"God Alone Knows the Degree of Their Misery" An Ohio officer at the Crater


Archibald Johnson Sampson was born June 21, 1839 in Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio. He grew up on the family farm and attended the local schools, then attended Mount Union College graduating on his birthday in 1861. By then, the war had commenced and he enlisted in Co. C of the 43rd Ohio Infantry as a Private, serving with the regiment until June 1862 when he was discharged for disability. By that time, he had been promoted to the rank of sergeant. Returning home to Uhrichsville, he was elected the superintendent of schools but the lure of army life proved too strong and he enlisted as a private in Co. C of the 5th Independent Battalion of Ohio Cavalry in 1863. The 5th Battalion was later merged with the 4th Battalion to form the 13th Ohio Cavalry regiment. Sampson was promoted to regimental commissary sergeant.
Lt Archibald J. Sampson, Co. H, 27th U.S.C.T.

In April 1864, Sampson was commissioned a first lieutenant in the 27th U.S. Colored Troops and joined the regiment in Columbus, Ohio before it left the state. He was assigned to Co. H. Lieutenant Sampson was on detached duty during June/July commanding a detachment of recruits at Point Lookout, Maryland and during this period requested staff duty with Brigadier General Barnes. Sampson cited several generals who could attest to his qualifications including prominent Ohio Republicans James A. Garfield and Robert Schenk, both generals then serving in Congress.

He served with the 27th U.S.C.T. until late November 1864, taking part in several battles including the Crater and Hatcher's Run. He came ill with a heart condition and rheumatism in his right shoulder and was hospitalized in December 1864. In January 1865, he wrote a letter to Major General Silas Casey in Washington, D.C. seeking an appointment to Casey's staff. “I have been one of Uncle Sam's boys for two years but I am not physically qualified to endure active field service any longer,” he wrote. “I will be compelled to leave the service which I do not want to do. I can do as much work as ever as long as I don't expose myself too much.” General Casey chose not to act on Sampson's letter and Sampson was given an honorable discharge February 4, 1865. In 1867, he was given a brevet promotion to captain for “gallant and meritorius services during the war.”


After the war, Sampson moved to Missouri with his younger brother Francis and set up a law practice in Sedalia. He married Kate I. Turner, the daughter of Judge A.C. Turner of Cadiz in 1866, but she died in December of 1886 in Denver. He later re-married to another widow, Mrs. Frances S. Wood of Joliet, Illinois. "For some time, even in the camp as a soldier, Mr. Sampson pursued the study of law and on his return home, having passed the requisite examination, was admitted to practice at Mount Vernon, Ohio. He was subsequently graduated from the Cleveland Law School and in 1865 located at Sedalia, Missouri where he began a successful practice. While a resident of that city, he served as county superintendent of schools, as attorney for the State Board of Education for the 5th Congressional District, and as city and county attorney. In 1872 he declined the appointment of the United States consul to Palestine to which he had been appointed by President Grant. In 1873, Mr. Sampson removed to Colorado and located at Canon City where he resumed the practice of law and served one term as county attorney. In 1876 he was nominated and later elected attorney general of Colorado, receiving one of the largest majorities on the ticket," it was written in the Historical & Biographical Record of the Territory of Arizona in 1896. "He is a courteous, affable, and most agreeable gentleman."


Sampson enjoyed good political connections dating back to his Civil War service and they served him in good stead throughout his long career. He gained popularity as a stump speaker advocating for the Republican Party and was very active socially with memberships in the G.A.R., M.O.L.L.U.S., and the Masons. With the election of President William Harrison in 1889, he was appointed to a consulship in Paso Del Norte, Mexico where he learned to speak and read Spanish. In 1892, he moved with his family to Arizona and took up ranching and managing other business interests such as mining. With the election of fellow Ohio Civil War veteran William McKinley to the Presidency in 1897, Sampson was appointed Minister to Ecuador and served in that capacity until 1907. He died of kidney disease and pneumonia on Christmas Eve 1921 in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 82 and is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. 

The 27th U.S. Colored Troops was comprised of men of color, many of whom were Ohio residents at the time of their enlistment. The regiment mustered into service January 16, 1864 at Camp Delaware (Delaware, Ohio) and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac in April. The regiment served with the army supply train until July when it was sent to Petersburg and took part in the siege operations being conducted by the Army of the Potomac. At the Battle of the Crater, the regiment formed a part of the First Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel Joshua K. Sigfried commanding) along with the 30th, 39th, and 43rd U.S.C.T. regiments. General Edward Ferrero was the division commander.
Battle of the Crater as depicted by artist Alfred Waud in 1864



 The following letter
written by Lieutenant Sampson was published in the August 9, 1864
issue of the Tuscarawas Advocate. 








In the trenches of
Petersburg, Virginia



August 2, 1864







Editor Advocate:



 Thinking a few words in
regard to the late battle at this place would not be uninteresting to
the readers of the Advocate, and having a few leisure moments,
I hasten to prepare you a few notes. Long ere this reaches you, the
North will be aroused with the intelligence that a great battle has
been fought and numerous statements will be made in regard to it, the
most of which will vary more or less from the truth. 








 As an eyewitness and
participant I shall strive to give a correct account, but not full in
detail as I would not likely be able to complete it were I to
commence such. On Saturday morning at 4:30, the desultory firing of
the pickets and sharpshooters from noon till night and from night
till noon was for variety of program changed so as to all all the
privilege which the pickets and sharps had heretofore enjoyed, and
one of the most bloody battles of the war was fought. Soldiers of
many battles say they never saw one equal to it. 








 “The ball opened” by
the explosion of our mines and sending the Rebel fort heavenward;
throwing many Rebels nearer that place than they will ever get again.
The noise was very slight, nothing but a hoarse growling when the
next instant, as estimated by some, the clay was thrown 100 feet
high. It was entirely unexpected by the Johnnies, as some of them
told me who were in the fort sleeping at the time and taken
prisoners. In this explosion they lost 200 men. Had a bold charge
been made at this moment, I believe we would today be in Petersburg
for the Rebels evacuated a fort which afterwards gave us such an
enfilade fire; they also abandoned almost their entire line not
knowing how many more mines we had under them. But the unpropitious
moment was unoccupied until they became satisfied that there we no
other mines and they returned to their posts for duty. 








The attack of Ferrero's division at the Crater had the regiments stacked into an attacking column which blundered right into the hole created by the mine explosion. (Map courtesy of American Battlefield Trust)









 At last, however, the
command came: “charge!” This was done by white and colored troops
in a manner that showed their determination. Soon the fort was
occupied and on went our brave boys until  we had some six or
eight stand of colors on the Rebel works. Now came the
unpropitious moment for the Rebels opened an enfilade fire from both
directions of their line and at the same time about 10,000 Rebels
made the charge on our troops yelling like fiends.  The colored
troops not being properly supported and exposed to such a severe fire
retreated. Here were performed deeds of daring and heroism which have
never been surpassed. Almost superhuman exertions were made to rally
those retreating but all to no purpose. Our regiment (27th
U.S.C.T.) stood up bravely to the work until compelled to retreat to
save being trampled by the Second Brigade. [Sampson is referencing
the Second Brigade of the Fourth Division which was led by Colonel
Henry Goddard Thomas and comprised of the 19th, 23rd,
29th, and 31st U.S.C.T. regiments.] White
troops as well as colored were compelled to retreat until we now
occupy the same positions we did in the morning before the battle. 




















 Patriots shed tears while
viewing the field and thinking where we might be if...history will
tell that. I do not believe the failure was on account of colored
troops, but ask anyone who was in the charge. No heroes ever fought
more valiantly than many colored men did that day. This is
acknowledged by all. Our dead number about 300, wounded and prisoners I know not how many but both are heavy. On Saturday we sent in a flag
of truce to have the privilege of burying our dead and caring for the
wounded, but this was refused by those heartless fiends on account of
informality on our part, as they said.







  



 While they were
parleying, hostilities ceased so that we could get up and look across
at the Johnnies only a few rods apart, but could not go over to give
water to those who were dying for want of it. One poor fellow raised
his tin cup, waved it, and then raised it to his lips, going through
the motions of drinking, showing us what he wanted, but by those
devils it was refused. There lay our wounded two days, enduring the
almost unendurable stench of the dead exposed to the burning rays of
a 100 degree sun. God alone knows the degree of their misery.







 On Monday morning our
flag of truce was accepted and I hastened to the field with water to
give to the suffering heroes. Oh, with what eagerness they did drink-
thousands of dollars would not be an equivalent for one drink of
water I suppose. It is a hard sight to be in battle, listen to the
confusion, the dying groans, the pleadings of the wounded, etc., but
all this is nothing to compare to the field of the dead. God grant it
may never be my lot to behold such another sight as I here beheld. My
heart sickens at the sight and I shrink from a further description of
scenes. As soon as our flag of truce was hoisted, the Rebel hordes
were out by the score robbing our dead, coolly and deliberately
before our eyes. At this sight my wrath was kindled a little more
than it ordinarily is, but as the field was theirs, we had to silently
endure it.







 I know of one Tuscarawas
boy hurt (Albert Parish of Uhrichsville); he came near being killed
by a shell and was severely stunned by it, but now is all right
again. It is now unknown what will be our next move, but rest assured
there is no inactivity in the Army of the Potomac.







 I may write to you again
as soon as anything of importance transpires. We still are hopeful of
success. 








Yours in haste,



Lt. Arch. J. Sampson,
commanding Co. H, 27th U.S.C.T.


































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