Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-09-17
MILITARY HEROES.
The First Enlistment and the First
Death Among Ohio Soldiers
in the War.

The queries which appeared in the
State Journal recently for the names and
records of the first Ohio man who en-
listed and the first Ohio man killed In
the civil war have brought answers. A
sood deal of interest has been manifest
ed in these subjects, and the following
facts will be entertaining to all G. A. r.
men and others interested in the annals
of war.
Captain J. Kilbourne Jones appears to
have perfectly clear claim to the dis
tinction of being the first man enlisted
in Ohio. The captain was corporal in
the old State FencibIes, which organiza>
ton had its quarters in what is now the
Pioneer block, across the alley from the
Neil house. When orders from Wash
ington were expected to begin recruiting,
in April, 1861, Captain Joseph Ii. Riley,
who commanded the Fencibles, and
MANY other members we're very anxious
to get their roll filled up as quickly as
possible. Captain Riley consequently
spent much of his time in Gov. Dennis
sons Office at the State house, waiting
for official orders.
On April Is, President Lincoln made
his first call, for $4,000 volunteers. Cap
tain Riley was in the Governors office
when the telegram arrived. Governor
Dennison told him he could begin re-
cruiting at once, and he hurried over to
the State Fencibles' headquarters. He
burst into the room with the news and
found there Corporal Jones, Lieutenants
Mitchell and Thatcher and others. They
had had the muster-roll blanks all pre-
pared. and within two minutes after the
call was sent out from Washington, Mr..
Jones had headed the list on the roll.
Lieutenant H. K. Thatcher was second,
and Lieutenant A. o. Mitchell was the
third.
The call had to be sent by Governor
Dennison to other cities before enlist
ments could be made elsewhere, and this
required many minutes, perhaps an hour.
There is no possibility of any enlistment
having been made prior to his in Colum-
bus, for the armory of the Fenci6les was
much nearer to the Governors office
than was the armory of the Videttes, the
only other company in existence at that
time, and not moments delay occurred
in the work of filing the roll of Captain
Riley's company.
AS to rank, Mr.. Jones enlisted as
private, and never expected to begin SER
vice in any other capacity, but he was
soon elected second lieutenant, and was
afterward promoted. The company was
assigned to the Second regiment, of
which it was company G.
The first Ohio soldier killed during the
war was, III all probability, George
Morrison, whose mother now lives in
Columbus, on Washington avenue. Ae
cording to the story told by her to a re-
porter, and it seems to be corroborated
by contemporaneous history, so to speak,
Morrison was killed near Vienna, Va,
about six miles from Washington, on
June 10, 1861.
George Morrison was private in com
pany E., Second Regiment, mustered at
GAINESVILLE by Captain John Hazlett.
The First and Second Ohio were biv-
hacked near Washington, and General
Schenck, in command of the brigade in
which they were, ordered the First to go
toward Vienna on railroad, there to
reconnoiter. Morrison, it seems, thoHgh
of the Second regiment, went along with
the First. They took train, and after
going a short distance came into mask
cd battery of the rebels. Several shots
were fred, and Morrison was killed out
right. Two others, named Mercer and
Pigman, were wounded and died within
a day or two. Morrison was IS years
old. He was buried at the place, and his
remains still lie there.
There are several rivals with Mr.. Fay,