Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/333

 HISTORY or RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��ment into service. At first, the officers per- emptorily refused to accept Capt. jNIcLauglilin, owing to liis age, claiming he could not stand the marches, should they be necessar}'. He was, however, finally given a commission. He was determined to go to the war, and, had an officer's commission been denied him, the " old war horse " would have shouldered a musket and gone, as he expressed it, " on his own hook." While in camp, Hon. John Sherman joined the company, and was made color bearer. He, however, was not mustered in, his duties aa Senator occupying his time. The regiments went to Philadelphia, May 1, where the}' were until near the last of the month, when they were ordered forward to the defense of Wash- ington. While at Washington, Capt. McLaugh- lin was offered a captain's commission in the regular arm}-, but declined it. On the 23d of the month, they left the vicinity of Washington and marched to Arlington Heights, where they remained till June 15, when they received orders to cross over into Virginia. In that State, they went into Camp Lincoln, remaining there two days, when they, in company with a large force of troops, were sent forward to guard the railroad. Near the town of Vienna, they encountered a masked battery, and a short, sharp fight ensued, in which the Federal troops were driven back. The troops left along the road hurried forward to aid their comrades, but met them too late to do an}- good, and together they retreated in good order to the road lead- ing from Georgetown to Fairfax, where a de- tachment had been left, and, with them, went into camp, naming it Camp LTpton. This was the first touch of war for any of Richland County's troops. It is said that in this retreat the "old war horse" was as active as any, despite his lameness ; but the men were all fresh, and, in after 3-ears, looked upon this first exploit with consideral^le feeling of mirth.

Not long after this, the great battle of Bull Run — the first real battle of the war — occurred.

��The First Regiment was in the active part of the battle. It did good service, also, in con- ducting the retreat, and in re-forming the broken Federal lines. It is due to Mr. T. E. Douglas to sa}', that, when the rout began at that battle, he was the first man to call a rail}' of Ohio troops. Springing on a stump, he shouted, " Soldiers of Companj- 1, rally ! rally ! " A few gathered about him ; others came ; soon the regiment was called in, and an orderly retreat made, covering other flying troops, and saving the credit of Ohio.

The term of enlistment of the three-months men began to expire about the 1st of August. The magnitude of the contest was now appar- ent, and, ere the day came to disband the first- •called soldiers, the President's call for 300,000 troops went over the land. ^lau}- of the three- months men re-enlisted. They were, however, allowed a short furlough, and came home. Friday, August 6, Capt. Miller's compau}-, which had been in the Fifteenth Regiment, arrived in Mansfield. A gTeat concourse of citizens met them at the depot and escorted them up town. Speeches were made, and a happy reunion experienced. But one man had been killed. That was Mr. N. 0. Smith, who lost his life in a skirmish between a squad of rebels and his and the Sixteenth Regiments, on the 29th of June. He was Richland's first offering in the war.*

The next day after Capt. Miller's company (enlisted under Capt. M. R. Dickey) came. Capt. McLaughlin's company arrived. He had lost but two men, James Morris t and Edward Horstack. The first named was missing ; the latter died at Lancaster, of disease. The Plymouth company, Capt. Hiram Miller, the Shelby company, Capt. A. C. Cummins, and the

one contributed to a common fund, and erected a beautiful monu- ment over liis grave in the little graveyard at Windsor, whither a great concourse of people laid him away forever at rest.
 * When his comrades-in-arms received their pay in August, each

fBysome means, lie was detached from the regiment at the battle of Bull Run, and was tal- en prisoner by the rebels. This was not known when the company returned.

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