The National tribune., 1907-01-03
THE GOTH OHIO.
One Mans Experience in the Ranks and
as an Officer.

Editor National Tribune: / have
never written anything for your val
uable paper. and will send you few
lines. I enlisted Dec. 3, 1861, rendez-
voused at Camp King, KY, thence to
Cincinnati Barracks and turned up at
Fort Donelson Feb. Is or 16, 1862.
After the battle the next unpleasant
task was guarding prisoners to st. Lou
is. l belonged to Co. ], goth Ohio, and
we had 1000 JohnnieS on our boat to
guard, SO there was not much sleep
for US on that trip. Our prisoners dis
rivers bank, and burned anything we
could find to keep from freezing. We
stayed here about three weeks, and
then turned up at Shiloh. 1 well re-
member that bright Sunday morning.
April 6, 1862. We were up early and
out on the road in line. arms stacked,
awaiting orders, in which position we
stayed till some time after noon, when
we pulled out and reached the battle
line on the extreme right flank. At 9
o'clock that night it began to rain, and
we got well soaked. The next morning
we were ordered to clean our guns and
get the loads out. Just in our front
was a grove of timber. We fired into
it, and when ordered forward had not
gone 800 yards when we saw where
the Johnnies had camped the night be-
right flank all day. After the battle
the goth camped east of Shiloh Church.
doing guard duty from there to the
river. Started with Gen. Grant from
Grand junction on his raid by way of
Holly Springs to reach Vicksburg, and
got as far as Coffeeville, when the rebs
cut our supply train, so we had to
In a big snow storm December, 1862,
some Of us barefooted, and went into
camp in the rear of the city, where we
remained several weeks. About this
time I received my commission as Sec
ond Lieutenant. Col. Force came along
handed me a big envelope then past on
with a smile. Gen. Grant having ma
tured his plans. we were ordered to
march down the Louisiana side of the
river below Vicksburg, cross over the
river, which we did May 3, 1863 Then
came the tug of war, marching con-
stantly and fighting every few days. We
reached Jackson about the 18th of May,
drove Johnston from the city, marched
back towards Vickshurg, where we met
Pemberton at Champions Hill May 16,
and thrashed him out of his boots
After the surrender we made another
dash with Sherman to Jackson where
we gave Johnston another tharshin,s,
after which we returned to Vicksbur3
and garrisoned the city. The last Of
January or first of February, 1864, Gen.
Sherman started on his Meridian raid
which resulted in the destruction of one
machine shop, number of locomotives
and cars. 1t was during this raid that
1 lost my reputation as forager by
chasing the hen off the nest, when
might have had hen and eggs, too.
was in the Atlanta campaign up TO
July 20, 1864; was taken prisoner
and landed in Macon, Ga. Gen
Stoneman made a raid after u.s. and
got in the same pen. We were all kept
there for about a month, then shipped
to Charleston, S. c.. under fire of Gill
more's guns. While in prison at
Charleston the square just northeast of
our prison burned, and while burning
Gilmore landed a number of shells. We
could hear them coming, and the rebs
would yell out, Here comes another
Yankee" Sherman and Hood exchang-
ed prisoners here, and I was one of the
lucky number to be free after an i'm
prisunment of two months and five
days. We helped then to drive Hood
to Alabama. then marched with Sher-
man to the sea and took part in the
siege of Savannah. After its fall /
went to Beaufort. S. c.. by boat, thence
to Pocataligo, where I received my dis
charge Jan. %, 1865, after serving over
three years. Thinking the war about
over, refused Captains commission
and returned home.-Wm Bush, First
Lieutenant, Co l. goth Ohio