Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/335

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��The meeting was then addressed by numerous speakers on the state of the country, and but one feeling pre- vailed — that the Government must be sustained.

It was further resolved, that the families of volunteers must be cared for, and, on motion of S. Tucker, the fol- lowing committee of nine was appointed, to wit : Simeon Tucker, John Dempsey, David Anderson, W. R. Bricker, C. McMiller, J. H. Cox, S. S. Bloom, William Cummins and William Kerr.

(Signed) William Cummins, Chairman.

J. H. Cox, Secretary.

Mr. A. C. Cummins, now a resident of Mansfield, began raising a company about the same time Capt. Dicke}' raised his, and, in a sliort time, had enlisted eight}^ men. When the officers of the company- were chosen, he was elected Captain; T. H. Wiggins, First Lieutenant, and H. B. Graylord, Second Lieutenant. The Sergeants were J. H. Fine- frock, A. M. Burns, S. H. Anderson and Edgar Wilson. The Corporals were John Saltzgarber, H. L. Bingham, William Fletcher and Isaac A. Mej'ers. A second company was also organ- ized there, of which William Cummins was elected Captain ; Rev. A. R. Brown, First Lieu- tenant, and Thomas H. Mickey, Second Lieu- tenant. It was, however, not out in the three- months service.

Capt. Dickey's company went to Columbus Thursday, April 25. Capt. Cummins' company had preceded them a few days, and had been also assigned to the Fifteenth Regiment. This regi- ment was now filled, and ordered into service. Before going, Capt. Dickey had been promoted to the Lieutenant Colonel's place, and Hiram H. Miller, First Lieutenant of the company, elected to fill his place. The regiment left Camp Jackson May 15, and went to Camp Goddard, near Zanesville, where they spent about ten days drilling and waiting for equip- ments. At the end of that time, the Fifteenth went into West Virginia, crossing the Ohio River near Bellaire, and encamping at Camp

��Benwood. May 30, they left Camp Benwood, and went on to Camp Burton, the Sixteenth Regiment having preceded them one day. At Camp Burton, seven companies under command of Col. Andrews encamped, and three companies under Lieut. Col. Dickej' proceeded to Glover's Gap and camped. Both were doing guard dut}^ on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The regi- ments did not well relish this service. The}' desired to get to the front, and, by a stroke of policy, received an order from the General to " move on." They marched to Grafton. While at this place, three companies were detailed, under command of Lieut. Col. Dicke}', to go to Philippi. They reached there the day after the fight. None of these companies were from Richland County. The seven companies under Gen. Hill were sent to intercept Gen. Garnett's retreating troops ; but, halting a few miles too soon, the rebels passed them in the night, and escaped. Soon after, the skirmishes at Laurel Hill and Carrick's Ford occurred. At the latter place the rebels lost Gen. Garnett, one of their best generals. He was killed while endeavoi*- ing to rally his men. The term of enlistment of the three-months men had expired before these engagements occurred ; but the}^ were in- duced to remain in reponse to an urgent appeal from Gen. McClellan, who desired them in the crisis to stand a while longer. After the affairs terminated, the separated regiments were gathered at Grafton, and there took cars for home, arriving in Columbus about the 1st of August. They (the Fifteenth and Sixteenth) had been in almost the same kind of service, principally guard duty. They had performed a large amount of marching, guarding and re- pairing of bridges along the I'ailroad, and in the discharge of these duties had been of gi-eat value to the Government. The Fifteenth had lost but two men.

Capt. Miller and Capt. Cummins' companies arrived home August 2, Mr. N. 0. Smith being the only man missing, and he, the county's first

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