John Thompson, ultimately second lieutenant,
was the oldest member of the
company, being beyond forty-five years of
age when mustered, although he
appears on the rolls as but forty-four. Fifty-one
of the original muster roll were less
than twenty-one years.
Samuel Crawford was the youngest soldier of
the company,being less than fifteen
years old when mustered. Quite a number who
appear on the rolls as being eighteen
were in fact from one to two years younger.
John Arney, of K, was the first death that
occurred in the regiment, to-wit, October
24, 1861. On November 5, 1861, Alfred Bailey
died. These deaths filled the
comrades with sorrow, and tended to cool their
ardor. They lamented that these
young soldiers should die so far from home,
and fill unknown graves. They must
go home. Their friends must have the sad privilege
of performing their funeral rites.
Their remains started for home, and I always
supposed they reached their
destination. I find by the Ohio roster that
such is not the case, and they lie at
Grafton, W. Va.
I am reminded of an incident connected with
the death of Private Bailey that
became a standing joke in the regiment. Capt.
Stanley, when the pay-rolls had been
made, insisted on writing in the remarks himself.
In accounting for the absence of
Sergt. McDonald, who had been sent home with
the remains of Bailey, Stanley
wrote, "Gone home with dead corpse." Col.
Ford never forgot nor forgavethat slip
of the pen. Indeed, that "bull" gored Capt.
Stanley severely, and he fumed over it.
William Cox was the first of the company to
die of wounds received in action.
Thomas K. Hess was the first man to receive
a wound at the hands of the enemy.
Though not fatal at the time, he died of its
effects some years thereafter. His
comrades carried him from Camp Allegheny(rebel),
where wounded, to Camp
Cheat Mountain, on a rude litter, where he
remained until able to be taken to his
home. He never returned to the regiment. That
last member of the regiment to be
killed in action was Lieut. David R. Potts,
of K, at Mill Creek, N.C.
Jon Tim, age eighteen, was the tallest man
in the company, if not the regiment,
being six feet five and one-half inches.
John McQuiston was a peculiar fellow and known
throughout the regiment for his
eccentricities. He was married at Beverly
to a girl about his own size, mentally. The
ceromony was performed by one of the privates
of the company.
The call made at Lake Providence, La. for volunteers
to run the batteries at
Vicksburg, was responded to by hundreds, among
them three of the members of
Company K, who were accepted-- Thomas C. and
G.W. Seward as engineers, and
Adam Carnes as pilot or commander, and all
got safely through. They never
thereafter did duty with the company. T. C.
Seward was drowned, G.W. Seward
was transferred to the signal corps, and Carnes
became a scout.
Near Lake Providence, La., J.W. Stanton, seventh
corporal of Company K, was,
after a competitive trial, promoted to adjutant.
He served in that capacity until
August 13, 1863, when, taking unbrage at an
order of Col. Potts in relation to
wearing shoulder straps, and also restricting
the officers in their association with the
privates, and because of extra duty imposed
on K Company, by keeping it an
unusual time on the front line, he resigned.
This officer afterward entered the
service as commisary sergeant, One Hundred
and Forty -second O.V.I.
Thirty-one of K veteranized, which was 73.8 per cent. of the number eligible.
The Ohio roster does not bear the name of Edward
Campbell, known in the
company as "Little Ed." He was severely wounded
on the Mississippi campaign by
a solid shot. Never fit for duty thereafter.
Company Statistics
Total strength of the company at muster-in..............................110
Recruited in 1863--volunteers...................................................... 4
Recruited in 1864--volunteers.................................................... 11
--substitutes................................................................................... 8
--drafted........................................................................................ 21
Total.............................................................................................40
Recruited in 1865--volunteers....................................................... 0
--substitutes.................................................................................. 19
--drafted.......................................................................................... 1
--not determined whether sub-
stituted or drafted.......................................................................... 3
Total..............................................................................................23
Total...............................................................................................................177
Officers transferred from other companies.................................... 4
Grand Total of muster roll............................................................................. 181
Officers and privates discharged at muster-out........................... 55
Of these there were mustered in with the company
August 31,
1861...................................................................................................................
22
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