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 Morgan County by T. M. Stevenson, W. W. McCarty and C. M. Roberts, and was organized December 25th, 1861. T. M. Stevenson was chosen Captain, W. W. McCarty, First Lieutenant, and C. M. Roberts, Second Lieutenant.
On Christmas day the Company went to Camp Gilbert, with ninety-four as strong, brave and reliable men as ever left the county. The great majority were the best men of the county. Sons of religious parents, men of good families, school teachers, mechanics, farmers, merchants, clerks, were gathered together to go forth from their rich and comfortable homes, to defend those homes by putting down treason and rebellion.
Captain Stevenson had for a number of years been Superintendent of the Public Schools of McConnelsville, and had the summer previous been licensed a minister of the gospel. Lieutenant McCarty had long been a resident of McConnelsville, and had filled many of the principal offices of the county, which made him well acquainted in his county, and gave him an influence that caused many worthy men to rally for the defense of the flag and liberty.
Lieutenant Roberts had been long engaged in merchandising, which gave him a facility and tact in business, and being a young man of good character, influenced many young men to imitate his example in laying down all that was dear upon his country’s altar.
No company in the regiment has done more efficient service, none suffered more upon the field of battle, or from hardships and exposure. After the battle before Atlanta on the 22d of July, 1864, where the company and regiment did such brilliant service, so as to save the day, with a very heavy loss of killed and wounded, was detailed for duty at Headquarters, Seventeenth Army Corps, where it remained till mustered out of service.
At Memphis, Captain T. M. Stevenson resigned his commission, and was appointed Chaplain of the regiment, Vice Chaplain Todd resigned. Lieutenant McCarty was appointed Captain, C. M. Roberts, First Lieutenant, and Sergeant A. W. Stewart, Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant Roberts was detailed for duty in the Signal Corps, in which position he remained through the Vicksburg campaign, and afterwards on General Curtis’ staff in Missouri and Kansas, until January, 1865, when he was appointed Captain and relieved from duty in the Signal Corps, returned to the regiment and was assigned to the command of Company “F.
Lieutenant A. W. Stewart was detailed as Aide-de-Camp to General Leggett, June 5th, 1864, which position he filled with ability and efficiency till the end of the war.
Captain W. W. McCarty was taken prisoner July 22d, 1864, while in close combat defending the colors and flag of the regiment. Lieutenant Rhinehart of Company “G,” was assigned to the command of the company and remained its commander till the end of the war. Sergeant Alexander V. P. Hagar of Company “F,” was promoted to Second Lieutenant, and assigned to Company “E,” but was detailed to take charge of the Guards of the Third Division Train.
The following named men have been commissioned and assigned to other companies: Sergeant A. A. Adair, to Captain; Sergeant Martin Durant, to Second Lieutenant; Sergeant John Kennedy, to Second Lieutenant; Sergeant A. W. McCarty, to First Lieutenant; Sergeant James Earich, to Second Lieutenant. The latter refused to be mustered, preferring to carry the colors which he had borne in so many battles. He loved that too dearly to give up bearing it for a Lieutenancy. We has awarded a “Medal of Honor” for distinguished bravery in the battle of the 22d of July, 1864.
The following are the names of the non-commissioned officers and enlisted men of the original organization:
Sergeants
1. Archibald W. Stewart
2. Geo. J. Chappelear
3. AS. Stinchcomb
4. Charles W. Brown
5. Jasper S. Laughlin
Corporals
1. Robert F. Chandler
2. Harrison Townsend
3. George R. McCarty
4. Jacob Rush
5. Addison A. Adair
6. William H. Sopher
7. Abram Wood
8. Jordan M. Maular
William George, 1st Musician; Wm. A. Chappelear, 2d Musician; Daniel Christman, Wagoner.
Privates
Ammons, George W.
Alexander, Thompson
Bailey, Benjamin F.
Bailey, Christian
Bailey, James W.
Bailey, Sylvester
Bailey, David
Beisaker, David
Barkhurst, John
Boyd, Cyrus
Brown, Joseph C.
Brown, William S.
Bunn, Fletcher F.
Bush, Hiram H.
Coulson, Eli W.
Coulson, Eli G.
Christman, William D.
Coffey, Lewis
Clawson, John
Cramblet, Samuel M.
Davis, Harvey
Davis, John
Drake, Henry II
Durant, Martin
Earich, James R.
Fuller, Chester M.
Glassford, Fred
Grubb, Rasselas
Gallion, George
Harsh, Goodliff
Harris, George W.
Hann, David P.
Hayes, John
Heller, William
Irwin, Thomas
Kirby, William
Kirby, John R.
Kennedy, John Keller, John
Koon, Sylvester
Lees, Elisha
Landerman, William
Moore, James W.
Maular, George W.
Monks, Albert
Murphy, William
McCarty, Arthur W.
McElroy, John
Morrison, Mathias
Porter, James D.
Pletcher, Noah
Pletcher, Nichoals
Pletcher, John W.
Rivberts, Ethelbert D.
Rossell, John M.
Shutt, Samuel H.
Smith, John C.
Sopher, John D.
Sowers, Job P.
Shook, William J.
Southard, Samuel H.
swope, Henry
Stoneburner, William W.
Thompson, John
Thompson John W.
Tompkins, Benjamin
Turner, Alonzo
Vanhorne, John W.
Wiley, Hiram J.
Wiseman, Caleb M.
Williams, Luthur C.
Wade, William S.
Walraven, Charles
Whitaker, John H.
Woodward, Samuel S.
Young, John
Of the foregoing the following have been honorably discharged:
Alex. Stinchcomb—Sergeant
G.J. Chapelear
Jacob Bush, Corporal
Abram Wood, Corporal
William Kearley
Albert Monks
Ethelbert D. Rivers
John Clawson
George W. Ammons
Samuel H. Shutt
Nicholas Pletcher
Henry H. Dranke
Louis Coffee
William Murphy
George W. Mauler
Luther C. Williams
Charles Walraven
John Davis
Samuel H. Southard
James D. Porrter
Sylvester Koon
Eli G. Coulson, M.D.
William S. Wade
John H. Whitaker
David P. Hann
Cyrus Boyd
William J. Chappelear
Harrison Drake.
The following have died of wounds or disease contracted in the service:
Charles W. brown, Sergeant
J. S. Laughlin, Sergeant
Robert F. Chandler, Corporal
Jordan M. Maular
Christian Bailey
John D. Sopher
John W. Thompson
David K. Gallion
Richard Riley
William S. Bowers
Caleb Wiseman
Deserters
Henry Swope, Corporal
Geo. R. McCarty, Sergeant
Job P. Sowers, Corporal
Thomas Irwin
John C. Smith
John Keller.
The following named men have been added to the company by enlistments, assignments and substitutes:
George M. Brown
Matthias Bustatter
Orlando F. Benton
Martin Copsey
William G. S. Coulson
George H. Coulson
Samuel Cockran
John S. Carver
James Coen
Louis Coffee
John Davis
Bhristian Decicus
Benjamin F. Dozier
William Dozier
Morris Donahue
George Donahue
John Durant
George Durant
Elijah Fergerson
John Fetler
Louis Fishbaugh
Samuel L. Fryar
Albert Glassford
Daniel Gilpin
William F. Harsh
Robert T. Harris
Thomas L. Harter,
Jacob A Jones
Reason Jones
John K. Kirby
Abel Kirby
Adam Keifer
George Lemasters
Thomas Longstreeth
Michael Linder
Alvertis Matson
Geoge Mitchel
Thomas Martin
John McElroy
Reuben Ornar
Othello Price
Osborne Penrose
Israel Petcher
James Parsons
Henry Quin
William F. Rossar
Ira Rhodes
Jonathan Rainey
Marion Ridgely
William H. Sutton
Jacob A. Sowders
James Sloan
William Smith
Davis Smith
Absolem Shinnaberry
Edward Stephen
Thomas Taylor
Joseph Tow
Nicholas Swingle
Tillman Stoneburner
David Stemler
John R. Whitcraft
Wilkes P. Wallace
John A. Walters
Benjamin A. Wyley
John Williams
David Wright
Charles P. Wood
Thomas M. Young
Poeter Emrick
Robert T. Moore
John C. Bussel
George S. Coulson
Isaac England
Alexander Earich
Martin Davis
Jacob L. amtson
Seaton S. Matson
Asa Massey
John Switzer
John C. Brown
Leonard J. Bush
Benajmin Brown
Charles P. Bowers
William S. Bowers
William Kennedy
James S. Brogan
John P. Elston
John W. Garrett
Washington Sowers
Joshua White
Philip J. Goerge
William Weller
Peter Hartsell
The following have been killed in battle, or died of wounds or disease:
William Sopher, Sergeant, killed at Atlanta
Benjamin F. Bailey, died of wounds at Rome, Reorgia
James M. Bailey, died of disease at Vicksburg.
Hiram Bush, killed at Atlanta
Joseph C. Calvert, taken prisoner
George H. Coulson, died of wound at Marietta, Georgia
Henry Davis, taken prisoner
James R. Earich, wounded
Samuel Cramlet, wounded
John Switzer
Rasselas Grubb, killed at Atlanta
Thomas Harter, killed at Atlanta
John W. Hays, wounded
James P. Martzell, taken prisoner
Joshua White, taken prisoner
George W. Harris, killed at Jonesboro, Georgia
Robert T. Harris, died of wounds
Alonzo Turner, killed at Atlanta
John R. Kiby, died of disease
Nathaniel Morrison
Sylvester Bailey, died of wounds
William H. Edozier, died of wounds
Reason Jones, taken prisoner
James Parsons, killed at Atlanta
Jacob Beisaker, died of wounds
Nicholas Swingle, missing
James M. Moore, sent to West Point for efficiency
Robert T. Moore, discharged
David Bailey, discharged.
The following are the names of those who re-enlisted as veterans:
Fletcher S. Bunn
William S. Brown
Joseph L. Brown
Samuel M. Cramlet
Daniel Christman
William D. Christman
Eli W. Coulson
Harvey Davis
Martin Durant
James Earich
George W. Gallion
John W. Hays
James P. Hartzell
George W. Harris
John F. Kennedy
John R. Kirby
A. W. McCarty
Mathias Morrison
John W. Pletcher
Nmoah Plketcher
William W. Stonburner
William J. Shook
John W. Van Horn
Hiram J. Wiley
William J. George
Philip J. Gorge
John Young.