Books available through Hayes Library tell lasting tales of Ohio soldiers from Civil War
Hardesty’s “Military and Personal Sketches of Ohio’s Rank and File from Sandusky County in the War of the Rebellion,” which is part of a wealth of Hardesty information, is available through the Rutherford B. Hayes Library and Museums in Fremont.
Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia was a voluminous late 19th century encyclopedia produced by H.H. Hardesty and Co. of Chicago and Toledo.
In addition to providing so much information, the collection provides a look at real people who served in the Civil War. I like to share a few examples of what the great historian and writer Ken Burns called “history from the bottom up.”
Tales from the Civil War
Charles Aldrich of Fremont signed up at the first call in 1861 and three years later joined the New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. Not long after, he was taken prisoner, giving us this tale:
“He was marched about three miles over the south side of a swamp, where the rebels halted and began to divide the money, valuables and rations of their prisoners. Just at this time, however, about three hundred boys in blue came around the swamp and recaptured their comrades besides many prisoners and a battery. The horses of the battery were killed but the rebels lent helping, though unwilling, hands to draw it back to the Union lines.”
Dick served in the 72nd Ohio
Lorenzo Dick served in the 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was organized by Ralph Buckland, and he was promoted for meritorious conduct at Shiloh, but it seems his rewards were sketchy at best. He was among those captured at Guntown when they were lured into a trap set by a horseshoe shaped enemy line. While held prisoner he was commissioned captain but didn’t learn of the promotion until sometime later when he was exchanged and was home on furlough. During his time in prison, he and others came under fire from Union guns.
His time in the field and Confederate prisons earned him chronic diseases and hearing loss.
Even near home, there were risks.
Bushwackers hit troops in Ohio
Jonathan Loveberry and fellow troops went to Zanesville after they had captured 12 “bushwackers” on the march home. They were discharged at Zanesville, but “Here they had a general street fight with the citizens caused by water being thrown on one of the boys by a hose.”
Charles Mason, a cavalryman, was captured in Tennessee when his horse was shot out from under him, but he managed to escape. “After three weeks and three days of suffering, lying in swamps by day and traveling bare foot by night, he reached his regiment at Point of Rocks,” thanks to help from a local Black man.
Then this about George W. Peterson, who was enlisted in the 72nd at Fremont.
“The night before the Guntown battle Company F. drew rations for 77 men, and the day following the rebels capture everything, and all of the men but 13.Mr. Peterson was among the fortunate number who escaped, but he was without food or ammunition and one hundred and thirty miles from Memphis. They marched to the last-named place (Memphis) in two nights and one day.”
Undoubtedly there are thousands of similar stories to tell about people who played roles in our history.
Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Hayes Library remains a source for historic stories
