Read Ebook: A Historical Sketch of Company B Eighteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry Three Months Service by Palmer Jewett Booth John T John Thomas Contributor

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JULY 4.

The boys felt proud of their part of the day's doings and were complimented highly for their efficiency. After the military show was over violins were brought out and soon soldiers and citizens, the young ladies especially, were joined in the dance on the green sward under the branches of the great oaks. Games of many kinds were indulged in--swings were put up and liberally patronized by the youngsters, and all hands enjoyed themselves in various ways until the dinner hour. At 12:30 dinner was announced, when the companies fired "three rounds" as the closing act of the forenoon's programme. Just at this time a train load of enthusiastic soldiers and citizens arrived from Grafton and other points east of us and Co. B formed and marched over to Bridgeport and escorted them to camp. The dinner was a great success. Five times the tables were filled and cleared of food and guests. No one was neglected or turned away hungry. After dinner a member of Co. A delivered a well prepared address in an impressive manner. He was followed by Capt. Buell in a brief and spirited address, and he by an elderly minister of the locality, whose name has escaped me. Songs, sentimental, military and comic, fife and drum and violin music were interspersed and a most enjoyable day all too rapidly drew to a close.

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

We "marched over the Allegheny mountains, a distance of 35-1/2 miles in 24 hours, after leaving Oakland. At 4:00 o'clock the next morning Gen. Hill, with about 800 picked men in light marching order started for an additional forced march but after moving five miles was overtaken by a courier with a dispatch from McClellan ordering him to return."

We returned leisurely to Oakland and there went into camp, remaining until the morning of the 23rd of July, when the regiment took cars for the west. We reached Bridgeport about the middle of the afternoon and after getting our camp guards and equipage aboard moved slowly on to Clarksburg. Here we went into camp until the 30th when we again took cars for Parkersburg and home! While in camp at Clarksburg a call was made for volunteers to go to Rosecrans, on Gauley, where he was about to engage in battle with Gen. Floyd's forces.

The regiment was drawn up in line and a call made upon those who were willing to go to step out five paces to the front. Not a score of men left their places in the ranks. Our time had expired on the 17th, and many of the men had already made arrangements to enter the three years' service in other organizations and were anxious to get home and take up the new work.

We jogged along nearly all night, 30th-31st, side-tracking for eastbound trains, nearly all of which carried troops. As we were nearing Parkersburg early in the day of the 31st a man belonging to Co. I, fell from the top of a car and was mortally hurt, dying a day or two later. At Parkersburg we took the railroad ferry steamer, "Daniel Webster," for Marietta, the same boat that brought us to Parkersburg in May. We arrived off Harmar about 2:00 o'clock P. M. The banks on both sides of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers were lined with our friends, who had assembled to bid us welcome.

The "Putnam Light Artillery," of Marietta, boomed forth a loud-mouthed welcome. The boat rounded to near the "Point." Here we disembarked and after a warm greeting by our friends, fell in and marched through the city to "Camp Putnam." The whole population seemed to be out and our march was a continuous ovation. Before "Camp Putnam" was reached Co. B was reduced to a platoon. Many of the town boys quietly slipped out of ranks and accompanied their friends home. About the middle of the following forenoon the regiment was drawn up in line in Camp Putnam, when Col. Stanley gave us a few final words of farewell, and we were dismissed until such time as we should be called together for final muster-out and pay. On August 30th, the following call appeared in the Marietta papers:

"ATTENTION COMPANIES B AND K!

FRANK BUELL, Capt. Co. B. JOHN HENDERSON, Capt. Co. K. Marietta. O., Aug. 30, 1861."

The following is a

DESCRIPTIVE ROLL OF THE COMPANY

FIRST CORPORAL, WALLACE W. WITHROW.--Commissioned 2nd Lieut., Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery, January 25, 1862. Resigned, December 28, 1862, on account of disability from wounds received in action.

PRIVATES.

BAUER, JACOB--Enlisted in Co. L, 1st Ohio Cavalry, Jany. 5, 1864. Mustered out with regiment October 6, 1865. Waverly, West Va.

BLAIN, ROBINSON--

BORING, ELI P.--Did not re-enter service.

BRAGG, BENJAMIN--Mustered out July 29, 1861. Sergeant Co. A, 36th Ohio Infantry. Promoted to 2nd Lieut., March 8, 1865. Mustered out with regiment July 27, 1865. Veteran.

Lieut. Bragg has the best record for continuous unbroken service of any member of the company. His enlistment in the 18th Ohio bears date April 17, 1861, and his entry into service with the 36th Ohio was of date July 29th, 1861, two days before the 18th Ohio was disbanded, and 29 days before the formal muster out of that regiment. Lieut. Bragg and the writer were in the field in West Virginia in the three years service when the 18th was mustered out and paid and neither of us received the balance of pay due for our 3 months service until after the war closed.

BUKEY, ALEXANDER H.--Private in Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery, appointed corporal on its organization and promoted to Sergeant, August 1, 1862. Mustered out with battery. Veteran. Washington, D. C.

BURGESS, GEORGE ROYAL.

CLOSE, DANIEL--Private Battery A, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery.

CONIFFE, PETER L.--Did not re-enter the service.

DEMING, T. Y.

DOW, DAVID.--Private Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery. Appointed Corporal on its organization, promoted to Sergeant, December 19, 1862. Mustered out with battery. Veteran. Marietta, Ohio.

DRISCOL, THOMAS.--Private Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery. Mustered out with battery. Veteran.

FAIRHURST, JEREMIAH.--Private Battery K, 1st O. Light Artillery, Sept. 15, 1861. Appointed Sergeant on its organization. Wounded May 9, 1864. Discharged for disability May 9, 1865. Veteran.

FOULKE, WM. H.

GAY, WILLIAM.

GILLINGHAM, MILTON.--Private Co. L, 1st O. Cavalry. Appointed Corporal, Sept. 19, 1864. Mustered out with regiment.

HATFIELD, THOMAS.

HOLDEN, WILLIAM.--Commissioned 1st Lieut. and Quarter Master 2nd W. Va. Cavalry, Oct. 23, 1861. Resigned March 13, 1862. Appointed Captain and A. Q. M., U. S. Volunteers and served as such to the close of the war. Cincinnati, O.

LAUGHLIN, MILTON H.--Private Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery. Appointed Corporal. Mustered out with Battery. Veteran.

LIVING, FREDERICK.--Private Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery. Mustered out with battery. Veteran. Letart, W. Va.

McNAMARA, THOMAS.--Private Co. L, 1st O. Cavalry. Discharged Dec. 16, 1861 on Surgeon's certificate of disability.

MORSE, WILBUR F.--Private Co. G, 36th O. Infantry. Appointed Sergeant on its organization. Mustered out Sept. 4, 1864, on expiration of term of service. Bevier, Mo.

MEIGHAM, JOHN.--Private Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery. Promoted to Corporal. Mustered out with battery. Veteran.

NORTH, THOMAS H.--Private Co. G, 36th O. Infantry, August 12, 1861. Appointed Sergeant on its organization. Mustered out on expiration of term of service. Kist, Oregon.

PADDEN, ANTHONY.--Lancaster, O.

PALMER, JEWETT, JR.--Mustered out August 12, 1861 to accept promotion as Captain Co. G, 36th O. Infantry. Promoted to Major May 9, 1864. Resigned Nov. 30, 1864. Veteran. Marietta, O.

PHELPS, JAMES.

QUINBY, DANIEL W.--Private Co. L, 1st O. Cavalry, January 4, 1864. Mustered out September 26, 1865. Was also private in Co. A, 87th Ohio, for three months. Belle Plaine, Kas.

SCOTT, WILLIAM N.

SHIRES, ROBERT.--Musician Co. D, 63rd O. Infantry. Appointed Principal Musician, July 21, 1862. Mustered out with the regiment. Veteran.

SMITH, JOHN W.--Private Co. L, 1st O. Cavalry, Sept. 16, 1861. Discharged March 2, 1863, on Surgeon's certificate of disability.

STANTON, HENRY B.

STEWART, TARTUS L.

STEWART, WILLIAM.

TUCKER, ABNER.--Private Battery C, 1st W. Va. Light Artillery. Discharged on Surgeon's certificate of disability, January 13, 1863. Marietta, O.

TURNER, JAMES.

VOSHEL, JAMES.

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