This
regiment was organized at Camp Chase, Ohio, in the
summer and fall of 1861, and was mustered in as a
regiment December 11th under Colonel Jonathan
Cranor. Eight soldiers of the regiment
were credited to Jerome Township, one of whom,
Jesse V, McDowell, died in the service.
The regiment served throughout the war in the Army of
the Cumberland and participated in a number of
decisive battles, including Chickamauga, where it
came on the field in Granger's Corps and
Steadman's Division just at the critical time Sunday
afternoon, September 20th, 1863, fought under
General George H. Thomas, "The Rock of
Chickamauga," and was a part of the Union Army that
saved the day in that bloody battle. They lost
heavily, and among the wounded was Dell Snodgrass
of Jerome Township.
The regiment left Camp Chase, Ohio, for the front
December 11th, 1861, was ordered to northeastern
Kentucky and was soon actively engaged in scouting
and skirmishing on the Big Sandy River with the
Confederate Army under Humphrey Marshall.
In January, 1862, it took an active part in the battle
of Middle Creek; then went into camp at Paintville.
It operated in Kentucky and Virginia until February,
1863, when it moved to Nashville, Tenn., and was
assigned to the First Brigade, First Division,
Reserve Corps, then at Franklin.
While at this place the Fortieth repulsed an attack
made by Van Dorn with a large mounted
force. On the 2nd of June it moved to Triune,
and on the 23rd joined Rosecrans' army in
Esley
Patch
121st O. V. I. |
William
N. Kile
17th O. V. I. |
Sergeant Marion Stevens
54th O. V. I. |
Harmon Patch
121st O. V. I. |
Sergeant
James C. Collier
30th O. V. I. |
George C.
Edwards
174th O. V. I. |
David Edwards
96th O. V. I. |
Festus Edwards
187th O. V. I. |
Pg. 105 -
the movement upon Shelbyville, Wartrace and
Tullahoma. It remained at Wartrace and
Tullahoma until September 7th, when it moved forward
in the advance on Chattanooga and took an active
part in the battle of Chickamauga. Soon after
this engagement the regiment went into camp at
Shellmound, where four of its companies reenlisted.
In the battle of Lookout Mountain, November 24th,
the Fortieth took a prominent part. In
January, 1864, in went into camp near Cleveland,
Tennessee, and in May entered upon the Atlanta
campaign, participating in nearly all the battles
through to the end.
In the battle of Lookout Mountain, November 24th, 1863,
the regiment fought with conspicuous bravery and was
highly complimented in general orders. The
regiment lost heavily on the Atlanta campaign, and
among the killed were Captain C. F. Snodgrass,
Captain Charles Converse and Major Thomas Acton died
of wounds.
Captain James Watson was promoted
to Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the regiment at
the close of the war. The regiment
participated in seventeen battles and fights,
besides many skirmishes, and the losses by
death—killed, died of wounds and disease—were two
hundred and thirty-seven. The regiment had a
service in which the survivors may well take a just
pride.
At Pine Knob, Georgia, on the 7th of October, Companies
A, B, C, and D were mustered out, and the remainder
of the regiment moved with the Fourth Corps, sharing
in the pursuit of Hood and in the retreat
before Hood from Pulaski.
In December, 1864, at Nashville, Tenn., the
non-veterans were mustered out, and the veterans
consolidated with the Fifty-first Ohio Infantry.
The combined regiment was then transferred with the
Fourth Corps to Texas, where it performed guard duty
until mustered out December 3, 1865. About
forty men from Union County were members of Company
D of this regiment, four of whom were killed, six
died in the hospital, two were drowned, and three
were wounded. |
