The National tribune., 1895-01-03
SAD TO RELATE.
Gen. Sherwood Gives the Death Roll of the
1IIth Ohio at Franklin.


entering into any controversy OF personal
character, permit me a few comments grow
ing out of the second communication of
Corp Spohr, 1s3d Ohio.
am much gratifed TO see his change of
attitude. and am thankful TO him for hay-
ing printed what he calls my official report
of the casualties Of my regiment, the 111th
Ohio in the battle OF Franklin. 1T gives me
O favorable opportunity TO correct that nrst
report. and TO explain why it was incom-
plefe when rendered.
When nv command left the battle-line at
Franklin. about midnight on the night of
Nov. 30, 1864, / was ordered to leave our
dead and wounded on the field. When the
reports of casualties were called for, the day
after we reached Nashville, had no data 10
make complete report
Our dead were all inside the Confederate
lines. and our wounded were at Franklin in
charge of Surgeons, Union and Confederate,
TO whom we had no access.
Still another difficulty confronted the Ad-
jutant of my regiment, which prevented him
from obtaining reports from company Off
GERS. The Sergean,-Major was killed; Lieut..
Fernando Bennett, who commanded Go. Z,
was killed; Capt. D. L. Southworth of Co.
L, was severely wOunded Lieut.. Charles
Baker, of Co. K, was wounded Lieut.. Isaac
L. Kintyle of Co. c, was wounded Capt II.
J. McCord, of Co. @, was wounded Capt p.
H. Downing was severely wounded; Lieut..
Alex Rowland, of Co. ID, was wounded; be-
sides a number Of Sergeants Of companies.
Indeed, my regiment was so decimated of
officers after the battle that / had to ask for
detail of two officers from another regi-
ment in order to have one officer to a COM
p1ny.
Accordingly the brigade commander de-
tailed Lieut.. James A. Anderson, of 23d
Mich, TO command Co. j, and Lieut. b. A.
S;urdevant, also of Odd Mich, to command
Coo We were on the line in front of Nash
Vile too, and probably gave little heed to
official reports.
Corp1 Spohr says my official report shows
- killed in the 111th Ohio al Franklin.
This refers to the first incomplete report,
where those absent and not known TO be
killed were reported as missing
And now, in order to verify all ] claimed
in my former contribution to THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE. ] will furnish list of the dead
OF the 111th Ohio who sleep their last long
sleep in the Franklin section Of the Muir
freesboro Cemetery, Tenn, and whose graves
may be counted where they lie.
My second report was made and forwarded
after the battle of Nashville, and we had re-
lished in the Toledo papers at the time.
Our men killed ia action had been taken
from the trenches, where they were hur
riedly buried, identified, and given a SOL
diers' burial.
Following is the
FRANKLIN DEATH-RoLL, 111TH OHIO:
Serg't-Maj. Geo II. Curtiss, Lieut.. Fer
nandO Bennett. Serg't Robert II. Dague,
Sergt Samuel McCsicheon, Corpl W liam
Heminway, Philip Bush, James jackson,
Oscar p. Daniels, David X Mountz, Al drew
Kiunear, Edward 5 evens, Eli Boozer, Geo.
1nman, William Adams, Julius Greeley,
Ephraim Strickland, David Bear, John
LATER, Jarvis i. Reed Edward Hedden,
Henry tinker, Vcstus Haas Henry Speck,
joseph GiDgerly-24 in all
viii 1T now ask THE NATIONAL TRIB-
USE 10 burden its columns with z long list
Of wounded; but / now repeat what said
IN former communication, that the per
cet OF battle casualties OF the 111th Ohio
was larger than 'hsi OF any Other regiment
IN the battle OF r ianlllin.
CoTp1 Spohr says the loss of the 1881
ONO was az follows:
Officers killed and wounded, five; and
81 men 90 in all or 20 more than the 11lth.
The loss of The 30 h Ohio was: Officers
killed, missing, and wounded, five; men
killed and wounded, is; to'al, 100, or 70
more than the l1lih-almGst double its loss"
Now, / have just received a report OF the
casualty list of the 1913 Ohio at Franklin.
as prepared by the Adjuiani- General of
ONO, and published in the Ohio Official
Roster, which contains the name and record.
a. far as il can be ascertained, of every SOL
der who went TO the war from this State
AID this shows the fatality Of the 1s3d Ohio
al Franklin az - killed.
CorpI Spohr does not give the list Of killed
but punches the losses as so many killed
wounded and missing. Such a statement, as
every soldier knows, is very unsatisfactory;
an the missing may have been captured
The Ohio Official Roster gives the number
captured at Franklin of the 1881 Ohio as 81.
Taking this nunber from 6s, these being the
Corporal's own figures, and we have a casu-
atty list Of al out Of 200 men of the 1880
Ohio engaged. This is casualty list of
killed and wounded equal TO less than per
cent OF The entire regiment. or the less
than per cent. OF killed one was from Corp1
Spohrs company.
Now, take Corpl Spohris figures on the
50th Ohio. The 50th MAS decmated veteran
regiment that had served in many battles 1t
suffered severity at Perryville and in the
battles IN front OF Kenesaw Mountain and
Atlanta 1T probably took into the battle
OF Franklin about As many men as my regi-
ment, the 1l1th. According 10 the Official
Roster of Ohio il lost Ia killed at Franklin.
Corpl Spohr gives the casualties Of the 50th
~ 100, which is incorrect
Comrade j. I. Ernest, of the 50tb, whose
straightforward account of his personal ex-
perlences in tine 50th AT Franklin as detailed
by him in The NATIONAL TRIBUNE of Dec
13. says:
Fifty were marched out as prisoners of
wal, 70 left dead upon the Geld, aud twice as
many more severely wounded"
Take out the so taken prisoners in the
charge when the line fell back, and the
casualty list OF the 50th, according 10 the
highest claim OF a comrade OF uhat regiment.
was still less than that OF the flIth Ohio.
but now Let us see what Comrade Emert
SAYS bearing upon the first claim made by
Corp1 spohr, that the front line at Franklin
did mol break and TALL back. Comrade
Enert writes OF the situation at the first
fierce onset by the rebel batlalions. In a
very vivid and intelligent way. After the
charging rebel columns bad broken the
Union iiEe and captured Comrade Emert's
company, ne refused 10 surrender and ran
rapidly 10 the rear; and here is The way he
talks OF that gallant charge OF Col. 0pdycke
that referred TO in my article in THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE ou0ta fran Conn