“ Courage is only one qualification for a commander; to personal bravery there should be united military science and skill, vigilance, prudence, and self-control. Whenever it shall be discovered that any general in command of Federal forces is deficient in those indispensable qualifications, it is the imperative duty of the Administration to relieve him of his command. ”

“ RESOLVED, That, as Indiana has given without stint her noble and cherished sons to the nation to aid in crushing a monstrous and causeless rebellion, and as their blood has been freely shed on nearly every battlefield where success has attended the Federal arms, she has a right to demand and will demand that those who are still at their posts shall not be unnecessarily sacrificed through the incompetency or carelessness of commanding generals. ”

“ The honorable causes espoused and defended in the tragic Civil War were championed by many men of heroic stature—men worthy of the unstinted admiration and respect of each succeeding generation. These were the soldiers who acquitted themselves honorably in fighting for the causes they believed just. Colonel Sion St. Clair Bass, a successful young man who could have avoided military service, was one of the many who gave their lives in the struggle.
Colonel Bass was born on a farm near Salem, Kentucky, on January 6, 1827. ”

“ On September 12, 1861, Sion Bass received his appointment as colonel of the Thirtieth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, which was then being recruited. By September 24, the quota for the regiment had been filled, and the Thirtieth was organized at Camp Allen in Fort Wayne. Although he was himself untrained for military service, Colonel Bass entered upon the task of disciplining and training his raw recruits with such energy and devotion to duty that he soon won the praise of his superior officers. ”

“ The delay thus necessitated in the Union advance afforded the scattered Confederate forces an opportunity to consolidate their strength. On the sixth of April, under the able leadership of General Albert Sidney Johnston, the Confederate troops launched a surprise attack against Grant’s encampment.
The roar of cannon could be heard by the men of Buell’s advancing army although they were still many miles distant from the battlefield. Hour after hour, the men of the Thirtieth followed their commander southward through swampland to Savannah, Tennessee. ”

“ After his graduation in February, 1849, Sion followed his mother’s advice and came to Fort Wayne. Jane Bass believed that Fort Wayne, already a thriving town, would offer good business opportunities for her sons because of its favorable location at the confluence of the three rivers. Chicago, she believed, would soon grow too large. In Fort Wayne, Sion found employment with the great western fur traders, Ewing, Chute, and Company, and soon became a trusted confidential agent of the firm. ”

“ And the following year, the plant was sold to the Fort Wayne Machine Works. The activities of Sion Bass cannot be traced from the completion of the sale negotiations until the onset of the War Between the States.
In 1861 the Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor signaling the outbreak of bitter civil strife. Drafting of men for military service was not practiced in the United States at that time; both sides relied upon volunteers to fill their fighting ranks. Sion Bass found himself in a dilemma ”

“ Beverly was here yesterday and says they are all well. Every person has left Salem except for a few families. Your Pa says, “I have done nothing in no way”; and he expects to stay at his home and do the best he can. ”

“ The wound was a mortal one, but death did not come immediately. Colonel Bass was carried from the battlefield to a Tennessee River steamer and transported to Paducah, Kentucky. He passed away at St. Mark’s Hospital in that city a week after he had been wounded. His wife, mother, and brother were present at his bedside.
After news of his death reached Fort Wayne, a meeting was called at the courthouse for the purpose of paying due honor to his memory. A committee of fifteen was appointed to meet the remains at Peru and to act as an escort to Fort Wayne. Mr. ”

“ Adverse weather conditions and impassable roads forced the men to return to camp after an advance of only fourteen miles. In March General Buell received orders from General Halleck to join Grant and the Army of the Tennessee at Pittsburg Landing near Shiloh. General Grant and his forces were to remain in camp at Pittsburg Landing while awaiting Buell’s arrival. ”