The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-14

helped others TO raise companies until a
regiment was filled. Governor Morton then
voluntarily commissioned Harrison colonei
of the Seventeen Indiana Infantry.
Colonel Harrison's first important mill
tary engagement was an expedition aeains1
a body OF rebels at Russellville. Ky. wnlcn
he routed with a loss OF forty killed anu
wounded among the rebels and only enc
Cnionist killed. The Seventeen Regiment
was brigaded with the Seventy-ninth ONO
and the Twelfth. Observation-Disclosures
and Observation-Disclosures Illinois.
Brigadier General w. T. Ward, OF hen-
lucky. In command. By an extraordinary
coincidence the organization thus brooBht
about remained unaltered until the close OF
the war. Out of the association mus
formed grew a confidence of regiment IN
regiment that was of incalculable value 10
the cause. Colonel Harrison, holding the
senior commission. was given the riSnt OF
the brigade. Jan. 2 1854, WARDS prlgaee
became part OF the First Division OF the
Eleventh Army Corps. and Colonel Harrl.
son was placed in command OF H. General
Ward taking the division.
n Colonel Harrison was a brave ana
gallant soldier. as well as an able COM
manGer and thorough tactician. was DEM
onstrated by his conduct of almost un-
raralleled bravery at the great battle OF
Resaca. in which he was one OF the frst
TO cross the parapet and engage in conflict
with dubbed muskets. After that Colonei
Harrison was lovingly christened Little
Ben" by his soldiers. and the sobriquet
chung TO him through the remainder or
his life whenever he came i'm contact with
any Of his army comrades. Soon after
wards Colonel Harrison supported Colonel
Coburn in the latter's notable capture OF
Cassville.
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS.
Other prominent engagements In which
Colonel Harrison figured with distinction
were: the battle Of New Hope Church.
the engagement at Gilgal Church. the great
battle at Kenesaw mountain, Peachtree
creek, battle OF Atlanta.
The character OF General Harrison's serv-
ices during the three years he served In
the civil war is admirably summarized in
the commission as brevet brigadier general
given him under the autograph of Prcsi-
dent Abraham Lincoln. countersigned oy
Edwin NJ. Stanton. secretary OF war;
which states that il was given "for ability
and manifest energy and gallantry In COM
| mand of the brigade" General Harrison 5
certificate of discharge shows the muster
out of service of Benjamin HARRISON
colonel and brevet brigadier general, Sew
entieth Regiment of Indiana infantry VOL
unteers.' that he was enrolled on Aug. 4,
1862, TO serve three years or during the
war. and discharged on the Sth OF June:
1865. at Washington, ID. c.. by reason ef
general order No. Il. adjutant generals OIL
flee, 1865, and instructions, adjutant gen.
erals Office. May 20. lS65.
A bare account of General Harrison 3
| army career, without attempt at coioring.
is calculated TO fire ones blood with pa
triotism and to cause a succession OF tne
keenest thrills. General John Coburn. also
a distinguished citizen of Indianapolis and
Indiana, who was himself a gallant OF
icer and soldier in the civil war, In refer
ring to General Harrison's conduct at
| Peachtree creek, paid him the following
high trihute:
HIGH TRIBUTES.
Line after line of rebels came over the
ridge toward us. On the left Of my brigade
they met with no resistance until 1 rode 20
Colonel Woods and asked him TO advance.
which he did. losing very heavily and fill
ing up the gap towards the Fourth Corps.
| About this time Harrison and his men on
my right rose up and charged up hill with
terrific power. My brigade was not slow
to get up and rush forward. The rebels
| came down hill into and through our ranks
| pellmell. dropping their arms and surren-
oering. Woods continued his advance on
the left and soon the ridge was ours. Har-
| rison was the personihcation of fiery valor
with voice and gesture urging on the furi-
| Gus charge. We could see the divisions on
our right and left giving way in apparent
confusion; the regiment was surprised on
the right with their arms In the stack. n
battery was captured, and on the left a
host Of fugitives scattered towards the
rear. But our advance seemed 10 give them
| cnCOuld aAhC dn&
their lines. Our soldiers all got a supply OF
new Enfield rifles on the field; the gun
strc ps were not soiled. 1 never saw on any
battlefield dead and wounded i'm such num-
bers and so close together. IL was a conf
plete surprise 10 us all. Hood had just
that day taken command with orders to
fight and fight at once and all the time.
| Johnston by his caution had made US care
less. We were not looking for such a mad
rush. No man in the army that night
| stood higher than Harrison for heroism.
Had he been a West Pointer his promo
ton would have been ordered by tele-
graph"
1t was at Peachtree creek that Colonel
Harrison won the profane and fiery APP
prevail OF the hot-blooded Fighting Joo
Hooker. While waiting with his men In re-
serve, Harrison saw a detachment OF
Hoods forces coming towards him. The
| crest OF a hill was between them. Harrison
saw instantly that IL would not do to wait
and receive this attack az the foot OF the
| hill. Without ar order he assumed the re-
sponsibility of charging his reserves up
the hill 70 meet the rebels half way. This
was done with so much im~petuosity AMI
courage that the rebels were sharply re-
pulsed. It was for this that General Joe
Hooker roared out to Harrison. after 10
was over: by G., sir, / will have you
made brigadier general for this"
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