FRANKLIN COUNTY OHIO - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO [Page 128] *************************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic 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. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by LeaAnn Rich leaann1@bellsouth.net February 3, 2000 *************************************************************************** History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio Page 128 Solomon Bety William H. Blosser Ashton Briggs James Briggs Alfred Britton Harvey Brooks James D. Chaffin Elbert Chittum William Craybill Alexander Crooks Lewis R. Davis John A. Delong William M. Ely Peter W. Ecord Samuel B. Erskine John W. Flowers James N. Funks Phillip Garrison Isaac George Nation Gooley Michael Goss Abraham M. Gooseman Mahlon Grass William M. Haigler James Henderson John W. Helvering Henry Hooper John Hoskins David Johnson David Lindsey James Lindsey John Lister James W. Loyd Isaac Ludwig Emanuel Mangues Benjamin Martin John Martin John McCollister Samuel W. McGath John C. Moffit George Poland Almer Porter David R. Porter James W. Ramey John P. Rector Frank Rector Henry Rector John Rife John H. Rife Joseph Scrawger James Schaffer Lemuel Skinner Benjamin Skinner Isaiah Smith Jonathon Shulty William Taylor Cornelius Thomas John Taylor Samuel H. Tilford George R. Tilford Purnell Timmons A.J. Timmons James C. Todd Stephen Tully John Tully Jacob Ulm John S. Will John E. Wolfley John Wolf COMPANY K Mustered into service August 16, 1862 Corporal George W. Rowe Private William Grim NINETY-FIFTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY On the nineteenth of August, 1862, this regiment was mustered into the service of the United States at camp Chase. The following day it proceeded to Lexington, Kentucky, where it was brigaded, and soon transferred to Richmond, Kentucky. The brigade made a forced march to this place and drove off the rebels, after they had sent in a flag of truce, asking the surrender of the town. August 29th the regiment, with its brigade, had an encounter with Kirby Smith's advance, capturing one gun. They remained all night on the field, confident of their ability to defend the approaches to Richmond, and underestimating, in their ignorance, the enemy's strength. The almost impassable barrier afforded by the precipitous approaches to the Kentucky River, had been left fifteen miles in the rear, while they advanced to encounter an army of veterans double their numerical strength. Kirby Smith was then on his march to the Ohio River, making his famous northern raid, that will long live in story and in the memory of the squirrel hunters who were summoned to the defense of Cincinnati. Across his way, and barring it, lay an army of ten thousand raw recruits, with only nine pieces of artillery. Veterans would have fallen back to the river, where it was possible to delay the advance of the enemy until the arrival of reinforcements. But it was not so ordered in the book of fate. Blind to the danger, and bold to rashness, our troops not only stood their ground, but advanced to meet certain defeat and almost annihilation. As no other regiment of Ohio troops participated in the battles around Richmond, a brief description will be interesting. The rebel army made an attack the next morning, and at nine o'clock made a determined charge, which drove our men from the field. One hundred and twenty men of the Ninety-fifth, and a majority of the line officers, commanded by the Lieutenant-colonel, deeming themselves the only representatives of the State on the field, scorned to fly, and fought desperately, until completely surrounded and forced to surrender. The scattered and demoralized forces made another stand, a mile or two in the rear, but were scattered like chaff, and still farther on a third stand, which resulted, after a stubborn but brief resistance, in a tumultous retreat for the river. The loss to the Ninety-fifth was eight men killed, forty seven wounded, and six hundred captured. The loss of the other regiments engaged was abouth two hundred and fifty killed, eight hundred wounded, and near two thousand captured. The rebel loss in killed and wounded was heavier than ours. November 20, 1862, the regiment was exchanged, reorganized, and sent to Memphis, where it arrived May 25, 1863, six hundred strong. It was attached to a division and moved to Vicksburg. Here it did effective service until a few days previous to the capture of the city. It also aided in the capture of Jackson, Mississippi, and in the operations around the Big Black River. The regiment participated in Sherman's attempt to storm the works of Vicksburg, on May 22d, where besides sustaining a repulse, many brave men were sacrificed. After the fall of Vicksburg, another attack was made on Jackson, where the rebels were whipped, after which our troops went into winter quarters near Memphis. During the winter, the Ninety-fifth was assigned to the sixteenth corps, with which it served until the end of the war. Early in June, 1864, an attempt was made to strike the Mobile & Ohio road, in the vicinity of Tupelo. This ended in defeat. The Ninety-fifth went into the affair with nineteen commissioned officers and three hundred muskets, and got back to Memphis with nine officers and about one hundred and fifty men. Early in July, the regiment marched with General Smith's expedition to Memphis, and after skirnishing along the way, formed near Tupelo. The Confederates made a furious attack, and were handsomely whipped. On returning to Memphis, Forrest made a night attack, and got badly whipped again. Smith's forces were moved to Nashville, arriving the evening after the battle of Franklin. On the morning of December 15th, General Smith's force, now an army corps, stationed on Thomas' right pushed boldly out from their works, and were soon on Hood's left flank. Here an assaulting column, including the Ninety-fifth, was formed. In a few minutes the first rebel work, mounting three guns, was captured. From a hill farther on, crowned with a redoubt, the rebels poured a galling fire on the victors.