Delaware County, Ohio - Chapter 16: Military History of the County, 1908

Revolutionary War

The patriotism of Delaware County is one of which we can be proud. The bravery of her sons has been tested on hundreds of battle fields. Many of the early settlers of the county were soldiers in our great struggle for independence. This war, however, occurred long before there were any settlements made in Delaware County. When the Revolutionary War closed it found the government weak and bankrupt and the soldiers who had fought for liberty were forced to accept western lands in payment for long years of military service. This brought many pioneers to the western wilderness and particularly to Ohio, where large areas of land were designated as "United States Military Lands" and "Virginia Military Lands." The land on the east side of the Scioto River being designated as the United States Military Lands and that on the west side of the Scioto River, as the Virginia Military Land. These lands were set apart for the benefit of the Revolutionary soldiers by the United States Government. This caused many of the old Revolutionary soldiers to settle in Delaware County. Peace found them broken down in spirit and fortune and when lands were offered to them in the West, they were ready to accept and to move toward the setting sun. Such was the noble and warlike stock which made up the early settlers of Delaware County. The Revolutionary War and the causes which led to it arc familiar to all

In the War of 181 2 and the Indian wars of that period. Delaware County contained a population of but a few hundred but they came forward with the same lofty spirit of patriotism which has ever since pervaded her sons and which characterized their Revolutionary sires. There were some who had been present at the surrender of Cormvallis and others who had been with Gates and Green in the south, while many others were descendants of such heroic stock.

Two block houses had been built in the county for defense from the Indians. One of these was situated near Norton in the northern part of the county and the other just west of Cheshire in the southern part. For fuller particulars concerning these buildings and incidents connected with them, see chapter on the Indian history of the county.

It was through the village of Delaware that one division of Harrison'- army marched "ii their way from Chillicothe to Sandusky; having passed along what is now Sandusky

Street and from this incident the street received its name. Another division passed on the west side of the Scioto and from this incident received the name of Military Road. General Harrison was with the division that marched through Delaware and as this was the line of march between the north and the south it will account for some of the incidents mentioned in what follows.

At what is known as Cole's cemetery, south of Stratford, near and west of the Olentangy, in a lone grave, repose the ashes of one of our real pioneers, a near relative of one of the early piesidents of the United States, who was with Washington at Valley Forge and at the crossing of the Delaware River at Trenton ; that man's name was Leonard Monroe. In the shade of a magnificent beech tree, which stood in another part of this same God's acre, in a long but shallow grave, sleep half a score of soldiers of the war of 181 2-1 4. who perished while on their way to their homes in the vicinity of Chillicothe. They were sick and wounded members of General W. H. Harrison's army, who were following a trail midway between the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers and had stopped for the night under this tree. Weak from hunger and wounds, scantily clothed, they were ill prepared to stand the storm which stole upon them like a thief in the night, while they slept and dreamed of home and their loved ones. Near midnight it began to rain hard and grew intensely cold. The rain put out all their fires, thoroughly wetting them. It was a night like the one experienced by our Boys in Blue on New Year's eve in '63 and '64. only much more severe. The result was that all but the few vigorous and strong ones perished and were buried by their surviving comrades in that lonely grave.

There is a tradition which is more than probable that the army under General Harrison camped for some time in Delaware. During this time an epidemic prevailed and a number of old soldiers died and were buried 1 where the Odovene Spring is now located. When the Big Four Railroad was built it was necessarv to remove these soldiers and the re- mains were gathered together without distinction and interred in one grave in what is known as the old cemetery, and heing unmarked have never been removed.

Abbott, Charles, died 1853, aged 85, buried at Sunbury. Adams, Elias, buried at Cheshire. Bartlett, Joel, buried in Oiler cemetery. Beach, Israel, Berkshire cemetery; died 1868, aged 77; buried in Liberty cemetery. Clawson, Elder, buried 111 Burnside cemetery. Cline, Henry, buried at Marlborough. Cole, Joseph, buried at Marlborough.

fare, Peter, buried in cemetery at Radnor. Copeland, Week-, buried in Burnside cemetery. 1 orbin Reuben, buried in Oiler cemetery. Covell, Calvin, buried in Oak Grove cemetery. Cowgill. Thomas, buried in Oak Grove cemetery. Crawford, James \\ , father of James M., buried in

( 1,1k < ini\ e. , Kail, buried ai Ashley. Cunningham. Joseph, buried in Oak (.1 Curren, Joseph buried .'11 Marlborough. Curtis, Marcus, buried at Galena. 1 ds, William, buried at Radnor. Decker, Joseph, born 1786, died [863, buried at Bokescreck. Decker Moses, buried at Sunbury. Dildine, Ralph, buried at Radnor. I ill, nil-. Michael, born ij.sj, died [849, buried at

A number of these old soldiers of 181 2 are buried at what is known as Wyatt cemetery, just over the northern line of Delaware County in Marion County, who lived within the boundaries of this county but their names could not and probably will never be obtained.

Semixole Indian War

Townley. Mr. Lugenbeel was the first to receive an appointment as a cadet to the military school at West Point. He graduated with honor in 1840 and after his graduation was sent to take part in this conflict, serving later in the Mexican War. Mr. Townley was 111 the U. S. Marine Corps.

The Mexican War

After the War of 1812 and the Indian wars aco unpanying it, the people of Delaware County were no more disturbed until the Mexican War. The circumstances which led to this contest resulted from the admission of Texas into the American Union. The "Lone Star" State,. by which name this state had been known, was a province of Mexico, had seceded, and for years its citizens had been carrying on a guerrilla warfare with the mother country, with varying results. In 1836 a battle had been fought in San Jacinto, at which Santa Anna, dictator of Mexico, was captured and his whole army either killed or made prisoners. Santa Anna was held in strict confinement and finally signed a treaty acknowledging the independence of Texas ; but in violation of the treaty, the Republic of Mexico treated Texas and its inhabitants just as she had previously done. From this time on petitions were frequently presented to the United States government, asking admission into the Union. Mexico used every means possible to prevent the admission by declaring that her reception would be regarded as a cause for declaration of war, thinking thus to intimidate the United State-. In the presidential contest of 1844 between Clay and Polk, the annexation of Texas was one of the leading issues before the people. Mr. Polk favored the admission and was elected and this was taken as a public declaration on the subject. After this election Congress did not hesitate to grant the petition of Texas, and on the first of March, 1845. formally received her as a part of the United State*. Mexico at once broke off all relations with the United States and called home her mini-tor. which was equivalent to a declaration of war. Congress immediately passed an act. authoriz- ing the president to accept the service of fifty thousand volunteers and made an appropriation of ten millions of dollars to carry on the war.

The war feeling swept over the country and its patriotism was aroused to the highest pitch of excitement. In the call of the president for fifty thousand men, Ohio was required to furnish three regiments. Delaware County was ready to do her part. Cincinnati was the place of rendezvous.

Mr. Z. L. White, who is now vice-president of the City National Bank at Columbus, Ohio, was one of the Mexican War soldiers from Delaware County.

The following list of soldiers that served in the war with Mexico, from Delaware County, includes the names of a few who enlisted elsewhere, but became citizens of the county after the war :

War Of The Rebellion

After the war with Mexico, comes the War of the Rebellion, the greatest struggle in the world's history, occurring in the years 1861 to '65. Any history of Delaware County that did not contain some record of this great struggle would not be complete. Nothing will be of greater interest to coming generations than a true and faithful account of the events of those five long and gloomy years.

We owe it as a duty to the soldiers who took part in this struggle to record and preserve the leading facts and to preserve the names of the living and dead who freely offered their lives for this cause.

Delaware County furnished about twentyfive hundred men in this great struggle. They were represented in almost every regiment that went from the State and in many regiments from other states and in many regiment^ of United State troops, were the state from which they had enlisted is not indicated.

In the first call for three months' service Delaware County was largely represented. The first regiment in which this county is represented, was the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. It was organized in April, 1861, at Camp Jackson, Columbus, under the old militia law of the state. This regiment contained two full companies from Delaware County. The first was Company C. which was recruited by Capt. James M. Crawford. The officers were: James M. Crawford, captain; Eugene Powell, first lieutenant ; and Byron Dolbear, second lieutenant. Lieutenant Powell had recruited a sufficient number to form an-

A few days after the President's call for three years* men, a majority of the regiment, including almost the entire companies of Captains Crawford and Powell signified their willingness to enter the service for that period and were mustered in for three years. The regiment endured hard service and was engaged in many battles.

The Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was the next regiment in which Delaware County was represented. The regiment was organized for three years service at Camp Chase, in September 1861. Delaware County was represented by Company D, which was recruited by C. H. McElroy to the number of fifty men, with whom he reported to Col. Whitlesey and was assigned as Company G and was mustered into service. V. T. Hills was commissioned as second lieutenant, under which authority he returned to Delaware and recruited the company to its full number and the assignment was then made as Company D. C. H. McElroy was elected captain, V. T. Hills, first lieutenant, and Henry Sherman. second lieutenant.

After valiant service during the three years, the original members, (except veterans) were mustered out and the organization composed of veterans and recruits was retained in service until July 15, 1865, when it was mustered out in accordance with orders from the War Department.

The Twenty-sixth 0. J'. I. - The Twentysixth O. V. I. contained much material from this county. Company C was recruited largely in the vicinity of Ashley and was mustered into the three years service in August. 1861. Jesse Meredith was captain; E. A. Hicks,, first lieutenant ; and William Clark, second lieutenant.

The Twenty-eighth, Thirtieth, Thirty-first and Thirty-second regiments contained many members from Delaware County, especially Company I of the Thirty-second, which was largely recruited from this county, of which Jay Dyer was captain. The Forty-third and Forty-eighth contained many men also recruited in Delaware County.

The Sixty -sixth O. V. I. - This regiment was organized under the President's second call for troops, and was mustered into service on the seventeenth of December. 1861. It contained two companies, E and K. from this county. It did valiant service in the Army of the Cumberland and was with Sherman on the march from "Atlanta to the sea."

The Eighty-second 0. V. I. - This regiment drew one company from Delaware County, namely. Company I, of which the following were the first officers : George H. Purely, captain ; Alfred E. Lee, first lieutenant, and H. M. Latzenberger, second lieutenant. On the thirty-first of December, 1861, the regiment was mustered into the service with nine hundred and sixty-eight men. Few regiments from this State performed better service or did more hard fighting than the Eighty-second.

The Ninety-sixth 0. V. /. - The Ninetysixth Regiment was organized at Camp Delaware, August 19, 1862, to serve three years. Two companies of this regiment were recruited in Delaware County, namely. F and G. The first officers of Company F were S. P. Weiser, captain; J. N. Dunlap, first lieutenant, and H. C. Ashwell, second lieutenant; of Company G, J. H. Kimball, captain: H. J. Jarvis, first lieutenant ; E. M. Eastman, second lieutenant. The regiment did service along and west of the Mississippi, extending as far as the southern cost of Texas. It was consolidated into a battalion of five companies, November 18, 1864, and on July 7. 1865, was mustered out by order of the War Department.

ware, the old camp of the Ninety-sixth, in September, 1862. Four companies were largely drawn from Delaware County - Companies C, D, H and K. This regiment did valiant service in the Army of the Cumberland and particularly in all the battles in the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The regiment was mustered out of service June 8, 1865, by order of the War Department.

The One Hundred and Forty-fifth O. V. I. - In the spring of 1864 the cry was "( >n to Richmond." A council of war was held at Washington, in which the governors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa took part. General Grant desired seventy-five thousand more troops before beginning his march to Richmond. The governor of Ohio, on returning home, called into service the Ohio National Guard; these governors having pledged to furnish seventy-five thousand troops within ten days for one hundred days' service. The call was responded to with few exceptions and all were on the field within the time designated. Many of these men lived on farms and had made no plans for being absent, and many oi them were persons who had been exempted on account of age or physical disability. The above regiment was largely composed of Delaware County men. The regiment was organized at Camp Chase on the twelfth of May, 1864, and was immediately ordered to Washingt; n City. Upon its arrival it was assigned to General Augur for defense of Washington. The service of the regiment consisted principally of garrison and fatigue duty, in which. during the whole period, it was constantly employed. It was drilled in both infantry and heavy artillery tactics. Although not engaged in battle during the term of service, it took the place of veteran soldiers who were permitted to re-enforce General Grant in his advance on Richmond. The regiment was mustered out at Camp Chase on August 23, [864,

The (hie Hundred and Seventy-fourth 0. V. I. - This regiment was , me of the last regiments raised in the State to serve one year, and was composed largely of those who had served in other regiments. This regiment and

Tlie Eighteenth United States Regulars - This regiment drew one full company and part of another from Delaware County, both of which did valiant service during the entire war. To find a complete record of this regiment, the reader is referred to the roster of the United States troops.

Besides those who served in the infantry, a large number served in various cavalry regiments of the State, reference to which is made in the roster of Delaware Count)- soldiers which follows. Also a few from this county served in the navy, record of which is also made. Quite a number from Delaware County served in the Second Regiment of Ohio Heavy Artillery, and some in the independent organizations.

Delaware County has been fruitful in producing men who have become prominent in the history of our country. Four of her sons became generals during the war of '61 to '65.

Major-General Rutherford B. Hayes was born in Delaware, October 4, 1822. He studied law with Thomas Sparrow at Columbus and graduated from the law school at Harvard College. At the outbreak of the Civil War he offered his services and was appointed a major of the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry, June 7, 1861 He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. November 4, 1861. On October 15, 1862, be was promoted to colonel of the Ninety-second Regiment. He distinguished himself by heroic conduct at the battle of Winchester and was disabled at the battle of South Mountain. For his gallant service in these and other battles he was appointed brigadier-general. October, 1864. He had three horses shot under him and was wounded four times. He served two years in Congress, three times was elected governor of Ohio, and served one term as President of the United States. The old Hayes homestead still stands in Delaware on East William Street, and should he preserved as a memorial for a heroic life.

William Stark Rosecrans was a native of Delaware County. He was born on a farm south of the Blue Church, in Kingston Township, September 6, 18 19. Young Rosecrans was possessed of great energy of character and mainly through his own individual exertion he gained admission into the Military Academy at West Point. At this place he was known as a diligent student. After his graduation he entered the Engineer Corp of the regular army as brevet second lieutenant, and was assigned to duty at Fortress Monroe. After serving in this capacity for a time, he resigned his position and resided in Cincinnati until the breaking out of the Rebellion. From the moment that war was declared, Rosecrans gave his time and thoughts to no other subject. He devoted this time to organizing and drilling the Home Guards against any sudden rush over the border from the South. When Governor Dennison appointed McClellan major-general of the Ohio militia, he accepted the position of engineer on his staff and prepared a camp for instruction of the volunteers that were now pouring into camp. On June 9 he was commissioned chief engineer of the State and a few days later was made colonel of the Twenty-third Ohio and assigned to the command of Camp Chase. Four days afterwards, he received a commission as brigadier-general in the United States army. From this time the record of General Rosecrans is familiar to all readers of the history of the great rebellion. He died a few years ago and his remains were buried in Arlington Heights overlooking the city of Washington, D. C. At this time only a small monument marks his grave. Here we will leave him and like many another deserving individual attending the district schools. March 3, 1853, at the age of seventeen years he entered the preparatory department of Ohio Wesleyan University, applying himself to such manual labor as he could secure about the town to defray the expenses of his college course. He was graduated in the scientific course, June 13, 1855, and then turned his attention to the study of law. He prosecuted his studies in the office of Powell & Van Deman at Delaware, and was admitted to the Bar in 1857. When the dark cloud of the Civil war cast its shadow over the national horizon in 1801, Mr. Jones resigned his position to which he had been elected, that of prosecuting attorney, and enlisted on April 16, of that year in Company C. 4th O. V. I. He was soon elected first lieutenant of his company, his commission dating from the date of his enlistment. He was in many battles during the war. He was promoted to a captaincy in 1862. He served as a member of the Legislature and in the congress of the United States. On the twenty-seventh of June, 1865, he was breveted brigadier-general for "gallant and meritorious service during the war."

Eugene Powell was born in Delaware, November 18, 1834. When Lincoln made his first call for troops at the outbreak of the war, he enlisted as a captain in the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served in this capacity until October, 1861, when he was made a major in the same regiment. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the One Hundred and Ninety-third and March 13. 1865. was made brigadier-general. General Powell remained in the army until the close of the war and on his retirement. Secretary of War Stanton offered him. the rank of major in the regular army, which he did not accept. He held many positions of trust throughout his long and busy life. He commanded the respect of all and numbered, throughout the State, a large circle of sincere friends.

Explanatory Note

So far as diligent and patient research could find the record, the following roster presents the name of every soldier who went from Delaware County in the War of '6i-'65, and many who enlisted elsewhere but are now living or have lived in the county. Where no other mention is made, the enlistments were usually within the county. Where the soldier is credited with veteran service the re-enlistment was usually in the same regiment unless otherwise stated. Although as our title indicates it is mainly composed of the rank and file of those who fought and won our victories, it also includes general staff and field officers, where such belong to the county. A brief record of the Ohio regiments in which a company or more from Delaware County served, has been given, and we believe the children and children's children of the soldiers of the county have just cause for pride in connecting their names with the roster by company and regiment and the achievements of these troops. For a list of the battles and engagements of the war in which these brave men took part, we refer the reader to the many histories of the war. In preparing this chapter, the writer, while sparing no effort to make it a full and complete roster of Delaware county's troops in the War of the Rebellion, is aware that many errors may be found and smiie names not obtained. We believe our patrons, realizing the magnitude of the work, will not be unduly critical, when such errors occur. The chapter has grown beyond the limits expected and it is believed the soldiers for whom it has been written will appreciate the result obtained. The following is the key to the abbreviations used in the roster :

A. C. - army corps. A. D. C. - aide-decamp. Adjt. - adjutant. App. - appointed. Art. - artillery. Artif. - artificer. Bat. - battery. Batn. - battalion. Bet. - between. Brew - lire vetted. Brig. - brigade. Capt. - captain. Cap. - captured. Cav. - cavalry. Co. - company and county. Col. - colonel. Com. - commissioned. Corny. - commissary. Corp. - corporal. Consol. - consolidated. Det. - detailed. Dis. - discharged. Disab. - disability, disabled. Div. - division. E. - enlisted. Eng. - engineers. Gen. - general. H. A. - heavy artillery. Hd. Qtrs. - headquarters. Hosp. - hospital. Indp. - independent. Inf. - infantry. Isl. - island. L. A. - light artillery. Lieut. - lieutenant. M. O. - mustered out. Mt. - mountain. Ord. - orderly. Pro. - promoted. Prov. - provost. Q. M. - quartermaster. Reg. - regiment, regimental. Res. - resigned. Sergt. - Sergeant. Squad. - squadron. S. S. - sharpshooters. Sta. - station. Stew. - steward. Trans. - transferred. Twp. - township. V. I. - volunteer infantry. V. V. I. - veteran volunteer infantry. V. C. - volunteer cavalry. V. V. C. - -veteran volunteer cavalry. Vet. - veteranized. W R. C. - veteran reserve corps.

The first post organized in the county was Slack Post No. 59, which was chartered January 25, [884, and located at Galena. Its name perpetuates that of Comrade Charles A. Slack. He was born in Galena. October 19, 1841, his parents being natives of Delaware County. After receiving the school training afforded by his native town, he engaged in farming. He enlisted at Galena, in August. 1861, in Company G, Sixth United States Cavalry. In 1863, he was for some time in a Xew York hospital, but rejoined his regiment before it was called into Pennsylvania, on Lee's invasion of that state. He fell in an engagement of that cam-

The second organization was Torrence Post, No. 60, located at Delaware, and chartered in 1881. The Post was named in honor of one of Delaware County's heroes, Geo. B. Torrence. The scenes amid which this brave soldier perished, December 13. icS62. at Fredericksburg, Va., are thus described in the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimental history: "Wounded men fell upon wounded; the dead on the mangled; the baptism of fire adds more wounds and firings death to helpless ones; as we look back the field seems covered with mortals in agony; some motionless, Others are dragging themselves toward the rear; occasionally the shell or cannon-ball that ci mes into their midst sends arms, hands, legs and clothing into the air; our colors for a moment are down, for our noble colorbearer. Ceo. B. Torrence, falls, having his head blown from his bod}-, leaving his blood and brains upon comrades and the flag." George Bennett Torrence was born near Sunbury, Ohio, January 4. 1839, a son of Moses Torrence and Eliza (Smith) Torrence, natives of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was employed for a number of years at the Buckly House. Columbus, then fired for "Old Pap Loomis" on the C: C. C. & I. R. R., and was on his engine at Columbus ready to start for Cleveland when approached by two neighborhood boys who wished him to enlist. He immediately climbed down and enrolled in Company C, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to color-sergeant, A finely executed portrait of Torrence by J. F. Ledlie adi u'ns the I'i 1st room.

Myers Post, No. 252, was organized at Sunbury, August 28, 1882. Lawrence A. Myers, for whom it was named, was born in Sunbury, December 11, 1843. His parents, Thomas P. Myers and Amy L. (Armstrong) Myers, were also natives of the same town. For two years prior to his enlistment, they resided on a farm one mile south of Sunbury, and when Lawrence was not at school he assisted his father in the hauling of stock and general farming work. He was not yet eighteen when he entered the service. His parents and friends used every argument to prevent his enlistment at so early an age, but finding him firm in his resolution to be one to defend his country, they induced him to enter a regiment of regulars, believing he would be better cared for than in the volunteer service. He enlisted for three years in Company D, Fifteenth United States Infantry, and was in all marches and engagements from the time it entered the field in November, 1861, till he was disabled by sickness. He passed safely through the battles of Shiloh, Perrysville and Stone River. When the regiment crossed the Elk River, he contracted chronic rheumatism, from which death resulted, February 2-. 1864, at his home in Sunbury, where he had been brought by his father a few days previous. His remains rest in the cemetery at Sunbury. At the organization of Post No. 252, the name of L. A. Myers was adopted by acclamation by the comrades.

Coomer Post. No. 281, chartered December 1 j. [882, located at Ashley, is named for Captain Jerry E. Coomer. For a sketch of his services we are indebted to his father. Dr. H. X. ( 1 k uner. Jerrie E. Coomer, son of Dr. H. N. and Joanna (Roberts) Coomer. was born at

Axd Representative Citizens

Perrysville, Indiana, September 24, 1843; died of phthisis pulmonalis, at Ashley, October 27, 1878, aged 35 years. He enlisted in Company C, Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, May i. 1861, and was mustered in as a private, at Camp Chase, June 15, 1861. From Camp Chase the regiment was ordered to West Virginia, where he served through the memorable campaign of West Virginia. The regiment was then ordered into Kentucky, and while on the march to Nashville he was attacked with pneumonia, near Silver Springs, Tennessee. He was cared for in field hospital (ambulance) for a few days, and then sent to general hospital No. 4, Nashville, Tennessee. He was discharged from this hospital shortly after the battle of Shiloh, and rejoined his regiment at Florence, Alabama, Some time in the fall of 1862 he was sent to li'>-pital No. 16. Nashville, Tennessee, on account of disability. After his recovery he was detailed as a clerk in said hospital, where be remained until all the able bodied men in the hospitals were ordered to the front for active service. He participated in the charge on Missionary Ridge, and the Atlanta campaign. About this time he was appointed hospital steward of the Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served in that capacity till after the battle of Nashville, December, 1864. Shortly after that he was commissioned captain of Company D. Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and so served until June, 1865, when he considered war ended and be resigned, "for the purpose of completing his education," which, during the preceding vears, had been totally neglected.

this Post is named, was born in Dover Township, Union County, Ohio. When about twenty-one years of age, he enlisted in Company C, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for three months, and re-enlisted in the same company and regiment for three years. He was killed in a charge near Spottsylvania C. H., Virginia, about May 11, 1864. Owing to the enemy's heavy fire, his body could not be brought off, although comrades made several attempts to reach it. and it was burned by fire catching in the leaves.

Delaware County has a population of between four and five hundred colored inhabitants. These citizens proved themselves 1( yal to the Union cause. They were not permitted to join the army until 1863. Before the time that any colored regiments had been recruited in Ohio, a number of these colored people joined the Fifty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment. The only semblance of law which gave authority for enlisting colored troops was that known as the "contraband law" which gave a colored laborer in the service of the Unuited States, seven dollars a month and three additional for clothing. Finally there came a call from the war department for colored troops to serve in the army of the United States and the promise given that Congress would place them on equal footing with other troops. Under this call the Fifth Colored Infantry was organized at (amp Delaware and contained a large number of men from this county. In June, [863, a camp for colored soldiers was opened on the farm of Josiah Bullen, about one mile south of the city and nearly opposite "old Camp 1 ware." This was the first complete colored regiment raised in the state of Ohio. These

The following roster contains the name of all the colored troops from Delaware county with the regiment in which they served, as far as can be ascertained.

Soldiers In Various Colored Regiments The Spanish-American War

The Fourth Regiment of Infantry, formerly the Fourteenth, was organized by Special Orders. No. 216, dated Oct. 20, [877. Seven companies of infantry were designated in this order as constituting the regiment. They were as follows: Co. A. Columbus. Cap tain Charles S. Ammel ; Co. B. Thurman Light Guards, Columbus, Captain Henry Seibert; Co. C, Westerville, Captain Isaac X. Custer; Co. D, Darby Videttes, West Jeffer-

The movement looking towards the organization of a regiment with headquarters in the capital city of the state was inaugurated in the winter of 1876. Captain Charles S. Ammel took the initiative in the organization of Company A, the company being admitted to the state service in February, 1877. The other six companies designated were organized during the same year, and upon the date of the order noted above the Fourteenth Regiment was formally launched upon its military career.

The Fourth or Fourteenth Regiment (or companies detailed from same) has seen active service in the state in the maintenance of the peace and in the preservation of life and property upon the following occasions:

The regiment was also on duty at the funeral of President Garfield in 1881 ; acted as escort to the Governor of Ohio at Gettysburg and Philadelphia in 18K7: in attendance at General Sherman's funeral in St. Louis in 1891 : attended the dedication of the World's Fair buildings in 1892 and accompanied the Ohio troops which officially represented the state at the World's Fair in 1893; acted as escort to the Governor of Ohio at Chickamauga in 1894 and at Nashville in 1897. For mure specific information concerning all of the preceding calls to duty, see the general history of the regiment.

Other Ohio regiments took an active part in the operations at the scene of greatest activity in Cuba and performed valuable service after actual hostilities had ceased, but it was the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry that stained the soil of Porto Rico with the first and only blood shed for the Cuban cause by a body of Buckeye troops.

The four Columbus companies assembled at the Auditorium at Columbus on Monday, April 24. and the following day the outside companies reported for duty. Bullit Park was chosen as the rendezvous for the mobilization of Ohio troops and the signal corps of the Fourteenth was detailed to lay out the camp. The regiment moved into quarters at Camp Bushnell, April 28, and were the first troops to take up quarters at that historic camp.

On the 9th day of May the regiment was mustered into the United States service as the Fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Six days later Colonel Coit received orders to report with his regiment at Camp George H. Thomas, Chickamauga Park. Ga. Pursuant to orders the Fourth Ohio took its departure from Columbus. May 15. arriving at Camp Thomas on the following day, when they were immediately assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division. 1st Army Corps. The second brigade consisted of the Fourth Ohio, Third Illinois and Fourth Pennsylvania. These regiments passed through the volunteer service together, the brigade formation remaining intact until the close of the war.

The Fourth Ohio made its home at Chickamauga Park for a period of sixty-seven days, when the entire brigade was ordered to join the expeditionary forces then concentrating n >r the conquest and occupation of Porto Rico. For further details of the part of this regiment took in the history of the Cuban war. the reader is referred to the various w< irks 1 in that subject.

regiment as Co. K ; local designation - Joy Guards : and was assigned to the 4th regiment, July 14, 1899. ^ was organized for the volunteer service at Delaware, April 25, 1898; mustered in at Columbus as Co. K, 4th O. V. I., May 9, 1898; in action before Guayama, P. R., August 5, 1898; in action north of Guayama, August 8, 1898, one man, Corporal Thomson, wounded; Aibonita, October 6, 1898; detachment of ten men sent to Barrios, October 8, 1898; detachment returned, October 20, 1898; marched to San Juan and rejoined regiment on U. S. Chester, October 29, 1898; mustered out at Columbus, Jan. 20, 1899.

The following includes all of the soldiers in Delaware County, who served in the Cuban war excepting the colored troops, which will be found in another place.