Losing Colonel Webster: The 98th Ohio at Perryville

     Lieutenant Colonel Christian Poorman was less than a year away from operating the Belmont Chronicle newspaper when he found himself in command of his 98th Ohio Infantry at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky on October 8, 1862. He noted with pride and sadness the fate of his commanding officer and friend Colonel George Webster in the following letter published in his old newspaper back home.

    “Colonel George Webster, commanding the 34th Brigade, could be seen during the whole afternoon in the thickest of the fight leading his brigade wherever the fight raged the hottest,” he wrote. “He encouraged the men by his presence and advice, making new recruits do the work of veterans, until about 5 o’clock, when he was shot through the small of the back, the ball passing above and near the right hip bone and through his bowels, lodging in front in his left side. He fell from his horse and was carried from the field; his wound was examined by the surgeon, and he was carried to the rear and well cared for, but there was no hope in his case and he died this morning at about 5 o’clock. His death has cast a gloom over the remnant of the 98th Ohio, by whom he was highly esteemed and over his brigade that has learned to love him in the short time he has commanded them. The government, in his death, has lost an invaluable officer and his command has suffered an irreparable loss.”

    Poorman’s letter was published on the last page of the October 23, 1862, edition of the Belmont Chronicle.

 

The death of Colonel George Perry Webster cast a pall of gloom over his 98th Ohio regiment. A veteran of the Mexican War with the 1st Ohio Infantry and former lieutenant colonel of the 25th Ohio, the well-regarded former attorney was assigned brigade command at Louisville in the days leading up to the Perryville campaign. Webster was struck down by a bullet through his right hip and bowels around 5 p.m. on October 8, 1862 which resulted in his death early the following morning. 


Battlefield near Perryville, Kentucky,

October 9, 1862

    The telegraph no doubt has informed you of the desperate battle fought here yesterday between Rousseau’s and Jackson’s Divisions of McCook’s Corps (about 18,000 men with five batteries) and the Rebel forces under Bragg, Buckner, and Smith, and of the terrible destruction of life and limb on both sides. The accounts received in that way are of necessity meager and unsatisfactory; and the people of each locality, from which regiments engaged in the fight have come, are anxious to hear something definite from the field of strife and this letter is written with a view to meet this anxiety.

    We left Louisville on the 1st day of October in high spirits and with the expectation of an early engagement with the enemy, as report had him within a short distance of the city. We moved with Rousseau’s and Jackson’s Divisions on the Taylorsville road whilst Wood, Mitchell, and Thomas moved on the Bardstown Pike. It is unnecessary to describe our march much further than to say it was a very hard one, and much longer than we expected, as the enemy fell back as we advanced and we were compelled to follow in light marching order and without tents or baggage through a very dry country, where the men were compelled to drink foul pool water and could get very little of that. It is due them, however, to say that they uttered very few complaints and were only annoyed at the possibility of the enemy getting away from them.

General James S. Jackson
Killed in action at Perryville

    On the evening of the 7th, we arrived within ten miles of Perryville where, we had learned, the Rebels were concentrating and intended to make a stand. We also learned that Buell was in hot pursuit of Bragg from Bardstown close upon his rear and was likely to arrive at Perryville, about as soon as we could. On the morning of the 8th, we awoke at 3 o’clock and were in motion soon after daylight. The 98th Ohio was designated the advance regiment; but as Jackson’s Division was composed almost exclusively of new troops, General McCook desired him to give the advance to General Rousseau with his old veterans which was done, and in this order, we arrived about noon in front of the town, after a very hard, dry, dusty march. We had driven the enemy’s pickets and advance posts several miles before us. We were drawn up in line, our batteries opened upon the enemy, and the engagement soon became general. Rousseau was on the left and Jackson was on the right, with Terrill’s Brigade in reserve.

    The fighting continued during the whole afternoon with varied success, the enemy giving way on several occasions before the murderous fire of our artillery and the terrific assaults of our infantry, but no sooner was one regiment or brigade driven back, than its place was supplied by a fresh one; and from the time of our arrival in front of them until nightfall, their regiments, fresh from their reserve, could be seen filing over the hilltops in our front and moving forward carrying their black flag and waving it defiantly in front of our exhausted, worn out, but brave and undaunted columns.  Our men, new troops as they were, bravely and nobly contested every foot, every inch of ground, making the Rebels bite the dust before their deliberate, well-directed aim, as their outnumbering hosts slowly and dearly purchased the ground lost in the early part of the engagement.



    We looked long and anxiously for the expected assistance as hour after hour of the terrible conflict passed slowly by, but no assistance came until it was too late to be of any use, although we had learned that Thomas’ Division had arrived early in the afternoon and his anxious hosts chafed for an opportunity to be led to our assistance, as they stood by witnessing the thunder of our artillery and the incessant rattle of musketry. But night brought relief and the two contesting armies at dark occupied the same ground as they had at noon. But such a contrast in the condition of both at noon and at night! At noon, we were drawn up in extended lines, strong and hopeful.

    In the morning our broken columns were again formed and ready for the renewal of the fight. Buell, with Crittenden, Thomas, and Wood, was also on hand; but the day passed slowly away without any engagement and at night we learned the enemy has fallen back and we are in possession of the town.

General William Terrill
Killed in action at Perryville

    Generals Jackson and William Terrill fell early in the fight while leading and encouraging their men. Their loss was a fearful one to our army. Colonel George Webster, commanding the 34th Brigade, could be seen during the whole afternoon in the thickest of the fight leading his brigade wherever the fight raged the hottest, encouraging the men by his presence and advice, making new recruits do the work of veterans, until about 5 o’clock, when he was shot through the small of the back, the ball passing above and near the right hip bone and through his bowels, lodging in front in his left side. He fell from his horse and was carried from the field; his wound examined by the surgeon, and he was carried to the rear and well cared for, but there was no hope in his case and he died this morning at about 5 o’clock. His death has cast a gloom over the remnant of the 98th Ohio, by whom he was highly esteemed and over his brigade that has learned to love him in the short time he has commanded them. The government, in his death, has lost an invaluable officer and his command has suffered an irreparable loss.

    I am proud to say that the 98th Ohio has made a good record although on the account of the deaths of General Jackson and General Terrill, it may not get the credit it is entitled to. It was early drawn up to sustain Captain Harris’ 19th Indiana Battery and the right wing remained in its position rendering all the assistance required until after the battery was deserted by the drivers and two guns hauled off the ground; they still stood by the remaining guns and fired them several times without any assistance from the cannoneers. Lieutenant Louis Woodmansee and eight or ten privates from Co. B and Captain John C. Norris [Co. C] with part of his men are entitled to credit for rendering this service.

    About 3:30 p.m., I was ordered by Colonel Webster to move to the left of the battery with the left wing and sustain part of General Terrill’s force that was threatened with overwhelming numbers. I was soon, however, directed to return to the right wing as the enemy in superior numbers was attempting to turn our right. The left wing arrived in time to sustain the right wing which was beginning to fall back under the murderous fire of the enemy who had completely flanked us. We succeeded in rallying the men and reforming them as they fell back to the ridge in the rear where they had nobly stood up for an hour and a half under the fire of several regiments of the enemy, after every other regiment had fallen back on the right and left of it and until their ammunition was completely exhausted. They were relieved by night and an Indiana regiment of Thomas’ Division that had coolly formed in our rear, refusing our appeal for assistance, because their general had not ordered them to advance whilst our ranks were being fearfully thinned.

 

Colonel George Penny Webster

    Christian Longstreth Poorman was born October 28, 1825, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and had a noted career in both business and politics. He married Martha Ann Ebert in 1846, graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1853 and set up practice in St. Clairsville, Ohio, where he soon became the editor of the local Republican newspaper, the Belmont Chronicle. He was commissioned captain of Co. D of the 43rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry November 21, 1861and served with the 43rd until he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 98th Ohio on August 12, 1862. Upon the death of Colonel Webster at Perryville, Poorman was promoted to the rank of colonel and held this rank until his resignation June 12, 1863. He returned to St. Clairsville and continued to operate the Chronicle until 1870. Poorman made and lost a fortune in manufacturing machinery, served two terms in the Ohio House and one year as Secretary of State for Ohio. He died March 6, 1912, of a heart ailment and is buried in Bellaire, Ohio.

 

Source:

Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Christian Poorman, 98th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Belmont Chronicle (Ohio), October 23, 1862, pg. 4

Comments

  1. Darryl R. SmithMay 7, 2023 at 7:19 AM

    Ah, this is helpful for the upcoming Perryville Symposium on the Field - A bit of a typo...it is George Penny Webster.

    ReplyDelete

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