Company C, Fourth Indiana Cavalry


Brief History of the Company Which has Just Held Its First Reunion Since the Late War.

Below will be found a brief but graphic history of Co. C, 4 th Indiana Cavalry, which was read at the recent reunion of the survivors, held in this place. It will no doubt be perused with interest by the members of the Co., as well as soldiers generally:

August. 4, 1862, the Co. left Warsaw, and went to Camp Allen at Fort Wayne where we remained about one week, and while there organized the company by electing Jos. P. Leslie Capt., Amos Leamon 1
st Lieut., Andrew P. Gallagher 2 nd Lieut. And S. G. Robbins Brev. 2 nd Lieut. We left for Indianapolis about August 12, and, on arriving there, went into camp with our regiment, which was then organizing, and on Aug. 17 was mustered into the United States service, and was known has Co. C, of the 77th Regiment, or 4th Indiana cavalry, and received our uniforms and sidearms. On Sept. 6 our company was ordered to Cincinnati, arriving there the same evening, where we received our horses and went into camp. The next day we received our saddles and bridles, and other camp equipage, and were fitted out for service, remaining there until Sept. 18. In the meantime we crossed the Ohio River scouting in the night several different times. We then reported to Brig. Gen. Q. A. Gilmore, commanding the advance forces in Kentucky. The Co. did a great deal of scouting, sometimes being absent two and three days before returning to camp. The most of our scoutings were in the night. We changed camp from time to time, until we reached Lexington, where we remained a few days, and on October 31 we were ordered to report to Brig. Gen. A. J. Smith, for escort duty. On the same day we marched with him to Nicholasville, Ky., remaining there a few days and then marched to Louisville. On Nov. 25 we embarked on the steamer Florence and started down the Ohio River, arriving at Cairo, Illinois, Nov. 29. We disembarked from the Florence, and boarded the Maria Denning on the Mississippi river. We arrived at Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 4, went into camp, and there remained until Dec. 21. We then embarked on the steamer Ohio Belle, and started down the river, arriving at Milliken's Bend on Dec. 24. We remained there until Dec. 27. We then went with General Sherman up the Yazoo river, when he made his first attack on Vicksburg, then back to the Mississippi river, and went with Gen. John A. McClernand up the Arkansas river, captured Arkansas Post Jan. 11, 1863, and remained there until Jan. 15, then, starting for Young's Pt., La. we arrived there Jan. 23, and went into camp. We were in front of Vicksburg until April 15. We then struck tents and marched to Richmond, La., and went into camp on Holmes' plantation. It was from that place that Comrades Goodman, Hagland and Oliver Hubler were taken prisoners. The Co. took an active part in the Vicksburg campaign, many of them being in close quarters at different times. We afterwards went with the 13th Army Corps to the Department of the Gulf in Louisiana and Texas, and took part in the campaign of Bayou Tecie and at Carrion Crow Bayou. We then came back to New Orleans for winter quarters.

About March 1, 1864, we cross the Gulf of Mexico as escort to General John A. McClernand, commanding the 13th Army Corps, to Matagorda Island, Tex. We remained there about one month and then returned with the corps to New Orleans; then up Red river, and took part in that campaign, returning to New Orleans about July 1, 1864. We were then ordered to join our regiment, and starting from New Orleans July 5, we came up the river to Cairo, and thence by rail to Indianapolis. We remained there a few days and started to Chattanooga, via Louisville and Nashville, remaining near Chattanooga about a month, we received horses again and then started to join our regiment. We found it at Cartersville, Ga. on the Etowah river, about the 30th of Aug. There we done picket duty on Pumpkin Vine Creek to Alatoona, until about the middle of October, and then marched to Calhoun, Ga. where we remained about three weeks and turned our horses over to Gen. Kilpatrick, and then came back to Louisville, Ky., after other horses. On Dec. 4, 1864, we left Louisville on the march to Nashville and arrived at Bowling Green Ky. Dec. 12. From there we started in pursuit of a rebel brigade, under Gen. Lyon. Having crossed the Cumberland River at Hopkinsville Ky., we followed them as far as Elizabethtown, and on Dec. 25 started for Nashville. Arrived at Bowling Green on the 29th, remained there until Jan. 2, 1865, then started for Nashville, arriving on Jan. 6 and remaining until the 9th, when we left for Waterloo Ala., and went into winter quarters. On March 10, 1865, we crossed the Tennessee River and went into camp at Chickasaw, Ala., and made preparations for the campaign. On March 21, 1865, we started on the Wilson raid. Our brigade, in charge of a wagon train, skirmished with the enemy at Centreville and Scottsville, on the Cahaba river, and then marched to Plantersville. Part of the company was in close quarters with Gen. Forrest's escort, and Corporal McNurty was wounded and Ed Simkin taken prisoner. We arrived at Selma, with the wagon train on April 6, and remained there until the 9th. The troops then crossed the Alabama river, our company patrolled the city all night and crossed the river next morning, arriving at Montgomery, Ala., on the 13th, skirmishing every day from Selma with the enemy. The Mayor of the city came and surrendered. The troops all having left, on April 16 we arrived at West Point Ga., and there captured Fort Taylor, including one siege-gun, two field pieces, and 250 prisoners. Our men charged the fort three times before it surrendered. Our company took charge of the prisoners. On April 21 we arrived at Macon, Ga. and there we found Gen. Cobb commanding the forces of the interior of Georgia, with instructions from Gen. Johnston not to fire another gun until ordered by him; but such talk did not suit Gen. Wilson, and he demanded a surrender or fight, consequently Cobb surrendered, and in a few days his men were paroled and sent home and we ate their rations, and a great many of our men wore the clothes that were found in the Quartermaster's department. Within a few days we heard that Gen. Lee had surrendered to Gen. Grant. About the tenth of May our forces captured Jeff Davis, while he was playing hide-and-seek through the Carolinas and Georgia. We remained until May 24th, and then left for Atlanta, arriving on the 28th, after a hot and dusty march, expecting to draw rations there, but "nary a draw." We then started for Chattanooga, Tenn., arriving on June 2, almost worn out on account of scarcity of rations, while our horses were very much reduced and worn out also. We remained at Chattanooga until the 7th, drew rations for ourselves and forage for our horses, and then left for Nashville, where, after a slow and tedious march, we arrived on June 15, 1865. We crossed the Cumberland river and went into camp at Edgefield, Tenn., and there turned over our horses and equipment and were mustered out of service on June 29, 1865. On July 7, 1865, we were paid in full.

Warsaw Daily Times January 10, 1891

The survivors of Company C, 4th Indiana Cavalry, although not large in number, nevertheless had a very enjoyable time among themselves at the reunion held in this city yesterday. Among the arrivals yesterday was Sumner Baker, formerly of this place. Joseph Goodman has promised to furnish us for publication a brief sketch of the history of the company. Our older citizens will remember that the company originally left this place with the late Lieut. Col. Leslie as Captain; Pat Gallagher as First, and Wm. S. Hemphill as Second Lieutenants. Colonel Leslie was killed in a skirmish with the enemy at Strawberry Plains, East Tennessee, towards the close of the war and if we are not at fault, Pat Gallagher died about four years ago at or near Lima Ohio. Wm. S. Hemphill is living at Denver, Col., and occasionally writes a letter for the readers of this paper, with which he was many years connected. The attendance at the reunion here would have been much larger only that it was very difficult to obtain the post office addresses of the survivors, in order to send them an invitation and notification of the time of holding it.

Warsaw Daily Times January 9, 1891

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