fy,.,'' m * c^ .v^. ^^ ^^^ RECORD ONEHUNDREDANDSIXTEENTHREGIMENT OHIO INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS WAR OF THE REBELLION "D By THOS. F. WILDES, Late Lieutenant Colonel of the Regiment, and Brevet Bi ij;adier General U. S. Volunteers. " T//e world is cold to him zvho f leads : The zvorld bows low to knightly deeds.''' SANDUSKY, O. I. F. MACK Si BRO., PRINTERS- 1884. ^0 \%t ^tlnirn^ mxA ivmA^ OF ITS HEROIC DEAD, AND TO THE SURVIVING OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH REGIMENT, THIS RECORD IS HUMBLY DEDICATED. T/ie Author. k5Z5 -A \l NOTE. General Wildes had, as he thought, the manuscript of this work ready for the publishers, and, in fact, had par- tially arranged for its publication, but delayed it to make some necessary corrections, which he was engaged in doing, when he was so suddenly called from his labors. Some of the changes, he anticipated making, had been so far ad- vanced, as to enable those, into whose hands the result of his labors was entrusted, to carry out his plans, while some additions which he proposed making had to be abandoned. Every page of the original manuscript bears witness to the care taken by the author to avoid mistakes, while the vol- uminous correspondence pertaining to this work shows how earnestly and faithfully he labored in its preparation. The writer knows whereof he speaks when he says the men of the ii6th had no truer friend than the author of this work. Many times subsequent to his leaving the regi- ment, did he express himself in no measured terms as to the bravery, efficiency and soldierly bearing of the regi- ment, and said it was an honor for any man to be able to say, "I belonged to the ii6th." AUTHOR'S PREFACE. In entering upon the work of writing the History of the One Hundred and Sixteenth Regiment, I am forced to con- fess that I have considerable faith in what OHver Wendell Holmes once said: "1 would not give a fig for a mar, every one of whose geese is not better than any other man's swans." I always felt some such partiality as this sentiment expresses, for the regiment, and while I shall strive to make its history appear as it really is, it is quite possible that my own feelings may color some parts of it too highly. Shortl}^ after the appearance of the histor}^ of the 34th Massachusetts regiment. General Lincoln, who wrote it, was asked "if there was any other regiment be- sides the 34th Massachusetts in the service." Perhaps the same criticism may be made of the history of the ii6th, but, if so, it shall be regarded as a compliment, for every- thing stated in these pages will be verified by reports, records and data, concerning the accuracy of which there can be no question. I have depended upon m}- recollection, or impressions, for very little, but have relied upon ofiicial records and diaries, letters and memoranda written at the time by myself and others. Through the kindness of the Adjutant General of the War Department, the Adjutant General of Ohio, and Ex-President Hon. R. B. Hayes, I have been furnished with copies of the reports of all the viii AUTHOR S PREFACE. battles in w hicli the leninient was engaged. From the same and other .sources, I have received many other valu- able records, such as official lists of casualties, burial places of those dying in rebel prisons and elsewhere, promotions of officers, the !iames of enlisted men awarded "Medals of Honor," and promoted for special good conduct. I am greatly indebted for valuable assistance and information to Colonel Washburn; Majors Morris, Hull and Karr; Cap- tains Mann, Ilenthorn, Chaney, Welch, Frame, Knowles and Mosely; Lieutenants Cline, Walker, Heald, Sibley, Knight and Myers; Sergeants King, Hoyt, Drake and Bartley; Corporals Campbell and Thompson, and to a great number of private soldiers, notably to Charles L. Eberle, of C, for a \aluable diary covering nearly the whole term of three years; Leroy D. Brown, of H, for a paper prepared by him on "•Shei"idan in the Shenandoah Valley"; Edward H. Bradley, of G, for a correct list of G, the rolls of which were very imperfect; John W. Reusser, of E, and Jacob L. Gregg, of H. As will be seen, I have quoted freely from official reports and records, giving some of the most important in full, and made free use of diaries, memoranda and letters. Fortunately all my own letters written during the war were preserved b}' ni}?^ wife. A very serious obstacle in the way of accuracy was met in the imperfect condition in which T found the rolls in the Adjutant General's office at Columbus. This involved a great deal of correspondence, and finally a resort to the Adjutant General of the War Department.' There may yet remain some errors and omissions in the record of en- listed men, but I trust not many. The Author. INTRODUCTORY. In letters to the undersigned, received many months ago, General Wildes thus writes: "I am now enfjair^d in writing the history of my own regiment, the ii6th Ohio, of our own gallant first brigade, and intend making it suffi- ciently cosmopolitan to include a general history of our own campaign and a particular history of the first brigade, our own military family. If I could send you enough proof matter, or give you a general enough idea of it in any other way, I would ask you to write an introduction. The ii6th Ohio and the 34th Massachusetts served together in the same brigade in many of the decisive battles of the war, and were side by side during the whole of the last year. I can see a fitness in you of Massachusetts doing this for us of Ohio. You must see at once how much pleasure it would give our whole regiment to see the book introduced by one of their old comrades of the gallant 34th Massachu- setts." What was thus lightly undertaken then, was ren- dered a duty when information was afterwards received that the warm friend and gallant officer had been removed from earth's labors, his task but partially completed. " It is an awful big job," continues the General, "to do the work in a way that will not class it with the hundreds of useless, utterly silly, bonibastcs furioso books issued and called his- X INTRODUCTORY. tories of roi,nnu-iUs. Bui with all the battle reports in the \alk-\ in 1S64 and around Richmond, added to Pond's and 1 lunijilnxy's works, 1 think 1 ouL;ht to get some things right. V«ni see I will have many advantages over you." In entering upon his work, General Wildes aimed to make it a ///story /// /'(id : one wherein should be given the minute incidents of interest to each man, as well as the more general matter in which the regiment as a whole was concerned, lie knew, if in no other way, by correspond- ence with those who with more or less success had been engaged in similar works, how almost entirely he must rely upon himself; how little aid he would receive from even those of his old associates from whom he might expect as- sistance. It is fortunate that his work has been delayed to this day, because thereby he has had access to sources of information denied to others who preceded him. In another respect he has been fortunate that almost to the last he was with his command, actively engaged in its or- ganization, going with it into its first rendezvous, being its rirst commissioned tield otlicer (having been appointed its Lieutenant Colonel in August, 1862) being for a long time from \arious causes, its actual cominander, and remaining with it until February, 1865, when he received promotion to the full Colonelcy of the i86th, a new regiment of Ohio infantry. So that he had that full knowledge of the military lifi- of his regiment which intimate association only could give. He is said to \v,\.\v had no pre\ious militar}' training. Indeed, the condition of himself, his brother oflicers and his men can only be appreciated by his own amusing de- scripti(jn of it when marching orders were first received. INTRODUCTORY. XI "With little preliminary drill, not even once having been in line as a regiment, the men armed with old Belgian rifles, rust}^ and in demoralized condition generally, without an adjutant, and only one held officer ; scarcely an ofticer hav- ing a sword or even a shoulder strap, and none with an uniform, no one knowing how to form a battalion, how to move it after it was formed, what orders to give or how to give them," they suddenly " were directed to hasten to Parkersburg." Lo3'al men that they were, they rose to the emergency- like good soldiers, and "concluded to let Captain Teters go ahead and the rest follow as best they could." Within an hour they were on their way. Here going into camp, "the whole regiment was busy as a hive in learning the art of war." In one branch, at least, they were apt scholars, as is proved by the fact that upon a march which soon followed they could burn "wet rails" and have for breakfast "roast pig and turke}^," and "on reaching Buckhannon were followed by a train of twenty- seven loaded wagons and a cloud of citizens loaded with complaints against us for pressing horses, etc., into service," drawing from General Milroy the remark that from what he knew of them "they could take care of themselves." Of all the scoutings and skirmishes; the hurried marches up, and sometimes the more hurried marches down, the Valley of the Shenandoah ; of the battle of Piedmont, where "every color bearer and every man of the color guard was wounded"; of that before Lynchburg, where its "colors were the only ones of the whole army that waved over the enemy's works"; of that at Opequan, where "Early was sent whirling thro' Winchester"; of that at Fisher's Hill, Xil INTRODUCTORY. where the ii6th "received the lire of a battery when onl}^ lOO yards from it, and captured it in the very smoke of its discharge"; of Cedar Creek, (where now by the death of Colonel Wells, Colonel Wildes succeeded to the command of the brigade) "where the army that had swept in tri- umph at dawn, was a mass of fugitives at night," General Wildes is enabled from his active participation to give full and vivid descriptions. His words burn with the pride he feels in the splendid record his men had made. Having no fear of the "rules and regulations," he expresses with great plainness of language the contempt in which he, in common with others, held "General Sigel and the crowd of foreign adventurers" who surrounded that ofhcer during his short command; for whom, as he writes, "not an officer or a man retained a spark of respect or confidence." And with equal directness and justice he vomments upon the "blun- dering and blind pursuit of Early by Wright from Washing- ton and Hunter from Harper's Ferry, over which the' evil genius of I lalleck hovered, making it the worst handled and most fruitless campaign of the war." The movement to the James in response to General (Grant's call for the "best division in the Army of West Virginia," to which the ii6th belonged, and the life at the winter cantonment there is passed over rapidly. Here Colonel Wildes received his well-earned promotion and left his old command. He shows, however, his lo\ e for his old boys in the glowing language, in which he describes their after service; their gallant charge on Fort Gregg, and hand-to-hand struggle for its jiossession; their long and rapid marches to head off Lee in his retreat, spoken of in General Gibbon's order INTRODUCTORY. ' Xlll from "behind Richmond" as being "superior to anything of the kind heretofore witnessed," and leading Crook, the loved leader of their Valley campaign, to exclaim that "there was little use for his cavalry while this division was present"; their triumphal entry into Richmond, and inglo- rious ease in quiet encampment there, followed soon after by their muster out of service, and welcome home. Here ends the narrative of the service of the regiment. Some chapters follow containing a sketch of prison life, notice of deceased officers, the death roll and roster, the whole closed by an eulogy of the General from the pen of an old friend. Too much cannot be said in praise of the manner in which the work is done. Sub-divided into chapters, each is occupied by descriptions of particular campaign or battle, and what is of especial value is the list of killed, and wounded (in which is given the name and nature of the wound) and of the missing. One word of a personal na- ture before conclusion. In letters, hurriedly written at the time, after only a short observation of the troops brigaded with the 34th Massachusetts, I thus wrote: "Except the 34th Massachusetts, these troops are neither drilled nor dis- ciplined, this, however, from no fault of their own. The rank and file of the commands were captured at Milroy's defeat last summer. They were paroled soon after, and have been scattered in small squads along the B. & O. Rail- road as picket guard. The officers, however, were retained as prisoners, and many are in fact still in rebel hands. It looks as if we were to suffer from the connection." Almost twenty years later, extracts from these letters, without re- vision, were taken to make the history of that body, and a XIV • INTRODUCTORY. copy sent to General Wildes. lie, perhaps slightly dis- turbed by the apparent depreciation of his own command, now writes. "The fact is, the 34th then regarded itself as badh niisniated with us. True enough, they had per- formed garrison and patrol duty in Washington from their enlistment up to '6;^. It had a well trained brass band and was in every way prepared for serenades, parades and re- views, while we poor fellows, with constant marching, scout- ing and })icketing, to say nothing of now and then a little fighting, would make a sad display in either of these three ornamental positions. But before we separated in Rich- mond, the 34th felt as much pride in the history the first brigade had made for itself as was felt by any regiment m it. It was not then ashamed of the connection formed four- teen months before, nor was there an officer or man in it who felt he had suffered by the connection." To all of which by General Wildes, the present writer cheerfull}^ assents, and without at all qualifying the statements then made, rejoices in the present opportunit}' of stating that the Ii6th Ohio, if not then thought to bear comparison with the 34th Massachusetts in "drill and discipline," and if, as General Wildes writes, "it could claim to have no orna- ments," did on actual trial, prove to have what was of far greater value, men of willing hands and fearless hearts, and gallant souls, who in all the essential qualities of a true sol- dier were the peers of the noblest in the service. Wm. S. Lincoln, Late Colonel 34tli Ma«.sa«-husctts lufautiy, aud Brevet Brigadier Geueral U. S. Volunteers. THOMAS F. WILDES, The writer of the following regimental history, was born at Racine, Canada West, on the first day of June, 1834. He died at his home in Akron, Ohio, Wednesday, March 28, 1883, and was therefore unable to see his work — to him purely a labor of love — in print. His modesty respecting his own services as a Union soldier is so marked in what he has here written, as in itself to call for a brief sketch of his career. The general worth of the man also so emphasizes this demand that the volume would be incomplete without some account of its deceased author. As the tribute, there- fore, of a "comrade" who knew General Wildes as a man, soldier, law3'er, 1 offer this, imperfect as it must be, in the limited space at my disposal — to be published as a preface to the book which he has left — a gift of his heart and brain to the members of the regiment yet surviving, and re- cord, so far as it can be made, of the honored dead who went with it to the field, no more to return. General Wildes was of pure Irish blood. His grand- father was an ardent revolutionist, who suffered loss of property and home for his love of liberty. The General's parents came to Portage County, Ohio, in 1839. H*^ ^^ once sought the advantages of liberal education, and after great effort spent two years at Wittenberg College, Spring- field, Ohio. He was also two years — 1859-60 — superin- tendent of the graded schools in Wooster. Hence, while he did not complete a collegiate course, he reached a posi- tion in scholarship which was highly respectable in itself, >:vi THOMAS F. WTLDES. and was of L,n\-al aid to him in the further work of his life. During his struLfolc for echicational training, he became ac- quainted with ISriss Eliza M. Robinson, a retined and intel- lectual lad}', to wlioni he was married in i860, and who survives to mourn in his death a loss irreparable. General Wildes' public life began w ilh Jiis jnuxhase of that always able and influential paper, the Athens, Ohio, Messenger, in 1S61. Me at once assumed editorial charge, and showed himself eminently able and fit for the position. Hardly was he established in this new field when the out- break of treason against the Union — of slavery against freedom - occurred. An ardent Republican, he became of necessity an equally ardent advocate of liberty and Union. And it was not long until his hot Irish blood drove him from the pen to the sword in defending American freedom, and the Union, which is its safeguard, against the treason and slavery he so thoroughly understood and hated. Hence August, 1862, found him in military service, active and en- ergetic, as was his wont. There I first saw him. He was made Lieutenant Colonel of the 11 6th Ohio Infantr)^ "With this command he served in Virginia at Moore- " field, Romney, in the Shenandoah Valley under Sigel, par- " ticipating in the battles of Piedmont, Snicker's Gap, Ber- " ry ville, Opequan, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. During "all this time Colonel Wildes was with his reiriment in "every march, skirmish and battle in which it was en- " gaged. yVt the battle of Piedmont, by concussion from " a shell, and at Winchester he was seriously hurt by being "thrown from a horse. During a portion of the Shenan- "doah campaign, including the battle of Cedar Creek, and "other minor engagements, he commanded the First Bri- "gade. First Division of the Arm}' of West Virginia. He "retained this command until February, 1S65, when he was "promoted to Colonel of the i86th Ohio. With this regi- THOMAS F. WILDES. XVll "ment he wenl to Nashville, and af cward to Cleveland, "Tennessee, where he received his commission as Brevet "Brigadier General for gallant cond.ict at Cedar Creek, "Virginia, October 19, 1864, to date from March 11, 1865. " He was appointed to the command of a brigade at Chat- "tanooga, which he retained until his muster out in Sep- "tember, 1865." — Ohio in the War. V. I. g^i. As a soldier, General Wildes was able, brave, energetic, active, always ready and willing for duty. His patriotism never cooled. War meant to him the finding and hurting of the enemy. He believed thoroughly in crushing treason by force, and at all times was ready to act upon that con- viction. No one entered the great conflict through which he passed, more fully devoted to the cause which called those who loved the Union and human liberty to the field of battle, than himself. His tongue, pen, sword, the man in all his powers, was for the time wholly given to that cause. In 1866 General Wildes graduated at the Cincinnati Law School. He at once entered upon the practice of law at Athens, Ohio, with Judge Brown, an old and distin- guished member of the bar of that cit}^ From there he re- moved to Akron, where he had made a high position for himself as a man and as a lawyer at the time of his death. With his powers of application and the abilities which he always manifested, that he would have made his mark among able men, had another decade of life been granted him, none doubt, I think, who knew the man. Cut off in the prime of his strength, we can only sorrow as we think of his loss to friends and to the communit}- in which he was making the way to distinction. In temper he was warm and impulsive, a fast friend, and open, active opponent. The man he did not like was quite sure to find it out. Plain, sometimes severe, in speech, it was impossible that his energetic life should not at times create personal oppo- will THOMAS F. WII-DI<:8. silioii aiul ix'sciitincnls. And so, in tact, in some instances it (lid. Yet when the heat cooled and the real disposition of the man was felt, I think in most cases ill-feeling was re- movc'tl, and often warm friendship took its place. General W^ildes was possessed of a vigorous intellect, which he could maki' teh \\ ith tongue and pen. ''i'o me it seemed natural for him to express himself in written discourse. But in the one way or the other, he was clear, forcible, convincing, often able. His work was always with a delinite purpose, which came clearly out, and for which he seemed to care more than for mere graces of style. Terse force was his characteristic as a speaker and writer. He had something to say, and he said it in a way that "-plain people" never failed to understand. The living members of "the old ii6th,'" as he used proudly to call our regiment, will join me, I know, in expression of common sorrow^ at the loss of our old commander, so suddenly and unexpectedly cut down by death. " A llitsli of tlu'- lij,'litniiis', a l)rt!ak of the wave, Mau passcth from life to bis rest iu the grave." CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE. Preliminaries — Esprit de Corps of The Regiment — Recruiting — Military Committees — Patriotism of The People of The District — Remembrance of The Dead — John Frame and Elmer Armstrongs Hon. John R. Morris and Others — Woman's Work for The Soldiers. ....... i CHAPTER II. The Organization — To the Rescue of Parkersburg, Then of Gallipolis — Mustered into The U. S. Ser- vice — Into West Vir^ling we have mentioned was any where to be found. It was as dead as the same men helped to make the rebellion within the next two years. And from that time forw^ard the people and the army were one harmonious whole, and both labored in perfect accord and unison to accomplish the overthrow of the rebellion and the restoration of the Union. With the disappearance of this state of feeling, the slumbering fires of patriotism were kindled anew, and every one went about the discharge of his duty in the good work before him with a renewed zeal and a firmer determination than ever. February 17th Private Amos S. Byers, of company C, was instantly killed by the accidental discharge of a mus- ket. It created a great sensation in the regiment, and caused greater care of arms ever afterwards. Byers was a good man and an excellent soldier, and his sad death was greatly mourned. The headquarters of the regiment were in a large brick house while we lay at Romney, and having plenty of fuel and rations and good sleeping apartments, we passed the time very comfortably. No happier military family could be found anywliere than ours. Major Morris, Adjutant Sibley, Quartermaster Cochran, Sergeant Major ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 49 Ellis, Commissary Sergeant Walker and Acting Quarter- master Sergeant Campbell, Clerk Waterman and Orderly Webster formed a happy part3\ Several of them were good singers. One or two good fiddlers were generall}' about. Sibley, for drollery and comic speaking and stor}' telling, excelled, and when all other duties were performed, the ennui of camp life was kept very far away from those quarters by genuine fun and amusement. From one of the numerous letters written from Romne}', we make the fol- lowing extract as showing the enjoyments of headquarters: "In the Adjutant's ofiice just now is heard the sweet sounds of the violin, and the Major's strong bass voice with the Sergeant Major's fine tenor, while, overhead,, in the Quartermaster's room, is heard the fun and frolic of Lee, Walker and Campbell, and the useless protests of the mat- ter-of-fact old Quartermaster. I would like to take this whole headquarters crew home with me and show them to 30U. You would think us wild barbarians no doubt, and it is more than likely we have all forgotten the ways of civ- ilized life, but we are all apt scholars, and with good teachers would soon learn them again." But the founda- tion of the future good record of the regiment was also laid at Romrey in stud}-, drill, officers' and non-commissioned schools, and in the preservation of excellent discipline. On the 15th of March we moved from Romney for Winches- ter, reaching there on the 17th. CHAPTER IV. AT WIN'CIIESTER^ — A NEW BRIGADE COMMANDER SCOUTS AND MARCHES DEATH OF DR. GILKEY BATTLE OF WINCHESTER, JUNE I2T11, I 3TII AND I4TII, AND BUNKER HILL, JUNE I3TII THE RETRHAT AND BATTLE IN THE NKJHT ESCAPE OF MILROY's ARMY FROM LEE OYER IN TENNSYLVANIA AND MARYLAND — LIST OF KILLED, WOUNDED AND PRISONERS BACK TO MARTINSBURG A ^^'OI^D IN DEFENSE OF GENERAL MILROY. Wt" were now brigaded anew and placed under com- mand of Jirigadier General W. S. Elliott. The brigade consisted of the iioth, ii6th, I22d and 123d Ohio infantry regiments, the 12th and 13th Pennsyhania cavalry, and Bat- tery L, 5th U. S. artiller}', a \ery strong brigade, but a cu- rious mixture of arms. This returned Colonel Washburn, Adjutant IJallard, Quartermaster Williams and Quarter- mastL-r Sergeant Lee to their regiment, and Lieutenant vSibley, and Lieutenant Cochran, and Corporal Campbell to their companies. It would be hard to find words to ex- press how well these three men — Sibley, Cochran and Campbell discharged the duties assigned them at Buch- anan. ICach man was exactly the right man in the right j^lace, and they now returned to their respective companies willi the good will of everybody and with the assurance that they had faithfull}' and efliciently done their work. On the 1st of April the enlisted men of the regiment pur- ONEi HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 5 1 chased a fine sword for Lieutenant. Colonel Wildes, which, on account of an injury he had received, w^as not formally presented to him until the last of May. It bore the en- graved inscription, '^ Presented to Lt. Col. Thomas Francis Wildes, by the enlisted men of the ii6th O. V. I., as a testi- monial of their appreciation of his courage, zeal and kind- ness. April ist, 1863." -^ very graceful and feeling pre- sentation speech was made by Private W. H. Bassett, of company C, which was responded to in brief remarks by Lieutenant Colonel Wildes, in which he thanked the men most heartily for their splendid gift. During the time we lay in Winchester, there was a great deal of serious sickness and man}- deaths among both citizens and soldiers, typhoid fever being the prevailing dis- ease. Dr. W. R. Gilke}^ our surgeon, died of fever on the 4th of June. Dr. J. Q. A. Hudson, our first assistant sur- geon, was detached from us, and assigned to the charge of the hospital for insane soldiers at Louisville, Ky., almost immediately after the organization of the regiment, and see- ing no prospect of being returned to us he had resigned on the 23d of March. As before stated, Dr. Johnson resigned at Romney on the 19th of February, and for a long time, during which a great deal of sickness prevailed, Dr. Gilke}' was alone and he was overworked. He really fell a sacri- fice to h;s extraordinary devotion to dut} . Dr. Thomas J. Shannon was appointed to the vacancy occasioned by the death of Dr. Gilkey, and Drs. Smith and Brown to the vacancies created by the resignations of Hudson and Johnson. From the time of its arrival in Winchester, the regiment was almost constantly engaged in foraging, scouting, or skirmishing with the enemy. Several very long and hard marches were made on scouts. One of these, on the 2 2d 52 ONE IIUM)Iatli and Berkley Sprinj^rs, to Sir John's Run. Reaehini,^ the wSprini;s, we rested a few hours, the men, meanwhile, takini;- occasion to bathe and wash up. As we were about starting again, we learned that a force of rebel cavalry was Irving to get possession of certain mountain roads aheail of us a short distance, in order to cut us off from the ford of the Potomac at Sir John's Run. Hastily throwing a few companies forward, to command these roads, we mined out cjuickl\-, and crossed the ford without molestation, but we were scarcely across before the enemy appeared on the opposite bank of the river. We halted at Hancock, and placed a strong guard at the ford. From here we sent our regimental horses and mules to Cumber- land, in charge of Cajitain Powell's com]:)any (jf cavaliy. We rested at Hancock until lo p. m., marched all nigb.t. and the next day, in the afternoon, reached Orleans Station, on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, where we procured rations, and met a part of General Couche's division, collected from guarding the railroad. Here, learning that the enemy was in Cuniherlaiul in large force, we received orders from General Milroy, at Harper's Ferry, to proceed to l^odv Run, PennsyKania, at which point he would meet us, for co-operation with the Army of the Potomac. We reached Bloody Run on the 19th. INIilroy was as good as his word and met us on the next day after our arrival. It was a sad meeting. The '-Old (irey Eagle" looked gloomy and broken-hearted, but we drew ujt in line to receive him, and, as he approached, jiresented arms, and cheered him loud and long. Stackitig arms, olHcers and men gathered about to shake his hand, and learn the fate of the rest of his little army. Many a heart was saddened at the news that our ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I, 6l old associates of the 123d Ohio were prisoners. We must not pass from Bloody Run without mentioning the fact, that, upon hearing of our coming, the people of that place prepared a glorious feast for us. Long tables were placed in the middle of the principal street, which were loaded with warm and cold meats, potatoes, bread, pickles, splen- did hot coffee, and great bowls and pails of milk. We were nearly starved, and no meal we ever ate was so heartily relished. The good people of Bloody Run will be remembered as long as there is a member of the ii6th livinjj. Findinfj we were in no condition for immediate ser- vice, General Milro}^ left us to await further orders. Re- maining here until the 30th, we then moved to Bedford, where we remained until the 3d of Jul}'. On that day, we moved back to Bloodv Run. Next da}', starting at 4 a. m., we marched six miles, and stopped for breakfast. During the day we passed through the small village of Mount Zion, and camped that night six miles from McConnells- burg. It rained hard from 6 a. m. till 3 p. m. July 5th we passed through McConnellsburg to Loudon, which we reached about 2 p. m. Just after dark we received orders to move by a forced march to Mercersburg, to guard trains captured by our cavalry. We reached Mercersburg about I o'clock next morning-. Here we met Col. McRevnolds, through whose disobedience of orders, on the morning we left Winchester, a portion of our force was captured, and by whose conduct the successful escape of our whole com- mand was thwarted. We were far from glad to see him, and every one expressed hopes that he would not be allowed to remain in command of the troops. Our hopes were gratified, for he was ordered from there in arrest, and his gallant regiment remained in command of Major Adams, and the rest of the troops breathed freer wdien they learned they were relieved from any further risk from his treachery. Early in the morning, we started back with the captured 62 ONE IIlTNDRKn AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. trains, and about i,ooo prisoners, to Loudon. Other por- tions of our cavalry had now joined us, and we watched closely for opportunities to strike Lee's trains, which were passing in front of his defeated army from Gettysburg. Ojiportunities soon came, when our cavalry, supported by our infantry, struck his trains antl captured, in the aggre- gate, over 400 wagons, a large number of which were loaded with wounded. The wagons, horses, and mules were run off to a safe distance from the rebel line of retreat, while the wounded jtrisoners were distributed in Loudon and adjoining farm houses. We hung upon the flank of Lee's retreating column, until they passed through Hagers- town, making freijuent dashes upon his trains, capturing large numbers of stragglers and foraging parties, thus pro- tecting the country from being plundered by his half-fam- ished hordes. From a letter written from Loudon, under date of July 6th, I take the following: "We are doing g(jod work here, harassing the rebels on their flank, cutting up their trains, and picking up their stragglers. There probably never was so complete a rout as Lee's army sus- tained. A train six miles long passed by on the Cumber- land pike yesterday. It was terribly cut up by our cavalry and Pleasanton's. It will j-yrobably all be caj)tured, or de- stroyed. Providence is faNoring us with such copious rains. The Potomac has risen several feet. A large pon- toon bridge of the enemy was swept away yesterday, near Williamsport. This was the point aimed at by the rebel train mentioned. The demoralization of Lee's armv is something awful to witness, and if General Mead would j>ress it hard, fully half of it would certainly be destroyed, t»r captiufd. Why he does not jiress forward is a m3'stery to us, who can see its hopeless condition here, as it passes by." On the 13th we marched to Greencastle, and the next day started for Hagerstown, where we met the Army of the l\)tomac in jnnsuit of Lee, now too late to accomplish ONK HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 63 what it might so easily have accomplished a week before. And here, after a month of fighting, skirmishing and hard marching, (much of the marching being night and day and forced), we stacked arms, and partaking of the iirst square meal we had eaten since we left Bloody Run, laid down to rest and sleep. I can never forget the appearance of those sleepers. They looked more like dead than asleep. They were utterly exhausted. For the four days prior to reach- ing Hagerstown, we had scarcely rested an hour at a time, had hardly closed our eyes in sleep, night or day, and had had nothing to eat, save what we could pick up as we passed rapidly along the roads, or through the fields and woods. The next day we moved to Sharpsburg, passing over the battle field of Antietam, and then, on the 4th of August, moved to Martinsburg, by the way of Harper's Ferry. On the way, we passed the house in which John Brown pre- pared for his raid on Harper's Ferry. From the 13th of June our regiment had lost 203 men in killed, wounded and prisoners. The following is a list of our killed, wounded and prisoners: KILLED AT BUNKER HILL. Company A— Simpson S.mUli, John Welch and John A. Bowman —3. WOUNDED AT BUNKER HILL. CoMPANV A— Abel Hall, Henry Harman, Dsvniel P. Hubbard, James Lafevere, James W. Oliver, Jacob Rmg, Jacob Zimmerly, Hiram Shafer, Solomon Shafer, Cyrus Sprigga, Samuel Tidd, Edward J. Tillelt, Aaron Weekly, George C. Williamson, Samuel Steel, and Corporal Newton Meek. — IG. CoMPANf I— Captain Alexander Cochran, Caleb I. Baker, George W. Burch.— 3. PRISONERS. Company A— Lieutenant John S. Manning, Sergeant Mann Smith, Sergeant James H. Worder, Sergeant Daniel C. Hurd, Corporal Benjamin F. Dye, Corporal Jesse Keyser, Corporal William Brock, Corporal N<'wton Meek, Privates, John D. Browi\, Albert Gates, Joseph R. Brock, John C. Bean, William Bonam, Jesse Coulter, Abraham Coulter, William Danford, William S. Dyer, Frederick Edge, Samuel Gates, Jefiersoa 64 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. firatton, Abel Hall, Henry Harniaii, Daniel P. Hiibhanl, Joseph Paith, Jacob Ring, Cyrus Spriggs, Samuel Tiild, Edward J. Tillctt, Samuel Zimmerly, James Lafevere, Samuel H. McHugh, George C. Williamson, Benjamin Ring.— :i:J. CoMi-ANY 1— Captain Alexander Cochran, Sergeant (ieorge Bean, Privates, William Scott, John O. Athej, Jacob E. Athey, John C.Bailey, Caleb I. Baker, Elias Baker, Bradly P. Barrows, Jesse Burton, George W. Burcli, James A. Campbell, Samuel H. Cramblelt, John A. Dennis, Samuel I*. I-'leak, (escaped June lllth), Ephriam W. Frost, James II. Gilchrist, Samuel McCulloeh, William McMillan, Leonard S. Mickle, Joseph Morrison, John J. Norris, Sheldon Parker, Hopson L. Sherman, George W. Tasker.— 25. KIIJ.l':!) AT WINCHESTER. Captain Frederick H. Aickenoe, Co. C; Sergeant Oswald Heck, Co. C; Samuel Luthey, Co. E; Theodon- Mathias, Co. E.— 4. WOUNDED. Jonii H. Lang, Co. C, in arm ; Charles D. Watson, Co. C, right shoulder. PRISONERS, JUNE I5TH. Chaplain E. W. Brady, Q. M. Sergeant William J. Lee, Elmer Armstrong, Sutler, Mrs. Colonel Washburn.— 5. CoMi'ANV B — Lieutenant Hiram L. Sibley, Sergeant Edward P. Tiffany, Privates Henry Jennings, Leonard J. Cooley, Benjamin McLane, John Camplx^ll, Daniel Rose, Aurelius P. Wiley.— 8. Company C— Lieutenant Levi Lupton, Corporal Oliver A. Hardesty, Privates Wilson A. Mann, David A. Mann, John Mahoney, Miller Booth, Jacob Bult, Eli Evans, Robert E. Chambers, .(Jeorge W. Gannon, William Montgomery, Reinhard Straub, Jacob Walton, John Latchaw, George W. Matchett, George W. Samp.son, John Egger, William Bush, Clarkson W. Adams, William W. Wlioaton, Citizen H. Henderson, Samuel I)obbins, Emon H. Heardmore, Jarnes A. Preshaw, Henry Fleishnian, Lewis Steuher, Charles L. Kberle, Alexander Robbins.— 28. Company- D — Corporal William A. Ferrell, Privates Isaac Price, Jackson Cox, Leander A. Eddy, Henry Mowder, Thomas Rawley, Sampson Patterson, Robert Armstrong, Hugh Thompson, James Simmons.— in. CoMi'ANY E— Corporal John J. Walter, Privates Robert S. Hutchison, John Smith, John Morrow, Benjamin J. Ridgeway, Jacob Fisher, Jacobs. Hurd, Jacob Walter.— 8. CoMi-ANv F— Privates William H. Bell, Junius Early, Charles Latch, James Marsh, Christian Rhmer.— ."1. CoMi'ANV G — Lieutenant J. C. S. Cobb, Privates Ira Wood, James Davis, William. M. Davies, Jacob Fisher, George W. Hyaell, Eben Hysell, Samuel L. Smith, Isaac C. Swett, William J. Chase.— 11. COMI'ANV H -Privates Daniel Bock, Joseph Geralds, Mathew Grandon, E. J. Mathews, Lalayette Moore, Michael J. Moore, Hugh Shaler, Joseph Dudley, James Smith, Stephen C. McCoy, Jacob Wannhas, Samuel B. Mathews.— 12. Company I- Lieutenant Richmond O. Knowles, Sergeant John B. Humphrey, Corporal Wisley Mickle, Corporal Joseph P. Parrish, Privates George Bates, Asher Buckley, Alvah D. Carlton, Luther H. Clayton, James W. Glazier, Morris Humphrey, William S. Parrott, Rufus B. Stanley, Enoch Taylor, Charles W. Waterman.— 14. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O, V. I. 65 Company K— Corporal Carmi Allison, Drummer Boy Jjucius Hull, Privates Jolin Koons, Reason Risley, Hiram Pitcock, William Rutter, Abraham Butterworth, John Hartley, S. Fenton, George McDonald, Harley Gilbert, Craven Ayers, Emory Newton, William Robiiiett, Asa Laikl, Corporal Jesse Allen. — 10. Making a total loss of 7 killed, 21 wounded, 175 pris- oners — 203. Lieutenant Sible}^ was recorder of a military commis- sion at Winchester, of which Colonel Keifer was president, when the attack was made upon tlie place. He was at the time quite unwell. The morning of the attack he got out of bed the first time for a week, and went to the room of the commission to be excused by Colonel Keifer. While they were talking, the rebel artillery opened. Keifer buckled on his sword, saving: '-I think there won't be an}' further use of this commission," and left to command his regiment. Sible}' was alternately in camp and hospital, until the night we moved out, when he rode Surgeon Smith's horse, and was finalh' captured in Colonel Ely's surrender in the morning attack. Man}' of the prisoners at Winchester were sick in hospital, but it is impossible to distinguish, from an}' records or papers in my possession, who were captured in hospital, or who in action. Company C, after reaching Harper's Ferry, was assigned to the iioth Ohio, and served with it until August ist. On the evacuation of Harper's Ferry, the stores were sent down the canal to Washington, the troops marching as an escort, company C accompanying the iioth on the march. Arriving at Wash- ington, the news of Lee's defeat at Gettysburg was re- cei\'ed, and it accompanied the iioth back to follow the retreating rebels. Reaching Frederick City, Mar} land, it, with the Iioth, was assigned to the 2d Brigade, 3d Divi- sion, 3d Army Corps, and marched in pursuit of Lee through Williamsport, Loudon, Upperville and Manassass Gap, where they skirmished with the enemy. Arrixing at Warrenton, Virginia, the company was ordered to rejoin its 66 ONK HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. rc'^inu'iit, which it did at Sharpsburg, on the 4th of August, ha\ ini;- inarchfd, in the meantime, about 250 miles, besides traveling b\' rail several hundred miles more. A captain's connnission awaited Lieutenant Mann, Lieutenant Lupton was promoted to First Lieutenant, and Orderly Sergeant William T. Jliddenharn to Second Lieutenant, and were assigned to duty w ith their old company. Now a few words in general about the campaign, end- ing with our arrival at this point. General Milro}' had 6,900 men when attacked at Winchester, on the 12th of June, b}' Eweirs corps, in the advance of Lee's army. He was severely censured for the "loss of his arm}-," as the critics of those times put it. He was placed in arrest, and, after waiting a time, and no charges being preferred, he asked and obtained a court of impiiry. There never was an\ di\ ision of opinion among Milroy's army, but that he did the best that bravery and skill could do, under the cir- cumstances. From it he received never a word of censure. lUit the public, and some others, demanded a sacrifice for the confessed blunder of leaving General Milroy's little army in Winchester until it was surrounded b\' Lee. Gen- eral Halleck was then the commandei-in-chief of the army <)l tin- United States. General Hooker, who vvas then in conunand of the Army of the Potomac, until the 28th of June, testified before the Military Court of Inquiry, "that as early as the 28th of May, he communicated information to General Halleck of the enem}'s movements towards the Shenandoah Valle}', and that he suggested sending General Slahl's cavalry there."' I>ut the evidence showed, that not e\cn an intimation ol this was sent to General Milroy. rniural Halleck communicated the information to General Schenk, but the latter never sent it to Milroy. Hooker also testified '■'■■ iJiul he believed iJie holding of JLce^s army in cheeky dining /he 12/h, ijth and i^lh of fime, saved Har~ rishuyg^ and perJni-p:^ other important eities of the Union, dNE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 67 from destruction.'''' The testimony before the Court fully exonerated General Milroy, and, in this, Judge Advocate General Holt fully concurred. President Lincoln subscribed his approval to the endorsement of Judge Advocate Holt. In his approval the President said : " Some question chn be made, whether some of General Halleck's dispatches to General Schenck should not have been construed to be orders to withdraw the force, and obe3'ed accordingly, but no such question can be made against Milroy; in fact, the last order he received was, to prepare to withdraw, but )iot to actually withdraw till further order s^"" which further or- ders never reached him. Thus it will be seen that General Milroy and his arm^' were made the victims of somebody's incompetency other than Milroy's. That the army should have been withdrawn several days before it was, there can be no doubt, and 3'et, had it not been for the check given Lee's army during the 12th, 13th and 14th of June, the battle fought at Gettysburg would have been fought three days' march further north, and, as General Hooker testified, "Harrisburg, and, perhaps, other cities of the Union, would have been destro3'ed." General Milroy acted prompth' on the orders "to be prepared to withdraw, but not to actually withdraw till further orders." In a correspondence to the Athens (O.) "Messenger," under date of October 2 2d, 1863, I summarized the situa- tion, and as this was w^-itten at a time when the facts were all accessible, and were fresh in ni}- mind, I here quote lib- erally from it: " A great misapprehension has existerl in the public mind, and tliis has been pro- moted by reckless correspondents to the press, in reference to the amount of public property abandoned and lost at Winchester. 'Millions of dollars' vvortii ' are spoken of, with the appropriate number of exclamation points following the startling announce- ment. The testimony shows that but a small amount of stores were on hand. In fact, the men were on half rntiona when the retreat was ordered. Ammunition was nearly ex- hausted for all arms. Under General Milroy's orders, live days' supply of ammunition and subsistence was constantly kept on hand. The last requisition of General Milroy's o rdnance officer had not been filled and the supply was scanty, even for ordinary fighting, let alone three or lour days' continual firing, as was the case then. Everylhwg 68 ONK IIUNDRKI) AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. Iind been nctil out, in areurilnnce uilh Qeuercd Sclienek's orders, ihni could be sent, up to Snt- urdiiy night, a large train linviiig been sent out late in the afternoon of that day, whieli was lollowed tiy reliel cavalry tlirongh Chainbersburg, and nearly to Carlisle, Penna., bnt Knally arriveil safely al HHrrisbnrg. Hut I am sure the holding ol that place as long as we did— and I am convinced (hat the |>ulilic now generally believe as I ilo — gave us inl'ornialion wo conlil not have obtained otherwise, ilevoloped the i>lans ami purposes of the eni'iny, clu'cki'd and delayed his advant'c into Maryland and rennsylvaina for tliree days, and by these means enabled the Army of the Potomac to follow with timely re- sistance, and to prevent the loss of millions of property, which would otherwise have lallen into the enemy's hands. The inconsiderable loss suflered at Wineiiester was a trifle compared lo these advantages. ".As to the conduct of the retreat, it is in evidence that the disasters which befell the command after it was forced to evacuate Winchester, are attributed in the main either to causes lnyond the control of the commanding officer, or the fadure, at a critical 7noment, of Colonel McReynolds lo obey Gencnd Milrny's orders, the conf>Qquencea of which disobedi- ence were exceedingly serious. No skill or precaution could have enabled (jeneral Milroy to evade the enemy where he met him on Monday morning. He was posted in a position to command both roads, at the ))oint where the one leading to Summit Point diverges from the Martinshurg road about four miles from Winehester. Here we fought him until a signal gun in the direction of Winchester was heard, and the enemy's cavalry and artillery were seen in liot pursuit of us, on the roait leading from that place. General Milroy then onlered the march to be continued, and much the larger portion of his command escaped, though the number of the enemy around us was ovcrtthelming ! Indeed, the surprise ol every one in the engagement was that so many got out ol the excellent trap the enemy had set for us. Notwitlistantlmg this attack was made at a most critical moment, and, as it appears in the evidence, iini)ortant orders Irom General Milroy were disobeyed by Colonel McReynolds, thus in a great degree thwarting the General's jilans, it was found liy General .Schenck th:it, of the C,'.iUO brave fellows who started from Winchester that morning, 11,000 were on duty on the 1st of September. So it will be seen that the terrible • reports of losses ' in circulation just alter the retreat, are not sustained by the facts." As a \r,ivi (A the history ol that campaign, and as shovv- itii;" how ignorant tin- authorities at Washinoton and Gen. Hooker, of the Army of the Potomac, were of the move- ments of Cieneral Lee, we gi\e below several dispatches taken ironi the "Report on the Conduct of the War Com- mittee." We call especial attention to the two dispatches of President Lincoln, dated June i.^th. The first dispatch in order is the one referred to b}' General Hooker in his testimony before the Court of Inquir}'. Letter to Bon. E. M. Stanton . " May 28, ISf,:?. " It is impossible for me to give any information eonccrning the movements of the enemy at all .satisfactory. ■:' * ■:' Maj. Gen. Stahl should be instructed to look into the Shenandoah N'alley and see what is going on over there. <■ * <• " JOSEPH HOOKER, Major Gen'l Coni'd'g." ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 69 " VVakiiknton Junction, June 12, ISOS. — 7 r. m. " Geii'l S. WiiUanis, A. A. O. " A colored boy Just Cii|>tnii'il on (Tuesday) the 'Jtli, states that Ewell's corps passed through Culpepper on Monday lust, on tlieir way to the Valley, and that Longstreel's had gone also. A s<'cond negro, just across the river, eonlhiiis the statement. I send a reeonnoisance to find out the truth. "A. PLEASANTUN, Brig. Gen'l." The follovvitiy is from Hooker's testimony before the committee: •' Had this information been communicated to Gen. Milroy, probably the disaster might have been averted, as that officer vvoulil have had sufficient notice of their approacti to have withdrawn his command. Jn view of the information I had received from Gen. Pleasanfon of the presence of an infantry corps at Culpepper, I had, on the nth, ordered the Third coips to take post on the river, from Rappahannock Station to Beverly Ford ; on the 12th for the First cor])s to proceed to Bealton, and the Eleventh to Catlett's Station." IN CIPHER. " VVASHiNiiTON, June U, 18G3. " Major Gen'l Hooker : " L>Q you consider it possible that fifteen thousand of Ewell's men can now be at Winchester? Sent 1:14 p. m. "A. LINCOLN." Not less than 40,000 men of Lee's army were there then. " Washington, D. C, June f 1, '(13. " Maj. Gen. Hooker: " So far as we can make out here, the enemy have Milroy surrounded at Winclies- ter, and Tyler at Martinshurg. If they could hold out a few days, could yon help them ■.' If the head of Lee's army is at Martinsburg, and the tail, of it on the plank road between Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, the animal must be very slim somewhere; could you not brealt him V Sent 5:50 v. si. " A. LINCOLN." How characteristic is this dispatch of President Lincohi. " HEAD()UAKTf Its ARMY PoTOMAC, ] . " IHiMFKiKs, June II, ISO;'..— 11:15 v. m. t" " His Excellency, the President : " Has anything further been heard from Winchester ? Will tlie President allow me to inquire if it is his opinion that Winchester is surrounded by rebel forces? •:=»*! do not feel like making a move unless I be satisfied as to his whereabouts. To proceed to Winchester, and have him make his appearance elsewhere, would subject me to ridi- cule. With tins feeling, unless otherwise directed, I feel it my duty to proceed to e.\ecute the movement indicated yesterday. I will not, however, issue my order of march until the last moment, in the hope that further information may be received. " MAJ. GEN'L HOOKER." ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. 1. " War Dki'ABTment, " VVAsiiiNiiTON Cnv, June 14, 18G3 '• Maj. Gen'l Hooker, Dumfries: " No doubt iH fiitfrtainod here that Milioy is surrounded at Winchester, and so closely inveBtcd tliat no seout or other inl'ornialiou has heen had from liiin later than eleven o'clock Saturday night. Tyler was also surrounded to-day at Martinsburg. •■ Sent 12 midnight. " KOWIN M. STANTON." IN CUM IKK. " Headijuarteus of the Army, "f " VVASHiN. si., abont 2, (Mill of Milioy's men had arrived. The rebels appeared before Winchester in lour divisions, commanded by Ewell, Evans, Early and Uhodes, numbering about lo,uuO. Milroy loiighl till 2 this morning, when he determined to evacuate and cut hia way out. SpiKing his guns, and destroying stores, he marched some distance belore his move- ments were discovered. Ho was pursued and attacked si.\ miles out ot Winchester, anil was shelled for several miles. His loss is probably 2,lHJ0 men, but that may be e-vaggeratod. Will send, as soon as received, further and more exact report. " K. C. SCHENCK, Maj. Gen'l." " Baltimore, Md., June 15, 18C3. ■ ' Gen'l Halleck : "Gen. Milroy has cut his way through and arrived at HarjK-r's Ferry. His losses reported considerable, with great damage to the enemy. He will telegraph soon. Tyler brought troops liom Martinsburg to Maryland Heights, ami is in command tlu-re. Have sent Kelley around to New Creek to concentrate troops on western por- tion of railrwad. Ordered Avcrill to concentrate at lirafton, with a view to covering ttpproaelu'B to Wheeling, and to come east\varrister phnfully picked it up and pointed it toward him. Hogue, in the same playful mood, picked up a musket, w hich he thought unloaded, and point- ed it toward the Sergeant and pulled the trigger. It proved to be loaded, and Sergeant Brister was shot through the breast and died in a few minutes. It was a dreadfully unfortunate occurrence and nearl\- crazed Hogue, as the two nu-n were close neighbors at home, and very warm friends. Hogue soon afterwards wrote to Bnster's friends, saying that he ''had killed the best friend he had on earth." Brister\s remains were sent home. On the I St of March, 1864, the regiment was gotten together at Martinsburg, being relieved by the 123d Ohio. Troops were now congregating in considerable force under General Sigel, who had been assioned to the command of ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 79 the department. Under date of the 3d of March, 1864, General Mih^oy wrote me from Washington, in which he expressed a hope that he might be assigned to command in the Valley. No one could have been assigned to our com- mand that would have given more general satisfaction to the troops. But General Milroy was under the ban of the ogre General Halleck, and could not expect a command as long as Halleck controlled arm}- affairs. Milroy rejoiced that General Grant had just been appointed Lieutenant General, and that now he had hopes of a command, and it might be remarked that the armies, everywhere, had hopes that newspaper generals, and political considerations in the appointment of army commanders, and public clamor of "on to Richmond," and so forth, had had their da}' in the conduct of the war, and that henceforth it was to be carried on according to strict militar}- rules and principles. Gen- eral , Grant, in assuming command of the armies of the United States, had, in substance, said to the President and the people of the country what a Roman Consul said to the Roman Senate and people, on his leaving for the seat of war in Macedonia: "If there be an}- one who conceiv^es himself capable of assisting me with his counsels in the war you have charged me with, let him not refuse to do the Republic that service, but let him go ^^'ith me into Mace- donia. But, if he will not take so much trouble, and prefers the tranquility of the cit}- to the dangers and fatigues of the field, let him not take upon him to hold the helm and con- tinue idle in the port. The cit}- of itself supplies sufficient matter of discourse on other subjects, but as for these, let him be silent on them, and know that we shall pay no re- gard to any counsels, but such as shall be given us in the camp itself." And General Grant acted upon this polic}' to the end of the war. On the 9th of March the 34th Massachusetts arrived at Martinsburo-, and Colonel Wells assumed command of the So ONE IIUNDRKI) AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. post. In due linn- wc all jxiid him our rcspccls, irenerally k-a\ iuL; liis pivsciuc with a \ cry good opinion of him. His n'i;-inuiU was a very tine one. Having had a great deal of oarrison duty about Washington, it was remarkably well drilled and under good discipline. It was so much more neatly dressed and so completely equipped, compared to our own regiment, that it was a sort of curiosity to our "rough Ohio fellers," as its ollicers and men often spoke of us. But on the third of April, it went back to Harper's Ferry. On the 1 2th of April, the ii6th and 123d followed to Harper's Ferr}' and encamped on Bolivar Heights. On the 15th we received orders from "Headquarters First In- fantry Division," General Sullivan commanding, forming a brigade composed of the 34th Massachusetts, ii6th Ohio, 123d Ohio, and the 3d Maryland (Snows) Battery, Colonel Wells, of the 34th Massachusetts, commanding the brigade. Of this brigade. General Lincoln, in his admirable history of the 34th Massachusetts, is moved to remark as follows: "Heaven help us! except the 34th, this infantr}' is neither drilled nor disciplined; this, however, from no fault of theirs. The bulk of the rank and file of these commands was cap- tured at Milrov's defeat last svunmer. The men were paroled soon after and ha\-e been scattered in small squads along the B. & O. Railroad on picket guard. The officers, however, were retained as prisoners, and man}' are, in fact, still in rebel hands. It looks as if we were to suffer from tile connection." I have looked carefully through General Lincoln's interesting book for verification of the fear that the} weic- to "suffer from the connection." On the con- trar}-, I am led, from his frecjuent compliments to the Ii6th, to conclude that his fears were never realized. The fact is, the 3.jth then very generally regarded itself badly mismated w ith us. We were looked upon as a lot of barbarians by these well drilled, well disciplined, highly cultured eastern soldiers. They had performed garrison and patrol duty at ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. bl Washington, from their enlistment up to July, 1863, since which time they had, with little exception, enjoyed magnifi- cent quarters at Harper's Ferry. At Washington the reg- iment was the admiration of all beholders, if we are to credit General Lincoln, and we see no reason why we should not. Many of its ollicers, while brave, good sol- diers, were also martinets. But before we separated in 1865 at Richmond, we had learned to respect these marti- nets as plumed and chivalric knights. It had, withal, a well trained brass band, and was in every way w^ell pre- pared for serenades, parades and reviews, so much in vogue in Washington early in the war. While we, poor fellows, with constant marching, scouting, picketing, to sa}' nothing of now^ and then a little lighting, would make a sad display in either of these three ornamental positions. \n short, there were no ornaments about us or among us, if we ex- cept, perhaps, a few good looking officers, notably the Major, Adjutant, Captain Karr, Lieutenant Frame and one or two others. But before we separated at Richmond in 1865, the 34th Massachusetts regiment felt as much pride in the history the First Brigade had made for itself, as was felt by an}' regiment in it. It was not then ashamed of the "connection" formed fourteen months before, nor was there an officer or man in it who felt that he iiad "suffered by the connection." On the 17th of April we started back to Martinsburg, reaching there the evening of the i8th. The next da}' Colonel Wells was relie\ed of the command of the brigade and assigned to the command of the post, and Colonel Washburn was placed in command of the brigade. The congregating of troops at Martinsburg had excited the cu- riosity of the enemy, and there were a great man}^ small parties scattered about the countr}- annoj'ing us constantly. As we arrived at Martinsburg, we found General Averill just leaving for West Virginia with his cavalry. General Si ONE IIUNDRftD AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. A\rril. on k'a\in<4-. jihucd Colonel McReN'nold.s, who had made his appraiaiici- hrvv ai;aiii. in (.■onimand of the post. J>ul Colonel \\'ell.s was in /^(K^srs.^/o// ot post headtpiarters, and so for sexcial da\ s we were reeeixino' orders from both lliese otlieers which were often, and in fact generalh', in conflict. During- this time no one knew whether he "was a-foot or a-horseback. Colonel Wells's orders were, how- ever, \ fr\ generally obe}ed, owino- to the litter dislike felt by everybody for McReynolds. It was soon adjusted, howe\'er, b}' Colonel Wells abandoning the contest and going back to his regiment. We were now brigaded anew. Our brigade was composed of the 28th, ii6th, 123d Ohio and [Sth Connecti(.iU. with Colonel Moore, of the 28th, in conuu.md. That is, he would be w hen he arri\ed, which he did not do till wc reached Winchester, during which time Colonel Washburn conuuanded. Tlie ^ |lh left us for a short time for dut} in another brigade. On the 20th General Sigel issued an order allowing thirteen teams to a regiment. He told Colonel Washburn, one day, "Turn over vour tents and be very ready to march." On the 26th another order came allowing one team for headquarters, and one for every 300 men, each man to carry in his knapsack one extra shirt, one pair of socks, one pair of shoes, and soap and towels. On the 27th we had a "garrison review," and such a time as we had finding our places in the line was never seen before. The brigades had ne\er been in line together before, and all questions of rank had to be settled on the parade ground before any one knew or would take place in the line. After all preliminaries were settled, the review went off very well. Our regiment numbered nearly 800 men and looked like a brigade itself. Colonel Thoburn was in com- mand of the second brigade, ours being known as the tirst. On the 29th of April we mo\ed out of Martinsburg up the Valley, stopping the tirst night at Bunker Hill. Generals ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 83 Sigel, Stahel and Sullivan were with us, Sigel in command of the army, Stahel of the cavaUy, Sullivan of the infantr}-, the latter being composed of eight regiments. Our cavalry force was not very large, only about 1,500, but we had a good suppl}' of artiller}', four batteries. In speaking of the infantry. General Lincoln says: "The 54th Pennsylvania is fair, the 12th West \^irginia pretty good; the rest are l)arely passulile.'" It will be seen that the 34th was deemed beyond comparison with any other regiment in the com- mand, and so was not mentioned, while the ii6th and the rest were "barely passable." We remained at Bunker Hill until May ist, when we marched to Winchester, camping about two miles the other side of the place. Much display of the stars and stripes was visible as we passed through, more than we had ever observed before. Little Willie McFielly, the Lieutenant Colonel's bo}^ was carrying a "marker" at the head of the regiment as it marched through Winchester, when some woman, who was very glad to see us, called out: "That's right, little boy, raise it up high^ clear up, and let everybody see it." Colonel Washburn, still in command of the brigade, detailed Quartermaster Williams as Brigade Quartermaster, and Lieutenant W. L. Mosely was detailed to act as Regimental Quartei'master, but only remained one da}', when he was returned to his company. Quartermaster Williams had his horse stolen, and looked through all the ca\alry for it, linally finding it in the camp of the ist New York. On the day after our arrival at Winchester our men wandered over the battle grounds of June, 1863, and finding some of our dead but poorly buried bv the rebels, selected a nice spot and buried them decently. The cavalry burned a house from which one of their men was shot a few days before our arrival. On the 4th, tiie men were ordered to pack all spare clothing in their knapsacks for transportation to Martins- burg, and ofEcers were bereft of almost exer^-thing. We 84 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. ^^ I. wcTf down to our "fighting weight." An ordt-r was re- i.(i\i-d tor hrioadc drill on the morrow, and otrui-rs were stiul\in<.f Casey dilio-enth . The morrow came, and with it the hrigade drill so much looked for and so much dieaded. A whole held lull of Generals. Colonels and staff officers weri' present to witness the pi'rformance. General Si^'el and Colonel iMoore had a lot of Dutchmen on their staffs who could hardK- t.ilk English, and who knew nothing ahout conmuuiicaling orders on tlie di-ill ground. Few of the Colonels knew an\thing at all ahout brigatle drill, and some of them ver^• little e\en about battalion drill. One of the first things that was done was to deploy and start out the 34th Massachusetts as skirmishers, and then General Sigel undertook to maneuxer the infantr}, cavahy and ar- tillery as on a field of battle in their rear. It was the fun- niest farce ever witnessed anywhere, and can never be for- gotten as long as an\- man w ho took part in it li\es. Our own reiriment, for instance, was ordered throuirh something like this: The right wing was ordered to advance, firing, to a fence pomted out. and there to lie down and keep on firing. Then, when it was thought our right wing was out about long enough to be pretty badlv cut up, the left was ordered to charge, without instructions how far to go in its wild career, or what to do next. Away we went, ■' hell bent," with a yell. As soon as we reached the left of the other wing it jumped up and charged, too, the whole regi- ment yelling like fiends. The "recall" was sounded by General Sigel's bugler, but of course we didn't hear it, and away we went up the N'alle}-, clear out to the picket line. Now came on the galloji three or foui" leather breeches Dutch stall officers after us, who linalK overtook us and ordered a halt. But the 34th Massachusetts skirmishers! What had become of them? Here we had gone to the picket line and had not come up with them. It seemed thev had been forcrotten in the oeneral muss, and had been ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 85 allowed to advance scjme dislaiiee beyond the picket line before they were thought of and recalled, ll was after dark before the 34th got back to camp that night. "Thus endeth tlu first lesson," solemnh' remarked our Chaplain when we got into camp. "Yes, by God!" responded Col- onel Washburn, "and a h — 1 of a lesson it was, too." At which the Chaplain retired to his "pup tent" in disgust. General Lincoln says the whole thing was a good deal like a "town meeting," no doubt having in mind the meetings held by eastern people, which are noted for nothing so much as for their want of order and decorum. This farce was repeated, with not quite so much blundering, the next dav. and then the regiments were fjiven over to their com- manders for battalion drill. Talk about your "corn stalk militia," and " general train- ing's" of ^'e olden times I There was never anythmgr seen half so ridiculous, and it bred in everyone the most supreme contempt for General Sigel and his crowd of foreign adven- turers. Not an othcer or a man retained a spark of respect for, or confidence in. iiim i)v an\' of the leather l)reeches retinue of staff otHcers with which he had surrounded him- self. 80 that for all the good that army would or could do under him, it might as well, and better, haxe returned at once toMartinsburg. Companies F and K were detailed to guard signal posts about seven miles from Winchester, on the 6th, and, when the command moved, were not called in, and did not rejoin tlie regiment until the second day after we reached Cedar Creek. It was more good luck than good generalship that they were not all captured. Lieutenant Milton A. Ellis was detached to the signal corps. Lieutenant John F. Welch to the jiioneer corps, and Lieutenant Ransom CTrilFin to the ambulance corps. Each of these otlicers ccjntinued so detached during the remainder of their term of service, and each distinguished himself in his respective corps and freijuenlly receixed high jii'aise and 86 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. honorable mention in orders, for his efficiency and good conckict. On the 9th we moxed to Strasburg, lying here one day. On the nth we moved to Woodstock, where we camped in a clover Held a mile from water. On our teams coming up, Sergeant Walker took out of a mess pan a little black ob- ject, calling out, '^Here's the Lieutenant Colonel's bag- gage." It proved to be a white kitten, which, coming into our camp at Strasburg, the Ivieutenant Colonel had fed, and which, on our moving from there. Walker had put into one <^f the wagons among the sooty mess pans, and now here was kilty, as black as night itself. After being fed and washed white again, it took kitty most of the night to dry herself and be reach' for the next day's experience. A citi- zeti came in anil told Colonel Washburn that his men were killing his sheep. "-Have you taken the oath?" asked the Colonel. "No, InU I'm w illiiT to," was the reply. Upon takiiiiT it. a s^uard was furnished him, but when he got home no sheep could be fottinP. Of course the boys all ex- pressed "regrets." Another order, allowing only one Sut- ler to a brigade, was issued, the rest being ordered to the rear. A neat rebel trick was very near being successful here. A note had been written and handed to the Division Wagon Master, purporting to come from the Chief Quar- termaster, and to be in his hand writiiiij. orderinfj a larjje train to the reai". \\ ith which were also to go the returned Sutlers' wagons. Tlie train had started and was well out on the road zc/'/hoK/ a ^■//(//■(/. w lien the Quartermaster dis- covered what had been done. lie dashed off as fast as his horse could carry him to bring it back, which he did in safety, it was afli-rwards ascertained that Moseb\- and McNeil were in waiting foi- the train a few miles down the road. We lay at Woodstock until the 14th, when we nutxed on to MouiU Jackson. That evening soiue of our troops met Breckem-idge with a force of about 4,000 men ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 87 near New Market, and drove in his pickets, and defeated a small force sent out to reconnoiter oiu" position. The next day the ii6th was left with the trains, the lirst and last time during the war, until about the middle of the after- noon, when some cavalry relieved us, and we were moved to the front on the double quick. Sharp lighting had been .going on at the front since noon, w^hich occurred in the midst of heavy thunder storms. The 123d suffered very severely during the afternoon, as did, also, the 34th Massa- chusetts. We arrived on the field just in time to witness the falling back of our little army. We had moved to the front in a violent rain storm on the double quick, or run, for a distance of about four miles, and to cover the retreat. The 28th and ii6th Ohio regiments, wdth quite a large body of cavalry, were kept in the rear, guarding the im- mense trains, which were allowed to stand, in the main, stretched out on the road, until the remainder of the arni}^ was entirely defeated. Then our regiment was ordered up at the rate of speed spoken of, arriving on the field in an exhausted condition, and too late to do anything, except to cover the retreat of the broken up and defeated regiments. The army fell back across the river to Mount Jackson. The enemv followed us but a short distance, probably be- cause of General Sigel's fame for conducting "masterly re- treats."" When across the river, some military engineer undertook to blow up the bridge, by exploding kegs of powder on the top of it. After the powder was all ex- ploded, the ii6th tore down the bridge in the regular way, with axes and crowbars. The loss of our little armv was quite heavy. That of the ii6th consisted of a few wound- ed. Ven' few of us wanted to fight any more "mit Sigel." His armv was beaten in detail. A small force was first sent into the fight, which was allowed to be first beaten, when another small force would be sent in, to be in turn beaten. Had he LTotten his army well in hand at lirst, and 88 ONK HUNDRKD AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. gi\cii battle \\ ilh it, he might have been victorious, though the enemy under Breckenridge outnumbered us. General Sigel himself reported afterwards that, besides his cavalry and artillery, he had only six regiments on the tield, while the enemy attacked him with 7,000 men. And he ijfave as an excuse for this, the extreme length of his trains and the attenuation of his line of march, which pre- \'ented him from confronting the enemy with his whole force. It was the height of folly to keep so large a portion of his force with his trains. If properly parked, instead of being allowed to stand stretched out for miles on the road, a very small force would have been sufficient to protect it. When we were ordered to the front, the trains occupied the road, and we were obliged to take to the tields to pass them. As it was, when defeated, his trains were in such bad shape that a portion had to be destroyed to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemv. The defeat was a xevv bad one. He lost 700 men, six pieces of artillery, about 1,000 small arms, and he abandoned his hospitals to the enemy. The retreat, for some miles, was in great disorder, made so by some bridges breaking down, and others being washed away by the high water, for, be it remembered, we had a real V^irginia freshet from the furious rains of the dav. We retreated to Cedar Creek, but the enemy did not pur- sue in force. Reaching Cedar Creek, on the 17th, we at once bei^an reor {General Order No. 29.) It is of the utmost iniportancp that this aimy be placed in a situatKni (or immediate efficiency. Wo are contending against an eiiem\ who is in earnest, and if we e.xpect success we must be in earnest. We must l)e willing to sutler for a short time, that a glorious result may crown out efforts. The country i.s expecting every man to do his duty, and this done, an ever kind Providence will certainly grant us a complete success. I. Every tent will be immediately turned in for transportation to Martlnsburg, and all baggage not expressly allowed by this order will be at once sent to the rear. There will be but one wagon allowed to each Regiment ; this will only be used to transport sjiare ammunition, camp kettles, tools and mess pans. Every wagon will have eight picked horses or mules, two drivers and two saddles. One wagon and one ambulance will be allowed to Dei>artmeiit Headquarters, and the same to Division and Brigade Headquarters. The other ambulances will be under the immediate order of the Medical Director. II. For the expedition on hand, the clothes each soldier has on his back, with one pair of e.xtra shoes and socks, are amply sufHcient. Everything else in the shape o{ 90 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. clothing will be packed to-day and sent to the rear. Each knapsack will contain one hundred roinidf: of ammunition, carefully packed ; /cr pounds of hard bread to last eight days: ten rations of cotlee, sugar ami salt; one pair of shoes and socks, and nothing else. III. Brigade ami all other commanders will be held strictly responsible that their commands are supplied from the country. Cattle, sheep, hogs, and if necessary horses and mules must be taken and slaughtered. These supplies will be seized under the di- rection of otticers duly authori7-ed, and upon a system which will be hereafter regulated. No straggling or pillaging will be allowed. Brigade and other commanders will be held responsible that there is no waste, and that there is a proper and orderly division amongst their men of the supplies taken for our use. IV. Commanders will attend personally to the prompt execution of this order, so that we may move to-morrow morning. They will see that in passing through a country in this way, depending upon it for lorage and supplies, great additional vigilance is required on the part of every officer in the command of men for the enforcement of discipline. IV. The e'omman Jing General expects from every officer and soldier of the army in the field an earnest and unhesitating support, and relies with confidence upon an ever kind Providence for the result. The ].,ieutenant General commanding the Armies of the United States, who m now victoriously pressing back the enemy upon their last stronghold, expects much from tne army of the Shenandoah, and he must not be dis- appointed. VI. In conclusion, the Major General commanding, wh'le holding every officer to the strictest responsibility of his position, and prepared to enforce discipline with severity when necessary, will never cease to urge the prompt promotion of all officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men who earn recognition by their gallantry and good conduct. By order of MAJOR GENERAL HUNTER. CHAS. G. HALPINE, Assistant Adiiitimt General. This order looked like "business." General Sigel had ordered all knapsacks sent to Martinshiirg before starting troin Winchester, and now Captain Keyes was sent to bring them up, for, among other things, we were to carry lOo rounds of ammunition in our knapsacks. What had not been taken by other regiments before he got to Mar- tinsburg were lost or cut open and destroyed, so we had to draw a new supply. Quartermaster Sergeant Walker, however, hunted up about 200 in other regiments. The Adjutant reporting Hfty pairs of shoes wanted, the Quarter- master reported 175 pairs wanted, and so it proved before we were shod. One day while on the march afterwards, .some otFicer riding by asked, -What troops are these?" Jim Ilall. of Company A, quickly replied, *' Troops! This ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V, I. 91 is Hunter's ammunition train." He asked no more ques- tions, but rode off laughing. The i6oth Ohio was now added to our brigade. We started up the Valley on the 26th of May. The 1 60th Ohio protested so much against going to the front that it was sent back, on the 30th, from Rude's Hill. On the I St of June flour was issued to us for the first time, much to our disgust. We reached Harrisonburg on the 3d of June and left on the following day, moving by way of Port Republic. The army crossed the ri^•er at Port Re- public and camped for the night. Our rear was considera- bly annoyed by guerrillas, during the last two or three days, and our communications partially destroyed. From a letter written from Staunton, June 8th, by Sergeant Walker, I quote a yery clear, detailed account of our movements up to this point: "We left Cedar Creek May 26th, after having sent back all our tents and everything else that could not be carried on our backs. Passing through Strasburg, General Hunter ordered the men to burn several buildin<»'s from which sev- eral of our men had been bvishwhacked. The folks were allowed to take nothinp^ from the houses. Hunter says 'this bushwhacking has got to be stopped,' and 3'ou may depend upon it he will stop it. Many of our men w'ere obliged to march without shoes, and it was really a pitiful sight to see them marching along, leaving marks of blood on the ground. We were put on half rations of bread from the very start, and for several days had been without any. May 29, marched from Woodstock to Mt. Jackson, where we encamped on the same ground on which we fought two weeks ago. Passing through Edinburg we found a great quantit}- of salt, which we took. Just before lea\ing the town, one of the men went into a garden to get some onions, and a woman came out and drove him out with 92 ONt: IIUNDRKO AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. rocks. Good I May 31st, went out with Captain Kellogg, of the 123d Ohio, foraging, brought in a great quantity of flour, wheat and salt. This salt is some that has been sent to the counties by the Government, to be sold to the citi- zens at ten cents per pound, or about S30 a barrel. An order came to-da\- from General Hunter forbidding us to burn anything but rails; strange order. June 3d, marched from Mt. Jackson to Harrisonburg. The latter is the coun- ty seat of Rockingham County, and is a yery pretty place. The court house is a yery prett}', (rather old ) brick build- ing, situated about the center of the town, with a fine yard around it. Just outside the yard is a large spring about twelve feet in diameter, round and walled up several feet, with marble steps going down to the water. The whole is covered with a circular roof supported on pillars, which makes it look very nice. The streets immediately around the court house are of respectable width, but as a general rule they are very narrow. Jn fact, I ha\e noticed that, in all the \ irginia towns we have passed through, the streets are nairow . There are a great nian\- line residences in and near the town. (Jur foraging parties searched the houses and stores for Hour, meat, etc., taking all the}' found. They also found some muslin \alued h\ the rebs at ^2,000, a bale of batting, valued at §245. We also destroyed three printing ofHces. June 4th, we expected to go directly up the Valley towards Staunton, but turned off the pike to the lelt soon after lea\ing the town, and jiassed the old Cross Key's hallle ground, and so on to Port Republic, it was here Port R.~ that Fremont came so near capturing Jackson two 3'ears ago. You may remember he sent Colo- nel Carlan to destroy a bridge at this jilace, but Colonel C. concluded to try to //o/(/ the bridge, and Jackson drove him frcjm it, and made his escape, and whipped Carlan. As soon as lu- crossed his army Jackson burned the bridge and so |He\entt'd Fremont from following him." ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 93 A large portion of our men were now out of rations, except coffee, sugar and salt. After crossing the river at Port Republic, and passing through the village, we went into camp in a piece of woods on the right of the road, and after making coffee, la}' down for the night. We were called out early the following morning, June 5th, and took the road without having made even a cup of coffee for breakfast, but with a promise that we should get something to eat very soon. We had marched but a short distance in the direction of Staunton, when we met considerable num- bers of the enemy. Before ad\ ancing very far we formed line of battle, and ad^-anced behind skirmishers, driving the enemy before us, until we reached Piedmont, where we found the enemy in force, well protected behind rail and log breastworks. The 11 6th was on the extreme left in this adxance, and had several opportunities, of which it availed itself, of enfilading the rebels as the}^ fell back. We reached their Hnes about lo a. m. Without waiting for Thoburn. who was, as we understood, coming upon their flank. Moore's and Wynkoop's brigades charged and drove the enemy behind his works. Our men advanced on a charge nearly up to the works, but were there repulsed with se- vere loss. Re-forming our lines, in a few minutes we made a second charge, meeting with a second repulse and with even greater loss than before. Falling back to a shght cover of a rise of ground, we halted and la}' down to await Thoburn's coming, as we ought to have done in the first place. We were still within short rifle range of the ene- my's works, and a sharp fire of musketry and artillery was kept up on both sides constantly for over two hours. Col- onel Washburn's horse was shot under him in the first charge. A battery of 1 2-pound pieces came on to the in- fantry line on the right, shortly after we fell back from the second charge, which did terrible execution, with solid shot thrown into the enemy's rail breastworks, The enemy had 94 01>iE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. t, once* or twice tried to turn our rioht. The demoralization whieh every shot created in their ranks could be plainly seen, crowds of the enemy lleein^" from the spot where a shot struck the rails, when our infantry would open fire upon them the moment the\- showed themsehes, the i;"ims of the battery also saluting them at the same time with grape and cannister. About 3 i'. m. Colonel Thoburn ap- peared on their right tlank, ha\ ing mo\ed across a ravine by a long and tedious detour. As soon as he was seen charging on their flank, Moore and Wynkoop rose, and with a veil charged across the ground we had charged twice before, antl wliich was coxered with our dead and wounded. This time we scaled their works, capturing 1,500 prisoners and completel} routing the rest. We cap- tured, besides, three pieces of artiller}', about 3,000 stand of small arms and a number of wagons and ambulances. General Jones, the rebel commander, was killed. We saw his bod}- in the woods a short distance behind the works, with a bullet hole through his forehead. This was the most desperate and stubbornlv contested battle we were ever engaged in, and tried the mettle of our regiment most thoroughly. The ii6th lost 181 men killed and wounded, forty-one being killed and thirteen afterwards dving of their wounds. Every color bearer and every one of the color guard were wounded, some of them very seriously. Our loss was as follows: KILLED. CoMPANV A— Nathaniel D. Hayden, Aildey Brock, Jacob Zimmeily, Elijah Bennett, Newton Meeks.— 5. Company C— Fred. F. Neptune, John Latchaw, George W. Gannon, Henry Pfeifer, Isaac Barrett, Robert E. Chambers, Jamea B. Mobberly, Corporal Adam Rodecker— 8. Company B— Sylvester C. Shumway.— 1. CoMPANV D— Corporal Robert Armstrong, John Detwiler, Robert H. H. Dyer, Elias B. Brock, Joseph Seimons, Samuel Alford, Henry B. Hixenhaugh. Richard Mahoney, Washington Bryan, Scott Dixon. — 10. CoxrANv E— Mose.s McCuUoch, Francis Swartz 2, ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 95 Company F— Corporal William King, Morris Krou.se, Garrison Miracle, George W. Johnson, James F. Hughes, Rieliard Pliilps, Joshua Mercer, William Sutton.— s. CoMi'.^NY H — Stephen C. McCoy, James Harrison, Solomon Rich.— 3. Company I— Corporal RicharJ B. Miller, Frederick Warren.— 2. Company K — Edward Henshaw, Nelson B. Clements.- 2. Total killed— 41. WOUNDED. Company A— Sergeant Mann Smith, knee ; Corpora! Fred. R. Rose, shoulder; Cor- poral William Brock, Jacob C. Keyler, hips; James Kimpton, shoulder; David Bareus, wrist; Sergeant Daniel C. Hunt, arm; Cyrus Spriggs, arm; Samuel Tidd, side; Robert McCammon, hand; Corporal Benjamin F. Dye, hip; Robert Smith, arm; John Smythe, arm ; John A. Harmon, leg; Albert Gates, leg; James C. Hall, leg.— IG. Company B— Marion Coleman, shoulder; George W. Keyes, shoulder; John Baker, side; John Anderson, lace; Sergeant Uriah Hoyt, leg; Sergeant Wm H. Bush, leg; Wells Grubb, arm; Davis Watson, arm ; John Doland, leg— 9. Company C— Sergeant Mathew W. Maris, leg; Sergeant John S. Heald, breast; Sergeant John L. Beach, hip; Color Sergeant David K. Barrett, arm; George Kistner, arm amputated ; Thomas South, arm amputated ; Wm. Metz, head ; Elwood Chambers, foot; John Buchwald, slioulder and neck ; Corporal John (j. Barrett, leg, (died .Aug. in, 1S64,); John J. Montgomery, arm; James A. Presbaw, left shoulder, (died Nov. 3, 18(54, at Frederick, Md.); Edward Yockey, leg; Philip Sehoupe, leg; Albert Vicker.", head; Franklin Barnes, leg; Miles H. Davis, (died Oct. 12, 18C4, at Frederick, Md.); Riley Thornburg, hip ; Emmon H. Beardmore, wrist. — 19. Company D — Lieutenant Richard T. Chancy, foot; Sergeant James K. Drum, head; William T. Flowers, head, (died at Andersonville, Nov. !">. 1804 ); Charles W. Blowers, through breast; Josiah Norris, arm; James C. Headly, hip and ankle, (died at Lynch- burg, July 2, 1864,); Henry B. Hixenbaugh, bowels; James A. Sinclair, arm; John H. Windland, arm ; John W. Hall, arm ; Jafob Hall, side ; Eldridge Moffitt, hand ; Daniel Bennett, shoulder : Henry Mowder, hip; Hugh Thompson, leg ; Samuel Forsyth, hand: .Jesse M. Stine, head: Joshua Nixon, shoulder; Peter Hickman, head: Alfred Gray, hip; Peter Sehultz, leg; Thomas Rowley, arm ; David Conger. — 23. Company E — Corporal Jas. Skiles, groin; Ephraim Henthorn, leg amputated; Mad- ison G. Miller, (died at Staunton, Va., Sept. 12, 18G4,) ; Harrison Cochran, foot ; Charles Palmer, leg; William Fisher, shoulder; Corporal Lewis Bareus, leg; Joseph A. Hall, arm ; Corporal John J. Atkinson, arm,— 9. Company F— Sergeant Stephen A. Brown, arm ; Corporal Robert Martin, arm ; William Sutton, leg amputated; James Carson, hip; Elijah Bunting, side; Samuel Stephens, leg; Jacob Dillon, thigh; Joseph Rake, leg; Wesley McGee, side; Thomas Patterson, foot; Emanuel Okey, shoulder; James Piggott, head; Lempenioiis Efaw, thigh.— 13. Company G— Alexander McFarland, hip; John Rawlings, leg.— 2. Company H— Captain W. B. Teters, leg; Sergeant Joseph Purkey, leg; Sergeant Benjamin C. Drake, leg; Color Sergeant Reese Williams, side; Sergeant William \. Arnold, knee; Corporal Benjamin B. Tilton, ankle; Corporal Jacob Gregg, thigh; Cor- poral Joseph C. Wilson, leg. Privates, Nathaniel Butler, arm; David Bock, hip; Dighton M. Bates, mouth; William T. Cain, foot; John A. Groves, abdomen; John Wesley .James, shoulder; John W. Koekley, foot; John J. Keyser, thigh; Eli T. Kirkbride, ankle ; John Larrick, bowels, (died Sept. 12, 18C4, at Savannah. Ga.) ; John c,6 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. W. Mott. lianil: William McBndo, thigh and leg: Andrew Powell, wrist; Simon Seehrist, side; Thomas .Spear, arm; Heason baker, hand; Jas. Dudley.— 25. CoMi'ANY I— Sergeant John C. Chick, hip; Joseph Morrison, both legs; Jesse Annon, arm ; Bradley P. Barrows, arm ; Luther Cayton, head ; Samuel P. Fleak, side; Ephriam W. Frost, shoulder and breast, (died at Annapolis, Md., Jan. 1.3, 18G5, of .scurvy con- tracted at Andersonville) : Consider Frost, both legs, (died at Staunton, Va., June 20, 18C4,); Corporal Edwin G. Fuller, through hips; James H. Gilchrist, leg; Jonathan C. S. Gilbert, lace, (died Oct. '.nh, 1S64, at Savannah, Ga.) ; Nathan Hatch, face and shoulder; IMark W. McAtlee, arm; Samuel McCulloch, knee; Elijah Fatten, arm; Cor- porporal Fayette Paugh, leg; Rulus B. Stanley, leg; George W. Tasker, groin.— 18. CuMi-ANv K— Lieutenant Gottlieb Sheifley, side; Samuel Spencer, thigh; John Kulow, leg; Thomas Witham, arm; George Lyon, head; Andrew C. Cagg. hand, (died at Andersonville, Ga., Jan. 27, ISG-").)— 6. Total wounded.— 140. The followinir is a list of those who died of wounds : James C. Headley, James A. Preshaw, Miles H. Davis, William T. Flowers, Madison G. Miller, Emanuel Okey, Corporal Robert Martin, John Larrick, Consider Frost, Jon- athan C. S. Gilbert, Andrew C. Cagg, Corporal John G. Barrett, Ephraim W. Frost.— 13. Sergeant Reese Williams, one of the color bearers, was promoted to a lieutenancy for his gallantly. Although shot through the body, the brave fellow would not yield up his colors, and clung to them until he fainted from loss of blood. Being then carried back to the surgeon's, his wound was dressed. Soon recovering consciousness, he rose up from where he had been laid to die and returned to the line, took his colors again and waved them over his head as cheer- full}' and coolly as though nothing had happened him, and there he held them till the final charge was made. He at- tempted to advance with the line, but was too weak to do so, and as he gaxe up the colors to another, he kissed them, and swung his cap and feebh- cheered as he saw them car- ried over the rebel works. For a time after Sergeant Williams was carried from the held. Sergeant Barrett bore bravely both standards with one arm, while the other hung helpless at his side. Captain Mann, on seeing his condi- tion, went forward and took one of the standards from him, and afterward, w hen the last charge was ordered, the Cap- tain carried the standard which Sergeant Williams was un- ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 97 able to go forward with. Captain Mann was always a hero in battle, and he was especially so in this. His corn- pan}', C, went into the action with fiftv-t^vo men. It came out with just twenty unhurt, having lost thirty-two of its number in killed and wounded. Captain Teters' company, H, lost twenty-eight killed and wounded, more than half the number engaged. Company D lost ten killed and twent3'-two wounded. The company was that day in com- mand of Lieutenant Chaney, who, though wounded in the foot, remained in command of his company throughout the engagement. His compan}^ lost over half of the men it went into action with. He proved himself on that day to be a brave and gallant officer, and well worth}' to command the noble men of company D. He was splendidly sup- ported by his brave Orderly Sergeant, Adam J. Myers, who was next in command. Company F also met with the severe loss of eight killed and thirteen wounded. Cap- tain Brown showed the " white feather," but Lieutenant Martin proved brave, as usual, and all through he and his gallant men behaved splendidly. "Squad I" lost very heavily in proportion to its lunnbers. Two killed and thir- teen wounded was a great sacrifice for it. Lieut. Mosley, as brave a man as we had among us, was in command of the "squad." It will be noticed that the right and center of the regiment suffered more than the left. This was mainly due to their exposed position. Another gallant officer wounded was Captain Teters, of company H, who was struck in the leg by a shell, and very badly hurt. A letter written by me from Staunton, June 8th, thus speaks of this shell: "Just before the last charge a shell struck the ground within two feet of me, plowed the ground up under me, throwing me headlong, and ricochetting out again, passed on and hit Captain Teters in the leg, wound- ing him quite badly. It didn't explode till it had passed us ten feet or more. Had it exploded where it first struck the 98 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTII O. V. 1j ground, the loss of life could not have failed to be great. It was a fortunate escape for us, especially for Captain Teters and m3'self. I am pretty sore yet and feel a sort of " shook up." I had only one foot on the ground, being in the act of rising from lying down, and the shell passed close under me. My right foot is pretty sore and my abdomen also, but otherwise I am all right, except a bruise from a spent ball on the right knee. It was a stirring time for us. I will write you more fully soon of the splendid conduct of the regiment. This has really been the first battle that thoroughly tested the mettle of our otlicers and men. You will be proud to know that they stood the terrible test magnificently," I never saw greater bravery than was that day displa3'ed by the color bearers and color guard of the 1 1 6th regiment. But to see them all wounded, some we feared mortall}-, at the close of the battle, brought tears to the e3"es of ever}" one who had witnessed their splendid behavior. Nothing could exceed the heroism of the whole regiment in this engagement. The battle is scarcely more than mentioned in any of the histories of the war, and yet the regiments engaged suf- fered as terribly and fought as bravelv as any equal body of troops in any battle of the war. There were about 8,000 men of all arms engaged on our side, and 6,000 on the other, well fortified. Each side was commanded b}' brave and skillful otficers, and each side had a great deal at stake. If defeated, there would be nothing left for us but retreat, and retreat over so long a distance in the face of a victorious foe, could not be otherwise than ver}- disastrous. On the other hand, if the rebels were defeated, the road to Lynchburg was open and clear to us. The loss of our army was about 420 killed and wound- ed. Among the officers killed was Major Schachi, of the 28th Ohio. That gallant regiment lost thirty-three killed and 105 wounded, out of 484 combatants. During its three ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 99 years term of service the regiment lost ninety-two killed and 1 80 wounded. Its loss at Piedmont was, therefore, more than one-third its whole number killed and nearly two-thirds its whole number wounded. This shows very clearly the severity of the engagement. General Jones, the rebel commander killed, was in command of the force that surrounded us at Moorefield, January 3d, 1863. His bod}- was found directly in front of the position of the ii6th. We saw several men among the prisoners who were in the Moorefield fight. Many of his officers who were among the prisoners gathered about where he lay and wept over his remains. Our officers stood by in respectful and silent sympathy with their grief, for all recognized in him a brave and gallant officer, and felt for him the respect always en- tertained by one brave man for another, though he be an enemy. Until darkness cut off search and pursuit, both cavalry and infantry were busily engaged in bringing in prisoners from their hiding places. General Vaughan, next in command to Jones, fled to Wa^'nesboro, whence he tele- graphed Bragg next day: "Went into the fight yesterda}' with 5^600. 1 hav^e not over 3,000 effectives, officers and men, including Imboden's cavalry." Secretary Staunton sent thanks to Hunter for this victor}'. The next day at Staunton and New Hope, Hunter captured 400 sick and wounded rebels. One very ludicrous incident occurred while gathering in the prisoners. A very small Irishman by the name of Mike Manning, a member of company I, found hid under the bank of the river close by, a very large and powerful Irishman, whom he brought up as a prisoner of war, with an air of triumph that was truly grand. Mike marched his prisoner ahead of him at the point of the bavonet, abusing him most shamefully for being '-a damned rebel and an Irishman, too." The idea of being an Irishman and a rebel was something that Mike could not reconcile. The two lOO ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. would Stop every few steps and argue some point involving the Union and secession. This was done in true Irish style, with good strong hrogue and both generally talking at once and as loud as they could. Once or twice the rebel Irish- man, getting out of patience w^ith his captor's tongue, reached out to catch him, when Mike would "leap to the rear," a hi zouave, bring his bayonet down to a charge and order his captive to move on. They soon attracted a crowd of amused spectators, who managed to let the reb get hold of Mike and give iiim a shaking up, and before they got him loose from Mike he had given him good pay for his abuse, but without hurting him any. They were both pos- sessed of the keenest kind of Irish wit, and many a poor wounded soldier forgot his paiti in laughing at the comical scene. Another amusing incident occurred in the midst of the tight, which we must relate, even at the risk of stirring up the memory of Lieutenant Joseph Purkev. He was then Orderl}' Sergeant of company H. While we were lying down, waiting the coming of Thoburn, he was severely wounded in the leg. He jumped up the instant he was hit, and supporting himself on his gun, doubled up his list and shaking it at the rebels, exclaimed, " Now, d — n }'Ou, I suppose you think you've done it."' The dead were buried, the wounded moved to Staun- ton, except the very severely wounded. With such of our regiment as could not be moved we left Dr. T. C. Smith, and the next da\- marched to Staunton. CHAPTER VII. DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY AT STAUNTON ON THE MOVE, STILL GOING SOUTH RETURN TO STAUNTON TO MEET A SUPPLY TRAIN HARD MARCHING TO OVERTAKE THE ARMY TO LEXINGTON DESTRUCTION qF REBEL PROP- ERTY AND WASHINGTON COLLEGE AND ON WE GO^ REGULAR ARMY ENGINEERING SUPERSEDED BY WESTERN IDEAS LYNlCHBURG BATTLE OF LYNCHBURG A GAL- LANT CHARGE REPORTS RETREAT TO GAULEY BRIDGE AT PARKERSBURG AT MARTINSBURG AGAIN. The next day after our arrival at Staunton, we were en- gaged in destroying rebel stores and property of different kinds, including railroad depots and tracks. The following day our regiment was sent out to tear uji the railroad track west of Staunton. We did the work effectually. Tobacco warehouses seemed to abound in and around Staunton, and the men will certify that they were filled with a most excel- lent quality. What the troops did not appropriate was either destroyed or sent to the rear in the train that went back from Staunton. Large quantities of war material were also destroyed, the rebel agent in charge of them esti- mating their value at ,1400,000. On the 7th, our regiment started for Buffalo Gap, in which the rebels were holding General Averill. After marching out about five miles, we met his cavalry coming in, the rebels having left the Gap on hearing of the approach of infantry in their rear. « We then turned back to Staunton. Quartermaster Williams 102 ONE IIUNDRKD AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. was now returned lo the regiment. Quartermaster Ser- geant Walker, though quite unwell much of the time, had performed the duties of Quartermaster to the satisfaction of everybody in Quartermaster Williams' absence. We ought to mention that all the w^ounded who could be safely moved so far were sent out with the train returning from here, also the prisoners captured at Piedmont. The term of service of the 28th Ohio being nearly expired, that regiment was given charge of the train. The 34th Mass., Colonel Wells commanding, supplied the place of the 28th in our brigade, and Colonel Wells became our brigade commander. On the 8th General Crook, with his army from the Kanawha \"alley, joined us, making now an army of about 18,000 strong. The morning of June loth, the whole army left Staunton and reached Lexington the 12th. We left about 300 sick and wounded at Staunton, and with them some surgeons and about forty men, all of whom the rebel Colonel E. G. Lee paroled on the 12th. The ii6th was the last regiment to leave Staunton, which subsequentl}' pro\ed a little unfortunate for it. After marching seven miles out, the regiment was sent back in haste to meet and guard a supply train, which reached Staunton that morning after our departure. We met the train just coming out of town in charge of the i6ist Ohio regiment. It consisted of over 200 wagons, and how it ever got safely to Staunton can only be explained b}- the fact that all the rebels in the \ alley had been concentrated in front of Hunter at Pied- mont. \Vc at once turned back, and for the third time that day, traveled over the same piece of road. At dark we stopped for supper. Finding there was hard tack, coffee and sugar in the train, after considerable red tape had been run off we drew some of it, and for the first time in a week, had a good square meal. As we were eating supper, we were t^)ld the train had brought up a mail, and after supper found this to be so, for here came the "Post Master" with ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. 103 a load of letters and papers from home. How eagerly their contents were devoured. They were as great a luxury as the supper we had just eaten. After reading our letters and resting an hour, we started with our train to overtake the main column, which was several miles in our advance. It was a dreary, tiresome night march. At two o'clock in the morning we halted, made coffee, and then laid down to sleep. Slept until four, when we took the road again, and after marching four or five miles, came up to the rest of the army, just as it was moving out on the road. General Hunter sent word to us to rest until ten o'clock, and then join him as soon as possible. Towards noon, as we were passing a house bv the roadside, quite a number of women stood at the door, who requested us to unfurl our flags, sav- ing they had walked several miles that morning "to get one more look at the old stars and snipes.'' The flags were unfurled, and the men gave three lusty cheers for these lo3al women of Virginia. As the men started up "The Union Forever," the women joined their voices with theirs, which was the first time for several months many of them had heard a woman's voice in the harmony of song. We reached Lexington just before dark, and just as Crook, who had come in bv another road, had captured the place. Lexington was the home of '^ Stonewall" Jackson and Governor Letcher. Jackson's remains were buried here. Bv General Hunter's orders the Virginia Military- Institute, Washinifton Collew, Governor Letcher's resi- dence, and some other tine buildings, including the resi- dences of the professors, were burned. A tine bronze statue of Wasliington, in front of Washington College, was taken down, and afterwards taken to Wheeling. Four pieces of artillerv which belonged to Lafayette were loaded up and taken with us. Two 64-pounders of the same battery were left for want of transportation. There is a slack-water navigation of the James River at Lexington; and a great I04 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. nian\- canal boats were captured and destroyed, as they were being run off to Richmond, laden with public and pri- vate stores of various kinds. Six pieces of artillery were among the cargoes. The young cadets of the Militar}- In- stitute fought better than any rebels on the field at Lexing- ton. Their bravery and skill was worth}- of a better cause. General Hunter has been severely censured for burning tiic buildings here, and destroying property, especially for allowing Washington College to be pillaged, and its libraries and apparatus carried off. Generals Crook, Averill and Sullivan protested against the act at the time, and all felt indignant, because they regarded the act as wanton vandal- ism. The burning of the Military Institute was not so much objected to, and yet its destruction involved the loss of several line libraries, museums, valuable apparatus, math- ematical and astronomical instruments, and rare works of science and art, the destruction of which benefitted nobod}', but in which science, art and literature suffered a great and irreparable loss. But for the vandalism in the college, there can be no excuse. Washington College was organized in 1749, ^^'^^ endowed by General George Washington in 1796 with TOO shares in the James River Canal Company, which was afterwards commuted by the Legislature of Vir- ginia to an interest bearing fund of !S!50,ooo, at which time it was given its name, it having before that been known as Washington and Lee Universit}', which last name was again given it on the death of General Lee in 1870. At the time it was vandalized, in 1864, it had libraries contain- ing 20,000 volumes, among which were many very old and rare books. To be sure, it and the Institute had educated a great man}- ofilcers for the rebel army, but West Point had educated a great man}- more than both of them for the same army. The name and nK'm()r\- of its great founder should have saved it from the vandalism of Turks, and what can be offered in palliation of the act when committed ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. IO5 by American soldiers? It will always remain a deep re- proach to General Hunter, gallant soldier though he was. The army moved from Lexington on the 14th, our reg- iment again being rear guard. The main body reached Buchanan late in the afternoon, where they found a long bridge spanning the James River, destroyed by the rebels the day before, as were all others, great and small, along the road, as the}- fell back before our cavalry. The citi- zens of Buchanan had done all they could to prevent the burning of the long bridge across the river, first because tiring it would endanger the safety of the town, and second, because the river was everywhere fordable. But McCans- land had a mania for burning, and, as anticipated, the town was also set on fire, and a great many fine buildings, includ- ing nearlv all the stores, were burned. The main body of the troops were across by midnight, but the delays at the front prevented our regiment reaching Buchanan, until 3 o'clock in the morning. We had to remain on the north side of the river until everything was across, and so rested a few hours, but all our cooking utensils were in our wagon, away, somewhere; to the front of the train, and so could cook nothing to eat. Next morning, June 15th, we forded the river and started for Liberty, the other side of the Blue Ridge, over what is called the "• Peak Road," taking its name from the f^ict that it passes the "■ Peaks of Otter," three very high mountains close together on tlie other side of the Blue Ridge. On our way across, we were greatly impeded by trees felled across the road, rocks rolled in, and streams of water diverted from their course into the road. At one place we saw the body of a man lying by the road- side. It would shock anyone to repeat the trifling remarks made by the men as they passed him. We passed between two of the Peaks of Otter, and within a mile and a half of the Natural Bridge, but not being on a pleasure excursion, we did not visit this marvelous curiosity of nature. A few I06 ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH O. V. I. of our darin^r fellow s, who never miss anythin