The 29th Fights While There is a Man Left: The Bloody Demonstration on Dug Gap

In one of the opening moves of the Atlanta campaign, the 29th Ohio attacked the Confederate position atop Dug Gap on Sunday, May 8, 1864. “Our instructions were to make a strong demonstration and carry, if possible, the Rebel position,” one veteran later noted.

          While advancing to the assault, the brass bands in our rear indiscreetly commenced playing national airs which attracted the attention of the Rebel commander who rapidly concentrated reinforcements in our front. The advance up the declivity was nearly as difficult as Lookout Mountain and more completely fortified. Its summit was steep, precipitous, and covered with scraggy rocks and immense boulders.

The 29th Ohio lost roughly 100 casualties "demonstrating" against the Confederate position atop Dug Gap, including all three field officers with the regiment. "It was a terrible blow to the regiment," John Rupp later wrote. It was only the opening move in a campaign which would last the rest of the summer. 


From our position we commanded a fine view of Dug Gap, a narrow artificial cut through the rocky summit connecting with a road extending almost parallel with the ridge to the gap beyond and, by a zigzag course, reaching the mountain’s base.

The Rebels had so completely fortified themselves that it was next to impossible for our assaulting force to get nearer than their base. As we approached the Rebel line, a regiment was moved by the left flank across our front. At this moment, the Rebel line opened a fire so deadly in effect that the regiment in our front became disordered and broke through our ranks to the rear, causing a momentary confusion in the ranks of the 29th Ohio. At this moment, the order was given to advance which was executed with a rush despite the deadly volleys that were cutting through our ranks.

Up, up we go to death or victory. We commenced to scale the obstructions close to their works and now a storm of deadly missiles are hurled against us. Rocks, boulders, and even cartwheels came crashing down upon us. Yet we moved steadily in the deadly advance until ordered back by our officers. We retired a few paces to reform our line, the fallen trees only separating us from the enemy. Here we made a determined and bloody fight, but having no support to cover our flank, we were subjected to a deadly crossfire from the left.

Yet the regiment stubbornly stood its ground, returning shot for shot until its ammunition was exhausted. More was secured from the cartridge boxes of the dead and wounded, and with this we fought on, determined to hold the position until reinforcements should reach us. The 29th Ohio in this fight distinguished itself by brave conduct, though at last compelled to retire from lack of support. Our losses in killed and wounded were more than double that of any other regiment engaged: 26 killed, 67 wounded, and 1 captured, a total of 94.

The “demonstration” proved to be one of the tightest spots the regiment ever got into as remembered by one of the survivors John Rupp.

          “Sunday morning, the sun shone bright and clear. We moved on with the 7th Ohio men out as skirmishers, my regiment in the advance of the brigade,” wrote Rupp. “Amongst the rocks and timber, no good line could be kept, but we went up until we reached the road running up the mountainside and held our position until nightfall. Color bearer after color bearer went down and all of our regimental officers. It was a terrible blow to the regiment. We camped that night in the field where we had left our knapsacks. There was much sorrow in the regiment and little rest. It was said that this was a demonstration so the army could make Snake Creek Gap.”

          The 29th suffered mightily and the news shook the communities from which the 29th hailed in northeastern Ohio.

    “The veteran 29th that fights while there is a man left and which has been almost decimated on one or two occasions before, has suffered severely again,” reported the Ashtabula Weekly Telegraph. “At the pass of the Buzzard Roost near Dalton, Georgia, both officers and men bore themselves most gallantly in the heat of conflict. The [Ashtabula] Sentinel quotes from a letter from Lieutenant E.B. Woodbury putting the loss of the regiment at 105 men, of whom 21 have given their lives for their country. Colonel Fitch and Lieutenant Colonel Hayes are said to be getting along comfortably. The wounded are all properly cared for and on the 9th were transferred to Ringgold, Georgia by ambulances and from thence to Chattanooga by rail.”

29th Ohio Casualty List for Dug Gap

Field & Staff           3

Colonel William T.  Fitch, wounded in right leg, discharged October 13, 1864, for wounds received in action

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Hayes, wounded in right shoulder, discharged November 4, 1864, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Adjutant James B. Storer, wounded in right shoulder

 

Company A             6

First Lieutenant Winthrop H. Grant, killed

Sergeant Thaddeus E. Hoyt, wounded

Sergeant Andrew L. Rickard, ball through palm of right hand, killed June 15, 1864, at Pine Knob, Ga. [buried at Marietta National Cemetery]

Private John Ellis, ball through arm near shoulder

Private Adrian M. Knowlton, killed

Private Franklin Potter, killed

 

Gravestone of Private Andrew J. Bright, 29th Ohio at Chattanooga National Cemetery

Company B              5

Private Andrew Bright, severely wounded and died of wounds June 3, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tennessee [burial at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Private John Edwards, wounded

Private Nathan A. Germond [German], seriously wounded

Private William Potter, leg amputated, died of wounds and acute diarrhea July 6, 1864, at Hospital No. 19, Nashville, Tennessee [buried at Nashville National Cemetery]

Private George Wright, slightly wounded in hand

 

Gravestone of Private William Potter, 29th Ohio at Nashville National Cemetery

Company C              7

Corporal Allen Mason, seriously wounded, died of wounds May 29, 1864, at Jeffersonville, Indiana

Private Samuel Fay, slightly wounded

Private John Gray, killed

Private John Keppler, killed

Private Obed Knapp, slightly wounded

Private Henry C. Lord, slightly wounded

Private James Wenham, seriously wounded and discharged for wounds September 1, 1864

 

Sergeant Samuel Wooldridge of Co. D was killed by "rifle ball passing directly through his head." 

Company D             19

First Lieutenant George Washington Dice, slightly wounded four times, died of wounds June 17, 1864, received June 16, 1864, at Pine Knob, Ga. “Not yet recovered from wounds received at Mill Creek, he returned to the regiment at half past 5 p.m. on the 15th and about 1 o’clock a.m. of the 16th he received the wound from which he died.” [Buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Sergeant Samuel Wooldridge, killed [“a rifle ball passing directly through his head.”]

Corporal George Foust, killed [buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Private Thomas G. Bare, killed [buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Private Levi Baughman, wounded in right arm, died September 2, 1864, at Cincinnati, O. [buried at Spring Grove Cemetery]

Private David M. Brown, wounded in right arm

Private John Burkert, wounded in face

Private Rufus S. Chapman, severely wounded

Private Charles A. Downey, killed [buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Gravestone of Private Jacob Gardner, Co. D, 29th Ohio at Chattanooga National Cemetery

Private Jacob Gardner [Gardiner], seriously wounded in left breast, died of wounds May 24, 1864 [buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Private Henry A. Hane, killed [buried at West law Cemetery, Canton, O.]

Private Marshall Houghland [Hoagland], wounded in right arm

Private John H. Huga, wounded in abdomen

Private Isaac Medsker [Medisker], wounded in left leg

Private John H. Montgomery, wounded in leg, died of secondary hemorrhage June 8, 1864, at Hospital No. 1, Nashville, Tn. [buried at Nashville National Cemetery]  

Private Theron W. Smith, badly wounded, died of disease July 8, 1864, at Cleveland, O.

Private John W. Steese, wounded in face and shoulder, listed as killed in action

Private Seth M. Thompson [Thomas], wounded in right hand, discharged May 28, 1865, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Private John J. White, wounded in hand

 

Gravestone of Private John H. Montgomery, 29th Ohio at Nashville national Cemetery

Company E             6

Sergeant Addison J. Andrews, wounded

Corporal Hiram Dalrymple, slightly wounded in left hand

Corporal Hiram Thornton, slightly wounded in leg

Private Barney Brick, slightly wounded in leg, died September 8, 1864, in Atlanta, Ga.

Private Thomas G. Franklin, wounded in face

Private [James] Benjamin Power, slightly wounded in leg

 

Company F              4

Private Charles Cain, missing

Private Alonzo Cole, slightly wounded

Private Franklin Flood, severely wounded, discharged March 8, 1865, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

 

Interment form for Private George F. Braginton, Co. G, 29th Ohio

Company G             9

Second Lieutenant Wilbur F. Chamberlain, slightly wounded in the right foot

Sergeant Ellis F. Green, killed [buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Sergeant Christian F. Remley, killed (“Tell my mother I died like a man, doing my duty in defense of my country,” were his last words.) [buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Corporal Hammond M. Geer, severely wounded, discharged May 27, 1865, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Private George Franklin Braginton, severely wounded, died of wounds May 16, 1864, at Nashville, Tn. [buried at Nashville National Cemetery]

Private James Gaul [Gaule], missing

Private William C. Lantz, killed

Private George J. McCormick, wounded, discharged June 1, 1865, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Private George Murray, wounded and died of wounds May 9, 1864

 

Company H             11

Sergeant Alphonzo Hazzen, wounded

Corporal Floyd Morris, slightly wounded in left arm

Private Warren H. Connell, killed

Private Eli C. Joles, killed

Private Henry J. Knapp, seriously wounded in right shoulder, discharged May 18, 1865, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Private Charles Osborne, killed

Private James Purine, wounded in mouth and right shoulder, discharged April 1865 on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Private John Smith, wounded in shoulder, died of wounds May 25, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tn.

Private Martin Smith, killed

Private James Wild [Wyld], seriously wounded in right leg

Private John H. Wright, right arm amputated, discharged September 21, 1864, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

 

Company I               16

Sergeant Newton B. Adams, slightly wounded in arm, transferred to Veterans’ Reserve Corps January 23, 1865

Private Abel Archer, wounded in knee, discharged June 6, 1865, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Private William Gilbert, slightly wounded in thigh

Private Alvah Holden, wounded

Private A.W. Holdridge, wounded in leg, transferred to Veterans’ Reserve Corps April 1, 1865

Private Cosam M. Kindig, wounded

Private Cassius M. Nims, killed [buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery]

Private James Perkins, severely wounded in hip

Private Tobias Richard Phinney, killed

Private James Reed, slightly wounded in shoulder

Private Henry Rupp, killed

Private William P. Rushon, wounded in neck

Private John Shannon, wounded in arm, discharged May 4, 1865, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

Private William Steele, leg broken below knee

Private William F. Waterman, wounded in side and leg

Private James Winters, wounded in shoulder and breast, discharged September 14, 1864, on a surgeon’s certificate of disability

 

Company K              5

Orderly Sergeant Ulysses S. Hoxter, slightly wounded in head

Private Luther L. Kinney, slightly wounded in neck

Private Amos Long, killed

Private Frederick A. Rounds, wounded

Private William H. Stratton, slightly wounded in knee

Sources:

SeCheverell, J. Hamp. Journal History of the Twenty-Ninth Ohio Veteran Volunteers, 1861-1865. Cleveland: Np, 1883, pgs. 89-92

“With a Fighting Regiment: Story of Four Years’ Service of the Gallant 29th Ohio,” John Rupp, Co. I, National Tribune, September 27, 1900, pg. 3

Casualty list for 29th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Ashtabula Weekly Telegraph (Ohio), May 28, 1864, pg. 2

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 their way to
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 how Confederate jacke
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 warrior, for then comes the harvest of gain.
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 securing all the Enfi
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

Straw Already Threshed: Sherman on Shiloh

Image
  W illiam Tecumseh Sherman was enjoying retired life in New York City when just before Christmas in 1889 he was presented with an article written by John Cockerill, a former drummer boy in the 24 th Ohio who was visiting his father Colonel Joseph Cockerill of the 70 th Ohio of Sherman’s division when the Battle of Shiloh began. Cockerill’s article, originally published in the New York Journalist and later featured in the January 1893 issue of Blue & Gray Magazine, Sherman later pronounced as “the best war story ever written” and the truest account of Shiloh.           On New Year’s Day 1890, General Sherman composed the following letter to his friend Marshall P. Wilder thanking him for sending along Cockerill’s article and giving his own explanation of Shiloh. “This to me is straw already threshed for we have fought this battle on paper several times, a much more agreeable task than to fight with bullets,” he concluded. “When in England some years ago I was gratified to liste
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

Globules of Adipose Pomposity: Top 11 Worst Buckeye Colonels of the Civil War

Image
Ohio Colonels in the Civil War "They weren't all heroes."      It stands to reason that somewhere in the over 200 regimental-sized organizations that Ohio fielded during the war, a bad apple or two would end up in command. Today's article tackles this admittedly sensitive subject with a top 11 list of Buckeye colonels  who exited the service under less than honorable circumstances during the Civil War. It's a list of cowards, drunks, incompetents, and outright scoundrels whose record adds color (or rather off color) to Ohio's history in the Civil War and is "history that deserves to be remembered."       They are presented in the rough chronological order of their exit from the service. 
Read more

Federal Arms in the Stones River Campaign

Image
  T he following list, constructed after many years of research, lists unit by unit which type of weapons were carried by the Army of the Cumberland during the Stones River campaign. A number of sources were consulted including state ordnance reports, Federal quarterly ordnance reports (thank you Research Arsenal ), Ken Baumann’s Arming the Suckers, regimental histories and memoirs, captured ordnance reports, and consultation with knowledgeable experts in the field of firearms. Some of this information has been shared on the blog before in “ Rosy’s Heavy Metal: Artillery of the Army of the Cumberland ” or “ Shoulder Arms: How Sheridan’s and Davis’s Divisions Were Armed at Stones River ” but this is the first time the army as a whole has been presented. The overall conclusion I drew from looking at this data is that the Army of the Cumberland in December 1862 was an organization in the midst of transformation as far as arms. Many of the regiments still retained their original issue
Read more