Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1935-02-28
Keminiscence OF My Father
On The Civil War


lections was a visit to trunk il
our attic where / found coat
blue in color which wasn't SO extra
ordinary, but the buttons, gold il
color caught my childish fancy.
began to wonder; nobody will
whom / was Immediately connected
wore anything like that; Uncle Wei
Lawrence didn't, Uncle Ephrain
Roberts didn't; Uncle Lew Border
didn't; what was the mystery
There was only one way to find ou
and that was ask mother, which
did. She first demanded that
must not bother things in thar
trunk, as it was there our papers
by which we kept our home were
stored, and then she said "Wby
child, your father was a soldier
and that's the coat a soldier and
hO other can wear" A soldier
what was soldier? She seemed tC
sense my worry, and like the good
teacher she was, explained: "a sol
dier is man who keeps our coun-
try as a safe place to live in, and
for all of us to have homes. You
need not look like that; your faith
er was considered brave one, al
though he was always a private y
Now what was private? She said
" A man who did not give orders. "
There were generals, captains, ETC.,
to perform that office. Later / was
to find some more who wore blue
coats and one of them who was a
very conspicuous man in very small
area, was my uncle, Joe Flanders.
Oh how proud / was! Then into the
picture came my fathers lifelong
friend Burritt Merwin of 18th. He
wore the blue also, and faithfully
During my last visit with him I re-
member his words Don't forget
what Will and went through
Belle. Others will, but I'd like to
think our children keep remember
ing" Then l became acquainted
with several of them: A. d. King, J.
B. Farra, John Bird, Boone Smith,
Japheth Smith, Yves and James
Ashton, r. l.. Evans (navy), VIM.
Vanoster (artillery), all with q
story of bravery and sacrifice Then
the Bristol township soldiers asso-
citation was organized. Forty years
ago it was a large throng and
more noble one could not have con-
vened in any vicinity. But my
father was not an orator and by our
own f1reside Or on walks is where I
got the "reminiscences which I will
give tonight. The 62nd of which he
was a member was recruited in
Morgan and Noble counties. Henry
Williams was the recruiting officer
for Noble county, where he then
lived. In November of 1852 an ef-
fort was made to consolidate the
S2nd and 63rd, but one morning the
Sznd came out for inspection with
Sind or nothing conspicuously
placed upon their caps. Col Frank
Pond was beloved by all and it was
Col. Pond or nobody. DR.. Robert
son who wrote the Morgan county
history says "There was probably
NO other regiment from Ohio that
performed more active service on
the battlefield or was on more
fatiguing marches than the 62nd.
My fathers first engagement was at
Winchester in March, 1862. Ny
question was, How did you feel un-
der fire? Like every hair was hog
br1stle and every one standing
straight up, he replied. The next
impulse was to shoot. Another
hard fought battle was Morris
Island where IA seige guns and all
the rebel equipage was captured.
Among the loot my father found a.
love letter with envelope address
ed and he inserted on the last page
found and forwarded by VIM. f.
Flanders He never learned
whether the sender was killed or
had retreated. The battle Of Fort
Wagner was the one which stands
cut so vividly in my mind The
game Wagner sounded aggressive
and the 62nd was ordered to rein
force the 8Sth Mass. (colored) as
the confederates played ruse of
being nearer destroyed than they
were. The colored regiment was
nown down like wheat and the
S2nd went in only to lose $50 brave
boys. A number of Morgan county
soldiers fell in the bloody battle.
My fathers uncle Ben Wilton saw
him Immediately after the battle
and did not recognize him, think
lag him colored man, his face and
hands We're SO black with powder.
They had no smokeless powder in
those days. Following this battle,
the 62nd spent sometime in front of
Charleston, which terminated the
23rd of October. One night when
they were campaigning, father was
seemed restless. 1t was deemed
necessary to put out vedette lines
Father was not standing or walking
as the pickets were but lay fat on
ais stomach in an arroyo or ditch
with his head above, if anything oc-
CURED, presently above the martial
step Of the pickets 20 PAGES behind
the army of James 20 PAGES behind
such muffled noises as would come
to his ears soon became part Of the
srder of things; but something in
front arrested his auricular senses
not out of whispering distance came
the words Hey Yank! Geminee'
thinks William, but he Gained
down and whispered back What?
You got any 'baccy? Yes and he
sent substantial ration hurtling