Washington County, Ohio - Chapter 26: The Civil War, 1902 (part 2 of 2)

You are hereby ordered to assume command of the troops detached by special order No. I of this date, and proceed with them to the ford below Parkersburg, where you will make such disposition as you deem fit and proper to prevent the rebel forces now in the State from crossing at that place.

But now an unforeseen difficulty arose. Lieutenant Conine refused to allow the United States troops in Camp Marietta to be moved without orders from a higher source. Governor Tod was telegraphed, and all that day spent in waiting for an answer. The answer came finally ordering Lieutenant Conine to obey all orders from Colonel Putnam, and Captain Wood started early on the morning of the 1 6th. The expedition numbered about 300 men. Tlie canniin were two iron pieces that had been used in Marietta and Harmar for firing salutes, and the arms for the infantry and cavalry were such as could be hastily gathered in tlie city and Camp Mhrietta. Captain W'ood reached Blennerhassett's Island the same day, and began entrenching, informing

Colonel Putnam by telegrapli of tlie fact. Capt. Wood had stopped short fjf the point intended to be covered by the moveaienr. At this time 4,259 men reported for duty, and Capt. R. B. Wilson, of Meigs County, was ordered to proceed to Mason City, West Virginia, with his company and that of Capt. George G. Woodward armed as infantry, to prevent Morgan crossing at that point. On the same day (17th) the following order was sent to Captain Wood, at Blennerhassett's Island :

The .'hoal at the foot of Blennerhassett's Island is deemed impracticable on account of quicksand. The fnrd ynii were to guard is at the foot of Buffington's Inland. \>A\ will therefore take your forces to that point. l">e the flats and steamer Logan in conjunction with Captain Wilson, in transporting your forces, sending baggage overland, if necessary. Delay Captain Wilson as little as possible.

By this arrangement Captain Wood and his little force reached Bufhngton at 7 P. M'. of the 17th, and at once began to intrench, throwing out pickets and preparing for such defense as his limited means afforded. Captain Wilson proceeded to Mason City.

In the meantime Capt. Henry Best, on July 13th, with his own company and those of Captains Stone, Dana, Pugh, and Rutherford, had been ordered to proceed on the steamer "Buck" to Blennerhassett's Island and open the channel so that the gunboats could pass, and on the way down remove all boats of every description to the Virginia shore, which order was faithfully carried out. Captain Wilson arrived at Mason City at 11 P. M. of the 17th, and hearing that the Rebels had appeared about five miles back of Middleport he crossed the river and advanced promptly but cautiously through the darkness and took up a position three miles to the rear of that place. Here Morgan's men, or a part of them, advanced, captured a scouting party of Captain Wilson's force, pushed on to within a quarter of a mile of Wilson, when they were fired on. and delayed until noon of the i8th, when the Twentythird Ohio Infantry came up. and an attack was immediately made by the two commands on the Rebels, resulting in their retreat. On the 19th, Captain Wilson was ordered up to Bowman's Run, seven miles up the Ohio from Middleport, where he made such dispositions of his men as to capture yj men and officers, and 80 horses. Captain Wilson took his prisoners to Pomeroy, when he was ordered six miles below to guard another ford, and arrived just in time to prevent a body of Morgan's men from crossing, and turned' them back on their pursuers, who captured them.

By July 17th a thousand stand of arms arrived^ and Colonel Putnam- ordered Lieut. J. W. Conine, with a detachment consisting of the companies of Captains Knowles, Moore, Jaynes, Brown, Seaman, Dyar, Jenkins, Comley, and Davenport, to proceed on board the steamer "Eagle" and reinforce Captain Wood, and report to that officer for orders. The "Eagle" got fast aground on a bar, and Conine disembarked, marched his men to the mouth of the Little Hocking, and bivouacked, deciding to act independent of Captain Wood. At this time there were reported for duty 7,064 men, with scarcely any arms in camp, but in order to utilize these men as far as practicable they were provided with spades, axes, and picks, and sent to the proper places to fell trees and obstruct the lines of retreat along the supposed route of Morgan.

Hon. William P. Cutler on the 18th was ordered to obstruct the roads between the line of the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad and the Ohio River. He had in his command the railroad employes. Captain Holmes' company, and that of Captain Grewell ; and at Cutler's station and Big Run he was joined with three more companies under Captains \Vaugh. ^laxwell and Dee. With these forces, Mr. Cutler says, in his report : "We succeeded in accomplishing the object in a thorough manner from Big Hocking (including all roads leading into the ravines of that stream), as far east as the road leading from Vincent to the Ohio River by way of Daniel Shaw's, in Dunham township." On the 17th General Burnside telegraphed

Colonel Putnam that if Morgan was driven from the ford at Buffington, he would probably strike for Marietta, the roads therefore were to be well obstructed, the flooring of the bridge across the Muskingum torn up, and rifle-pits so constructed as to command the crossing. General Cox, who was with General Burnside at Cincinnati, telegraphed that if the roads were so obstructed as to prevent Morgan dodging north between Athens and Marietta, there was force enough following to crush or capture him. Three companies under John Newton were sent up the Muskingum to remove all boats to the east side of the stream, and three more under command of Capt. Levi Barber were sent to blockade the roads between Coolville and the Little Hocking. Meantime, mounted scouts were sent out from Mr. Cutler's camp, and from all points practicable, and the best information possible obtained as to the enemy's movements. Several companies were stationed at the Marietta bridge, and such arrangements made that the drawbridge could be turned at a moment's notice. In addition to the rifle-pits a barricade of bales of hay was m'ade coirmanding the bridge and the ford below. On the night of July 17th, Col. B. P. Runkle's forces arrived at Scott's landing, three miles below Marietta.

.Tuly iSth. at 3 a. i\i., we moved on. By this time the mihtia had turned their attention seriously to felling trees, and impeding our progress in every conceivable way. Advanced guard was forced to carry axes to cut away frequent blockade. In passing on the l8th near Pomeroy. there was one continual fight, but not wholly with militia, for some regular troops now appeared. We had to riin a terrible gauntlet for nearly five miles, through a ravine, on the gallop. * * * ' We reached Portland (Buffington) about 8 p. m., and the night was one of solid darkness. General Morgan consulted one or two of his officers upon the propriety of at once attacking an earthwork, thrown up to guard the ford. From all the information he could gather, this work was manned with about three hundred infantryregular troops, and two heavy guns were mounted in it. Our arrival at this place after dark had involved us in a dilemma. If we did not cross the river that night, there was every chance of our being attacked on the next day by heavy odds - ^by infantry sent after us from Kentucky, and by gunboats at the ford, which we could not drive otT, as we had not more than three cartridges apiece for our artillery. General Morgan fully appreciated these reasons for getting across the river that night, as did those with whom he advised, but there were also very strong reasons against attacking the work at night : and vvithont the capture of the work which commanded the ford, it would be impossible to cross. Attacks in the dark are always hazardous experiments, in this case doubly so as we knew nothing of the ground and could not procure guides. Our choice of the direction in which to move to the attack would have been purely guesswork. The defenders of the work had only to lie still and fire with artillery and musketry directly to their front, but the assailants would have had a line to preserve, and to exercise great care lest they should fall foul of each other in the obscurity. * * * He determined, therefore, to take the work at early dawn, and hoped to effect a crossing rapidly before tlie enemy arrived.

Captain D. L. Wood, in his report to Colonel Putnam, says : "On the morning of the 1 8th I made a line of entrenchments covering the approach to the ford, sent out cavalry scouts and ascertained that the enemy were advancing on me in force. I had all my stores removed to the boat (steamer 'Starlight') and ordered it to be ready to move. At half past seven o'clock the enemy appeared in force in front of my works, at which time my forces were in line to receive them as best I could. At twelve o'clock, having received an order from General Scammon to retire, I did so. Being hardly pressed by the enemy, I was obliged to abandon my artillery."

Lieut. C. B. Lewis, of the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was officer of the day ; posted pickets at different points around the ford to watch for the approach of the Rebels, and while out on the picket line was taken prisoner by the Rebels the night before the battle.

The valley in which Morgan encamped on the night of July 18th was about 800 yards wide at the lower end and gradually narrowed above until the hills approached near to the river at the upper end. The river road coming from Pomeroy was upon tlie bank of the river. About midway of the valley a road winds into the valley to the river. The Rebels had encamped on the night of the i8th (Saturday night) in the cornfields at the end of a private lane running parallel to the road on which General Judah was approaching from the direction of Pomeroy. A dense fog covered all the bottom lands. General Hobson had with his command followed Morgan for two weeks, and on the night of the i8th went into camp to rest both horses and men. Colonel Garrard, of the Seventh Ohio Cavaln,-, remonstrated with Hohson for delayinig the march at the critical poinit of the pursuit, but Hobson decided to halt. Colonel Garrard then asked permission to continue the pursuit that night, and in reply was informed that he might take his regiment and "go to hell." So Garrard kept on in pursuit. General Judah pressing forward during the night with his command was, with his staff including Maj. Daniel McCook, early in the morning of the 19th, in advance, and when within a short distance of the ford, there being a dense fog, came unexpectedly upon the Rebel cavalry, who recei\ed them with a volley and pursued, killing Major McCook, wounding several and taking some prisoners together with one piece of artillery. General Judah now hurried his forces forward and the fog suddenly lifting disclosed the enemy in the valley before them. While Judah was bringing his forces into action. Lieutenant O'Neil, of the Fifth Indiana Cavalr}', appeared on another road with but 50 men and charged two different regiments so desperately that they were broke and left the captured gun, also their prisoners. Meanwhile Colonel Garrard with the Second and Seventh Ohio Cavalry came in by the road about the middle of the valley and charged them in flank and rear. Captain Fitch with the gunboat "Moose" now attacked from the river, playing on them with his 24-pound Dahlgren gims. With Judah up, Hobson up and the gunboats up, the situation of Morgan became not only interesting but desperate.

Judah and Hobson, from different points, soon opened on the Rebel ranks with shell, and according to Basil Duke's account, the air was fairly filled with pieces of shell, compelling the enemy to retreat. Duke was in command of the line designed to cover the retreat, with instructions to make the best fight he could, and but for being attacked in the flank would have given General Judah a more stubborn resistance than they did. General Duke attempted to retreat in good order, but soon a regular stampede took place, many made a rush for the ford, others ran from point to point over this field, taking a new direction at the chance explosion of a shell near by. THie most of the Rebels, however, still clung to the booty stolen on the march.

The victors now closed in on them and captured between seven and eight hundred, including Basil Duke, Col. Dick Morgan, Colonels Smith, Ward and Hoffman. All their artillery, wagons, etc., were captured. About 1,200 men, under Morgan, escaped, and, pressing on up the river, tried to cross at Belleville, but were headed off by the gunboat "Moose." A few got across, and some were killed in the river. The bulk of the raiders, however, turned away from the river and disappeared among the hills. It is a remarkable fact that two out of the six or seven guns captured were 20-pound Parrots, which Morgan had dragged over his extended line of march, and. had he not run out of ammunition, would doubtless have given the gunboats as well as his other pursuers a more desperate battle than he did. The Union loss was five killed and 25 wounded. Rebel loss, 20 killed, wounded not known.

Captain Wood, of the Eighteenth regulars, while stationed at Marietta as mustering officer, was induced to take command of two companies of volunteers, and proceed to Buffington bar on Saturday. He found the steamer "Starlight" aground, with only two men aboar'?, and loaded with three thousand barrels of flour. He immediately unloaded the vessel, raised steam and manned the boat, from the captain to the deck-hand, with his men, and run her out of the range of Morgan's guns, which, before he could get away, had arrived on- the bank. .. Before leaving with his little band of true gallants, he rolled his two heavy pieces of artillery over into a ravine, so that the enemy could neither take nor use them. After the fight. Captain Wood reported to General Judah for duty with the boat, and was highly complimented by the general and placed in charge of several hundred of the prisoners to bring to Cincinnati. Had the boat not been seized by Captain Wood when it was, Morgan would have had it and crossed the river with it, for the gunboats did not arrive till Sunday morning, while Morgan was there the night before" So let Marietta be proud of her gentlemen soldiers who were not too proud to carry coal or do any work which would hinder the enemies of the Union and help her defenders.

When Major McCook was shot, the country lost a noble patriot, who had sent his distinguished sons to the war and only remained at home himself on account of the infirmities of age. The horse he rode remained in the hands of the enemy. There is an interesting incident related in regard to the horse, "Old Joe," as he was called, which we will give as we heard it:

When Capt. Arthur D. Eells. Company H. Seventh Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, on the failure of his health, left the army at Somerset, Kentucky, he sold his horse "Joe" to Maj. John Dalman, at that time paymaster, who took the horse to Cincinnati. Very soon after this John Morgan made his raid through Indiana and Ohio.

When Morgan and his troops were passing near Cincinnati, a force of volunteers gathered to pursue bim. Old Major McCook went to Dalman's stable and took the horse Joe, and, with the others, followed Morgan, overtaking him, as we have seen, at Buffington. As soon as Major McCook fell, the horse galloped over the field at w'll. Soon the Seventh Ohio Cavalry -attacked the Rebels on the Hank and rear, and the horse, doubtless recognizing familiar voices in the direction of the gallant Seventh, galloped through the tumult and confusion of the battle to the position of the Seventh Cavalry and took his wonted place in the fine, much to the edification of the boys, who shouted, "Look! there comes Captain Eells' horse. Old Joe."

About 350 Rebels succeeded in getting across at the different fords, and between one and two hundred were taken prisoners after Tjecoming detached from the main body. Morgan himself was half way across at the upper Buffington ford, when he saw that a large part of his command were so hard pressed that they would not be able to escape, and he turned back and continued his flight north, but doubled on his track and again attempted to cross near Blennerhassett's Island, but was foiled in this and compelled to make a detour to get out of the trap set for him by Colonel Putnam. In order to do this he marched outside the lines of Mr. Cutler and Lieutenant Conine and the other forces sent out to obstruct and hold the roads leading to the river. He was, however, followed by Shackleford, and also by a force of militia sent forward by Colonel Runkle, under command of Colonel Hill. These moved by boat up the Muskingum, and landed at McConnelsville July 23rd, just as Morgan crossed at Eaglesport, seven miles above. Colonel Hill took an unfrequented road over the hills and succeeded in flanking Moran, and getting his artillery into position, opened on the Rebels and threw then into confusion. They dropped their guns, booty, and everything that would impede progress and fled, followed by Hill as long as his artillery could get positions from which to shell them, keeping up the pursuit until about four P. M., when General Shackleford's cavalry came up and relieved the militia, now very much exhausted, whom Colonel Hill ordered back to the Muskingum.

Thus harassed the remnant of the raiders pursued their toilsome march. General Brooks, who had taken up his headquarters at Wellsville, Ohio, finding that there was a strong probability of Morgan crossing the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad at Salineville sent Colonel Gallagher, with a regiment of sixmonths' men, to a point about two miles from that place, and had them posted advantageously near the supposed place of crossing. Major Way, with the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, was also moving up to the same point. In a short time the expected Rebels made their appearance, coming around a bend in the road. On catching sight of the infantry, they halted and turned their horses' heads in another direction. Before they could get out of the trap Major Way, with 200 men of the Ninth Michigan

Cavalry, dashed among them and commenced cutting right and left. The Rebels made but a brief resistance, when they broke in utter confusion. Tlie scene that followed was almost ludicrous, and could only be matched by the previous stampede at Buffington's Island. Men dismounted, threw down their arms and begged for quarter, whilst others galloped around wildly in search of a place of escape and were "brought to time" bv a pistol shot or saber stroke.

Morgan himself was riding in a carriage drawn by two white horses. Major Way saw him, and galloping up, reached for him. Morgan jumped out at the other side of the carriage, leaped over a fence, seized a horse, and galloped olif as fast as burse tlesh spurred by frightened heels, could carry him. About 200 succeeded in escaping with him. In the buggy thus hastily evacuated by Morgan were found his rations, consisting of a loaf of bread, some hard-boiled eggs, and a bottle of whiskey.

The number of Rebels killed in this engageipent was five or six ; number wounded not stated ; prisoners, about 200, together with horses and arms. A few Union cavalry men were wounded.

About two o'clock P. M. of the same day the forces in pursuit of Morgan closed in around him in the vicinity of West Point, between New Lisbon and Wellsville. The Rebels were finally compelled to take refuge on a bluflf, and, finding escape impossible, they surrendered to Colonel Shackleford and themilitia, who now started on a general hunt for straggling Rebels, brought in numbers of them found concealed in the woods, all of whom were sent to Columbus.

A Rebel account states that Morgan on this raid captured 6,000 prisoners, all of whom were paroled, destroyed 34 important bridges, and the railroad tracks in 60 places, that they lost 28 comniissioned offifcers killed. 34 wounded, and 250 m^en killed, wounded and captured; that by Federal accounts, they killed more than 200, wounded at least 350 and captured as above mentioned, 6,000 ; that the damage to railroads, steamboats and bridges, added to the destruction of public stores and depots, cannot fall short of $10,- 000,000; that they captured three pieces of artillery, and one 24-pounder at Lebanon, which they destroyed, one Parrott three-inch gxin at Brandenburg, and a 12-pounder at Portland; that the Copperheads and Butternuts were always in the front opposing them;, that occasionally they would meet a pure "Southron," generally a person banished trom the border States.

The above-mentioned account was written by one of the raiders who escaped at Bufiington, and as far as it relates to the Union loss, is not trustworthy, being an over-estimate^, but as far as relates to the destruction of property, it is doubtless not up to tlie mark.

Morgan and his officers were confined in the Penitentiary, at Columbus, from which, prison Morgan and six others made their escape November 27, 1863, by cutting through the stone floors of three cells with knives carried off from the prison table, till they reached the air cb.anibcr lielnw and tunneling thenceunder the prison walls into the outer yard,, and climbing the surrounding prison wall by aid of ropes made from their lied clothes. An investigation into the cause of the escape showed that the usual routine of sweeping the cells was omitted in the case of those occupied by the Rebels, and they were, thus enabled to cover up and conceal their work. The omission to sweep was at the suggestion of one of the directors of the Penitentiary.

Morgan reached his hiding place beyond the mijuntains of Kentucky and Tennessee in safety, and afterward led several bands of raiders into the Blue Grass, in one of which he was killed in a skirmish, while endeavoring to escape from a house in a little village in East Tennessee.

The Militia

Josiah H. Jenkins, assistant adjutant general; P. B. Putnam, q'.'.artermaster ; George O. Hildreth, poi't hospital surgeon: James Little, post hospital surgeon: F. D. Howell, post hospital surgeon: B. F. Culver, post hospital assistant surgeon ; John W. White, post hospital assistant surgeon ; Michael Edwards, post hospital assistant surgeon ; Joseph M. C. Moorhead, examining surgeon; William Beebe, examining surgeon: William Ackley. examining surgeon ; besides a corps of clerks and assistants.

Athens Countv Militia

Names of Company Commandants - Charles Mathenry, E. D. Harper, reported July 14th; Charles Goodspeed, Elias Grewell. Edward Wheeler, C. Cooper, F. L. Junrod. C. Winget, I. C. Shotts, A. D. Jaynes, H. Nauna, and Daniel Fulton, reported July i6th : Charles Stout and James M Holmes, reported July 17th; S. H. Smith, E. Stalder and E. P. Pickett, reported July i8th.

Names of Company Commandants - L H. Rutherford. L. E. Campbell. John Barrot. G. G. Woodward and R. B. Wilson, reported July i6th : John F. Martin, Miner Reed and S, Riggs. reported July 17th.

Company Commandants - Pearson Mordeck, James A. Morri«on. B. B. Taylor, Asa Barton, and John Hesson. reported July 15th; D. L. Weems, July i6th; J. R.

J. Mills Kendrick. colonel commanding; Thomas W. Moore.* colonel- First regiment: Joseph B. Kinkead.* colonel First regiment; Thomas- Day. colonel First regiment; Edwin Cood. colonel Second regiment; Joseph Dyar. colonel Third regiment ; O. P. Scott, colonel Fourth regiment.

Besides these, there were vohmteers under command of S. Mason, ]\Iajor Bloomtield, J. W. Brabham, D. Y. Hill, 198 men, and sixmonths' men in camp at this time numbering 250. In addition to the companies already enumerated, six others from counties outside the first mihtary district came in with 634 men. The daily aggregate of forces reported at Camp Marietta during the Morgan raid was as follows: On July 13th, the day after the Governor's proclamation, there were in camp 175 men - the militia had not yet started ; July 14th, 457; 15th, 1,732; i6th, 4,259; 17th, 7,064; i8th, 11,782; 19th, 12,082; 20th. (owing to an order from the Governor to send the militia home), 6,434; 21st, 5,826; 22nd, 3,- 939; 23rd, 2,721; 24th, 2>^2>72; 25th, 2,466; 26th, 2,389; 27th, 2,384; 28th, 449; 29th, 284 : all the militia disappearing again.

The results of the operations planned at Camp Marietta were to compel Morgan to make an extended detour to the northward, thereby saving a large tract of country from devastation. Another and mure important result was the preventing of his escape across the river, at Bufiington. There is no doubt but that the timely arrival of Captain Wood at Buffington, and the construction of the earthwork mentioned, prevented Morgan from crossing with his entire command the night before the battle. The statement of Gen. Basil Dtike, heretofore referred to, fully corroborates this fact. Captain Wood left the fortification under orders from General Scammon, of the Kanawha department, a superior officer, and he left none too soon. Six hours later and the Rebels would have attacked him, overpowered his small force, captured the steamer and ferried their troops across before either Judah or Hobson, or the gunboats, could have pre\-ented it.

There are few men that could have handled so large a body of men so well, under such circumstances, as Colonel Putnam did these who came so suddenly upon his hands. They came by the thousands, wholly unarmed, undisciplined, unequipped and unorganized. His action in this situation was admirable, preserving his usual fine equanimity through it all; and superintending the details of the whole camp, he still had time enough to plan for the capture and detentiou of Morgan. Down the Ohio, out oii the line of the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad as far as the Big Hocking, up the Muskingum, up Duck Creek, up the Little Muskingum as far as Woodsfield, and up the Ohio, everywhere his regiments and companies were prepared to repel and delay the invaders. While we say this of the commandant of Camp Marietta, we must not forget that grand array of militia, 12,000 strong, who sprang to the defense of their invaded State, many of them leaving their crops unharvested in the fields, and often compelled to march by their own fields that needed their attention, and doing it without a word of complaint; many leaving their stores, their shops, and employments that required hourly attention, to engage in an uncertain enterprise, the danger of which at the time seemed threatening and hazardous.

It was fully demonstrated by Morgan's raid that no invasion, no n.atter Ikjw well planned or how well carried out, could succeed on Xorthern soil, and this raid was the last of the kind ever attempted.

Chickamauga

On September 19th and 20th occurred the battle of Chickamauga, in which the following regiments having Washington County companies in them were engaged : The Ninety-second, Thirty-sixth, and Eighteenth Infantry, and First Ohio Cavalry. They fought nobly to save the day in this most desperate battle, losing heavily - the Ninety-second seven killed, 78 wounded, including Col. D. B. Fearing, and 20 missing; the Thirty-sixth, 12 killed, including Colonel Jones, 65 wounded, and 18 missing.

The First Ohio Cavalry, in this battle, were ordered to charge, through some mistake, and had started toward the enemy's line, some 300 in number, with saber's drawn: it would have been a second Balaklava, where the famous "six hundred" composing the Light brigade, made such a hopeless charge, but for a timely countermand of the order.

The famous charge at Chickamauga, made by Turchin's brigade, in which were the Thirty-sixth and Ninety-second regiments, should not be passed without adequate mention. A correspondent of the Cincinnati Cniniiicrcial says:

After resisting several, heav.v charges the brigade changed direction by filing to the feft, into the woods skirting the road on that side, and were halted and brought to a front, leaving the brigade, in columns 'by companies, forming two lines of battle, the Eleventh Ohio and Eighteenth Kentucky in front, and the Ninety-second and Thirty-sixth in the rear. Hardly had this been completed when a Rebel battery opened a perfect storm of shell and grape-shot into our ranks. This was entirely unexpected to us. It seems a whole division of the enemy had passed entirely around our left, and, coming up in our rear, expected to capture the entire left wing of our army.

General Turchin had been commanding our brigade but a short timrj, but lung enough to gain the confidence of his men. Rising in his stirrups he gave the comm.and - "About face - forward, double-quick - charge bayonets - ma'--c-h !" With a yell, the volume of which was decreased not a whit by the fact that the men fully realized that everything depended on the success of this movement, they did charge.

The enemy were drawn up in three lines in an open iield, and as we emerged from the woods delivered a volley fhat tore through our ranks, but failed to check the onward course of our men, who returned the fire, charged bayonets, and dashed into them before they could reload.

The Rebels broke in the wildest confusion, while cheer upon cheer from our brave boys added swiftness to their fight. A running fight now ensued which bafHes description. The smoke arising from the discharge of so many guns, and the thick clouds of dust completely obscured both Rebel and Federal, while the hoarse commands of the officers, endeavoring to keep their men in line, the lurid flash t>f artillery, and the bursting of shell and rattling of grapeshot, which the Rebels continued to pour into our ranks, at short range, from three points, made up a picture as nearly resembling Pandemonium as any one need wish to see. * * *

On this charge our brigade captured about 600 prisoners and four pieces of cannon, but were so closely pursued that we had to abandon the cannon, and half of our prisoners escaped in the confusion, but 300 hundred were marched along and sent safely through to Chattanooga that night.

Missionary Ridge

The next great battle in which Washington County figured was Missionary Ridge. Rosecrans had planned to carry the enemy's position on the ridge and on Lookout Mountain, and when Grant relieved him, e/eryihing was ready to his hand. Bragg, with his Rebel legions, 40,000 strong, held high Lookout and Missionary Ridge fully fortified and bristling with cannon ; but Sherman, with ll-e Army of the Mississippi, had re-enforced Grant, and now everything, by November 23rd, was ready. Sherman, by a detour, had quietly taken position to the northeast unknown to the enemy, and was now ready to cross the Tennessee River and attack the northern fortifications on the ridge. Hooker had crossed tlie Tennessee by a pontoon bridge at Bridgeport, southwest of Chattanooga, and was ready to storm Lookout Mountain. ]Meanwile "Pap" Tlhomas, with the army that liad fought its way from Stone River to tl;e Chattanooga, moved out from the center. Let an eye-witness relate the story :*

The day was bright and beautiful; the rays of the sun. reflect frnni ten thousand bayonets, dazzled the beholder's eyes; the men were dressed as if for holiday; nroud steeds, bearnig gallant riders, galloped along tlie lines ; every eminence about the city was crowded with spectPtors; and for the first time in my experience I saw soldiers of the Union march to battle to the beat of the spirit-stirring drum. This was indeed the "pomp and circumstance" of war; and it is no wonder that the Rebels whom we afterwaril captured declared ihey did not think we were going to make an altruk ii| nn ihem, but had our troops our for a review nr drt" |i;iradc. * * * On the eventful day of which I wrUe, I saw an exaultant and lofty pride, a high and patric5tic hope, a firm and deep resolve expressed in the countenance of each soldier as I had never seen them expressed before, and no one could doubt, as he looked upon them, that the\ would go that day wherever they were bidden, even should they be compelled to pass through surges of vindictive fire.

Thomas' men moved out swiftly, drove in the enemy's pickets, and captured his first line, known as Orchard Ridge, where they intrenched. The next day, the 24th Hooker attacked Lookout, and fought his celebrated "battle among the clouds," driving the Rebels from their position ; and Sherman, having constructed a pontoon bridge across the Tennessee, above, had attacked and carried the north end of Missionary Ridge. Accordingly, on November 25th, everything was _ ready for the final grand assault on the stronghe ;ld of the enemy nn Missi(jnary Ridge. The Rebel General Bragg, trusting to the natural strength of his position, had sent ofif part of his command, under Longstreet, to capture Burnside at Knoxville, and from his eyrie on the ridge sur\'eyed with complacency the preparations of his foe for the attack. At last Grant was ready, and at the preconcerted signal of six guns, fired at intervals of two seconds, the assault began, all along the line, up the steep side of the mountain. Soon the grand roll of musketry, and a line of smoke encircling the mountain, told that they had started the enemy from his lair. A long line of blue, broken into triangles, with their points toward the crest of the mountain ( 15 of them) and at each apex a stand of colors marks the center of the regiment. Upward they rush. Anon, a standard goes down, which means that the entire color guard have been shot. Mr. Furay continues:

And still the Union troops pressed on, scaling uneringly the sides of Missionary Ridge; the blood heir comrades renders their footsteps slippery; the lit ilu ;'~ivnt almost takes away their breath; the kI 111-1 -kitiy and artillery mow down their thinned k^ - Ian -till they press on I Xot once do they even II to fcuT'iT. The color-bearers press ahead, and it their flags far in advance of the troops; and at - O, moment of supreme triumph I - they reach the- :t and rush like an avalanche upon the astonished' Whole regiments throw down their arms and surder ; the Rebel artillerists are bayonetted at their s ; and the cannon which had a moment before beenndering on the Union ranks, are now turned about, ring death into the midst of the mass of miserable itives who are rushing down the eastern slope of

My regiment was assigned to the center of the first" line, the Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry on my right,, and the Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry on the left. Two companies. B and H. were thrown forward as skirmishers. Remaining there until three o'clock, we moved forward a short distance, halted, deployed, and immediately again moved in line of battle through a skirt of \yn,>(U. .\s soon as we reached the open ground, tin- Muniy opened on us with artillery froin the top of Alis-ioii.-iry Kidge. We were then ordered to double-nuuK, uliuh we did. passing the second line of the eneniy'^ lu ; ;.-tu ork^. winch were occupied by General Re-iit\'- l.rm;i.i,-: reailu-d the base of the ridge. where aKo \\n\- -onu troop- under cover. We rushed' up the vulgc a- fa^t a- po.Mlile, under a terrible enfilading fire from both right, Kfi and front. Near thetop. and about six rods from the enemy's breastworks, we p.issed over (-1 think) the Ninth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. Reaching the breastworks, where theenemy lay. a terrible, almost hand-to-hand fight ensued. Stubbornly did the enemy contest the works. There we took a number of prisoners, which I passed to the rear without a guard. Those of the enemy who escaped made a second stand on the crest, from four to six rods beyond ; but they were at once killed, captured' or routed. On our left was a heavy force of the enerny's infantry, and two pieces of artillery. The infantry kept up a constant fire. The artillery fired two rounds, when we made a charge on it and captured two pieces, but not until they had succeeded in getting them some distance down the eastern slope of the ridge to the rear. They were unlimbered and immediately hauled back to the top of the ridge by the men, and placed in position. The taking of the artillery was done, mainly, under the superintendence of Sergeant Adney. of company B. and Sergeant Holliday. of Company ri. Some men from the Eleventh and Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry assisted in hauling the guns back. * * * Capt. J. C. Selby, Company K, was wounded in the right arm (which has since been amputated) near a log cabin, to the left of where we went up the ridge. First Lieut, O. J. Wood. Company B, when in command of the company, was seriously wounded, the ball passing in conmiand of the company, was seriously wounded, the ball passing through from left to right side and through the right lung. Second Lieut. J. W. Hanlin, iCompany H, was slightly wounded in the leg. It would be in vain for me to try to express how nobly and with what daring both officers and men conducted themselves, in this their fifth great battle. Never as yet have they fallen back under fire in the face of the enemy. In this all seemed eager, to fight, and under the leadership of their general, felt confident of success. I would particularize, did I not have to mention the whole.

The Thirt3--si.xth lost nine killed, 65 wounded and five missing, and the Ninetysecond, 12 killed and 42 wounded. Among the former killed were Capt. VV. Beale Whittlesey and Adjutant George B. Turner, both promising young officers, from Marietta, a fuller account of whose lives will be found further on. Lieut.-Col. 'Douglas Putnam, Jr., received a severe wound in the ankle. Missionary Ridge was the most peculiar battle of the war. No other presented such natural obstacles to be overcome at such high altitudes. Bragg had 40,000 men, and Grant 75,000, but the advantages of position in Bragg's favor fully made up for the disparity of numbers. Grant went to Chattanooga on crutches to relieve Rosecrans, but now his fame traveled on the wings of the wind. To Vicksburg, through a fortunate turn of affairs, he added Missionary Ridge, and the country went wild with enthusiasm for Grant. He was made lieutenant-general, and Sherman taking command of the army at Chattanooga, soon began his march on Atlanta.

went into winter quarters. Nearly all of the three-years' men re-enlisted as veterans, showing their devotion to country and the flag, and their great interest in carrying the conflict to a successful close.

The regiments having companies from Washington County, who re-enlisted, ifurnished veterans as follows : Eighteenth Reg - iment, 62 ; Thirty-sixth Regiment, 364 ; Thii - ty-ninth Regiment, 534 ; Sixty-third Regiment, 455; Seventy-seventh Regiment, 304; First Cavalry, 285 ; Second West Virginia Cavalry, 353; First Light Artillery, 515; and also Pierpont Battery, 80. The Thirtyninth Ohio furnished more veterans than any other regiment from Ohio, and Washington County more veterans than any other county in the State, except 'Hamilton.

Upon the return of the veterans from the front on 30 days' furlough, they were met with a continuous ovation. The citizens of Washington County greeted them with gratitude and respect.

The roll of dead officers and soldiers for the year 1863 includes many good names, none, however, more lamented than Col. Jesse Hildebrand, a fuller notice of whose life will be found in another part of this work.

Governor Brough entered upon his term with a more emphatic endorsement than any former governor ever had in the State, receiving over LOO,ooo majority, of which Washington County contributed as follows : Home majority, 865; soldiers' majority, 804; total majority, 1,669. This was a very decided endorsement of the war policy and was an emphatic pledge to devote the resources of the county to the prosecution of the war, not only by furnishing additional soldiers, but money through taxes and voluntary contributions to support the families of the soldiers left l:)ehind as the wards of the nation, and the history of. 1863, 1864 and 1865 shows how fully the county came up to the work The whole amount of money thus furnished can never be know-n. The value of the service rendered could not be measured by money because it involved the expenditure of the best energies, finest talent and noblest courage, involving loss of life and all that men hold most dear; but the feeling was benevolent and deqi seated in the hearts of the people, that no sacrifice was too costly to serve the Union, for without union all the rest was worthless. Now the fine theories of other days, the high periods and eloquence of the statesmen and patriots of the illustrious past were being forged into the life and experience of the nation. Men were living what before they had only dreamed. The great battle year of 1863 had developed heroes and leaders. A nation had grappled with and worstetd the foe, and it was now only a question of time as to how long the Rebellion would hold out.

Ohio National Gl'Ard

In the spring of 1864 the Legislature passed a new militia law, repealing the one enacted the previous year requiring military encampments. The new body of State soldiery thus summoned into existence was the Ohio National Guards that was soon to become so famous in the annals of the States.

From the time Governor Brough was inaugurated a new impetus was given to all the miliary affairs of the State, which in no way reflected on the able administration of, his illustrious predecessor, David Tod. Governor Brough was a man of strong feelings and convictions, and he greatly desired to see the war end in an honorable peace. He was anxious to help the President and vigilant in watching for opportunities to help on the good work. The invasion of the State during the last year had induced the Governor and Legislature to favor a thorough militia organization, and Governor Brough, fearing incursions bv the enemy along the southern border of the State, sent Ex-Governor Dennison to Washington to urge upon the Secretary of War the necessity of putting State regiments into the service along the border and on the Northern line at proper posts, to discourage any invasion from Canada which was feared, but the Secretary denied the necessity. Failine in this, and the circumstances of the situation showing that soon all must either be gained or lost by striking heavy blows, thick and fast. Governor Brough adopted the theory that the next best way to prevent invasion was to keep the enemy busy at home. He, therefore, argued that all veterans and volunteers should be in the field in the immediate presence of the enemy, ready to push him to the wall, and that all soldiers on guard duty should be relieved and sent to the front. The National guards offered a partial solution of the problem, and -seeking the co-operation and counsel of the governors of other States, he arranged for a meeting of the governors of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, to be held at Washington, where it was decided to offer the President the services of the militia of the States named for 100 days. The offer was couched in the following terms :

I. The governors of Ohio. Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, offer to the President infantry troops for the approaching campaign, as follows : Ohio, thirty thousand: Indiana, twenty thousand; Illinois, twenty thousand; Iowa, ten thousand; Wisconsin, five thousand.

II. The term of service to be one hundred days, reckoning from the date of muster into the service of the United States, unless sooner discharged.

III. The troops to be mirstered into the service of the United .States by regiments, when the regiments are filled up. according to regulations of the War Department; the whole number to be furnished within twenty d.tys from date of notice of the acceptance of this proposition.

IV. The troops to be clothed, armed, equipped, subsi.ted, transported, and paid as other United States infantry volunteers, and to serve in fortifications, or wherever their services may be required, within or without their re-pective States.

VI. The draft for three-years' service to go on in any State or district where the quota is not filled up, but if any officer or soldier in this special service should be drafted, be shall be credited for the service rendered.

of Ohio received a dispatch from Govenor Brough to call out 30,000 of the Ohio National Guard for 100 days' service. Tliey were to rendezvous at the nearest practicable point in their respective counties. A week was given for the muster, and by sundown of May 2, 1864, over 30,000 of Ohio's substantial citizens reported for duty, and demanded to be sent on to the post of duty. Such an uprising had not been seen since the first alarm of Sumter. Governor Brough at one stroke, like that of a magician's wand, had summoned an army into existence. Over 40 regiments, containing 34,000 men, responded to the call and were accepted, thus relieving 30,000 veterans to go to the front.

The situation in Washington County as to the draft at this time was very encouraging. Under all the calls of 1863, and the calls of Maich 14, 1864, for 200,000 more, there was an excess of 192 to the credit of different townships, but as the credit of one township would not help the deficiency of another, it so happened that 54 men were drafted as follows : Belpre, 10: Decatur, 21: Dunham, i : Lawrence, 4: Liberty, 15 ; Ludlow, 3.

The draft, therefore, had nothing to do with the great uprising of the National Guard, although the guards were, by a subsecjuent arrangement, credited to Ohio on her quota.

The Washington County regiment of the National Guard, organized under the militia law of 1863, remained substantially the same under the new law creating the Ohio National Guard. It was the Forty-sixth Regiment but the number was changed to One Hundred and Forty-eighth. The regiment was commanded by Col. Thomas W. Moore, of Warren township, and all but two companies were from Washington County. Three companies having come from Vinton County, they were consolidated with the eight from Washington County, and on May 22, 1864, they left Marietta for Harper's Ferry. A fuller account of the services of the regiment will be found further nn in this work.

Red River Marks Mills

General Banks, supported by Commodore Porter, with a fleet of gunboats, during the month of jNIarch, 1864, started up the Red Ri\-er, and General Steele with the army under his command from Little Rock, Arkansas, to efifect a junction with Banks, but tlie Rebels, having driven Banks back, turned their whole force upon Steele. On April 25, the brigade, consisting of the Thirty-sixth Iowa, Forty-third Indiana, and Seventy-seventh Ohio regiments, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Drake, of the Thirty-sixth Iowa, was sent from General Steele's army to guard an empty train of 270 wagons returning to Pine Blufifs. The whole force numbered about 1,500, with a battery of four guns. When the train reached Marks Mills it was attacked by Shelby's cavalry, estimated at 7,000, and the Thirty-sixth and Forty-third, after a gallant tight were driven back ; the Seventy-seventh guarding the rear hurried up on the double quick, to the help of the Forty-third and Thirty-sixth, running over five miles. They charged the enemy with a yell, and killed them by the score, but found an overpowering force of Rebels closing in on them from every side. "They fought desperately hand-to-hand and foot to foot," says an eye witness, but all in vain; they were all taken prisoners except one lieutenant and 40 men. who cut their way out and escaped to the L^nion lines after traveling over 100 miles, swimming many streams and eating nothing for 48 hours. Captain Mc- Cormick and Lieutenant Smithson were taken prisoners with the rest, and marched from the battle-field to the prison pen at Tyler, Texas, marching 52 miles in 24 hours. The negro servants of the officers were shot at once after the surrender.

This was the second term in Rebel prisons for Captain McCormick. he having ]:)een rode down, shot and captured at Shiloh, by the Texan cavalry.

Amd Representative Citizens

seventh, tore tlie colors from the staff ami wrapped it around him, when the Rebels were within 20 yards of it, cut his way through the Rebel lines and brought the colors into the camp, in triumph. The flag has nineteen holes in it.

The Union loss in killed and wounded was abut 250, the Rebel loss was much larger, estimated at the time by Union officers at 1,000. The Seventy-seventh lost as follows : Killed, seven ; mortally wounded, one ; severely wounded, 14; slightly wounded, 17; wounded prisoners, six; prisoners, 300; paroled, seven; missing, 18; total, 370.

In June the great raid of Generals Hunter, Crook, and Averill, took place. They destroyed the military institute at Lexington, Virginia, and did great damage to the enemy. The Second Virginia Cavalry and Thirty-sixth Regiment took a gallant part in this expedition.

July 24th the Thirty-sixth Regiment was in the battle of Winchester, and lost heavily, and all along the line the soldiers from Washington County were getting in their work.

Atl.A.Nta Campaign

The war had now resolved itself into two ^reat movements - Grant on Richmond and Sherman on Atlanta. Sherman had gathered within his grasp the armies of the departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, the Tennessee. and the Arkansas, and after a thorough understanding with Grant, he began his famous campaign against Atlanta. Washington County had companies in five regiments which took part in this campaign, the First and Ninth Cavalry, the Thirty-ninth, Sixty-third and Ninety-second regiments, besides men in the Seventy-third, Tiiirty-third, and other regiments.

Sherman, by a series of brilliant flank movements to the right, compelled the enemy to abandon every position from Dalton to Atlanta, and fought the battles of Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Pumpkin Vine Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Nicojack Creek, Peachtree Creek, the battles around Atlanta and Jonesborough. In all these battles, making about 120 days of nearly constant fighting, he lost but one - that of Kenesaw Mountain, which was immediately retrieved by another movement on the right flank, compelling the enemy to e\acuate Kenesaw. The Rebel authorities being dissatisfied with the Fabian policy of Johnston, removed him and placed Hood in command at Atlanta, where by July 22, 1864, Sherman had extended his lines in the form of a semi-circle, partially enclosing the city and the enemy's works. Hood, on the day named, wishing to begin a strong and aggressive policy, quietly stole out and got on the flank and rear of the gallant McPherson, before the movement was fully known to the Union generals. Here occurred one of the most desperate and hard fought battles of the war, the Rebels hoping to surprise and beat McPherson, and then each of the other divisions in turn made charge after charge on our lines. Tlie Thirty-ninth Regiment was in the thickest of this engagement, and suffered severely, losing one-third of the entire number in killed and wounded. Our line was beaten back and several batteries captured, but more than all, McPherson killed. Sherman hurried Schofield up to the scene and after a hard struggle, lasting until night, drove the enemy back with a loss of 8,000, the Union loss being 3,722.

Sherman finally, by another movement to the right and rear of Atlanta, cut the enemy's communications, destroyed all railroads leading into the city when it was abandoned, and on September ist Sherman's triumphant legions marched in and took possession. Reorganizing his army and sending part of it with Thomas, to Nashville, Sherman retained and consolidated the remaining forces into four Corps, the Fourteaith, Fifteenth, Seventeaith, and Twentieth, which, together with Kilpatrick's cavalry, inimbered about 65,000 men.

March To The Sea

man by November nth was ready to begin his famous "March to the Sea." The army marched in two cohuTins, the right with the Fifteenth and Seventeenth corps, commanded by Gen. O. O. Howard, and the left, with the Fourteenth and Twentieth corps, led by Gen. H. W. Slocum. Each wing had a pontoon train, and kept their line of march about 20 miles apart. Kilpatrick, with the cavalry, hovered aronnd the front demonstrating first on one flank and then on the other to deceive the enemy as to the real intentions of Sherman. By thus widening his lines he enabled the foraging parties to cover 40 miles of territory from which to obtain subsistence for the troops, and they lived well. On December joth, after marching 255 miles, being six weeks on the way, they arrived at Savannah. Soon Fort McAllister fell, and the grand march was successfully ended. It is an extra honor to have been with Sherman on this "March to the Sea" for history presents few parallels to it, and though little fighting was done it was a grand achievement, and farreaching in its results.

After resting and refitting his army, Sherman, on February i, 1865, started northward through the Carolinas, devastating the countn,' and teaching the South Carolinians a few lessons in the hardships of war as he went. General Johnston having been restored to the command of the decimated divisions of his old army, hurried up from the Siouthwest on the trail of Sherman, to intercept him. but by skillful handling of the cavalry. General Sherman deceived Johnston into believing that he was going to Charlotte, North Carolina, and as soon as the Rebel force had concentrated there turned to the eastward and started direct to Goldsborough, where he exiitcted to be joined by the divisions of General Schofield. Johnston, however, by rapid marches intercepted four divisions of the left wing on March 15th, at Averysboro'Ugh, on a narrow, swampy neck of land, between Cape Fear and South rivers. North Carolina. Tlie Rebels under General Hardee, estimated at 20,000, attacked the Union lines with great spirit, hoping to beat them before re-enforcements could be brought up. By a rapid movement to the left the enemy's flank was turned, and being pressed in front by other divisions, they were repulsed.

A gallant officer from Washington County, Gen. B. D. Fearing, commanding the old "Mc- Cook brigade," was on the left line, and General Davis ordered him "to check the enemy and hold them if it cost his whole brigade." The charge of General Fearing was made with spirit and accompanied with hard fighting.

At Bentonville, on March i8th, the enemy made their last attack, Johnston hoping by a swift and heavy assault to break the left wing before the other could be brought to reinforce it. Johnston accordingly made several desperate charges on our left wing. In the first, two brigades of Carlin's division were driven back, losing three guns. Slocum thereupon stood on the defensive, placing four divisions in line to the front and making such slight defensive works as they could, while Kilpatrick attacked the enemy on the left. The left received six fierce assaults from Johnston's army. They came on after the old style, line upon line, closing up the gaps made by our fire but were met by equal discipline and coolness, and by superior numbers. Our artillery did terrible execution on the foe, inflicting heavy loss on his devoted ranks. The Rebels had hoped to crush Slocum, but they were disappointed. Night came and nothing had been gained ; and during the night Slocum brought up and disposed three more divisions, rendering his position safe, and Johnston fortified, but made no more attacks. Sherman and his entire army came up. next day, and movements were immediately begun to cut off the wily Johnston, but he decamped that night, and Sherman, with his entire army, moved on to Goldsborough. After paying a hasty visit to Grant at City Point. Sherman again began operations against theenemy, which speedily ended in the surrender of Johnston and the collapse of the Confederacy.

Shenandoah Valley

While these memorable events were transpiring, and Sherman was establishing for himself a name and fame equal to that of any military chieftain of modern times, equally brilliant successes were attending the Union arms in other fields, in which Washington County figured.

In August, 1864, Grant desiring to have a trusty lieutenant on the Potomac and Shenandoah, sent Gen. Phil Sheridan to take command of those armies. Sheridan's instructions were comprised principalh' in two words - "Go in!" - and in he went.

On September 13th he confronted the Rebel general Early on Opequan Creek, near Berryville, in the Shenandoah Valley, a few miles south of Harper's Ferry, and on the 19th at 2 A. M., began dispositions for battle. General Crook, with the Eighth Corps (the Army of West Virginia), including the Second Virginia Cavalry and the Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was sent out on the right to turn the enemy's left flank, while the Sixth and Nineteenth corps assaulted the enemy in front, but were met with a vigorous resistance, and Grove's and Rickett's divisions were repulsed with great loss.

A height in the rear, still held by the enemy, was soon stormed by Crook and carried, and Earlv retreated to- his second position. Fisher's Hill, south of Winchester, but was attacked by Sheridan's victorious columns, beaten and compelled to retreat ignominiously, followed by Sheridan's cavalry, destroying everything as they went, and what they missed going up they destroyed on their way back, "so that nothing should be left to invite the enemy to return.''

On October 9th, General Sheridan, in compliance with an order from Washington, went to that city, and by the i8th had returned as far as Winchester. Meanwhile, Early, chafing under his recent defeats, had demanded and received re-enforcements. Planning to take advantage of Sheridan's absence and effect a surprise, he stole out of his lair at dusk on the evening of the 18th, and to insure silence his men were divested of canteens and other equipments that would likely make a noise in marching. The Union Army, six miles distant, lay encamped at Cedar Creek, with Crook's Army of West Virginia in front, the Nineteenth Corps half a mile behind, and the Sixth Corps to the right and rear of the Nineteenth, Kitching's division behind Crook's left, and the cavalry, under Torbert, on tlie right of the Sixth. This army was perfectly unsuspicious of an attack, as they were in a measure justified in being. Early had divided his forces in two columns to take our army on both flanks. An hour before sunrise the Rebels were in position, and had not been discovered by our pickets, and our army slumbered in peace with the deep slumber of the early morning upon them, when all at once there came a crash of musketry on the morning air, and the Rebels' rushed over the trenches and upon the gallant veterans of so many well-fought fields. They seized their arms, the hurried command is given to form, but the Rebel line presses them out of their camp, and by their rapid pursuit prevent any formation. The enemy, perfectly familiar with every foot of ground, rushed on, and the Army of West Virginia took its way as best it could toward Winchester. The Sixth Corps attempted to stay the Rebel advance, and the Nineteenth, to the right, offered a stubborn resistance to the Rebel onslaught, but gradually fell back.

TJie Sixth fell back in good order, and the whole army, after losing- 24 guns and 1.200 prisoners was in full retreat. The Rebels stopjied t(i plunder our camps. iMeantime, Sheridan riding out of Winchester found the first stragglers of the retreat and at once took in the situation. Putting spurs to his horse he rode with aH speed to the scene of action, turning back the soldiers and cheering them with such remarks as, "Face the other way, boys ! we are going back to our camps - we are going to lick them out of their boots!" Hastily reforming the broken divisions, he arranged anew a line of battle and in two charges sent the Rebels flying up the valley, capturing 23 guns and 1,500 men and recovering the guns lost in the morning, and camping at the old camp so hastily abandoned in the early part of the day. This was the last of the Shenandoah campaign. Early's army was destroyed, and Sheridan had no enemy worth his attention to molest him in the vallev.

Battle Year

Washington County was represented at the battle of Nashville by one companv in the First and one in the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, one company in the Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, besides a large number distributed through other Ohio regiments. This battle, fought December 15th and i6th, 1864, was the crowning triumph of Gen. George H. Thomas, a parfect W'aterloo to General Hood and the Rebel Army in the \\'est. Thus ended the eventful year of 1864. From the beginning of the jear to the end it was a series of Union victories, and Washington County's sons were on every field. All during the great battle year she had kept a steady stream of recruits going to the front, where they stepped into the places made vacant by the loss in battle or in hospital. She had sent out nearly a thousand of her best citizens for the 100 days' service. She had furnished more veterans for re-enlistment than any other county in the State excepting Hamilton, the number being 440, Stark being next with 400. The counties of the Fifteenth District stood as follows: Meigs, 245; Athens, 246; Washington, 440; Morgan, 251; Monroe, 238 - total number of veterans, 1,420. During this year the grand Army of the Potomac, under General Grant, had engaged the flower of the Rebel Army in Virginia, who fought stubbornly for every inch of ground. It was on May nth that Grant telegraphed the Secretary of War:

By the battles of the Wilderness and the other great engagements fought during the year 1864 between Grant and Lee, the Rebel forces were terribly reduced in number, so also were ours, but the great North stood ready to fill the ranks and to furnish the treasure to carry on the war indefinitely, while the South, already exhausted, could scarceh^ hope to supply fresh regiments or more money. Thus although Grant did not succeed in giving Lee a crushing defeat, he so weakened him that when he set down before Petersburg and began his series of movements towards Richmond, he left Washington and the rear in a measure secure from molestation, that city being fully fortified and the fortifications being manned by the artillerists of the reserve - the heroes of many battles - who were not needed at Petersburg. Ainong them were our Washington County Pierpont Battery, also Huntington's Battery.

The war had lasted nearly four years. Long and dreary they were, but filled with intensely exciting episodes. The people of the North were heartily tired of war and longed for peace. They had sent their bravest and best to the support of the Union and were ready for further sacrifices.

The newspapers of the year 1864 were filled with discussions of the terms of peace and propositions for settlement of the existing war, but nothing could be accomplished. It remained for Grant, Sherman, Thomas, and Sheridan to show the way to an honorable peace. At the beginning of the year 1865, Sherman had virtually completed his part in the great drama. Thomas had defeated and utterly routed and destroyed the Rebel Army under Hood, at Nashville, leaving nothing to fear in the west. Sheridan, by his crushing defeat of Early, in the Shenandoah valley, had made a good beginning on his part, and with Crook, Custer, and the others commanding that splendid body of cavalry, started on their great raid toward Richmond, broke down all opposition like a whirlwind, swept through Virginia at will, destroying railroads, canals, and everything in their track, and joined Grant at Petersburg on March 27th. The final surrender of Lee and his remnant of an army was only a question of time, but Grant had his plans fully matured, and he now considered the time most opportune to close in on the Rebel stronghold. He accordingly continued the flank movements to the left, placing Sheridan with his trusty cavalry on the extreme left with orders to proceed southwestward and develop the enemy's position and strength. Washington County was represented in Sheridan's cavalry by Company F, Second Virginia Cavalry, as well as in other regiments. Heavy masses of infantry were sent out to support Sheridan, and then began the most skillful and brilliant handling of large bodies of cavalry of any part of the war. The enemy were compelled to throw out a heavy force to meet this n^w movement, and thereby weakened the garrison at Petersburg and Richmond. A series of engagements took place, in which the Union troops were successful, taking many prisoners, and gaining many new and important positions, so that by April 2nd, Lee, realizing that his extended works around the two beleaguered cities had become untenable, sent the following dispatch from Petersburg to Jefferson Davis, at Richmond: "My lines are broken in three places. Richmond must be evacuated this evening." It was Sunday, and Davis was at church. He at once went out, and by 10 P. M. the Rebel government was well on its way toward Lynchburg, securing their o\\^^ safety, and leaving the army stores that Lee depended on for support during the retreat at Richmond. Lee. therefore, had to forage for subsistence, which greatlimpeded his retreat. It was indeed a losing game from the first, to contend with hunger and greatly superior forces at the same time. Four trains of provisions had been sent from Lynchburg to Appomattax station, and the Rebels were pushinig on with all haste to gain that point, but their horses were worn out, and they had no cavalry of any consequence. A man will stand hunger and fatigue and outlast several horses, in an emergency. So with Lee's grand Army of Northern Virginia, now reduced to barely 30,000 men, the veterans of so many battles, they could still offer a stubborn resistance, but the dumb brutes, that pulled their wagons and cannon, were totally exhausted. Sheridan, taking in the situation, dispatched Crook and Custer to capture the four trains, intended for the Rebel Army. This they did by a rapid march, riding up to the astonished train men before they were aware of their danger; and when Lee's advance guards came up they found no provisions, but saw an impenetrable wall of bluecoats, blocking their further advance. Lee, coming up, ordered a charge, supposing there was nothing but cavalry to oppose him. Acocrdingly, on came the charging column, when at the proper time, Sheridan rapidly drew off his cavalry, and revealed a heavy force of Union infantry, outnumbering the Rebels two to one. The Rebel line wavered, and seeing the cavalry on the right getting ready to charge their flank, they immediately sent' in a white flag, which led to the famous inter^-iew between Grant and Lee and the surrender at Appomattox - the final collapse of the Confederacy - the consummation so devoutly wished.

Celebration Of The Fall Of The Rebellion

The glorious news caused the greatest rejoicing throughout the North. Governor Brough issued a proclamation announcing the great victories, and recommended April 14th the anniversary of the fall of Sumter, as a fitting day on which to celebrate the fall of the Rebellion.

The people of Washington County needed no proclamation to urge them to celebrate. The news was no sooner received at Marietta, than the streets were filled with a joyful throng made up from all classes, old and young, grave and gay - every one that could make any kind of a gleeful noise was resolved to do it. The tinners did a good business in tin horns that day. Platoons of the best citizens went arm in arm down the street like drunken men, and the whole community was given up to rejoicing.

The program for the 14th was as follows: National salute and ringing of bells at sunrise; 10 A. M., grand procession - Capt. A. \V. McCormick and Maj. Jewett Palmer, Jr., just returned from the war, and Capt. Levi Barber, commanding; 2 P. M.,, assembly of the people to listen to speeches, songs, etc., at corner of Greene and Front streets. Marietta; in the evening, general illumination, procession, fireworkrs, music, etc.

Hon. W. E. Stevenson, of Wood County, West Virginia; President I. W. Andrews, of Marietta College, and Hon. George M. Woodbridge, of Marietta, were the orators of the day. Just as the procession was forming, a steamer landed, with the left wing of the Eighth United States Colored Infantry on board, 600 men, under command of Major Long. They marched up to the common in front of the Congregational Church for dress parade, in the presence of the assembled multitude. This occurrence, just at this time, was an eloquent commentary on the results of the great contest for human rights, now so successfully ended.

While these glad citizens were rejoicing and the illumination and fireworks were progressing so happily, there was being enacted in the far off capital of the nation a tragedy that on the morrow would send a thrill of horror throughout the country. Abraham Lincoln, that evening, was assassinated. Alas! that so sad a morn should succeed so joyful a day. The flags, that were displayed so proudly and exultantly Friday, on Saturday were draped in mourning for the great and good man, the martyred President. In compliance with the request of the Secretary of War, the day of the funeral, Wednesday, April 19th, was appropriately observed. The mayor of Marietta issued a proclamation asking all citizens of the city to desist from their ordinary occupations on that day, and attend religious services at the Centennary Methodist, and Congregational churches. This re<:[uest was duly coimplied with, and the day was very generally observed. The speakers at the churches were Revs.. W. M. Mullenix and C. D. Battelle, at the Centennary. and President I. W. Andrews and Rev. Thomas Wicks, at the Congregational. After the services an immense throaig was formed in procession at the foot of Putnam street, under Col. William R. Putnam as chief marshal, assisted by Maj. Jewett Palmer, Jr., and Capt. Levi Barber. They marched in the following order : Music, pall-bearers, colors, pall-bearers, clergy, mayor and Council of Marietta, mayor and Council of Harmar, citizens. The procession moved up Putnam to Second, up Second to Scammel, and down Scammel to Front, where a hollow square was formed, and the benediction pronounced by Rev. C. D. Battelle.

Thus ended the great Rebellion. Washington County had done her part fully, and with distinguished honor, and it was the delight of her citizens during the next few months to welcome back to dieir homes and to the ranks of peace, the veterans, the citizen soldiery, where they took their places, started again the wheels of industry and resumed the occupations they had left, and in a few months the blue-coats were lost to sight, but the wearers were destined never to be forgotten.