Cuyahoga County, Ohio - Chapter 28: One Hundred and Seventh Infantry, Etc, 1870

Chapter 28: One Hundred and Seventh Infantry, Etc

When raised - Companies B and E from Cuyahoga - Iu Kentucky - Fortifying Washington - Chancellorsville - Crushing Disaster - Hcavy Loss - Surgeon killed - Gettysburg - The First and Eleventh Corps driven back - Loss of the One Hundred and Seventh - Early's Attack, onthe Second of July - His repulse - Further Loss - Capture of the Flag of the Louisiana " Tigers '" - Wounded Officers - A Hundred and Eleven Muskets left - Off to South Carolina - Thence to Florida - Back to South Carolina - Skirmishes at Devaux Neck - Capturing Artillery - On Provost Duty - Mustered out and sent Home.

THE One Hundred and Seventh was a German regiment, raised in July and August, 1862, and mustered in at Camp Taylor, (Cleveland,) on the 25th of the latter month. Company B was entirely from Cuyahoga county; having a hundred and eight names on its roll during the war. Company E was principally from the same county; having sixty-six Cuyahoga men in its ranks. These, with a few each in Companies A, D, F, G, H and 1, made a total of two hundred and fifteen members of the One Hundred and Seventh from this county.

The regiment moved to Covington, Kentucky, opposite Cincinnati, in the latter part of September, but remained there only a short time. It was soon taken to Washington, D. C., and set to building fortifications. Early in November it moved into-Virginia, and was soon made part of the Eleventh corps, commanded by Gen. Sigel. After several unimportant marches in Northern Virginia, and after being encamped at Brooks' Station during the winter, the Eleventh corps, then under Gen. Howard, marched with Hooker to the disastrous field of Chancellorsville. On that field the corps was assailed by the fiery legions of Stonewall Jackson, its line broken and all its regiments hurled back in swift retreat. 'The One Hundred and Seventh had about a hundred and fifty men taken prisoners, besides about seventy-five killed and wounded. One of the few cases of a surgeon's being killed in action occurred at this time; Dr. ©. A, Hartman, of Cleveland, the surgeon of the One Hundred and Seventh, being the victim.

After a short rest the remainder of the regiment marched rapidly northward to aid in driving Lee from Pennsylvania; reaching Gettysburg on the morning of the first of July. It was stationed on the right of the advanced lines of the Union army, and was speedily attacked by the enemy. As is well known, the two advanced corps, (the First and Eleventh, ) notwithstanding some successes in the beginning, were driven back after the death of Gen. Reynolds through the village of Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill; taking up a position there, in the afternoon, in which they eventually won the victory. While thus falling back before the enemy, about two hundred and fifty out of the five hundred and fifty men of the One Hundred and Seventh were killed, wounded or taken prisoners. é,

When the army turned to bay on Cemetery Hill, under the leadership of Hancock and Howard, the shattered regiment steadily maintained its position, and lay on its arms during the night.

On the 2d of July this regiment, with its corps and the whole Union army, firmly held the position assigned to it. Just before sunset Early's command made a desperate assault upon the Eleventh corps, but was driven back after a furious hand-to-hand conflict with very heavy loss. In this charge the One Hundred and Seventh had about a hundred and fifty more men killed and wounded. The celebrated Eighth Lonisian "Tigers" assailed the position held by this regiment, but found their masters in the sturdy Germans of northern Ohio. In the melee Adjutant Peter F. Young, (now police judge of Cleveland) captured the battle-flag of the ''Tigers," but was himself severely wounded. In the course of the battle Lieut. Col. Mueller was severely wounded, as were also Captain Steiner, (mortally) Captain Speyer, Captain Fisher, and several other officers. On the third day of the battle the One Hundred and Seventh was not seriously engaged.

When the regiment joined in the pursuit of the rebel army, it carried but a hundred and eleven muskets. With these it accompanied the forces of Gen. Meade into Virginia, but, as is well known, nothing was done to prevent the escape of Lee.

About the 1st of August the One Hundred and Seventh, now somewhat stronger but still very feeble, sailed to South Carolina. It was stationed on Folly Island until February, 1864, though making two brief excursions on to other islands in the vicinity. In the latter part of February it moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where it remained most of the time until December; the monotony of camp life being unbroken save by a few skirmishes, and by a mid-summer expedition of a month to Fernandina, in the same State. - several skirmishes with the enemy, in which five men were killed and fifteen wounded. After brief service at Pocataligo Station and other points in the vicinity, it marched to Charleston, and thence went by boat to Georgetown.

On the 23d of March the regiment defeated a rebel force at Sumterville, capturing three pieces of artillery. Its last exploit was to capture and destroy a train of cars near Singleton's Plantation, with thirteen locomotives and a large quantity of ammunition, etc. Soon after the surrender of Lee's army the regiment returned to Charleston, where it acted as provost guard until the 10th of July. It was then mustered out, sent back to Cleveland and discharged.

Field And Staff

August Vignos, enr. as Capt. Co. H, Sept. 6, 1862, Lost right arm at Gettysburg. Promoted to Maj. Aug. 21, 1863. Res. because of disability Sept. 30, 1864.

Company

John Alhert, enl, Aug. 19, 1862. Taken prisoner at Gettysburg July 1, 1863, Rejoined the Co. Oct. 20, 1863. Mustered out July 13, 1865. Melcheor Amsler, enl. Aug. 19, 1862, Wounded at Chancellorsville May

Peter Hoffman, enl. Aug. 14, 1862. Promoted to Corp. April1, 1862, Discharged because of wounds received at Gettysburg. July 2, 1863. Adam Bradenstein, enl, Aug, 18, 1862, Disch. for disability May 15, 1836.

Otto Weber, enr. as Ist Lieut. and Adjt. Prom. to Capt. Dec. 22, 1862. Resigned on account of disability March 6, 1863, Re-commissioned as Capt. April 3, 1863, and mustered out with the Reg.

One Hundred And Fifteenth Infantry

This regiment had but thirteen members from Cuyahoga county. It served from the autumn of 1862 to the summer of 1865, in Kentucky and Tennessee, being divided into detachments, some of which were employed to garrison block-houses, while others were mounted and sent to chase guerrillas. The rebels several times attacked the block-houses garrisoned by the One Hundred and Fifteenth; capturing them about half the time, and being defeated the other half. A battalion of this regiment was at Murfreesboro when it was attacked by Gen. Buford, in December, 1864, and aided in utterly defeating the rebels. Highty-three paroled prisoners of the. regiment lost their lives by the explosion of the steamer Sultana, on the Mississippi, near Memphis. Disbanded in July, 1865.

One Hundred Andtwenty-Fourthinfantry

One of the Largest Three-Years Contingents from Cuyahoga - Number in the Regiment and in the Companies - Slow Recruiting - The Field Officers - Stationed at Franklin - A Dangerous Reconnoisanve - The Unionists defeated - The Regiment saves the Artillery, etc. - Sickness - Moving to Manchester - Over the Mountains - The Beginniug of Chickamauga - Furious Firing - Steadiness of the One Hundred and Twentyfourth - Change of Position - The Front Line gives way - Slowly falling back - The Next Day - Building Breastworks - Repelling the Enemy - Helping Harker - The Rebels again Repulsed - General Defeat of Rosecrans' Army - The Retreat - Loss of this Regiment - The Capture of Racoon Mountain - The Advance - Attacking Mission Ridge - Capturing the First Works-Up the Mountain - Complete Victory - Seven Cannon captured - The Regiment's Loss - Relieving Knoxville - Hardships of the Winter - The Atlanta Campaign - Rocky Face Ridge and New Hope Church - Col. Payne a Brigade Commander - Siege and Capture of Atlanta - After Hood - Battle of Nashville - Subsequent Services - Mustered out and disbanded,

OnE of the largest contingents furnished by Cuyahoga county to any three-years regiment was that which entered the ranks of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Ohio Infantry. The total number during the war was four hundred and eighty-eight; of whom a hundred and ten were in Co. A; three in Co, B; eighty in C; twenty-five iu D; thirty-three in EB; sixty-eight in B; twenty-one in G; seventy-four in H; six in I; and sixty-twoin K. There were also seven in the field and staff, on the original roster, besides those subsequently transferred from the companies. Thus it will be seen that Cuyahoga was represented in every company; even in Co. I, which was

Owing to the immense drain already made on the county, the raising of the regiment was a slow and arduous task; having been begun in July, 1862, and being hardly completed on the first day of January, 1863, when the command marched into Cleveland from its rendezvous at Camp Taylor and took the cars for-Kentucky. Its field officers were Oliver H. Payne, colonel; James Pickands, lieutnant-colonel ; and James B. Hampson, (previously a captain in the First Infantry,) major.

It had but seven hundred and fifty men when it left Cleveland, but the addition of the Cincinnati company brought it up to the minimum regimental size.

After a short stay at Elizabethtown and Louisville, Ky., the regiment went by steamer down the Ohio and up the Cumberland to Nashville. Thence it marched to Franklin, Tennessee, which place was the headquarters of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, until the following June. On the 5th of March the regiment as a part of a temporary brigade commanded by General Colburn, while on a reconnoisance to the southward, was met by a heavy force of the enemy and a hard battle of two hours length ensued, in which the Union forces were badly defeated. The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was ordered to guard the ammunition train, and did so with great fidelity, but, on that account, was not engaged in the main part of the fight. Although General Colburn and more than half his men were captured, the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth succeeded in saving not only the train but the artillery.

During the remainder of its stay at Franklin the regiment suffered severely from sickness, but nevertheless made great progress in its drill, and also aided in building several important fortifications. On the 2nd of June it moved forward, and after a month's marching and countermarching went into camp at Manchester, Tennessee. At Readyville, just previous to this, the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was assigned to Gen. Hazen's celebrated brigade, the fortunes of which it afterwards shared. The regiment, being in a rich agricultural country, lived well while at Manchester, recovered its health, and at the same time maintained a high standard of military efficiency.

On the 16th of August the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth moved forward with Rosecrans' army, crossed the Cumberland mountains, rested a fortnight in the Sequatchie valley. forded the Tennessee river on the night of the 9th of September, and the next day camped at Lee & Gordon's mills. After another week of waiting and reconnoitering, on the morning of the 19th of September the battle of Chickamauga begun,

While the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was standing to arms on the State road, heavy firing was heard on the left front. At eleven o'clock the regiment took ground to the left and then advanced toward the enemy. Ina short time the rebel bullets began to whistle over the heads of the soldiers. The regiment immediately deployed into line of battle with great coolness, although every instant the rebel

The battle now raged with deadly energy. The regiment which is the subject of this chapter stood up to its work as steadily as the best-seasoned veterans of the army, and for hours returned the rebel fire with volley for volley, until all its ammunition was expended and it was relieved for the purpose of allowing the men to replenish their cartridge-boxes.

After another period of furious fighting, the regiment was placed on the left of the brigade, in the second line. Scarcely was this done when the front line gave way for a long distance, and a crowd of demoralized men came rushing back through the ranks of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, followed by the exultant confederates, who made the welkin ring with the well-known ''rebel yell." Yet the regiment still stood firm, and returned their fire with deadly aim; being aided by two batteries on its left. On its right, however, the second line had also given way, and the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was also obliged to retire. It did so, however, slowly and in good order, delivering volley after volley, and compelling the rebels to halt and reform their lines; thus giving to the Unionists time to rally, and in fact permanently checking the Confederate advance at that point.

Just at dark heavy firing war again heard on the left, and the regiment moved in that direction, But the darkness soon put a stop to the battle, and the wearied men of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth lay down to rest with their arms by their sides, only a short distance from the front of one of the rebel divisions.

The next morning the men were up at dawn, and immediately improvised a breastwork of logs and rails, from behind which to check the foe. The latter soon appeared, and again the battle began. The rebels came rushing on with all their well-known impetuosity; striving with desperate energy to carry the breastwork and to capture a battery which was stationed on the right of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth. But the grape and canister of the battery and the bullets of the regiment were too much for even the fiery valor of the Southern legions, and again, and again they were driven back with terrible loss from the slight but well-manned rampart of logs and rails. About three o'clock in the afternoon they gave up the task and retired.

The regiment was then moved to the right in support of Harker's brigade, and was soon in front. of the enemy. He was crowding hard upon the brigade just mentioned but an accurate and sustained fire from the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth soon caused him to retire. The same result followed when he appeured on the right; the regiment changing front and pouring in its vollies with deadly effect.

But it was now nearly dark, and the battle as a whole had been extremely disastrous to the national arms. Many regiments were entirely broken up, and both Crittenden's and McCook's corps were so badly shattered that a retreat was deemed absolutely necessary. Accordingly, after dark, the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth with numerous other regiments took the road to Rossville; lying in line of battle at that point during the night. The next day it was in line under artillery fire, covering the withdrawal of the trains. It again retreated at night, and on the next day - the 22d of September - encamped with the rest of'the army at Chattanooga. The entire loss of the already thin regiment, in killed, wounded and missing, during the battle, was one hundred and forty; the commander, Colonel Payne, beg among the wounded.

At Chattanooga, the army was on half rations for a short time, but was relieved on the appearance of Grant, Sherman and Hooker, with large reinforcements from Vicksburg and the East, when communication was opened with the north.

The regiment took part, on the night of the 26th of October, in the important movement of Hazen's brigade which enabled Hooker to reach Chattanooga. The command slipped quietly down the Tennessee past the rebel sentries, landed, and in spite of the heavy fire opened upon it as soon as it was discovered, rushed up the acclivity and took possession of Racoon mountain, a short distance below Lookout. A pontoon bridge was quickly built over the river - notwithstanding several vigorous but fruitless attacks of the enemy made in the effort to prevent it - on which Hooker's two corps crossed, and passed on to Chattaooga.

. nearly another month, the One Hundred and T'wentyfourth advanced in the front line of battle on the 23d of November, and aided in capturing the range of hills lying im front of Mission Ridge driving away the enemy, taking possession of his works, and immediately throwing up fortifications facing the other way, toward the frowning heights of Mission Ridge, from whieh the men were annoyed, but not much retarded, by a heavy fire of artillery.

Hooker's battle of Lookout Mountain occupied the next day, but on the afternoon of the 25th the whole army advanced, at the signal of six cannon shots fired in rapid succession, and moved swiftly toward the great rebel stronghold of Mission Ridge, one of the strongest positions in the world by nature, and

The advanced works of the Confederates were situated at the foot of the ridge. In front of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth there was an open field, over a third of a mile wide, which was swept by the fire of the enemy. The regiment pushed rapidly forward over this space, firing as it advanced, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing some of the rebels retreat up the mountain. The men rushed forwart with a cheer, captured the works in an instant, and at once opened u heavy fire on the retreating Confederates. The latter, however - those of them who did not fall before the Union bullets - soon reached the shelter of the works on the top of the ridge, and the occupants of the latter soon opened a murderous artillery fire on the position of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth.

The situation was precarious. The commander of the regiment did not understand his orders to reach beyond the capture of the works at the foot of the ridge. But the men did not feel like lying there under fire long, and in a very short time officers and soldiers by a unanimous impulse raised a shout and began scrambling up the mountain. C.nnon balls, grape, canister and rifle bullets came tearing amongst them, but on they went, cheered by the sight of their comrades on either side engaged in the*same task, and in a short time the whole long but irregular line reached the top of the ridge, dashed forward against the rebel breastworks, carried them with scarcely a moment's pause, and turned the cannon which had defended them against their late possessors. Seven pieces of artillery were the prize of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Ohio.

Twenty-three men were killed in the charge and only four wounded. This was a remarkable reversal of the usual results, as there were generally four times as many wounded as killed. It was probably due to the fact that the rebels, stationed on the mountain, generally shot over their opponents, but when they did hit them hit their heads or the upper parts of their bodies, inflicting fatal injuries.

Only five days afterwards the regiment set out to relieve Knoxville. Longstreet, however, abandoned the seige before the relieving army could arrive. The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth remained in Hast

In May, 1864, the regiment set forth on the Atlanta campaign. It was warmly engaged at Rocky Face Ridge, suffering severely in'a charge against the enemy's intrenchments, us it did also at New Hope Church, where Lieutenant Colonel Pickands was badly wounded. At Pickett's Mills Major James B. Hampson was killed while serving on the staff of General Wood, the commander of the division.

About the Ist of July General W. B. Hazen, to whose brigade the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth still belonged, was promoted to the command of a division, and Colonel Payne took his place as brigade commander. With its comrade regiments the regiment took part in the siege of Atlanta, and the flanking movement to Jonesborough which compelled the surrender of the former place. With them, also, it marched northward, at first in the rear of Hood and then passing by him, as described in the sketch of the Forty-first Infantry, and reaching Nashville the last of November, 1864.

On the 15th of December it moved forward with Thomas' army to attack Hood, and on the following day took an active part in the decisive battle of Nashville, which resulted in one of the most complete victories won by the Union arms.

After following Hood to Huntsville and remaining there several months, the regiment was sent to Hast Tennessee. Thence after another uneventful period it was ordered to Nashville, where it was mustered out on the 9th of July. It was immediately sent home to Cleveland, paid off and disbanded.

Charles C. Leonard. (See Non-Com. Staff.) George W Wing, enr. as Corp. Aug. 6, 1862. Promoted to Sergt. Oct. 1, 1863, from wounds ree'd at Chickamauga Sept. 19. Thomas Gifford, enl, Aug. 9, 1862. Killed at Pickett's Mills May 27, 1864. George F. Parsons, enl. Aug. 10, 1862. Promoted to Corp. Killed at Pickett's Mills May 27, 1864.

Alfred Wilson, enl. Aug. 31, 1863. Transf. to Non-Com., Staff as Sergt. Maj. March 1, 1865, Promoted to Ist Lieut. June 12, 1865. Mustered out with the Reg.