For some days the people of the vicinity and the men in camp had
been preparing for a celebration of the day and by 8:00 o’clock in
the morning the people began to arrive with wagons loaded with bread
and butter, cakes, pies, roast chicken, roast pigs and dainties
innumerable. Our camp had been thoroughly policed and put in prime
order, and the camp guard had strict orders for the night before not
to permit any one to pass out and no passes were given. This was to
prevent any of the boys from visiting an “Apple Jack” distillery
located not far from camp. The Captains were to put their best foot
forward in their part of the day’s displays and did not want the
“spirits” mixed, when the time for parade came. A number of long tables
had been erected in the shade of the trees near camp and these were
early covered with the superabundant supplies. Scores of young ladies
came with the crowds and they were the waiters at the dinner. By 9:00
o’clock the crowd on the ground numbered fully one thousand. At 10 A.
M. came the drill, followed by a dress parade. The exhibition embraced
manual of arms, company evolutions, volley firing, etc., to the great
enjoyment of the people.
The boys felt proud of their part of the day’s doings and were
complimented highly for their efficiency. After the military show was
over violins were brought out and soon soldiers and citizens, the young
ladies especially, were joined in the dance on the green sward under
the branches of the great oaks. Games of many kinds were indulged
in--swings were put up and liberally patronized by the youngsters, and
all hands enjoyed themselves in various ways until the dinner hour. At
12:30 dinner was announced, when the companies fired “three rounds”
as the closing act of the forenoon’s programme. Just at this time a
train load of enthusiastic soldiers and citizens arrived from Grafton
and other points east of us and Co. B formed and marched over to
Bridgeport and escorted them to camp. The dinner was a great success.
Five times the tables were filled and cleared of food and guests. No
one was neglected or turned away hungry. After dinner a member of Co.
A delivered a well prepared address in an impressive manner. He was
followed by Capt. Buell in a brief and spirited address, and he by an
elderly minister of the locality, whose name has escaped me. Songs,
sentimental, military and comic, fife and drum and violin music were
interspersed and a most enjoyable day all too rapidly drew to a close.
From July 5th to the 13th, the routine of camp duties went on as
before, but on that day marching orders were received. By 5:00 o’clock
P. M., tents were struck and taken to the station, except a few left
to shelter the men detailed to guard camp in our absence. We soon were
under way eastward.
Our train now held the full regiment, the first time we had come
together as such since leaving Parkersburg, May 29th. We arrived at
Oakland on the morning of the 14th, and lay in camp until the afternoon
of the 15th, when, Whitelaw Reid says, “About 5:00 o’clock P. M.,
Gen. Hill moved with the 5th and 18th Ohio regiments from Oakland in
a diagonal line to the bridge on the Northwestern Pike, over the west
branch of the Potomac, at which point he was to be joined by Col.
Irvine’s command from Red House, intending to turn the enemy’s right
and cut them off before they could reach Petersburg. Here, at the
bridge a dispatch was received from McClellan informing Hill of the
action at Carrick’s Ford and the death of Garnett.”
We “marched over the Allegheny mountains, a distance of 35-1/2 miles
in 24 hours, after leaving Oakland. At 4:00 o’clock the next morning
(17th) Gen. Hill, with about 800 picked men in light marching order
started for an additional forced march but after moving five miles was
overtaken by a courier with a dispatch from McClellan ordering him to
return.”
We returned leisurely to Oakland and there went into camp, remaining
until the morning of the 23rd of July, when the regiment took cars for
the west. We reached Bridgeport about the middle of the afternoon and
after getting our camp guards and equipage aboard moved slowly on to
Clarksburg. Here we went into camp until the 30th when we again took
cars for Parkersburg and home! While in camp at Clarksburg a call was
made for volunteers to go to Rosecrans, on Gauley, where he was about
to engage in battle with Gen. Floyd’s forces.
The regiment was drawn up in line and a call made upon those who were
willing to go to step out five paces to the front. Not a score of men
left their places in the ranks. Our time had expired on the 17th, and
many of the men had already made arrangements to enter the three years’
service in other organizations and were anxious to get home and take up
the new work.
We jogged along nearly all night, 30th-31st, side-tracking for
eastbound trains, nearly all of which carried troops. As we were
nearing Parkersburg early in the day of the 31st a man belonging to Co.
I, fell from the top of a car and was mortally hurt, dying a day or
two later. At Parkersburg we took the railroad ferry steamer, “Daniel
Webster,” for Marietta, the same boat that brought us to Parkersburg in
May. We arrived off Harmar about 2:00 o’clock P. M. The banks on both
sides of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers were lined with our friends, who
had assembled to bid us welcome.
The “Putnam Light Artillery,” of Marietta, boomed forth a loud-mouthed
welcome. The boat rounded to near the “Point.” Here we disembarked and
after a warm greeting by our friends, fell in and marched through the
city to “Camp Putnam.” The whole population seemed to be out and our
march was a continuous ovation. Before “Camp Putnam” was reached Co.
B was reduced to a platoon. Many of the town boys quietly slipped out
of ranks and accompanied their friends home. About the middle of the
following forenoon the regiment was drawn up in line in Camp Putnam,
when Col. Stanley gave us a few final words of farewell, and we were
dismissed until such time as we should be called together for final
muster-out and pay. On August 30th, the following call appeared in the
Marietta papers:
“ATTENTION COMPANIES B AND K!
“Companies B and K, 18th Regiment, O. V. M., will be paid off at
Marietta, on Thursday, Sept. 5th prox. All members are ordered to
rendezvous at the time and place appointed, to receive their money
and discharges.
FRANK BUELL, Capt. Co. B.
JOHN HENDERSON, Capt. Co. K.
Marietta. O., Aug. 30, 1861.”