Jeff Parsons of the 67th Ohio at the First Battle of Kernstown

One of the favorite regiments that I've been introduced to over the past 20 years of Civil War research is one discovered in my own backyard: the 67th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The 67th Ohio served exclusively in the eastern theater, starting off their service in the Shenandoah Valley fighting against Stonewall Jackson at First Kernstown in March 1862, then traipsed all over Virginia with Shields' Division before joining the Army of the Potomac at Harrison's Landing in the wake of the Seven Days battles. For the remainder of the war, the 67th Ohio served in what I would term the 'backwaters' of the war: Suffolk, Va., the sea islands in South Carolina, and then Bermuda Hundred. As Grant's army closed in on Petersburg, the 67th Ohio took part in the siege and played an important role in breaking the Confederate hold on Petersburg by storming Fort Gregg on April 2, 1865, and was present for the close of the war at Appomattox Courthouse.

The 67th Ohio's soldiers came from all over northwestern and northeastern Ohio, with large contingents from the Toledo, Cleveland, and Akron areas. As a matter of fact, I've found 67th Ohio soldiers' correspondence in more than a dozen newspapers from all over the state. However, one of the most interesting sets of correspondence I've come across was really the first that I found while indexing the Perrysburg Journal back in 2001. Wood County resident John J. "Jeff" Parsons enlisted in Company H on October 9, 1861 and was appointed Corporal when the regiment mustered into service in December. Corporal Parsons served with Co. H through early 1864 (he was promoted to Sergeant along the way), when he was commissioned as second lieutenant of Co. B. He was promoted again to First Lieutenant and was assigned back to Co. H on August 11, 1864- five days later, he was dead, having been killed while leading his company in a desperate charge on Confederate breastworks at the Battle of Deep Bottom Run.

In this letter below (his fourth letter published in the Perrysburg Journal), Corporal Parsons recounts his regiment's first time under fire during the First Battle of Kernstown which was fought March 23, 1862 by the men of Shields' division and about 3,000 men under the command of 'Stonewall' Jackson. It was a Federal victory, one of the few obtained against the legendary Confederate general, and a point of pride for the 67th Ohio as long as its veterans could tell the tale....

Strasburg, Virginia
March 30, 1862
 
Friends in Wood County:
            Let me express to you the success and joys of the 67th Ohio which we obtained at Winchester, Virginia on the 23rd of this month. On Saturday evening about 5 o’clock, we were hastily called out from our camp, which is situated two miles north of town, and hastened through and beyond the place about a mile, when we were greeted by the roar of one of the enemies’ big guns. We were immediately deployed into line as skirmishers and proceeded to our duty, but as battery H of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery (from Toledo) opened on them, the enemy thought best to draw back, and as the darkness came on things had to rest for the night.; three companies remaining out during the night as pickets, one of which was Company H. The first shot the enemy made was the means of wounding General Shields in the left arm. It was afterwards found that the enemy’s forces on Saturday evening were only composed of Ashby’s cavalry and two pieces of artillery.
Lt. Col. Alvin C. Voris led the 67th Ohio
at Kernstown- the former colonel Otto Burstenbinder
had been placed under arrest for a multitude of abuses
and would be dishonorably dismissed July 29, 1862.
 
On Sunday morning about 9 o’clock, they opened fire on us again, having been reinforced either in the night or early morning by Jackson’s forces of from 5,000-7,000 infantry. Dunn’s splendid battery was soon arrayed against them with the 67th in support. Here we were for the first time introduced to the hellish sounds of the enemy’s shells as they began to visit our position while on their intended messages of death, and while at the same time our own cannon were doing good execution hastening their infantry from one place to another. At noon our regiment was relieved by the 5th Ohio and we moved off to the right into a little wood where we remained for about two hours. We then returned to the support of the battery, the 5th moving to the rear. Just at this time, the enemy tried to flank our forces on the left, but our men having good guns and being superior marksmen, the Secesh were soon driven back to their reserve, many of them having received genuine passes to another world.
            The cannonading was then kept up on our side for a few minutes, but it was soon ascertained that their infantry was fast congregating in the woods in front of us just across a clear low land about a half mile distant and from all appearances about to make a charge upon us; but Battery L, 1st Ohio Light Artillery (brass battery with 6 pounders) soon hustled them out of that, and the way they hurried over the wood covered hill which they had chosen as their battleground and defense is indescribable. Just at this time we could very distinctly see that they were planting their artillery on quite a high hill nearly in front of ours, about a mile distant and to the right of their infantry, but our Parrot guns soon drove them back into the woods; yet they were not to be disappointed in this and soon opened on us with a large 24 pounder which they manned well, aiming this gun at our regiment. We were immediately ordered to lay down and hide our flag.
National colors of the 67th O.V.I.
Here we lay for nearly 5 hours in fair view of their gunners, some of their shells bursted in front of us, throwing dirt into our line while others produced almost a yell as they sped through the air, our batteries doing their best at the same time. While this cannonading was going on, Battery L of the brass guns ran out of ammunition and moved down to hill to our right, and directly in front of their left flank, not for the intention of charging them, for as I have said, they were out of ammunition, but for the purpose of drawing them further down to our right. This move had a charming effect as they soon had their guns stationed at intervals from their big 24 pounder above mentioned all along the ridge of woods, to nearly opposite our right and proceeded to open fire briskly on the defenseless battery, killing one of its gunners.
It had now gotten to be about 4:40 in the afternoon and as we were getting quite serious to know the result of the day, we saw Tyler’s Brigade, composed of several regiments including the 7th Ohio entering the woods on the left flank of the enemy. They soon met and commenced firing sharply, we about the same time receiving orders to arise and double quick across the flat and next in front. As soon as we started, they commenced on us with their artillery, throwing shell and grape accurately, but luckily we gained the woods, losing only one or two men. We gained the woods, ascended the hill and took our position on its brow, at the left of the 7th Ohio with the 84th Pennsylvania at our left, just in time to render great assistance to the 7th which was receiving the greater part of the enemy’s shots. The rebels were behind and defended by a stone wall which ran parallel with and 20 rods in front of the line of Tyler’s Brigade. As we came up, we formed a right angle with Tyler’s men at the same time opening a cross fire on the hidden rebels where we could shoot lengthwise of the wall. In this position, we showed our good will for our country’s sake for about half an hour, when the enemy became panic stricken and turning their backs to us, commenced hunting more comfortable quarters as fast as possible while our men were yelling and hallowing for joy at the top of their voices as they continued to pursue them as fast as they sped on.
Map of the Battle of Kernstown by Hal Jespersen (www.cwmaps.com)
 
Soon the enemy attempted to make another stand, but this time we routed them for good and as our men were so overjoyed with their success, they rushed upon several of the enemy’s cannons, turning them upside down before they could be gotten away, the gunners being obliged to cut their things and flee for their own lives, leaving several guns to our care. Here night set in and huddled in a heap on the fallen leaves among the dead sons of Dixie, awaited the coming morn. Those who have died in the Union forces up to this date from effects of the battle number a little over 100, while Jackson lost in killed and wounded from 500 to 600. Our wounded were about 150, while his is unknown yet undoubtedly will swell up to 400. The battle was a hard fought one and many a brave son fell, but through the kindness of Him who is ever mindful of the right, we sustained our cause and won a glorious victory.
The Rebels continued to flee during the night, carrying off many of their wounded in wagons, a fact which was proved the next day as we followed them, finding many houses along the road filled with them. The prisoners taken in connection with the killed and wounded will without exaggeration exceed 1,000. Secesh stragglers tell us that Jackson fled, showing no mercy to his men, and is undoubtedly by this time 50 miles from our lines.
But my story is becoming lengthy, and suffice to say, that we are sweetly anticipating an evening not many months hence when with our dear ones at home around glowing firesides, we shall relate the many little incidents and hairs breadth escapes of which we were ourselves eyewitnesses, while in the service of our country, fighting her battles.
Long may our country stand.

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

Arming the Buckeyes: Longarms of the Ohio Infantry Regiments

Image
     A common question that comes up in conversation about Civil War Buckeye regiments is "What were they armed with?" We are fortunate in that the state of Ohio kept good records of how the regiments were armed when they went into service, this being especially true for those regiments which went into service in 1861 and 1862. The state adjutant general's reports for 1861 and 1862 have been heavily drawn upon to construct this article, as well as consultation with Phil Spaugy who has done extensive research on how Ohio's troops were armed during the war.      Buckeyes carried a fairly wide variety of weapons into the field, and the below article breaks this down into weapons of both domestic manufacture and imported arms. The early days of the war found the state of Ohio practically bereft of longarms; as an example, when the 1st and 2nd Ohio Volunteer Militia left the state in late April 1861, they left unarmed, being armed at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on t...
Read more

Bullets for the Union: Manufacturing Small Arms Ammunition During the Civil War

Image
       Civil War bullets are perhaps the most common item collected from the era; the two armies expended bullets by the millions during the four years’ conflict and spent or deformed bullets of all shapes and sizes have made fascinating and affordable collectibles since the guns went silent in 1865.       I recently acquired a display piece featuring 35 different types of small arms ammunition used during the Civil War, including everything from a small .28 caliber ball up to a .69 caliber three-ring Minie and it triggered some questions: how did the Federal army obtain its small arms ammunition during the war? Where did the lead come from to make the bullets, and where and how was the ammunition manufactured? This post seeks to answer those questions. A typical .58 caliber 3-ring Minie bullet   “Whenever the blasts of war blow in the ears of men who trade in the implements of destruction, they are apt to experience more joy than the true ...
Read more

Dressing the Rebels: How to Dye Butternut Jeans Cloth

Image
     In the early days of the Civil War,  the Southern states found themselves with an abundance of cotton but a shortage of cloth with which to make army uniforms. The trade in cloth prior to the war had largely been to send raw cotton or wool north to New England (or Great Britain) where it was converted into usable cloth; but now that trade was broken and the Southern states were thrown upon their own resources in their efforts to properly clothe the Confederate army.  This collection of Confederate enlisted men's frock coats and shell jackets gives some indication of the variety of shades of butternut worn during the war. All of them are shades of yellow brown, some heavier on the yellow and some heavier on the brown. The blue used around the collar or as rank insignia indicates that the soldier was in the infantry. Surviving Confederate uniforms are considered rather rare and command quite a healthy price in the collecting market. For an in-depth study of h...
Read more

The Wizard of Oz and the Civil War

Image
T he 1939 film The Wizard of Oz has delighted viewers for 85 years and ranks as a personal favorite, especially during the Halloween season. While watching it with the family the other night, I wondered if there were any connections between the film and the Civil War. Not surprisingly, the answer is yes and those connections touch both the blue and the gray.           Interestingly both “witches” in the film not only had Civil War ancestors but had connections with Civil War soldiers from Ohio. Margaret Hamilton, the “Wicked Witch of the West,” was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 9, 1902, to attorney Walter Jones Hamilton and his wife Mary Jane Adams; Margaret’s grandfather was Judge Edwin Timothy Hamilton. Judge Hamilton had served as a private in Co. D of the 84 th Ohio Infantry during the summer of 1862. The 84 th Ohio, a three months’ regiment, served nearly the whole of its service attached to the Railroad District in western Ma...
Read more

The Vaunted Enfield Rifle Musket

Image
     The English-made Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield Rifle Musket was widely regarded as the best infantry arm in the world at the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861. Favorable international press describing its efficiency in the Crimean War and in suppressing the Indian rebellion led to the widespread desire of American infantrymen (both Federal and Confederate) to be armed with these accurate and well-made arms. The lock plate of this well-worn P1853 Enfield rifle musket produced in 1862 shows the typical markings of a British-made weapon that made it through the Federal blockade.  ( Army of Tennessee Relics ) Enfield-pattern weapons were imported into the states by the tens and hundreds of thousands during the war years; one estimate stated that the Federal government purchased 500,000 while the Confederates purchased another 400,000. The Confederate government dispatched Captain Caleb Huse to Europe in April 1861 to purchase weapons and Huse focused on se...
Read more

In front of Atlanta with the 68th Ohio

Image
  The arrow corps badge of the 17th Army Corps was worn by many members of the 68th Ohio in the latter days of the war.       Private Edward A. Bigelow of Co. F of the 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry wrote this brief account of the Battle of Atlanta just two days afterwards to his father back home in Henry County, Ohio. The regiment formed a part of Colonel Robert K. Scott's three regiment all-Ohio brigade consisting of the 20th, 68th, and 78th regiments, being designated the Second Brigade of the Third Division of Frank Blair's 17th Army Corps. Bigelow's letter originally appeared in the Napoleon Press newspaper and was copied in the Toledo Daily Commercial which was providential as no known copies exist today of the wartime Napoleon Press.  
Read more

Charging Battery Robinett: An Alabama Soldier Recalls the Vicious Fighting at Corinth

Image
W riting 30 years after the Battle of Corinth, James A. McKinstry of the 42 nd Alabama recalled his experiences storming Battery Robinett with Colonel William P. Rogers of the 2 nd Texas and expressed guilt that it was perhaps his action that brought about the colonel’s demise. “On seeing a line of Federals approaching, and before giving the situation a thought, I immediately raised my gun and fired full into the breast of a Federal sergeant, who was in front of the column, and only a short distance from us.  'Twas then that Captain George Foster shouted, "Cease firing, men! cease firing!" and waved his handkerchief, then I realized the true situation. 'Twas too late! That fatal volley had been turned on our little band from the muzzles of 1,500 muskets. I was still standing just as I was when I fired my last shot, and within a few feet of Colonel Rogers, when a Minie ball went crashing through my left hip and turned me half round; another went tearing through my ...
Read more

Cook & Brother of New Orleans

Image
    The lockplate of a New Orleans-made Cook & Brother Enfield rifle produced in 1862 shows the fine craftsmanship that became the hallmark of the maker throughout the Civil War. Note the stars and bars flag at left, an emblem used on C&B's production throughout the war and the Cook & Brother, N.O. 1862 markings. Earlier production weapons at New Orleans had the flag located just above the maker's name while later weapons produced in Athens, Georgia would have a modified flag and Athens on the plate followed by the serial number.        In the spring of 1861, two English-born businessmen, Ferdinand and Francis Cook of New Orleans, perceived the need for the South to have its own domestic production of firearms and  set out to prove "that rifles could made here as well as in Yankee land or in Europe." The brothers  elected to produce copies of the British Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield rifle as this was considered the benchmark longarm...
Read more

I Want to See a Battle: A Hoosier at Shiloh

Image
W riting in his diary, Private Manius Buchanan of the 29 th Indiana recalled the eagerness with which his regiment marched towards Savannah, Tennessee with the sounds of the battle of Shiloh ringing in their ears.           “The forced march was kept up until 2 p.m. when we were halted until 4 p.m,” he noted. “The rest was really needed, but the continual question is ‘Why are we stopped here?’ The sound of battle increased in volume and anxiety to be up and doing grows more intense. As I am weak from a late sickness, I am urged to fall to the rear; but no, in common with all, I want to see a battle and fear this will be my only chance.” The regiment would go into action the following afternoon, and of the four neighborhood boys who had enlisted together in Co. B, only Buchanan escaped unscathed. One afternoon's exposure to the horrors of battle was all it took to satisfy this Hoosier's desire to see the elephant. “I wanted to see a battl...
Read more

An Interview with Forrest in May 1864

Image
  “The noise of battle is the only music that ravishes the senses of Forrest.” I t was May 1864. Back east, the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac were locked in the deadly dance of the Overland Campaign while in Georgia, General William Tecumseh Sherman's army squared off against General Joseph E. Johnston and the Army of the Tennessee in the campaign for Atlanta.       Based in relatively quiet northern Mississippi, General Nathan Bedford Forrest bided his time waiting for a Federal advance from Memphis. Earlier in the month, General Samuel Sturgis led a brief campaign into Mississippi but Forrest was sure Sturgis would venture out again. In the meantime, he tried to keep his reorganized command intact despite persistent demands from his superiors that he return the absentees and deserters who inflated his ranks (nearly 1,000 in number) to their original commands.      Around this same time,  an old acquaintance from Me...
Read more