Ohio Volunteer Infantry

“ An ambulance train was sent back to the battlefield after the wounded, returning late at night. Gen. Averill, with whom we were expecting to make a junction at this point, arrived with his command, making us, now, quite a formidable little army.
In the afternoon of June 7th, three hundred and fifty men and eight officers, under command of Capt. Chamberlin, were sent out to relieve the 28th Ohio, then doing picket duty. Part of the men were stationed on a hill where, just about a year before, they were permitted to rest for a few hours, when on their way to Richmond as prisoners of war. ”

“ Our regiment relieved the One Hundred and Fifty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry on the skirmish line to-night. I am on lookout in a grave-like hole about the length of a man some two feet deep on top of a hillock with cut bushes stuck all about as a mask in the soft dirt thrown from the hole. ”

“ From 5 o’clock we have until 9 for our own use, and you can just bet high we make use of it. At 9:00 the roll is called and we retire to the loft of a very large brick barn with our blankets and each a good comforter. It is the general opinion that we will be sent back to Marietta or to Camp Dennison, to be kept as the reserve militia of Ohio, either of which will be protested against by every member of our company. We want to go where we can have something to do. There is not a man of us who can bear the idea of lying around a camp. If there is to be any fighting done we want a hand in it. ”

“ From Cairo I went to Toledo, O. Recruiting for the Federal army was going on rapidly all over the North. In the fall of 1861 I visited the principal cities in Ohio, in search of a company of sharp-shooters, in which to enlist. I found several such organizations, but none of them were officered by men that suited me. In the month of December, while at Columbus, Ohio, I met Lieutenant Downs, of the 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with a squad of ten men, on his way to Trumbull County to recruit. ”

“ It is not expected that this book will be of interest to the general reader; to those only who participated in, or followed with loving eyes, its fortunes, will the dry details, which must necessarily often enter into its composition, be interesting, and without apology to the officers and men, of the 123d Ohio Volunteer Infantry, this book is offered as a true record of their soldier life.
C. M. KEYES.
Sandusky, Ohio, July, 1874. ”

“ How many of those that left Camp Cleveland with us—just one year before—now "sleep the sleep that knows not breaking." What a change in our regiment. Our ranks have been thinned, but our effectiveness has been increased. We have been tried in all the sad experiences of war. Patriotism brought to our ranks very many never calculated, either physically or mentally, to make soldiers. Their intentions were high and noble, and they failed by no fault of theirs; their final discharge was a mercy to them, and a blessing to us. Many came home and abandoned army service forever. ”

“ From this time the history of our organization, as a regiment again commences. At this place we were newly 53armed and equipped, and being deficient in officers, twenty-one being still in prison, were engaged mainly in provost and picket duty until March 1st 1864. During the month of November, Adjutant McCracken, with one non-commissioned officer from each company was sent to Ohio to recruit, and fill up our depleted ranks. Very good success was met with, adding one hundred and twenty-eight men to our effective force ”

“ We “marched over the Allegheny mountains, a distance of 35 1/2 miles in 24 hours, after leaving Oakland. At 4:00 o’clock the next morning (17th) Gen. Hill, with about 800 picked men in light marching order started for an additional forced march but after moving five miles was overtaken by a courier with a dispatch from McClellan ordering him to return.”
We returned leisurely to Oakland and there went into camp, remaining until the morning of the 23rd of July, when the regiment took cars for the west. ”

“ The army was completely jaded, having been on the march since early morning, and rest was imperatively demanded. The General, however, called for two picked regiments to go out and destroy the bridges that cross the Appomattox, near Farmville, and thus cut off the enemy’s retreat in that direction. The 123d Ohio and 54th Pennsylvania were selected, and with a squadron of the 4th Massachusetts cavalry, the whole under command of Gen. Theodore Read, at once started. They met the head of Lee’s army near the point designated, and at once bravely attacked them. ”

“ Our train now held the full regiment, the first time we had come together as such since leaving Parkersburg, May 29th. We arrived at Oakland on the morning of the 14th, and lay in camp until the afternoon of the 15th, when, Whitelaw Reid says, “About 5:00 o’clock P. M., Gen. Hill moved with the 5th and 18th Ohio regiments from Oakland in a diagonal line to the bridge on the Northwestern Pike, over the west branch of the Potomac, at which point he was to be joined by Col. Irvine’s command from Red House, intending to turn the enemy’s right and cut them off before they could reach Petersburg. ”

“ The company immediately joined the regiment already on their march toward Staunton, arriving there about 4 P. M., a distance of twelve miles, being the first Union Infantry that had ever been there. We met with no resistance whatever, the Rebels having fled in another direction. We found several hundred of their sick and wounded here. The regiment went into camp one mile west of town. Dr. Brisbine, who had been promoted to Assistant Surgeon, joined the regiment while on the march. Before leaving here our troops destroyed the railroad depot, bridges, track and telegraph, in and near town. ”

“ Our regiment and the 87th Pennsylvania were rapidly got into position, and immediately charged the Rebels, who were drawn up in a wood just to the right of the road, capturing their artillery, but were unable to hold them against the murderous fire now poured into our ranks, and sullenly retired for a short distance. Two other regiments were now hurried into position, when we again moved to the charge. In steady and firm line we now advanced, and, though, grape and canister ploughed great lanes through our poor ranks, not a man faltered or turned back ”

“ The Rebels easily turned the right of our corps, getting over the works with little or no opposition, many of the men being still asleep in their tents.
Some resistance, however, was made by our brigade, the only one in the division not surprised; we fell slowly back, the broken ranks of the other brigades, rallying upon our line; we soon came upon the 19th corps that, by this time had got into line, and, meeting their first division, we made a good stand, giving them several well directed volleys, that checked their advance, but soon being flanked on the left, were compelled again to give way ”

“ About the 1st of May our forces moved up the valley as far as Cedar Creek, where they remained until the 10th making the final preparations for our grand raid on Lynchburg. Baggage was cut down to the minimum; each soldier was provided with an extra pair of shoes, and loaded down with rations and ammunition, we broke camp, and moved leisurely on through Strasburg, Woodstock, and Mt. Jackson, to New Market, where, on the night of the 14th we struck the enemy in some force, our brigade having the advance, we had a lively little skirmish, but of short duration, the Rebels soon giving way. ”

“ In compliance with the order just given, each man was required to pack in his knapsack one hundred rounds of ammunition, which in addition to the extra clothing allowed, and four days rations of hard bread, caused some grumbling among the men at being converted into a pack train as they styled it.
On the morning of the 2d, Col. Wilson having assumed command of the regiment, Gen. Hunter, with his whole command, started up the valley on the proposed trip to Lynchburg. The regiment reported four hundred men for duty. We marched fourteen miles, and went into camp. ”

“ The gunboats were busy puffing up and down the river looking after the flanks of our lines and the various fords above and below. Every soldier in the hospitals that could possibly perform duty was sent to the front. All the 203laborers that were enlisted as such, and everyone that could use a pick and shovel, was pressed into the service and set at work on the intrenchments. Every private horse in the city was taken for the cavalry or artillery. ”

“ Sunday, June 9.—Quietly in camp.
On June 10, about 11 o’clock P. M., Capt. Buell with about 50 men of his company and a like number from Co. K, under Capt. Henderson, set out for a point some ten miles distant, where it was reported a native had a quantity of arms and equipments stored. The force reached and surrounded the place about daylight—stirred out the garrison—one man, a not overly bright woman, an idiotic child and a rifle, with an old broken flint lock. By careful maneuvering the command succeeded in reaching camp about 11 o’clock A. M., without the loss of a man. ”

“ We reached Bridgeport about the middle of the afternoon and after getting our camp guards and equipage aboard moved slowly on to Clarksburg. Here we went into camp until the 30th when we again took cars for Parkersburg and home! While in camp at Clarksburg a call was made for volunteers to go to Rosecrans, on Gauley, where he was about to engage in battle with Gen. Floyd’s forces.
The regiment was drawn up in line and a call made upon those who were willing to go to step out five paces to the front. Not a score of men left their places in the ranks. ”

“ Routed at every point they were soon in wild retreat, the ground being literally strewn with arms and accoutrements. The cavalry kept up the pursuit throughout 93the night, keeping the fleeing army on the jump for twenty-five miles.
The victory was complete—eleven hundred prisoners and sixteen pieces of artillery falling into our hands, and accomplished with but very little loss to us; our regiment losing seven wounded.
We bivouacked on our arms, where darkness overtook us, being completely tired out with the day’s work. ”

“ The company was organized under some difficulties, as a company for the 101st regiment had just been raised in the same locality. Many of the men composing this company, had already seen service in company E, 8th Ohio, during the first three months of the war. Recruiting commenced August 8th, and on the 22d of the same month the company was full, and soon after went into camp at Monroeville, and was mustered into the service September 24th, as follows ”

“ We had borne our part in the engagements at New Market, Piedmont, Lynchburg, Snicker’s Ferry, Winchester, Berryville, Opequan, Fisher’s Hill, and Cedar Creek, losing forty in killed, ninety-seven in wounded and twenty-four missing. Of officers we had one killed and four wounded, being one-half the number we had for duty at any one time. We had marched eleven hundred miles, and for the most part under a broiling sun and on short rations. ”

“ On the 24th, about noon, signs of the enemy’s approach became evident, and our forces were soon in position, and at 2 o’clock a fierce battle was once more raging around the valley city. For several hours the field was fiercely contested, when, being overpowered on all sides, our troops were compelled to fall back, saving all our trains, and taking with us the most of our wounded. It will be remembered that we were opposed by the same army that we measured strength with over the same ground one month later, after being reinforced by the 6th and 19th corps’, with Gen. ”

“ Washburn of the One Hundred and Sixteenth Ohio Infantry was thought to be mortally wounded, a musket ball having entered his left eye and come out of his right ear; but he recovered. The loss of the Rebels must also have been severe, and the more so since in forcing our men back they brought themselves within range of the Sixth Corps batteries, on the opposite side of the river, which opened and kept up a hot fire upon them for a little while doing good execution, and thus aiding also our men in recrossing the river. ”

“ Our life here was one continual round of picket duty or foraging. Very seldom did anything occur to break the usual monotony. However on the 16th of February five teams from our regiment and fourteen from the 116th Ohio Regiment, under escort of Company F, 116th, Capt. Brown commanding, went towards Moorefield, foraging for hay, and on their return, when within about six miles of Romney, were captured by the guerilla, Capt. ”

“ We built a temporary line of works within 200 yards of theirs, holding this position until they again retreated. The night of May 15, bridges were floated and the Oostanaula River crossed, the 4th corps taking the advance, driving Johnston’s rear guard. On the 17th, our division (Newton now commanding, Sheridan having been ordered to the Eastern department) was in the advance. One brigade deployed. In the evening two brigades were deployed and the enemy’s lines driven until a line of works was developed. Artillery was freely used, the 26th Ohio losing over twenty men. ”

“ You could constantly hear the officers’ command—“Steady men! Go slow!” Time flew by like a dream. The enemy’s line in the lower works at the foot of the ridge became demoralized and they left before we reached them. The reverse side of their works offered us no protection from the artillery and infantry fire from the top, and by a common impulse, without orders, we continued the charge up the side of the ridge. We had the usual double line formation, the 26th Ohio in the front line, the 15th Indiana supporting 150 to 200 paces in the rear. ”