On October 6, 1861, Orland Smith, of Chillicothe, received from Governor Dennison authority to raise a regiment for the field. Recruiting was at once begun, and Camp Logan, near Chillicothe, was made the place of rendezvous. January 24, 1862, the regiment left camp for West Virginia, moving via Parkersburg, Grafton and Fetterman, to New Creek. February 6th it moved on Romney, which the enemy evacuated, after which the Seventy-Third returned to New Creek. A few days later it was under fire for the first time in taking Moorefield. These two expeditions, forced marches over bad mountain roads in stormy weather, by men to whom campaigning was a new occupation, was a hard initiation into the service. Sickness and prostration followed, and the regimental tents were like hospitals for a time after the return to New Creek, and a little later at Clarksburg, measles and camp fever the prevailing diseases. Numbers of the Seventy-Third went down thus early to their graves. No day of February or early March passed without one or more names added to the death roll, and at one time in February over three hundred men were in the regimental hospital. March 20th the regiment moved to Weston; two weeks later marched over Cheat mountain and reported to General Milroy at Monterey. In his command it moved forward toward McDowell. A detachment of the regiment, during this march, was dispatched under Major Long, against a band of guerrillas who had attacked and captured some of our forage trains. The expedition was successful, returning to camp with a lot of captured supplies. The loss of the Seventy-Third in McDowell battle was light. When General Fremont succeeded Milroy, the Ohio brigade, commanded by General Schenck, was formed, constituted of the Seventy-Third, Fifty- Fifth, Seventy-Fifth, Twenty-Fifth and Eighty-Second Ohio Infantry regiments. This brigade was actively engaged in the campaign against Jackson, summer of 1862. While camped at Middleton, General Schenck took command of the division, and McLean, of the Seventy-Fifth Ohio, the brigade. Among the engagements of the Seventy-Third in this campaign were Cross Keys, skirmishing in pursuit of Jackson to the Rapidan, after Cedar Mountain battle, and constantly skirmishing during the retreat of Pope toward Washington, the heaviest engagement of which was at Freemans Ford. The gallant part of the Seventy-Third in Second Bull Run, or Manassas battle, where the Ohio Brigade saved the army from annihilation, has already been given. It remained on duty around the defenses of Washington till in November, during which time it was re-brigaded with New York and Massachusetts regiments, Colonel Smith commanding the brigade. Ordered to join Burnside at Fredericksburg, it reached his forces just after he had lost that battle. Winter quarters 1862-3 at Acquia Creek, Virginia. Its part in the Chancellorsville and Gettysburg campaigns has already been given. The assignment of the Seventy-Third in Gettysburg battle is, however, incorrectly given on previous page. It was not in Birney's Division, but was in the Second Brigade of the Second Division of the Eleventh (Howard's) Corps. Lieutenant-Colonel Long was then commanding the regiment, Colonel Smith the brigade, General Von Steinwehr the division. After Lee's retreat the Seventy-Third for a time camped at Bristoe Station. Late in September it was one of the regiments transferred under Hooker to the Army of the Cumberland. It was at Bridgeport and Stevenson, Alabama, in October, and on the 24th of that month moved to the relief of Chattanooga. Crossing the Tennessee it marched via Shellmound and Wauhatchie to Lookout valley. On pages 207-8 will be found the record of its part in repelling the night attack of Longstreet's 2,000 men, October 27th. Missionary Ridge was the next battle added to its victories. It camped in Lookout valley after Chattanooga was relieved, and there a majority of the regiment veteraned. The record of the Seventy-Third in Sherman's campaign of 1864-5 has already been given in these pages, and need not be repeated here. After Johnston's surrender, it moved with Sherman's army via Richmond to take part in the review at Washington, was then transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, and there mustered out, July 20, 1865, after three years and eight months of constant, active, honorable service. Company G was raised in Jackson county.
THE NINETY-FIRST OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Jackson, Pike, Adams, Scioto, Lawrence and Gallia counties furnished the volunteers for this regiment, which was organized in July and August, 1862. Late in August five companies were assembled at Ironton, Lawrence county, to repel a threatened raid at that point, and the other companies joined these there the first week in September. September 4th the regiment was ordered to Guyandotte, West Virginia, to watch Jenkins's guerrilla forces. Mustered into United States service September 5-7; on the 13th ordered to Maysville, Kentucky; order countermanded and regiment sent to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. September 26th started on a raid up the Kanawha, and captured a rebel camp at Buffalo. October 20th moved again up the Kanawha, as far as Gauley Bridge. Winter quarters, 1862-3, at Fayetteville, West Virginia. May 19, 1863, helped repel an attack on Fayetteville. In the summer of 1863 sent after the Morgan raiders, reaching Buffington Island the day after Morgan's defeat, but capturing some of his scattered force. A detachment of the regiment was sent up the Big Shanty as far as Louisa, and the remaining service of 1863 was in West Virginia, raiding and marching; winter quarters, 1863-4, again at Fayetteville. In May, 1864, General Crook made his dashing and successful raid on Dublin and New River Bridge, and six hundred men of the Ninety-First participated, leaving one hundred behind in hospital. After tearing up the railroads, burning the great bridge over New River, and the depot and supplies, and fighting the battle of Cloyd Mt., the troops started, May 11th, on their return. For eight days the march was twenty-five miles a day, and eleven successive days of rainfall made the boys acquainted with that unrivaled compound "Virginia mud." May 31st, in the Army of West Virginia, General Crook commanding, the Ninety-First left Meadow Bluffs to join Hunter's force at Staunton. The raid to Lynchburg followed, its unparalleled suffering and heroism fully described on previous pages. From that time till Lee's army surrendered at Appomattox C. H., the service of the Ninety-First was in the Virginias, mainly in the Shenandoah valley. Winter quarters, 1864-5, were near Martinsburg. April 5, 1865, the regiment was assigned to the First Brigade, Fourth Provisional Divison, Army of the Shenandoah. June 2d it was ordered from Winchester to Cumberland, Maryland, and there the men were mustered out June 24, 1865. The regiment disbanded at Camp Dennison June 30th, after two years ten months eight days service. The men had marched 1,229 miles and taken part in the following battles: In West Virginia-Buffalo, Fayetteville, Blakes Farm. In Virginia, -Cloyd Mt., New River Bridge, Cow Pasture River, Lynchburg, Stevensons Depot, Winchester, near Charlestown, Opequan, Fishers Hill, Cedar Creek. Company K was raised in Jackson county.
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-NINTH REGIMENT
Was organized at Camp Chase, mustering in on September 28, in 1864. Many of its men had seen previous service. Reporting in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 8, 1864, it was placed on post duty there, assigned to the Second Brigade, Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps. A part of the regiment took part in the Nashville battle, December 15th and 16th. The regiment remained on duty at Nashville till mustered out in June, 1865. Ordered to Columbus, the men were there paid and discharged, and the regiment was disbanded on June 27th.