10 Days to Franklin: The 183rd Ohio Goes To War


The 183rd Ohio Infantry, a new regiment raised primarily in Cincinnati of Germans or men of German descent, made one of the most rapid transitions from peace to war of any regiment from Ohio. Mustered into service November 18, 1864 at Camp Dennison, Ohio, in ten days the men found themselves at the front, staring across the Duck River in southern Tennessee about to square off with the invading legions of John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee. 

 An unnerving experience for a new unit, the 183rd Ohio performed remarkably well in the hectic three days that followed in large part due to the breadth of experience of its officers and enlisted men. Its colonel, George Hoge, had a distinguished career with the 126th Ohio while Lieutenant Colonel Mervin Clark had served with the Rooster Regiment, the notable 7th Ohio Infantry. Chaplain John Geer had served with the 48th Ohio in the early part of the war and the story of his capture at Shiloh was recounted on this blog some time ago. (See "The Prisoner Who Never Surrendered")

 Upon arriving at Columbia, Tennessee, the regiment (1,000 strong making it the size of three veteran regiments) was assigned to Colonel Silas Strickland's brigade consisting of the 50th Ohio, 72nd Illinois, and the 44th Missouri. As related in the account below from Major August Hatry, the regiment was quickly in the thick of events that culminated in the Battle of Franklin 155 years ago today.
Colonel George Hoge, 183rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry


I received a commission as Major of the 183rd Ohio November 10, 1864 and proceeded to Camp Dennison to take charge of it and organize the different companies stationed there, which I did, and in a few days was joined by Colonel George W. Hoge (126th Ohio) and Lieutenant Colonel Mervin Clark (7th Ohio) to whom I turned over the command. We proceeded to Louisville where we were armed and equipped and went by special train to Columbia, Tennessee. We arrived there on November 27th and were placed in the Third Brigade, Second Division, 23rd Corps under command of General Thomas H. Ruger.
Hood's Invasion of Tennessee November 21-28, 1864
Map courtesy of Hal Jespersen (www.cwmaps.com)
The officers and men had hardly become acquainted with each other when we were put under fire at Duck River the following day. I must give credit to these new recruits: they stood the test well and the officers were satisfied that we had a good regiment. We were skirmishing nearly all the next day at Duck River and about dark received orders to move toward Spring Hill, on the way to Franklin, Tennessee. Our orders were to march quietly, to attract as little attention as possible, as we momentarily expected to be attacked by the Rebels, but with very little trouble we passed through Spring Hill.
Colonel Silas Strickland, 50th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

When south of town our regiment was halted and ordered to move into an open field with a small creek running through it some 500 feet from the road. We were to guard this passage of the road and to fire on the enemy should they make the effort to take the road, and to hold our position at all hazards; that if attacked, we were to be reinforced at once. We took position in a sort of ravine, protected by some very light underbrush and the small creek. Our men lay on the ground with loaded muskets waiting for the Rebels to come. We were a large regiment, over 1,000 men, and we placed men all along the creek to make our line as long as possible. To look at them they looked more like a division of our army than a regiment. We had not long to wait- hardly half an hour- when the Rebels arrived, jubilant and apparently happy, and at once went into camp about 1,000 feet from our line. They took down the fence rails and built their fires and started cooking their supper, a thing we had not had and dared not make or expect that night. They put out their camp guards about 300 feet from their camp, about 600-700 feet from where we lay.
The escape at Spring Hill- November 29, 1864
Map courtesy of Hal Jespersen (www.cwmaps.com)


Our position was anything but pleasant. We expected every minute to be attacked. During this time I noticed several officers on horseback, evidently generals and staff officers, coming close to our line, inspecting the situation, and from information obtained after the war I am certain they were Generals Cheatham, Bate, and others, looking over their position with a view to attack. They were a little imprudent. I was sorely tempted to capture one of these groups, and would have done so had they come a little nearer; but the orders were to keep quiet and remain there until relieved, therefore not a sound was uttered, and the officers did their utmost to have the men keep as quiet as possible.

Had the Rebels made their attack in this dark night, with us in ambush and with our deadly aim (for the reason they would have been between their campfires and us and we could see them as well or better than if it was daylight as their fires were large and bright and we were cognizant of all their movements), we should have given them a terrible punishment. A night attack is always against the attacking party when the party attacked is expecting such an attack; therefore, had Hood made his effort to take the Franklin Pike that night, he would have been repulsed with a terrible slaughter, and with what assistance the passing forces could have rendered his defeat certain, and a useless sacrifice of life on both sides would have taken place without the desired result.
Soldiers on the march in 1864

My experience of that memorable night at Spring Hill in this field I shall never forget. We remained in our position until about 3 A.M., but no orders came for our relief. The troops had all passed the road and all was quiet. I made several trips to the road to look for a courier with orders, but none came, so about 3 A.M. we held a council as to what was best to do. Our colonel was for staying and obeying orders, but the lieutenant colonel and myself and several other officers were for leaving, not wishing to be captured, which was certain if we remained until daylight. We concluded to abandon the place, and we had not a minute to lose, as there was some movement in the Rebel camps, their fires being replenished, and all indicated an early movement. We had proceeded but a short distance on the road when we met a courier with orders to join our brigade. He had been looking for us for some time, but had missed the place.
The Union Army arrayed at Franklin November 30, 1864. Strickland's brigade (including the 183rd Ohio) took positions just to the northwest of the Carter House, the center of the fighting.
Map courtesy of Hal Jespersen (www.cwmaps.com)


We reached Franklin about noon November 30th, and the regiment did excellent service in this battle, occupying a position where the hardest fighting took place. Our loss was very severe: Lieutenant Colonel Clark was killed at the first charge made by General Cleburne’s troops in rallying a break in the regiment at the point where the fighting was the hardest. He received a mortal wound through the head. He knew that he would be killed. During our guarding the road, he had lain down and taken a couple hours’ rest, as he had been without sleep for two nights and as I did his share of the work while he rested. As we were riding along the road towards Franklin, he came alongside me and said, “Major, if we have a battle tomorrow, I shall be killed. I had this presentiment last night.” He told me what to do in case he was killed; told me all his personal affairs, and what to do with his body. He was a noble fellow- he had been a captain in the 7th Ohio in the Army of the Potomac, and was considered one of the bravest soldiers in that regiment. I tried to persuade him from such thoughts and cheer him up, and partially succeeded, and I sincerely hoped that no battle would take place that day, but destiny had it otherwise.
Lieutenant Colonel Mervin Clark, 183rd Ohio Infantry


On our arrival at Franklin, General Ruger sent to Colonel Hoge an order to detail order of the field officers to act as division field officer for the day, and to proceed at once to take charge of the skirmish line, then quite active. Clark asked as a special favor that I should go, and therefore I mounted my horse at once to obey the order and went to the front and took charge of the skirmishers. On being driven in by the desperate charge of the Rebel attack, I rejoined my regiment just in time to see poor Clark fall and die on the spot.

The Confederate assault at Franklin around 4:30 in the afternoon of November 30, 1864. The 183rd Ohio was in the second line of Strickland's brigade to the right of the Carter House and moved forward to the entrenchments when the initial Confederate wave staggered the frontline regiments. The 183rd held their portion of the line for the rest of the engagement.
Map courtesy of Hal Jespersen (www.cwmaps.com)


Private Revilow N. Spohn of Co. K remembered Lieutenant Colonel Clark’s final moments. “Colonel Clark fell on the extreme right of the regiment during the first bayonet charge of the Rebels upon our rifle pits. He jumped on top of the works, urging his men to fill the break, when he was shot and instantly killed.” Clark fell into Spohn’s arms, who (in company with Sergeant Frank Bradford) carried Clark’s body from the field. “We all loved Colonel Clark, and no officer was braver than he. He fell, sword in hand, urging his men to follow his example, and they all stood by him.” National Tribune, September 6, 1894, pg. 4
The fighting at Franklin was among the most ferocious of the Civil War. The 183rd Ohio sustained a total of 120 casualties at Franklin: 6 killed, 36 wounded, and 78 missing. 


www.columbianarsenal.com

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