Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-17
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GID OHIO AT FORT GREGG
Thirty-Six Men Were Lost Directly in
Front of Fort-Losses Other Reg
iments Suffered.

The First division. Twenty-fourth
corps, was near Hatcher's Run the
evening before the battle at Fort
Gregg, and ell night in line in a clio
yer field.
Colonel West, commanding the Six
ty-second Ohio, about ten o'clock that
night asked that | be detailed from
Company K to report to General Os-
born headquarters, when one from
each regiment Of the brigade was es-
coTted outside Of the lines to find cut
if it was possible for men to cross
swamp reported in our front. writes
T. R. Shaw of Coin, Ia, in the Ma
tiCnal tribune. After about four
hours time, having located the en-
emy's works and getting the informa-
ton wanted, l reported to General Os
born's headquarters. The general then
wrote me pass, exCusing me from
duty for five days.
About that time terrible cannon
ade began towards Petersburg and
lasted until daylight. About sunup
the SiXty-second was ordered in line
in advance Of the First brigade First
division, Twenty-fourth corps. l took
my place in the ranks, and we dou-
ble-quicked about five miles, when
We formed line of battle and were or
dered to deploy as skirmishers. Our
right was on the rebel line Of works
facing Fort Gregg, some two miles
away
of INV nc
ahead of us, except & disorganized
mass of rebels in the ravines and be-
hind the stumps, which we drove
before us, regardless of the shells
Of the rebel forts. We could not see
Fort Gregg at this time, it being be-
yond ridge, but there was three
gun battery at a bend in the line of
works that shelled US, and as we got
near it gave us canister, but our left
flank advanced until they could get a
crossfre on the battery and took it
when we drove everything over the
ridge and came in plain view of Fort
Gregg.
We kept driving their men, until
we finally made a rush for an old
road in our front running parallel to
the fort and a splendid position for
a skirmish line, where we annoyed
the fort, and kept the gunner down
until some time after noon, when we
were recalled. The troops were then
massing for a charge. AS l was near
Colonel West a staff officer told him
to withdraw his men behind the ridge
and let them go to dinner, and they
need not go in the charge, as they
| the (Sixty-second Ohio) had done
enough. But when the charge was
formed Colonel West called to all that
wanted to follow him to fall in. Most
of the regiment responded and ad-
vanced up to the front of the fort.
Captain Griffin quotes Capt II. L.
| Carr as saying that no part of Os-
| born's division struck Fort Gregg.
| Now, the Sixty-second Ohio lost SO
men directly in front of the fort. The
| Thirty-ninth Illinois had a heavy loss,
| also the Sixty-seyenth Ohio None Of
Turner's men ever were ahead OF
| these regiments. Captain Griffin says
| the colors of the Twelfth West Vir-
! ginia and the One Hundred and Six
tenth Ohio were planted on the south
side of the fort. They never were in
| that position, and the reason they (the
| Twelfth West Virginia and One Hun
| dred and Sixteenth Ohio, Osborn's di-
vision) went in at the northwest angle
was in a hand-to-hand encounter at
| the south, and, as the captain admits,
held the garrison at that point. The
Twelfth West Virginia, the One Hun
| dred and Sixteenth Ohio and others
went in at that corner of the fort
while Osborn's men went in at the
same time at the front