arms to turn out,
organize under their own officers, and rendezvous at
Cincinnati, transportation over the railroads to be
provided by the government. About three
hundred and fifty citizens of Lorain county
responded to the call of the governor These
men, of course saw no fighting, ,but their work was
cheerfully performed, because they thought their
services were needed. Governor Tod
caused lithograph discharges to be forwarded to
those whose names could be obtained. These
discharges may be found in many homes in the county
where they are properly prized.
The soldiers of the early wars, with descriptions of
forts and other defences, are given in the histories
of their respective townships.
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