Company F

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 Muskingum and Guernsey counties, by A. L. Wallar, and organized December 25th, 1861. A. L. Wallar was appointed Captain, Hugh Dunne First Lieutenant, and James T. Story Second Lieutenant.

Captain Wallar had some experience in military life, having served in the Mexican War. He is a man of good appearance, affable address, and a genial companion.

Lieutenant Dunne is a man of strong energy, willing worker, and decided, independent character. He had the qualities in request for a good officer. The Captain and Lieutenant both had those traits of character which, when brought together, would not at all times move in harmony. They did not see things and look at results in the same light and tendency, but understanding each other they moved harmoniously.

Lieutenant Story is a man of a happy, contented mind, affable manners and jovial nature, which made him exceedingly popular with his men. Adaptation to circumstances, and a knowledge of how to make the most of everything, strongly marked his character. A pleasant cheerfulness dwelt with him and was communicated to all with whom he cam in contact.

Captain Wallar, in December, 1864, was commissioned a lieutenant-Colonel, which he declined. His term of three years service having expired, he was mustered out in January, 1865. Lieutenant Dunne was promoted to Captain in the spring of 1864, and assigned to Company “K,” which position he occupied till after the fall of Atlanta. At this time he had only two months to serve, and his circumstances at home demanded his immediate attention to such an extent that he resigned his commission, left the service, and settled down in the peaceful pursuits of domestic happiness.

Lieutenant J. T. Story, a year previous being promoted to First Lieutenant, was Acting Adjutant of the regiment on the campaign through the Carolinas, Lieutenant Search being detailed as Adjutant-General of the brigade. Upon the arrival of the army at Goldsboro, N. C., Lieutenant Story received a Captain’s commission, but refused to be mustered, and resigned and went home to recuperate his broken constitution.

Captain C. M. Roberts was assigned to Company “F,” where he remained but a few weeks. He being an officer of fine appearance and correct business habits, was detailed on General Blair’s staff as Commissary of Musters for the Seventeenth Army Corps.

Sergeant Joseph Miller, of “G” company, was promoted to First Lieutenant, and assigned to “F” company; Martin Durant, Sergeant of “E” company, was promoted to Second Lieutenant and assigned to “F” company. Both young men of good military knowledge and attainments, unyielding patriotism and faithfulness in the discharge of all duties, made them very acceptable officers and their promotion very desirable and well deserved. This is one of the commendable traits of military life, when free from selfish interest: it finds out the efficient and meritorious and rewards and honors them accordingly.

No other change was made in the officers of Company “F” till the muster-out of the regiment.

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

Sergeants

1. Samuel H. Vankirk

2. Alexander V. P. Hager

3. Henry H. Smith

4. Milton B. Thomas

5. Humphrey A. McDonald

Corporals

1. Isaiah B. Case

2. Benjamin F. Tudor

3. Francis M. Story

4. Peter W. Sturtz

5. Richard A. Cusie

6. Thomas Hopes

7. Henry Berkheimer

8. William Allen

Jno. W. Burwell, 1st Musician; Jas. Thos. Bay, 2d Musician; William Garges, Wagoner.

Privates

Bay, Matthew W.

Barnes, Orville O.

Brown, Silas W.

Bucksenschultz, John J.

Buker, John

Bowman, George

Bedell, Albert

Bowrden, William

Boyer, Percival

Bucksenschultz, William

Cook, Thomas W.

Crane, John

Culbertson, Alex.

Davis, John

Davis, peter

Dearnbarger, Lewis

Drummmond, William

Dickason, Richard

Eschman, Michael

Gibbons, Philip

Gault, William

Hanson, Robert

Hurrel, Samuel

Herron, Hugh

Harper, George

Hgadden, William

Hammond, Levi

Hubert, Henry

Johnston, Henry

Johnston, Abram

Jenkins, Clinton

Leisure, Lenhart

Lemmon, James

Lynch, Orrin

McCall John H.

Mullin, James

Moorehead, Jesse

Moorehead, Joseph

McCune, John

McKinney, Joseph E.

Newell, John A.

Oliver, John

Rogers, Hiram

Rogers, Robert C.

Rogers, Thomas

Runion, George W.

Runion, Andrew J. Runion, Joel

Richardson, Joseph

Redd, James A.

Snyder, John

Sinsabaugh, David

Sturtz, Dennison G.

St. Clair, Samuel H.

Smith, David

Smith, Albert

Storer John

Taylor, Samuel

Taylor, James

Tanner, John W.

Urban, Solomon

Vankirk, Joseph

Vernon, Edward S.

Vernon, Nicholas

Vernon, William A.

Wine, John J.

West, Wesley

Aters, William C.

Wilson, Edward C.

Wilson, Joseph F.

Wymer, Alfred

Wylie, John C.

Wall, Lewis H.

Zimmerman, John

The following named enlisted men have been promoted to the rank set opposite their respective names:

Sergeant Samuel H. Vankirk to Captain

Sergeant H. A. McDonald to First Lieutenant

Corporal Thomas W. Hopes to First Lieutenant

Corporal Albert G. Gault to Second Lieutenant

Corporal John J. Wine to Second Lieutenant.

In the autumn of 1862 the following named enlisted men were added to the company:

Moses Abbott

David Cherry

Albert G. Gault

Charles Holcomb

Abram Jackson

Peter B. Lane

John A. McKinney

John R. McNary

Oliver C. Story

Arthur D. Simpson

Andrew G. Scott

Dennis Sturtz

John Tremble

Alex. H. White

Elijah Wortman

James L. Wortmant

Samuel Sprague.

The following recruits, substitutes and drafted men were added to the company in October, 1863:

George H. Echelberry,

George Kearnes

Thomas Huffman

Barnett Adamson

Even J. Buker

Caleb Buker

Samuel J. Paxton

Archilobald Bradford

Josiah K. Clorr

Alonzo Conway

Zachariah Nolon

David Norman

Thomas A. Palmer

Peter Perrins

David W. Shaffer

David W. Sprague

Martin V. Todd

William Slaughter

Joseph Smith

Simeon Swank

Thomas A. Stone

Leander Trushell

Archibald Ankrom

Edward Allen

William Gardner

Morgan Cornelius

Samuel Cox

Henry Cox

Theodore Coleman

William H. Goulding

Porter English

William Green

James Hamrick

William W. Harrold

James Holcomb

William Humphrey

William McNaught

Adam Philabaum

George Vickars

Crawford Vickarss.

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

Sergeants

Peter W. Sturtz,

Isaiah B. Case

Edward S. Vernon

William Hadden

William P. Gault.

Corporals

John H. McCall

Samuel J. Taylor

Orville O. Barnes.

Privates

James T. Bay

Henry Birkheimer

James Caldwell

John H. Crane

Richard H. Cusick

Samuel Hurrell

Alexander Culbertson

Peter Davis

James Galiher

Lewis Huffman

Abiram Johnson

William C. Garges

Joseph Moorehead

Jesse Moorehead

Joseph E. McKinney

James A. Redd

Thomas Rogers

Andrew J. Runnion

Joel Runnion

David H. Sinsabaugh

William C. Waters

Robert Hanson

Alfred Wymer, Sergeant

Phillip Gibbons, Sergeant

The following have been discharged for disability, contracted in the service and wounds:

Percival Boyer

Silas W. Brown

John Buckenschultz

John W. Burwell

John Buker

William Bowden

Thomas W. Cook

John Davis

Lewis L. Dearnbarger

William Drummond

Michael Eschman

Huigh Herron

James Lemmon

John A. Newell

George W. Runnioon

Joseph Richardson

John Stover

Samuel A. St. Clair

David Smith

Henry C. Smith

William A. Vernon

Wesley West

Edward C. Wilson

Lewis Wall

David C. Hager

Samuel H. Johns

James B. McDonald

John R. Scott

Joseph W. Miller

Albert T. Sprague

Joseph B. Vankirk

John Buker Sr.

Geore Bradford

The following have died of disease and wounds:

Francis M. Story, Sergeant

William Allen, Corporal

Richard Dickason

Robert C. Rogers

Albert Smith

Joseph F. Wilson, Corporal;

Robert Bell

Benjamin Conoway

Christopher Crothers

Samuel Hurrel

Samuel T. Morrow

Minor Pryor

Philip Shaffer

William Buckenschultz

George Bowmand

John McCune

Denniso G. Sturtz

Nicholas Vernon

John B. Atchison

James Atchison

William Carroll

Jasper Halsey

levi Hammond

James E. Portzman

perry Sprague

Jonathan Whitaker

Killed in battle:

Oliver C. Story, Raymond, Miss.

Corporal John Oliver, Atlanta, Ga.

Lieutenant John J. Wine, Milliken’s Bend, La.

James Taylor, Champion Hills, Miss.

John Tremble, Atlanta, Ga.

Joel Runnion, near Millen, Ga.

Sergeant Phillip Gibbons, Atlanta, Ga.

Robert Hanson, died a prisoner.

The following have deserted:

Henry Herbert

George Harper

Lenhart Leasure

Orrin Lynch

James Mullen

Solomon Urban

John C. Wylie.

The following have been transferred to Invalid Corps:

Jason A. Barnard

John A. McKinney, discharged

Hiram Rogers

John Zimmerman.

This was one of the most efficient companies in the army. A better skirmish company never went in advance of troops. It has lost some of the very best men that ever carried a musket.