52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 21: Military – Amos Gorrell, Jr. Served in the Civil War, Part I

This is my second year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

Amos Gorrell, Jr. served in Co. A of the 18th Regiment in the Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. He volunteered on 1 August 1861, about four months after the start of the war and served until 9 August 1864.[1]

His pension files gives facts about his service: He was twenty-four years old and was five feet and eight and a half inches tall, with fair complexion, brown hair and eyes, and worked as a farmer. He was also wounded in battle at Chickamanga on 20 September 1863 and was in the hospital in Nashville, Tennessee in 30 April 1864.[2]

However, Amos kept a journal during his service and from that we can see his state of mind as he decided to enlist. Below is a transcription:[3]

July 29th 1861

It is hay harvest. I am mowing in the Meadow on the Toops farm. Capt. Henry R. Miller who was been authorized by Governer Denison to rais a company of Volunteers comes down to our Church (Asbury Chapel) to make a speech and to get recruits. Miller is a Methodist Preacher, and thought to be a very fine man. I go to the meeting. Have felt it my duty to volunteer for some time. And the recommendation which Miller gives the men of his co. for morality, make me feel a desire to go in his co. But I do not five my name, as I have not my business arrainged.

He wrote a longer entry the next day:

July 30th

I resolve to go into the Army, and in Millers Co. If I can make arrangements with my brother to stay at Home and take care of our Aged Father, & Mother. The Farm on which we live is rented from Jos. Toops for $180. We have Thirty acres in corn, Ten acres in meadow, One Hundred & fifty Dozen of oats in the Shock. One acre in Potatoes, One acre in Sugar Cane, and about Fifteen acres of Pasture land. I have one good Horse & a good yearling colt. My Brother has one good horse, and Father has one good horse, & a suckling colt, and one cow, and Household furnature and some other articles. And my Brother Jos. & I have the following Property in partnership between us, Viz. Two head of Horses, Four head of Cattle, Thirty two head of Hogs, & Six head of Sheep. Also one two Horse wagon & Farming utensils. My Brother and I make a bargain that he is to stay at home and take charge of the Property and farm, and pay the rent. Make a vandeu (?) in the fall if he deems it Expedient. and sell off some of the property. And is to keep the old folks, and do the best he can, And I am to go to the army, and send home what money I can. And if I live to return we are to make an equal divide of all of the money & Property. His Horse & my two Horses excepted. I get on a Horse and go to Frankfort, Ross Co., Ohio. And am Sworn into the U.S. Service by Esqr. Wisehart for three years or during the war. go to the Taylors and leave my measure as all of the co are to be Uniformed at Frankfort. I return Home in the Evening, and stay a couple of days, and make preparations to leave.

Now the pension file indicated he joined 1 August, but I’d say his diary would be more accurate. The next entry is 2 August, so it might also describe what he did on the first.

Aug 2nd

I go with some more of the boys from our Neighborhood to Frankfort and am organized into A Co. under command of Capt. H.R. Miller. Leaving home, and parting with friends proved to be a sever trial. My Brother Jos. takes us to Frankfort in a Wagon. Our co. stays at Frankfort until the 9th of Aug. While there we drill some in company drill. go to a Pole Raising in wagons one day. to Elect our Co officers, who are as follows. Capt. H.R. Miller, First Lieut. Felix McNeel. Second Lieut. Jos. R. Haynes. We are Excepted [accepted] as a company by the Gov. on the 6th. We board with the Citizens. While at Frankfort, I stay at Mr. Rosebaums.

The next two months were spent trying to get enough companies to form a regiment. Amos described the process. On September 28 he got a leave of absence for four days to go home for a visit. He returned to camp to receive his rifle. They were then sent home for the Election. Amos wrote:

Oct 8th

Huff and I go to the Election, in the morning.  In Huntington T.P. I Vote the Union ticket, and we walk from there to Chillicothe, and get on the cars, and return to Camp Wool.

Upon his return, his regiment was sent to Camp Dennison, a 150 miles away. There they had a new style of drills. On November 6 they left for Kentucky by getting to Cincinnati and then on a steamboat, Jacob Strader down to Louisville. Their camp was south of the city and they reported to General T.W. Sherman.

From there, they marched south covering several days until they reached Elizabethtown in Harden County. They were there three weeks and organized into a Brigade under the command of Col. Turcheon of the 18th Illinois Regiment. Many of the boys got the mumps, and Amos got them lightly.

Dec 5th

We receive our first payment from Govt. three months pay thirty nine Dollars. are paid to the last day of October. … I send $30 home by Express

They continued marching south. Amos took a relapse and was pretty sick for a few days.  They continue marching, but Amos rode in the wagon due to his illness. Their brigade formed the 3rd Division along with other Regiments. Many more men had such diseases as mumps, typhoid fever, measles and more. Some are sent home, some died.

Jan 20th [1962]

Our Regt moves back to our orriginal camping ground. Draw new Sibley tents & stoves, and live more comfortable, as we have formerly had the “Bell tents” and was very much crowded.

To learn more about Sibley tents, check out this site. According to the site, the tent was phased out due to being too large to transport and smaller pup tents were used.

Feb. 10th

We march with our Division from Bacon creek to Mumfordsville, Hewit County Ky 10 ms. Passing Genl McCooks Div. We cross Green River on the new R.R. bridge (which is about 160 feet high, and laid over with boards) and camp one mile South of town in the woods near the RR naming our Camp “Madison”, where we stay but a couple of days.

When they get to Bowling Green, the Rebels had left, buildings empty and some burning. Days later they started marching toward Nashville. After marching through the town, they camped south and established a regular camp.

Feb 28th

We pitch our tents & establish a regular camp. We are scarce of rations for a few days.And it is here that I do my first foraging. as I go out to a farm house & kill a hog to get meat for breakfast  We remain here about three weeks….

They kept marching south. At one point they waded water to their knees and slept in camp with wet clothes. By March 20 they were in camp for a couple of weeks, while their regiment built a railroad bridge over the Stone River.

In April they have marched to Alabama, arriving in Huntsville. They captured 300 prisoners, 18 locomotives & a host of cars of the Memphis & Charleston RR. They used the railroad to continue on their travels until they reached a burned out bridge. Their tents were gone and had to bivouac most nights. Their days were spent moving or foraging and scouting. They captured several wagon loads of Rebel uniforms, clothing, bacon and other supplies which the Rebels had hid before evacuating.

Their first skirmish with the Rebels was on May 1.

We are attacked at Atherns, by a Superior force of Rebel Cavalry and Artillery, commanded by Col Scott. While the skermish is going on the train loaded with rations returns. About this time Genl C. M. Mitchell comes from Huntsville on another train, and finding we are attacked by a superior force, orders us to fall back for reinforcement, as we are in danger of being captured. Both trains starts for Huntsville in Hast. The one which Genl Mitchell is on in front. The Rebels have got around our left flank, drove away our Bridge Guards and fired the Bridges, and fire on our trains as they pass. The train which Mitchell is on runs over the Bridge while it is burning. The other train makes the same attempt, but breaks through. But fortunately no men are killed by the smashup. Two men of Co. B on our Regt. are killed (shot by the Rebels) at Piney Creek Bridge… As we leave the town we are insulted by the citizens, called “Cowerdly Yankeys” &c and are fired on from the windows of some of the homes. The Rebel Cavalry and Artillery follow us about 6 ms. and fire on us several times. Our Co. is rear guards. We return the fire and kill and wound several of their men & horses. Our boys appear clamerous for an orer to fight. We fall back about 15 ms. and meet our reinforcement. We have but 4 or 5 men slightly wounded.

This portion of the diary continues to June 19, 1862. From these diaries, one can see the details of where they marched, camped, and fought. They have a few skirmishes with the Rebels but nothing serious. Studying these diaries and comparing them to the unit and regiment reports would be interesting. Also interesting would be to map out his unit’s route. Amos kept detail account of where they were including city and county. 

To be continued . . .

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[1] Volunteer Service, 1 Aug 1861, service of Amos Gorrell (Pvt, Company A, 18th Ohio Infantry, Civil War), Application no. C-2499427, Cert. No. 1110444, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, DC.

[2] ibid.

[3] The diaries of Amos Gorrell were very small, what would fit in the pocket of overalls or trousers. These diaries were passed down to his children and then grandchildren. Later, they were typed by an unknown person, and copies given to me by George J. Gorrell. The location of the original diaries are unknown. Amos Gorrell’s spelling has been preserved. This diary is from July 1861 to June 1862.

Copyright © 2019 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.