Pvt. Jacob H. James
I54th Ohio National Guard
Company. F.

Transcribed from a typed manuscript of unknown origin, handed down to Mildred Smith... [Spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors contained in the title above and text below are faithful to the hard copy.]

On the second day of May 1864 Mr. Jacob H. James enlisted in the Union Army, He enlisted at Camp Dennison Ohio. There he served with the I54th Ohio National Guard, Co. F. and served I00 days durring the Civil War.

This Regement was formed by consolidating the twenty third Battalion Ohio National Guard, with the sictieth Ohio National Guard It was organized at camp Dennison, and was mustered into the service on the 2ed day of May I864, with an aggregate of eight hundred and forty-two men, The Colonel, Assistant-surgeon, Quartermaster, and several of the line-officers, non-commissioned officers, and many of the privates had seen service in otehr organizationes.

On the 12th of May the regiment proceeded to New Creek West Virginia via Columbus and Bellaire. They arrived on the evening of the I4th: the next day, in one of the most violent storms of the season they laid out ther camp and pitched there tents. On the 22nd day company F. was was ordered to Piedmont, West Verginia, Where it remained until the regiment started back to Ohio for mustering out.

The one Hundred and fifty-fourth performed guard, picket, and escort-duty until the 29th, whenone company moved to Youghiogheny bridge,and there the remaining eight companes to Greenland Gap. Scouting parties were out almost constantly, and on the 4th day of June a detachment of the regiment had a skirmish with McNeils battalion near moorefield, in which the Rebels were defeated. About the 12th of June three hundred men from the I54th, with a cavalry force, were engaged in ten-days of scouting . Skirmishing was frequent, but the enemy kept so securely in the mountains that only three Rebel soldiers were captured in the ten day's. On the 23ed, another scouting party of one hundred men and a small cavalry foce were ordered out with three day's rations, but no enemy was discovered. On the 4th day of July the regiment fell back to New Creek, expecting an attack; but the enemy having retired, it returned again to greenland Gap, arriving on the 7th. Company H. until this time at Oakland, joined the regiment at New Creek and returned to the Gap. On the 25th the regiment again fell back to New Creek, and Greenland Gap, ceased to be held as a military post.

On the 4th day of August the Revel's, under McCausland and Bradley Johnson, attacked the forces at New Creek, but at night they were compelled to withdraw, leaving their killed and wounded on the field. On the I0th day of august a detachment of the I54th, proceeded to Camp Chase in charge of prisoners, and remained ther intil the regiment returned to the state of Ohio. On the evening of the 22ed the regiment started for Ohio, arriving at Camp Dennsion on the 27th day of august., where it was mustered out of the service on the Ist day of September, I864.

See http://www.geocities.com/ohiovolunteers/ for a history of the 154th.

Transcribed by Ted Smith, August 18, 1999. Graphics from Rootsweb.
Web page copyright � Theodore C. Smith, 1999, 2004.
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