Philander P. Lane, colonel of volunteers in the Civil War, Eleventh Ohio Infantry

Foreword

As one draws on toward the close of life, its conditions and purposes take on a new meaning. Its hardships and disappointments appear as but the lessons of experience, and count in the long run as stepping stones to better things. These trite observations are illustrated by numerous examples in our American life, and perhaps nowhere more clearly than in the life and character of the great Civil War President, Lincoln; in whom we trace, as the result of hard conditions of early life, that wisdom and patience and gentleness that have immortalized his name among men.

I esteem it a privilege to contribute a brief foreword to this history of a man of men, whose virtues I esteemed and whose friendship I highly valued. He was a noble character, — one of those products of American life, which, like Lincoln's, combined sterling qualities of manhood with gentleness and courtesy. The parallel does not end here, for there was much in Colonel Lane's makeup that suggests the great Commoner — patience, loyalty to principle, and the same quality of sturdy Americanism sp admirably emphasized by the lamented Roosevelt.

We know only the general conditions of his boyhood; but enough appears to show that he was thrown very early upon his own exertions for livelihood and made his way unaided to final success, in a business that stood as one of the highest character and influence in the early upbuilding of the City of Cincinnati. In the early " fifties " Colonel Lane was generally recognized as one of the important factors in the welfare and widely extended fame of the city of his adoption eulogized by Longfellow as the " Queen City of the West

There were great men in those days, — and Colonel Lane was of them, — earnest, intelligent and self-reliant men who wrought great things. Later, when the threat of disunion roused the latent Americanism of the Republic, Colonel Lane was among the first to respond to the call to arms; and that part of his life-history is the subject of these memoirs. He bore a gallant part, and lived to see the Union restored and its flag honored and respected by the entire Nation.

In the fulness of time he was laid away, honored and respected by his fellow citizens, and mourned as only those are who have lived up to the measure of opportunity without fear, without reproach. Surely all is well with such a man in the great hereafter. His memory is a precious heritage to his family and an inspiring example to his fellow citizens.

LEWIS M. HOSEA.

Preface

This book was at first only a manuscript narrative of the life of Colonel Lane in the army during the War of Secession, written for the private use and pleasure of his family. The materials were letters he wrote from the field to his family and others, some personal papers of the time preserved by him (including a few official documents), some papers he wrote on various occasions after the war, and the official records of the War Department. It is believed that many of his papers were lost in a fire which destroyed his home in 1885.

The available matter found in his letters and papers was remarkably scanty. His letters seldom contain more than bare mention of military affairs in which he took part, tho some of them discuss the general political and military conditions and operations of the time at length. A small pocket diary for the year 1862 (the only one preserved) contains but little that is now of use beyond the fixing of dates. His official reports and letters printed in the records of the War Department are very few in number and very brief, — a striking exception to his constant insistence, in all other duties, upon full compliance with the Army Regulations. Much the greater part of the narrative Vv^as thus necessarily worked out from the official records of the campaigns in which he was engaged, with some aid from books written by other officers.

Under these circumstances the reader will see why a complete or satisfactory record or story could not be made. But that has not prevented those who have read the manuscript from persisting in a wish to have it printed. This has led to an extensive revision, with the result that the manuscript has been much reduced, partly rewritten and here and there readjusted, so as to bring it into the ordinary form and proper proportions of a printed book. Whether with success is yet to be seen.

Two things have been much in my mind while on this work : One, that out of a quantity of meager and largely casual materials, quite commonplace as one would suppose on taking it up, comes a fine character, — an American volunteer soldier of high intelligence, patriotism, unswerving purpose, devotion to duty, great achievement, and unconscious heroism; and the other, that, tho this characterization only gives Colonel Lane the place in the history of the war that he amply earned, he is still only one of a large number of equal desert. It may be said safely that the volunteer army in the great war was full of officers and soldiers who displayed all the virtues I have credited to him, endured the burdens as steadily and selfdenyingly as he, and improved or sought as eagerly as he any opportunity toward the winning of the great cause. So I have felt in writing this story of Colonel Lane, that I was writing the story of a thousand other colonels in that war that saved the country.

That there may be no adverse comment upon Colonel Lane in relation to the criticisms upon certain generals and campaigns which the reader will find, I ought to say that they are in no way drawn from or suggested by anything found in his writings. I alone am responsible for them. As to General Rosecrans, indeed, Colonel Lane personally liked him, was on friendly terms with him from the beginning of the war, thought him a great strategist, and felt that a great injustice was done when he was re-, moved from command. These opinions were widely held, indeed, and Rosecrans has not lacked zealous defenders.

In fact, the very high respect and esteem in which Colonel Lane was held by all who knew him personally was due, in part, to his habitual fairness and toleration, — his patient and kindly consideration for the shortcomings of others. It was only where he thought right or justice was infringed that he was immovably set against any yielding.

WM. FORSE SCOTT.

New York,

Contents

I

1861: April — June

Lincoln's First Call for Volunteers — Enrollment and Organization of Lane's Company — Camp Dennison — Re-enlistment for Three Years — Reorganization of Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry Page

II 1861: June — July

The Second Brigade Ordered to the Field — The Regiment Receives Arms — Its First March — Captain Lane on Special Duty Patrolling the Ohio

— Invasion of Virginia — The Kanawha Movement

Ill

In Western Virginia, under General McClellan — First Campaign on the Kanawha — McClellan' s Personal Campaign — His Battle of Rich Mountain

— His Excessive Egotism — General Cox Advances upon Charleston — Battle of Scarey Creek — Capture of Colonel of Eleventh Ohio

IV 1861: July — August

Cox Drives Wise up the Kanawha — Takes Charleston and Gauley Bridge — Captain Lane Builds Bridge over the Pocotaligo — Another over the Elk — Several over Other Streams — Then a Big Ferry on the Gauley

V

1861: August — November

General Rosecrans Succeeds McClellan — Re-organizes the Army — Cox's Troops the " Brigade of the Kanawha " — Second Kanawha Campaign — Cox Drives Wise and Floyd up to Lewisburg — First Engagements of Captain Lane and His Company

— Rosecrans Comes with Reinforcement — Battle of Carnifix Ferry — Lane's Gauley Ferry Swept Away in a Flood — He Builds Another in Four Days — Colonel DeVilliers Returns from Captivity — Causes Much Trouble in the Regiment . . 4:4:

VI 1861 : November — December

Battle of Cotton Hill — Captain Lane Saves the Gauley Ferry Under Fire — Builds Boats and Crosses New River — Holds Outpost Against Floyd — Conflict with Colonel DeVilliers — Two Days in Action Against Floyd — Builds Bridge over Loop Creek and Opens Road to Fayetteville

— Winter-quarters at Point Pleasant .... 57

VII 1862: January — May

Driving out Colonel DeVilliers — Captain Lane Leads the Movement — Files Charges Against Him for Court-martial — Arrested by Colonel's Order and Deprived of His Sword — Charges Filed Against Him by Colonel — Two Months Awaiting the Sitting of the Court — Captain Lane Tries to Keep Whisky Out of the Camp — Colonel DeVilliers is Put Under Arrest to Await His Trial — He is Tried on Captain Lane's Charges, Convicted and Cashiered — Lane Put Under Arrest and Tried on the Colonel's Charges, Acquitted and Restored to Duty

VIII 1862: May— August

Third Kanawha Campaign — General Fremont Succeeds Rosecrans — Cox in Command of Army on Kanawha — Fremont and Cox Ordered on Campaign for Liberation of East Tennessee — Lincoln's Persistent Efforts — Five Generals in Succession Disappoint Him — Cox Marches on Time and Reaches Princeton — Co^mpelled to Fall Back by Fremont's Failure — Eleventh Ohio in Reserve on New River — Battle of Lewisburg — Captain Lane on Typical Scouting Expedition — Builds Flying Ferry on New River — In Command of Corps of Sapper s-and-Miners — Makes Forced March to Relief of Gauley Bridge — Another to Relief of Charleston — Sent to Ohio in Recruiting Service 106

IX 1862: August — October

Eleventh Ohio in Army of Virginia under General Pope — Camp at Washington — The Eleventh in Battle at Stone Bridge on Bull Run — Again under McClellan — Campaign of Antietam — Battles of South Mountain {or Sharpsburg) and Antietam — Colonel Coleman of the Eleventh Killed — In Mc- Clellan' s Body-guard " — The Brigade Returns to the Kanawha 133

X

1862: August — October

Captain Lane in Ohio — Fills the Eleventh with Re- / cruits — Organizes and Commands Troops in De- I fense of Cincinnati against Bragg — Promoted to Colonel — Rejoins in Virginia and Takes Command — Finds Conditions Bad and Begins Reforms 138

XI 1862: October — December

Fourth Kanawha Campaign — Continuous Storms Make Great Difficulties — Colonel Lane in Command at Post of Summerville — Builds Saw-mills and Improves the Town — Expedition to Cold Knob and Capture of Rebels' Camp — Extraordinary Winter Stoi^m — Again at Summerville — Im.passable Roads — End of Year 1862 .... 142

XII 1863: January — March

Kanawha Brigade Sent to Nashville — Desertions at Cincinnati and Louisville — Joins the Army of the Cumberland under Rosecrans — Colonel Lane Loses His Regiment 153

XIII 1863: March — June

Service at Carthage on the Cumberland as Outpost of Rosecrans' s Army — Disaster in the Eleventh in Colonel Lane's Absence — He Makes Successful Expeditions and Reprisals — Engagements with John Morgan's Cavalry — On Court-martial Duty

— Conviction and Execution of a Spy — Conflict with General Crook on " Principle " — Refuses to Obey Orders — Expects Arrest and Court-martial

— General Crook Issues Modified Order that Saves the " Principle " — Recurrence of Ill-health

— Decides to Resign, but to Await Expected Campaign 160

XIV 1863: June — July

Kanawha Brigade Ordered to Murfreesboro — Assigned to Fourteenth Army Corps, under General Thomas — Campaign of Tullahoma : Rosecrans

Against Bragg — Capture of Hoover's Gap — Bragg Successfully Flanked Out of Position — Expected Battle at Tullahoma — Bragg Escapes Unmolested and Occupies Chattanooga — Rosecrans Fails to Attack and Neglects to Pursue — Lies in Camp and Quarrels with War Department — Lincoln Takes a Hand — Eleventh Ohio in Camp at Big Spring and University Place — General Crook Transfered and General Turchin Succeeds to Command of Eleventh's Brigade — News of Vicksburg and Gettysburg

XV 1863: August — September

Rosecrans Driven to Action by the Government — Campaign Against Chattanooga — Grand Feint upon Chattanooga from the North — Crossing the Tennessee and the Mountains on the South — Bragg Surprised, Evacuutes Chattanooga and Deceives Rosecrans into Belief He is Retreating — Rosecrans Separates His Forces Widely — Discovers His Error — Makes Desperate Efforts to Retrieve and Cover Chattanooga

XVI

Battles on the Chickamauga — Minor Preceding Engagements — Numbers of the Opposing Forces — Bragg Attacks Rosecrans on His March — Thomas Makes Forced Night March — Holds Left Wing against All Attacks — Succession of Battles All Day the 19th — Reynolds's Division (Including Eleventh Ohio) the Right of Thomas's Line — Night of 19th Rosecrans Reports Success to War Department — Expects Complete Victory — The 20th Again a Succession of Battles — Left Wing, under Thomas, Repels All Assaults — Right Wing, Directed by Rosecrans, Broken by Longstreet — Part Escapes Over Missionary Ridge — Rosecrans

Abandons the Field — McCook and Crittenden Follow — Negley Follows, Taking the Artillery — Thomas Holds on, with His Corps and Parts of the Others, in the " Horseshoe " Till Night — The Rock of Chickamauga — Rosecrans Sends Order to Thomas to Retreat — Thomas's Great Achievement — Turchin's Brigade {Eleventh Ohio) Makes the Last Charge and Wins the Last Battle — Colonel Lane and Part of Eleventh and its Brigade Lost — Recovers His Position — The Last to Leave the Field of Chickamauga .... 210

XVII 1863 : September — October

At Chattanooga After the Battle — Confederate Reports — Bragg Did Not Know He Had Won — Colonel Lane's Report of the Battles — Rosecrans in Despair — Holds Chattanooga, hut Neglects Protection and Supply of the Army — At Last Removed, Superseded by Thomas — Grant in Supreme Command in Mississippi Valley .... 263

XVIII 1863 : September — October

Reorganization of Army of the Cumberland — Reinforced by Hooker and Sherman — Bragg Undertakes Siege of Chattanooga — Thomas Reopens " the Cracker-Line " and Gets Full Supplies — Brilliant Capture of Brown's Ferry — Colonel Lane and Eleventh Ohio Share in It — Bragg Sends Longstreet to Recover Ground, but is Wholly Defeated 273

XIX 1863: October — November

Brown's Ferry Colonel Lane's Last Engagement — His Resignation Offered and Accepted — Reaches Home in November 283

XX 1863-1864: November — June

Closing Career of Eleventh Ohio — Grant's Campaign of Chattanooga — Great Victory at Missionary Ridge — Eleventh Ohio Engaged — Battle Above the Clouds " — Thomas's Campaign Against Johnston — Battle of Buzzard Roost — Sherman's Campaign Against Atlanta — Battle of Resaca, Last Engagement of Eleventh Ohio — End of its Three-years Term — Sent to Ohio and Mustered-out — Veterans and Recruits Remain as Eleventh Battalion Ohio Volunteers — Served to End of the War — Muster ed-out at Washington, June, 1865 288