The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-09-23

ing during the war, and since then it
has become unique in more respects
than II among all the many that
fought for the maintenance of :he
Union. What other regiment has fur
nished two Presidents Of the United
States, for instance? None. The
T~wenty-third Ohio is the only regiment
that can make that boast, and it can
add, as well, a justice of the Supreme
bench.
The two Presidents developed from
the Twenty-third Ohio were, of course.
Rutherford B. Hayes and the present
occupant of the White House, William
Mckinley. The justice Of the Supreme
bench was Stanley Matthews. OF these
three, Hayes and Matthews We're col
onels Of the regiment and rose to high
er commands. Mckinley, going as a
mere boy, was promoted to a captaincy
for meritorious service, served in that
rank at the end of the war and was
then made a major by brevet.
Besides these three figures another of
national Importance in the Twenty.
third was Gen. W. S. ROsecrans, also a
colonel OF the regiment. and later on
II OF the foremost fighters in the
Northern army. And besides there
We're numerous lesser luminaries, who,
though their positions did not bring
them steadily before the public eye,
still performed deeds of courage and
daring that have made their James as
household words in the State from
which they entered the service. In
terest in the regiment is revived by the
recent reunion held at Fremont, Ohio.
About 800 survivors of the regiment
which from first to last had 2,O95 en-
listed men-were present at the re-
lniOn.
Aside from contributing two chief
executives to the country and several
valiant soldiers to the Union army, the
TWenty-third was remarkable. 1t was
the first of the Ohio regiments to enlist
for three years service in the war. The
others had enlisted on the first call and
for the three months period only. Hav-
ibS . lhliJ gnu III L lluhS. 1t Sd w
fighting from first to last and was glad
OF it, since there was fighting to be
done. RosecranS was the first colonel
Of the regiment. Hayes was the first
major and Mckinley the last. T.. Z.
ScammOn, who as IN instructor at
West Point had Grant, Longstreet and
numerous other prominent fighters on
both sides of the war as his pupils, sue
ceeded ROSecranS as colonel. Robert Z.
Kennedy and Walter c.. Lyon. both
afterward Lieutenant Governors CT
Ohio, were minor officers.
The regiment saw really more than
its share Of active service during the
war. 1t went at nee to the front and
on the way "Old Rosy" as he was
called, was promoted from colonel to
brigadier general. Scammon then be-
came the colonel and the regiment was
ordered into West Virginia, where from
Clarksburg it kept up a hunt against
the guerrillas who roamed that coun-
try. The first real service under steady
fire, though, was at Carnifex Ferry,
where a lot of sharp skirmishing forced
the COnfederateS to abandon their posi-
ton. Under command of Lieut.. Col.
Hayes in May. 1862, the regiment
moved to Princeton, which was quick
ly evacuated by the Confederates. At
ter leaving Princeton the regiment
moved to Flat Top during the early
summer. From there they fastened on
to join Mcclellan in Washington. With
Mcclellan the Twenty-third helped to
drive the Confederates from Frederick
City and hen went to South Mountain
and Antietam. The Ohio fighters did
gallant service there and Scammon
was made a b%rigadier general. Hayes
succeeded him as colonel of the regi-
ment.
In 1863 the Tw%enty-third was sem
out against MOrgan's raiders, who were
devastating Ohio, and after a hard
chase met and captured him at Pom
erOy. In April, '64, the regiment re-
turned to Charleston and engaged ac-
lively in the series of battles that fol-
lowed there. For a time the troops
were engaged in destroying the Vir-
ginia and Tennessee Railroad, and IN
May fought in the battle of Cloyd
Mountain. On June II the regiment
was in at the capture Of Lexington. but
July 24 suffered defeat. For a month
after that there was fighting and Skin
miShing up and down the Shenandoah
Valley. till at Halltown, Aug. %, the
Tw%enty-third captured a regiment OF
South Carolina troops. On Sept. 3 a
fierce engagement tool place at Berry
vile. On Sept. 10 was the battle of
OpeQuam. Cedar Greek was the last
important engagement in which the
regiment took part. The men returned
to Camp Cumberland in the early
spring of 60, and in July returned to
their Ohio homes. Since the war they
have scattered almost to the four cor
ners. The regiment has members all
over this wide country, occupying emf