It may add life and freshness to the sketch here given if incidents in the individual history of soldiers resident in Delaware County be set forth. A few, therefore, are appended that have casually come to hand. W. R Murray, of Company K, Nineteenth Regiment of Indiana Infantry (now Auditor of Delaware County), relates the following: "As the Nineteenth was retreating through the streets of Gettysburg during the afternoon of July 1, 1863, the Confederates were coming in the town, and those who stopped to drink or to rest were captured. At one place, perhaps a hundred were crowded around a well, trying but mostly in vain, to quench their raging thirst. A shell came bursting into the midst of the crowd, several were killed outright and many were wounded, but the rest scattered like birds from a tree, and in ten seconds more not a living soul was there." Mr. Murray had started to go there, too, but his thirst suddenly ceased, at least he kept clear of that well.
William N. Jackson, of Company E of the Nineteenth Regiment, relates as follows:
"As members of Company E, we were passing through the town, and stopped at a rain barrel to get a drink. Just then a shell struck a corner of the house above us, knocked out the bricks, scattering them down around our heads. That squad moved on rather briskly. As we passed along, the shells were flying so thickly that some dodged down into cellars and were captured. I could hear the shot whizzing through the air from behind us. One seemed to pass very near my head. It struck not many yards ahead of me, plowing up the walk and killing several men. In passing through the town, I saw several women (but no men) with pitchers of water, giving the thirsty soldiers drink. It is said that only one citizen of Gettysburg was in the fight, and that was old Johnnie Burns. He fought in the Iron Brigade, and that very bravely."
Another incident is related by W. H. Murray: "Just after the battle of Gettysburg, we marched back to the battleground of South Mountain, after Lee, and the corps stopped half a day to rest and cook rations. A comrade and myself started out foraging. There had been a heavy rain and the streams were full. We went along the foot of the mountain near the stream, calling at the house as we passed them, but getting nothing, because others had been there before us and got all they had. When about two, miles from the camp, we espied a house across the creek, under the mountain. Said I, 'Let us cross, nobody has been there ... He said, No, I cannot swim; I replied,' Well you wait and I will go.' 'All right,' said he, and in I plunged. I got across, though with difficulty. It was a double log house with verandahs and three front doors. Going in, I found them at dinner. The family were old man and woman, and also a younger man and woman. They seemed astonished, as my clothes showed me to be a 'Yankee.' They did not ask me to take a chair, but I sat down. I asked, 'Have you any bread and butter!' The old lady said 'Yes,' but made no movement. Presently the younger man went out. In a very short time I heard horses feet and sabers rattling, and in a moment in rushed four guerrillas. They appeared surprised, but said nothing to me. The family rose from the table, and these men sat down and began eating rapidly. I saw I was a 'goner,' as I had no arms, not even a penknife; but I took it coolly, and sat still and talked with them. I asked them 'Were you in the battle of Gettysburg!' They said 'Yes,' and returned the question. We talked on, and one of the masked 'Where is your army!' I stretched the truth just a little and answered, 'Right over there, - beyond that point of woods; the whole of the First Army Corps is camped there.' Meanwhile, the old lady had thought best to get me some bread and butter. I paid her, and then sprang suddenly from the door, quick as thought, round the corner of the verandah, and was off for the creek like a shot. They sprang out, but, instead of chasing me on foot, they waited to mount their horses. By that time I was at the creek, and jumped in, and swam and waded across, managing to keep hold of my bread and butter. There was a lane leading down to the creek and a pair of bars across the lane. They had to stop to get the bars down and by that time I was across the creek, and comrade and I had hidden behind some large rocks. When these men got to the creek, they debated awhile about crossing, but at length decided not to attempt it. We presumed that they were afraid of the First Army Corps over there. Which really was two miles away, and could not have helped us any. But we kept our bread and butter, and got safely back to camp."
INCIDENTS. Related by Asbury L. Kerwood of the Fifty seventh Regiment.
At the battle of Stone River, a soldier was lying on the ground at the left of Company "F," who was ordered to the front to observe the movements of the enemy. No sooner had he left his position than there came a huge shell and stuck where he had only a moment before been lying, tearing a great hole in the ground. Coming back, he seemed somewhat astonished, but saying coolly: 'Lightning never strikes twice in the same place,' and sprang straight into the hole, as though it were the, safest place 'in the world. It proved safe enough for him since he received no harm.
"There was a soldier in the company who was wonderfully neat and fond of display. Often he would dress up in his best, always wearing a collar and 'slicking up,' as if going on a holiday. One day when he was dressed up in his best, though the roads were muddy and bad, as we marched past a big sloshy mud-hole, he got jostled into the hole, somehow, up to his waist in the mud. He scrambled out, mad as he could be, but oh! Wasn't he a sight! When we stopped to camp that night about 11 o'clock, he was obliged to walk at least a mile to wash his clothes, and did not get back till daylight. The 'boys,' of course, were exceedingly pleased at his unseemly mishap. " ""At another time we were obliged to cross a river. Most of the men rode through the stream in some large wagons big enough to hold twenty or thirty men. He would not cross that way, and begged the privilege of riding over on a mule behind another man. The man said yes and he mounted the mule, and they road into the river. When about half across the mule kicked up behind, and off he tumbled, waist deep, into the stream, also dropping his gun. He tried to fish it up again without ducking his head under water. After trying a long time, the men in the wagons laughing at the poor fellow all the time, he got it out and contrived to make his way across, but he was obliged to go half a mile to a house to dry and clean his gun."
"Some ridiculous things were done by the officers. One Captain, in giving command to his men, wished to tell them to file left, He could not remember the form of the order, and, after trying in vain to give it, broke out with an oath: 'Gee, d----n you, why don't you gee?' "
"Another, of still higher rank, is reported to have given the order, 'File to the right, or left-oblique, as the case may be. How the men obeyed these orders is not stated,"
BRIEF ACCOUNT OF OFFICERS It has been the aim of the compiler, in the following brief acount of the officers in part who served in the Union army during the late civil war from Delaware County, to annex to each name the highest military position occupied by the person to whom the name belonged, aranging those names in alphabetical order for more ready reference:
James H. Adams, Second Lieutenant of Company A, Eightth Infantry, enlisted for three years. Resides now in Blackford County, engaged in the lumber trade, and runs several saw-mills.
Edwin C. Anthony, Captain Company D of the Forty-first Regiment (Second Cavalry). Resides in Muncie; is the largest land holder in Delaware County; engages largely in the stock trade, etc.
Thomas J. Brady, Brevet Brigadier General. Consul to the Island of St. Thomas; Supervisor of Internal Revenue; Second Assistant Postmaster General, Washington, D. C.
Isaac Branson, First Lieutenant of Company E, Nineteenth Regiment; resides in Muncie, carrying in his body a minie ball from the field of Gettysburg.
James T. Broyles, First Lieutenant of Company G, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment.
Thomas Barnett, Chaplain of the Nineteenth Regiment.
Edward C. Keasby, Captain of an independent company, is dead. He was a grand, stately old man.
Alvin M Cowing, Second Lieutenant of Company B, Sixty-ninth Regiment of Indiana.
F. G. Cross, First Lieutenant of Company K, Eighty-fourth Regiment.
William H. Current, Major of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, is an attorney in Missouri.
Philip Cochren, Captain of Company G, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Lately removed to Kansas.
Joseph Collins, First Lieutenant of Company F, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment, removed to Grant County, Ind.
Joseph P. Carder, Captain Company E, in the Twentieth Regiment, re-organized.
William H. Campbell, First Lieutenant of Company K of the Nineteeth Regiment.
Hiram H. Darter, Captain Company C of the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment; mustered out as such with Regiment.
Lewis Dale, Chaplain in the Nineteenth Regiment.
George W. Edgerly, Assistant Surgeon in the Eighth Regiment, died November, 1861.
John H. Ellis, Captain of Company B of the Eighty-fourth Regiment; killed at Chickamauga.
Frank Ellis, Captain of Company B of the Eighty-fourth Regiment. Was Treasurer of Delaware County for several years; is a member of the City Council; has charge of a pork house in Muncie.
Crockett T. East, Second Lieutenant of Company K of the Nineteenth Regiment; killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
William Fisher, Second Lieutenant of Company D of the Eighth Regiment for three months; died October 16, 1861.
George W. Greene, Captain of Company E of the Nineteenth Regiment. Was a prisoner in Libby and elsewhere during twenty month; Clerk of the Circuit Court of Delaware County for eight years; has a good fortune and resides in Muncie.
Edward W. Gilbert, First Lieutenant of Company I of the Thirty-sixth Regiment, is a farmer in Mount Pleasant Township.
Abel Gibson, First Lieutenant of Company B of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment, lives in Iowa.
Francis B. Gregory, First Lieutenant of Company B of the Eighty-fourth Regiment.
Noble B. Gregory, First Lieutenant of Company K of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, killed at Nashville in December 1864.
Taylor Gibson, Captain of Company B of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment, discharged June 19, 1865.
Milton N. Goff, First Lieutenant of Company E of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment.
Adam Gisse, Second Lieutenant in Company A of the Nineteenth Regiment.
Matthew M. Hughes, Captain of Company A of the Eighth Regiment; enlisted for 3 years.
William Hamilton, Second Lieutenant of Company A in the Eighth Regiment, for three years.
Benjamin C. Harter, First Lieutenant of Company K of the Nineteenth Regiment, resides in Florida.
Jared W. Hines, killed on railroad train near Muncie.
Robert B. Henchan, Captain of Company C of the Fify-seventh Regiment, is thought to be in Missouri.
Lewis S. Horn, First Lieutenant of Company H of the Fifty-seventh Regiment.
William C. Hines, Second Lieutenant of Company C of the Sixty-ninth Regiment, is a farmer and lives in Missouri.
George C. Hatfield, First Lieutenant of Company B of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, Killed at Chickamauga September 20, 1863.
John H. Helm, Second Lieutenant of Company K of the Eighty-fourth Regiment.
Samuel U. Huffer, Second Lieutenant of Company G of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment. Was a hardware merchant in Muncie; he has since removed to Kansas.
James D. Hiatt, Captain of Company E of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment, removed to Oregon.
George S. Iams, Second Lieutenant of Company K of the Eighty-fourth Regiment.
Gilbert M. L. Johnson, Brigadier General by Bevet; died some years ago.
Matthew Jones, Captain of Company B of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment, is a farmer in Washington Township.
James L. Kilgore, First Lieutenant of Company A of the Nineteenth Regiment.
Alfred Kilgore, Captain of Company B of the Thirty-sixth Regiment, died at Muncie August 28, 1871.
Thomas H. Kirby, First Lieutenant of Company B of the Thirty-sixth Regiment, is a grocer in Muncie.
Daniel B. Kimball, Second Lieutenant of Company D of the Forty-first Regiment.
Henry Kirby, Surgeon in the Eight-fourth Regiment, is a physician in Kansas.
Evender C. Kennedy, Captain in the United States Army, resides in Muncie; is a practicing physician; has some fame as an author, poet, etc.; is a son of Hon. Andrew Kennedy, of large fame in Delaware County in early times.
David Kilgore, Jr., Captain of Company C of the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment, resigned March 4, 1865, now lives on old homestead in Mt. Pleasant Township.
Tecumseh Kilgore, Assistant Surgeon in the Eighty-fourth Regiment; transferred as Assistant Surgeon to the One Hundred and Thirty-first regiment; promoted to Surgeon, and died since leaving the service.
William Lewis, First Lieutenant of Company H of the Thirteenth Regiment re-organized, died at Wheeling, Delaware County, in October 1873.
John Linville, Captain of Company B in the Sixty-ninth Regiment, is a farmer in Perry Township.
Alonzo J. Makepeace, Captain of Company A in the Ninteenth Regiment.
Robert McMartin, prisoner at Andersonville nine months, resides at Columbia, Tenn.
Isaac M. May, Major of the Nineteenth Regiment of Infantry, killed at Gainsville August 28, 1862.
William H. Murray, Brevet Captain of Company K in the Nineteenth Regiment, is at preset Auditor of Delaware County; elected in 1878.
William A. McClellan, Captain of Company D of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, is a farmer and resides north of Muncie.
Francis M. Moore, First Lieutenant of Company G in the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment.
David Nation, Captain of Company B, of the Sixty-ninth Regiment, Methodist preacher, residing at Independence, Mo.
James R. Nation; Major of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment (Ninth Cavalry), is a blacksmith in Hartford City.
Cyrus G. Neely, Second Lieutenant of Company A of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, resides in Muncie in mail messenger in the service of the United States.
William Orr, Colonel of the Twentieth Regiment re-organization, resides near Selma; attorney at law; died January 1867.
Samuel Orr, Lieutenant Colonel of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, died at Muncie November 19, 1816.
James H. Orr, Captain of Company K, of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, is a farmer in Liberty Township.
George W. Parkison, First Lieutenant of Company A in the Eighth Regiment, organized for three years, is a farmer and resides near Yorktown.
William J. Ranier, First Lieutenant of Company A in the Thirteenth Regiment.
John M. Russey, Adjutant of the Nineteenth Regiment, resides in Muncie.
William V. Rutledge, Assistant Surgeon of the Forty-first Regiment, is in a medical college at St. Louis, Mo.
John G. Ridge, Second Lieutenant of Company B in the Sixty-ninth Regiment was formerly in the Treasury Department at Washington City.
George D. S. Reese, Captain of Company A in the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, resides on a farm on White River above Muncie.
John B. Routh, Quartermaster of the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment.
Abraham D. Shultz, Captain of Company B in the Thirty-sixth Regiment, killed at Stone River, Tenn., December 31, 1862.
Hugh A. Stephens, Captain of company B of the Thirty-sixth; moved to Iowa; is a stock-raiser.
William H. Spence, Second Lieutenant of Company B of the Eighty-fourth Regiment.
Orlando H. Swain, Second Lieutenant of Company D in the Eighty-fourth Regiment, ex-Sheriff of Delaware County, and resides in Muncie; is in the transfer business.
Samuel C. Spalding, First Lieutenant of Company C in the One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, resides in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Levin W. Shafer, Second Lieutenant of Company G in the One Hundred and thirty fourth Regiment, is an attorney at Carthage, Mo.
William Sanders, Second Lieutenant of Company B in the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment.
George W. Shroyer, First Lieutenant of Company E in the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment.
Elihu. H. Swain, First Lieutenant of Company G in the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment (Ninth Cavalry), lives in Florida.
J. K. Snodgrass, Second Lieutenant of Company C of the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment resigned January 8, 1865.
Jonathan Thomas, First Lieutenant of Company B in the Thirty-sixth Regiment.
John C. Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, is a physician at Wheeling, W. VA.
James M. Van. Duzen, First Lieutenant of Company B in the Sixty-ninth Regiment.
J. Voit, Second Lieutenant of Company A in Nineteenth Regiment.
Luther B. Wilson, Captain of Company E in the Nineteenth Regiment, employed in Muncie Times office.
Isaac W. Wittemeyer, First Lieutenant of Company B in the Nine-teenth Regiment, is a contractor and builder in Muncie.
Samuel J. Williams, Colonel of the Nineteenth Regiment; killed in the battle of the Wilderness May 6, 1864.
John W. White, Second Lieutenant of Company I of the Fifty-seventh Regiment.
Horace E. Williams, First Lieutenant of Company K of the Fifty-seventh Regiment is a Tinner in Muncie.
Thomas S. Walterhouse, Major of the Sixty-ninth Regiment is an attorney and resides in Muncie.
David K. Williams, First Lieutenant of Company B of the Sixty-ninth Regiment.
James M. Winsett, Second Lieutenant of Company B of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, is a large stock-farmer in Linn County, Kan.
John W. Watts, Second Lieutenant of Company G in the One Hundred and Thirty-first Regiment, is an attorney at Winchester, Ind.
William M. Winslow, First Lieutenant of Company A. in the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, died in Muncie.
George O. Willard, First Lieutenant of Company B in the Thirty-sixth Regiment died August 6, 1864, of wounds received in service.
Albert L. Zimmerman, Captain of Company C in the One Hundred and eighteenth Regiment, resides at Xenia, Ohio, and is a Merchant.
The preceding list may not be entirely correct, as some of the information was necessarily obtained second hand; yet most of it is believed to be accurate and reliable, and the errors, if there be any, it is hoped will not be the occasion of any injustice to the parties who affected, since it is our province and purpose to do exact justice to all.