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HISTORY OF DELPHOS Civil War

As the new decade came into being the threat of civil war loomed. An atmosphere of apprehension pervaded the country. Delphos readied itself for the coming trial. On April 15, 1861, three days after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln issued a call for volunteers. This area responded, and in August, 1861, the Third Company, organized by Captain Samuel Mott, was mustered into the Army of the United States at St. Marys, Ohio.

In this company were a number of men from Delphos including one Avery Brown. Brown was born Sept. 28, 1852 and was the youngest enlisted soldier in the Civil War. Capt. Mott was a neighbor of Brown's and was reported to have told Capt. Stansbury, "I have come here with 101 men who are ready to enlist on one condition that our drummer-boy be mustered in with us and permitted to go to the front. Otherwise we disband right here and return home.

Reluctant consent was given and on Aug. 18, 1861, at the age of eight years and eleven months Avery Brown was mustered into the 31st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was presented with a captured Confederate drum at Burton's Station, Virginia. He carried it for one and a half years during which he was called "the Drummer Boy of Cumberland."

By the time of his discharge, he had suffered from mumps, measles and rheumatism. The latter made it necessary for him to quit the army. After his discharge he lived in Delphos for three years. In 1866 he moved to Elkhart, Indiana where he remained, except for a few years in Texas, until his death in November, 1904.

On Aug. 22, 1862 Co. F. of the 118th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized, under Capt. Rudolph Ruel, at Delphos. The company went into camp at Lima at that time. They remained there until September 11 when they left for Cincinnati by railroad. On September 12 the members of the company were mustered into the service by Capt. C. O. Howard, U.S. Army. On the 15th the 118th crossed the Ohio River to Covington, Ky. On the 22nd of September they moved to Independence, where they remained until October 11 when they advanced to Falmouth, Ky.

On the 22nd they marched to Cynthianna and then on to Townsend's bridge on the 23rd. On October 24 they marched to Kiser Station where stockades were built. The 118th then moved on to East Tennessee, crossing the Cumberland Mountains. They landed in Loudin, Tenn. where Rebel forces were strongly entrenched. The enemy was routed. They marched to Knoxville, were repelled and returned to Loudin. They were then sent to Kingston, Tenn., where they remained during the siege of Knoxville.

When the siege was raised they marched to Tunnel Hill near Chattanooga. From there the 118th joined the Georgia Campaign. The first battle was a Resaca, Georgia on May 25,1863 where the rebels were forced to retreat. From that time till the Battle of Atlanta they were constantly under fire. The next battle they engaged in was at Franklin, Tennessee. Following that were two days of fighting at Nashville where the southern troops were driven back. The company then marched to Washington, D.C.

In June and July of 1865 the majority of the survivors were mustered out. Of the 1,000 men enlisted in the 118th Regiment (that is Companies A-F) only about 400 returned.

 

COMPANY F, 118TH REGIMENT

Company F of the 118th was composed solely of

Delphos men. The Company roster reads:

Name

Rank

Enlisted

Discharged

Bliss, Lester Quart. Master Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1895
Ruel, Rudolph Capt. Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Owens, Thomas R. 1st Lieut. Aug 22, 1862 Died Wounds 1864
Williams, David L. 1st Lieut. Aug 22, 1862 Nov 1863
Davis, Wm. P. 2nd Lieut. Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Allen, Charles E. Private Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Allspaugh, Chris Private Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Alstaetter. Harman Corporal Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Ashton, John R. Hosp. Stew. Aug 22, 1862 June 24, 1865
Baker, Martin Private Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Barnet, Thomas J. Private Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Barr, Henry Private Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Barr, James A. Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Georgia 8-6-1864
Bebb, Wm. J. Private Aug 22, 1862 July 2, 1865
Chambers, Whitfield Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Clawson, Hiram Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Wounds 3-11-1864
Clawson, Joseiah Private Aug 22, 1862 June 14, 1865
Closson, J. Private Sept 12, 1862 Aug 2, 1865
Cook, Andrew Private Nov 22, 1862 Mar 7, 1864
Cook, Daniel Private Aug 22, 1862 June 21, 1865
Cowan, Moses C. 1st Sgt. Aug 22, 1862 June 14, 1864
Christ, John J. Private Aug 12, 1862 Sept 1865
Curtis, Oscar Private Aug 12, 1862 June 23, 1865
Curtis, Rolland Quart. M. Sgt. Aug 22, 1862 June 23, 1865
Davis, Ebanezer Sergeant Aug 22, 1862 June 23, 1865
Dolt, Gregory Corporal Aug 20, 1862 July 1865
Duffen, Peter Private Aug 20, 1862 June 23, 1865
Dunlap, Preston J. Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Aug 12, 1864
Eaton, William Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Ellis, William W. Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Daub, Christian Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Enslen, Orsenath Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Evans, John A. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 24, 1865
Feely, Smith L. Corporal Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Fredrick, John Private Aug 22, 1862 Died May 15, 1865
Grader, Peter Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Grothaus, John Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 27, 1865
Haggerman, Henry Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Harding, Henry Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Harrod, Henry H. Corporal Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Hart, Henry Clay Musician Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Hartshorn, Geo. Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Hartshorn, Geo. Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Hayes, Abraham Private Aug 22, 1862 July 21, 1865
Himmeleright, J. F. Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Holdgreve, Kasper Private Aug 19, 1862 July 1865
Howells, David Private Aug 19, 1862 Aug 1865
Howells, Griffith Private Aug 22, 1862 April 10, 1865
Hughes, John Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Humphreys, Meredith Private Aug 22, 1862 May 7, 1865
Huysman, Aaron Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Huysman, Walter Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Jones, A. G. Private Aug 21, 1862 June 24, 1865
Jones, Abraham, J. Private Aug 21, 1862 June 24, 1865
Jones, Evan H Private Aug 21, 1862 June 24, 1865
Jones, John J. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Jones, Jonathan Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Jones, John W. Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Nashville 6-1-1864
Jones, Owen A. Sergeant Aug 12, 1862 July 2, 1864
Jones, Rolland Private Aug 12, 1862 Died Andersonville 9-5-1864
Jones, Thomas Quart M. Sgt. Aug 12, 1862 June 24, 1865
Jones, William G. Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Knoxville 3-5-1864
Keiser, Paul Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Kemmer, Charles Com. Sgt. Aug 22, 1862 June 17, 1865
Klinger, Daniel P. Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Klinger, John J. Private Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Lechlitner, Aplon Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Mueller, Ferdinand Corporal Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1865
Nicholas, David D. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 24, 1865
Nicholas, James Private Aug 22, 1862 June 24, 1865
Owens, David R. Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Oct 3, 1863
Owens, Evan E. Private Aug 19, 1862 May 22, 1865
Owens, Thomas R. Sergeant Aug 22, 1862 Died Wounds 12-8-1864
Palmer, Christian Wagoner Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Perry, Hugh Private Aug 22, 1862 June 24, 1865
Perry, Moses Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Georgia 6-9-1864
Perry, Moses J. Private Aug 22, 1862 Aug 1864
Piercy, John Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Point, W. G. Musician Aug 22, 1862 July 1864
Point, William Private Aug 22, 1862 June 24, 1865
Price, Emmanuel Private Aug 22, 1862 May 26, 1865
Price, Richard M. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 28, 1865
Race, F. H. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Race, Jonathan Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Raudebaugh, W. H. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Reese, Evan Corporal Aug 22, 1862 July 16, 1865
Rosselit, Mathias Sergeant Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Roush, Geo. W. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Ruggles, Almond Corporal Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Ruse, Henry Corporal Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Sautler, John G. Corporal Aug 22, 1862 Nov 2, 1865
Speakemeyer, Henry Private Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Thomas, Hugh Private Sept 1, 1862 June 7, 1865
Thomas, Lewis Private Sept 1. 1862 June 7, 1865
Walti, Rudolph Private Aug 22, 1862 Killed July 16, 1864
Westerfield, Wm. Sergeant Aug 22, 1862 July 1865
Wichard, Garrett Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Covington 11-22-1862
Willams, John M. Private Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Wills, Robert Corporal Aug 22, 1862 June 1865
Young, Peter John Private Aug 22, 1862 Died Kentucky 11-18-1862
Zeller, Asa Private Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865
Zeller, Henry Corporal Aug 22, 1862 July 7, 1865

These were not the only contributions Delphos made. At the outbreak of the war an Ohio National Guard was formed. Many volunteered in Allen County and Col. John M. C. Marble was assigned to command the county regiment. It later consolidated with the Hocking County Regiment and was numbered as the 151st regiment, O.N.G. The regiment was mustered into Federal service in the summer of 1864 and was stationed at Washington, D.C. The brigade assisted in repelling the advance of Gen. Early's attack on the Capitol. They retarded his advance until the arrival of the Sixth Army Corps. The regiment was mustered out in August of 1865.

 

Information from Delphos Vicenqui-Bicentennial Historical Book, 1976.

Submitted Ronald Kunz rkunz@woh.rr.com (10-25-98)

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