- Copied & Incorporated in Narrative. Fold3 Pension Card: invalid 1880 no certificate #, widow but no certificate #, minor with certificate #, no death date. GSW 23 Jun 1864 (no description), FAG unknown-1880. Corp Nicholas Thomas; 18. Enlisted on 8/21/1861 as a Private into “E” Co. 14th OH. He was Mustered Out on 7/11/1865. Promotions: Corpl 1/22/1865. No med card. Ancestry: Pension 23 Apr 1880 invalid. Pension record widow Margaret Hay 14 May 1884 OH. Another Pension card dated 7 Jan 1888 minor Joseph M. Johnson (guardian) Ohio. 1860 census a Nicholas Thomas is 16 living in Delaware Twp, Defiance County, born in OH, parents William, $3000/$950 farmer born in Germany (Belgium in 1880 census) and Mary 47 and 43 and 4 sisters. May have lived in MN 1870 with wife Margaret, died 1871. 1880 census back in Delaware Twp, sick with ulcerated liver, wife Maggie, 23, kids, Frank 10 Vincent J. 4, Elizabeth 2 living next to William and Mary 67 and 64. Likely FAG unknown-1880, non-CW stone, Defiance County, St Stephen’s Old Cemetery, 35. service records, Hayes Library–no hit.
Under construction.
Rudesill, 5 Aug 1909: We were actors as well as observers in that terrific battle. a positive injustice has been done to the 14th and 38th OH when it is charged that they were repulsed at any time during that action in the sharp and fiery battle, so meagerly detailed by historians. Art: Much has been written about Sherman’s masterful Atlanta campaign. For some reason, precious little has been written about the penultimate battle that ended the Atlanta campaign and ejected the rebels from that city. To make matters worse, no part of the battlefield has not been “saved” by the Civil War Trust. That is, the Battle of Jonesboro. What has been meagerly detailed are the exploits of George Este’s Third Brigade, part of General Baird’s Third Division of George Thomas’ vaunted Army of the Cumberland. This is the story of that battle, in particular the 14th OH and 38 OH Volunteer Infantry Regiments as told by the men that fought in that battle.
Paragraph: The Confederate defenders of Atlanta remained self-confident and convinced that these pampered yankees could not whip entrenched rebels (after Mission Ridge, they could not be so sure). We knew were in for a life and death fight, but we were calm, cool, and determined. We were about 500 yards from the first line of enemy works, which run east-west. The so-called “protective flank,” a line that extended out from the main north-south rebel line. From the wide-open field, we could not see either line — the protective flank or the main line — as they were hidden in a woods. And, the farther left, the greater the distance to the rebel line and so subjecting the Union attackers to more time exposed to rebel musket fire. At 5:27 PM, about an hour before sunset, the Union forces resumed the attack from the positions on the map that General Absalom Baird included in his Official Report of the battle. 1883 History of Defiance: The enemy were fortified with two lines of earthworks. The outer line was a relatively short extension of the main Confederate line; a protective flank. The second rebel line, which was in a woods and hidden from our view, was further protected with a heavy abatis. After the repulse of Major Edie’s regular brigade, the advance was sounded and Este’s brigade moved up to the attack. Colonel Este, with General Baird at his side, gave the order, singing out clear and steady as a bugle signal: “Battalions, forward, guide center! March” and waved his hand for the “forward.” Benjamin F. Mattern, 38th OH, 17 May 1883, West Unity, OH/Rudisill: Then came the order from the regimental commanders of the left wing, Major John W. Wilson of the 14th OH and Colonel William Choate of the 38th OH, “Forward, double-quick, march!” These veteran regiments moved off handsomely up a slight grade toward a low crest in the open field with as much coolness and regularity as they ever had done on battalion drill.” Corporal Oscar P. Randall of Company B bore the 38 OH Regimental colors. Inc into Este attack…description of the ground mostly, That Body of Brave Men, Mark W. Johnson, Regular Infantry, 538: Carlin actually moved thru thick woods for about a mile before arriving at a broad open field. The Rebel line occupied high ground on the far side of the opening. The field was anywhere from 300 to 800 yards across (estimates vary). A creek and low ground ran laterally across the front and much of the field was covered with thick brush and vines. Walking thru the vegetation was hard enough; maintaining alignment in the battle formation would be close to impossible. As with the Regular’s failed attack, the angle was the focal point of the XIV Corps attack. That Body of Brave Men, Mark W. Johnson, Regular Infantry, 543: Reinforcements were on the way. After an hour, perhaps about 4:00, Moore’s brigade and Morgan’s division were finally advancing again. Gen Davis ordered Este’s brigade into the attack. It would be one of the few examples in the Civil War of a successful reinforcement of a stalled attack. Personally led by Baird, Este advanced across the field and swamp, following the route of the regulars had taken. Baird halted the brigade 50 yards behind Edie’s line and had his men strip off knapsacks and fix bayonets. The regulars warned Este’s OH, KY, and IN that there were at least two rebel lines and that some regulars may be holding out in part of the first line. Baird gave the order to advance. The regulars cheered as Baird’s veterans walked thru Edie’s line, continued up the slope, and disappeared over the ridge and out of sight. The regulars had pushed Govan to the breaking point. They delivered a single volley and before they could reload found our men in the trenches with they bayoneting all who wouldn’t surrender. Este’s brigade continued to advance into the main works. Moores brigade and elements of Morgan’s division (17th NY) joined them there. Federal numbers carried the day. Art: Right behind the 38th OH were the 328 battle-hardened veterans of the 14th OH led by Major John W. Wilson (hot link) and their color bearer Private Joseph E. Warner of Company A. The brigade was in double line with the 14th Ohio in the second line and perhaps 50 yards behind the 38th Ohio. Our line of battle moved just as we had practiced in brigade drill, soon passed through some of the unnerved men from Edie’s beaten Regular brigade. They told us that there were at least two lines of rebel works and that Union troops already occupied the first line. The latter claim turned out to be a delusion/fantasy. Kirk OR: We advanced through the open field slowly, so that when we were ready to charge, we would be fresh and in imposing military order. That Body of Brave Men, Mark W. Johnson, Regular Infantry, 538: With fire from the Regulars pinning down Govan”s forward troops, Este was able to advance unchecked right up to the edge of the enemy position. Co G, 38th OH, Ayersville: The rebels did not fire a shot until we reached the edge of the woods… Link to Rudesill, 5 Aug 1909: At the edge of the woods our commanders gave us the signal to charge. We ran as fast as we could, up another slight grade. Kirk OR: In a few seconds, we reached another low crest about 100 yards from the projecting first line of rebel works. Still the rebels held their fire. But, when the 38th OH reached the edge of the timber line just a few seconds later, all hell broke loose…
Link to Map in Media….
Map Caption: Per General Baird, this map is the best representation of the field of battle the moment we began to move forward on the rebels. The 1st line of rebel works began at the edge of the woods, on a crest, and then continued about 45 yards to the 2nd line. Additionally, the 2nd line fell away to between 45 to 100 yards to the left. Depending on where we entered the woods, the 1st line was from 0 to 25 or 30 yards to where the 1st line met the 2nd line some distance to our right where our right-hand regiments struck the 2nd line. At other points, the works were 60, 80,100 yards back in the woods. Major Edie’s brigade is 250 yards from rebel works with Este and in close support, 50 yards back.
Hot Link to: Major Wilson, of Defiance, Ohio, enlisted in April of 1861 as a musician for 3 months service. He re-enlisted in August of 1861 as the Captain of Company E and then was named regimental commander on XXXXX. Major Wilson exhibited perfect coolness and fortitude, and by his manner appeared to inspire the men with his own ardor, fired, without doubt, by a determination to make good a resolution to avenge the death of his brother, murdered by the rebels in Kansas. Major Wilson, a surveyor in civilian life, was the father of 6 young children back in Defiance, Ohio.
My name is Charles Harrison Block, a U.S. soldier in the Civil War. This is my story about my nearly four years of service as a soldier in the Union army. As told by my great grandson.
My two older brothers, George, 24, and Frank, 20, enlisted for 3-months service on April 23, 1861 — right after Fort Sumter was fired on by the Rebels. My family wouldn’t let me enlist — I was only 16. So, I was left behind in Defiance, Ohio to help run the family farm.
I was still 16 years old when I enlisted in Company E of the 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on September 1, 1861 for 3-years service. My brother George had already re-enlisted as Company E’s second Sergeant on August 21. My family charged George with the task of watching over my well being. My other brother, Frank, stayed in Defiance until he re-enlisted in the 9th Ohio Cavalry on October 28, 1863. You could say that the three Block brothers were dedicated to the preservation of the Union.
I remember those early 1860s debates about secession, the attack on Fort Sumter, my father’s dim view of slavery, and the reasons why I fought to preserve the Union. The Block family agreed with Lincoln who in 1858 said, “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.”
Our local newspaper, the Defiance Democrat, had no quarrel with slavery. The same could be said of most of the citizens of Defiance. Nearly all of the 14th Ohio’s officers were Democrats and felt the same way. Most of the men of the 14th Ohio were Lincoln Republicans. Colonel Edwin Phelps, one of our Brigade commanders, who was killed by a mini ball while leading our charge of Missionary Ridge believed “that this war should not be waged in any spirit of oppression, nor for any purpose of conquest or subjagation nor purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the rights or established institutions of the States, but to defend and maintain the union….”
Phelps also said that “That the Civil War…is the natural offspring of misguided sectionalism, engendered by fanatical agitators North as well as South; and that the democratic party having been equally opposed to the extremists of both sections…” Phelps was content that slavery remain, but was passionate about preserving the union as were all the men of the 14th Ohio.
Nearly all of the men and officers of the 14th Ohio had no military experience. Most of the officers were involved in either politics or the law or both. The common soldiers were mostly small-town boys with no special awe of officers. With our devil may care attitude, it took a special man to lead us. But, the men of the 14th Ohio were tough, used to a hard life, and knew how to handle a rifle — a squirrel rifle that is. Once we enlisted, we learned the basics of military drill, set up a camp, and cook in any kind of weather.
After enlisting in Defiance, Ohio, I took the train to Toledo, Ohio on September 7, 1861 and there I officially became a soldier. After three weeks of daily military drill, I was issued a Springfield rifled musket on September 25, which made us feel more like a real soldier. On September 26, we left Toledo on railroad cars reportedly on our way to Washington, DC where we would become part of the Union army there. We got as far as Grafton, Ohio, when our orders were countermanded because of a Rebel invasion of Kentucky. From Grafton, we were re-directed to Columbus, Ohio where we arrived about midnight. After supper, we continued on to Cincinnati, drew blankets at Camp Dennison, feasted on hardtack and coffee, and spent the night at the Orphan Asylum, but with all the activity, few of us got any sleep.
Soon after midnight on September 27, we were issued a cartridge box, a cap box, a gun strap, and 24 rounds of cartridges. At 3:00 AM we were ordered to be ready to move out. We marched to a ferry crossing at 4:00 AM and by 5:00 AM, we had crossed the Ohio River into Covington, Kentucky. At that time, it was not known whether Kentucky, a slave-holding state, would join the Rebels or stay in the Union. We marched in column to the Covington & Lexington Railroad Depot, and at 11:30 AM left by rail for Lexington, Kentucky. We stopped for a short time at Cynthiana, Kentucky were the 35th Ohio was camped. We continued on to Lexington where we arrived about midnight. We marched to the Lexington & Louisville railroad depot where we were finally able to sleep 70 hours after leaving Camp Oliver in Toledo.
Growing up, I’d never set foot out of the state of Ohio. Little did I know that over the next four years I’d march, ride the rails, or ride steamboats through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. I marched and countermarched thousands of miles in pleasant weather, rain, storms, heat, cold, snow, mud, and dust. I marched during the day and sometimes at night. I trudged up and down hills and mountains and forded uncountable streams & rivers.
On September 28, we marched to the north of the Covington & Lexington railroad and encamped with our newly-issued tents and other camp equipment. Union man from the town came in camp and brought us firewood, coffee, milk, bread, cake, and pies. After dinner, by request of the citizens, the 14th Ohio marched through the city of Lexington to the wild cheers of, as I recall, 3000 Union men and women. They treated us like conquering heroes. We marched around the 130-foot monument of the great Patriot Henry Clay and there we heard a speech from Andy Johnson, who would become president of the United States when Lincoln was assassinated. We camped near a cemetery in view of the Clay monument where we enjoyed our first night’s in our brand new “canvass houses.”
On Sunday morning, September 29, after a leisurely breakfast, we heard a rumor that 600 Rebels were camped at a little town called Eminence, a small town about 60 miles northwest of Lexington, on the way to Louisville. The following day, we struck tents and were ordered to take rail cars for Eminence at 1:00 PM. The cars were loaded and ready to roll by 3:00 PM. As the train moved off toward Eminence, several thousand citizens were wildly cheering us on with a show of patriotic enthusiasm.” At Eminence, there was a telegram ordering us to return to Lexington. If there ever were any Rebels in town, they had left for parts unknown. The new rumor was that Rebel General Felix Zollicoffer was advancing toward Lexington with a large force. So after some delay, off we went back to Lexington.
We arrived back in Lexington the next morning, Tuesday October 1. The “fires of patriotism still burned” with the loyal Kentuckians and we received and accepted many invitations to join families for breakfast. Later that day, at 7:00 PM, the 14th Ohio left by train to Nicholasville, a small town about 12 miles south of Lexington and the end of the railroad line. We arrived in Nicholasville at about 8:00 PM and made camp in a beautiful blue-ash grove. Unfortunately, our tents did not arrive in time, so we slept with nothing but blankets for cover.
The next day, October 2, we were awakened at 6:00 AM to the “tap of the drum” to “rise, wash, and get breakfast.” Company E’s captain, John W. Wilson walked to Nicholasville to get, as he said, “something good to eat.” The Captain reported that he went to the main hotel in Nicholasville where Mrs. B, the hostess, made sure he had a sumptuous meal. He said he found nothing in town he liked and returned to camp. The Regiment was soon ordered to “Fall in” and at 10:00 AM started a forced march to Camp Dick Robinson, which is 15 miles to the south between the small Kentucky towns of Danville and Lancaster. It was a warm day, the road dusty, and the marching resulted in some very sore feet. We reached Camp Dick Robinson at sundown, had coffee and crackers, and lay down to rest, still without our tents.
The 14th Ohio was part of the first brigade that General George Thomas (at that time a Colonel) organized at Camp Dick Robinson in 1861. The division to which the 14th Ohio belonged remained General Thomas’ favorite. This division became part of the 14th Army Corps, which was considered an elite force. Sherman insisted that the 14th Corps go on the March to the Sea when he told Thomas, “It is too compact and reliable a corps for me to leave behind.”
We spent 17 days at Camp Dick Robinson where we drilled about four hours a day, except Sundays. One afternoon as we were going through the Battallion drill we formed a hollow square and were addressed by General Robert Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumpter. We learned to be soldiers under the leadership of Colonel George “Pap” Thomas. Under Thomas, I learned to be a real soldier.
Until Chickamauga, I fought in no major battles but was involved in what I’d call minor skirmishes. The first man killed in the 14th Ohio was Thomas Davis of Company D on August 8, 1862 in Huntsville, Alabama…a long way from home. It was more than a year later when many more of my comrades were killed. That was at the first day of the Battle of Chickamauga on September 19, 1863.
There were many battles that the 14th OH missed, but only just barely. These include:
- Camp Wildcat, Kentucky (we arrived soon after the battle ended),
- Mill Springs, Kentucky (we were a day late),
- Perrysville, Kentucky (again, we were a day late),
- Shiloh, Tennessee (we arrived two days after the battle),
- Iuka, Mississippi (we were in the area of the battle but not involved),
- Stone’s River, Tennessee (the 14th Ohio was chasing John Hunt Morgan), and
- Bentonville, North Carolina (we were guarding the 14th Corps supply train).
I served under some of the best and worst generals in the United States Army. These included Don Carlos Buell, Jefferson C. Davis (who shot and killed General William “Bull” Nelson at Galt House in Louisville during an argument), Henry Slocum, John M. Brannan, Absalom Baird (awarded the Medal of Honor), William Rosecrans, William T. Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, and our best and best-loved general, George “Pap” Thomas, the “Rock of Chickamauga.”
Me and my comrades fought against many of the most famous Confederate generals including James Longstreet, Nathan Bedford Forrest, John Hunt Morgan, Joseph Johnston, John Bell Hood, William J. Hardee, and Patrick Cleburne. We also faced off with one of worst Rebel generals, Braxton Bragg.
I remember re-enlisting, along with 321 of my comrades, in December of 1863 in Chattanooga. We were promised a $400 bounty and given and a 30-day furlough the following January. That furlough was the only time I returned home to Defiance to visit my family and friends during my nearly four years of service.
I served under many, mostly excellent regimental and brigade commanders. These include James B. Steedman, George P. Este, Henry D. Kingsbury, Phelps, John Croxton, John W. Wilson, Albert Moore, Marshall Davis, David Gleason, and Speed Fry. Five of these men were eventually promoted to General. Colonel Phelps was killed leading the charge at Missionary Ridge. Major Wilson, who early in the war was my company commander, was mortally wounded at Jonesboro. Colonel Croxton was severely wounded at Chickamauga.
Out of the roughly 145 men who served with me in Company E at one time or another from 1861-1865, only 17 served the entire time. I was one of those. All were great men and terrific soldiers. One of the best was my tent-mate, William Sponsler who was wounded at Chickamauga and then wounded again at Jonesboro. Bill Sponsler named his first son, Charles Block Sponsler, after me.
From 1861-1865, about 1450 men served in the 14th Ohio at one time or another. 146 officers and men were killed or mortally wounded in battle. Another 186 died of disease. Many men were discharged due to disease, including my brother, George Harrison Block in 1862. George died in 1868 from the effects of of his illness. Many of the wounded who survived suffered from their wounds or the effects of their illnesses until their death.
55 men of the 14th Ohio became prisoners of war. 15 of those men died while imprisoned, including 11 at Andersonville. A recently released POW, was killed on April 27, 1865 by the explosion of the over-loaded river steamer Sultana while on his way home and sailing up the Mississippi.
I will never forget the 8 men listed as missing at Chickamauga who were never heard from again. All likely died but were never reported as killed, wounded, or POWs by either the Union or the Confederates. They just vanished. These men were probably killed outright or died of wounds on some unknown part of the battlefield. One of the eight, one was the writer’s great grand uncle, Emanuel Potterf.
At Chickamauga, a total of 131 Union regiments took part in the battle. The 14th Ohio had the third most killed and mortally wounded of all those regiments. Of the 449 men and officers of the 14th Ohio that went into battle, over 54% were killed (35), wounded (167), or missing (43). Chickamauga was the deadliest battle in the Western theater of war. In this battle, the Union army left many of their wounded and unburied dead on the field of battle. Many of our Chickamauga dead were not buried for days if not weeks.
The 2nd Brigade lost 938 men over the 2 day battle, second only to Brig General Whitaker’s 1st Brigade, 1st Division of Maj General Gordon Granger’s Reserve Corps made up of 6 infantry regiments.
In the deadly two-day battle of Chickamauga, our colors were shot down three times on the first day and twice on the second. The first day was a savage, on-the-move fight mostly in the woods and sometimes in farmer’s fields. The second day battle raged in which we inflicted a horrible slaughter on the Rebels who charged our boys time and time again up Horseshoe Ridge.
After our defeat at Chickamauga, we retreated to Chattanooga where we we were on short rations for about a month, our supplies coming via the so-called “cracker line.” Then, on November 25, 1863, we charged up Missionary Ridge and drove off the rebel army. A great victory for the United States.
On May 7, 1864 we began the campaign to capture Atlanta, which was about 100 miles to the south. For 17 weeks, there was death or the threat of death almost every day. Men were killed or wounded when they ate, while sleeping, during a charge on Rebel trenches, and out on the skirmish line. The Army of the Cumberland suffered 22,807 casualties. The Rebels abandoned Atlanta immediately following the ferocious and deadly 30-minute fight at Jonesboro, Georgia on September 1, 1864. In that battle, the 14th Ohio lost 18 killed and 74 wounded out of 328 men and officers — 28% casualties in a half hour.
We began Sherman’s March to the Sea through Georgia on November XX, 1864. It ended when Savannah was abandoned by the Rebels on December 21, 1864. To keep the 60,000-man army fed, each brigade assigned one company as foragers. The foragers were ordered to take food from rebel citizens, including cattle, sheep, poultry, some bacon, cornmeal, often molasses, and occasionally coffee or other small rations. The foragers called themselves “Bummers”. They left in the morning on foot and typically came back on a horse or mule loaded with food. Bummers were also ordered to kill all bloodhounds that were used to track runaway slaves.
Little did we know that Sherman’s March to the Sea was the start of a 1000-mile journey through the heart of the south, through 4 rebel states — Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia — in 6 months. After the war ended on April 9, 1865, we made our way to Washington DC. There we marched in the Review of the Grand Army on May 25, 1865 with 60,000 comrades of the Western Army. The spectators included President Andrew Johnson, that same man who spoke to us in Kentucky in 1861. A gigantic parade to remember.