Beginning to realize I am nearing the end of the trail my thoughts appear to be concentrating upon the early events of my life, especially upon my personal experience during the Civil War.

I was born on a farm in Blendon Township, Franklin County, Ohio, November 29, 1841, educated at Central College, went to Missouri December, 1859, returned to Ohio December, 1860, returned to Missouri March, 1862.

War was then well on the way, and the Union element had gained control of the state. I was teaching school at Mineral Point, Washington County, was secretary of the County Union League. General Price had been driven out of the state and business had become fairly quiet except now and then we would be told about some prominent Union man being bush-whacked by Sam Hildebrand, a noted Guerilla, who was familiar with all the roads and byways, also the homes of most active Union men.

As summer approached it was learned that Price at the head of a large force was again on his way from Arkansas north. This caused called out the Militia and everyone subject to military duty was ordered to enroll at once. I had received warning through the League that I was marked to be shot. Not wishing to go out in that way I skipped back to Ohio and enrolled in Zimm's Battalion, the only organization being formed at Camp Chase or near Columbus at that time.

After being drilled and doing guard duty about three months at the prisons the rebel general, Churchill, and his command, were captured in the department commanded by General Rosecrans who in retaliation ordered them to be confined in Camp Chase prison and be allowed only the regular govenment ration and not to be permitted to patronize the prison Sutler store.

I saw the order was being ignored and after feeling sure that all officers on duty in the camp had full knowledge of the facts I took the risk of violating military rules by writing all the facts to Rosecrans and signed my name, rank as private doing duty as guard. Rosecrans promptly wired General Cooper at Columbus to investigate at once and report, which he did and confirmed my report. A few days later I was detached to act as clerk of Judge Galloway's Military Court. Galloway was Judge Advocate of Ohio.

Soon as cases were disposed of I returned to my company and was handed another order detaching me to act as assistant clerk in the prison office, and after serving there a few months was sent to Cincinnati along with the chief clerk who was sent to take charge of the office at Lytle Barracks.
After serving there about six months I was ordered back to Camp Chase to take charge of the Camp mail. After serving as postmaster about 15 months Ohio was call upon to furnish 20 more regiments to serve three years. This gave me a chance as I thought to rid myself of detached service which had become monotonous. My only chance was to secure a commission, and to accomplish this I made my wishes known to several officers in the camp including the Post Commander who endorsed my petition to Governor Brough who appointed me First Lieutenant and assigned me to Company A 60th, O.V.I.

After acting a few days as drill master I was detached to serve as quartermaster for troop organizing. Soon as all were clothed and equipped we were ordered to the front and entrained for Alexandria, Va., where we were assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps, commanded by General Burnside. We marched at once to join the Potomac Army under General Grant who was getting ready to cross the Rapidan. We were halted at Warrenton, about 40 miles north of the Rapidan with orders to move forward rapidly as soon as we heard that the main army had crossed the river.

We received the favorable news on the morning of May 5 and about 9:06 that night we bivouaced on the north bank of the Rapidazn, and at daylight we began to cross the pontoons and hastily filled vacant space between 2nd and 5th Corps. The underbrush was so dense that we could not see the enemy 30 feet ahead as they came creeping upon hands and knees. Soon as seen we opened fire, and drove them back quickly. So our loss was light.

Grant started his left flank movement towards Spotsylvania after dark May 8th. Our Division, commanded by General O. B. Wilcox, was placed in the lead. We marched all night, and as we arrived about half mile north of the Ny river we saw the rebel pickets and a guard at the bridge. The 79th N. Y. and 60th Ohio were rushed forward under orders to drive them across the river and beyond which we did and held the ridge against a much larger force, but our loss was heavy.

General Withers who led his Brigade of Virginians against us, was wounded and fell into our hands. I was then in command of Company F. There were four brothers, members of that company, named Runyon [Editor note: two of them may have been Milo M. Runion and Samuel Runion]. One was orderly sergeant who was killed in this fight, another fell May 12, and the others I was informed were killed at Petersburg.

On the night of May 21 General Grant ordered another movement by left flank to North Anna river. Our brigade being again in the lead of our corps we marched all night and came in sight of the river about 4:00 P.M. on the 22nd. Light rain had been falling constantly for more than a week, and the river was bank full and running swiftly. The bank on each side was covered with briars and hazel brush so dense that it would have been very slow and difficult to work our way to the river, and if we had succeeded in getting across we would have had to charge up a very steep rocky bank fully 200 feet to reach the enemy's breast works.

Grant says in his Memoirs that Lee had taken position with his center on the river at this point, with two wings thrown back, his line making an acute angle where it overlooked the river and for this reason Burnside's corps could not cross. The facts are that soon as we reached the bottom land in plain view of the river our brigade was formed in battle line and General Hartcraft's brigade lined up to support us. Colonel McElroy, still upon his horse, took his position in front to lead. Soon as I saw what all this meant I rushed to him and said, Colonel, do you know what we are going to do here? He replied by saying that we were ordered to prepare to charge. I said yes, it looked like Burnside had ordered this on the report of some fool staff officer, that it meant death or Libby Prison, not one of us would ever get back and for that reason I ask you to appoint some one to command Company F as I will not lead it into a trap like this. He made no reply, but put spurs to his horse and rushed to the rear. I watched him until he was out of sight, and after half hour or more I saw Burnside and staff on the hill carefully viewing the situation, using field glasses, of course.

The order was finally countermanded and I was ordered to take three companies and picket our brigade front on the river that night. That proved to be one of the most wearisome and perilous jobs I had ever experienced. More than a dozen pickets were wounded, and I escaped with the loss of a heel of one shoe. The next night General Grant ordered another left flank movement and I detached to act as aid to General Christ, commanding our brigade.

We marched all night and next day until about 4 P.M., when it was discovered that a detachment of rebels were following us and opened fire upon our rear. We were then ten miles from Cold Harbor, the object, no doubt was to prevent our corps from reaching Cold Harbor that night, which it did. I was ordered to take the 20th Michigan and check the advance of the rebel skirmish line which I did and when all over I reported to General Christ who ordered me to also report to General Wilcox, that I would find him in the rebel General A. P. Hill's residence, upon whose plantation we had bivouaced for the night. The rebels having accomplished their object retired during the night. We then resumed our march next morning and reached Cold Harbor that day. Our brigade was placed on the left of Baldy Smith's 18th corps which we occupied 3 or 4 days in plain view of the rebel line, when we discovered that our position was being viewed by a group of Confederate officers of high rank in view of making an effort to break our line. That was just what we wished, and I at once notified each regimental commander in our brigade to be prepared for hot work.

In less than one hour the charge was made upon our line, but not a rebel got near our works when they began to fall back leaving scores of dead and wounded.

Books giving details of every battle fought during the Civil War can be found in nearly every family and for that reason I am to give only such acts as witnessed by myself, eliminating details as much as possible.

After many thousands had been killed or wounded on each side Grant started his famous transfer of the army from the north to the south side of Richmond, which he did, taking his whole army right from under the nose of General Lee is sufficient proof of Grant's superior generalship. We had not only had several times further to march but had to cross the James river on pontoons at different points below Richmond. The 9th Corps was ordered to cross fully 30 miles below City Point near Petersburg. The pontoons were ready for us to cross June 15 but we were halted about 4 P.M., when within less than two miles of the river.

After resting about one hour and still no order to move General Christ said to me that trouble must be at the river and ordered me to ride ahead, investigate and report as soon as I could. I soon found the engineer in charge and all were hard at work but he informed me that they had everything ready on time for us to cross early that afternoon but was ordered to take up a section to let supply boats pass up to City Point, and the strong current caused the wings to spread.

The work was completed during the night and we began to cross at daylight, morning of the 16th, and by extra hard marching we reached the outer works of the rebels near Petersburg about sundown. We found the works weakly defended and easily captured. We learned from few prisoners that Beauregard came up from Charleston, S. C., with a small force that had never engaged in battle. He had also pressed in a lot of boys and old men at Petersburg which accounted for our easy victory. It was then dark and we had to rest until next morning which was June 17.

We then formed with Hartcraft's brigade supporting us and were quickly driven back with heavy loss, but we brought back 35 of the enemy. I asked then what corps they belonged to and they said Longstreet's. I then asked who was in command and they said Longstreet. I said you must be mistaken as we knocked him out at Spotsylvania. Yes you did but he got back with his corps about 12 o'clock last night. We doubled up our lines and charged again with success. We charged their third line next morning and was repulsed. We doubled up and charged again late that afternoon. General Christ led the right wing and I led the left, I being the only staff officer of our brigade left on duty at that time. General Christ fell badly wounded as we neared the breast works and yelled for me to take charge and go ahead. I did so and we succeeded in taking possession of the works which left the enemy but one more line between us and Petersburg, but that last line of works was known to be much stronger than any we had taken. General Grant was convinced that we could not advance farther without causing a terrible loss of life, and for that reason he made no effort to secure the last line.

On the morning of the 19th we were relieved from the front to rest. We stacked arms half mile in the rear, count of guns showed we had but 1,320 left out of the six regiments that composed our brigade. About noon Colonel Humphreys with the 2nd Michigan and about 200 men appeared and said he was ordered to relieve me, and I was retained as A. A. D. C. Colonel Humphreys had the qualities of a great soldier. I had lost about all the pep I ever had and wanted to be relieved from staff duty, but he refused to let me go, saying, however, that I needed rest and that I should have it as he would have full staff in a few days. He also predicted that Grant's next act would be to lay seige and that would give us all a better chance to take it easy for a long period. He tried to make me as comfortable as possible, but instead of improving I got worse, no pain, but lost all appetite, declined everything to eat that was offered me, and finally I was taken back to the officers' hospital of the 9th Corps. Dr. Ames who was formerly surgeon of my regiment, had been made chief surgeon of the 9th Corps and called promptly to see me. After a brief examination he told me to be ready at 5 o'clock next morning and he would have me put upon board of boat at City Point and sent to Fort Monroe where the air was better. That was all he said but that was enough to inform me that I needed better climate as well as rest. I was made fairly comfortable on the boat but it never stopped until it arrived at Annapolis, Md., and there I was given a room in the U. S. Navy Hospital.

After a few weeks I thought I was fit for duty in the field, but under the rules all officers in the east on sick leave had to appear before the Medical Board to be examined and condition reported to E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, who was given power to act upon each case. After waiting a few days I received an honorable discharge on account of physical disability.

GEORGE WARREN CAMPBELL,
84 West Frambes Ave.,
Columbus, Ohio.

Jan. 2, 1924.

Campbell, George Warren. The Genealogy and Actual Experience of an Ohio Soldier during the Civil War: Ignoring Established Military Rules Sometimes Justifiable and Leads to Promotion. January 2, 1924.

This page belongs to
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~volker
Created:  30 July 2003
Modified:  
Copyright © 2001-2003, Jennifer Volker