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:
COMPANY A.
Was raised in Muskingum and Guernsey counties by Horace D. Munson, of Putnam, Ohio, and organized November 21st, 1861. H. D. Munson was appointed Captain, Thomas P. Wilson First Lieutenant, and James T. Caldwell Second Lieutenant.
During the whole ware there was not, perhaps, a company of better, higher toned men left their State. They were of the very best men of the community in which they lived. Students attending Muskingum College, the sons of worthy farmers and business men, made up the company. There were but few who had not a good education, and were not members of the church, or the sons of those who were living, active Christians. The company maintained its Christian integrity and high-toned character throughout its whole term of service. Its record is brilliant with noble deeds and sacrifices in sustaining the honor of the flag which led them through so many hard battles, daring campaigns, and always on to victory and complete success. The men of Company "A" never came out second best in anything — in coolness, courage, discipline, facility and rapidity of military movements and combinations, and every attainment — had few requests to make, no faults to find; as good soldiers they could not be excelled. For reliability, faithfulness in every duty, quiet submission to all orders, integrity, and consistent Christian character, the company could not be surpassed.
Captain H. D. Munson was a true representative of the men, combining the same qualities. He was well known throughout the county, and his irreproachable character and high reputation made him very successful in gathering under his banner the very best class of men. Miss Julia Munson, noted for her high attainments both in vocal and instrumental music, entered the field as a recruiter of volunteers, with her father, and by her patriotic songs influenced many to enlist in the regiment.
Captain Munson’s health soon failed him, and was therefore compelled to quit the service. He resigned in the Autumn of 1862. Lieutenant T. P. Wilson succeeded him as Captain of the Company.
The Captain was a resident of Guernsey County, a well to do farmer; a man of influence in his community, a consistent and earnest Christian, which character he deeply impressed upon his men, so that profanity and intemperance were seldom known among his men. His term of service expired December, 1864, when he was mustered out and quit the service, after three years of faithful service to his country and to the noble men he had so long commanded, and led through all the important battles in which the regiment participated. Lieutenant Adolphus W. Search, Adjutant of the Regiment, succeeded him as Captain, which was an excellent appointment, and very acceptable to the Company. He possessed those traits of character which maintained that high state of good order and discipline that captain Wilson had left in the company.*
James T. Caldwell, was promoted to First Lieutenant, and a few days afterwards fell mortally wounded, at the battle of Champion Hills, while commanding Company "K," temporarily. We neither flatter nor speak too strong, when we say that no more efficient and better officer, no truer Christian, no more loyal man to God and the nation, and no more worthy young man ever gave his life for his country.
He had all those traits of character that make life beautiful, honored and loved by all good men. After three days severe suffering from his wound, he died peacefully, and in the triumph of faith. To him death had no terror; its sting had been taken away.
William M. Sleeth, Commissary Sergeant, had succeeded Lieutenant Caldwell as Second Lieutenant, and was promoted to First Lieutenant at Atlanta. He was detached in October, 1864, from the regiment, to the Commissary Department of Third Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, where he remained till the Winter of 1865, when he returned to the regiment and was made Adjutant.*
Russel Bethel was promoted to Second Lieutenant and then to First Lieutenant and assigned to Company "A," but was afterwards detailed on the Staff of Second Brigade. He is an officer of commanding appearance, a young man of good attainments, and character.
He received a medal of honor from the War Department for distinguished bravery, in the battle before Atlanta, on the 22d day of July. He was noted somewhat for his success in teaching disloyal men at the North that their position was an unsafe one, and a horizontal one very unexpectedly and suddenly assumed was the better plan, by which he could impart to them lessons of wholesome instructions.
Sergeant William H. Cockins, was promoted to Second Lieutenant in the early part of 1865. He was an exemplary young man, of good business qualifications, and a fine drill-master. In the battle before Atlanta, July 22d, 1864, he was severely wounded.
The following are the names of the non-commissioned offers and enlisted men of the original organization of Company "A:"
Sergeants.
1. L. W. A. Sinsabaugh,
2. Israel C. Robinson,
3. Milton F. Timms,
4. Wm. J. Heskett,
5. Albert Henderson.
Corporals.
1. John R. Edgar,
2. Gabriel H. Holland,
3. Isaiah Moore,
4. Wm. H. Cockins,
5. Henry McCreary,
6. Ezra G. Warne,
7. Joseph I. Geyer,
8. Geo. W. Irvin.
Wm. Douglas, 1st Musician, James Douglass, 2d Musician, Joseph Porter, Wagoner.
Privates.
Arthur, James C.
Ayers, Winfield S.
Barnum, Philo B.
Barnet, John B.
Bell, David R.,
Brewer, James M.
Boyer, John R.
Castor, Philander S.
Caldwell, James T., Jr.
Copeland, Joseph
Corbin, Charles M.
Cockins, Simeon [buried as "Simon H. Cockins" in Mountain View Cemetery, Basin, Wyoming 82410]
Coulter, James M.
Connor, Wilson E.
Crawford, Henry W.
Crawford, James
Crawford, Robert R.
Cramblet, Eli B.
Curtis, James P.
Culbertson, Robert F.
Dickson, Samuel
Dickerson, Joshua
Daugherty, John B.
Douglas, David
Fleming, James E.
Forsythe, David W.
Fulton, John
Glenn, Isaac
Glenn, Josiah D.
Hiatt, James H.
Herron, Isaac G.
Johnson, Solomon
Johnson, Abram
Kaemmerer, Charles W.
Law, John G.
Law, Andrew
Leadman, John N.
Linn, Samuel M.
Lyon, Wesley M.
Lyons, John
Mathews, John F.
Matson, Benjamin F.
Matchet, John L.
Mercer, Hiram H.
Mahaffey, James H.
Mahaffey, Robert W.
McWhirter John
McFarland, Robert L.
Moorhead, Hiram
Munson, Frank
Patton, James
Parkhill, James
Porter, Wm. W.
Richardson, Geo. W.
Richey, Geo. H.
Robinson, Aaron
Ross, John P.
Sarbaugh, John W.
Sines, John J.
Smith, Geo. F.
Shriver, Robert M. J.
Sutton, Wm. A.
Spring, John W.
Speer, Henry
Speer, William S.
Stewart, Joseph R.
Sterling, James F.
Thompson, Thomas R.
Thompson, David R.
Turner, Milton
Trace, Mathias,
Vogt, Louis
Wagstaff, Henry W.
Waxler, Wm. R.
Walters, Thomas L.
White, William G.
Wilson, George W.
Wilson, James R.
Wilson, John J.
Wilson, John A.
Wilson, David.
Of the enlisted men, the following have died, been discharged for disability, or killed in battle:
Lieutenant Henry Speer, mortally wounded at Atlanta,
Sergeant Milton F. Timms, discharged for disability.
Sergeant William J. Heskett, mustered out, time expired.
Sergeant Albert Henderson, discharged.
Philander S. Castor, discharged.
John B. Daugherty, time expired, mustered out.
Isaac G. Herron, time expired, mustered out.
James H. Hyatt, time expired, mustered out.
George M. Irvin, died of disease.
Henry McCreary, mustered out, time expired.
Abraham Johnson, mustered out, time expired.
James F. Sterling, mustered out, time expired.
Wesley M. Lyon, killed on Fort Hill, Vicksburg.
Louis B. Vogt, killed at Champion Hills.
James H. Coulter, died of disease.
Henry W. Crawford, died of disease.
Robert A. Culbertson, died of disease.
Joshua Dickerson, died of disease.
James E. Fleming, died of disease.
Isaac Glenn, died of disease.
Solomon Johnson, died of disease.
Charles W. Kaemmerer, died of disease.
John G. Law, died of disease.
John Lyons, died of disease.
John F. Mathews, died of disease
Hiram F. Mercer, died of disease.
John McWhirter, died of disease.
George H. Richey, died of disease.
William Sutton, died of disease.
John W. Spring, died of disease.
Joseph Stewart, died of disease.
Josiah D. Glenn, deserted.
Lieutenant Thomas L. Walters, killed in battle.
James C. Arthur, discharged.
David R. Bell, discharged.
James S. Caldwell, discharged.
Joseph Copeland, discharged.
Simeon Cockins, discharged on account of wounds.
Wilson E. Conner, discharged.
James Crawford, discharged.
William G. White, mustered out, time expired.
Gabriel H. Holland, mustered out, time expired and prisoner.
James P. Curtis, discharged.
William Douglass, discharged.
David Douglass, discharged.
Andrew M. Law, discharged.
Samuel M. Linn, transferred to Invalid Corps.
Robert McFarland, discharged.
James Patton, discharged.
Aaron W. Robinson, discharged.
John W. Sarbaugh, discharged.
William R. Maseler, discharged.
John A. Wilson, discharged.
Frank Lerdman, discharged.
Howard S. Abbott, discharged.
James H. Mahaffey, discharged
Robert W. Mahaffey, discharged
Joseph Porter, discharged
Jones J. Sines, discharged
Henry W. Wagstaff, discharged
David Wilson, discharged
John W. Goshen, discharged
John R. Edgar, promoted to Second Lieutenant.
John B. Ross, promoted to First Lieutenant.
January 5th, 1864, the regiment accepted the offer of the Government, which was four hundred dollars bounty to each man, and re-enlisted for three years more, and became thereafter a veteran organization.
The following are the names of the men who re-enlisted as veterans, together with their rank in the veteran organization:
Isaiah Moore, First Sergeant.
John B. Barnett, Second Sergeant.
John L. Matchett, Third Sergeant, wounded in battle
William S. Speer, Fourth Sergeant, wounded in battle
James B. Wilson, Fifth Sergeant, wounded in battle
Milton Turner, First Corporal, arm amputated from wounds
Richard M. J. Shriver, Second Corporal
Robert R. Crawford, Third Corporal
George F. Smith, Fourth Corporal
Robert A. Cockins, Fifth Corporal, wounded in battle
Hiram Moorehead, teamster in Pioneer Corps, Third Div.
Winfield S. Ayres, Private
John H. Boyd, private, wounded in battle
Charles M. Corbin, private
Eli B. Cramblet, private
Samuel Dickerson, private, wounded in battle
James Douglass, private
David W. Forsythe, private
John Fulton, private
John N. Leadman, private
Frank Munson, private
James H. Patton, Private
George H. Richardson, Private
George C. Smith, Private
Thomas R. Thompson, Private
David R. Thompson, Private
Mathias Trace, Private, taken prisoner in Georgia
John J. Wilson, Private
George W. Wilson, Private
Ezra G. Warren, Private, wounded
James M. Brewer, Private
William Gatwood, private, wounded at Bennettsville
Sergeant William W. Porter, wounded and transferred
Philo B. Barnum, Private, wounded
Joseph L. Geyer, Hospital Steward
James Parkhill, Private, died of wounds
John W. Morison, Private , died of disease
John H. Trace, Private, died in rebel prison
John F. Thompson, Private, died of disease
John R. Wilson, Private, died of disease
John W. Wilson, Private, died of disease
The following named men have been added to the company as recruits, drafted men and substitutes, during the fall and winter of 1864:
Christian Von Neidenheaser, Drafted, October, 1864.
Thomas Bell, Drafted, October, 1864.
Peter Weaver, Drafted, October, 1864.
Casper Zimmerman, Drafted, October, 1864
Moses Bash, Drafted, October, 1864
Alexander G. Moore, Drafted, October, 1864
Amos Mabley, Drafted, October, 1864
John W. Miracle, Drafted, October 1864
Young Ogg, Drafted, October, 1864
John Ogg, Drafted, October, 1864
Philip S. Smock, Drafted, October, 1864
Ludwick Sherer, Drafted, October, 1864
Andrew J. Thompson, Drafted, October, 1864
William Warren, Drafted, October, 1864
Jacob C. Hinman, Drafted, October, 1864
William McJeffrey, Drafted, October, 1864
Abel Carnes, Drafted, October 1864
John Kuntz, Drafted, October, 1864
Hamilton Caton, Drafted, October, 1864
Jacob Chubb, Drafted, October, 1864
Thomas M. Cordry, Drafted, October, 1864
James Dotson, Drafted, October, 1864
Samuel N. Frazier, Drafted, October, 1864
John W. Fowler, Volunteer of 1862 for three years
John C. Wallace, Volunteer of 1862 for three years
John C. Lorimore, Volunteer of 1864 for three years
John McConaughy, Volunteer of 1864 for three years
Robert B. Nelson, Volunteer of 1864 for three years
Jesse W. Wilson, Volunteer of 1864 for three years, wounded
Charles S. Wylie, Volunteer of 1864 for three years
John Glenn, Volunteer of 1864 for three years
Hugh Gillespie, Volunteer of 1864 for three years
William Gillespie, Volunteer of 1864 for three years
John A. Henderson, Volunteer of 1862 for three years
Joseph T. Matchett, Volunteer of 1862 for three years
Alexander McConaughy, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, wounded
John W. McNutt, Volunteer of 1862 for three years
Joseph Ramsey, Volunteer of 1862 for three years
Robert S. Speer, Volunteer of 1862 for three years
Solomon J. Donaldson, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, wounded
Alexander Cox, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, died of disease
Thomas Dickson, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, died of disease
Preston H. Forsythe, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, died of disease
Samuel H. Hughs, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, died of disease
Joseph R. Marshall, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, died of disease
Benjamin F. Watson, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, killed in battle
Jefferson H. Miller, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, died of disease
Joseph G. Thompson, Volunteer of 1862 for three years, died of disease
James Cond, Volunteer of 1862, missing in action
Barney Gease, Volunteer of 1862
Joel D. Herron, Volunteer of 1862
George A. Houston, Volunteer of 1862
Robert R. Jones, Volunteer of 1862
John Fulton, Volunteer of 1862
Dennis Chase, Substitute, died of disease
Christian Desinger, Substitute
George Glenn, Substitute