The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1876-05-17
\ Reunion of the Soldiers OF the
Seventeenth Regiment Of kcII-
lucky Volunteers at Hart.
fOFel

cause, during the late war, was nj
Hartford about the LIST Of September,
1861, by Col. Mcllenry, who recruited
The 18th regiment of Kentucky Infant
nv, at the Fair grounds near Hartford.
The camp was called Galloway" in
hcsior of soldier of the Revolutionary
war who was the last citizen survivor
of Ohio county that took part in that
memorable struggle. Capt. Preston
Morton, who commanded company
"A" ofthe l7th Kentucky n. iment ard
was killed at the battle of Shiloh on
the 9th Of APRIL, 1862, had raised a
company of men, and was on his way
70 camp Dick Robinson with his COM
pany, aud had reached Litchfield on
The route TO that rendezvouse, and
hearing that troops would be recruited
in Hartford, returned with his COM
pany and organized it and formed the
nucleus of the 18th X entucky regiment,
which rapidly filed up on account of
the great excitement caused throughout
THE section of the state by the occupan-
cy Of Bowling Green by General Buck
ner with his command of Southern
soldiers, OH the 18th September, 1861.
Companies Of men were rapidly raised
in Ohio, Graysen, Breckenridge, Da-
vfess, Mclean, Muhlenburg and But
Ter counties, who at first rendezyoused
ut Hartford and divided off into vari-
Gus regiments ultimately forming the
nth, LID, 25th and Goth Kentucky
regiments of Infantry, and the Sd
Kentucky cavalry. These regiments
went into winter quarters at CalhOOn,
KY, under the command of General
I. l.. Crittenden.
When -the spring campaign opened
by the occupancy of Paducah by Gen.
Grant, followed Immediately by the
fall of Fort Henry .snd Fort DOnelson,
General Buell., who commanded the
army of Ohio, detached one brigade of
Gen. 'CritteRdeh's fGrces from Calhoon
and cent Them Oh reinforcement TO
Grants army. The 18th regiment I'M
derCol. McHeny:and the 25th under
Col. ShackleforSl, ,were of this brigade,
and reached Grants army in time TO
participate in the desPerate struggle at
Fort Donelsen, where a number of
Ohio county soldiers fell. This was
the first genuine battle in which Ken
lucky soldiers participated in the war
of tiserebelfien. and where the Seven
teenth regiment laid the foundation
for bravery and gallantry that charac-
termed that regiment throughout the
whole Of Its eventual -carser. 1t is a
fact wsrth mentioning here as mat ter
of history that the;fHt conflict of ar ms
in Kentucky between .detaehments of
the two eonteHdhng armies, occurred IN
Butler.county, about the list of Oct o.
her, 1851 'betweena scouting party of
the 18th KeHtrelzy'regiuent and a de-
tachment eff confederate soldiers from
Gen. RaSkneps command at Bowling
Green Private AIKEN OF Capt. Nor
tons ssmpaDy A ofa7th KY Infantry
was killed., and one sdldier'on the 9TH
er side kHed and three wounded. This
was the firstllsod sked on kentucky
soil'iih tlegreatsvar 'of1tlae rebellion.
This oceurred several days before the
battle ofPikeviilein eastern Kentucky.
TLs17th and 10Th Kentucky regi-
pAeats, having been very rrAnch de-
'rleted by sickness md exposure at
CdlhoOn through the winter, and by
exposure at the Bsttie Of srt Donel-
son, were by order ofseienl Halleck,
at that time in command -ofthe armies
of the West, consolidated. The 18th
Kentucky regiment was reduced to six
eompanies-aRa the 18th to four, form
ing new organization under title of
she nth kentucky regiment, under
ocmmasd .ofsCol MGHenry, L.ieat- Col.
Stout, Major CahoSa, GOlShsckleford,
1t Cod. Bristow and Major Wall of
the 2stk retiring and returned to Ken
tuc{y and organized the sHh regiment
Of esTalry. This consolidation took
place on the day Of the battle of Shiloh,
Col. MeHenry commanding both reg
iments in that battle, but was not en-
Airely perfected until a few days after
wards. The new regiment after the
battle of Shiloh was transferred hack
40 the command Of Gen'l Buell. and vas
tmder the command of Gen'l Nelson at
che seige of Corinth. These were the
Only Kentucky troops at the battle Of
Fort DOneison and at Shiloh on the
first day of that terrible conflict, and
wel aud sobly did they sustain the
slOnor Of their state upon those occa-
sions, MssY of our citizens well re-
saenher the hasndinp feeling of pride