The greatest difference between the Northern and the Southern States of this Union evidently has always related to the institution of slavery; but this, in the early history of the republic, engendered other prejudices, especially in the South against the customs of the Yankee, so that, in course of time, and in accordance with that feature of human nature which inclines to find other faults than the main one with the opposite party, the Southern people began to hate the Northern more on account of certain "Yankee" customs than on account of abolitionism itself. Like a mass of food in a nauseated stomach, the slavery question would not remain settled, after all the attempts at compromise in 1820, 1850 and 1854 so that, on the approach of the Presidential election of 1860, it became evident, on account of the division of the Democratic party, that the "abolition" party would for the first time elect their nominee for President of the United States. He was elected, and the most hot-headed Southern State immediately led off in a rebellion, other States following during the winter. They mustered their military forces, and by the 12th of April, 1861, concluded they were ready to commence shooting. On that day they opened upon Fort Sumter and compelled it to surrender.
As to the part taken by the Vermillion County people in suppressing this great insurrection, we give a brief sketch of the respective regiments in which this county was represented by volunteers.
The patriotism of Vermillion County was quick to demonstrate itself, as a company was formed at Clinton within three or four weeks after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the first overt act of rebellion. This was organized as Company I of the Fourteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with Philander R. Owen as Captainm who was during the war promoted Lieutenant Colonel, when John Lindsey was commissioned Captain to succeed him. Captain Lindsey, who enlisted as First Lieutenant, was mustered out June 24, 1864, on the expiration of his term. Upon his promotion to the position of Captain, William P. Haskell, who had been appointed Second Lieutenant of the organization, was commissioned First Lieutenant to fill the vacancy, and was discharged November 25, 1863, for promotion in the Fourth Regiment of United States colored troops. James M. Mitchell was promoted from the office of Second Lieutenant to that of First Lieutenant. The Colonels of the Fourteenth in succession, were: Nathan Kimball, of Loogootee, who was promoted Brigadier General; William Harrow, of Vincennes, also promoted, and John Coons, of Vincennes, who was killed in the battle of Spottsylvania Court-House, Virginia, May 12, 1864.
The Fourteenth Regiment was originally organized at Camp Vigo, near Terre Haute, in May 1861, as one of the six regiments of State troops accepted for one year. Upon the call for three years troops the regiment volunteered almost unanimously for that service. The new organization was mustered into the United States service at Terre Haute, June 7 1861, being the first three years regiment mustered into service in the whole State of Indiana. On its organization there were 1,134 men and officers. They left Indianapolis July 5, fully armed and equipped, for the seat of war in Western Virginia. They served on outpost duty until October, when they had their first engagement at Cheat Mountain, with Lee's army, losing three killed, eleven wounded and two prisoners. Their second engagement was virtually in the same battle, at Greenbrier, October 3 when they lost five killed and eleven wounded.
March 23, 1862, under General Shields, Colonel Kimball and Lieutenant Colonel Harrow, they participated in the decisive battle of Winchester, when they lost four killed and fifty wounded.
Besides a great deal of marching and other duty they marched 339 miles between May 12 and June 23, a part of which time most of the men were without shoes and short of rations. In July, for some twenty days, they were kept on outpost duty in the Army of the Potomac, coming in contact with the enemy almost night and day. August 17 they participated in the great battle of Antietam, serving in Kimball's brigade of French's division, it being the only portion of the line of battle that did not, at some time during the engagement, give way. On this account the men received from General French the title of the "Gibraltar Brigade." The Fourteenth was engaged for four hours within sixty yards of the enemy's line, and, after exhausting sixty rounds of cartridges, they supplied themselves with others from the boxes of their dead and wounded companions. In this fight the men were reduced in number from 320 to 150! Soon afterward they were still further reduced at the battle of Fredericksburg.
April 28, 1863, being a little recruited by some of the wounded recovering, they were at the front in the battle of Chancellorsville, and also at the desperate battle of Gettysburg, where they lost heavily, but did splendid work. Even after this they engaged in several severe fights, and some of the men reenlisted, December 24, 1863. This noble regiment -- what there was left of it -- was finally mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, July 12, 1865.
This was first organized in May, 1861, as a one-year regiment, containing some volunteers from Vermillion County. Pleasant A.
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Hackleman, of Rushville, was the first Colonel, and, on his promotion to the brigadier-generalship, Thomas J. Lucas, of Lawrenceburg, was placed as Colonel. Horace S. Crane, of Clinton, this county, was mustered in as Second Lieutenant of Company F, and mustered out with the regiment as Sergeant.
May 27, 1862, this was re-organized for three years service, but was not mustered in until the nineteenth of August. On the 30th of this month it took part in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky losing 200 men killed and wounded and 600 prisoners! After the defeat the prisoners were paroled and sent to Indianapolis, and were exchanged November 1. The regiment afterward participated in the Vicksburg
campaign, and did great duty in Texas and at Arkansas Post, where it was the first to plant the Union colors within the fort. Its loss was seventy-seven men, killed and wounded. In April it participated in a successful engagement at Port Gibson, and during the ensuing several months it was engaged in the siege of Vicksburg, in which it lost sixty men, killed and wounded. Subsequently it had several skirmishes with the enemy in Louisiana, and, in the expedition up the Red River, sixteen engagements. The regiment was mustered out at New Orleans, June 30, 1865.
Company C, of this regiment, was wholly made up of Vermillion's noble sons, and all its officers in the roster are credited to Newport. John C. Jenks was promoted from Captain to Major; James A. Bell, from First Lieutenant to Captain; Josiah Campbell and William B. Hood, from private to Captain; Harvey D. Crane and Oscar B. Lowrey, from Sergeants to First Lieutenants; William H. Burtut was promoted from private to First Lieutenant; William M. Mitchell, from private to Second Lieutenant; William W. Zener, from First Sergeant to Second Lieutenant, and then to Adjutant; Jasper Nebeker was Second Lieutenant, and died in the service; Robert H. Nixon and John Anderson were Sergeants; the Corporals were Samuel B. Davis, soon disabled by disease, and now editor of the Hoosier State; John F. Stewart, James O. Boggs, Alonzo Hostetter, Aaron Hise, James Henry, Charles Gerrish and John A. Henry. John F. Leighton, of the recruits, was promoted from the ranks to the position of Corporal. Hugh H. Conley, another recruit, has since become a prominent citizen of the county.
Thomas Pattison of Aurora, was the first Colonel of the Eighteenth,, and on his resignation, June 3, 1862, Henry D. Washburn, of Newport succeeded him. The latter was brevetted Brigadier General December 15, 1864, and mustered out July 15, 1865.
The first service rendered by this regiment -- which was mustered in August 16, 1861 -- was in Fremont's march to Springfield, Missouri. Soon afterward at Black Water, it participated in capturing a large number of prisoners. In March, 1862, it was engaged in the fierce contest at Pea Ridge, where its brigade saved from capture another brigade, and the Eighteenth recaptured the guns of the Peoria Artillery. After several minor engagements in Arkansas it returned to Southeastern Missouri, where it was on duty during the ensuing winter. The following spring it was transferred to Grant's army, and, as part of the division commanded by General Carr, participated in the flanking of the enemy's position at Grand Gulf, and May 1, in the battle at Port Gibson, capturing a stand of colors and some artillery; also, on the 15th, at Champion Hills, and on the 17th, at Black River Bridge. From the 19th until July 4, it was employed in the famous
siege of Vicksburg, where, during the assault, it was the first regiment to plant its colors on the enemy's works.
After the capitulation of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, the regiment moved to New Orleans, and during the fall participated in the campaign up the Teche River, and in the operations in that part of Louisiana. November 12, it embarked for Texas, where, on the 17th, it was engaged in the capture of a fort on Mustang Island, and also in the successful attack on Fort Esperanza, on the 26th. After a furlough, in the winter and spring of 1864, it joined General Butler's forces at Bermuda Hundred, in July, where it had several severe skirmishes. August 19, it joined General Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. In the campaign that followed, the regiment participated in the battle of Opequan, losing fifty-four, killed and wounded; also, in the pursuit and defeat of Early, seven killed and wounded; and in the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, losing fifty one, killed and wounded, besides thirty-five prisoners.
From the middle of January, 1865, for three months, the Eighteenth was assisting in building fortifications at Savannah. May 3, it was the first to raise the stars and stripes at Augusta, Georgia. Was mustered out August 28, 1865
This regiment, in which were a number of volunteers from Vermillion County, was organized at Terre Haute, September 15, 1861, for three years' service. The colonels were, in order, Charles Craft, of Terre Haute, John Osborn, of Bowling Green, John T. Smith, of Bloomfield, and James R. Hallowell, of Bellmore. It participated in the decisive battle of Fort Donelson; in the battle of Shiloh, where it lost twenty-two killed, 110 wounded and ten missing; in the siege of Corinth; was stationed at various places in Tennessee; engaged in the battle of Stone River and Chattanooga, of the Atlanta campaign, Nashville, etc., and was on duty in the Southwest until late in the fall of 1865, many months after the termination of the war.
Company I, of this regiment, was from Vermillion County. Samuel J. Hall was Captain from the date of muster October 9, 1861, to January 7, 1865, the close of his term of enlistment; and then Robert B. Sears was Captain until the regiment was mustered out. He was promoted from the position of Corporal to that of First Lieutenant, and finally to that of Captain. David A. Ranger, of Toronto, was First Lieutenant. William L. Martin, of Newport, was first the Second and then the First Lieutenant. George W. Shewmaker was Second Lieutenant for the first seven and a half months. John Lovelace was first a private and then Second Lieutenant.
George K. Steele, of Rockville, was Colonel of the regiment until January 16, 1862; William E. McLean, of Terre Haute, until May 17, 1865, and John C. Major from that time till the regiment was mustered out.
The first engagement this regiment had was the sieges of New Madrid and Island No. 10. Next it was attached to Commodore Foote's gunboat fleet in the reduction of Fort Pillow, serving sixty-nine days in that campaign. It was the first Union regiment to land in the city of Memphis, and, with the Forty-sixth Indiana constituted the entire garrison, holding that place for two weeks, until reinforced. In July, 1862, the Forty-third was ordered up White River, Arkansas, and subsequently to Helena. At the battle at this place a year afterward, the