Greene County IN Archives Biographies.....Bough, William 1823 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 14, 2006, 11:03 pm Author: Goodspeed (1884) CAPT. WILLIAM BOUGH, a veteran of the Mexican war and the rebellion, was born in Bath County, Ky., November 14, 1823, and is a son of Frederick and Rebecca (Sexson) Bough, who settled in Highland Township, Greene County, Ind., in 1827. Frederick Bough was a farmer, and died in 1876, but his widow yet survives him, and resides near Scotland at eighty years of age. From the time he was twenty-one years old, William Bough has been doing for himself, and in this time has accumulated land to the amount of over 200 acres. On this he resides, and his attention is largely occupied in rearing blooded horses and cattle, besides looking after his large farm. His military experience was in joining Company E, Second Indiana Volunteers, in June, 1846, and participating in the battles of Buena Vista, where he was severely wounded through the right shoulder by a musket ball, and a part of the engagement at Monterey. In 1861, he helped recruit Company C, Twenty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, but from the ranks was commissioned First Lieutenant on the 29th of July of the same year. He was in the battles of Baton Rouge and Port Hudson; and a remarkable exploit of his was in the spring of 1862, when he was put in command of twelve men, and detailed to guard a railroad bridge not far from New Orleans. With two men he crossed a bayou to an island on a reconnoitering expedition, and discovered over a score of rebels encamped in a canebrake guarding two dismounted pieces of artillery. It being dark, and these three men being armed with breech-loading carbines, they made a dash on the enemy through the underbrush, yelling, shooting and re-loading, and making such a noise that they were evidently mistaken for a full-fledged company. The rebels fled in dismay, while the victors hurried the captured pieces back to where the remainder of the detachment was stationed. These two guns were six-pounder Spanish pieces, and were the identical ones Mr. Bough helped capture at Monterey in 1846. He was ordered to confiscate mules to draw these pieces, which, on being properly manned, was placed in command as a light artillery which received the appellation of the "Jackass Battery." The winter of 1863-64, Mr. Bough re-enlisted, was veteranized, and December 9, 1863, was commissioned Captain of his company. He served through the battles of Mobile and the Spanish Fort, at the latter being in command of four 64-pounder howitzers. Besides the above-mentioned engagements in which he was an active participant, Capt. Bough saw much other hard service which space prevents publishing, but among which was his capture with twelve men of the blockade runner "Fox," or properly known as the "Hartford." He remained in the service until January 10, 1866, when he was discharged at Indianapolis, in command of the regiment. Capt, Bough is an old wheel-horse of the Republican party, and is one of the county's best citizens. He was married, March 29, 1844, to Mary Ann Hoffman, who died February 2, 1881, without issue. Although no children were born to them, they reared and educated several orphan children, to whom they were the same as parents. Additional Comments: Taylor Township Biographies Extracted from: HISTORY OF GREENE AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES, STATE OF INDIANA, FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE PRESENT; TOGETHER WITH INTERESTING BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, REMINISCENCES, NOTES, ETC. ILLUSTRATED. CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROS. & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1884. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/greene/bios/bough488nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb