I have made no effort to prepare a biography of Captain Buell, the
sketch is itself in a way a biography. He is the central figure of my
little history and aside from his work with the Pierpoint Battery it
gives a full history of his service.
He was born at Lowell, Washington county, Ohio, April 24, 1837, and
was the youngest son of Perez B. and Elizabeth (Rector) Buell. His
23rd birthday he spent in “Camp Jackson,” at Columbus, two days after
leaving Marietta with his company. He had chosen the profession of the
law and was Prosecuting Attorney of Washington county when the war
broke out. He was killed in battle at Freeman’s Ford, Fauquier county,
Virginia, August 22, 1862.
At the time of his death he had been selected for a higher command
and had he lived a few days longer would have received substantial
promotion in the artillery arm of the service. His distinguished
bearing had attracted the attention of such soldiers as Generals Siegel
and Milroy, the Chief of Artillery of the 11th Corps and others.
His remains were buried at Bealton Station and in the following
December were removed to the family burying ground located on the old
home farm, at Lowell. His comrades of Battery C erected a handsome
monument at his grave soon after the close of the war.
* * * * *
In the preparation of the foregoing pages I have been actuated by a
desire to place in convenient and permanent form the simple facts
connected with the company’s modest service. We were not only the
first from Washington county to respond to the president’s call for
volunteers but were the first from all southeastern Ohio. Only 9 of the
220 companies of three months’ volunteers, accepted by the government
antedated our enrollment (these were dated the 16th) and but 17 others
bore even date with us.
I have attempted simply to state facts in as plain a way as possible
that may be of value so far as they go to the future searcher in this
pioneer service of the war. The work has taken considerable time and
labor but it has been one of pleasure and I shall be more than repaid
if it meets with the approval of my surviving comrades and the friends
of Captain Buell and his pioneer company of patriotic volunteers.
JEWETT PALMER.
Marietta, O., April 22, 1911.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes:
The one footnote has been moved to the end of its chapter and relabeled.
Punctuation has been made consistent.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in
the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors have
been corrected.
p. 12, p. 16: Name is given as Fougeres on p. 12 and Fougere on p. 16.
p. 23: Entries in the table do not sum to the total listed.