Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/343

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��Capt. S. R. Breese, Company H, who succeeded Capt. Baxter, was killed by a musket ball, Capt. M. W. Worden lost a leg, Lieutenant A. G. Hostettei* was severely wounded in the foot, and Lieut. E. B. Adams, of Company- F, lost a hand. Col. Ford was placed under arrest and sent to Washington for trial by a mili- tary commission, on the charge of having neg- lected his duty in the defense of Maryland Heights. This trial resulted in his dismissal from the service November 8, 1862, by order of the War Department.*

"At Chicago the regiment became almost completely demoralized. It had not been paid for eight months, and many of the men took " French leave " and went home to look after their families. Capt. B. F. Potts was sent to Columbus to ask Gov. Todd to procure an order from the War Department, transferring the regi- ment to Camp Taylor, near Cleveland. This application was successful, and the Thirty- second, or all that was left of it — thirty-five men, arrived at Camp Taylor December 1, 1862.

" On the 2d of December, Capt. B. F. Potts was appointed by Gov. Todd, Lieutenant Colo- nel of the regiment, and that energetic officer went immediately to work ' reconstructing ' the command. Within ten days, order prevailed, and 800 men had reported for duty. This happy result was not attained, however, without de- cisive action in the case of several officers, who were charged with inciting disaffection and re- volt among the men. Secretary Stanton, of the War Office, ordered their instant dismissal, which was consummated on the 23d of Decem- ber, 1862. The men were paid in full, and, on the 12th of January, 1863, declared to be ex- changed. On the 18th, orders were received to proceed to Memphis, Tenn. In re-organiz-

the correctness of Ool Fort's position and that he was not, as he always asserted, in any case to blame for the day's disaster. That he was made a " scapegoat " to shield the blunders of a superior officer was pretty well established, and he was afterward re-in- stated by President Lincoln. He did not, however, accept the posi- tion, but retired from the service.
 * Tlie evidence afterward adduced proved almost conclusively

��ing the regiment, Lieut. Col. Potts was made Colonel, Quartermaster R. H. Bentley, Lieuten- ant Colonel; Capt. A. M. Crumbacker, Major; Assistant Surgeon Brundige, Surgeon, and Lieut. George Sinclair, Captain. The regiment left Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, January 20; reached Memphis on the 25th of January, 1863, and was assigned to Logan's division. Seven- teenth Army Corps. At the battle of Cham- pion Hills the Thirty-second made a bayonet charge and captured the First Mississippi Rebel Battery — men, guns and horses — with a loss of tweuty-four men. For this gallant achieve- ment, the captured battery was turned over to the regiment and manned by Company F dur- ing the entire siege of Vicksburg. The total loss of the regiment during the campaign and siege of Vicksburg was 225, rank and file. It participated in the battles of Port Gibson, Ray- mond, Jackson, Champion Hills; was in the extreme front of Logan's division when Vicks- burg surrendered, and was assigned to post duty under Gen. Logan.

" In August, 1863, the regiment accompanied Stevenson's expedition to Monroe, La., and McPherson's expedition to Brownville, Miss., in October of the same year. It was also with Sherman in February, 1864, at Meridian, and lost twenty-two men at Bakers Creek, Miss.; February 5, 1864, in which last affair Capt. W. A. McAllister was severely wounded while gallantly leading the advance.

" Col. Potts had been assigned to the com- mand of the Second Brigade, Third Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, in the autumn of 1863, and was thereafter but seldom in com- mand of the regiment. In December and Jan- uary, 1863-64, more than three-fourths of the regiment re-enlisted as veterans, and on the 4th of March, 1864, it was furloughed home. It rejoined the army at Cairo, 111., on the 21st of April, with its ranks largely augmented by re- cruits. The onl}^ change made while at home was the addition of Dr. T. P. Bond, of

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