DARKE COUNTY OHIO - HISTORY: PART 5 (Howe, Henry LL. D. 1898) ******************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this elec- tronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ******************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Gina Reasoner AUPQ38A@prodigy.com May 8, 1999 ******************************************************** HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO, By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898 During the war of the Rebellion Darke county contributed her full share to the ranks of the Union army. The Fortieth Ohio infantry, largely composed of Darke county men, was organized in the fall of 1861. After varied service, in March, 1863, it joined the army of Kentucky at Franklin, Tenn., where, a few weeks later, an attack was made by a strong force of the enemy upon the place, but they were repulsed by the excellent fighting of some companies of the Fortieth out on picket line. The story of this fight, with the spicy conversation between Van Dorn and Serg. Orin of the Fortieth, who had been taken prisoner, we copy from the "County History:" On the 10th of April, 1863, the regiment was placed on picket duty in front of the town, with Capt. Charles G. Matchett in command. At that time the rebel forces, under Gen. Van Dorn, were stationed at Spring Hill, Tenn., nine miles south of Franklin. Soon after 12 o'clock the rebels commenced an attack upon seven companies of the Fortieth, which had been stationed on and between the Columbia pike and the Big Harpeth river (a distance of about five hundred yards), but were handsomely repulsed. The attack was renewed with reinforcements, and again repulsed. By this time the enemy were preparing to charge in force, and the situation of the Fortieth was precarious. Behind them, for the distance of more than half a mile, lay an open field without an obstacle or a shelter on it; but momentarily expecting reinforcements, they held their ground, and repulsed charge after charge, for two hours. Van Dorn then formed his entire force for a charge, and the Fortieth fell back in good order to the town, where, taking advantage of hedges, fences, houses, etc., they repulsed the enemy and drove them out of town, and, at 4 o'clock p.m., resumed their former position on picket duty. The Fortieth's loss was three killed, four wounded, and ten missing, and all afterward were exchanged and rejoined the command. The enemy's entire loss is not known. Two captains and fifteen men killed, one major and twelve men wounded, and thirteen prisoners fell into the hands of the Fortieth. The enemy's entire force was cavalry and two batteries of artillery. Over one hundred horses, equipped, escaped within the Union lines and were captured by other commands. The prisoners, when exchanged, reported Van Dorn's entire loss in killed and wounded to be one hundred and fifty men and one hundred and twenty horses. An incident connected with this fight is worth relating: Among the prisoners captured from the Fortieth that day was Jesse N. Orin, a sergeant of Company B, afterward a distinguished representative for many years in the Ohio Legislature from Clinton county. The prisoners were taken before Van Dorn, and questioned by him. Sergt. Orin answered in behalf of the captives. What commands do you belong to, boys? said the rebel chieftain. "Fortieth Ohio, sir," answered Orin. "You don't all belong to the same regiment do you?" "Yes, sir." "What officer was that in command of the forces you had in to-day's fight?" "Capt. Matchett, of the Fortieth, sir." "Have you got down so low that captains must command your brigades?" "Brigades? There was no other regiment fought against you to-day but the Fortieth, and only seven companies of that; for one company was in the town as provost-guard, and two companies were on the west of the town, and neither of them were engaged." "Then why in the name of thunder did not your captain quietly surrender when my brigade of cavalry attacked them? "I promise, sir, the captain's orders were to defend the picket line as long as he could, and not to surrender." "But, why were you not reinforced?" "I do not know, sir; just before we began to fall back the captain rode along our lines and told each company that it was evident that we were not to be reinforced, and we could not successfully retreat over that cottonfield, unless each company implicitly obeyed his commands. We all understood this; and he concentrated and retired us in the manner you saw." "How did you boys come to be captured?" "When our regiment had retreated about half the distance between the picket-line and the town, a column of your cavalry threatened to pass by our left, and get between us and the town and "gobble us all up," and Capt. Matchett ordered me and another sergeant, with about twenty men, to a position about, three hundred yards to the left and rear of our regiment, in order to oppose that threatened movement, with orders to hold that position at all hazards, until the regiment had retired beyond the cotton-gin, and then make our way back to town as best we could. We stayed there as ordered, but when your forces in front of the regiment were repulsed, they swept around to our position and took us all in, except a few who started to run the gauntlet back to town." At this a fine-looking officer, who was present, broke out into a loud laugh, and said: "Gen. Van Dorn, the joke is on you; you, promised to show us how neatly you could take in the Yankees at Franklin, and it seems that you have been very cleverly repulsed by seven companies of infantry, commanded by a captain, with his left protected by a sergeant's squad. At this Sergt. Orin said: "General, I would like to be permitted to say one word in your defence; that is -there is not a private in the Fortieth Ohio who would not make a good colonel, and not a non-commissioned officer who would not make a good brigadier, and as to the captain, who commanded us to-day, he could handle an army equal to Bonaparte." "Thank you," said Van Dorn; and then, turning to the officer referred to above, he said: "How could you expect me, with my division of cavalry, to overcome a Bonaparte, his field-marshals, his sixty generals and five hundred colonels?" Gen. Van Dorn then asked Sergt. Orin: "How many men have you at Franklin?" "I do not know, sir, and if I did I should decline to answer your question." "What is the nature and extent of your fortifications there?" "General, possibly you had better obtain that information by another reconnoissance." "Well, Sergeant," said the General, "you'll do. When you rejoin the regiment, give my compliments to your brave comrades and the captain, and say to him that I hope he may never be promoted." "Captain," said he, addressing an officer, "see that these men are treated with that courtesy and respect due brave men." The men were then taken back, and remained prisoners only about three weeks, when they were exchanged. Their prisons life was made far more agreeable to them that they expected. In 1878 a major of the Confederate army stopped for a few days at Greenville, Ohio, and called on Capt. Matchett, and said that he had belonged to the staff of the Inspector-General of the Confederate army; that they had come west to look after Bragg's army, and went to Spring Hill Run about the 8th of April, 1863, and found Gen. Van Dorn a very genial and social fellow, who induced the Inspector-General to go with him that day (April 10th), and see how nicely he would take in the Yankees at Franklin. The major said that all the officers agreed that they had never seen "such a fighting regiment" as the Fortieth was; and that he was free to say that he never met with such coolness and determined bravery since. He detailed the conversation between Gen. Van Dorn and the captured sergeant, substantially as given above, which, in the mind of the writer, confirmed the statements made by Sergt. Orin and his captured comrades, on their return from captivity. GETTYSBURG is on the C. St. L. & P. R. R., 87 miles west of Columbus. It is the shipping point for a very productive surrounding wheat country. Newspapers: School Visitor, education, John S. Royer, editor and publisher. Churches: 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist Episcopal, and 1 German Lutheran. it is somewhat of an educational centre. Population is 1880, 202. ARCANUM, about 80 miles west of Columbus, at the intersection of the D. & U. and I. B. & W. Railroads, is surrounded by a fine farming district, and is a point of shipment for a large part of the tobacco crop of the county, of which the crop is generally immense. Newspaper: Tribune, Democrat, S.M. Kemble, editor. Churches: 1 Methodist, 1 United Methodist, 1 German Reformed. It has two good natural gas wells and more are being put down. Milling, wood work and tile making are the main industries. Population in 1880, 778. School census in 1886, 335. VERSAILLES is on the C. C. C.& T. R. R. It has one newspaper, Policy, Independent. Central Bank, J.R. Jackson, president; J.W. Starbuck cashier. Census in 1880, 1,163. School census in 1886, 433; W.W. Long, superintendent. This village was laid out in 1819 by Silas Atchison under the name of Jacksonville. The Hardshell Baptists, says the county historian, built here in 1823 the second church erected in the county. As their rules required every applicant for membership to give in a brief experience as a test of his fitness for admission, he relates this as an illustration. A person living up the creek by the name of Stoner it appears, notwithstanding his hard name, was a little soft. Nevertheless, he wanted to join the church. He rose in the congregation and thus began: "I got up this mornin' greased my shoes, combed my head and started to meetin'. As I was a comin' along I saw a tree; I says to myself, Kin one man pull that ar tree up? No! Kin two men pull hat ar tree up? No! Kin three men pull that ar tree up? No! Kin ten men pull that ar tree up? No! Kin twenty men pull that ar tree up? No! Kin God Almighty pull that tree up? Yes! I feel like suthin' is going to happen." He sat down. The preacher rose and said: "Brethren extend the right hand of fellowship to Brother Stoner, for this is the true blatin' of the lamb." ANSONIA, about 90 miles west of Columbus, on Stillwater creek, and at intersection of the C. C. C.& I. and C. V. W.& M. Railroads, is the centre of a grain-raising district. newspaper: Mirror, Independent, Frank H. Jobes, editor and publisher. Churches: 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Christian, 1 German Lutheran. The Ansonia Stave Co., employing 18 hands, is the largest industry. Population in 1880, 542. UNION CITY is on three railways and in two States, Indiana and Ohio; two counties, Randolph, Ind., and Darke, Ohio, and has two village corporations with corresponding sets of officials. In 1880 the population of the Indiana side was 2,478, Ohio side, 1,127; total, 3,605. Union City was platted in 1852, and the place has grown up in consequence of railroads. The industries here are woodenware, staves, tubs, pails, clamps, broom handles, trunk slats, shingles, heading, hubs, spokes, chairs, also drain tile, etc. It is also a prominent point for the manufacture of flour and the purchase and shipment of grain. ==== Maggie_Ohio Mailing List ====