Another Such Engagement Would Not Be Desirable: The 62nd Ohio and Battery Wagner

    The story of the 62nd Ohio in the assault on Fort Wagner is one rarely told; as a matter of fact, the regiment could be known as one of Ohio’s “silent” regiments. Despite serving nearly four years and witnessing combat everywhere in the eastern theater from First Kernstown all the way to Appomattox, correspondence and accounts from this regiment are rather scarce. Throughout the war, the 62nd Ohio served alongside the 67th Ohio, a regiment who more than made up for the 62nd’s silence by being incredibly prolific with their writings.

          In the assault on Wagner, the 62nd Ohio sustained its highest losses of the war losing 19 officers and 156 enlisted men killed, wounded, or missing, including its commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Clemens F. Steele and Adjutant Daniel C. Liggett. This represented 175 men out of the 320 who took part in the assault, a casualty rate of nearly 55%. Casualties among the officers amounted to 85%, only three officers escaping unharmed. The entire command structure of the regiment was knocked out: Lieutenant Colonel Steele was struck in the thigh and was discharged a few months later; Major William Edwards was struck in the thigh and would die as a prisoner of war in late August. Adjutant Liggett would have his leg amputated and die of his wound about a week after the battle while in a hospital at Beaufort.

Positioned near the rear of the Federal assault column, the 62nd Ohio charged into the fort over the carnage inflicted by the first waves including the men of the 54th Massachusetts. “The rear division of the 7th New Hampshire and a portion of the 100th New York, massed together, crossed the ditch, and essayed to get a footing from one point while the 62nd and 67th Ohio made an assault on another,” one reporter noted. “One corner of the fort only was occupied by the National forces and that was swept by grape and canister and exposed to musketry. The troops looked back, saw they were alone, and began to falter. No relief came and, sad and disappointed, they fell back and left the field with their dead and wounded in the hands of the enemy.”

The 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was raised in Belmont, Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, and Noble counties of southeastern Ohio in the fall of 1861 and entered service at Camp Goddard in Zanesville under the command of Colonel Francis B. Pond. The regiment departed the state for the western Virginia in January 1862 and served under General James Shields’ division through Jackson’s Valley campaign. After the battle of Port Republic, the 62nd Ohio was sent as reinforcements to General McClellan’s army then encamped at Harrison’s Landing and arrived in time to take part in the July 4th engagement at that place.

In August, the regiment departed Harrison’s Landing and was sent to Suffolk, Virginia where it was stationed for several months, engaging in multiple reconnaissance’s in the region. At the beginning of the year, the regiment was put on transports and moved first to Beaufort, North Carolina, and eventually to St. Helena Island on the South Carolina coast and from there, it moved to Morris Island where it took part in the assault and siege of Fort Wagner.

The following accounts written by several soldiers in the 62nd Ohio provide some insight into what they experienced during that fateful charge on Battery Wagner in July 1863.

 

The extensive list of battle honors on this late war set of regimental colors belonging to the 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry consists of many lesser known engagements as the regiment spent much of the water in "backwater" assignments. In the spring of 1864, it was assigned to the Army of the James and fought in the Bermuda Hundred and subsequently in the siege of Petersburg. The veterans of the regiment took a great deal of pride in their key role in the taking of Fort Gregg in April 1865 and were present for the surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. 

“Fort Wagner, or Wagner’s nine-gun battery as the Rebels call it, is situated on the south side of Charleston harbor about one mile below or south of Fort Sumter. It is strongly fortified. The Rebels say it is impregnable and I have about come to that conclusion myself. Surely the engineer who constructed it was the master of his profession. Inside the parapet are breastworks running zigzag through the fort. Rebel infantry was posted behind these and small guns placed on the corner of this line of works at right angles, firing grape and canister, which proved so destructive to our men as they ascended the parapet.”

~ Orderly Sergeant James C. Morrison, Co. B

          “Yesterday at noon the navy commenced the bombardment of Fort Sumter and the surrounding forts. A furious battle raged until near sundown when the infantry was ordered to charge the enemy’s works. Shocking indeed was the result; 21 men killed and wounded from our Company B. Our brigadier general fell close by my side.”

~ First Lieutenant Daniel W. Welsh, Co. B

The 62nd Ohio was the second regiment in the second assault column just ahead of their sister regiment the 67th Ohio. The two regiments would serve the entire war together and after its end, the 62nd was consolidated into the 67th for the final few months of occupation duty in Virginia. Both Ohio regiments sustained more than 50% casualties during the attack on Battery Wagner. 

          “We fought one of the most desperate battles yesterday evening that ever occurred. We charged on Fort Wagner, took it, and held it for an hour but were not reinforced and we were obliged to retreat. Our loss is very heavy: Company A went into the fight with 41 men and came out only with 19. There are a great many missing. I did not receive a scratch although I have two musket ball holes through my coat: one near the shoulder on my arm and the other under my right arm a few inches below the seam of my coat. The shot and shell flew thick and fast. I was a little scared at first, but that passed away and I never felt more calm and cool in my life. I do not know whether I killed any Rebels or not, but I can say that I tried to kill a few.”

~ Private William L. Adamson, Co. A

          “The Rebels threw hand grenades among our men after we had taken possession of one side of the fort which killed and wounded many. There was a wide deep ditch running from the harbor around the fort to the inlet at almost right angles. There were guns in position near the mouth of this ditch and on the northwest corner of the fort that commanded each side with a crossfire at the narrow passage where our men were compelled to cross the ditch. As the water was so deep, we could ford it only in two or three places and here our men suffered most from the crossfire of the enemy with grape and canister. Many that were wounded fell over in the ditch and were drowned, unable to help themselves, others wading and swimming over them. There was no berm on the side of the fort and our men had to climb up as best they could, helping each other. Two guns that were not silenced on the north side of the parapet threw destruction into our ranks as we descended the glacis and many brave soldiers were left there to sleep in death.”

~ Orderly Sergeant James C. Morrison, Co. B

“The most shocking thing I saw or felt was just as I was about to mount the parapet, a poor wounded soldier implored my aid to assist him out of the ditch. I took him by the arm but at the same instant, a shell struck him on the head, killing him instantly and stunning me out of my senses. When consciousness returned, I found our regiment over the parapet and I hastened to rejoin my command. My company went into the fight with 34 men and came out with 15. Our troops are not discouraged although this is our second repulse. I cannot say that another such engagement such as we had last evening would not be desirable.”

~ First Lieutenant Daniel W. Welsh, Co. B

Colonel Francis B. Pond, 62nd O.V.I.
Absent on leave during the assault

          “We advanced in line of battle under a terrific artillery fire from all the forts in shooting distance. A shell exploded near me, knocking down eight men, three of whom were killed and two seriously wounded. My face was slightly burned. I followed the regiment through a storm of grape and canister so thick I have often wondered how I escaped alive, or indeed, how many of the regiment escaped. We went into the fight with 20 officers and 300 men, losing 19 officers and 156 men killed and wounded.”

~ Private William F. Outland, Co. E

          “I write this in bed but I am still in good spirits and as happy as a man could be under the circumstances, only a little weak from the loss of blood. My wound in the head is about two inches long but not serious. I went into the battle with 42 men and had 23 killed, wounded and missing. Many of our wounded will die. As yet none of our dead have been brought in; a flag of truce has gone asking that favor, but I fear it will not be granted.”

~ Captain John W. Pinkerton, Co. A

          “The reason we were cut up so was we charged the fort and held it for an hour when the Rebels made a flank movement and told us not to fire as they belonged to the 100th New York and we knew that regiment was there. Thus, they charged right up and fired on us and when we saw they were Rebels, we fired and then drove them back. The reformed and charged with a yell, but we met them firm and drove them back three times. Our colors were planted and every color guard was killed or wounded by the color sergeant held the flag until we were ordered to retreat. The flag is riddled to ribbons. I did not know whether I ever would escape unhurt or not. I can’t see how it was.”

~ Private William L. Adamson, Co. A

          “Our field colors were kept in front until ordered to fall back and was sufficiently ventilated with bullets, grape, and canister holes to make a mosquito bar. Our regiment was one of the last to leave the fort and I assure you that it was with reluctance that our brave boys were compelled to retire from their hard-fought position on the parapets of Fort Wagner. To prove the assertion that we met with a warm reception at Wagner’s battery on the 18th of July, you only have to look at our list of casualties. We are in good spirits, however, and think Charleston will soon be ours.”

~ Orderly Sergeant James C. Morrison, Co. B

 

Sources:

Letter from Orderly Sergeant James C. Morrison, Co. B, 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Morgan County Herald (Ohio), August 14, 1863, pg. 2

Article from Private William F. Outland, Co. E, 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, National Tribune, May 18, 1899, pg. 3

Letter from Private William L. Adamson, Co. A, 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Zanesville Daily Courier (Ohio), August 1, 1863, pg. 2

Letter from First Lieutenant Daniel W. Welsh, Co. B, 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Morgan County Herald (Ohio), July 31, 1863, pg. 3

Letter from Captain John W. Pinkerton, Co. A, 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Morgan County Herald (Ohio), July 31, 1863, pg. 3

 

 


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