The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-17
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
History of the sixty-Eighth Indiana
REGIMENT.

History of the Sixty-Eighth Indiana
Regiment.
The Sixty-eighth Indiana Regiment was
one Of those excellent organizations which
came into service under the call Of July ,.
1862. No better went from Indiana. They
embraced all the regiments numbered from
the Sixty-ffth 10 the Northumberland
first. both included. with the exception of
the Seventy-sixth and Seventy-eighth,
which were short-term organizations. The
SiXty-eighth was one OF the first TO make
up this notable list. 1t was recruited IN
Decatur, Fraklin and Ripley counties and
contained many men who have since be-
come influential in the State. II had a
regular officer Edward A King, for its
colonel Ten days after it was mustered
in IL was in the enemy's country, and
shortly after it was flung into the face of
Bragg's large army and surrendered by
the officer commanding, was parolled and
soon exchanged. This rough experience
would have broken the spirit of men less
intelligent and determined than were those
of the Sixty-eighth. Thereafter the his
tory of the regiment was a part Of that
Of the corps of General Thomag, 20 which
ii was attached and Of the Army OF the
Cumberland. 1t was one of the reliable
and wel-handled regiments which did its
share of the work without excessive losses.
1t had. however, its bloody days, the re-
ports showing that Of 346 officers and men,
it lost at Chickamauga II killed, los wounded
and II missing-137 or 90 80 per cent. of the
men going into action. The author states
that the casualties of the regiment in
killed and wounded were 269. Under the cap
lF e-,ff crfr-
the company's battles in which the Sixty
eighth participated as follows: Munford-
Vile, HOover's Gap, Chickamauga. Siege of
Chattanooga, Orchard Knob. Missionary
Ridge. East Tennessee. Charleston. Dan
bridge, Dalton, Decatur, Nashville, pur-
suit Of Hoods army. The itinerary of the
regiment shows that II did more than its
share Of going 70 ard fro
No one but the author, Mr.. Edwin w.
High, of Metamora, Ind, or some other
man who had written a regimental history.
had any idea of the labor and perseverance
which the writing of such a work involved.
So far as the Sixty-eighth is concerned,
Mr.. High has done his work faithfully and
intelligently. The history OF each company
is given. it's officers and it's roster. It's ad-
ventures are set forth in an interesting
manner; its marches and countermarches
are portrayed its hardships are modestly
told. An unusually large number of BIZ
ographies given, which include such
well-known citizens as Lieutenant Colonel
Lesson of Elwood, Ind Captain Mauzy
Sergeant Major Gordon, Of Rushville, John
NJ. Francis, of Sheridan, Leander Goodwin,
OF Upton county. Henry Nicoli, Francis NJ.
Sherwood and the late Colonel B. c. Shaw,
of this city. considerable portion of the
work is given TO the Chickamauga campaign
in which other writer's are corrected, or,
at least, disputed. The author seems to
accept General Boynton as an infallibility
and consequently takes issue with the In
diana Chickamauga Commission.
The criticism which 1t seems necessary
to pass upon the book has nothing 10 do
with the record and achievements of the
Sixty-eighth For instance, the author
declares that the failure of the War De-
mand. to send $4,000 of Shermans army
ia Mississippi 10 help Rosecrans long be-
fore ChickamaGga instead of after was "a
colossal blunder' Has the author OF this
unqualified opinion considered what Bragg
and other leaders might have done to the
rest OF Shermans army in Mississippi If
half OF IL had been sent to Tennessee
Again, he leads his reader to assume that
General Grant sent General Changers COM
mand into East Tennessee during the win
ter of 1S63-64 because he (GranD had a
grudge against Granger. To intimate that
General Grant would send thousands OF
men to spend winter of hardship where
the army was not needed simply TO punish
one officer involves a very serious charge
Because there was an unnecessary feud
between the armies of Sherman and
Thomas during the years Immediately fol-
| lowing the war, II is not necessary to keep
ii up now by quoting extracts from Sher-
mans letters regarding the march to the
sea and references to reports of the desc
/ lation which Sherman's army left behind IL
/ repeated In the British House of Commons
/ Sherman's and Thomass men were from
/ the same States, the same counties and
towns. All did their duty and one should
not now seek TO blacken the reputation
! of the other.
The author is vigorous writer and in that
respect the work will attract attention
| II should have a place in every library
/ of any pretensions in Indiana. Those de-
| string copies should write to Edwin w
| High, Metamora, Ind or TO Colonel Rich
! ard l. Lesson Elwood Ind