 80th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
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Charles Wesley Buvinger, MD
Charles Wesley Buvinger, M.D. , former Surgeon 80th Ohio Volunteer Infantry,
Charles Wesley Buvinger was born on June 12th 1832 in Hanover, York Co., PA. His parents moved the family to Dayton, Ohio in 1835 and there he spent his youth and early manhood. He received his initial college education at Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. After leaving college, he apprenticed and studied medicine in Dayton, Ohio for three years and received his Medical Degree at the University of the City of New York.
When the war broke out, he was practicing medicine in Holmes Co. Ohio. When the rebel troops under command of Gen. Kirby Smith, early in September 1862, threatened the invasion of Ohio and the destruction of Cincinnati, Charles answered the call from Gov. Tod for �Minute Men� or �Squirrel Hunters� to rush to the defense of Cincinnati. When the invasion did not take place, the �Squirrel Hunters� were released and returned home and later in 1863 they received certificates of service and a letter of thanks from Gov. Tod. Charles returned to his medical practice but soon gave it up and joined the Army as an Acting Asst. Surgeon (a contract doctor). He was assigned to the reinforcements under Gen. McPherson, which left Jackson, Tenn. Oct 3, 1862 and Bethel, on the M&O RR, Oct 4, 1862 for Corinth, Miss., the day of second days fight at that place. Thus began Dr. Buvinger�s active military career.
He was on General Hospital duty at Corinth and attending a number of the 80th Ohio troops. This resulted in them making a special request of the Chief of Hospitals that Dr. Buvinger be assigned as Asst. Surgeon to the 80th Ohio. In the meantime, in December 1862, Charles was ordered to proceed to LaGrange, Tenn, with hospital fixtures, to assist in organizing the General Hospital there. While in LaGrange, he received his Commission as Asst. Surgeon from Ohio Gov. Tod, dated May 13, 1863, and he was ordered to report for duty to the Colonel of the 80th Ohio as Asst. Surgeon. He joined the regiment May 30th while it lay at Memphis, Tenn. Dr Buvinger was later promoted to the rank of Surgeon and remained with the regiment until their muster-out at Little Rock, AK on August 13th 1865.
Following the War he returned to private practice in Pittsburgh, PA, his wife�s home town. He married Emma Priscilla Hunter, June 29th 1865. They had four children. Dr. Buvinger continued to practice medicine until his death, at age 58, January 7th 1891.
Written by: William (Bill) Buvinger
[email protected]
The Reunion At Uhrichsville
Interesting Historical Letter from Ex-Surgeon Buvinger of the 80th Regiment.
The following interesting letter was written by Ex-Surgeon C. W. Buvinger of the 80th Ohio Regiment to be read at the reunion being held at Uhrichsville this week.
PITTSBURGH, PA, AUG. 27, '87.
N. E. CLENDENNEN, ESQ.:
Dear Sir and Comrade: � Your notice of last July 20th, that there will be a joint reunion of the surviving members of the 80th, in connection with the 13th, 30th, 51st, 52d and 98th Regiments, O.V.I. at Uhrichsville on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th proximo, was duly received.
It would truly be a pleasure to meet with an assembly of such men, comrades, brave men all, who were identified during our civil war with the respective regiments above at Uhrichsville in annual reunion.
In many respects their records are similar. Through in different brigades, divisions, and army corps they were separated, yet they have tramped, tramped, tramped through the same States, over the same ground, and in some instances have fought side by side, and poured out their blood on the same sanguinary fields of battle.
The old Thirteenth, the eldest of us all, has a most wonderful record for marching and fighting, unsurpassed perhaps by any other regiment in the service. Going out a thousand strong, a score of engagements with various mutations reduced it to scarcely a corporal's guard at the close of its second term. We take off our hats and bow in deference to it. But where all were heroes it is unnecessary to make invidious distinctions. Our records are left in every State in "Dixie," from Maryland to Texas, and from Texas back to Virginia. Let us call the roll.
At Carnifex Ferry, Va., the 13th and 30th can answer "present." At South Mountain and Antietam, Md., the 30th alone answers, "we gallantly bore our part." At Perryville, Ky., again the 13th together with the 52d and 98th responded, Colonel Webster of the latter being killed.
On the bloody fields of Tennessee where some of the hardest battles of the war were fought, we all rise and salute. At Shiloh the old Thirteenth immortalized itself by capturing the famous Washington Battery from New Orleans, and bears its honors alone. At Stone River the 51st and 13th participated. Col Hawkins of the latter being killed, falling early in the fight. At Chickamauga, "River of Death" the 13th, 51st, 52d and 98th wrote their record in blood, the 13th losing its Lieutenant-Colonel Mast. At Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge again we all rise and answer "here!" Here on Mission Ridge, Captain Kinney and Lieutenant Ross, color-bearer Burton, and a score of others of the Eightieth, were buried on the field. We were not all, however, first to plant our flags at Bragg's headquarters or elsewhere on the Ridge, as many others claim! We are a modest half-dozen! At Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville, where Thomas practically annihilated Hood, the 13th and 51st increased the rebel rout.
In Mississippi the Eightieth bore the palm at Iuka, Corinth and Jackson. At Corinth, Major Lanning left us forever. At Jackson, in his "God Almighty bless the Eightieth Ohio" Gen. McPherson personally commended the regiment on the field for its bravery in the charge which routed the rebels and won the day. At Champion Hills and Vicksburg the 30th was in line with the 80th.
In the campaign through Georgia, ending with the fall of Atlanta and the pursuit of Hood, again we all respond. At Tunnell Hill, Dalton, Resaca, Dallas, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Peach Tree Creek, Allatoona, Resaca the second time, Snake Creek Gap, some one or all of us were present. At Kenesaw Mountain the leader of the 52d and commander of the brigade, the gallant Dan McCook fell mortally wounded. At the same time and place Lieutenant-Colonel Shane of the 98th was killed. While the 30th, 52d, 80th and 98th were on the march from Atlanta to the Sea, the 13th and 51st were peppering Hood at Nashville.
We of the Eightieth all remember well how the afternoon of the 13th of December, 1864, while our regiment was lying at Miller's plantation, fourteen miles below Savannah, we heard the rattle of musketry not far distant, and knew that it was the assault on Fort McAllister, in which the 30th Ohio was engaged, and that the fort was captured almost in less time than it takes to tell it. The fall of the Fort opened up our "cracker-line" by way of the Great Ogeechee river as far as King 'o Bridge, where we received abundance of supplies and bade an affectionate good-bye to unhulled rice!
At the battle of Bentonville, N.C. on the march from Savannah through the Carolinas, both the 98th and 80th were engaged, the latter, however, not actively. The Eightieth made the Johnnies git with their four-gun battery at Cox's bridge at the Neuse river.
After Gen. Green B. Raum, commanding our brigade, the second of the 3d division Fifteenth Corps. And Gen. John E. Smith, commanding our division, the third of the Fifteenth Corps, had both resigned at Raleigh, N.C., we were consolidated with the First Brigade �Col. Jones� commanding�of the Second Division of the Fifteenth Corps, Gen. Hazen's. In this brigade was the 80th Ohio, and we remained together in it until after the great and memorable Review at Washington, D.C., May 22d and 23d, 1865, after which we were ordered to Louisville, Ky., and thence to Little Rock, Arkansas where three months later we were mustered out together, Aug. 18th, 1865.
Such briefly is the history of the five regiments, besides the Eightieth, which will unite in a reunion this year at Uhrichsville. Surely it will be no ordinary occasion, and is one which I would thoroughly enjoy were it possible for me to be present. It so happens that the Ninth International Medical Congress will be convened at Washington, D.C., the same week of the reunion. For months I have been engaged for duty on that important scientific occasion. Being in the Section of Military and Navel Medicine and Surgery, and my theme being "Camp Dysentery and Diarrhoea," the gentle lambs of the old Eightieth Ohio will not be forgotten. I mean to tell, to the British, French, German, Russian, Austrian, Italian and American doctors there assembled, - and it will heralded to the four quarters of the globe, - how much opium, ipecac, quinine, castor oil and "salts" - not much occasion for the last two mentioned! - which I gave you. I shall tell them how tractable and amiable and docile you were, - what pleasing and serene expressions of countenance you had�the joy of every photographer�while I was cramming quinine down your malarial throats!
Don't tell anybody, but it's a mighty interesting subject to write upon. The Germans, when they hear about it, will exclaim "Mien Gott!", the French, "Sacre!" and I will leave it to your vividly, active imaginations to guess what the Johnny Bulls and the rest of them will say!
The above statement being true, and not being in possession of sufficient ubiquity to be in two places at the same time, you can comprehend how utterly impossible it will be to meet with you in your joyous festivities. But doubtless there will be with you able speakers, who by their eloquence will interest and charm you, and thus render the occasion memorable. In the hope that this will be so, and with warmest feelings of friendship toward all the boys, I remain, dear sir,
Very truly yours, in F. C. and L.
C. W. Buvinger, M. D.
Ex-Surgeon 80th Ohio
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Web Page by: Charles Paul Keller
URL: http://freepages.genealogy..rootsweb.com/~keller/ovi80/work/index.html
Created March 17, 2005
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