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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/32015-h.zip b/32015-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3c2bc9c --- /dev/null +++ b/32015-h.zip diff --git a/32015-h/32015-h.htm b/32015-h/32015-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4b2a343 --- /dev/null +++ b/32015-h/32015-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1512 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget Company E 26th Ohio Infantry, by Walden Kelly. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center; clear: both;} + + hr {width: 33%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; clear: both;} + + body {margin-left: 12%; margin-right: 12%;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right; font-style: normal;} + + .blockquot {margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .poem {margin-left:15%; margin-right:15%;} + + .right {text-align: right;} + + a:link {color:#0000ff; text-decoration:none} + a:visited {color:#6633cc; text-decoration:none} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + ins.correction {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin solid gray;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget Company E +26th Ohio Infantry, by Walden Kelly + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget Company E 26th Ohio Infantry + +Author: Walden Kelly + +Release Date: April 16, 2010 [EBook #32015] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMPANY E 26TH OHIO INFANTRY *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<p> </p> +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="" /></div> +<p> </p><p> </p> +<h4><i>Lest We Forget the Men of Company “E”</i></h4> + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> +<h2>A Historical Sketch of Co. E, 26th Ohio</h2> +<h3>Volunteer Infantry</h3> + +<p>About the fifth day of June, 1861, Sylvester M. Hewitt, assisted by +several others, began the enlistment and organization of a company of +volunteer infantry at Mt. Gilead, Morrow county, Ohio, under the first +call of the President for three-year troops. Rapid progress was made and +in a few days the good ladies of the community organized and prepared +woolen underwear for the men. June 14th, 1861, the company, about 80<small><a name="f1.1" id="f1.1" href="#f1">[1]</a></small> in +number, formed on the North Public Square and marched to Gilead Station +(now Edison), followed by nearly the entire people of the community. We +boarded the train for Columbus and marched thence four miles west to the +newly established Camp Chase, where the 23rd, 24th and 25th Ohio Infantry +were being organized, and their quarters partially built. We were +quartered in tents, and on the following day heavy details were made to +commence building quarters for the 26th Ohio Infantry, the regiment to +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>which our company was assigned. Here our military education and +discipline began and was continued unceasingly under the wise direction of +our Colonel E. P. Fyffe, a West Point graduate, and his able assistants, +until its adhesiveness, confidence and valor made it a fighting machine so +perfect that no censure or taint mars its history, but several general +orders and many personal compliments mark its career. To this regiment we +became company E. The first commissioned officers of this company were +elected after our arrival at Camp Chase, and were Captain Sylvester M. +Hewitt, First Lieutenant Henry C. Brumback and Second Lieutenant James E. +Godman. Captain Hewitt was promoted to Major and transferred to the 32nd +Ohio Infantry, and James K. Ewart was commissioned Captain of company E, +July 29th, 1861, the same date that we left Camp Chase for Virginia. The +Quartermaster’s department was unable to furnish regulation uniforms as +fast as the new troops organized, hence our first uniforms consisted of +gray pants and roundabouts. This caused great annoyance during the first +two or three months of our service in Virginia by our troops mistaking us +for the enemy and firing upon us. General J. D. Cox ordered that we be +kept on inside duty until properly uniformed. We arrived at the front at +Gawley Bridge, Virginia, August 11th, 1861. After our gray uniform +experience we were continually in front in all the campaigns of the army +in which we served. We remained in Virginia until February 1st, 1862, and +participated in the campaigns to Boon Court House, Sewal Mountain, Cotton +Mountain, and Fayetteville and were engaged with the enemy at Horseshoe +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span>Bend, Sewal Mountain and New River. The casualty of battle, however, was +one. Corporal John McCausland, by concussion of a bursting shell, was +seriously injured at Horseshoe Bend. Our loss from all causes was three +deaths from disease and ten discharged because of disability. The company +had seven deserters during its entire service, but as none of them were of +value to the company or government, we drop them at this early stage. Some +of them, however, were carried on the roll to a later date. One only of +this number enlisted from Morrow county. The regiment was transferred to +Louisville—</p> + +<p class="poem">“Way down in old Kentucky,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Where they never have the blues,</span><br /> +Where the Captains shoot the Colonels,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And the Colonels shoot the Booze”—</span></p> + +<p>And marched to Bardstown where the regiment became part of the 15th +brigade, commanded by General Milo Haskel; 6th division, commanded by +General Thos. J. Wood; army of the Ohio, commanded by General Don Carlos +Buell. In this brigade<small><a name="f2.1" id="f2.1" href="#f2">[2]</a></small> the 26th regiment remained during the entire +war, the other three regiments forming the brigade leaving us at different +periods—the 17th Indiana to Wilders Mounted Infantry, the 58th Indiana +became the pontooniers of the army of the Cumberland, and the 3rd Kentucky +was transferred to General Harker’s brigade, remaining in the same +division. In February, 1862, the division moved on Bowling Green, thence +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>to Nashville, Tenn., and from there was the 4th division in line of +march, under Buell, to Pittsburg Landing, arriving on the field of battle +as the enemy was leaving. Our wagons were left some miles in the rear, on +the opposite side of the Tennessee River, and did not reach us for about +ten days. We carried our rations from the Hamburg Landing to camp—a +distance of nearly four miles. In the slow approach of our army on +Corinth, Miss., we were several times quite heavily engaged, skirmishing +with the enemy, losing a few men from the regiment, but company E suffered +no losses. On the evacuation by the Confederate forces we were moved +eastward along the line of the Memphis & Charleston railroad, crossing to +the north side of the Tennessee River at Decatur, Alabama, about July 6th, +1862, thence through Huntsville northeast into Tennessee via Fayetteville, +Winchester, Deckard and Hillsboro to McMinnville, on August 30th, 1862, by +a very rapid march of eight miles. Terminating by a double quick, we +succeeded in striking Forest’s cavalry, driving them so rapidly that we +captured their ambulance, with medical supplies, and also one of the +General’s horses. For rapidity of march and promptness in action the +regiment was complimented in general orders by the division commander. +September 2nd we started from McMinnville via Murfreesboro, Nashville, +Bowling Green and Mumfordville, for Louisville, Ky., to intercept Bragg, +who had invaded Kentucky through East Tennessee and was threatening +Cincinnati and Louisville. We were the advance division under Buell, +skirmished heavily with the enemy at Mumfordsville, reaching the Ohio +River 20 miles below Louisville<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> at dark, and, continuing the march during +the night, reached Louisville, Ky., at 3 a. m., September 23rd, 1862. +October 1st the army moved from Louisville, via Bardstown to Perryville, +where, on October 8th, the battle of Perryville was fought. We were on the +right in battle line under General George H. Thomas and skirmished lightly +with the enemy, expecting orders, which never came, to attack. We listened +to the roar of the battle to our left and were not heavily engaged; we +followed the retreating enemy through Danville, skirmished heavily with +them at Stanford and followed on southeast through Crab Orchard to about +30 miles beyond Mt. Vernon, when we were ordered back through Crab +Orchard, via Columbus, Ky., and Gallatin, Tenn., to Nashville. While at +Nashville we were engaged in three skirmishes while scouting and guarding +foraging trains. On Christmas day one of them occurred. We made a very +long and hard march, returning to camp near midnight with wagon trains +loaded with grain and other forage and found orders waiting us to have +three days’ rations in haversacks, strike camp and march at daylight the +following morning, December 26th, 1862. This was the opening of the Stone +River or Murfreesboro campaign. Our division was the second in line of +march. Skirmishing in front soon began, Palmer’s division gradually +driving the enemy’s cavalry. It began raining about 9 a. m. Near night the +enemy became more obstinate, using artillery freely, and held the village +of Lavergn, fifteen miles south of Nashville. Our division moved to the +front and went into bivouac. The rain continued during the night.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>In the reorganization of the army under General Rosecrans we were in the +First brigade, First division, Left wing, Army of the Cumberland. The Left +wing had the direct line of march to Murfreesboro. The center under Thomas +and right wing under McCook were several miles to our right and had a +greater distance to move, hence we were held until 10 a. m. next morning +before moving. Wood’s division took the advance and our brigade deployed. +The enemy, from an elevated position and under cover of buildings, firmly +resisted our advance, and we were compelled to charge the place, losing 32 +men from the brigade. Our regiment, making the direct attack, lost 28 of +that number. By rapidly driving the enemy a distance of seven miles, we +saved the bridge at Stewart’s Creek and captured 50 or 60 prisoners. The +weather became extremely cold. The next day, Sunday, the 28th, we remained +in position, and Monday, the 29th, moved forward, our division on the +left, Palmer’s on the right of the pike, driving the enemy to their +fortified line at Stone River. We remained in line of battle on the 30th, +while Thomas and McCook closed up on our right and formed a continuous +line. We received orders that night to cross the river, which the left of +our division joined, and attack the enemy on the following morning. While +executing this order the roar of the battle reached us from the extreme +right of the army and our movements were by orders changed and we +recrossed the river. General Bragg, during the day and night of the 30th, +had moved the bulk of his army so that it reached far past our extreme +right, and early commenced doubling our lines back from that flank; our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +regiment was placed in the line of battle to the right of Hazen’s brigade, +this being the point where the retrograde movement in our line ceased. +This position, on an open plain, without protection, we held for several +hours, repulsing three seperate and distinct charges, exhausting our 60 +rounds and being repeatedly supplied by details sent from company. Thus +for hours we held the key position of the battle, until a new line was +established at nearly right angles with us. We spent the last night of +1862 on the battle front until near morning. In the reestablishment of the +line we were placed in the reserve and remained there during January 1, +1863. On the morning of January 2nd we occupied a position, the left of +the regiment joining the Nashville and Murfreesboro pike, in an artillery +duel fought by several batteries and an equal number of the enemy. In the +forenoon we were in the direct line of shot and had several casualties in +the regiment. This was the last day of heavy fighting, Bragg retreating on +the night of the 3rd. Company E still retained its good luck, losing its +commanding officer<small><a name="f3.1" id="f3.1" href="#f3">[3]</a></small> killed and six wounded, out of a total loss from the +regiment of 102 during the campaign.</p> + +<p>The company, during the year 1862, from deaths, discharges and +resignations, lost in all 27 men, leaving on the roll of the company 63. +We remained camped at Murfreesboro until June 24th, drilling daily from 4 +to 6 hours, when not on other duty. We were on several foraging and +scouting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> expeditions during the time. By the President’s orders the army +under General Rosecrans was named the Army of the Cumberland and the parts +that had formerly been known as center, right and left wing, were changed +to the 14th, 20th and 21st army corps, remaining under the Commanders +Thomas, McCook and Crittenden. The brigade and division numbers were +changed to conform to the corps organization. The 26th Ohio was part of +the First brigade, First division, 21st army corps.</p> + +<p>In the Tullahoma campaign we failed in coming into direct contact with the +enemy, Bragg retreating before we reached his lines, and our division was +stationed at Pelham and Hillsboro, at the west slope of the Cumberland +Mountains, until August 16th, 1863, when the advance over the mountains +commenced. We reached the Sequatchie Valley at Thurman, marched down the +valley and crossed the Tennessee River on flat boats at Shell Mound and +held the advance on the direct line south of the Tennessee River to +Chattanooga. The 26th Ohio was the advance regiment marching in column and +company E the advance guard, and came around the point of Lookout Mountain +in a skirmish line, extending far up the slope to near the upper palisade. +After we came in sight of the city—or town, as it was at that time—and +demonstrated that the enemy was gone, a regiment of mounted infantry +passed us. We, however, took possession and did the patrol duty, gathering +in many prisoners during the afternoon and night of September 9th. On the +following day we followed up the line of retreat of Bragg’s army, passing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +through Roseville Gap in Missionary Ridge, thence on the Lafayette Road to +Lee and Gordon’s Mills at a ford of the Chickamauga River, where we +remained until September 19th, skirmishing daily. For the purpose of +demonstrating the severity of loss and that the reader may more fully +comprehend them, I will here, after its two-year-and-three-month service, +all of it in actual war, most of it in very hard campaigning, show its +strength: January 1st, 1863 (previously stated 63 enrolled), increase by +promotion and transfer, three;<small><a name="f4.1" id="f4.1" href="#f4">[4]</a></small> making 66; discharged in 1863, previous +to September 19th, 11 men; there were on detached service at division +headquarters 2; at Columbus, Ohio, one; musicians 3; to the 8th Indiana +Battery 2, to Pioneer Battalion 3, teamsters 3, absent temporarily 1, +absent sick 8, present with the company 32. Company E went into the battle +of Chickamauga with 2 officers and 30 enlisted men. We plainly heard the +roar of battle nearly four miles to our left, down the stream from us, or +to the north (the Chickamauga flows north and we were on the west bank of +the stream, fronting to the east), early in the forenoon, Saturday, +September 19th. This continued growing nearer until about 3 p. m., when we +were ordered double quick to the left following the Chattanooga & +Lafayette road in the direction of the heavy fighting, for near two miles +or to the Vineyard farm. The regiment formed line of battle in the +ordinary way of that date, two ranks touching elbows, in the timber facing +east about 60 feet east of the road and parallel to it. We had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> no +supporting line and were the extreme left of the brigade. In our rear +across the road and parallel to it was a cleared field about 600 feet wide +gently sloping from each side to a draw or ravine near its center. The +place was strange to us. A line of our men was supposed to be in our front +and extending to our left. The underbrush of and under the timber +prevented us from seeing more than a short distance. We were ordered to +fix bayonets and lie down. We formed the opinion that we were to make a +charge. Colonel William H. Young in command of the regiment, says in his +official report of the battle that we numbered about 350. Colonel W. H. +Fox, the great statistician, in his book, “Fighting Regiments,” says the +number was 362, but in a letter to the writer Colonel Fox says his figures +must have been taken from the morning report. In his letter he gives +company E 33 men, undoubtedly including the one absent guarding beef +cattle, who would still be carried on the morning report. Three hundred +and fifty men, the peer of any equal number in any one body that the +United States had ever produced, with two and one quarter years’ +experience, all of it war, inured to hardship and danger, never having +been repulsed or driven, thoroughly drilled and disciplined, well +officered, a perfect fighting machine! We heard the tramp of moving troops +in our front, supposing it to be our own men, but the enemy in full charge +appeared in our immediate front and secured the advantage of the first +volley. Quickly we responded with a rattling fire, not waiting for orders. +Load and fire at will was the impulse and action of all. Commands could +not be heard. The enemy’s line was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> fairly repulsed and their second line +had come to their assistance. We were holding our own and gradually +gaining, with full confidence that we were whipping or gaining the fight. +During this period of time our division and brigade commanders were +sending orders for us to fall back—our left flank was being turned—but +orders were slow in reaching us. Horses could not live to carry them on +that bloody field, our regimental field officers were quickly dismounted +and in the <ins class="correction" title="'furry' presented as in the original text">furry</ins> of that musketry the word had to be passed along the line +that our flank was exposed and we must retreat across the field. Gradually +that line moved back to the road where all could see the line of gray +already swinging across the open to our left. A hasty retreat was made to +the fence on the opposite or west side of the field, where, with a +promptness under fire never excelled, the regiment rallied and again +opened on the enemy, which lasted but a few minutes, when reinforcements +(a brigade from Sheridan’s division), came rushing to our left. We +recrossed the field, driving the enemy beyond our first position in the +timber on the east side of the road, for hours without protection of any +kind, at very close range. We had contended for the position of that road, +and as the sun closed its gaze by passing behind the western hills we were +masters of the situation. Over half of the company had fallen in two or +three hours, desperate fighting, not as Greek meets Greek but as Americans +meet Americans. Go view the fields, ye good people of Morrow County! Stand +by that monument erected by the great State of Ohio to the memory of the +26th, 212 of whom fell in that <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'blody'">bloody</ins> battle, three-fourths of them +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>undoubtedly on the Vineyard Farm, and then, but a few yards away, see the +one erected by the State of Georgia in memory of the 20th regiment +infantry, C. S. A., from that state, and read their inscription (“This +regiment went into battle with 23 officers; of this number 17 were killed +and wounded”), and then read Vanhorn’s description. In speaking of that +part of the battlefield (the Vineyard Farm) he says: “Mapped upon field +and forest in glaring insolation by the bodies of the slain.” Chaplain +Thomas B. Vanhorn was General Thomas’ chosen historian. He superintended +the moving of the bodies of the slain from Chickamauga to the National +Cemetery at Chattanooga. As daylight faded and darkness began we closed +our lines to the right, sent one guard from each company fifty paces to +the front and supplied ourselves with a double quantity of cartridges. One +cavalryman came to each company, secured their canteens, went to Crawfish +Springs, over a mile away, and returned them to us filled with much-needed +water. Thus the good Samaritan act was performed by them.</p> + +<p>Soon a temporary truce was formed, details made, and Johnnie and Yank were +soon mingled together, caring for the wounded as best they could. At about +2 or 3 a. m., Sunday morning, orders were quietly whispered along the line +to prepare to move, and very soon the line silently moved to the left a +distance of nearly two miles and was halted on the east slope of +Missionary Ridge, nearly a mile north of the Widow Glenn house, and we +were informed that we were to be the reserve. This position we held until +9 or 9:30 a. m., when we were moved to the front line, Wood’s division +relieving that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> of General Negley. The 26th Ohio was about one-fourth mile +southwest of the Brotherton house, it being the extreme right of the +division. The losses of the previous day had shortened the division line +until we failed in filling the space vacated by Negley, and in order to do +so extended to the right to reach the left of McCook, until our line +became attenuated. We heard the roar of the battle to our left gradually +coming nearer; we were heavily skirmishing with the enemy while in this +condition about 11 a. m. when General Wood received written orders from +General Rosecrans “to close up on Reynolds and support him.” A division +line of battle, as we formed at that time, was half a mile or more. +Reynolds commanded the 2nd division at our left, Brannon’s intervening. +Hence Wood, when he executed the order, moved in rear of and <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'parellel'">parallel</ins> to +Brannon, we being the extreme right of Wood, by moving in column to the +left, the 8th Indiana Battery in our immediate front. When we had marched +nearly half a division length, the battery, in its difficulties, having no +road in the timber, much of it heavy underbrush with bad ravines to cross, +delayed the two regiments in the rear, while the head of the column was +hastening to the support of Reynolds. This had left us far in the rear. In +this condition we received the enemy’s charge. <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'Natually'">Naturally</ins> and rightly, all +that could followed the head of column as per orders. We of the 26th Ohio +and 13th Michigan, in the extreme rear, were compelled to stop and repulse +the charge, thereby becoming isolated from all our commands and in the +center of that one-half-mile gap that was created by a mistaken order and +resulted in dividing the army.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> As soon as the battery extricated itself +from its difficulties, Colonel Young, our regimental commander, ordered us +to fall back. It was useless sacrifice to do otherwise. We were halted +several times at favorable localities to check the enemy, and that gallant +band of heroes, if you please, held its organization under as trying +circumstances as war produces, its last stand being made upon the side of +a spur of Missionary Ridge, where a tablet now stands to mark its heroism. +Here we held position for nearly an hour, aided by the 8th Indiana and 6th +Ohio Batteries. To our left the right of Brannon’s division was flanked +and to protect itself swung back to the north. To our right the left of +Davis’ division was flanked and to protect itself swung back to the south, +thus widening the gap and leaving us that much farther from support on +either side, the enemy advancing, taking protection of timber to the south +and also to the north of us, gaining our flanks, and we were compelled to +abandon our position. Here the 8th Indiana Battery by its loss of horses +was compelled to abandon their pieces. We retreated to the dry valley road +and thence with Sheridan and Davis to Roseville. Our part in the battle of +Chickamauga was over.</p> + +<p>Colonel Fox, under the head of “maximum percentage of casualties in a +single engagement under circumstances showing that few if any of the +missing were captured men,” places the 26th Ohio thirty-fifth in the list +of over two thousand regiments that were in the service during the war of +the rebellion, and, basing his estimates on 362 engaged and the total loss +212, as previously stated, at 58.5 per cent. Basing the estimates<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> on +Colonel Young’s report of 350 engaged, total loss 213, gives us a small +fraction of over 60 per cent. Of this, company E lost 20, or even 62.5 per +cent, 12 of whom were killed or mortally wounded—37.5 per cent. The +killed and mortally wounded were: First Lieutenant Francis M. Williams, +First Sergeant William H. Green, Sergeant Silas Stucky, Corporal Luther +Reed, and Privates Moses Aller, William Calvert, John Blaine, James R. +Goodman, Charles A. R. Kline, Samuel Neiswander, Emanuel W. Stahler and +Robert W. Stonestreet. The wounded were: <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'Coporal'">Corporal</ins> James W. Clifton, +Privates William H. H. Geyer, Henry C. Latham, McDonald Lottridge, Joseph +L. Rue, Henry Stovenour, Adelphus E. Stewart and Isaiah Sipes.</p> + +<p>Others in the company were painfully wounded, but are not included in the +list, as they remained and continued doing duty. Only one, William H. H. +Geyer, recovered sufficiently during the remainder of his enlistment to +rejoin the company for duty. Of the killed, by examining the “Roster of +Ohio Soldiers” (published by the State of Ohio), you will find four, viz.: +Silas Stucky, Moses Aller, John Blaine and Emanuel W. Stahler, reported +missing. This is misleading. Kindly remember that the temporary truce was +formed that night soon after the heavy fighting ceased and we closed our +thinned column to right. We were nearly a quarter of a mile south of where +our terrible losses had occurred and but few men were permitted to leave +the line. Our band boys, who usually cared for the wounded, had lost, +killed and wounded, nine of their number. They were largely Sheridan’s +men, strangers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> to us, who gathered up our wounded, placed them in +ambulances and sent them to the Crawfish Spring field hospital, which fell +into the enemies hands the following day, and we saw that part of the +Vineyard Farm no more for several months. McDonald Lottridge, who on +account of wounds never rejoined his company, saw Moses Aller fall and was +satisfied from his actions that he was shot in the head. Joseph Williams +of Company K, (a brother of Lieutenant Francis Williams of our company), +while lying wounded in a fence corner by the side of John Blaine, adjusted +a knapsack under Blaine’s head, and says he: “Blaine was shot through the +breast,” and could have lived but a short time. Members of the regimental +band, whose duty it was to gather up the wounded, claim to have seen the +bodies of Silas Stucky and Emanuel W. Stahler dead upon the field. These +four men of the company are reported to be missing in the “Roster of Ohio +Soldiers.” Neither of them has been heard of since the battle, hence there +can be no doubt that they were numbered with the slain. In 1861, while in +Virginia, a man of the regiment returned from a hospital at Charleston and +reported that James D. Dickerson of company E had died. The officers +dropped his name from the records. He (Dickerson) soon after reported for +duty and his name was replaced on the records. This incident aids in +explaining why their names appear among the missing. A large per cent of +the Union dead remained unburied until we came in possession of the +battlefield after the battle of Chattanooga or until about December 1st. +Two brigades of our army were sent to the fields<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> for that purpose. The +following day, September 1st, we were in the regular line of battle on +Missionary Ridge, north of Roseville Gap, and offered battle to the enemy. +During the night we formed a line of battle closer to Chattanooga, the +flanks touching the Tennessee River, above and below. Our position was at +Fort Wood, which we aided in building, due east of the town.</p> + +<p>In the reorganization of the army, the 20th and 21st army corps were +practically consolidated and formed the 4th corps. In this organization we +became part of the 2nd brigade, commanded by General Geo. D. Wagner, 2nd +division commanded by Major General P. H. Sheridan. Our regiment was taken +out of the line of battle and camped in the town and heavy details made +from it to guard the supply trains to Bridgeport, Ala., and return. It was +our understanding at the time that we were to be detached from the brigade +and become a part of the local garrison. We having been the first to +occupy and patrol the place, we felt that it was due us, and having been +so fearfully mangled at Chickamauga it would give time to partially +recuperate, but Sheridan objected, stating that such regiments, full of +experience, could not be spared from the front, and we were soon doing +picket duty. No supplies could be furnished by the country to which we had +access. The road traveled to bring them was a mountainous one and sixty +miles to railroad. The mules were shortly fed and heavily worked. The +rainy season opened and our rations grew less and less until a half ration +was issued to the men. Bacon was not issued, but fresh beef was used in +its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> place. The cattle were driven from the Ohio river, a distance of near +400 miles, and grazing in the mountainous country was not well calculated +to produce fat. Hence we got the expression, which originated at +Chattanooga during the siege, “beef dried on the hoof.” This was the +situation when General Thomas telegraphed Grant: “We can hold the place +till we starve.” Over ten thousand horses and mules died during the siege +and those that survived were in no condition for service.</p> + +<p>October 27th, by a brilliant movement, Thomas at Chattanooga and Hooker at +Bridgeport Co-operating, we gained possession of the river from Brows +Ferry west, giving us water transportation to within nine or ten miles, +and in a few days the soldiers were on full rations. The horses and mules +did not fare so well. Bragg’s army largely outnumbered that of General +Thomas, for, be it understood, his (Bragg’s) army of the Tennessee had, +before the battle of <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'Chickamagua'">Chickamauga</ins>, been reinforced by Buckner’s army of +East Tennessee. Two divisions of Joe Johnson’s army of Mississippi and +Longstreet’s entire corps from Lee’s army of Virginia and also a large per +cent of the parolled prisoners from Vicksburg had joined him. Hooker, with +15,000 from the Potomac army, had partially joined us and we were +expecting Sherman with 20,000 to arrive soon. Activity with us commenced, +indicating an offensive movement. We had been under the fire of the +enemy’s guns since September 19th. Sherman was delayed by heavy rains and +high waters. Under Grant’s instructions Thomas ordered the two divisions +of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> 4th corps, Sheridan and Wood, to advance and drive the enemy from +their outer line and capture Orchard Knob. This movement was made about 3 +p. m. November 23d, and was the opening of the battle of Chattanooga. Our +losses were nearly two hundred, mostly from Wood’s division, none from +company E. We occupied our new position three-eighths of a mile south of +Orchard Knob, one mile west and in plain view of the enemy’s line of works +at top and foot of Missionary Ridge, and were under the fire of their +field and siege artillery during the 24th, listening to and watching +Hooker’s fight above the clouds on Lookout Mountain, and remained in this +position on the 25th, watching Sherman’s battle at the north end of +Missionary Ridge until 3 p. m. or perhaps later. Between our position and +the ridge was a plain, partly open and part timber, most of the timber +having been recently cut by the Confederates. All the fences were gone. +Missionary Ridge lies nearly north and south and extends from the +Tennessee River at the north many miles south. Its average elevation is +600 feet above the plain and the distance from base to summit near +one-fourth of a mile. About 2 p. m. each man was notified that when six +shots were fired in regular succession from the artillery on Orchard Knob +we were to move forward in order, keeping well our alignment, and take the +Confederate works at the foot of the ridge. A tiresome wait of one or two +hours followed. The men’s faces became pale, but firm pressure of the lips +showed the determination. The time passed slowly, for the mental strain +was great. Finally, the signal came, carefully counted by each, and when +the sixth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> sounded all stepped over our temporary works and moved forward.</p> + +<p>The enemy’s artillery promptly opened in full force from the top of the +ridge, the shells exploding all around us. A file or two of men fell near +the colors. The men began quickening the step—no pale faces now—the +excitement of battle was on. You could constantly hear the officers’ +command—“Steady men! Go slow!” Time flew by like a dream. The enemy’s +line in the lower works at the foot of the ridge became demoralized and +they left before we reached them. The reverse side of their works offered +us no protection from the artillery and infantry fire from the top, and by +a common impulse, without orders, we continued the charge up the side of +the ridge. We had the usual double line formation, the 26th Ohio in the +front line, the 15th Indiana supporting 150 to 200 paces in the rear. We +were to a great extent winded, having made the last three or four hundred +yards double quick. We moved up the hills slowly, loading and firing, +taking advantage of such protection as was available. The enemy was at +this time largely overshooting us and the 15th Indiana, in our rear, was +suffering heavily. When half or two-thirds the way up the ridge they came +forward to our assistance where they could take part in the shooting. +Lieutenant Wm. B. Johnson of company E went down with a shattered leg and +ordered his First Sergeant to go on with the company, but to see that he +was cared for that night. We reached the enemy’s works and captured them, +taking a few prisoners, most of the enemy escaping down the eastern slope +of the ridge, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> was not so precipitous as the western which we had +come up. The road leading from General Bragg’s headquarters, (about three +hundred yards south of where our regiment reached the top), going east +down the slope, was the only way available for the Confederates’ artillery +to make their escape. General Sheridan, quick to seize and hold the +advantage, came to the left of his division and ordered Colonel Young, +with his 26th Ohio and the 15th Indiana, to hasten northeast down the +slope and capture all we could reach or head from the road mentioned. This +we did for nearly a mile, gaining two brass guns at one place, four brass +and two Parrott guns, several caissons and limbers at another. The troops +of Wood’s division to our left advanced but a short distance after +reaching the top of the ridge and were recalled. A quarter of a mile or +more of gap now existed between our right and the brigade, which was +advancing in line along the road mentioned and became heavily engaged. +Sheridan sent orders for us to oblique to the right. It was now dark and +under Colonel Young’s directions we moved carefully and slowly over +ravines, through brush, guided by the sound of battle, striking the +enemy’s line on an abrupt knob, which we, without hesitation or any delay, +charged, and captured two more pieces of artillery and many wagons. +General Sheridan, in his official report of the battle, in speaking of +this part of the engagement states: “But a few moments elapsed ere the +26th Ohio and 15th Indiana carried the crest. When the head of the column +reached the summit of the hill the moon rose from behind and a medallion +view of the column was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> disclosed as it crossed the moon’s disk and +attacked the enemy.”</p> + +<p>Our part in the battle was over. That the reader may more fully understand +the important part taken by us I will give a few statistics taken from +official records: Loss of Sheridan’s 2nd division 4th army corps, 1346, +the heaviest in any division of the army. Wood’s 3rd division, 4th army +corps, came second, with 1035. Our 2nd brigade, 2nd division, 4th army +corps, lost 730. There were three brigades in each division. The next +brigade to ours in loss was General Hazen’s 2nd Brigade, 3rd (Wood’s) +division, 4th army corps, 522. That magnificent 15th Indiana regiment that +was in the second line supporting us, that came so gallantly to our aid +and so nobly stayed with us (see official report), went into the battle +with 334 officers and men, and of this number its loss was 199 killed and +wounded, the heaviest regimental loss in the battle. The three regiments +sustaining the greatest loss were all in our brigade. The 26th Ohio +numbered present about 150 and lost 36. Company E, 13 engaged, loss 5. All +of them had participated with the company at Chickamauga. Thus of the 32 +engaged on September 19, seven were left, two of whom were later killed in +battle while with the company. James H. Smith was shot, a minnie (1 oz.) +ball passing through his leg while we were going up the ridge. He examined +the wound and remained with the company, the blood spurting from the top +of his shoes at each step until he was ordered to the hospital by Colonel +Young after the battle was over. No organization in the battles of +Chickamauga and Chattanooga<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> carried their banner higher on the roll of +fame than did the 26th Ohio.</p> + +<p>The following day, November 26, the two divisions, Sheridan’s and Wood’s, +of the 4th corps, were ordered to march to relieve General Burnside, +besieged at Knoxville. We were expected to live largely from the products +of the country (now largely exhausted). We had drawn no clothing since +leaving Murfreesboro in June. Our mules and horses were either dead or +unfit for service. We were short on clothing and transportation. We left +our camp in Chattanooga and saw it no more until January 18, 1864. This +was a memorable and a cold winter, with its historic cold New Year’s day. +We marched through the day and part of the time gathered corn, shelled it +and ran the water mills, of which that country was plentifully supplied. +During the night, when we could, we built log-heap fires, and when the +ground had become thoroughly warm, we divided the fire, cleaned away the +coals and ashes and slept on the warm ground between the two fires. +January 1st, while at Blains Crossroads, northeast of Knoxville, the +regiment veteranized or re-enlisted and was ordered home on thirty days’ +furlough. We marched to Chattanooga, arriving on the 18th, completed our +papers and were mustered January 21, starting home by freight soon +afterward.</p> + +<p>We left Columbus, Ohio, on our return to the front, about March 4th, +joining our brigade at Charleston, Tennessee, about March 15th. In April +we moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, and from there started on the Atlanta +campaign, May 3rd, and came under the fire of the enemy’s guns May<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> 7th, +and remained in hearing of their guns and under fire until September +5th—at least over one hundred days under fire. We (our brigade) advanced +along the Eastern slope and near the summit of Rocky Face Ridge, +supporting Harken’s brigade, moving along the summit, assaulting the main +line of works. We came under the direct fire from their main line, but +were restrained from assaulting. We held this position until Sherman’s +entire army (except part of the cavalry and our 4th corps), had moved +south along the west base of the ridge to Snake Creek Gap and through it +to near Resaca, when Johnson abandoned his fortified position at Rocky +Face and hastily retreated, we following on the direct line of his retreat +and on arrival joining at once in the battle of Resaca, driving the +enemy’s lines into their fortifications. We built a temporary line of +works within 200 yards of theirs, holding this position until they again +retreated. The night of May 15, bridges were floated and the Oostanaula +River crossed, the 4th corps taking the advance, driving Johnston’s rear +guard. On the 17th, our division (Newton now commanding, Sheridan having +been ordered to the Eastern department) was in the advance. One brigade +deployed. In the evening two brigades were deployed and the enemy’s lines +driven until a line of works was developed. Artillery was freely used, the +26th Ohio losing over twenty men. Darkness closed the fighting and in the +morning their works were abandoned, we following, bivouacking the night of +the 18th near Kingston, Ga. The 19th we advanced on Cassville, the enemy +stubbornly resisting, and in the evening a general line of battle was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +formed. They were again fortified and as before, during the night, +abandoned them and crossed the Etowah River. Here we were delayed until +the railroad bridges could be rebuilt and supplies reach us. May 23rd we +crossed the river, keeping to the west of the Altoona Mountains in the +direction of Dallas, the 20th corps under Hooker having the advance on the +road to New Hope Church, where several roads formed a junction. In the +effort to reach this point Hooker became heavily engaged and we, the +nearest division of the corps and army, were rushed to his aid, and just +as twilight faded into darkness, in the midst of a very heavy rain, +thunder and lightning storm and the roar of artillery and crash of +musketry, we closed upon Hooker’s left within 300 yards of the enemy’s +main line of works. Here we fortified and remained under their fire and +responded to it until June 6th. Johnston having retreated, we moved to +near Ackworth, on the railroad, south of Altoona. Here we rested until the +10th. We moved forward southeast, heavily skirmishing almost continuously, +the artillery firing constantly, to Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain, Muddy +Creek and Kenesaw, each of these being thoroughly fortified. We reached +the west slope of the latter June 20th, and on the 22nd drove the enemy’s +skirmishers into their main line. While holding our position and building +rifle pits for our pickets, Daniel Densel of company E was mortally +wounded. Our division formed the assaulting column of the 4th corps June +27th. Company E had one wounded.</p> + +<p>I dislike to leave this heroic assault without a short description. The +ground in our front was heavily timbered,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> descending for 200 yards to a +ravine, thence a thirty per cent rising grade for 300 yards to their line +of works, consisting of heavy embankment with head logs, so mounted as to +give space for firing underneath. A wide and deep ditch was in front of +the works. A large share of the timber was felled with tops down the hill, +all twigs and light limbs cut off, so that in advance up to their works +haste or alignment was an impossibility. Through this in double column we +struggled, a few of the men falling very near the ditch and others +actually reaching their embankment, but they could not reach them in mass +sufficient to drive the enemy. A new stand of colors, presented to the +regiment by the ladies of Chillicothe, Ohio, was carried into this +desperate charge. The color sergeant was killed and several of the color +guards killed and wounded and the staff of the colors was shot in three +places with fifty-seven bullet holes through the colors. Go see the flag +in the State House, Columbus. The marks on the staff are still showing.</p> + +<p>Sherman continued fortifying and lengthening his battle-line to the right +(nearly south), until the morning of July 2d, when we found the +Confederate lines were vacated. We followed close to their rear guard, +about seven miles to “Smirny Camp Grounds,” where we became quite strongly +engaged, driving their rear and developing a strong line of works. Here we +were held with very brisk skirmishing until July 5th, losing a few men +from the regiment on the 4th. Again we moved briskly south, hoping to meet +our enemy in the confusion of crossing the Chattahoochee River, but we +failed. From the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> bluffs on the north side of the river we first saw +Atlanta, ten miles away, while here the non-veterans (those that did not +reenlist), were ordered to Chattanooga and mustered out, the veterans and +recruits holding the company and regimental organization. On the 16th we +crossed the river, advancing slowly that the army of the Tennessee and +Ohio (McPherson and Schofield), who had a greater distance to move, might +be nearer. On the 20th we crossed Peach Tree Creek and gained a ridge +about half a mile south, when our division of the 4th and the 20th corps +were to establish a line. The Confederate army, now commanded by General +Hood, had concentrated in front of this position, intending to crush us +while we were in the confusion of crossing the stream, and did make a most +furious attack when but part of the line had gained position. Those not in +line, being close, countercharged, driving the enemy and establishing a +connected line. Hood repeated the assault, but was at every point +repulsed. Thus less than half of the army of the Cumberland alone, without +fortifications and hardly an equal show with the enemy, lacking a +completed line at the opening, thoroughly repulsed the combined strength +of Hood’s army. On the 22nd we advanced in line to the front of the main +fortifications around Atlanta. The army of the Tennessee, in the effort to +close to our left, fought the battle of Atlanta, their commander, General +McPherson, being among the slain. We skirmished very heavily and were +under the direct fire of their artillery from the main line of +fortifications in front of the city. This continued more or less until +August 26th. The army of the Tennessee, now under the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> command of General +Howard, moved to the extreme right. The army of the Ohio, under General +Schofield, a few days later did the same. This left our division the +extreme left of Sherman’s army. We readjusted our line of fortifications, +making a refused flank with completely inclosed forts supplied with +surplus ammunition, water and food. Sherman’s flank movement by the right +to the south of Atlanta commenced on August 25th by withdrawing our 4th +corps to the rear of the 20th corps and moving it (the 20th) to and across +the Chattahoochee River with all surplus trains and artillery, we the 4th +corps continuing to move to the right, on the following day passed beyond +the extreme right of Hood’s army and on the 28th advanced to the Mount +Gilead Church, skirmishing heavily and driving the enemy across the West +Point railroad. On the 29th and 30th, continuing the movement, we gained +<ins class="correction" title="original reads 'posession'">possession</ins> of the Macon railroad, thus severing the last line leading from +the city, and September 1st, until about 4 p. m., we were burning the ties +and heating and twisting the rails, moving south as we did so, and by so +doing were prevented from reaching Jonesboro in time to envelop the flank +of Hardee’s corps. We were rushed hastily into position and were driving +their shattered flank when darkness and the entanglement of brush, +ravines, etc., and the danger of coming into conflict with our troops +closed the movement. In the morning we found the enemy had fled. During +the night we heard the explosion of the magazines and trains of ammunition +at Atlanta, over twenty miles away. We followed Hood south to Lovejoy +Station, when we drove their skirmishers and outposts into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> their main +line of works. We remained in front of them until the 5th, when we +withdrew and marched back to Atlanta, where we remained in camp until +about the 20th. During our stay at this place official reports were made +covering the losses of each organization during the Atlanta Campaign. I +have not access at this writing to those reports as published in the war +records. The 26th Ohio had killed and wounded, as officially reported, +117.<small><a name="f5.1" id="f5.1" href="#f5">[5]</a></small> Of this number company E lost but two, one mortally wounded, one +wounded. Clark became captain of the company in December, 1862. He was on +detached service, commanding a battalion of pioneers, and did not join the +company and regiment until we veteranized in January, 1864. In May, 1864, +he was placed in command of the brigade battalion of pioneers, consisting +of twenty privates, two corporals, one sergeant and one commissioned +officer from each regiment of the brigade or about 175 in all. Company E +was made the detail from the 26th and we were exempt from picket or +skirmish duty. We were required to each carry either a pick, shovel or ax +in addition to that required of each soldier. Our place was with our +regiment, but subject to call to any point, to build fortification rifle +pits or to open or repair roads. We might justly compare our industry to +that of the honey bee. During that campaign we stopped work only long +enough to take part in the fighting and some of the time were using tools +when the shell and minnie were adding impetus to our mental and muscular +skill. About the close of the Atlanta campaign Captain Clark became the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> +commander of the regiment and was soon afterward promoted to Lieutenant +Colonel and continued in command until mustered out with the regiment.</p> + +<p>About September 25th Hood’s flank movement around Atlanta had advanced so +that Sherman divined his intentions and ordered our division north by rail +to Chattanooga. The 26th Ohio was thrown in the lead (advance guard) on +two passenger coaches, each man with loaded gun ready for immediate +action. The division followed by freight trains in sections. On arriving +at Chattanooga we were kept on trains much of the time and moving from +place to place between Dalton and Bridgeport, many times nearly smothered +with smoke as we rode on top of the cars through the tunnel under +Missionary Ridge. After Hood moved west into Alabama we started to join +the main army west of Rome, Ga., where orders met us by which we crossed +Lookout and Sand Mountains to Stevason, Ala., where we were mustered for +pay October 31, going from there by rail to Athens, Ala., thence marched +to Pulaski, Tenn., thus placing ourselves between Hood, now at Florence, +Ala., and Nashville, Tenn. We held this position until Hood advanced via +Columbia. We moved October 21 to Lineville and to Columbia on the 23rd +formed line of battle, each flank reaching Duck River, one above the +other, below the town. This position we held, skirmishing lightly, until +the night of the 27th when we crossed to the north bank. Early in the +morning of the 29th, Thomas at Nashville ordered General Schofield (in +direct command at Columbia) to fall back to Franklin. The trains, over +eight<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> hundred wagons, were started on the Nashville pike. When the head +of this train reached Spring Hill, eleven miles away, they were stopped by +the enemy’s cavalry. Our division, General Wagner commanding, hastened to +the relief of the train, arriving about 1 p. m., Opdyke’s brigade leading, +and drove the enemy out of the town north. Bradley’s brigade, the second +in line of march, formed line facing east and advanced nearly a mile, our +brigade, Colonel Lane commanding, forming the reserve. The 26th Ohio soon +after was ordered to extend the skirmish line east of the pike farther +south and take possession of and hold a dirt road coming into the pike +over a mile south. At this place we were located near a cotton gin, on +which an outlook was posted, who soon reported Confederate troops in +sight. We built a rail barricade, each man got out of cartridge box and +bit off ten cartridges and made all the arrangements we could for rapid +firing. The gray lines could be seen by Sergeant Hall (the outlook) for a +long distance and he kept posting us as to their movements. He held his +post too long and was killed in the effort to reach us at the barricade. +It was undulating farm land where we were located, with timber showing +south of us and also in our rear three-fourths of a mile or one-fourth +west of the pike. We could see the gray lines east of us, at some places +half a mile away, as they were advancing, but owing to the roll of the +land they passed out of our view nearly one-fourth of a mile in front or +east of us and did not appear again until less than one hundred yards +away. We opened fire and effectually stopped them in our front and +temporarily to right and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> left, but to our left, north of us, they soon +pressed forward, passing directly between us and Spring Hill. Wagner, +seeing our situation from his position, over a mile away, rushed a battery +forward and opened fire, we getting the effect as well as our enemy +between us and the guns. We held this position until all or nearly all had +consumed their ten rounds, when Captain Clark gave the order to escape if +possible. In doing this we obliqued to the southwest to escape a heavy +fire now reaching us from the north and the quicker to get protection from +the rolling ground. While the battery held them in check we crossed the +pike and made a complete half circle to reach Spring Hill, which we did, +losing 77 men from the regiment. Sergeant John F. Chambers of company E +was among the slain. Schofield, with the army from Columbia, began to +arrive about 11 p. m., and leaving our division, now confronting Hood’s +entire army, in position, moved north, driving the rebel cavalry from the +pike, the wagon train following, just as it began to show light in the +east, the last of the wagons crossed a bridge at the north edge of the +town. Our division swung back in line of battle across the pike and became +the rear guard as the train moved off rapidly and cleared the way. Lane’s +(our brigade) and Conrad’s (formerly Harken’s) swung into the pike, +leaving Opdyke’s the rear guard. This order was kept, holding the enemy in +check until we reached the heights, about three miles south of Franklin. +Here Opdyke moved to the inside of the works being built, Lane and Conrad +moving back gradually from one position to another until nearly one-third +of a mile<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> in front of the hastily constructed fortifications. Here, +through a blunder that General Schofield should not escape by charging it +to others, as we were in plain sight and had been on extreme duty without +cooked food of any kind for thirty-two hours, and every soldier in the +line knowing we were in a false position, our two brigades of the division +that had protected his rear saved the entire train, fought the battle of +Spring Hill and stood guard during the night while the army and train +moved on. To be left on the plains without works and both flanks exposed +was a gross error. The 26th Ohio was the extreme right of this exposed +line upon the plain. We saw the solid lines of Hood’s army as it advanced. +We held this position but a short time. Those to the left of us being more +advanced, owing to the lay of the ground, than we, were struck and broken, +we fell back to the main line. Company E was less than 200 yards to the +right of the Carter House and the main line was not broken at this point. +We fought with other troops that occupied the works when we reached them. +Here the enemy was repulsed. A short distance to our left, near the Carter +House, they had gained part of our line. The 26th, under orders from +Captain Clark, moved or closed to the left to aid in repelling them from +this place. Our lines, with the other troops in the works, formed in ranks +four or five deep, the rear men loading and passing the guns to those in +front, and the firing was constant until long after dark, when Hood ceased +his efforts to make his lodgment permanent and firing gradually ceased. +Vanhorn in his history states (Vol. 2, page 202): “The defensive fire was +so rapid from 4 p. m.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> to nightfall that it was difficult to supply the +troops with ammunition. One hundred wagon loads of artillery and infantry +ammunition were used from the 4th corps train alone.” Company E had one +man wounded. In view of the fact that General J. D. Cox, in his writing on +the battle, has left the impression that the two brigades doing outpost +duty continued their retreat past the main line to the river, I feel that +in justice to those brigades (and more especially to company E, 26th and +company D, 65th Ohio, both Morrow County companies), I should say a few +words more. I have never yet seen in any official report a single +statement justifying his position. Cox on that day was in command of the +23rd corps. It was his line that was broken at the Carter House and it was +Opdyke’s brigade of our division that, without orders, started the +countercharge which, with the assistance of Lane’s comrades and part of +the 23rd corps, reestablished the continuity of the line. Either of those +three brigades, called Sheridan’s old division,<small><a name="f6.1" id="f6.1" href="#f6">[6]</a></small> have more regiments +listed among Fox’s three hundred than has the entire corps commanded on +that occasion by Cox. When we started from our first position, exposed on +the plain, it became necessary for us to make speed and clear the field in +front of our main line that our men in the works might open fire. In this +hasty retreat it was but natural for the men to incline to the left or +east toward the pike or road by which we had retreated from Columbia, and +some of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> extreme left of our regiment reached the works near the +Carter House and found them already vacated by our troops and occupied by +the enemy, and two or three of company B were taken prisoners after +reaching the main line. Of these, Sergeant David Bragg, now living in +Columbus, Ohio, and one of the oldest railroad mail clerks now in the +service, was one. From the recent call for volunteers and the draft, quite +a large assignment of new troops had been made to some of the regiments in +Lane’s and Conrad’s brigades. (Our regiment received none.) These new +troops reached us while on the retreat from Pulaski but a few days before. +They had never been drilled and it is probable that a large share of them +may have continued their flight beyond the main line. Opdyke’s, Lane’s and +Conrad’s brigades (2nd division, 4th army corps) lost more men than the +entire other four divisions of infantry and the cavalry corps that was +present, and as a rule, if you follow the trail of blood, you are keeping +close to the fighting line.</p> + +<p>The veterans of that old division, whose well-tried courage shone forth in +historic grandeur, it is not overpraise to say were practically +panic-proof. Opdyke was in the direct line of retreat, and on the same +reasons given by Cox and others for the break in the line at the Carter +House, he (Opdyke) with no line of works to protect them would certainly +have been “carried away” if the flight of Lane and Conrad had continued to +the river. The men of the 26th were called from the lines and we crossed +the river before midnight and continued our march, arriving at Nashville +December 1st, near<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> noon, where we made coffee and lay down to rest for +the first time since the morning of November 29th. In the evening company +E was called to tear down some buildings in front of our established line +and to build works during the night. We remained at this line until the +battle of Nashville, December 15th and 16th. December 9th Captain Wm. +Clark was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, First Lieutenant Phillips M. +Ogan to Captain and Sergeant Walden Kelly to First Lieutenant. The first +day of the battle, the 4th corps, leaving a detail to hold the works, +moved to the right, attacked the enemy, driving them from their fortified +position. The 26th Ohio was left in our main line of works, deployed to a +division front or nearly half a mile. Our instructions were to hold them. +We were not engaged the first day. On the morning of the second day’s +battle, December 16th, before daylight, we moved to position in the front +line of the brigade and at daylight moved toward the Brentwood Hills, +driving the enemy’s outposts and establishing our lines under easy Enfield +rifle range of their fortified line. Under a heavy artillery and infantry +fire we held position until about 3 p. m., when we were instructed to +prepare ten rounds for rapid firing, at a given signal to commence and at +a second signal, to be given as we exhausted the ninth round, we were to +charge with loaded guns and capture the works on our front. These +instructions were literally carried out, a heavy per cent of the enemy +being captured in their works. We pursued rapidly until dusk. Early in the +morning of the 17th we were in pursuit, the 4th corps in the lead on the +direct line of Hood’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> retreat. Thus in midwinter, following as rapidly as +possible, the bridges were all destroyed, and flooded streams delayed the +pursuit, which was continued until January 1, 1865. The broken and +disorganized army of Hood’s crossed the Tennessee River at Florence, Ala. +The latter part of the campaign was done by us on short rations; three +days to last five were the orders. Our line of march was changed to +Huntsville, Ala., where we arrived January 7, 1865, and remained enjoying +a well-earned season of rest until March 15. Soon after arriving Captain +Ogan rejoined his company and Lieutenant Kelly was temporarily placed in +command of company F. This proved to be permanent. On February 28th he was +commissioned captain and assigned to said company after having served +three years and over eight months in company E, and, as it proved, after +all our fighting was over. In March we (the 4th army corps), moved to East +Tennessee by rail via Chattanooga and Knoxville to Bulls Gap, thence +marched repairing and rebuilding the railroad northeast toward Richmond, +Va. While at this work, near Greenville, Tenn., we received the news of +Lee’s surrender. That night was spent hilariously cheering and singing +that old familiar piece, “Go Tell Aunt Rhoda the Old Gray Goose Is Dead.” +The following morning I doubt if there was enough ammunition in the +cartridge boxes of the men in our division to have made a respectable +skirmish. Soon afterward Johnston surrendered to Sherman and the 4th corps +was ordered by rail to Nashville, where we expected to be mustered out. +May 9th the corps passed in review before General Thomas and received his +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>congratulatory order on the 10th. About the 1st of June it became the +talk of the camp that our corps would probably be sent to the Mexican +frontier on account of the Maximilian government which foreign powers were +trying to establish there. Strong protests were made by both officers and +men, feeling that we had fulfilled the terms of our enlistment, “three +years or during the war,” but to no avail. June 16th the command started. +Just before starting all who had less than ninety day’s to serve were +mustered out. The 97th Ohio infantry of our brigade came under this order. +Fifty-six of their men, who had more than the specified time yet to serve, +were <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'transfered'">transferred</ins> to the 26th, company E receiving her share of them. The +command moved by rail to Johnsonville, Tenn., thence, by steamboats down +the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, La., by ocean +steamers to the Matagorda Bay, landing at Indianola, since destroyed by a +storm similar to the one a few years ago at Galveston. We marched about +thirty-five miles and camped on the Plasadore, about July 20th. Here we +remained. Nothing especially interesting or eventful worth relating took +place—no drill, except dress parade. Guard and fatigue duty was reduced +to the minimum until mustered out October 21. We started on the home trip +the 24th. On account of storms and an unsafe vessel we ran into the harbor +at Galveston and remained four days, were transferred to a safer vessel +and arrived at New Orleans November 4th. We came up the Mississippi to +Cairo on the steamer Ruth, the largest vessel then plying the river; by +rail (freight cars) via Matoon, Ill., Terra Haute and Indianapolis, Ind.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +From there we took passenger coaches to Columbus, Ohio. The enlisted men +received their pay and discharges in the same barracks that we had built +when the regiment organized in June, 1861. The commissioned officers were +held one day later to turn over the official records and make final +settlement, arriving at home near the middle of November, 1865.</p> + +<p>Discrepancies appear in both the Rebellion Official Records and Roster of +Ohio Soldiers. Some of them, when properly explained, show to the reader +the honest intention of the compiler or author. I call attention to two +cases:</p> + +<p>First, General George D. Wagner, commanding 2nd brigade, 2nd division, 4th +army corps. The 26th was in said brigade. In his official report covering +the entire Atlanta campaign, May 3, to September 20, 1864, he reports ten +officers killed and wounded in the 26th Ohio regiment.</p> + +<p>The official report of Major Noris T. Peatman, commanding the regiment at +the close of said campaign, reports one officer, Lieutenant Platt, killed, +and five officers, viz.: Major Peatman, Captain Baldwin, Lieutenants +Renick, Hoge and Foster wounded—six in all. During said campaign the +company and regimental official records were left far in the rear and not +seen until after the campaign closed. During this period temporary reports +were made almost daily on just such scraps of paper as were +available—leaves from memorandum books, etc. In the continual skirmish or +battle many officers and men were temporarily disabled by wounds and in +the daily reports would be included in the list of casualties. In the +official report, made at close of the campaign, only those<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> whose +disabilities compelled a continued absence were reported.</p> + +<p>Second, in the Roster of Ohio Soldiers: Company E 26th Ohio, is shown to +have had two first lieutenants from December 9, 1864, to February 28, +1865—Kelly and Osler. The former was present (at date of commission) with +the regiment and was mustered. Osler was wounded June 27, 1864, at Kenesaw +and was still in the hospital, at or near the time Kelly was commissioned +captain and assigned to company F. He (Osler) joined the regiment, was +mustered and assigned to company E. He remained but a short time, his +wound still in bad condition and continued so, and he was compelled to +have his leg amputated twenty or twenty-five years later. He died in +Columbus, Ohio, a few years ago. In 1890 I did considerable careful +estimating as to losses and percentage of losses in the 26th Ohio and +wrote Colonel William F. Fox the results of my study. I here insert a copy +of his reply:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="right">“Albany, N. Y., June 18, 1890.</p> + +<p>“Capt. Walden Kelley, Osborn, Mo.:</p> + +<p>“Dear Comrade—Your interesting letter of the 9th was read with +pleasure and in the next edition of ‘Regimental Losses’ I will insert +on page 32:</p> + +<p>“‘Twenty-sixth Ohio, Wood’s division, number engaged 362, killed 52, +percentage killed 14.’</p> + +<p>“This percentage, however, already appears, although in a somewhat +different form, on page 36, the loss being one of the severest in the +war.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span>“I was pleased with the perfect analysis you made of the enrollment +of your regiment, for it indicates that among the readers of +Regimental Losses there are those who catch the idea involved in the +question of enrollment, and who understand the argument I was trying +to make. Had I known that the enrollment of the Twenty-sixth was +capable of such an extensive boiling down, I would have gone over the +names myself, and, as a result, would have assigned it a page among +the ‘three hundred fighting regiments.’ As it is, I will try to put +it there in the next edition. I will also insert on page 13:</p> + +<p>“‘Twenty-sixth Ohio, Newton’s division, Fourth corps, 1,161 enrolled, +122 killed, 10.5 per cent.’</p> + +<p>“A further study of the matter leads me to think that the +Twenty-sixth must have lost 60 in killed and mortally wounded at +Chickamauga but as this number includes some whose exact fate will +never be known, I will have to leave the number, for the present, at +52, which is all that can be officially proved. If I remember +rightly, however, this number includes two or three of the missing +men in company E, whose names were mentioned in your letter.</p> + +<p>“The Twenty-sixth Ohio was a fighting regiment, and its grand record +at Chickamauga has given it a foremost place in the heroic annals of +the war. The figures for its loss on that field tell better than any +high flown rhetoric of the desperate stand made by that gallant +little battalion. Will attempt no compliments here, for I have no +words which can add anything to the mute record of the figures which +I have already recorded in connection with its name.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>“Perhaps your old comrades of the Twenty-sixth may be interested to +know how the other regiments of their division fared on that hard +fought field. I enclose a memorandum of the <ins class="correction" title="original reads 'casualities'">casualties</ins> in General +Wood’s division, and have added the figures for the number which each +regiment carried into the fight. These figures indicate that the +hottest fire along the line was concentrated on the position held by +the Twenty-sixth Ohio. If any other regiment faced a hotter fire, it +must have been from behind breastworks or some equivalent protection.</p> + +<p>“I think the losses in Wood’s division were still larger than these +percentages indicate, for the number present seems to have been taken +from the morning report, and so includes the non-combatants, together +with others who, although borne on the morning report as present for +duty, never carried a musket. I see that the Eighth Indiana battery +reported 134 present, but I never saw a battery take that many men +into action. And the Eighth Indiana had been knocking around a good +deal before it reached Chickamauga.</p> + +<p>“Well, those were heavy losses, but they saved the day. I know there +are many who call Chickamauga a Confederate victory, and the Johnnies +fought hard enough to entitle them to one. But those two armies +marched out for a prize. That prize was Chattanooga. ‘You’uns’ won +it, and held it. ‘They’uns’ lost it.</p> + +<p>“I hope your regimental reunion will be a pleasant one, and that your +reunions may be well attended for many years to come. With kind +regards for all old comrades of the Army of the Cumberland (for my +regiment served in the Army of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>the Cumberland part of the time), I +remain</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 4em;">“Yours in F., C. and L.,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">WILLIAM F. FOX.”</span></p></div> + +<p>The author makes no claim to being a writer or in any way qualified to +prepare a historic sketch of this character for publication. He has made +this attempt as a duty and a labor of love. The space allotted does not +permit of an extended and complete article, such as the company’s service +would justify. Laboring daily, it is between days and with the limited +records at his command, largely from memory, that it is produced. Having +been present with the company in all its campaigns, battles and marches +until its last battle was over, no one, living or dead, had better +opportunities of knowing than he.</p> + +<p>I have avoided individual praise or special mention. There is glory enough +for all. Let it be the common inheritance of company E.</p> + +<p class="right">WALDEN KELLY.</p> + +<p>Osborn, Missouri, September 1st, 1909.</p> + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><b>Footnotes:</b></p> + +<p><a name="f1" id="f1" href="#f1.1">[1]</a> While at Camp Chase the company was filled to the maximum (101).</p> + +<p><a name="f2" id="f2" href="#f2.1">[2]</a> In the reorganizations of the army it changed to different divisions +and corps and its number changed to correspond, regiments left and also +other regiments joined, but at no time was the brigade organization broken +up.</p> + +<p><a name="f3" id="f3" href="#f3.1">[3]</a> 1st Lieut. David McClellan of company G, was killed while in temporary +command of company E. No officer belonging to the company being present.</p> + +<p><a name="f4" id="f4" href="#f4.1">[4]</a> Our captain, 1st and 2nd Lieutenants had each been promoted from other +companies of the regiment and transferred to company E.</p> + +<p><a name="f5" id="f5" href="#f5.1">[5]</a> Official report of General Wagner, our brigade commander.</p> + +<p><a name="f6" id="f6" href="#f6.1">[6]</a> Major General Sheridan was the first commander of the 2nd Division 4th +A. C., and was followed in the order named by Generals Newton, Wagner and +Elliott. It was commonly known in the army as “Sheridan’s old Division.”</p> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget +Company E 26th Ohio Infantry, by Walden Kelly + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMPANY E 26TH OHIO INFANTRY *** + +***** This file should be named 32015-h.htm or 32015-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/0/1/32015/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/32015-h/images/title.jpg b/32015-h/images/title.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5ea8d85 --- /dev/null +++ b/32015-h/images/title.jpg diff --git a/32015.txt b/32015.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3465b8a --- /dev/null +++ b/32015.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1489 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget Company E +26th Ohio Infantry, by Walden Kelly + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget Company E 26th Ohio Infantry + +Author: Walden Kelly + +Release Date: April 16, 2010 [EBook #32015] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMPANY E 26TH OHIO INFANTRY *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +_A Historic Sketch_ + +_Lest We Forget_ + +_Company "E" 26th Ohio Infantry_ + + +_In the War for the Union_ + +_1861-65_ + + +_By Captain Welden Kelly_ + + + + +_Lest We Forget the Men of Company "E"_ + + + + +A Historical Sketch of Co. E, 26th Ohio + +Volunteer Infantry + + +About the fifth day of June, 1861, Sylvester M. Hewitt, assisted by +several others, began the enlistment and organization of a company of +volunteer infantry at Mt. Gilead, Morrow county, Ohio, under the first +call of the President for three-year troops. Rapid progress was made and +in a few days the good ladies of the community organized and prepared +woolen underwear for the men. June 14th, 1861, the company, about 80[1] in +number, formed on the North Public Square and marched to Gilead Station +(now Edison), followed by nearly the entire people of the community. We +boarded the train for Columbus and marched thence four miles west to the +newly established Camp Chase, where the 23rd, 24th and 25th Ohio Infantry +were being organized, and their quarters partially built. We were +quartered in tents, and on the following day heavy details were made to +commence building quarters for the 26th Ohio Infantry, the regiment to +which our company was assigned. Here our military education and +discipline began and was continued unceasingly under the wise direction of +our Colonel E. P. Fyffe, a West Point graduate, and his able assistants, +until its adhesiveness, confidence and valor made it a fighting machine so +perfect that no censure or taint mars its history, but several general +orders and many personal compliments mark its career. To this regiment we +became company E. The first commissioned officers of this company were +elected after our arrival at Camp Chase, and were Captain Sylvester M. +Hewitt, First Lieutenant Henry C. Brumback and Second Lieutenant James E. +Godman. Captain Hewitt was promoted to Major and transferred to the 32nd +Ohio Infantry, and James K. Ewart was commissioned Captain of company E, +July 29th, 1861, the same date that we left Camp Chase for Virginia. The +Quartermaster's department was unable to furnish regulation uniforms as +fast as the new troops organized, hence our first uniforms consisted of +gray pants and roundabouts. This caused great annoyance during the first +two or three months of our service in Virginia by our troops mistaking us +for the enemy and firing upon us. General J. D. Cox ordered that we be +kept on inside duty until properly uniformed. We arrived at the front at +Gawley Bridge, Virginia, August 11th, 1861. After our gray uniform +experience we were continually in front in all the campaigns of the army +in which we served. We remained in Virginia until February 1st, 1862, and +participated in the campaigns to Boon Court House, Sewal Mountain, Cotton +Mountain, and Fayetteville and were engaged with the enemy at Horseshoe +Bend, Sewal Mountain and New River. The casualty of battle, however, was +one. Corporal John McCausland, by concussion of a bursting shell, was +seriously injured at Horseshoe Bend. Our loss from all causes was three +deaths from disease and ten discharged because of disability. The company +had seven deserters during its entire service, but as none of them were of +value to the company or government, we drop them at this early stage. Some +of them, however, were carried on the roll to a later date. One only of +this number enlisted from Morrow county. The regiment was transferred to +Louisville-- + + "Way down in old Kentucky, + Where they never have the blues, + Where the Captains shoot the Colonels, + And the Colonels shoot the Booze"-- + +And marched to Bardstown where the regiment became part of the 15th +brigade, commanded by General Milo Haskel; 6th division, commanded by +General Thos. J. Wood; army of the Ohio, commanded by General Don Carlos +Buell. In this brigade[2] the 26th regiment remained during the entire +war, the other three regiments forming the brigade leaving us at different +periods--the 17th Indiana to Wilders Mounted Infantry, the 58th Indiana +became the pontooniers of the army of the Cumberland, and the 3rd Kentucky +was transferred to General Harker's brigade, remaining in the same +division. In February, 1862, the division moved on Bowling Green, thence +to Nashville, Tenn., and from there was the 4th division in line of +march, under Buell, to Pittsburg Landing, arriving on the field of battle +as the enemy was leaving. Our wagons were left some miles in the rear, on +the opposite side of the Tennessee River, and did not reach us for about +ten days. We carried our rations from the Hamburg Landing to camp--a +distance of nearly four miles. In the slow approach of our army on +Corinth, Miss., we were several times quite heavily engaged, skirmishing +with the enemy, losing a few men from the regiment, but company E suffered +no losses. On the evacuation by the Confederate forces we were moved +eastward along the line of the Memphis & Charleston railroad, crossing to +the north side of the Tennessee River at Decatur, Alabama, about July 6th, +1862, thence through Huntsville northeast into Tennessee via Fayetteville, +Winchester, Deckard and Hillsboro to McMinnville, on August 30th, 1862, by +a very rapid march of eight miles. Terminating by a double quick, we +succeeded in striking Forest's cavalry, driving them so rapidly that we +captured their ambulance, with medical supplies, and also one of the +General's horses. For rapidity of march and promptness in action the +regiment was complimented in general orders by the division commander. +September 2nd we started from McMinnville via Murfreesboro, Nashville, +Bowling Green and Mumfordville, for Louisville, Ky., to intercept Bragg, +who had invaded Kentucky through East Tennessee and was threatening +Cincinnati and Louisville. We were the advance division under Buell, +skirmished heavily with the enemy at Mumfordsville, reaching the Ohio +River 20 miles below Louisville at dark, and, continuing the march during +the night, reached Louisville, Ky., at 3 a. m., September 23rd, 1862. +October 1st the army moved from Louisville, via Bardstown to Perryville, +where, on October 8th, the battle of Perryville was fought. We were on the +right in battle line under General George H. Thomas and skirmished lightly +with the enemy, expecting orders, which never came, to attack. We listened +to the roar of the battle to our left and were not heavily engaged; we +followed the retreating enemy through Danville, skirmished heavily with +them at Stanford and followed on southeast through Crab Orchard to about +30 miles beyond Mt. Vernon, when we were ordered back through Crab +Orchard, via Columbus, Ky., and Gallatin, Tenn., to Nashville. While at +Nashville we were engaged in three skirmishes while scouting and guarding +foraging trains. On Christmas day one of them occurred. We made a very +long and hard march, returning to camp near midnight with wagon trains +loaded with grain and other forage and found orders waiting us to have +three days' rations in haversacks, strike camp and march at daylight the +following morning, December 26th, 1862. This was the opening of the Stone +River or Murfreesboro campaign. Our division was the second in line of +march. Skirmishing in front soon began, Palmer's division gradually +driving the enemy's cavalry. It began raining about 9 a. m. Near night the +enemy became more obstinate, using artillery freely, and held the village +of Lavergn, fifteen miles south of Nashville. Our division moved to the +front and went into bivouac. The rain continued during the night. + +In the reorganization of the army under General Rosecrans we were in the +First brigade, First division, Left wing, Army of the Cumberland. The Left +wing had the direct line of march to Murfreesboro. The center under Thomas +and right wing under McCook were several miles to our right and had a +greater distance to move, hence we were held until 10 a. m. next morning +before moving. Wood's division took the advance and our brigade deployed. +The enemy, from an elevated position and under cover of buildings, firmly +resisted our advance, and we were compelled to charge the place, losing 32 +men from the brigade. Our regiment, making the direct attack, lost 28 of +that number. By rapidly driving the enemy a distance of seven miles, we +saved the bridge at Stewart's Creek and captured 50 or 60 prisoners. The +weather became extremely cold. The next day, Sunday, the 28th, we remained +in position, and Monday, the 29th, moved forward, our division on the +left, Palmer's on the right of the pike, driving the enemy to their +fortified line at Stone River. We remained in line of battle on the 30th, +while Thomas and McCook closed up on our right and formed a continuous +line. We received orders that night to cross the river, which the left of +our division joined, and attack the enemy on the following morning. While +executing this order the roar of the battle reached us from the extreme +right of the army and our movements were by orders changed and we +recrossed the river. General Bragg, during the day and night of the 30th, +had moved the bulk of his army so that it reached far past our extreme +right, and early commenced doubling our lines back from that flank; our +regiment was placed in the line of battle to the right of Hazen's brigade, +this being the point where the retrograde movement in our line ceased. +This position, on an open plain, without protection, we held for several +hours, repulsing three seperate and distinct charges, exhausting our 60 +rounds and being repeatedly supplied by details sent from company. Thus +for hours we held the key position of the battle, until a new line was +established at nearly right angles with us. We spent the last night of +1862 on the battle front until near morning. In the reestablishment of the +line we were placed in the reserve and remained there during January 1, +1863. On the morning of January 2nd we occupied a position, the left of +the regiment joining the Nashville and Murfreesboro pike, in an artillery +duel fought by several batteries and an equal number of the enemy. In the +forenoon we were in the direct line of shot and had several casualties in +the regiment. This was the last day of heavy fighting, Bragg retreating on +the night of the 3rd. Company E still retained its good luck, losing its +commanding officer[3] killed and six wounded, out of a total loss from the +regiment of 102 during the campaign. + +The company, during the year 1862, from deaths, discharges and +resignations, lost in all 27 men, leaving on the roll of the company 63. +We remained camped at Murfreesboro until June 24th, drilling daily from 4 +to 6 hours, when not on other duty. We were on several foraging and +scouting expeditions during the time. By the President's orders the army +under General Rosecrans was named the Army of the Cumberland and the parts +that had formerly been known as center, right and left wing, were changed +to the 14th, 20th and 21st army corps, remaining under the Commanders +Thomas, McCook and Crittenden. The brigade and division numbers were +changed to conform to the corps organization. The 26th Ohio was part of +the First brigade, First division, 21st army corps. + +In the Tullahoma campaign we failed in coming into direct contact with the +enemy, Bragg retreating before we reached his lines, and our division was +stationed at Pelham and Hillsboro, at the west slope of the Cumberland +Mountains, until August 16th, 1863, when the advance over the mountains +commenced. We reached the Sequatchie Valley at Thurman, marched down the +valley and crossed the Tennessee River on flat boats at Shell Mound and +held the advance on the direct line south of the Tennessee River to +Chattanooga. The 26th Ohio was the advance regiment marching in column and +company E the advance guard, and came around the point of Lookout Mountain +in a skirmish line, extending far up the slope to near the upper palisade. +After we came in sight of the city--or town, as it was at that time--and +demonstrated that the enemy was gone, a regiment of mounted infantry +passed us. We, however, took possession and did the patrol duty, gathering +in many prisoners during the afternoon and night of September 9th. On the +following day we followed up the line of retreat of Bragg's army, passing +through Roseville Gap in Missionary Ridge, thence on the Lafayette Road to +Lee and Gordon's Mills at a ford of the Chickamauga River, where we +remained until September 19th, skirmishing daily. For the purpose of +demonstrating the severity of loss and that the reader may more fully +comprehend them, I will here, after its two-year-and-three-month service, +all of it in actual war, most of it in very hard campaigning, show its +strength: January 1st, 1863 (previously stated 63 enrolled), increase by +promotion and transfer, three;[4] making 66; discharged in 1863, previous +to September 19th, 11 men; there were on detached service at division +headquarters 2; at Columbus, Ohio, one; musicians 3; to the 8th Indiana +Battery 2, to Pioneer Battalion 3, teamsters 3, absent temporarily 1, +absent sick 8, present with the company 32. Company E went into the battle +of Chickamauga with 2 officers and 30 enlisted men. We plainly heard the +roar of battle nearly four miles to our left, down the stream from us, or +to the north (the Chickamauga flows north and we were on the west bank of +the stream, fronting to the east), early in the forenoon, Saturday, +September 19th. This continued growing nearer until about 3 p. m., when we +were ordered double quick to the left following the Chattanooga & +Lafayette road in the direction of the heavy fighting, for near two miles +or to the Vineyard farm. The regiment formed line of battle in the +ordinary way of that date, two ranks touching elbows, in the timber facing +east about 60 feet east of the road and parallel to it. We had no +supporting line and were the extreme left of the brigade. In our rear +across the road and parallel to it was a cleared field about 600 feet wide +gently sloping from each side to a draw or ravine near its center. The +place was strange to us. A line of our men was supposed to be in our front +and extending to our left. The underbrush of and under the timber +prevented us from seeing more than a short distance. We were ordered to +fix bayonets and lie down. We formed the opinion that we were to make a +charge. Colonel William H. Young in command of the regiment, says in his +official report of the battle that we numbered about 350. Colonel W. H. +Fox, the great statistician, in his book, "Fighting Regiments," says the +number was 362, but in a letter to the writer Colonel Fox says his figures +must have been taken from the morning report. In his letter he gives +company E 33 men, undoubtedly including the one absent guarding beef +cattle, who would still be carried on the morning report. Three hundred +and fifty men, the peer of any equal number in any one body that the +United States had ever produced, with two and one quarter years' +experience, all of it war, inured to hardship and danger, never having +been repulsed or driven, thoroughly drilled and disciplined, well +officered, a perfect fighting machine! We heard the tramp of moving troops +in our front, supposing it to be our own men, but the enemy in full charge +appeared in our immediate front and secured the advantage of the first +volley. Quickly we responded with a rattling fire, not waiting for orders. +Load and fire at will was the impulse and action of all. Commands could +not be heard. The enemy's line was fairly repulsed and their second line +had come to their assistance. We were holding our own and gradually +gaining, with full confidence that we were whipping or gaining the fight. +During this period of time our division and brigade commanders were +sending orders for us to fall back--our left flank was being turned--but +orders were slow in reaching us. Horses could not live to carry them on +that bloody field, our regimental field officers were quickly dismounted +and in the furry of that musketry the word had to be passed along the line +that our flank was exposed and we must retreat across the field. Gradually +that line moved back to the road where all could see the line of gray +already swinging across the open to our left. A hasty retreat was made to +the fence on the opposite or west side of the field, where, with a +promptness under fire never excelled, the regiment rallied and again +opened on the enemy, which lasted but a few minutes, when reinforcements +(a brigade from Sheridan's division), came rushing to our left. We +recrossed the field, driving the enemy beyond our first position in the +timber on the east side of the road, for hours without protection of any +kind, at very close range. We had contended for the position of that road, +and as the sun closed its gaze by passing behind the western hills we were +masters of the situation. Over half of the company had fallen in two or +three hours, desperate fighting, not as Greek meets Greek but as Americans +meet Americans. Go view the fields, ye good people of Morrow County! Stand +by that monument erected by the great State of Ohio to the memory of the +26th, 212 of whom fell in that bloody battle, three-fourths of them +undoubtedly on the Vineyard Farm, and then, but a few yards away, see the +one erected by the State of Georgia in memory of the 20th regiment +infantry, C. S. A., from that state, and read their inscription ("This +regiment went into battle with 23 officers; of this number 17 were killed +and wounded"), and then read Vanhorn's description. In speaking of that +part of the battlefield (the Vineyard Farm) he says: "Mapped upon field +and forest in glaring insolation by the bodies of the slain." Chaplain +Thomas B. Vanhorn was General Thomas' chosen historian. He superintended +the moving of the bodies of the slain from Chickamauga to the National +Cemetery at Chattanooga. As daylight faded and darkness began we closed +our lines to the right, sent one guard from each company fifty paces to +the front and supplied ourselves with a double quantity of cartridges. One +cavalryman came to each company, secured their canteens, went to Crawfish +Springs, over a mile away, and returned them to us filled with much-needed +water. Thus the good Samaritan act was performed by them. + +Soon a temporary truce was formed, details made, and Johnnie and Yank were +soon mingled together, caring for the wounded as best they could. At about +2 or 3 a. m., Sunday morning, orders were quietly whispered along the line +to prepare to move, and very soon the line silently moved to the left a +distance of nearly two miles and was halted on the east slope of +Missionary Ridge, nearly a mile north of the Widow Glenn house, and we +were informed that we were to be the reserve. This position we held until +9 or 9:30 a. m., when we were moved to the front line, Wood's division +relieving that of General Negley. The 26th Ohio was about one-fourth mile +southwest of the Brotherton house, it being the extreme right of the +division. The losses of the previous day had shortened the division line +until we failed in filling the space vacated by Negley, and in order to do +so extended to the right to reach the left of McCook, until our line +became attenuated. We heard the roar of the battle to our left gradually +coming nearer; we were heavily skirmishing with the enemy while in this +condition about 11 a. m. when General Wood received written orders from +General Rosecrans "to close up on Reynolds and support him." A division +line of battle, as we formed at that time, was half a mile or more. +Reynolds commanded the 2nd division at our left, Brannon's intervening. +Hence Wood, when he executed the order, moved in rear of and parallel to +Brannon, we being the extreme right of Wood, by moving in column to the +left, the 8th Indiana Battery in our immediate front. When we had marched +nearly half a division length, the battery, in its difficulties, having no +road in the timber, much of it heavy underbrush with bad ravines to cross, +delayed the two regiments in the rear, while the head of the column was +hastening to the support of Reynolds. This had left us far in the rear. In +this condition we received the enemy's charge. Naturally and rightly, all +that could followed the head of column as per orders. We of the 26th Ohio +and 13th Michigan, in the extreme rear, were compelled to stop and repulse +the charge, thereby becoming isolated from all our commands and in the +center of that one-half-mile gap that was created by a mistaken order and +resulted in dividing the army. As soon as the battery extricated itself +from its difficulties, Colonel Young, our regimental commander, ordered us +to fall back. It was useless sacrifice to do otherwise. We were halted +several times at favorable localities to check the enemy, and that gallant +band of heroes, if you please, held its organization under as trying +circumstances as war produces, its last stand being made upon the side of +a spur of Missionary Ridge, where a tablet now stands to mark its heroism. +Here we held position for nearly an hour, aided by the 8th Indiana and 6th +Ohio Batteries. To our left the right of Brannon's division was flanked +and to protect itself swung back to the north. To our right the left of +Davis' division was flanked and to protect itself swung back to the south, +thus widening the gap and leaving us that much farther from support on +either side, the enemy advancing, taking protection of timber to the south +and also to the north of us, gaining our flanks, and we were compelled to +abandon our position. Here the 8th Indiana Battery by its loss of horses +was compelled to abandon their pieces. We retreated to the dry valley road +and thence with Sheridan and Davis to Roseville. Our part in the battle of +Chickamauga was over. + +Colonel Fox, under the head of "maximum percentage of casualties in a +single engagement under circumstances showing that few if any of the +missing were captured men," places the 26th Ohio thirty-fifth in the list +of over two thousand regiments that were in the service during the war of +the rebellion, and, basing his estimates on 362 engaged and the total loss +212, as previously stated, at 58.5 per cent. Basing the estimates on +Colonel Young's report of 350 engaged, total loss 213, gives us a small +fraction of over 60 per cent. Of this, company E lost 20, or even 62.5 per +cent, 12 of whom were killed or mortally wounded--37.5 per cent. The +killed and mortally wounded were: First Lieutenant Francis M. Williams, +First Sergeant William H. Green, Sergeant Silas Stucky, Corporal Luther +Reed, and Privates Moses Aller, William Calvert, John Blaine, James R. +Goodman, Charles A. R. Kline, Samuel Neiswander, Emanuel W. Stahler and +Robert W. Stonestreet. The wounded were: Corporal James W. Clifton, +Privates William H. H. Geyer, Henry C. Latham, McDonald Lottridge, Joseph +L. Rue, Henry Stovenour, Adelphus E. Stewart and Isaiah Sipes. + +Others in the company were painfully wounded, but are not included in the +list, as they remained and continued doing duty. Only one, William H. H. +Geyer, recovered sufficiently during the remainder of his enlistment to +rejoin the company for duty. Of the killed, by examining the "Roster of +Ohio Soldiers" (published by the State of Ohio), you will find four, viz.: +Silas Stucky, Moses Aller, John Blaine and Emanuel W. Stahler, reported +missing. This is misleading. Kindly remember that the temporary truce was +formed that night soon after the heavy fighting ceased and we closed our +thinned column to right. We were nearly a quarter of a mile south of where +our terrible losses had occurred and but few men were permitted to leave +the line. Our band boys, who usually cared for the wounded, had lost, +killed and wounded, nine of their number. They were largely Sheridan's +men, strangers to us, who gathered up our wounded, placed them in +ambulances and sent them to the Crawfish Spring field hospital, which fell +into the enemies hands the following day, and we saw that part of the +Vineyard Farm no more for several months. McDonald Lottridge, who on +account of wounds never rejoined his company, saw Moses Aller fall and was +satisfied from his actions that he was shot in the head. Joseph Williams +of Company K, (a brother of Lieutenant Francis Williams of our company), +while lying wounded in a fence corner by the side of John Blaine, adjusted +a knapsack under Blaine's head, and says he: "Blaine was shot through the +breast," and could have lived but a short time. Members of the regimental +band, whose duty it was to gather up the wounded, claim to have seen the +bodies of Silas Stucky and Emanuel W. Stahler dead upon the field. These +four men of the company are reported to be missing in the "Roster of Ohio +Soldiers." Neither of them has been heard of since the battle, hence there +can be no doubt that they were numbered with the slain. In 1861, while in +Virginia, a man of the regiment returned from a hospital at Charleston and +reported that James D. Dickerson of company E had died. The officers +dropped his name from the records. He (Dickerson) soon after reported for +duty and his name was replaced on the records. This incident aids in +explaining why their names appear among the missing. A large per cent of +the Union dead remained unburied until we came in possession of the +battlefield after the battle of Chattanooga or until about December 1st. +Two brigades of our army were sent to the fields for that purpose. The +following day, September 1st, we were in the regular line of battle on +Missionary Ridge, north of Roseville Gap, and offered battle to the enemy. +During the night we formed a line of battle closer to Chattanooga, the +flanks touching the Tennessee River, above and below. Our position was at +Fort Wood, which we aided in building, due east of the town. + +In the reorganization of the army, the 20th and 21st army corps were +practically consolidated and formed the 4th corps. In this organization we +became part of the 2nd brigade, commanded by General Geo. D. Wagner, 2nd +division commanded by Major General P. H. Sheridan. Our regiment was taken +out of the line of battle and camped in the town and heavy details made +from it to guard the supply trains to Bridgeport, Ala., and return. It was +our understanding at the time that we were to be detached from the brigade +and become a part of the local garrison. We having been the first to +occupy and patrol the place, we felt that it was due us, and having been +so fearfully mangled at Chickamauga it would give time to partially +recuperate, but Sheridan objected, stating that such regiments, full of +experience, could not be spared from the front, and we were soon doing +picket duty. No supplies could be furnished by the country to which we had +access. The road traveled to bring them was a mountainous one and sixty +miles to railroad. The mules were shortly fed and heavily worked. The +rainy season opened and our rations grew less and less until a half ration +was issued to the men. Bacon was not issued, but fresh beef was used in +its place. The cattle were driven from the Ohio river, a distance of near +400 miles, and grazing in the mountainous country was not well calculated +to produce fat. Hence we got the expression, which originated at +Chattanooga during the siege, "beef dried on the hoof." This was the +situation when General Thomas telegraphed Grant: "We can hold the place +till we starve." Over ten thousand horses and mules died during the siege +and those that survived were in no condition for service. + +October 27th, by a brilliant movement, Thomas at Chattanooga and Hooker at +Bridgeport Co-operating, we gained possession of the river from Brows +Ferry west, giving us water transportation to within nine or ten miles, +and in a few days the soldiers were on full rations. The horses and mules +did not fare so well. Bragg's army largely outnumbered that of General +Thomas, for, be it understood, his (Bragg's) army of the Tennessee had, +before the battle of Chickamauga, been reinforced by Buckner's army of +East Tennessee. Two divisions of Joe Johnson's army of Mississippi and +Longstreet's entire corps from Lee's army of Virginia and also a large per +cent of the parolled prisoners from Vicksburg had joined him. Hooker, with +15,000 from the Potomac army, had partially joined us and we were +expecting Sherman with 20,000 to arrive soon. Activity with us commenced, +indicating an offensive movement. We had been under the fire of the +enemy's guns since September 19th. Sherman was delayed by heavy rains and +high waters. Under Grant's instructions Thomas ordered the two divisions +of the 4th corps, Sheridan and Wood, to advance and drive the enemy from +their outer line and capture Orchard Knob. This movement was made about 3 +p. m. November 23d, and was the opening of the battle of Chattanooga. Our +losses were nearly two hundred, mostly from Wood's division, none from +company E. We occupied our new position three-eighths of a mile south of +Orchard Knob, one mile west and in plain view of the enemy's line of works +at top and foot of Missionary Ridge, and were under the fire of their +field and siege artillery during the 24th, listening to and watching +Hooker's fight above the clouds on Lookout Mountain, and remained in this +position on the 25th, watching Sherman's battle at the north end of +Missionary Ridge until 3 p. m. or perhaps later. Between our position and +the ridge was a plain, partly open and part timber, most of the timber +having been recently cut by the Confederates. All the fences were gone. +Missionary Ridge lies nearly north and south and extends from the +Tennessee River at the north many miles south. Its average elevation is +600 feet above the plain and the distance from base to summit near +one-fourth of a mile. About 2 p. m. each man was notified that when six +shots were fired in regular succession from the artillery on Orchard Knob +we were to move forward in order, keeping well our alignment, and take the +Confederate works at the foot of the ridge. A tiresome wait of one or two +hours followed. The men's faces became pale, but firm pressure of the lips +showed the determination. The time passed slowly, for the mental strain +was great. Finally, the signal came, carefully counted by each, and when +the sixth sounded all stepped over our temporary works and moved forward. + +The enemy's artillery promptly opened in full force from the top of the +ridge, the shells exploding all around us. A file or two of men fell near +the colors. The men began quickening the step--no pale faces now--the +excitement of battle was on. You could constantly hear the officers' +command--"Steady men! Go slow!" Time flew by like a dream. The enemy's +line in the lower works at the foot of the ridge became demoralized and +they left before we reached them. The reverse side of their works offered +us no protection from the artillery and infantry fire from the top, and by +a common impulse, without orders, we continued the charge up the side of +the ridge. We had the usual double line formation, the 26th Ohio in the +front line, the 15th Indiana supporting 150 to 200 paces in the rear. We +were to a great extent winded, having made the last three or four hundred +yards double quick. We moved up the hills slowly, loading and firing, +taking advantage of such protection as was available. The enemy was at +this time largely overshooting us and the 15th Indiana, in our rear, was +suffering heavily. When half or two-thirds the way up the ridge they came +forward to our assistance where they could take part in the shooting. +Lieutenant Wm. B. Johnson of company E went down with a shattered leg and +ordered his First Sergeant to go on with the company, but to see that he +was cared for that night. We reached the enemy's works and captured them, +taking a few prisoners, most of the enemy escaping down the eastern slope +of the ridge, which was not so precipitous as the western which we had +come up. The road leading from General Bragg's headquarters, (about three +hundred yards south of where our regiment reached the top), going east +down the slope, was the only way available for the Confederates' artillery +to make their escape. General Sheridan, quick to seize and hold the +advantage, came to the left of his division and ordered Colonel Young, +with his 26th Ohio and the 15th Indiana, to hasten northeast down the +slope and capture all we could reach or head from the road mentioned. This +we did for nearly a mile, gaining two brass guns at one place, four brass +and two Parrott guns, several caissons and limbers at another. The troops +of Wood's division to our left advanced but a short distance after +reaching the top of the ridge and were recalled. A quarter of a mile or +more of gap now existed between our right and the brigade, which was +advancing in line along the road mentioned and became heavily engaged. +Sheridan sent orders for us to oblique to the right. It was now dark and +under Colonel Young's directions we moved carefully and slowly over +ravines, through brush, guided by the sound of battle, striking the +enemy's line on an abrupt knob, which we, without hesitation or any delay, +charged, and captured two more pieces of artillery and many wagons. +General Sheridan, in his official report of the battle, in speaking of +this part of the engagement states: "But a few moments elapsed ere the +26th Ohio and 15th Indiana carried the crest. When the head of the column +reached the summit of the hill the moon rose from behind and a medallion +view of the column was disclosed as it crossed the moon's disk and +attacked the enemy." + +Our part in the battle was over. That the reader may more fully understand +the important part taken by us I will give a few statistics taken from +official records: Loss of Sheridan's 2nd division 4th army corps, 1346, +the heaviest in any division of the army. Wood's 3rd division, 4th army +corps, came second, with 1035. Our 2nd brigade, 2nd division, 4th army +corps, lost 730. There were three brigades in each division. The next +brigade to ours in loss was General Hazen's 2nd Brigade, 3rd (Wood's) +division, 4th army corps, 522. That magnificent 15th Indiana regiment that +was in the second line supporting us, that came so gallantly to our aid +and so nobly stayed with us (see official report), went into the battle +with 334 officers and men, and of this number its loss was 199 killed and +wounded, the heaviest regimental loss in the battle. The three regiments +sustaining the greatest loss were all in our brigade. The 26th Ohio +numbered present about 150 and lost 36. Company E, 13 engaged, loss 5. All +of them had participated with the company at Chickamauga. Thus of the 32 +engaged on September 19, seven were left, two of whom were later killed in +battle while with the company. James H. Smith was shot, a minnie (1 oz.) +ball passing through his leg while we were going up the ridge. He examined +the wound and remained with the company, the blood spurting from the top +of his shoes at each step until he was ordered to the hospital by Colonel +Young after the battle was over. No organization in the battles of +Chickamauga and Chattanooga carried their banner higher on the roll of +fame than did the 26th Ohio. + +The following day, November 26, the two divisions, Sheridan's and Wood's, +of the 4th corps, were ordered to march to relieve General Burnside, +besieged at Knoxville. We were expected to live largely from the products +of the country (now largely exhausted). We had drawn no clothing since +leaving Murfreesboro in June. Our mules and horses were either dead or +unfit for service. We were short on clothing and transportation. We left +our camp in Chattanooga and saw it no more until January 18, 1864. This +was a memorable and a cold winter, with its historic cold New Year's day. +We marched through the day and part of the time gathered corn, shelled it +and ran the water mills, of which that country was plentifully supplied. +During the night, when we could, we built log-heap fires, and when the +ground had become thoroughly warm, we divided the fire, cleaned away the +coals and ashes and slept on the warm ground between the two fires. +January 1st, while at Blains Crossroads, northeast of Knoxville, the +regiment veteranized or re-enlisted and was ordered home on thirty days' +furlough. We marched to Chattanooga, arriving on the 18th, completed our +papers and were mustered January 21, starting home by freight soon +afterward. + +We left Columbus, Ohio, on our return to the front, about March 4th, +joining our brigade at Charleston, Tennessee, about March 15th. In April +we moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, and from there started on the Atlanta +campaign, May 3rd, and came under the fire of the enemy's guns May 7th, +and remained in hearing of their guns and under fire until September +5th--at least over one hundred days under fire. We (our brigade) advanced +along the Eastern slope and near the summit of Rocky Face Ridge, +supporting Harken's brigade, moving along the summit, assaulting the main +line of works. We came under the direct fire from their main line, but +were restrained from assaulting. We held this position until Sherman's +entire army (except part of the cavalry and our 4th corps), had moved +south along the west base of the ridge to Snake Creek Gap and through it +to near Resaca, when Johnson abandoned his fortified position at Rocky +Face and hastily retreated, we following on the direct line of his retreat +and on arrival joining at once in the battle of Resaca, driving the +enemy's lines into their fortifications. We built a temporary line of +works within 200 yards of theirs, holding this position until they again +retreated. The night of May 15, bridges were floated and the Oostanaula +River crossed, the 4th corps taking the advance, driving Johnston's rear +guard. On the 17th, our division (Newton now commanding, Sheridan having +been ordered to the Eastern department) was in the advance. One brigade +deployed. In the evening two brigades were deployed and the enemy's lines +driven until a line of works was developed. Artillery was freely used, the +26th Ohio losing over twenty men. Darkness closed the fighting and in the +morning their works were abandoned, we following, bivouacking the night of +the 18th near Kingston, Ga. The 19th we advanced on Cassville, the enemy +stubbornly resisting, and in the evening a general line of battle was +formed. They were again fortified and as before, during the night, +abandoned them and crossed the Etowah River. Here we were delayed until +the railroad bridges could be rebuilt and supplies reach us. May 23rd we +crossed the river, keeping to the west of the Altoona Mountains in the +direction of Dallas, the 20th corps under Hooker having the advance on the +road to New Hope Church, where several roads formed a junction. In the +effort to reach this point Hooker became heavily engaged and we, the +nearest division of the corps and army, were rushed to his aid, and just +as twilight faded into darkness, in the midst of a very heavy rain, +thunder and lightning storm and the roar of artillery and crash of +musketry, we closed upon Hooker's left within 300 yards of the enemy's +main line of works. Here we fortified and remained under their fire and +responded to it until June 6th. Johnston having retreated, we moved to +near Ackworth, on the railroad, south of Altoona. Here we rested until the +10th. We moved forward southeast, heavily skirmishing almost continuously, +the artillery firing constantly, to Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain, Muddy +Creek and Kenesaw, each of these being thoroughly fortified. We reached +the west slope of the latter June 20th, and on the 22nd drove the enemy's +skirmishers into their main line. While holding our position and building +rifle pits for our pickets, Daniel Densel of company E was mortally +wounded. Our division formed the assaulting column of the 4th corps June +27th. Company E had one wounded. + +I dislike to leave this heroic assault without a short description. The +ground in our front was heavily timbered, descending for 200 yards to a +ravine, thence a thirty per cent rising grade for 300 yards to their line +of works, consisting of heavy embankment with head logs, so mounted as to +give space for firing underneath. A wide and deep ditch was in front of +the works. A large share of the timber was felled with tops down the hill, +all twigs and light limbs cut off, so that in advance up to their works +haste or alignment was an impossibility. Through this in double column we +struggled, a few of the men falling very near the ditch and others +actually reaching their embankment, but they could not reach them in mass +sufficient to drive the enemy. A new stand of colors, presented to the +regiment by the ladies of Chillicothe, Ohio, was carried into this +desperate charge. The color sergeant was killed and several of the color +guards killed and wounded and the staff of the colors was shot in three +places with fifty-seven bullet holes through the colors. Go see the flag +in the State House, Columbus. The marks on the staff are still showing. + +Sherman continued fortifying and lengthening his battle-line to the right +(nearly south), until the morning of July 2d, when we found the +Confederate lines were vacated. We followed close to their rear guard, +about seven miles to "Smirny Camp Grounds," where we became quite strongly +engaged, driving their rear and developing a strong line of works. Here we +were held with very brisk skirmishing until July 5th, losing a few men +from the regiment on the 4th. Again we moved briskly south, hoping to meet +our enemy in the confusion of crossing the Chattahoochee River, but we +failed. From the bluffs on the north side of the river we first saw +Atlanta, ten miles away, while here the non-veterans (those that did not +reenlist), were ordered to Chattanooga and mustered out, the veterans and +recruits holding the company and regimental organization. On the 16th we +crossed the river, advancing slowly that the army of the Tennessee and +Ohio (McPherson and Schofield), who had a greater distance to move, might +be nearer. On the 20th we crossed Peach Tree Creek and gained a ridge +about half a mile south, when our division of the 4th and the 20th corps +were to establish a line. The Confederate army, now commanded by General +Hood, had concentrated in front of this position, intending to crush us +while we were in the confusion of crossing the stream, and did make a most +furious attack when but part of the line had gained position. Those not in +line, being close, countercharged, driving the enemy and establishing a +connected line. Hood repeated the assault, but was at every point +repulsed. Thus less than half of the army of the Cumberland alone, without +fortifications and hardly an equal show with the enemy, lacking a +completed line at the opening, thoroughly repulsed the combined strength +of Hood's army. On the 22nd we advanced in line to the front of the main +fortifications around Atlanta. The army of the Tennessee, in the effort to +close to our left, fought the battle of Atlanta, their commander, General +McPherson, being among the slain. We skirmished very heavily and were +under the direct fire of their artillery from the main line of +fortifications in front of the city. This continued more or less until +August 26th. The army of the Tennessee, now under the command of General +Howard, moved to the extreme right. The army of the Ohio, under General +Schofield, a few days later did the same. This left our division the +extreme left of Sherman's army. We readjusted our line of fortifications, +making a refused flank with completely inclosed forts supplied with +surplus ammunition, water and food. Sherman's flank movement by the right +to the south of Atlanta commenced on August 25th by withdrawing our 4th +corps to the rear of the 20th corps and moving it (the 20th) to and across +the Chattahoochee River with all surplus trains and artillery, we the 4th +corps continuing to move to the right, on the following day passed beyond +the extreme right of Hood's army and on the 28th advanced to the Mount +Gilead Church, skirmishing heavily and driving the enemy across the West +Point railroad. On the 29th and 30th, continuing the movement, we gained +possession of the Macon railroad, thus severing the last line leading from +the city, and September 1st, until about 4 p. m., we were burning the ties +and heating and twisting the rails, moving south as we did so, and by so +doing were prevented from reaching Jonesboro in time to envelop the flank +of Hardee's corps. We were rushed hastily into position and were driving +their shattered flank when darkness and the entanglement of brush, +ravines, etc., and the danger of coming into conflict with our troops +closed the movement. In the morning we found the enemy had fled. During +the night we heard the explosion of the magazines and trains of ammunition +at Atlanta, over twenty miles away. We followed Hood south to Lovejoy +Station, when we drove their skirmishers and outposts into their main +line of works. We remained in front of them until the 5th, when we +withdrew and marched back to Atlanta, where we remained in camp until +about the 20th. During our stay at this place official reports were made +covering the losses of each organization during the Atlanta Campaign. I +have not access at this writing to those reports as published in the war +records. The 26th Ohio had killed and wounded, as officially reported, +117.[5] Of this number company E lost but two, one mortally wounded, one +wounded. Clark became captain of the company in December, 1862. He was on +detached service, commanding a battalion of pioneers, and did not join the +company and regiment until we veteranized in January, 1864. In May, 1864, +he was placed in command of the brigade battalion of pioneers, consisting +of twenty privates, two corporals, one sergeant and one commissioned +officer from each regiment of the brigade or about 175 in all. Company E +was made the detail from the 26th and we were exempt from picket or +skirmish duty. We were required to each carry either a pick, shovel or ax +in addition to that required of each soldier. Our place was with our +regiment, but subject to call to any point, to build fortification rifle +pits or to open or repair roads. We might justly compare our industry to +that of the honey bee. During that campaign we stopped work only long +enough to take part in the fighting and some of the time were using tools +when the shell and minnie were adding impetus to our mental and muscular +skill. About the close of the Atlanta campaign Captain Clark became the +commander of the regiment and was soon afterward promoted to Lieutenant +Colonel and continued in command until mustered out with the regiment. + +About September 25th Hood's flank movement around Atlanta had advanced so +that Sherman divined his intentions and ordered our division north by rail +to Chattanooga. The 26th Ohio was thrown in the lead (advance guard) on +two passenger coaches, each man with loaded gun ready for immediate +action. The division followed by freight trains in sections. On arriving +at Chattanooga we were kept on trains much of the time and moving from +place to place between Dalton and Bridgeport, many times nearly smothered +with smoke as we rode on top of the cars through the tunnel under +Missionary Ridge. After Hood moved west into Alabama we started to join +the main army west of Rome, Ga., where orders met us by which we crossed +Lookout and Sand Mountains to Stevason, Ala., where we were mustered for +pay October 31, going from there by rail to Athens, Ala., thence marched +to Pulaski, Tenn., thus placing ourselves between Hood, now at Florence, +Ala., and Nashville, Tenn. We held this position until Hood advanced via +Columbia. We moved October 21 to Lineville and to Columbia on the 23rd +formed line of battle, each flank reaching Duck River, one above the +other, below the town. This position we held, skirmishing lightly, until +the night of the 27th when we crossed to the north bank. Early in the +morning of the 29th, Thomas at Nashville ordered General Schofield (in +direct command at Columbia) to fall back to Franklin. The trains, over +eight hundred wagons, were started on the Nashville pike. When the head +of this train reached Spring Hill, eleven miles away, they were stopped by +the enemy's cavalry. Our division, General Wagner commanding, hastened to +the relief of the train, arriving about 1 p. m., Opdyke's brigade leading, +and drove the enemy out of the town north. Bradley's brigade, the second +in line of march, formed line facing east and advanced nearly a mile, our +brigade, Colonel Lane commanding, forming the reserve. The 26th Ohio soon +after was ordered to extend the skirmish line east of the pike farther +south and take possession of and hold a dirt road coming into the pike +over a mile south. At this place we were located near a cotton gin, on +which an outlook was posted, who soon reported Confederate troops in +sight. We built a rail barricade, each man got out of cartridge box and +bit off ten cartridges and made all the arrangements we could for rapid +firing. The gray lines could be seen by Sergeant Hall (the outlook) for a +long distance and he kept posting us as to their movements. He held his +post too long and was killed in the effort to reach us at the barricade. +It was undulating farm land where we were located, with timber showing +south of us and also in our rear three-fourths of a mile or one-fourth +west of the pike. We could see the gray lines east of us, at some places +half a mile away, as they were advancing, but owing to the roll of the +land they passed out of our view nearly one-fourth of a mile in front or +east of us and did not appear again until less than one hundred yards +away. We opened fire and effectually stopped them in our front and +temporarily to right and left, but to our left, north of us, they soon +pressed forward, passing directly between us and Spring Hill. Wagner, +seeing our situation from his position, over a mile away, rushed a battery +forward and opened fire, we getting the effect as well as our enemy +between us and the guns. We held this position until all or nearly all had +consumed their ten rounds, when Captain Clark gave the order to escape if +possible. In doing this we obliqued to the southwest to escape a heavy +fire now reaching us from the north and the quicker to get protection from +the rolling ground. While the battery held them in check we crossed the +pike and made a complete half circle to reach Spring Hill, which we did, +losing 77 men from the regiment. Sergeant John F. Chambers of company E +was among the slain. Schofield, with the army from Columbia, began to +arrive about 11 p. m., and leaving our division, now confronting Hood's +entire army, in position, moved north, driving the rebel cavalry from the +pike, the wagon train following, just as it began to show light in the +east, the last of the wagons crossed a bridge at the north edge of the +town. Our division swung back in line of battle across the pike and became +the rear guard as the train moved off rapidly and cleared the way. Lane's +(our brigade) and Conrad's (formerly Harken's) swung into the pike, +leaving Opdyke's the rear guard. This order was kept, holding the enemy in +check until we reached the heights, about three miles south of Franklin. +Here Opdyke moved to the inside of the works being built, Lane and Conrad +moving back gradually from one position to another until nearly one-third +of a mile in front of the hastily constructed fortifications. Here, +through a blunder that General Schofield should not escape by charging it +to others, as we were in plain sight and had been on extreme duty without +cooked food of any kind for thirty-two hours, and every soldier in the +line knowing we were in a false position, our two brigades of the division +that had protected his rear saved the entire train, fought the battle of +Spring Hill and stood guard during the night while the army and train +moved on. To be left on the plains without works and both flanks exposed +was a gross error. The 26th Ohio was the extreme right of this exposed +line upon the plain. We saw the solid lines of Hood's army as it advanced. +We held this position but a short time. Those to the left of us being more +advanced, owing to the lay of the ground, than we, were struck and broken, +we fell back to the main line. Company E was less than 200 yards to the +right of the Carter House and the main line was not broken at this point. +We fought with other troops that occupied the works when we reached them. +Here the enemy was repulsed. A short distance to our left, near the Carter +House, they had gained part of our line. The 26th, under orders from +Captain Clark, moved or closed to the left to aid in repelling them from +this place. Our lines, with the other troops in the works, formed in ranks +four or five deep, the rear men loading and passing the guns to those in +front, and the firing was constant until long after dark, when Hood ceased +his efforts to make his lodgment permanent and firing gradually ceased. +Vanhorn in his history states (Vol. 2, page 202): "The defensive fire was +so rapid from 4 p. m. to nightfall that it was difficult to supply the +troops with ammunition. One hundred wagon loads of artillery and infantry +ammunition were used from the 4th corps train alone." Company E had one +man wounded. In view of the fact that General J. D. Cox, in his writing on +the battle, has left the impression that the two brigades doing outpost +duty continued their retreat past the main line to the river, I feel that +in justice to those brigades (and more especially to company E, 26th and +company D, 65th Ohio, both Morrow County companies), I should say a few +words more. I have never yet seen in any official report a single +statement justifying his position. Cox on that day was in command of the +23rd corps. It was his line that was broken at the Carter House and it was +Opdyke's brigade of our division that, without orders, started the +countercharge which, with the assistance of Lane's comrades and part of +the 23rd corps, reestablished the continuity of the line. Either of those +three brigades, called Sheridan's old division,[6] have more regiments +listed among Fox's three hundred than has the entire corps commanded on +that occasion by Cox. When we started from our first position, exposed on +the plain, it became necessary for us to make speed and clear the field in +front of our main line that our men in the works might open fire. In this +hasty retreat it was but natural for the men to incline to the left or +east toward the pike or road by which we had retreated from Columbia, and +some of the extreme left of our regiment reached the works near the +Carter House and found them already vacated by our troops and occupied by +the enemy, and two or three of company B were taken prisoners after +reaching the main line. Of these, Sergeant David Bragg, now living in +Columbus, Ohio, and one of the oldest railroad mail clerks now in the +service, was one. From the recent call for volunteers and the draft, quite +a large assignment of new troops had been made to some of the regiments in +Lane's and Conrad's brigades. (Our regiment received none.) These new +troops reached us while on the retreat from Pulaski but a few days before. +They had never been drilled and it is probable that a large share of them +may have continued their flight beyond the main line. Opdyke's, Lane's and +Conrad's brigades (2nd division, 4th army corps) lost more men than the +entire other four divisions of infantry and the cavalry corps that was +present, and as a rule, if you follow the trail of blood, you are keeping +close to the fighting line. + +The veterans of that old division, whose well-tried courage shone forth in +historic grandeur, it is not overpraise to say were practically +panic-proof. Opdyke was in the direct line of retreat, and on the same +reasons given by Cox and others for the break in the line at the Carter +House, he (Opdyke) with no line of works to protect them would certainly +have been "carried away" if the flight of Lane and Conrad had continued to +the river. The men of the 26th were called from the lines and we crossed +the river before midnight and continued our march, arriving at Nashville +December 1st, near noon, where we made coffee and lay down to rest for +the first time since the morning of November 29th. In the evening company +E was called to tear down some buildings in front of our established line +and to build works during the night. We remained at this line until the +battle of Nashville, December 15th and 16th. December 9th Captain Wm. +Clark was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, First Lieutenant Phillips M. +Ogan to Captain and Sergeant Walden Kelly to First Lieutenant. The first +day of the battle, the 4th corps, leaving a detail to hold the works, +moved to the right, attacked the enemy, driving them from their fortified +position. The 26th Ohio was left in our main line of works, deployed to a +division front or nearly half a mile. Our instructions were to hold them. +We were not engaged the first day. On the morning of the second day's +battle, December 16th, before daylight, we moved to position in the front +line of the brigade and at daylight moved toward the Brentwood Hills, +driving the enemy's outposts and establishing our lines under easy Enfield +rifle range of their fortified line. Under a heavy artillery and infantry +fire we held position until about 3 p. m., when we were instructed to +prepare ten rounds for rapid firing, at a given signal to commence and at +a second signal, to be given as we exhausted the ninth round, we were to +charge with loaded guns and capture the works on our front. These +instructions were literally carried out, a heavy per cent of the enemy +being captured in their works. We pursued rapidly until dusk. Early in the +morning of the 17th we were in pursuit, the 4th corps in the lead on the +direct line of Hood's retreat. Thus in midwinter, following as rapidly as +possible, the bridges were all destroyed, and flooded streams delayed the +pursuit, which was continued until January 1, 1865. The broken and +disorganized army of Hood's crossed the Tennessee River at Florence, Ala. +The latter part of the campaign was done by us on short rations; three +days to last five were the orders. Our line of march was changed to +Huntsville, Ala., where we arrived January 7, 1865, and remained enjoying +a well-earned season of rest until March 15. Soon after arriving Captain +Ogan rejoined his company and Lieutenant Kelly was temporarily placed in +command of company F. This proved to be permanent. On February 28th he was +commissioned captain and assigned to said company after having served +three years and over eight months in company E, and, as it proved, after +all our fighting was over. In March we (the 4th army corps), moved to East +Tennessee by rail via Chattanooga and Knoxville to Bulls Gap, thence +marched repairing and rebuilding the railroad northeast toward Richmond, +Va. While at this work, near Greenville, Tenn., we received the news of +Lee's surrender. That night was spent hilariously cheering and singing +that old familiar piece, "Go Tell Aunt Rhoda the Old Gray Goose Is Dead." +The following morning I doubt if there was enough ammunition in the +cartridge boxes of the men in our division to have made a respectable +skirmish. Soon afterward Johnston surrendered to Sherman and the 4th corps +was ordered by rail to Nashville, where we expected to be mustered out. +May 9th the corps passed in review before General Thomas and received his +congratulatory order on the 10th. About the 1st of June it became the +talk of the camp that our corps would probably be sent to the Mexican +frontier on account of the Maximilian government which foreign powers were +trying to establish there. Strong protests were made by both officers and +men, feeling that we had fulfilled the terms of our enlistment, "three +years or during the war," but to no avail. June 16th the command started. +Just before starting all who had less than ninety day's to serve were +mustered out. The 97th Ohio infantry of our brigade came under this order. +Fifty-six of their men, who had more than the specified time yet to serve, +were transferred to the 26th, company E receiving her share of them. The +command moved by rail to Johnsonville, Tenn., thence, by steamboats down +the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, La., by ocean +steamers to the Matagorda Bay, landing at Indianola, since destroyed by a +storm similar to the one a few years ago at Galveston. We marched about +thirty-five miles and camped on the Plasadore, about July 20th. Here we +remained. Nothing especially interesting or eventful worth relating took +place--no drill, except dress parade. Guard and fatigue duty was reduced +to the minimum until mustered out October 21. We started on the home trip +the 24th. On account of storms and an unsafe vessel we ran into the harbor +at Galveston and remained four days, were transferred to a safer vessel +and arrived at New Orleans November 4th. We came up the Mississippi to +Cairo on the steamer Ruth, the largest vessel then plying the river; by +rail (freight cars) via Matoon, Ill., Terra Haute and Indianapolis, Ind. +From there we took passenger coaches to Columbus, Ohio. The enlisted men +received their pay and discharges in the same barracks that we had built +when the regiment organized in June, 1861. The commissioned officers were +held one day later to turn over the official records and make final +settlement, arriving at home near the middle of November, 1865. + +Discrepancies appear in both the Rebellion Official Records and Roster of +Ohio Soldiers. Some of them, when properly explained, show to the reader +the honest intention of the compiler or author. I call attention to two +cases: + +First, General George D. Wagner, commanding 2nd brigade, 2nd division, 4th +army corps. The 26th was in said brigade. In his official report covering +the entire Atlanta campaign, May 3, to September 20, 1864, he reports ten +officers killed and wounded in the 26th Ohio regiment. + +The official report of Major Noris T. Peatman, commanding the regiment at +the close of said campaign, reports one officer, Lieutenant Platt, killed, +and five officers, viz.: Major Peatman, Captain Baldwin, Lieutenants +Renick, Hoge and Foster wounded--six in all. During said campaign the +company and regimental official records were left far in the rear and not +seen until after the campaign closed. During this period temporary reports +were made almost daily on just such scraps of paper as were +available--leaves from memorandum books, etc. In the continual skirmish or +battle many officers and men were temporarily disabled by wounds and in +the daily reports would be included in the list of casualties. In the +official report, made at close of the campaign, only those whose +disabilities compelled a continued absence were reported. + +Second, in the Roster of Ohio Soldiers: Company E 26th Ohio, is shown to +have had two first lieutenants from December 9, 1864, to February 28, +1865--Kelly and Osler. The former was present (at date of commission) with +the regiment and was mustered. Osler was wounded June 27, 1864, at Kenesaw +and was still in the hospital, at or near the time Kelly was commissioned +captain and assigned to company F. He (Osler) joined the regiment, was +mustered and assigned to company E. He remained but a short time, his +wound still in bad condition and continued so, and he was compelled to +have his leg amputated twenty or twenty-five years later. He died in +Columbus, Ohio, a few years ago. In 1890 I did considerable careful +estimating as to losses and percentage of losses in the 26th Ohio and +wrote Colonel William F. Fox the results of my study. I here insert a copy +of his reply: + + "Albany, N. Y., June 18, 1890. + + "Capt. Walden Kelley, Osborn, Mo.: + + "Dear Comrade--Your interesting letter of the 9th was read with + pleasure and in the next edition of 'Regimental Losses' I will insert + on page 32: + + "'Twenty-sixth Ohio, Wood's division, number engaged 362, killed 52, + percentage killed 14.' + + "This percentage, however, already appears, although in a somewhat + different form, on page 36, the loss being one of the severest in the + war. + + "I was pleased with the perfect analysis you made of the enrollment + of your regiment, for it indicates that among the readers of + Regimental Losses there are those who catch the idea involved in the + question of enrollment, and who understand the argument I was trying + to make. Had I known that the enrollment of the Twenty-sixth was + capable of such an extensive boiling down, I would have gone over the + names myself, and, as a result, would have assigned it a page among + the 'three hundred fighting regiments.' As it is, I will try to put + it there in the next edition. I will also insert on page 13: + + "'Twenty-sixth Ohio, Newton's division, Fourth corps, 1,161 enrolled, + 122 killed, 10.5 per cent.' + + "A further study of the matter leads me to think that the + Twenty-sixth must have lost 60 in killed and mortally wounded at + Chickamauga but as this number includes some whose exact fate will + never be known, I will have to leave the number, for the present, at + 52, which is all that can be officially proved. If I remember + rightly, however, this number includes two or three of the missing + men in company E, whose names were mentioned in your letter. + + "The Twenty-sixth Ohio was a fighting regiment, and its grand record + at Chickamauga has given it a foremost place in the heroic annals of + the war. The figures for its loss on that field tell better than any + high flown rhetoric of the desperate stand made by that gallant + little battalion. Will attempt no compliments here, for I have no + words which can add anything to the mute record of the figures which + I have already recorded in connection with its name. + + "Perhaps your old comrades of the Twenty-sixth may be interested to + know how the other regiments of their division fared on that hard + fought field. I enclose a memorandum of the casualties in General + Wood's division, and have added the figures for the number which each + regiment carried into the fight. These figures indicate that the + hottest fire along the line was concentrated on the position held by + the Twenty-sixth Ohio. If any other regiment faced a hotter fire, it + must have been from behind breastworks or some equivalent protection. + + "I think the losses in Wood's division were still larger than these + percentages indicate, for the number present seems to have been taken + from the morning report, and so includes the non-combatants, together + with others who, although borne on the morning report as present for + duty, never carried a musket. I see that the Eighth Indiana battery + reported 134 present, but I never saw a battery take that many men + into action. And the Eighth Indiana had been knocking around a good + deal before it reached Chickamauga. + + "Well, those were heavy losses, but they saved the day. I know there + are many who call Chickamauga a Confederate victory, and the Johnnies + fought hard enough to entitle them to one. But those two armies + marched out for a prize. That prize was Chattanooga. 'You'uns' won + it, and held it. 'They'uns' lost it. + + "I hope your regimental reunion will be a pleasant one, and that your + reunions may be well attended for many years to come. With kind + regards for all old comrades of the Army of the Cumberland (for my + regiment served in the Army of the Cumberland part of the time), I + remain + + "Yours in F., C. and L., + + WILLIAM F. FOX." + +The author makes no claim to being a writer or in any way qualified to +prepare a historic sketch of this character for publication. He has made +this attempt as a duty and a labor of love. The space allotted does not +permit of an extended and complete article, such as the company's service +would justify. Laboring daily, it is between days and with the limited +records at his command, largely from memory, that it is produced. Having +been present with the company in all its campaigns, battles and marches +until its last battle was over, no one, living or dead, had better +opportunities of knowing than he. + +I have avoided individual praise or special mention. There is glory enough +for all. Let it be the common inheritance of company E. + +WALDEN KELLY. + +Osborn, Missouri, September 1st, 1909. + + + + +Footnotes: + +[1] While at Camp Chase the company was filled to the maximum (101). + +[2] In the reorganizations of the army it changed to different divisions +and corps and its number changed to correspond, regiments left and also +other regiments joined, but at no time was the brigade organization broken +up. + +[3] 1st Lieut. David McClellan of company G, was killed while in temporary +command of company E. No officer belonging to the company being present. + +[4] Our captain, 1st and 2nd Lieutenants had each been promoted from other +companies of the regiment and transferred to company E. + +[5] Official report of General Wagner, our brigade commander. + +[6] Major General Sheridan was the first commander of the 2nd Division 4th +A. C., and was followed in the order named by Generals Newton, Wagner and +Elliott. It was commonly known in the army as "Sheridan's old Division." + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_. + +The following misprints have been corrected: + "blody" corrected to "bloody" (page 13) + "parellel" corrected to "parallel" (page 15) + "Natually" corrected to "Naturally" (page 15) + "Coporal" corrected to "Corporal" (page 17) + "Chickamagua" corrected to "Chickamauga" (page 20) + "posession" corrected to "possession" (page 30) + "transfered" corrected to "transferred" (page 40) + "casualities" corrected to "casualties" (page 44) + +The word "furry" is presented as in the original text (page 13). + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget +Company E 26th Ohio Infantry, by Walden Kelly + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMPANY E 26TH OHIO INFANTRY *** + +***** This file should be named 32015.txt or 32015.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/0/1/32015/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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