The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-06-04
Veterans History.
Thomas $. Crumpton, Of Superior

hoble fost NO. 2io, ard the Post Is
| proud of him rs member having a
| notable war record. He was born in
Adair county, Kentucky, and at the out
break Of the war WAS Lying in Cumber-
land county, in the same state. his occu-
patton being that of farmers son. His
motive for enlisting, he saws, was to help
whip the rebels. He enlisted with his
brothers William and James, both of
whom were killed in service. He was
first enlisted and mustered in Capt NJ.
HutchIns' company of Home Guards.
in 1861. and served In that organization
until the 9Th day of October, 1861, when
be was enrolled in the L. S. service as a
| private Of Co. 2lst Kentucky Vol
unteers. From this enlistment he was
mustered out at Shellmount, Tenn;
Jan. 3. 1864. The next day. Jan. 4. 1864.
he was mustered in as a private in Co.
"1' 2lst Kentucky Veteran Volunteer
Infantry, and on Dec. 9, 1865. he WAS
! finally mustered out, with his company,
at Victoria, Texas, having been in ser.
vice continuously four years and seven
months.
He was first under fire at the battle Of
Mill Springs. AS he expressed il, he
felt all over in spots, and didn't get
over feeling that way when firing be-
gan through all his skirmish and bat
tie experiences. He didn't run and he
didn't see any comrade on the run. But
- Yh n ,t,,,,
ran, and were soon after out Of the SER
! vice.
His first colonel was named Dudley.
They never had any bad or poor officers
although the second colonel price, of
the regiment WAS preacher who
claimed he was also a painter Col
Price called for Crumpton one day and
proposed to make him corporal
Crumpton declined the honor, and
made contemptuous comparison of
the dignity of corporal and the
colonel'e morse, whereupon the colonel
brusquelv commanded him, go to
your quarters, sir After that Crump-
ton and the colonel were not intimately
good friends. Price called the regiment
out IN line once, to cheer Gen. Negley
on his departure, and the cheers were
given with a will, for Negley vas known
and popular. Another time Price called
the reg iment into line to cheer Gen
Gordon on his departure. Price said
Gordon was brother painter and he
wanted to honor him. The boys didn't
know Gordon and by that time they
didn't like price, and the cheers were
faint. At kenesau Price was wounded
and thereby so disabled that he had to
retire from service. As a matter OF fact
it must be said, the boys Of the regi-
ment were glad Of his retirement. He
was succeeded by Major Evans, who
was afterwards promoted to the colonel
cy. The last Of the regiments colonies
was Capt. Wildwood, of Co. a." only
% years old, but gray headed. He was
bralny man, stout athlete and good
singer. He often joined the boys at
their campGres and sang for and with
them.
As for Crumpton's comrades, they
were all kentuckians and good fellows.
He never had trouble with any of them.
Crumpton was not wounded. but he
was once captured by John Morgan.
with seventeen others of the regiment.
When Morgan found that they were all
his Deighbors before the war, he turned
them loose and let them go back to their
regiment.
The generals under whom the Dist
Kentucky served were Thomas Meade
lin Kentucky, Rosencrans, Grant, Sher-
man, Thomas, again, and Wright. The
principal actions, or battles, in which
the regiment was engaged were, Stone
River, Tullahoma, Chattanooga, Chicka-
magua, Buzzard Roost, kingsold, King
ston, Wayzaka, Pine Top. Kenesau
Mountain, Lost Mountain, Marietta,
Jonesboro, Rough and Ready, Altoona
Pass. Snow Hill, Knoxville. Colun bia,
Franklin, Nashville and Lexington. In
all these CrumptOn was in the ranks,
and he was also often under fire in Skin
mshes and on foraging expeditions.
At one time Mr.. Crumpton was on
detached service for two months with
the Fifth Indiana Battery. At another
time he was for three months the only
man remaining on the roll of his COM
pany, during which time he served with
Co. X" Capt. Jim Thompson. from
Barron county, Kentucky. When that
company was going out, while Crnmp-
ton was with it, the men of the reli-
ment would call to the captain, take
good care Of Tom" And they explained
their soIicitude for Crumptons safety
by saving, We'll have blind regiment
if Its Il" is knocked out"
Mr.. Crumpton's regiment, the 2lst
Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. went in
to service in October, 1861. with 900
men in the ranks. When finally mus
tered ont there were only sixteen Of
the original thousand. Most of the 9S4
not on the last muster roll had been
killed in action, were dead of wounds
or disease, or had been discharged for
disabilities caused by wounds or disease.
Mr.. Crumpton claims he cannot re-
call interesting incidents we'll enough to
tell them. He does not wish to risk his
memory on anecdotes about his com
rades or himself. He does recall, how
ever. that when they went into camp at
Cleveland, Tenn, on cold March day,
they found a train Of cars upset and off
the track. They knocked these cars
to pieces to make shanties for them
selves, which s.,anties they rooted with
their tents. The railroad people and
the quartermaster department made
great fuss about the destruction Of the
cars, and threatened to have all the en-
listed men of the regiment courtmar-