The following articles were serialized in the South Kansas Tribune, first article published January 1, 1913 and each week thereafter until February 19, 1913.
Transcribed by Mrs. Maryann Johnson a Civil war researcher and a volunteer in the Kansas Room of the Independence Public Library, Independence, Kansas.
McPherson Post, G. A. R. No. 4
By P. S. Moore
The following are the names of the old boys that are usually seen at the Post meetings:
Anderson, John J., corporal Co. K., 86th Ill., age 79 years. The comrade was in the 14th Corps at Chickamauga and Mission Ridge and was one of old “Pap” Thomas’ dependables; he braved the fortunes of war under Sherman, from Atlanta to the sea. He was wounded at Bentonville, N. C.
Banks, George L., sergeant Co. C., 15th Indiana, age 73. He learned to be a warrior marching over the greenbriar ridges of West Virginia, and won his spurs at Shiloh and charge the rebels at Stone river, carrying the flag of his regiment in the thickest of the fight, and again carried the flag of his regiment up Mission Ridge and planted it on top of the rebel works.
Gregory, M., Co. C., 13th Mo., age 71. This regiment fought old “Pap” Price to a finish and drove him into Arkansas.
Bellows, B. F., Co. E, 72d Ohio, age 64. He commenced to walk the military chalk line on the Atlanta campaign and helped the farmer market their sweet potatoes and turkey crop on his way to the sea.
Boggs, A. J., Co. C, 79th Ill., age 68. His regiment served in Wagoner’s division of the Fourth Army Corps, and was at the battles of Franklin and Nashville.
Burke, T. F., Co. A, 116th Ill., age 73. Comrade Burke was one of Sherman’s men at Mission Ridge, and faced Pat Clebourne’s “Johnnies” at Tunnel Hill under Morgan L. Smith. He hiked it over the red hills of Georgia and toed his knapsack with Sherman on his way to the sea.
Blosser, Adam, Co. K, 18th Ohio, age 68. The 18th Ohio was one of the best regiments that went from that state into the civil war, and was in all the principal battles of the Army of the Cumberland, and closed up its good work under Steedman at the battle of Nashville.
Burns, R. G., Co. A, 8th Ill. Cavalry, age 71. His regiment came to Nashville under A. J. Smith and was in Coon’s brigade of Hatche’s cavalry, and was one of the regiments that helped double up Hood’s left flank over on the Granny White pike.
Bolton, James, Co. G, 1st Mich. Cavalry, age 75. He did service in the Army of the Potomac, and was at the battle of Gettysburg, as well as many of the other hard fought battles that the Army of the Potomac was engaged in.
Bateman, W. E. bugler, Co. D, 10th New York Artillery, age 63.
Chaney, G. C., Co. E, 167th Ohio, age 68. Comrade Chaney rode a gunboat most of the time to keep the rebels from stealing the Ohio river.
Conrad, H. W., corporal, Co. E, 134th Ind., age 68. Henry was one of the boys that grew up in southern Indiana during the war and as soon as he was old enough enlisted and went to the front to clean out the remnant of Hood’s army that had escaped from General Thomas.
Courtright, A. L., Co. C, Sixth Mo. Cavalry, age 78. He had not the usual characteristics of the native Missourian in that he had to be shown before he could see a bushwhacker, he hunted for them and usually found them and they were no more.
Courtright, W. C., first lieutenant, Co. C, 45th Mo., age 75. A colored man who was with “Cy” during the war, tells the writer that “Cy” was a “holy terror” among bushwhackers. They always quit when he did business with them. His regiment guarded the Cumberland river during the Nashville campaign to keep the rebels from stealing our gunboats.
Eckley, Joseph, Co. F, 4th Ky., age 72. He fought with “Pap” Thomas at Mill Springs, chased the rebels out of his native state, played havoc with the Johnnies at Shiloh, made the rebels bite the dust at Chickamauga and climbed the hill at Mission Ridge.
Collins, James P., was Captain’s clerk in the Navy and served most of his time on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The gunboats on which he served were kept busily engaged patrolling the father of waters and shooting at rebel fortifications.
Frost, W. H., Captain Co. A, 92d Ill. mounted infantry was in General Wilder’s famous cavalry brigade. Wilder’s brigade was one of the hard hitters and went pretty much wherever they pleased, whether the Johnnies liked it or not.
Gephart, Phillip, Co. I, 21st Ohio. His regiment fought under Negley at Stone river in the cedar brake that was “chewed up” by rebel bullets. He was in Johnson’s division of the 14th Corps at the time of the battle of Mission Ridge and was in the fortifications on the south side of Chattanooga.
Nolte, Maj. J. F. was in the 14th Ill., General Palmer’s old regiment. The Major has heard the singing of rebel bullets by the ton. He was there all the time and the Johnnies knew it by the way the fight went on.
Otwell, C. W. was the surgeon of the 40th Ohio, and dished out blue mass and quinine to the full satisfaction of the whole regiment.
Ruble, W. S., sergeant, Co. C, 10th Kan., age 75. Served three years mostly in Missouri and Arkansas. The 10th Kansas, however came to Nashville with General A. J. Smith’s command and was at Franklin and Nashville in the thicket of the fight.
Fairleigh, Lee, Co. H, 14th Ind., age 77. He was wounded at Chancellorsville. His regiment was at Gettysburg.
Metcalf, George A., Co. F, 7th Ill. Cavalry, age 66. The comrade was in Coon’s brigade, Hatch’s division at Nashville. Coon’s men dismounted and charged the angle near the Granny While pike and routed Tyler’s men.
Soles, G. W., Co. F, 11th Pennsylvania, age 65. Served in the army of the Potomac and was badly wounded.
Mears, E. T., Co. F, 49th Wis., age 84. He was first lieutenant and served as quartermaster of his regiment. He did the work of a warrior in Missouri and Arkansas.
Stine, H. W., Co. A, 34th Ind., age 73. This comrade did his soldiering down the Mississippi river, fishing for pike and Johnny rebs. I have no doubt but that the comrade was a good soldier because he never brags about his big fights and hairbreadth escapes. Was in at the finish, being discharged at Brownsville in 1866.
Shaw, Warren, Co. __, 3rd Ohio. He served in the 23rd Corps and was wounded at the battle of Franklin. General Isaac R. Sherwood, the soldier’s friend in congress was his colonel.
Shaddy, F., Co. C, 3rd Ind. Cavalry. His battalion served in the Army of the Cumberland. This gang of Hoosiers hit the Johnnies a clip at every good chance.
Tankersley, G. W., Co. B, 25th Ohio, which was one of Fox’s fighting regiments as noted in the annals of war.
Wilkey, H. M., Co. G, 6th Ind. Cavalry. The boys of this regiment were good forgers as well as fighters. The rebels smelt their powder pretty often.
Burns, G. W., Co. B, 70th Ohio, age 71. This regiment did much and varied service, always hunting for the Johnnies.
Merritt, B., Co. B, 8th Ind. Cavalry, age 67. The 8th Indiana Cavalry was one of the busiest regiments. Comrade Merritt rode a wild mule on the Wilson raid through Alabama and as the raiders were returning to Atlanta. Forest cut off several companies of the 8th Cavalry which was acting as the rear guard. “Dad” Merritt’s mule became uncontrollable and bolted straight for the reb line. Merritt saw that he was in for it and commenced to shoot and the Johnnies did too. Young Merritt went through unscathed but he thinks the rebels lost a ton of bullets trying to stop him.
McKibben, Capt. T. J., Co. B, 25th Ill. Comrade McKibbin was in Jeff C. Davis division at Stone river and was badly wounded by concussion while lying under the missiles of a heavy gun battery. The 25th is classed as one of Fox’s fighting regiments.
Piper, R. H., Co. D, 7th Indiana, age 74. He served in the Army of the Potomac. Was in the battles of Winchester, Port Republic, Cedar Mountain and Frederickburg.
Tucker, D., Co. A., 85th Ind., age 66. Comrade Tucker enlisted just after his regiment was captured at Spring Hill, Tenn., hence did not share the “enjoyable” quarters with them at Libby prison and Belle Isle. Comrade Tucker participated in the pleasure trip with Sherman from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and to the sea.
Renner, W. A., Co. G, 4th Tenn., age 73. He served mostly in the 23rd Corps and part of the time in East Tennessee under Burnsides. His regiment was captured at McMinnville, Tenn, by General Wheeler on his raid made just before Hood’s invasion of Tennessee.
Thompson, J. M., 7th Ind. Battery, age 76. Comrade Thompson was a good soldier as well as a great forager and to prove the latter assertion, I relate this instance: Comrade Thompson and General VanCleave found a bee hive almost simultaneously and to be in at the first rejoicing, Comrade Thompson shouldered the bee gum, turning the open end to the very face of the General and while the bees attended to General VanCleave, he ran away with the honey.
Bateman, J. W., Co. D, 33rd Ill., age 68. Served in the 13th Army Corps and as at Mobile under A. J. Smith in the 14th Army Corps.
Underhill, J. B., Co. E, 42nd Ohio, age u1. General James A. Garfield was the first colonel of the regiment. This regiment saw service under Osterhaus, the famous Dutch fighter.
Duncan, N. H., Co. D, Iowa, age 68. He soldiered at Memphis, Tenn. And ran after the troublesome Johnnies in Alabama and Mississippi.
Brown, J. B., sergeant, Co. L, 10th New York Cavalry, age 72. This was one of New York’s fighting regiments and did good service in the Army of the Potomac.
Londry, J. R., Co. H, 30th Mich., age 69. “Jim” has been quartermaster of the Post ever since the mind of man runneth not to the contrary.
Way, J. S., first lieutenant, Co. C, 69th Ind., age 81. Comrade Way served in the 36th Indiana at the battle of Richmond, Ky., and was wounded and captured. He was a lieutenant in the 69th Indiana at the siege of Vicksburg and he closed up his war day record in the ___.
Dobson, John S., Company H, 129th Illinois. This regiment belongs to Gordon Granger’s reserve crops. It will be remembered the Granger’s corps came up just in the nick of time to help “Pap” Thomas save the day at Chickamaugua.
Gamble, O. P., Company E, 155th Pennsylvania. Comrade Gamble served in the Army of the Potomac and was wounded.
Vance, J. C., Company E, 13th Kentucky. The comrade’s regiment belonged to the 23rd corps and saw much active service in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.
Haines, B. B., Company G, 47th Iowa, age 67. Comrade Haines did duty at Memphis, Tenn., and in the surrounding country.
Lassey, William, Company A, 4th Michigan, age 72. Comrade Lassey did a warriors duty in the Army of the Cumberland, and that means that he was wherever there was a fight going on. He was in the fortifications at Nashville and Murfreesbourough, at the time Hood was there. He served in the Fourth army corps.
Pendarvis, Henry, Company H, 91st Illinois. The rebels who got acquainted with this comrade’s regiment did not visit them oftener than they could help.
Rork, Curtis, Company K, 79th Illinois. This famous regiment was in Harker’s brigade at Mission Ridge and Kennesaw Mountain, and in Conrad’s brigade of Wagoner’s division at Franklin and Nashville.
Hendricks, W. R., Company D, 102nd Illinois, age 67. This comrade’s regiment was in the Army of the Cumberland and on the Tullahoma campaign and in the battle of Chickamaugua, and in General Gordon Granger’s reserve corps.
Goodwin, D. C., Company H, 11th Mo. Cavalry, age 68. The 11th Mo. helped drive the rebels out of Missouri and Arkansas and then went down the Mississippi river to New Orleans to aid General Butler in his doin’s.
Thompson, W. R., Company D, 102nd Ohio, age 68. This comrade’s regiment did service in the Army of the James, and then went with Ben Butler to New Orleans, and was the second man on the wharf at the capture of that city by General Butler. The comrade denies the story of the spoons and the silverware. He got none, so he says.
Orb, F. J. This Comrade served in the 16th Indiana battery and was in the battles of Petersburg and Richmond. He was on detached service and served in a Pennsylvania battery at the battle of Gettysburg.
Howe, J. W., Company A, 120th Indiana, age 64. He served in Hovey’s division of the 23rd Corps. Hovey commanded six regiments of Indiana kids, just cut loose from their mama’s apron string, which was known throughout the army as “Hovey’s Babies.” The rebels undertook to spank them at Resacca but learned to their sorrow that the kids were too big for that. They were also in the battle of Franklin and Nashville.
Miller, Jacob, Company K, 75th Indiana, age 76. Comrade Miller was in the 14th corps during nearly all of his service. He went with Sherman to the sea and was in at the surrender of Joe Johnson in North Carolina.
Fertig, Peter, Company M, Twenty-first Pennsylvania, age 71. Comrade Fertig served in the Army of the Potomac and fought in all the great battles of that department.
McGrew, V. G., Company I, Third Kentucky Cavalry, age 75. This regiment left its mark wherever it went and the Johnnies knew what to expect when they met the Third Kentucky.
Fairleigh, H. J., Company F, Sixth Cavalry, age 73. This regiment fought in nearly every county and town in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and was in at the skinning of Hood at Nashville.
Pettet, G. W., Company E, Twenty-sixth Indiana, age 72. Comrade Pettet’s regiment in the early part of the war ran bushwhackers in Missouri and Arkansas and later went down the father of waters to settle matters with the Johnnies down there.
Jones, William, Served in the Second Kentucky Cavalry, which did its share in putting down the rebellion. Comrade Jones is now very infirm but is loyal to the Grand Army.
Krone, D. C., Company E, Forty-first Illinois. Comrade Krone served in the 17th corps, under McPherson. Hard licks were hit the Confederacy wherever McPherson went. Comrade Krone went with Sherman to the sea and was in at the fray when Joe Johnson agreed to quit.
Hays, J. R., Company G, Sixtieth Ohio. (The writer does not know just where this regiment did service.)
Scott, J. W., Company H, Fifth Kansas Cavalry, age 76. Comrade Scott did the most of his service in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Comrade Scott served in almost every capacity in the army where a soldier’s duty called him to perform, from a scout and a spy to a lieutenant in command of his company, to a helper at the surgeon’s operating table.
Greer, A. C., Fifth Indiana Cavalry under Colonel Graham and gave the rebels a heavy dose of blue pills wherever they met them; and was in at the closing of Hood’s career at Nashville, Tenn.
Newton, H, Company D, 112th Illinois. Comrade Newton went through (unable to read next line) there were others that could play at the game of war, as well as himself.
Yoe, W. T., Company K, 137th Illinois, age 68. Comrade Yoe went to war as soon as he was big enough and took the place of seasoned troops in the fortifications in Memphis, Tenn., and let them go out and look after the sinking of the Confederacy.
Hambleton, J. G., Company __, 88th Ohio, age 81. This regiment was composed of old men and men unfit for duty at the front. They took the place of the able bodied troops and let them go to the front. The 88th Ohio did guard duty at Camp Chase, guarding rebel prisoners, and also at the Ohio state penitentiary, and two companies were there when John Morgan made his get away.
Orwig, William, Company D, 124th Illinois, age 70. He was with Grant at Vicksburg and in the battle of Champion Hills, where he was wounded.
Humes, Josiah, Company K, 121st Ohio, age 81. He was one of the heroes of the Fourteenth army corps. Comrade Humes was wounded near Atlanta, Ga.
Finlay, G. W., Second Lieutenant Company I, 25th Michigan Infantry, age 70 years. He was in the battles of Resacca, Kennesaw Mountain and at Atlanta. After the fall of Atlanta he was transferred to the quartermaster’s department of the 23rd Army corps, and was sent with a supply train of that corps to Chattanooga, Tenn. He was promoted to First Lieutenant, Company C, Thirtieth Michigan.
W. B. Goad, Company C, Thirty-seventh Kentucky. Comrade Goad was a Tennessee refugee and fled from his native state to Kentucky and enlisted in the Union army. His familiarity with the Cumberland mountains called him into service as a guide to our troops in driving out the bands of bushwhackers that infested Middle Tennessee. His main work was with Colonel Graham and the Fifth Indiana Cavalry.
D. H. Krone, Company E, Forty-first Illinois, age 73. He served in the Seventeenth Army Corps under McPherson; was at Mission Ridge, fought through the Atlanta campaign and marched to the sea.
L. B. Kincaid, Company E, Sixteenth Iowa, mustered out in the Twenty-fifth Iowa. Served in General Osterhaus division of the Fifteenth Army Corps. Was at Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge.
G. A. Park, Company A, Eighty-first Ohio. This regiment served under General Dodge in the district of Corinth, Miss., and scouted the country around that place for forage and rebels.
Capt. E. P. Todd, Company E, Ninety-sixth Illinois, age 75 years. Comrade Todd’s regiment saw the elephant from the start. It struck the animal’s trail at the battle of Stone’s river and followed him up to Chickamauga, climbed Lookout Mountain to get at his lair, traced him to Mission Ridge and disputed his prospects for winter quarters there; tickled him up with their bayonet on his trip to Atlanta; showed him the lick it was done with at the battle of Franklin and took his hide off at Nashville. Comrade Todd’s regiment belonged to Whittaker’s brigade of the First Division Fourth Army Corps.
William Demster, Company I, Sixty-second Ohio, age 78 years. The comrade served the most part of his time as a sailor on the Ohio and Potomac rivers, and remained in the government service long after the war was closed.
J. M. Campbell, was musician in the band of the Twenty-third Kentucky. His regiment was in Hazen’s brigade of Wood’s division and took part in the hard fight in the Ground Forest at Stone’s river and was at Chickamauga and Mission Ridge, as well as many other hard fought battles.
George B. Smith, Company F, Fortieth Indiana, age 66. Comrade Smith commenced his army service at the commencement of the Atlanta campaign. The officers of the Fortieth Indiana were always hunting for the elephant and they surely caught him by the tail several times. Comrade Smith was in the battles of Rockyface Ridge, Resacca, Burnt Hickory, New Hope church and Kennesaw Mountain. At the assault on that mountain on the 27th day of June 1864, Comrade Smith was captured and for several months roomed and boarded with Captain Wertz at Andersonville, Ga. In this assault the official report shows that the Fortieth Indiana lost 82 per cent of her number in that charge.
Joseph Berry, first lieutenant, Company H, Third Ohio Cavalry. The comrade’s battalion of his regiment served in the Army of the Cumberland, while it run rebels all over the South. This regiment put in some heroic ticks under Colonel Minty at Hood’s funeral on his retreat from Tennessee.
J. B. Fellows, Company B, Fifty-third Illinois, age 68. He was one of Old Black Jack’s men, and you know that the Fifteenth Army Corps was always ready to tackle the biggest jobs. He went with Sherman to the sea, eating the Auntie’s hoe cake and sweet potatoes on the way. He ended his wild goose chase up in the Carolinas.
W. M. Gardener, Company C, 191st Ohio, age 80. His regiment was called into service near the close of the war, but did their duty well wherever it was called upon to take a hand in that internecine struggle.
S. W. Irby, Company I, 117th Indiana, age 74. Comrade Irby did duty in three regiments, serving his full time in each regiment, all the time doing a soldier’s full duty.
H. C. Jewett, Tenth Ohio V. S. S., age 71. Comrade Jewett did service in the Army of the Potomac and his regiment took part in all the great battles of that department and was principally used as sharpshooters. It shared in all the fortunes and misfortunes of that great fighting machine of the civil war. Comrade Jewett was badly wounded.
G. F. Owens, first lieutenant, Company B, 119th Illinois, age 81. The comrade’s regiment did service along the Mississippi river and went with A. J. Smith to Nashville to aid General Thomas take care of Hood. The 119th Illinois was in Moore’s brigade of Gerrad’s division of Smith’s corps. Moore’s brigade joined the Fourth Corps on the right and charged with that veteran army corps and helped carry the enemy’s fortifications in their front on both days of the battle. I think that I am not mistaken in saying that the 119th Illinois captured Confederate General Ed Anderson and several pieces of artillery on the last day’s battle.
W. J. Cripps, first lieutenant, Company C, Tenth Missouri cavalry, age 66. Comrade Cripps enlisted when he was but 14 years old. He walked 100 miles to his place of enlistment, St. Louis, Mo. His regiment did service in Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi and wherever there were rebels to whip.
G. B. Thompson, Company G, 86th New York. This regiment did valiant service in the Army of the Potomac and was in may hard fought battles.
D. T. Whitten, Company H, 120th Indiana. Comrade Whitten was in the division known as “Hovey’s Babies” in the Twenty-third Army Corps. While it was true that this division was composed of nothing but “kids” they were full grown men when it came to shooting at rebels.
Sam Walker, Company D, Fourteenth Illinois. The Fourteenth Illinois was General Palmer’s old regiment and was in the Fourteenth Army Corps which means that did much hard fighting.
M. J. Roth, Company E, Sixteenth Kansas. You can rest assured that the Kansas regiments were always at the front and was into the fight whenever there was any.
T. J. Steed, Company D, Sixth Indiana Cavalry. The Sixth Cavalry was at the siege of Knoxville, on the Atlanta campaign, and at Franklin and Nashville battles.
Daniel Painter, Company E, 120th Ohio. Comrade Painter was in the battles of Chichasaw Bluff, Arkansas Post, Port Gibson, the siege of Vicksburg and Fort Blakely and was discharged at Houston, Texas, in 1865.
A. J. Inscho, Company A, 100th Ohio, age 68. The comrade was in the siege of Knoxville, and in the battles of Resacca, Atlanta, Franklin and Nashville and was in the fight at Wilmington, N. C. and sway down Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, D. C. at the close of the war.
Finley Brown, Company _, 121st Indiana. Served in the Army of the Cumberland.
James Moore, Company A. Thirtieth Illinois. The comrade belonged to the Seventeenth Army Corps but was left with Cruft’s command and did not go with Sherman to the sea but instead did service with Milroy and Steedman during the Nashville campaign.
F. M. Purdum, Company C, Fifty-ninth Illinois. The comrade served in Post’s brigade, Third Division, Fourth Army Corps, and was in many important battles and was at Franklin and at Nashville. Post’s brigade in the assault on the enemy’s work’s at Bentwood Hills on the second day’s fight at Nashville lost 450 men besides its commander.
N. M. Farlow, Company F, Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry. This regiment was under Wilson on the Tennessee campaign and did some very hard fighting.
M. Gregory, Company C, Thirteenth Missouri Infantry, age 76. The Thirteenth Missouri was captured with other troops, early in 1862 at Lexington, Mo., and was paroled and sent home to await exchange. Comrade Gregory tired of the kind of soldiering that he was doing and anxious to get to the front again, enlisted in the Eleventh Illinois cavalry. His regiment was sent down the Mississippi river and he got a test of real soldier’s life at Memphis and Vicksburg. The Eleventh Missouri Cavalry was on the Atlanta campaign and was much of the time headquarters guards of the Seventeenth Army Corps and foraging for the general.
Rev. W. E. Bates, bugler, Company D, Tenth New York Battery, age 63. Comrade Bates blew the company’s horn to get up call, at go to bed call, at quinine, came and get your call and all the rest of the calls that is known to the science of war.
Henry Fruit, Company I, Sixty-second Ohio, age 69. This comrade’s regiment was in Johnson’s division of the Fourteenth Army Corps, and participated in the battles of Murfreesborough, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and was on the Atlanta campaign and went with Sherman to the sea.
Reuben Jefferson, Company D, Fifty-first Illinois, age 74. He was in Sheridan’s division at Stone’s river and fought in the “Cedar brake” which was literally chewed up by rebel bullets. “Rueben” caught one of those rebel bullets himself and it got the best of him and he was carried away on army stretchers. (Since writing these notes death has claimed this comrade and he was buried Sunday. He served his country when it needed help. A good man rests from labor.)
H. F. Smith, Company H, 134th Ohio, age 94. “Uncle Harvey” as he is familiarly known, broke into the military service away back in the 40’s in Old Virginia, in Rockingham county, where in 1852 he had his picture taken in regimentals with epaulettes showing him a Second Lieutenant, presenting an appearance much like the oriental kings. When the civil war broke out “Uncle Harvey” was a lad of forty odd summers and again his military spirit led him into the army and almost before he knew what he was about, he was on the firing line making the Johnnies get. He saw service at Cumberland, Md., and at Alexandria, Va., Bermuda Hundred and Fortress Monroe, and chased the Johnnies through the swamps of Virginia until he run into a sun stroke which place him “hors de combat” using a military phrase, and for this cause he was discharge from the military service.
W. C. Dickey, Company K, Twelfth Kansas, age 71. Comrade Dickey did service in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. He served his full three years in the army.
G. F. Scranton, Company A, 119th Illinois. The comrade’s regiment came with A. J. Smith’s Corps to Nashville to re-enforce Thomas’ army. The 119th Illinois was in Moore’s brigade of Gerrard’s division and was next to the right of the Fourth Corps in the battles of Dec. 15 and 16, and in conjunction with the Fourth Corps charge the enemy’s fortifications on both days. The 119th captured Confederate General Ed Anderson and several pieces of artillery at the last charge on the 16th.
John N. Shultz, Company A, Thirteenth Kansas. This Jayhawker regiment kept tab on all the movements of the Missouri Bushwhackers and made them strike the pike or buried them on the dyke whenever they showed their heads.
H. D. Grant, First Lieutenant Company I, First Michigan Cavalry. This comrade has been confined to his bed much of the time for ten years. His regiment did service in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.
Charles J. Miner, Company K, Thirty-sixth Illinois, age 72. This comrade “fit mit Seigie” in Missouri, drove old Pap Price into Arkansas; emigrated to Kentuck and fought in the battle at Perryville; fought Bragg at Stone’s river; was under Sheridan in the “Cedar brake” on the 31st day of December and then helped to trim up the Cedar brush in the thicket where Sheridan and Negley trimmed up the rebs so completely. “Uncle Charley” was wounded on the first day of the battle and was captured and was incarcerated in Castle Thunder and Libby prison in Richmond. Afterwards was paroled and then discharged from the service by reason of wounds. The patriotism of his young manhood would not down, so when he found out that he had not whipped all the rebels, he and the youngster, Tom Yoe, started out for the front with blood in their eye and enlisted in the 137th Illinois and went sailing down the Mississippi river and the rebellion was soon wiped out.
Chauncey Atkinson, Company B, Thirty-sixth Ohio, age 71. The Thirty –sixth Ohio came from West Virginia under Crook to the Army of the Cumberland about the time of the Tullahoma campaign. The comrade’s regiment was in Reynold’s division of the Fourteenth corps at Chickamauga and General Turchin at Mission Ridge. Turchin made his charge up the ridge close to Tunnel Hill and showed “Old Black Jack’s” men how to climb a hill. After this the Thirty-sixth Ohio did service under Sheridan in Virginia.
G. W. Burns, Company B, Seventieth Ohio, age 71. Comrade Burns did service in the Fifteenth Army Corps in Ewing’s Division. He was at Vicksburg, Memphis, Mission Ridge and was on the Atlantic campaign and went with Sherman to the sea.
W. A. Quigley, Company C, Sixty-seventh Indiana, age 70. This regiment saw some very rough service. It was captured at Munfordsville, Ky., Sept. 16, 1862 at the time of Bragg’s invasion of Kentucky. Buell’s whole army was lying at the time within re-enforcing distance and could have easily prevented the capture of Colonel Dunham and his 4,000 men had Buell so desired. The regiment was paroled and went to Indianapolis and place in parole camp until they were exchanged. After the regiment was exchanged, it was sent down the Mississippi river. It campaigned around Port Gibson at Jackson, Miss., in the siege of Vicksburg and was on the Red river campaign. Comrade Quigley was wounded at Sabine cross roads. Soon after he was wounded he was furloughed home and when he was able for duty he was sent to Washington city and served the remainder of his time in the war department.
R. S. Adams, Company K, Twenty-second Indiana, age 70. This was Jeff C. Davis’ old regiment and commenced its career in Missouri after “Pap” Price but was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland just before the battle of Perryville, Ky. It was in Jeff C. Davis’ division at the battle of Stone’s river and Chickamauga and under Sheridan at Mission Ridge, Comrade Adams was wounded.
J. A. Carr, Company I, Twenty-seventh Illinois, afterwards consolidated with the Seventy-ninth Illinois. This regiment was under Sheridan at Stone’s river and Chickamauga and Mission Ridge and at Kennesaw Mountain under Newton, and at Franklin and Nashville under Wagoner and Elliot.
C. E. Cooper, Seventh Missouri. This regiment did duty in the Fourth Corps during Hood’s invasion of Tennessee. Father that that the writer has no trace of his history.
Samuel J. Bailey, Company C, Eighty-third Indiana, age 75. The comrade’s regiment was in Morgan L. Smith’s division of the Fifteenth Army Corps. Comrade Bailey’s regiment fought under Sherman at Tunnel Hill and North Chickamauga, at the battle of Mission Ridge. It did its share of the fighting on the Atlantic campaign and at Jonesboro, and forged its way across Georgia under Sherman to the sea, and was at Raleigh, N. C. when the war closed. Colonel Benjamin J. Spooner of great senatorial fame, commanded the Eighty-third Indiana through most of its service.
P. S. Moore, Sergeant, Company K, Fortieth Indiana, age 75. This soldier arrived on the battlefield of Shiloh just in time to save the day to the Union cause, and bid the Johnnies a farewell, with a few well directed shots from his Austrian rifle. He was one of Tom Wood’s bold, bad men that defended the Round Forest at Stone’s river, where he declares that the earth shook and trembled as thought it would fall to pieces and blow away, and where the rebels shot bullets by the acre. The fact is, as he now confesses, he was so badly scared that he cannot now tell whether is was himself or the earth that shook so violently. Phil Sheridan commanded him at Mission Ridge and he admits that he was very shaky there, and who would not be, with a hundred cannon and a million little guns shooting at him, and who can blame him under these circumstances for being a little wobbly. He confesses now that he really hid behind a stump and meant to stay there until the rebels quit such careless shooting in his direction, but unfortunately for him, the rebels put all of his company officers on the casualty list. Thus the fortunes of war temporary place the command of his company in his hands. What was he to do under those circumstances, but to sally forth and whip old Bragg and his rebels, right then and there, which he preceded to do with neatness and dispatch. He now makes the claim, that in justice to true heroism, he should then and there have been made a “Jigadeer Brindle,” on the spot, and possibly he would have been, had it not been for the “petty jealousies” of some other fellows who happened to be there at the time. His presence with others advised Longstreet to move away from the vicinity of Knoxville which he did, and took up winter quarters on the Brench Broad river near Bulls Gap, East Tenn. The comrade participated in all the battles and skirmishes of the Atlantic campaign, trailing Joe Johnson and his men over the red hills of Georgia, to Big Shanty, and when near there at Kennesaw Mounting, Joe stuck up this sign, “No trespassing on these premises.” When the comrade disregarding the warning notice undertook to climb the mountain for the purpose of viewing the landscape o’er, some wicked sinner in Joe’s gang shot the comrade through the leg laying him hos-de-combat, using a military phrase. However, the comrade’s regiment still kept up the pursuit of Joe Johnson and his rebel regiment until they arrived at the last ditch where Hood superseded him. The Fortieth Indiana was in Wagoner’s division of the Fourth Corps that stopped Hood’s onward career at Spring Hill, and helped lick him to a finish at Franklin, and do him up at Nashville.
J. H. Scott, Company K, Twenty-ninth Illinois. It is not known to the writer where this regiment marched and fought and foraged but as Illinois only sent the best men to the front I am sure they were making Johnnies hunt their holes somewhere along the firing line.
J. B. Sullivan, Company K, Eighteenth Wisconsin. The comrade’s regiment was in John E. Smith’s division of the Seventeenth Army Corps. General Smith’s division did some of the hardest fighting at Tunnel Hill, Mission Ridge, of any troops in the Seventeenth Corps. They left their dead closer to the rebel works than any troops on that part of the battlefield.
T. C. Truman, Company K, Fifth West Virginia. This regiment fought its battles in Virginia where some of the hardest battles of the war were fought.
E. M. Wark, Company F, Sixth Indiana Cavalry. As soon as this regiment was organized it went to the front and plunged into Kirby Smith at Richmond, Ky., and after a most day’s fighting they were with other troops captured and paroled. This regiment was captured two times, but not because of any fault of the men of the regiment, but because they were placed in unreasonable positions and they were expected to whip a large portion of the Confederate army. It was a camp story that John Morgan telegraphed to Governor Morton that when he got ready to send the Sixth Cavalry to the front to inform him of the fact and he would send them their rolls and save their transportation. No better fighters ever went from Indiana than the Sixth cavalry and the “Johnnies” recognized that fact too.
Edward Foster, Company H, Thirty-fourth Illinois, age 66. This was General Kirks old regiment and was in the battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Stone’s river, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and on the Atlantic campaign and with Sherman to the sea.
F. M. Gerren, Company C, Thirty-first Ohio. This regiment was in Brig. General Turchin’s brigade of the Fourteenth Corps and was in all the great battles that the Fourteenth Corps participated in.
B. Hurst, Company E, Forty-fourth Illinois. This regiment served in the Army of the Cumberland and was under such famous fighters as Sheridan, Harker, Opdyke and Wagoner. The 44th Illinois was in the famous charge of Opdyke at the battle of Franklin, Tenn.
C. N. Mathis, Company K, 138th Illinois. The writer is unable to tell what department the comrade’s regiment served in. As all the Illinois troops always got there, I suppose this regiment was somewhere where there was rebels to fight.
Charles Morgan, Company A, 129th Ill. This regiment served in the Army of the Cumberland in Gordon Granger’s Reserve Corps, and in that command was among the troops that re-enforced Thomas at the battle of Chickamauga and help win for him the name of the “Rook of Chicamauga” on Snodgrass hill and at Rossville gap.
Joshua S. Pepper, Company A, Eighty-sixth ___, age 86. Comrade Pepper’s regiment was in Dan McCook’s brigade from the time they entered the service until McCook was killed at Kennesaw Mountain. His regiment was in the battles of Perryville, Stone’s river, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Resacca, Kennesaw Mountain and Atlanta and went with Sherman to the sea.
W. H. Nelson, Company B, Thirty-first Indiana. The Thirty-first Indiana was under Nelson at Shiloh, raced after Bragg through Kentucky, fought at the battle of Perryville, helped drive Bragg from the blue grass pastures of the state of copper distilled bourbon whiskey, helped thrash him at Stone’s river, stood by the “Rook of Chickamauga” until the great commander whaled the daylights out of Bragg, was under Cruft and Hooker at Rossville gap, charging up the southern end of Mission Ridge into Breckenridge’s left flank, at the time of that memorable battle. They were at the battles of Franklin and Nashville.
William Lassey, Company A, Fourth Michigan Infantry, age 72. The Fourth Michigan, during its first three years’ service was in the 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac. It was during this period that Comrade Lassey won his reputation as a “fighting Wolverine,” and that combative characteristic of his Irish nature, still sticks on him. After the term of the first enlistment of the Fourth Michigan had expired and the regiment was discharged, it was reorganized and sent to General Thomas in Tennessee, at the time of Hood’s invasion of that state, and did service along the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad and was at Murfreesborough under Milroy at the time of the Franklin and Nashville fight. William, the Irish Lassey, did not accompany them on this their last trip to Dixie’s land.
L. U. Humphrey, First Lieutenant, Company I, Seventy-sixth Ohio, age 69. The comrade enlisted in 1861 and was discharged in 1965. This regiment served most of the time in Osterhaus’ division of the Fifteenth Corps, and was in the battles of Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, and was on the Atlantic campaign and marched with Sherman to the sea. At the battle of Mission Ridge, Osterhaus’ division played an important part on our right, where it carried Rossville Gap and slid up behind Stewart’s and Walker’s divisions of Breckenridge’s Corps, and when Thomas carried the Ridge the 76th Ohio and the 34th Iowa, if I remember it rightly, were very active participants in capturing 2,000 men of Bragg’s army. Comrade Humphrey was once editor of the South Kansas Tribune, and served two terms as governor of the State of Kansas, and is now one of the oldest residents of the city of Independence.
W. R. Hendricks, Company D, 102nd Ohio, age 76. This comrade was wounded in the first year of the war and was transferred to the Mississippi Marine brigade and finished his term of enlistment in that arm of the service. The 102nd Ohio was transferred to the department of the Cumberland and at the time that Hood invaded Tennessee was in the 4th division of the Twentieth Army corps under Rousseau, and was at Murfreesborough, Tenn., at the time of the battles of Franklin and Nashville.
J. A. Higgins, Company C, bugler Thirteenth Kansas. This regiment hunted bushwhackers most of the time in Missouri and Arkansas.
Ziba Fry, Company_, Nineteenth Wisconsin, age 65. The writer has no information as where the comrade did his fight but I have no doubt but that he did his part wherever he was, whether on the march or forage or fight.
G. W. Patterson, Company I, Third West Virginia. This regiment did service in under Sheridan in the valley, and in the Army of the Potomac.
H. L. Hopkins, Company D, Ninety-third Illinois. This regiment was in the Seventeenth Army Corps, under John E. Smith at Mission Ridge and was in the thickest of the fight near Tunnel Hill and faced Pat Clebourne’s men.