Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-09-30
MAyoR EUGENE ALLEN RANsoN.

While at School at Homer, N Y :, and Just
about finishing hisacademic course preparatory
TO entering Yale College, the Presidents first
call came for volunteers, and young RawsOn
not stopping to count the cost of the sacrifice he
was about TO make joined the 18th New York
regiment as private. In that capacity he took
noble part in the battle of Bull Run, eVincing
| great collness and bravery When the fortunes
Of the day went against Gen. McDOwell's army,
and when, in the confusion that followed regi-
ments were thrown into disorder and scattered,
| he, and tried companion, sought the prOtec-
ton of tree from behind which they loaded
| and fired until his friend fell dead by his side
| In December, 1861, he was appointed Adiu-
tant of the I'D o. vi. by the Governor of Ohio,
and was accordingly transferred to it by the War
| Department He could have received no trans
fer more agreeable to his feelings, and none more
complimentary. The I'D was chiefly raised in
his own county and was composed, in a great
measure, of those who had been the companions
of his boyhood Entering upon the duties of
his new field, he at once exhibited peculiar
| fitness for the position to which he had been
called, and from his previous experience in the
service, was of great advantage in the early
training of the regiment.
| He left Frement with the regiment in Janua-
| ry, 1862, when it moved to Camp Chase, pre-
paratOry to setting out on its final destination
Paducah and the Southwest When Joined to
the Army of the Tennessee, the I'D disembarked
| at Pittsburg Landing, the men composing the
| command were mostly SICK suffering terribly
from the effect of their transit and with the dis
ease peculiar to that Southern climate, TO which
/ they were unused. Major RawsOns natural
buoyancy of spirit and cheerful, sprightly man.
ner could not otherwise than revive the droop-
ing spirits of the boys, amongst whom, in their
hour of calamity. he went about "dOing good. ;"
On Friday preceding the commencement of the
| 60 @ IL u,
| Co. B. was sent forward by Col: Buckland on a
reconnaissance to ascertain the reason fthe unu-
sual firing heard in the direction of the picket
| line. Advancing some distance and falling to
discover the cause Major Crockett separated his
| little command moving himself with one COM
| pany to the left, while he sent Co. B, accompa-
MED by Adiutant Rawson, TO the right Major
Crockett's company, after proceeding but lit
tie way, were met by superior force of rebel
| cavalry. The Major and some of his men were
captured while the balance barely made good
their retreat. Co. B, continuing its course to
the right, unconscious of the fate of their gallant
Major and his men, were confronted, at a dis
tance of mile or two farther by the same cav
airy which had so summarily disposed of their
companions, now largely reinforced. Compre-
hendiDg at a glance their situation, they dis |
covered at once that retreat was impossible and |
that the alternative remained to surrender or at
JenpJ W nOlu lDC eHellly dG Ddy u0Ill
ments should arrive. The later course was un- |
hesitatingly adopted. Choosing an elevated |
piece of ground, covered sparsely by trees, they
prepared for the attack.
Their position placed the enemy in 'front.' the |
ground being unfayorable for flank movement |
Making fallen tree their breastwork, these 40 |
men-who had never before stood face to face |
with an enemy, who for the first time were re- |
quired to point gun or pull trigger-held in |
oh
emptying the saddles of the advance until, TO
their great relief, vOllcy in the rear of their
enemy announced the arrival of part of the I'D
regiment led by Col. Buckland, who, becoming
alarmed at their long absence, hastened to their
rescue at "double-quick," and Just in time to
defeat charge the rebels had drawn sabre to
make
Although Major Rawson was not in command
OF the detachment, yet, owing TO the feeble
health of Capt. Raymond, the conduct of the de-
fence devolved principally upon him. Under
his direction, vOlley of only ten guns were
fired at one time so that a sufficient reserve
should remain TO meet out with steady aim
another and still another volley, if the dashing
chivalry should choose to follow up their ad-
vance after receiving the first round.
After the fight was over, the enemy s dead Of
men and horses counted, and the few wounded
prisoners cared for, ALL both officers and men,
were lavish of the praise they bestowed upon
their young Adjutant. Without musket him.
SELF he picked up that of a wounded cOmrade
and fired his round with composure that did
no discredt to his exploit at Bull Run.
When the battle opened on the 9th of April,
two days afterwards, and the rebels came like
an avalanche upon our unsuspecting troops at
Shiloh Buckland's brigade responded TO the
beat of the 'long-roll' with such alacrity that
they stood in the very front of Sherman's Di
vision, ready to meet the coming shock before
the enemy had gained rifle distance of their pO-
stion. Col. Buckland being in command of
the brigade, the command devolved upon Lieut..
Col Garfield. Major Crockett, the only other
field officer of the regiment, being prisoner, by
common consent Ad lutant Rawson assumed his |
position for the occasion. At the first or sec
ond fire, Lieut.. Col Garfield fell mortally |
wounded and be alone remained to command |
and cheer the undaunted boys who stood stead |
fast amid the storm of leaden hail that moved |
through their ranks until Col. Buckland, seeing !
the disaster that had befallen his own brave reg
iment, put himself at their head and lead them
through the fight. The horse of our young Ad- |
iutant was shot from under him and another
that had been sent forward for him being cap
tured before it reached him, his duties were no
less bravely or efficiently performed on foot.
The history of the I'D regiment; of the part
it bore in the three days fight at Pittsburg
Landing; in the siege of COrinth; in the pur- |
suit of Forrest through Tennessee; ofits marches,
skirmishes and battles from Memphis to Vicks-
burg; of its pursuit of johnson, under Sherman, |
to jackson; of its return to Memphis, and of the
part it enacted in the great expedition of Gen. |
Sherman into Mssissippi-is the history of |
Major Rawson. After the 72d had re-enlisted |
as veterans and after the main body composing !
Sherman's expedition, had moved southwark, a |
small force, consisting ofnot over sixteen hun
dred men, was sent out on the venturesOme ex- |
petition of making a feint into the enemys |
country, TO holding position on the bank of
the Talahatchie, to intercept and defeat the |
crossing of the reinforcements moving to the |
support of Gen. Sherman. Of this comparative- |
ly small force the I'D formed part under the |
command of Lieut. Col. Eaton and Major Raw |
son, Adiutant Rawson having been promoted |
to the rank of Major by the unanimous recon-
mendation of the officers, and in accordance
with the known feeling of the Regiment, altho'
he stood not in the regular line of promotion.
Arriving at the Tallahatchie river in the eve
ming, and finding the enemy encamped in large
force on the opposite bank, they lit up their
camp fires in such profusion as to deceive the
rebels into the belief they were body of some
six or eight thousand strong So well did they
play their part, that they kept the enemy be- |
guiled and at rest until time enough had elapsed
to permit Gen. Smith to cross the river above, !
at the point chosen, without interference. The !
object of their expedition attained, they were
ordered to return to Memphis. But they were |
in the enemy country out of reach of reinforce
ments, numbering less than sixteen hundred, |
with the rebels in strong force on the opposite |
side of the river. To render less hazardous |
their retreat, it became necessary to burn two
bridges. Col. Eaton received the order from
the General in command to execute the task
Dividing his regiment, he marched before morn
ing, with the main body to the one supposed
to be the most strongly guarded, assigning to
Major Rawson two small companies with which
to proceed to the other, where it was thought
but few would be found to offer resistance-
The reverse proved to be the case. The Major
it was who encountered the larger force Hav-
ing arrived at the bridge, Major Rawson sent
his pickets across to reeonnOiter. No sooner
had they gained the opposite side, than from
point out of sight came dashing up large body
of rebel cavalry, who commenced firing on the