A Summer in Maryland and Virginia; Or, Campaigning with the 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.: A Sketch of Events Connected with the Service of the Regiment in Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley, VirginiaPerkins, George
History
A Summer in Maryland and Virginia; Or, Campaigning with the 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.: A Sketch of Events Connected with the Service of the Regiment in Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Perkins, George
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories -- Ohio; United States. Army. Ohio Infantry Regiment, 149th (1864)
However, the longest ride must have an end. Our train pulled into
Baltimore at 3 o’clock Sunday morning. As soon as possible Col. Brown
reported to General Wallace, and the Regiment was assigned to duty at
several points in the city, relieving the 8th N. Y. Heavy Artillery,
Col. Porter commanding. Col. Porter with his command, two thousand
strong, immediately left for the front, and after six weeks but seven
hundred remained, the Col. and all of his staff being killed.
Companies A and F 149th were assigned to Fort No. 1 on the outskirts of
Baltimore, Capt. Wm. W. Peabody of Co. A being appointed Garrison
Commander.
Between the days of May 4 and 16, 35,982 men, composing forty-one
Regiments and one Battalion, were consolidated, organized, mustered,
clothed, armed and turned over to the United States military authorities
for assignment. The Guard was composed of the most substantial men left
in the state, men of every department of trade, and of every profession.
Ohio had at that time sent ten per cent of her entire population into
the army. What a sacrifice on the altar of the country was this great
outburst of patriotism.
Companies A and F settled down to routine garrison duty at Fort No. 1.
Cooks were detailed and the men assigned to barracks, Co. A occupying
the first floor and Co. F the second. The duties of the day after roll
call consisted of dress parade and guard mounting. Guard duty, was by
detail, two hours on, and four hours off each being held for duty
twenty-four hours. Time was given the men for many trips into the city,
and this part of our service was very pleasant and safe. Many of our
friends from Ohio came to visit us while we were there and brought
money, and good things to eat for the boys. Four Companies of the
Regiment were assigned to Fort Federal Hill, and Cos. D, K and I at
Headquarters in Baltimore. On May 25th several companies were sent to
the eastern shore of Maryland, with Headquarters at Salisbury. They had
orders to quell the rebellion sympathizers, and to do Provost guard duty
at that point, to guard the telegraph lines and to patrol the Bay for
smugglers. The author’s service being with Company A, he is more
conversant with the movements of the Regiment in which that Company took
part. The memory of it all is dim. Like a dream in the night, it is
misty and seems to have occurred ages ago. We who were just boys of from
fifteen to eighteen years of age at that time, are now the aged and
broken veterans, and the youngsters of today look upon us, just as we
used to think of the old Revolutionary soldiers, when we were young. But
we were having too good a time in Baltimore for it to last. The last
opportunity we had to go down town was on the evening of the 4th of July
when there was a grand display of fireworks.
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