History of the 60th Ohio Regiment

Written by Jacob Briggs, of Company B, and Read at the Reunion, Held at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, on September 26 and 27, 1911.

As the conrads of the 60th Ohio have been requested to contribute their mite of army experience to help to make up the present history of said regiment, I herewith offer mine.

At the age of 16, I enlisted in the month of February, 1864, to serve three years, or during the war, and was assigned to Company B of the 60th Ohio Infranty. I was a stranger to nearly all of the company. After going into camp at Camp Chase, Ohio, I soon became acquainted with the boys of my company and later on with those of the other companies. I had a great deal of sport while at Camp Chase, but we were soon destined to experience the realities of war.

Sometime in April the regiment left Columbus, Ohio for the seat of war, arriving at Washington City and Alexander, Manasses Junction and Catlet Station; then at the Battle of the Wilderness, arriving there on the morning of the second day's fight. As we approached the battlefield and saw the wounded carried back, I felt very sad to see the soldiers so terribly wounded and mangled that I shed tears.

But we soon experienced what our comrads had just gone through by taking part in that historic battle. While near there a little circumstance occurred which affected our stomachs very much. I think on the second night after we arrived there, quite a number of us were detailed to go for rations. We went about two miles to the rear and securing the same consisting in crackers, coffee, sugar, salt, and fresh beef. A comrad and myself carried a quarter of beef on a spike. After placing our rations just in the rear of the regiment ready for issuing to the boys in the morning then going to the regiment in the breast works they were already on the move. We did not understand what it meant at the time, but Grant had commenced his flank movement to the left on Spotsilvanis Court House, our regiment being in advance about eight o'clock on the morning of May 9th we struck the enemy in front at Nye River, our regiment getting the worst of the bargain. We also fought at the same place on the 10th, then moved onto Spotsilvania fighting there on May 12th and at NorthAnna River May 25th, then at Bethesada Church July [Editor note: June] 1st and Cold Harbor June 3, 5, and 6, at Gains Mills June 7th, 1864; At Petersburg June 17th and 18th. I might mention a dozen other battles that we were engaged in, but history has recorded them and I shall not weary your patience by repeating names and dates.

Well so I remember the morning that we arrived at the Battle of the Wilderness. The first man that I saw wounded caused me to shed tears of Sorrow, but I soon got over it and as I went into battle after battle the sights did not affect me so much. I remember one little circumstance that occurred at the Battle of Spotsilvania. James Taylor of my company seemed to have a presentment of some impending danger and in a jesting way said to Corporal Hull: "I have fifteen cents, if I die sent it to my mother." In a short time we moved to another position on the line and while lying with our faces on the ground just under the brow of the hill, I heard a rebal ball strike poor James in the head, his brains spatting over us. He died in a short time. Then we moved from our position on to Cold Harbor where we had some very hard fighting, and from there to the James River. Crossing over on Pontoon Bridges, then commenced those terrible battles that we were engaged in which lasted until almost the close of the war.

I shall never forget that memorable battle at Fort Steadman. As the enemy retreated back across the open field in close range of our rifels I fired into that retreating mass of disorganized rebels until my gun was so hot that I could use it no longer. Comrads you will remember how that field was covered with the dead and dying rebels. But the battle was soon to be followed by another which was soon to end the war and as we marched into the City of Petersburg and placed the flag of the 60th on the door of the court house and a few days later Lee and Johnston surrendered.

Our regiment remained in the city two or three days doing gard duty. While Grant was pressing on after Lee's retreating army that soon surrendered at Appomatix Court House and a few days later General Johnston surrendered his forces to General Sherman, the war was over. Then began a season of rejoicing and soon the Union Army began to move north to its respective states. Our regiment arrived at Cleveland the latter part of July 1865 and was finally mustered out of service August 5th and returned to our homes.

Now comrads, after a lapse of 46 years a few of us have met in reunion and my heart is made glad as I take you by the hand and look into your smiling faces. I call you boys and comrads, but I see a great change has taken place since 1865. Then you were boys in your teens with bright eyes and a firm step, but now your heads are silvered with gray and the cheek is furrowed and the forms bent. Soon you will have marched your last march and fought your last battle and pitched your last silent tent and bivouaced on Fame's Eternal Camping Ground there to await the morning of the general resurrection when soul and body shall be reunited.

A special thanks to Paula Cochran for contributing this information. Jacob Briggs was her great great grandfather.