Chapter II

A PROMPT RESPONSE TO WAR’S ALARMS AND THE ARTILLERY GOES TO THE FRONT.

At half past four o’clock on the morning of Friday—unlucky day—April 12, 1861, the rebel batteries at Charleston opened fire on Fort Sumter. The fort was surrendered at noon of Sunday, April 14. On this day President Lincoln drafted his proclamation calling out seventy-five thousand volunteers for three months. That night it went out by telegraph, and on Monday the people of the North knew that the last hope of compromise had vanished. Already the “dogs of war” had been slipped, and the country was to be tested in the fierce crucible of a mighty conflict. None who witnessed it, or were a part of it, can ever forget the grand, patriotic uprising of the loyal masses, from Maine to California, and from the Lakes to the Ohio river, to avenge the insult of the National Flag. It need only be alluded to in this connection. The quotas of the various states under the first call for troops were duly apportioned, and in some cases were more than filled in a single day. All the organized military companies in Ohio offered their services, and all were clamorous that they should be accepted. There seemed to be a generally prevailing fear that the war would be “all over” before they could get there.

The Cleveland Grays—from which the first gun squad of the Cleveland Artillery was detailed more than twenty years before—left amidst prodigious excitement for Columbus, became Company E of the First Ohio Infantry, and started immediately for Washington. But so far there was no call for the artillery. How all the men, from Colonel to powder-monkey, chafed in the impatience of their raging patriotism. It would be sad indeed, they thought, if, after all, it should prove that the Adjutant General was right, and that “no artillery would be needed”—or if a few cannon should be required the batteries of the Regular Army would supply them, and the unhappy volunteers would remain “out in the cold.”

But there came a loud call for artillery, and the boys, who were fretting themselves sick, had not long to wait for the glad summons. On Saturday, April 20, the following dispatch went singing over the wires:

Columbus, O., April 20, 1861.

To Colonel James Barnett,
Cleveland, O.

Report your six pieces, caissons and full battery, including
Geneva company, at Columbus forthwith—Monday if possible. You can
hire horses for the guns here or at your point of service. Bring
harness and everything else, and twenty men to each gun. You retain
Colonel’s rank. By order—

H. B. Carrington,
Adjutant General.

This was received by Colonel Barnett early in the evening of the day named. How the news spread through the city, as if borne upon the wings of the wind! How it set the hearts of the impatient boys to thumping and how they cheered at the tidings, while tears dimmed the eyes and moistened the cheeks of wives and mothers and sisters and sweethearts!

Early Sunday morning Colonel Barnett issued the following order to captains of companies:

You will report your command of twenty men ready to march to
Columbus tomorrow at 12 o’clock, noon, at the Public Square. You
will have your piece and caisson and harness complete at the depot
between Superior street and Vineyard lane, with a detail of ten
men to attend to their embarkation, at 9 o’clock A. M., under the
command of a sergeant, and when embarked report to your superior
officers.

By order of the Adjutant General of Ohio.

James Barnett,
Colonel First Regiment Artillery,
S. B. Sturges, Lieutenant Colonel.

A messenger was hurried out to Brooklyn to stir up that company, and a telegram was sent to Geneva, carrying the news to Company F.

“Ah, then and there was hurrying to and fro,” as the artillerymen hustled around, engaged in hasty preparation for “going to war.” In Cleveland, as everywhere else, there was a furious ferment of excitement. For the moment business of every kind was laid aside. The one absorbing theme was the opening conflict. Husbands and sons and brothers had been called to the field to defend the nation’s flag. Not only their immediate friends but the citizens generally put forth every possible effort to fit out the boys in good shape. Meetings were held and fervid speeches were made. But no stimulating force was then necessary, for every heart was swelling with patriotic ardor and the spirit of sacrifice. It was not a good time for the utterance of “copperhead” sentiments. Had any one dared to express sympathy with those who had fired on the flag his life would not have been worth a rush. If there were any such, they kept prudently quiet. People shouted and sang patriotic songs, and spoke words of cheer and encouragement to those who were about to leave for “the front.” The boys had little need, however, of being urged to obey the call of duty, and sympathy was wasted on them, for they were in a state of feverish anxiety for an opportunity to unlimber their guns in the face of the foe.

The state of public feeling was about as hot as it could be, but on Sunday morning another dispatch was received which added more fuel to the fierce flames and raised the temperature to even a higher point. It was as follows:

Columbus, O., April 21, 1861.

To Colonel James Barnett,

Can you bring your command here tonight instead of waiting till
tomorrow? If so, come armed.

William Dennison, Governor.

Thus early people began to learn that there is “no Sunday in war.” All that day the excitement increased. Those who took the time to go to church listened to sermons on the duty of the hour.

It was found impracticable to assemble the regiment in time to get away on Sunday and the Governor was informed by telegraph that it would leave early Monday morning. A dispatch from Capt. Dennis Kenny at Geneva told that Company F was “red hot” and could be ready to leave that night for the rendezvous at Cleveland. The necessary transportation was provided and the company reported before daylight. Company C. from Brooklyn, was equally prompt to respond, and half the people of that town accompanied the boys to the city to “see them off.”

During the forenoon of Monday—April 22d—there was the greatest activity among the members and friends of the regiment. The whole city was astir and fairly boiling with excitement. Thousands of people turned out, thronging the depot and the railroad leading to Columbus, to witness the departure of the soldiers. The latter were, of course, only provided with a “pick up” outfit, it being expected that all necessary clothing and supplies would be furnished by the state authorities.

In order to start the boys in as comfortable shape as possible the citizens contributed a sum sufficient for the purchase of one hundred and twenty blankets—all that could be found in Cleveland suitable for military use. The blankets were bought by Mr. Henry N. Johnson, and the following memorandum of the purchases is given as an item of interest:

Number. Price. Amount.

E. I. Baldwin 12 $ 1.48-⅓ $ 17.80
Taylor & Griswold 3 2.50 7.50
Alcott & Horton 92 2.00 184.00
Morgan & Root 13 1.75 22.75
——— —————— ———————
Total 120 $232.05

At about noon the regiment, numbering in all about one hundred and sixty men, embarked on a special train. There were hasty and tearful farewells and the train moved off amidst tempestuous shouts and cheers, the waving of flags and kerchiefs and the music of brass bands.

At that time no one had more than a vague and foggy idea of what war was. It had not yet become the serious matter that it was a few months later, and during the four long and bitter years that followed. The first volunteers went to the field with a grand hurrah, impelled by motives of the truest patriotism, but with no conception of the hardship and privation and blood and fire and death that were before them. The sickle was sharpened but had not been thrust in to reap its ghastly harvest. As yet there were no stretchers nor hospitals nor ambulances freighted with mangled victims; no miles of reddened earth strewed with the dead and dying; no long, weary marches, through heat and cold and storm; no ravages of wasting disease. All these were yet as an unopened book to these men hastening to the field, and to those who with moistened eyes and beating hearts bade them farewell and God speed. Only a few then believed that there would be much of a war—that the trouble would not all be over in sixty or ninety days.

The following is a roster of the regiment as it left Cleveland, the officers of the field and staff having been already given. A few men who joined some of the companies a few weeks later are included:

COMPANY A.

Captain, W. R. Simmonds; First Sergeant, John A. Bennett.

Roger D. Throup,
Joseph Dunn,
John A. Benjamin,
Thos J. Thompson,
John J. Kelley,
M. Eugene Cornell,
John H. Blair,
George W. Clark,
Thomas D. Beckwith,
Edward P. Anson,
Isaac Cramer,
David H. Throup,
Richard Dunn,
George Bruster,
Henry New,
Henry H. Rebbeck,
J. Hale Sypher,
W. M. Camp,
Henry Moels,
Daniel Reynolds,
John R. Milton,
Amasa Bailey,
William Bruner.

COMPANY B.

Captain, J. G. Mack; Lieutenant, Jacob Reider; First Sergeant, Frederick C. Grauninger; Second Sergeant Mathias Adams.

Daniel Scheuer,
George Chapin,
John Galcher,
Andrew Worley,
Charles B. Rodder,
Peter Ruff,
Adolph Menzelman,
Peter Reidenbach,
Lewis Fahrion,
Frederick Beckel,
Leonard Nerriter,
Abraham Fredericks,
Michael Schoemer,
Nicholas Weidenkopf,
William Ebert,
Lawrence Nigel,
Christian Tenfel,
Alexander Erhart,
Michael Lucas.

COMPANY C.

Captain, F. W. Pelton; Lieutenant, Samuel Sears; First Sergeant, F. S. Pelton; Second Sergeant, P. C. Schneider.

Levi Fish,
William Fish,
Alexander Heve,
F. W. Wirth,
William Llewellyn,
C. E. Marcellus,
Frank Storer,
George Lyon,
G. R. Davis,
Edward S. Brainerd,
Abel Fish,
Henry Fish,
John C. Brainerd,
C. M. Dean,
J. H. Boyden,
J. L. Hand,
E. S. Allen,
William Grotzinger,
Frank Wattles,
Henry Roberts,
George Schmale.

COMPANY D.

Captain, P. W. Rice; Lieutenant, J. H. Miller; First Sergeant, E. F. Reeve; Second Sergeant, W. H. Hilliard.

W. P. Edgarton,
George D. E. Murray,
D. S. Davis,
William Kidd,
H. G. Vincent,
Frank Wilson,
Robinson Smith,
S. W. Killam,
C. H. Rice,
G. W. Tillotson,
J. S. Harbeck,
N. A. Baldwin,
George Crawford,
J. C. Shields,
Henry Orland,
J. A. Sterling,
W. A. Champlin,
Alexander Marshall,
L. W. Thatcher,
Orlando S. Gardner.

COMPANY E.

Captain, Louis Heckman; Lieutenant, Jacob J. Hauck; First Sergeant, Henry Roth; Second Sergeant, Valentine Heckman.

Louis Smithnight,
Frank Thaler,
Conrad Schwendner,
George Eshenbrenner,
George Bruehler,
Fred Wetzel,
Gerhardt Schmidt,
Henry Trumpy,
J. A. Zeller,
Albert Rigler,
Jacob Bomhardt,
George W. Payson,
Charles Herig,
William Schutt,
George Kugler,
George Wolf,
August Beiser.

COMPANY F.

Captain, Dennis Kenny; First Lieutenant, H. S. Munger; Second Lieutenant, Romanzo Spring; First Sergeant, J. B. Burrows; Second Sergeant, C. D. Lane; Corporal, J. H. Coller.

H. H. Thorp,
A. D. Myers,
W. E. Proctor,
M. L. Fitch,
H. W. Gage,
Theodore Stroughton,
Frank Viets,
E. D. Turner,
W. H. H. Crowell,
D. W. Dorman,
A. A. Burrows,
A. R. Paddock,
A. B. Thorp,
M. D. Stowe,
Myron Bartholomew,
M. Y. Ransom,
A. B. Smith.

Musician—James Willis.

Grooms—Edward Garvin, Milo Gage, Salmon Chambers, Edward Gates, Thomas Morris.

It may be remarked here in passing that the men were not long in learning that there was something in “soldiering” besides romance and “flowery beds of ease.” Before June 1st six or seven of them had been discharged for disability by reason of sickness, and one made up his mind that he had got all he wanted and deserted.

All the way to Columbus the boys sang and laughed and shouted in the exuberance of their patriotic emotions, and told one another of the valorous deeds they would perform as soon as opportunity was afforded them. At all points along the route the people greeted them with uproarious cheers. Wherever the train halted the guns and caissons, which were on platform cars, were regarded with the utmost curiosity and interest by crowds of men, women and children. The engines of war were a novelty to them.

On reaching the state capital—where it had been supposed that the regiment would debark and go into camp for a few days at least—an order was received to proceed at once to Marietta, Ohio, by way of Loveland. It was thought that Marietta was in jeopardy, being threatened by rebel forces in Virginia. All the infantry companies from that part of the state which had offered their services had been sent to Washington. The city was wholly defenseless and there were no troops to send there except the Cleveland artillery regiment. After something had been learned of the art of war it came to be considered the proper thing to always provide an infantry support for artillery, but nobody thought of such things at the moment of emergency. So the hundred and sixty fledglings from Cleveland, with their guns and caissons, but without a single horse to move them, were hurried away to prevent the rebels from capturing Marietta. It is but justice to the members of the regiment to say that they had an abiding confidence in their ability to hold that city against the entire Southern Confederacy. As the train went whirling on through the darkness all hearts were swelling with patriotism and a heroic determination to obey every call of duty, even to facing death in its most awful form upon the battlefield. They expected to commence wading in blood immediately.

Marietta was reached early next morning but no enemy was there to fight. The air was full of wild rumors that legions of rebels were approaching, with evil designs upon the city, and the people were badly scared. The arrival of the Cleveland artillery, with real cannon, had a reassuring effect upon the citizens. The men were most cordially welcomed and received with unbounded hospitality. The regiment went into camp on the fair grounds, placing the guns in position to command the city and spread havoc and destruction among any misguided people who should attempt to capture it.

The regiment had as yet received nothing whatever in the way of supplies from either the state or national government. Indeed the men had not even been mustered into the service—and as a matter of fact they were not until three months later. Immediate requisitions were made upon the authorities at Columbus, by mail and telegraph, for clothing, rations, ammunition, etc., all of which were quite indispensable to efficient service. When ordered on from Columbus Colonel Barnett had been assured that everything needful would be forwarded at once, but the supplies did not come, nor was the slightest attention paid to the requisitions. The Cleveland contingent seemed to have been entirely forgotten. It was a pretty clear case of “out of sight out of mind.” There may have been some excuse for this in the fact that the call to arms had come suddenly and found the state wholly unprepared for such an emergency; nor had there been sufficient time as yet for the United States government to adjust itself to a condition of actual war and provide for the needs of its soldiers. The state authorities no doubt did the best they could, but in the hurry of raising troops and rushing them to the front in the shortest possible time everything was in the wildest chaos. It is little wonder that things went at haphazard and it was only by chance that any officer got for his men what they needed.

As day after day passed and no answer to the requisitions came both officers and men began to get a little warm under the collar. Colonel Barnett prodded up the Columbus people daily, his messages growing more and more pungent and emphatic. The artillery had not been provided with a single horse and would have been of little practical value in case of an attack, unless the rebels had kindly marched up in front of the guns and permitted themselves to be shot down. In this case the slaughter would have been fearful, had the boys been supplied with effective ammunition. When the regiment passed through Columbus the condition of the command was reported and the Adjutant General had promised that horses and ammunition should be promptly furnished at Marietta. As a starter he put into the baggage-car, before leaving the state capital, several pork barrels full of round shot, a few chests of fine rifle powder and a lot of linsey-woolsey stuff, ostensibly for the purpose of making cartridges. The whole “outfit” was entirely worthless. The shot did not fit the guns and the powder was no doubt a good thing with which to go squirrel hunting, but was little better than so much sawdust for artillery use. It will be readily understood that at this time the Cleveland Light Artillery was not in condition to do any overwhelming damage to the Southern Confederacy.

The men had no clothing except that which they had brought from home. Few had a change of garments, as it was understood when they left Cleveland that they would be amply supplied. They could rub along a while with what clothes they had but they must have “grub”—that was in the nature of a prime and fundamental necessity. Patriotism was a good thing as far as it went, but it didn’t go a long way in satisfying the cravings of an empty stomach. Appeals to the authorities were in vain and so Colonel Barnett entered into a contract with a man named Hall, of Marietta, to “board” the command. There was nothing else to be done, and it is just to the authorities to say that this bill was finally allowed and paid by the state. It is also fair to Mr. Hall to say that he carried out his contract in good faith, furnishing plenty of food which allowed small margin for grumbling.

The camp of the artillery in the fair grounds was named “Camp Putnam,” in honor of an old and patriotic citizen of Marietta who was a direct descendant of Gen. Israel Putnam—“Old Put”—of Revolutionary fame. The men fixed up their quarters in a style that a year or two later would have been considered luxurious in the extreme. The kindness and hospitality of the citizens were conspicuous. No effort was spared to make the boys as comfortable as possible. But even under these favorable conditions some of the boys imagined that they were having a hard time of it and were suffering a good deal for their country. When they came to experience the real hardships of active service in the field they looked back with unutterable yearnings to the idle weeks that were largely spent in playing euchre and “old sledge” at Camp Putnam.

Colonel Barnett was in command of the camp and of the post of Marietta. He enforced the strictest discipline and daily drills rapidly increased the efficiency of the command. Early efforts were made to secure a supply of better ammunition, as that hastily picked up at Columbus was of no value whatever. There were no shells or canister, and the solid shot were not only wrong in size but they were not round and could not have been thrown with any degree of precision. Colonel Barnett telegraphed to Cincinnati and secured a quantity of shot that was promptly forwarded. He engaged the use of a shop in Marietta where a lathe was put to work turning sabots, and a laboratory was fitted up where cartridges were made and the sabots were properly strapped to the shot. Nearly all this work was performed by the members of the regiment. Many of them were excellent mechanics and all were intelligent and willing. Such men can do anything. The ladies of Marietta offered their services, glad of the opportunity to do something for the cause of the Union. Since the first tocsin of war they had been busy in scraping lint and preparing bandages, until the supply seemed to be greatly in excess of the immediate demand—for scarcely anybody had been hurt yet, and a million or two of women all over the North had been engaged in the work. Now there was a chance for the matrons and maidens of Marietta to render assistance in another very practical way. A bountiful supply of red flannel was procured and immediately a hundred fair hands were at work, plying scissors and needle, in making cartridge-bags. The ladies made a “bee” of it, and in a wonderfully short time they had finished enough to last for months. The fine rifle powder that was pitched on the train at Columbus was exchanged for cannon powder, and the artillery began to look more like business. This homemade ammunition was largely used in target practice, which was deemed highly essential to future usefulness. Day after day the air resounded with the roar of artillery, as the boys sighted their guns at the targets and imagined themselves hurling the whistling missiles through solid battalions of rebels.

It was nearly a month before any supplies of clothing and camp and garrison equipage were received. About the middle of May, Captain O. M. Poe, of the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, was sent by Gen. George B. McClellan to inspect the Cleveland Light Artillery with a view to its being ready for service, at a moment’s notice. Capt. Poe expressed himself as greatly pleased with the command and the drill, discipline and soldierly bearing of its members. He assured Colonel Barnett that it should be thoroughly equipped without further delay. There seemed good reason to hope that at length there would be something besides mere promises. A few days later this was partially realized by the arrival of a quantity of clothing, which made the men feel more like soldiers, even though it was shoddy—and very poor shoddy at that. It is a fact that the garments were of such poor stuff that a week or two of wear was sufficient to finish them. They had to be thrown aside out of a decent regard for the usages and proprieties of civilized people. While wearing these clothes the men would break for their quarters and hide themselves if ladies entered the camp. There also came a lot of kettles, pans, and camp utensils of various kinds. These were heartily welcomed, as the boys had been forced to make all sorts of shifts, with such articles as were kindly furnished them by the people of Marietta.

About this time another idea appears to have effected a lodgment in the minds of the authorities at Columbus, and that was that horses were quite essential for field artillery. A stirring up by Gen. McClellan caused a dispatch to be sent to Col. Barnett, authorizing and directing him to proceed at once to mount the regiment—or “battery,” as it was termed, for such only it really was—by purchasing horses in the vicinity of Marietta. A day later came the following, which will be of interest as a relic of the early days of the war:

Adjutant General’s Office,

Columbus, May 25, 1861.

Special Order No. 244.

Col. James Barnett: Upon receipt of this order, if you have not
previously acted upon telegram sent this evening, you will purchase
for your battery 76 horses, upon the best terms you can, putting
them under the best discipline for prompt action.

From advices received from Judge Putnam it is expected that you can
purchase for a sum not to exceed from 75 to 110 dollars each. The
army limit I understand to be 120. You should not exceed $100 at
these times, unless in special cases. Consult the citizens to whom
you have letters and report your proposals by telegraph.

By order of Commander-in-Chief,

H. B. CARRINGTON,
Adjutant General.

To enable Colonel Barnett to carry out this order the sum of $10,000 was placed to his credit by the State of Ohio, in a Marietta bank, out of which the horses were to be paid for as fast as purchased. On the same day the above order was received, came also the following telegram, which threw Camp Putnam into a quiver of excitement and caused a wild rush into the region round about to look for horses:

Headquarters Dep’t of the Ohio,

Cincinnati, May 26, 1861.

To Col. Barnett:

Expedite the mounting of your battery and report to me when ready
for service.

G. B. McCLELLAN,
Major General U. S. A.

Six or eight of the best judges of horseflesh in the battery were immediately sent out to scour the country. Whenever a suitable animal was found that could be bought at a fair price an order upon Colonel Barnett was given by the buyer to the seller, stating briefly the sort of animal purchased and the price that had been agreed upon. These orders were promptly paid by Colonel Barnett with checks upon the bank. A few sample orders are given below. They were written on cards, leaves torn from memorandum books and odd bits of paper of every variety of size, shape and color:

Col. Barnett,

Please pay H. Sheets one hundred dollars for one daple gray horse.

F. W. Pelton.

Col. Barnett,

Please pay to C. W. Putnam one hundred and seventy dollars ($170)
for one sorril gelding and one sorril mare.

John Newton.

To Col. Barnett,

Pay Mr. O. Pattin the sum of one hundred 100$ dollars in Ohio money
for one iron grey horse, weight eleven hundred, six years old,
fifteen hands high, wich we ar a going to keep with us. Sargt.
Gruninger want to keep him to ride and send the livery horse home.

T. R. Wells.

Col. James Barnett,

Please pay Wm. Lamb one hundred and sixty dollars for two sorrel
mairs, 160$.

Henry Faring.

These orders, besides being of historical interest, go to show that correct orthography is not essential to the purest and loftiest patriotism. The “mairs” for which the last order was given were accepted, although of the wrong sex to comply with army regulations, which requires that horses purchased for the cavalry and artillery service shall be of the masculine gender. Only males, of the equine as well as the human race, are considered to be fit for war.

Within two days the required number of horses was obtained. All hands were busy “breaking them in” to their new sphere of usefulness. Trained horses are only second in value to trained men for artillery service. When it comes to “standing fire” there is as much difference in horses as there is in men. Some animals appear to have a plentiful supply of “sand” and display an intelligent courage that is almost heroic, while others become sadly demoralized under fire and are totally unmanageable.

Meantime the air was full of rumors of projected campaigns into the enemy’s country in which the Cleveland Light Artillery was to participate. Something fresh in this line was circulated through the camp every hour. No two of these “grape vines”—as the boys learned later to call them—were alike, and they sufficed to keep everybody in a state of furious agitation. The artillerymen had a consuming desire to do something that would help to put down the rebellion. Like all new troops, at every stage of the war, they were impressed with the idea that their mission was to fight somebody, and they chafed at the weeks of inactivity in camp. While it might not be strictly true to say that any of them were anxious to test the truth of the somewhat apocryphal statement that “it is sweet to die for one’s country,” it may safely be recorded that they were eager to go on the war-path, and as to the rest they were willing to take the chances. An order to move was daily expected and the utmost activity prevailed in the work of getting everything in perfect readiness to respond at once to the summons.

By this time an infantry force had reached Marietta, consisting of the Fourteenth Ohio Volunteers, Colonel James B. Steadman, and the Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, Colonel T. R. Stanley. The Fourteenth had been drilling for three weeks at Camp Tayler, in Cleveland. It came with full ranks, completely armed and equipped for service. The Eighteenth had not yet received arms and equipments, but these were promised at an early day. In those days a regiment of infantry meant a thousand men, and not a mere skeleton of two or three hundred, such as were common later in the war, when the ranks had been decimated by disease and the deadly storm of battle. The Fourteenth Ohio reached Marietta on the 24th of May and the Eighteenth on the following day.

The rumors of forward movements at length assumed definite form. It became known that a campaign was about to begin across the river in Western Virginia. On May 27th the following dispatch was received:

Cincinnati, Ohio, May 27, 1861.

To Col. Barnett:

Upon the requisition of Col. Steadman you will supply him with a
detachment of two guns, with the proper officers and men.

G. B. McCLELLAN,
Major General.

On this day the Fourteenth Ohio Infantry went by boat to Parkersburg, Virginia—the state of West Virginia had not then been formed—being the first Union force to occupy that place. Col. Steadman took possession without meeting any opposition worthy of mention. It was now reasonably certain that the artillery would very soon follow to take part in the campaign. Every man was directed to hold himself ready to be up and away at a moment’s notice.