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Ohio in the Civil War

Ohio and the Civil War (1861-1865)

Ohio (1861-1865), part 2

Thirty thousand men assembled in answer to the call for 13,000.
Out of these, eleven more regiments were organized for three
months' service in the volunteer army of the United States. A
little later these were sent to Camp Dennison and still later they
re-enlisted and were there reorganized for the three years' service
under President Lincoln's first call for three year enlistments.
Two or three thousand declined to re-enlist, and were sent home
on furlough until their three months' enlistment had expired.

They had not in all cases been paid, and "their feelings were par-
ticipated in by their friends, until very many were led to believe
that the promises of the government were worthless, and bitter-
ness and wrath succeeded to suspicion and disappointment."
(Report of Adjutant-General Buckingham, 1861.)

In addition to these thirteen volunteer regiments for the nation-
al army, Ohio organized ten regiments of her own out of the
companies that were offered, one regiment of which went to St.
Louis and was mustered in as the 13th Mo., under Col. Crafts J.
Wright, and two others became the 1st and 2nd Ky. infantry regi-
ments. Besides these regiments, enough companies for four
others were held in reserve at their homes.

The president, in his proclamation of April 15, had allowed
the Confederates 20 days in which to disperse, and on the ex-
piration of that time the following general order was issued,
explaining the manner of proceeding to raise companies for a
reserve force of 100,000 men, the number of companies to which
each county was entitled, and other matters pertaining to the
organization of this immense "home army:"

"General Headquarters, Adj't-Generars Office,
Columbus, Ohio, May 6, 1861.

"The twenty days' limit for the dispersion of rebels now in
arms against the United States has expired. Whether the strug-
gle for vindication of the imperiled Union shall be brief or pro-
tracted, the result is certain. The destinies of all nations are
interwoven with that of America, and the issue is made up.
Ohio will meet the crisis firmly and fulfill her part. The more
decided her action, the sooner will peace succeed war, and loy-
alty supplant treason.

"To give force and system to her action, the following gen-
eral order is promulgated:

"I. The militia is divided into the 'active army of operation'
and the 'militia of the reserve.' The nine regiments now en-
camped (additional to the thirteen mustered into the United
States service), and such further regiments as the general as-
sembly shall authorize, will be mustered into the state service,
and placed under strict discipline for immediate service.

"II. The enrolled militia, between the ages of 18 and 45,
exceeds 300,000 men. This force is divided into the 1st, 2nd
and 3d reserve corps. The able-bodied force of other ages re-
tired from service, but fully competent to meet any demand
that the exigencies of the Union may require, exceeds 200,000
men, and will constitute the 4th and 5th reserve corps. The
1st reserve corps will be organized forthwith, and be subject
to immediate transfer into the 'active army of operation.' Ap-
plications, however, for the organization of militia of the re-
serve will not be limited to this quota, but the companies com-
posing it will receive the post of honor and the first assignment
to active duty in case the country requires their service.

"VI. As a general rule, public arms will not be issued to the
militia of the reserve, but a proximate estimate of the number
of private rifles in the possession of men expert in their use,
shows that, with proper exercise, nearly or quite the entire first
contingent of 100,000 men can be armed, and disciplined in
hours of leisure, postponing their draft upon the state until
they are transferred to the active corps.

"By order of the Commander-in-Chief.

"H. B. Carrington, Adjutant-general."

The state was expected to uniform, arm and equip its sol-
diers, and the difficulties of doing this were enormous, requir-
ing the generous services and counsel of the best qualified cit-
izens. The people of Toledo, Dayton, Zanesville, and other
places, subscribed large sums of money for the support of the
volunteers and their families, and at Zanesville large property
holders agreed to give houses rent free to families of volun-
teers during their absence. To aid in the work of equipping
the soldiers Miles Greenwood, who had established an iron foun-
dry in Cincinnati in 1831, undertook the contract for rifling the
old smooth-bore .69 caliber muskets, and thus produced the
"Greenwood rifle," which carried for a long range a bullet of con-
siderable size. He also undertook the casting of cannon, and
during the war turned out over 200 bronze cannon. He also
manufactured gun-caissons, and the armament of a monitor.

As soon as it was known that troops would be called out for
three years. Gov. Dennison recommended Gen. McClellan for
the rank of major-general U. S. A., so that he could retain
chief command in the West. "Ohio must lead throughout the
war," said the governor. Aside from the furnishing of troops
to the general government, the chief duty of Gov. Dennison
was the protection of the state from invasion. There was no
Confederate army near in the early part of 1861, for Kentucky
was neutral and divided on the question of loyalty to the Union
and western Virginia was largely Union in sentiment. But
Confederate companies were organizing all along the border
and it was reasonable to expect that Confederate raids would
be made into Ohio and later large bodies of Confederates would
occupy those regions adjacent to Ohio, if they were not fore-
stalled. Adjt.-Gen. Carrington in April, 1861, advised the gov-
ernor that the Ohio river was not a practical line of defense,
and that Ohio could be guarded only by occupying western
Virginia and Kentucky. But did the Ohio troops have a right
to invade the soil of another state? When it was being dis-
cussed whether United States troops could take possession of
the Long bridge at Washington, Gov. Dennison said: "We
can let no theory prevent the defense of Ohio. I will defend
Ohio where it costs less and accomplishes most. Above all, I
will defend Ohio beyond rather than on her own border." He
joined with Govs. Yates and Morton in urging the government
to garrison the important points in Kentucky, but that was not
attempted until the enemy had occupied strategic positions. Re-
garding western Virginia, the governor obtained permission to
act, because in that quarter it was desired to encourage the people
in their efforts to secede from Virginia and form a new state. In
April Col. Barnett and part of his artillery was sent to Marietta
to hold in check the rebellious element at Parkersburg, and when
it was heard that the Virginia volunteers had taken possession of
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad at Grafton, the government per-
mitted Ohio to go ahead. On May 24, McClellan began to move,
and he then asked for the nine regiments of state troops, which
in six hours were in motion for the border. Col. Steedman
crossed with the 14th Ohio, and Barnett's artillery at Marietta,
occupied Parkersburg May 27, and swept out on and along the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, repairing the track and rebuilding
bridges to Grafton, where he joined Col. Irvine, who had brought
the 16th Ohio and Col. Kelley's Virginia regiment along the other
branch of that road. Pushing on to Philippi, they fought the
first battle or affair of the war, June 3, and drove the Confederate
forces further back into the mountains. A slow advance was a
little later made by Gen. McClellan with a considerable army upon
the new positions of the Confederates at the Rich mountain and
at Laurel hill near Philippi. The attack on Rich mountain was
made July 11 and a victory was won by a brigade of four regi-
ments of infantry, three of them from Ohio, under Brig.-Gen. W.
S. Rosecrans, also of Ohio. A sharp blow to the retreating enemy
was delivered the next day at Carrick's ford.

Col. Norton, with the 21st Ohio, crossed at Gallipolis, seized
30 Virginians of secession activity, and sent them to Camp Chase
near Columbus, they being the first prisoners at that camp, which
was afterward famous as a place of detention for Confederate
soldiers and other prisoners.

Present-day Ohio

Map of present-day Ohio

Some of the Ohio troops that participated in this preliminary
work in West Virginia returned home at the end of their three
months' enlistment, but were neglected by the United States gov-
ernment in the matters of muster out and pay. "Disappointed
and disgusted by the treatment they had received," says Gen.
Buckingham, "they aggravated in a tenfold degree the mischief
produced by the three-months' men sent home from Camp Denni-
son. The prospect of raising troops in Ohio was for a time very
discouraging." But the neglect was due to the lack of money
in the U. S. treasury and of efficient general organization. So
much was enlistment discouraged, however, that it was fortunate
that Ohio had four regiments in reserve. In June these were
called to Camp Chase, near Columbus, and organized into the 23d,
24th, 25th and 26th regiments. The nine regiments that had been
in western Virginia having been mustered out, the entire force
of Ohio three-years' men in the field on Aug. 1, were the four
just named, the eleven organized at Camp Dennison, two cavalry
companies and two sections of artillery. These were on duty
mainly in western Virginia. But the effect of disaster at Bull
Run (July 21, 1861) was to stiffen the determination of the
patriotic leaders. Venomous criticism was stifled in the face
of danger to the national capital, and new regulations removed
some disagreeable features of enlistment. The nine three-months'
regiments that had been in western Virginia were reorganized for
three years, and besides these many other entirely new regiments
were organized, so that by. the end of the year the Ohio infantry
numbers ran up to 82. At Mansfield, under the encouragement
of Senator Sherman, who for a time intended to go to the field,
but was dissuaded, there were organized two regiments, a squad-
ron of cavalry and a battery. Congressman Gurley gave special
attention to the promotion of distinctive regiments from the Cin-
cinnati district. Cavalry was at first discouraged, but the state
raised one regiment in July, Senator B. F. Wade and John Hutch-
ins raised another on the Reserve, and by special efforts a total of
six cavalry regiments were formed in the year. In the artillery
branch seventeen batteries were organized, besides Col. James
Barnett's regiment, which was filled to ten companies. Notable
among these batteries were Wetmore's, of Cleveland, and Mitch-
ell's, of Springfield, that went to Missouri. Hoffman's Cincinnati
battery was the first to go to Missouri, followed by the 39th,
27th and 81st and part of the 22nd Ohio regiments. Ohio troops
rendered valiant service in saving Missouri as well as West Vir-
ginia and Kentucky. The whole number of troops organized for
the war by the state of Ohio, to Dec. 31, 1861, was as follows:

In camps in the state: thirty-five regiments infantry, 26,146;
four regiments cavalry, 4,485; seventeen batteries artillery, 1,228;
total, 31,679.

Ohio troops in three years' service, infantry, 67.546: cavalry,
7,270; artillery, 3,028; total, 77,844.

To which add twenty-two full regiments for three months,
22,000; two companies of cavalry, 180; two sections artillery,
80'; one battery, 120; grand total, 100,224.

The expenses paid by Ohio were given as follows :

"Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 1, 1861.

"It is hereby certified that the costs, charges, and expenses,
properly incurred by the state of Ohio, for enrolling, subsisting,
clothing, supplying, arming, equipping, and transporting its
troops employed in aiding to suppress the present insurrection
against the United States, exceed the sum of the following items,
viz.: enrollment, $20,000; incidental expenses, $30,000; subsist-
ence, $300,000; clothing, $600,000 ; barracks, camp equipage, med-
ical supplies, ammunition, etc., $250,000; arms, $400,000; equip-
ping troops, $350,000; transportation, $150,000;

"Two million one hundred thousand dollars ($2,100,000).

"W. Dennison, Governor of Ohio."

"R. W. Taylor, Auditor of State."

In Sept., 1861 the Federal government returned to the state
$900,000 of the $2,100,000 the latter had expended in forwarding
troops.

With the close of the eventful year of 1861 ended the career of
William Dennison as a war governor of Ohio. At the time when
the political parties were selecting their candidates for the guber-
natorial office, in the autumn of that year, Gov. Dennison was be-
ing accused of responsibility for all the mistakes that had occurred
in the raising of an army of soldiers in Ohio greater than the
whole United States had ever before put in the field. For this rea-
son, and also for the purpose of retaining the favor of the hosts of
Democrats who supported the war, David Tod, a former Demo-
crat, received the nomination of the Union Republican party and
he was successful at the polls. But Gov. Dennison's record was
not such as to be ashamed of. From April 15, 1861, until he re-
tired from office in Jan. 1862, he had organized twenty-three regi-
ments for three months' service and eighty-two for three years'.
He left the state credited with 20,751 soldiers over and above the
demands of the general government. Besides that he had shown
a prescient military wisdom in regard to the occupation of west-
ern Virginia and Kentucky. In financial administration, when
the appropriations of $3,000,000 by the legislature were tied up
under a construction of the law followed by the state treasurer,
he adopted the bold plan of collecting money due the state from
the general government by his personal agents and using it for
the desired purposes. In this way he kept out of the state treas-
ury, and where it could be used, over $1,000,000 that was abso-
lutely necessary for war purposes. In all this work he had been
efficiently aided by such distinguished Ohio civilians as George
W. McCook, Edward Ball, Noah H. Swayne, Joseph R. Swan,
Aaron F. Perry, Julius J. Wood, Richard M. Corwin, Alfred P.
Stone and William A. Piatt.

During the session of 1862, the Ohio legislature, on March 14,
adopted the following resolutions: "Whereas, wicked and am-
bitious traitors have, without cause, plunged our nation into civil
war, disregarding all fraternal obligations; falsifying the most
sacred injunctions that can be applied to the conscience — their
solemn oaths; forcing upon us an expense of millions of money
and incalculable loss in the prostration of business, and untold
miseries in the sacrifice of human life; and whereas recent de-
velopments manifest a disposition on the part of some of the lead-
ers of the rebellion to ask terms and sue for peace; Therefore,

"Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio,
That in view of the loss of loyal blood and treasure, our govern-
ment cannot, without loss of character and injustice to the noble
dead that have fallen in defense of its authority and the rights
of humanity, accept less than an unconditional submission to the
supremacy of the constitution and the laws.

"Resolved, That the future peace of the United States and the
permanency of the government, as well as the best interests of
humanity throughout the world, demand the speedy trial and sum-
mary execution of all leading conspirators in the attempt to de-
stroy the government; and in the name of the people of Ohio, who
have given their money and lives without stint for the preserva-
tion of our liberties, we protest against the entertainment of any
proposition for settlement other than unconditional submission
to rightful authority and the condign punishment of the authors
of the rebellion."

Shiloh was a battle of great carnage, and as soon as the news
of the losses in killed and wounded reached home the great heart
of Ohio throbbed with sympathy. The Sanitary commission.
Mayor Hatch of Cincinnati, and Gov. Tod hastened to send
steamers down the rivers, laden with supplies, surgeons and
nurses. "Ohio boats removed the wounded with tender care to
the hospitals at Camp Dennison and elsewhere within the state;
the Ohio treasury was good for expenditures for the comfort of
the sick and wounded which the general government did not pro-
vide for." At the close of the year the state had paid out over
$50,000 for the expense of eleven steamboats, many surgeons,
etc., in this work of mercy.

While Stonewall Jackson was raiding the Shenandoah Valley
there was great alarm for the safety of Washington, and in
obedience to a call from the capital. Gov. Tod called for more vol-
unteers. At Cleveland a public meeting was hastily called, at
which 250 men enlisted, among them nearly all the students of a
law school; at Zanesville the fire bells rang alarm, and 300 were
enrolled, among them the judge of the court then in session and
a large number of the lawyers, while all over the state there was

the same spirit moving all classes of her people, so that 5,000
men reported at Camp Chase within a few days. Under these
circumstances the 84th regiment was sent to the field in 10 days,
and the 85th, 86th, 87th and 88th were soon afterward filled. All
the other regiments — eighty-two of infantry and six of cavalry —
had been filled in February and March and sent out of the state,
except the 45th, 50th and 52nd. recruited during the summer.
Under the two calls of the president, each for 300,000 men, the
quota of Ohio was 74,000. Under the law the state militia was
liable to draft for half of this force. To avoid the apparently
harsh methods of the draft, which would bring in all able-bodied
men without regard to their patriotism, the plan was at this time
adopted of apportioning the quota to the counties, and later to the
townships, according to population, and to call upon the com-
munities to encourage enlistments in the most effective manner
possible. At the time when these calls were made the state had
already raised, by voluntary enlistment, 115,200, and of these
60,000 three-years troops were in the field. This was not a very
serious depletion of the state's military resources, but it was
deemed best by Gov. Tod and those who were apparently best
qualified to judge, to use extraordinary means to secure enlist-
ments, and the practice was begun of paying bounties. Begin-
ning in the summer of 1862 and continuing until the latter part of
the war, over $50,000,000 was paid in local bounties in Ohio to
secure enlistments. But in spite of all that was done in this way
in the summer of 1862, the state had furnished but 151,301 volun-
tary enlistments on Sept. 1, of that year, and a draft was neces-
sary to raise 12,000 more. The draft was a failure practically,
for it resulted in adding only 2,400 men, but voluntary enlistments
were renewed and stimulated by and after the draft so that the
state was by the end of the year credited with 171,000 men, be-
sides the first three-months men. recruits for the regular army
and enlistments in the navy. It was evident that some strong anti-
war influence had temporarily occupied the public mind during
the summer, and difficulties were from time to time thrown in
the way by persons hostile to the war. Perhaps the most con-
spicuous of these was Dr. Edson B. Olds, of Lancaster, whose
speeches were considered by Gov. Tod as calculated to discourage
enlistments so seriously that he recommended the Washington
authorities to arrest the irascible doctor, under the provisions of
the proclamation suspending the writ of habeas corpus. Dr. Olds
was accordingly arrested on the evening of August 12, 1862, by
a couple of U. S. officers. Some resistance was attempted by one
or more members of the family, but it proved trifling, the pris-
oner was conveyed with little difficulty out of town and sent to
Fort Lafayette, where the U. S. authorities continued to hold him
for many months. Arrests of some other parties of less promi-
nence followed. In all, eleven were made — only two of which
were on the governor's recommendation, however.

There appeared nothing threatening to Ohio in the early sum-
mer of 1862, but suddenly the air of peace was disturbed by the
raid of Gen. John H. Morgan and his cavalry into central Ken-
tucky. Cincinnati was reasonably alarmed by the news and the
frantic appeals of the Kentucky general then on duty in that
state. Public meetings were called in the city, George E. Pugh
leading the effort for defense. Gov. Tod sent arms and convales-
cent soldiers, followed by other troops in the state, and these and
the city police force were sent to Lexington, Ky., to meet the
enemy, but Morgan retired after somewhat recruiting his brigade
and destroying a great amount of military supplies.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 2