Company C

The following is from History of the 78th Regiment O.V.V.I, from its “Muster-In” to its “Muster-Out;” comprising Its Organization, Marches, Campaigns, Battles and Skirmishes, by Rev. Thomas M. Stevenson, Chaplain of the Regiment:

This company was raised in Zanesville and vicinity, and organized at Camp Gilbert, December 16th, 1862. Samuel W. Spencer was commissioned Captain; William Godfrey, First Lieutenant; Thomas P. Ross, Second Lieutenant.

After the battle of Fort Donelson, Tenn., while the regiment was encamped at Dover, Captain Spencer, on account of ill health, went home and not regaining his health sufficiently to return, resigned with less than a brilliant military career. Lieutenant Godfrey resigned after the battle of Shiloh. Lieutenant Ross, on account of ill health, resigned his commission at Crump’s Landing, Tenn., March 16th, 1862.

Lieutenant G. F. Wiles was appointed Captain and assigned to Company “C” April 16th, 1862. Asa C. Cassidy was appointed First Lieutenant, and Alex. Scales Second Lieutenant.

Captain Wiles, with his company, was detached from the regiment and assigned to duty as Pioneers for the Third Division. The labor they performed in reconstructing roads for the trains, building bridges, and engineering and making new roads, was immense. Captain Wiles has the happy attainment of getting more work out of men than any other man we have ever known in the army. Men who work nowhere, would work well and faithfully under his superintendence. He therefore became well known throughout the Corps as an officer of more than ordinary efficiency.

After his promotion to the command of the regiment, Lieutenant Cassidy soon resigned, being dissatisfied with his assignment to “K” company. Lieutenant Alex. Scales was then promoted to Captain to the company — which still remained on duty with the Pioneer Corps until nearly the time the regiment veteranized, when it returned to the regiment for duty, and entered the veteran organization. Captain Scales resigned, and Lieutenant J. T. Story, of “F” company, temporarily commanded the company for eight months. During his administration the company was several times highly complimented by prominent officers for presenting such a neat and soldierly appearance on review and dress-parade; and at a Sunday morning inspection Colonel Wiles presented one member of the company with a five-dollar “greenback,” for having the prettiest gun and accouterments in the army.

Lieutenant John B. Mills was promoted to Captain while home on veteran furlough, and assigned to Company “C,” and at Cairo, Ill., May 10th, 1864, relieved Lieutenant Story of the command of the company.

Albert G. Gault was commissioned a Lieutenant and assigned to Company “C,” having recruited for the regiment a sufficient number of men, in the fall of 1862, to entitle him to the position. Lieutenant Gault, on account of ill health, was compelled to resign after the fall of Atlanta. He then went home, soon recruited his health, and took to himself a wife, which all wise and patriotic young men should do.

Captain J. B. Mills acted Major of the regiment on the campaign through the Carolinas, and was commissioned as such, but it not being his place by regular promotion by rank, he refused muster, and returned to the command of his company, which was an exhibition of generosity not very common in military life.

Charles C. Wiles was commissioned First Lieutenant and assigned to Company “C,” and James H. Echelberry to Second Lieutenant: both young men of integrity and promise.

The following are the names of the non-commissioned officers and enlisted men of the original organization:

Sergeants

1. Asa C. Cassidy

2. James A. Brown

3. Robert T. Nelson

4. Alexander Scales

5. Christopher Stockdale

Corporals

1. William Ross

2. Samuel Bateman

3. ______ _________

4. Isaac F. Lee

5. William L. Gillogly

6. Joseph Starrott

7. David Pierce

8. George M. Alter

James Bellinger, Musician, Darius T. S. Elliott, Musician, William M. Laughlin, Wagoner

Privates

Baker, William F.

Barrett, Edward

Bethel, Russel

Baker, Francis R.

Bagley, Lewis

Brennen, James

Baker, James A.

Boylen, Alpheus B.

Bryant, David F.

Bateman, Francis

Cottonbrook, John

Culver, Levi

Crabtree, James

Cassidy, Edward

Clark, Alexander

Combs, James

Culver, Asa

Cantwell, John

Decker, Noah H.

Downer, William

Donavan, Daniel W.

Downerd, Joshua

Echelberry, James H.

Flowers, Charles D.

Fisher, James M.

Fairchilds, James W.

Frayer, Robert W.

Fredinia, Dennis

Figley, Robert

Gibaut, Peter

George, John

Henry, Michael

Henry, Frederick

Hall, George C.

Hyatt, Jesse

Hall, Joseph

Hoskins, Joseph R.

Hgowey, Thomas j. F.

Haines, William

Hines, James

James, Cyrus E.

Jorden, Richard H.

Jones, John W.

Lightener, John

Mangan, Frederick

Mercer, James A.

Morton, James

Minor, Thomas J.

McGregor, Alexander

McAdams, Robert

McCoy, Joseph H.

Musselman, Francis

Marshall, William P.

Pelizaus, Augustus F.

Perry, George

Riley, Aaron

Reed, S. J.

Sanders, Benjamin

Simpson, Joseph V.

Smith, James

Sylvester, George

Swank, William

Swank, George

Thomas, Mathias

Winn, B. T.

Winn, J. M.

White, Ranson L.

Watson, James W.

White, William H. H.

Woods, Samuel

Yalla, Augustus

Of the original organization the following have been killed in action, or died of wounds and disease:

Asa F. Lee, Corporal, died

Joseph Starrett, Corporal, died

David Pierce, Corporal, died

Asa Culver, Private, died of wounds

John Cantwell, Private, died of wounds

Charles D. Flowers, Private, died of wounds

Robert Figley, Private, died of wounds

John W. Jones, Private, died of wounds

Alex. McGregor, Private, died of disease

Joseph V. Simpson, Private, died of disease

Ranson L. White, Private, died of disease

Augustus Yalla, Private, died of disease

James Morton, killed at Shiloh, April 7th, 1862

William P. Marshall, killed July 22d, 1864.

The following re-enlisted as veterans January 5th, 1864:

Michael Henry

David F. Bryant

James Crabtree

George W. Sylvester

Benjamin H. Sanders

Fred. Henry

John Cottonbrook

Robert H. Abbott

Joseph K. Hall

Francis Musselman

Joseph R. Hoskins

William Armstrong

Levi Gould

Charles Hines

George C. Hall

Jesse Hyatt

John Lightner

William Swank

Mathias Thomas

William H. White

Lewis H. Bagley

William M. Laughlin, killed at Atlanta, July 22d, 1864.

The following named recruits, substitutes and drafted men have been added to the company since its original organization:

Recruits

Mathew Griffin

Samuel Buckingham

Arthur Clark

James C. Deames

Michael Fitzgerald

William A. Fulton

Israel D. Fisher

Melias Garrell

S. W. Hardesty

David James

Charles W. Lee

William T. McDonald

Sylvester Mercer

Henry Taylor

George W. Hwest

Marshal Yetman

Simeon B. Kenestetter

James Lopal

Moses Miser

James Bermington

Jesse Sutton

Isaac Smith

G. W. Sinsebaugh

Henry Thompson

Jacob G. West

Thomas Wilson

Adam R. Webb

Darius T. S. Elliott

Edward Fliger

John Crawford, killed at Atlanta, Ga.

Substitutes

George W. Burwell

Robert Bride

Nicholas Barrick

Timothy Crane

Hudson Hall

Devin Copeland

Jesse W. Divers

William Gilliland

James W. Gilbert

Bush Holloway

Lewis Jones

David Lawrence

Elijah C. Line

William Maple

Alfred Holland

John Neat

Josiah Rewsee

Michael Reeves

Alpha R. Stout

William Shillin

Solomon Shillin

Ferdinand Wolf

Drafted Men

George Crowell

Mortimer Hyatt

Preston W. Hubble

Thomas Oldham

Joseph Barrick

Elijah B. Smothers

Emory Smothers

William L. Welch

Deserters

Dennis Fredinia

James Combs

Edward C. Gunnion

T. J. F. Howey

William Haines

Thomas J. Miner

James N. McCoy

Samuel J. Reed

George Alter

The following have been honorably discharged on account of wounds received in action or disease contracted while in the service:

For disability

Samuel Bateman

John A. Launder

William L. Gillogly

Alpheus P. Boylan

Levi Culver

Edward Cassidy

Alexander Clark

William Downer

Daniel W. Donovan

James M. Fisher

Robert W. Frazer

Richard N. Gordon

Frederick Langen

James A. Mercer

Robert McAdams

Augustus Pelizaus

George Perry

James Smith

Goerge Swank

James W. Watson

Samuel Woods

James M. Winn

Richard T. Winn

Richard J. Russell

Gjohn George

David Kelley

James D. Willis

James Bellinger

Peter Bigaut

Joshua Downard, promoted to Leitenant in negro regiment.

James Brennan, Leitenant, dishonorably mustered out.

This company has made a good record, and done much hard labor and good fighting. It has, therefore, suffered severely, and lost some noble good men. The first man to fall in battle was from this company. James Morton, of Zanesville, who was struck by a shell and died in a few minutes. The present officers of the company are young men promoted for gallant conduct.