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.