Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
This is the third part of a series about Genoa and Clay Township’s contribution to the Civil War.
We always hope that the names of the courageous in times of war are never forgotten, but time is not the friend of memory. Sadly, the names and stories of most of the Genoa area soldiers who wore the blue uniforms have faded with the decades. But thanks to an army of researchers, family members, and diligent record keepers, the Genoa Historical Society has been able to locate a growing patchwork of remembrances that give voice to the young Genoa soldiers who answered their nation's call.
“We are very fortunate to have made connections across the country in recent years, obtaining letters from four Genoans who experienced the war side-by-side,” Genoa village administrator and history researcher, said. “When you chart the letters chronologically and compare them to the historical record, it really tells a sort of ‘Band of Neighbors’ tale. It humanizes the experience. It’s not just names and dates.”
One of those early scribes of the war was Genoa resident Frank Wyman, who began penning his observations as his 14th Ohio Volunteer Infantry unit departed Toledo for the war's front lines in September 1861.
“I went first, and that home leaving was the hardest thing I ever did … The boys are enjoying themselves well. Tom Scott and I have four blankets between us, two over us and two under us, and having our coats it will be pretty cold before we suffer much … So far I have seen nothing that looks like war more than a large body of men gathered together, and they are all your friends.”
Wyman enlisted with five of his friends from the Genoa area — William and Tom Scott, Cyrus Mitchell Williams, Joe Kirk Williams (not related), and Sam Wood. They were a part of Company A, comprised mostly of men from Ottawa County. Signing for a three-year enlistment, they were witness to many of the major battles, including Shiloh in April 1862, a key Union victory as the Federal forces took control of the Tennessee River. On April 15, Wood and Wyman both wrote about their orders to burn railroad bridges along the river.
Wyman: “When we got there they were all busy. Some were fighting, some trying to build fires and some were chopping. We soon drove the guards back and had the bridges destroyed. We also destroyed the telegraph. After we had fairly gotten through, up comes a Rebel train of cars, but seeing no bridge, (we) reversed steam and put for Dixie.”
Wood: “We got there just in time to save a big train load of artillery going to them. We had just got it burnt down when a big train sitting a half of a mile of us went back. We burnt three bridges and one was bigger than the Elmore bridge … We got two prisoners and got back to the boat a little after dark.”
The summer of 1862 was generally quiet, as the Confederate forces regrouped to plan an invasion of Tennessee and Kentucky — a plan that did not work. The Southern Army was defeated in the battle at Perryville, Ky. on Oct. 8, during which the Ohio 14th had served as the headquarters guard. The regiment members, however, would get a grim look at the horrors of the battle's aftermath, which saw 7,600 deaths.
Wood described the scene in a letter on Oct. 17.
“We was close enough to hear the musketry. It was a midlin hard fight but our boys made them git at last. There was lots killed on both sides. We went over the battlefield two days after the fight. There was plenty of the rebels there. They was black as coal. It was the gunpowder and whiskey that made them so. They had plenty of it in their canteens.”
More of Genoa’s young men would answer the call as new regiments were created in Northwest Ohio. When the 21st Infantry was formed, it was Company I where many of the Ottawa County recruits served. And during the summer of 1862, the new 100th OVI regiment was being put together with Company G being commanded by Genoa's Frank Rundell. Over 40 of the new recruits were from Genoa and Clay Township. Charles Elliot Wyman, Frank's older brother, had enlisted as his brother instructed him to do a few months before.
Charles Elliott Wyman: “Pa said in his letter that you talked some of enlisting. Above all things, do not wait to be drafted, if it should come to that. A drafted man will be scorned by a volunteer regiment.”
By the fall of 1862 and into the next spring, the 100th OVI and other units stationed in Kentucky and Tennessee learned the hard way that disease and illness can also prove to be an effective killer. Frank Wyman noted that six Genoa soldiers lost their lives to sickness during one dark period. In the Ohio 100th, Henry Green, William Baker, and Robert Davis died in Lexington. Joel Long died at Camp Nelson. In other regiments, Charles T. Sweet of the 21st Ohio died June 17, and James Bennett of the Ohio 111th died July 7.
“Chickamauga” - The River of Death
By the fall of 1863, the Union was on the offensive and moved into northern Georgia with their eyes on Atlanta. However, just like Shiloh, the Confederates launched a surprise attack. It would become the second deadliest battle of the Civil War — the Battle of Chickamauga. The name means “River of Death” in Cherokee, and it would become just that — one of the worst blood lettings of the war as more than 34,000 casualties took place on both sides from Sept. 18-20.
The Ohio 14th was at the very front as Frank Wyman recounted his experience.
“The captain came up to me asking if I would take a few men and find out the position of the enemy. I took five men and went ahead. We went to the edge of the woods and then into the open through a cornfield, at the end of which was a worn fence … There in front of me was the enemy marching straight towards us in dress parade … I got down in a hurry and said to the boys, ‘For God’s sake, run! There is a whole Rebel army marching straight on us!’ They came so quietly that no one heard them. I got back to the company and we remained in the shelter of the trees. And then the fighting began. It was the fiercest fusillading. Our men lay on the ground on their stomach — the Rebels also. And that is the way we fought.”
The Ohio 14th took very heavy losses, including Genoa's Company A. Cyrus Mitchell Williams was severely wounded, Wood was captured, and William Scott was killed.
Frank Wyman: “William Scott was killed Saturday the 19th by a cannonball cutting his leg nearly off at the body. He lived but a few minutes. When I learned Billy was killed, I went and found his body and wrapped it up in my blanket, and had just gotten ready to bury him when our regiment was ordered to change positions. I was obliged to leave him unburied, and when I started to leave I took a long look at him and there was something warm running down my face but I could not help it. Sam Wood stayed on the battlefield with (Cyrus) Mitchell Williams and was captured.”
Cyrus Mitchell Williams and Joe Kirk Williams died of their wounds the next month. Wood was sent by train to Richmond, Va. to a Confederate prison. As a whole, the Union army narrowly avoided complete destruction and was able to retreat to Tennessee. When the situation stabilized, the Ohio 14th was sent home for a 30-day furlough.
Frank Wyman: “Our regiment boys are all talking about home and what a nice time they are going to enjoy among friends, and the sweet Buckeye lassies. We expect to start for home the first of next week.”
By January, their furlough train was arriving in Toledo to the cheers of thousands.
The Cleveland Weekly newspaper wrote the following on the arrival.
“Mothers, wives, and sisters wept tears of joy, some of bitter grief for among the gallant band came not one who had left in his price of manhood and his hopes of the future, never more to meet them on Earth again. Summit Street was gaily decked with flags and thronged with people.”
In Genoa, the 30 days passed quickly, but not without some well deserved fraternal merriment that was frowned upon by some local townsfolk, as described by Wyman.
“I learned from the letters of Genoa that the pious people of Genoa are very put out at the actions of the young people of that place. While the boys were at home, we were accused of dancing at Colonel Rundell’s one Sunday evening. I am so sorry we did so much evil.”
Wyman returned to Genoa with more than a penchant for sarcasm. While in town, he recruited Johann Heinrich Dreyer (age 16), William H. Coalwell (age 18), and Sam Wood’s younger brother — Francis “Frank” Wood (age 16), to join Company A.
As for Sam Wood, he was imprisoned in Richmond for 43 days, and then transferred to Danville. In February 1864, he escaped and traveled for weeks undetected through Virginia until he reached the safety of the Union lines.
His brother, Francis, wrote home with a simple request.
“If he comes home before he comes to the regiment, tell him to bring two blankets with him.”
All Eyes on Atlanta
In 1864, the Union troops — 110,000 men strong under the command of Ohio's William Tecumseh Sherman — made a determined push into northern Georgia. The Ohio 14th Infantry was among them.
The fighting was fierce, prompting concern from men in the 14th, who had younger brothers and friends in other units.
Frank Wyman: “I have seen the 100th Ohio several times in the last few days. The 100th is badly cut up, I learned. I have not heard of Elliot or any of the Genoa boys yet.”
Sam Wood: “I went to see the 100th regiment. I didn't see but two boys that I knew in the regiment. They was out on a scout. There has been 25 men killed and wounded in that regiment since they have been on the march.”
The concern was warranted as Sam Wood's young brother, Frank, just 16, would be handicapped for life during one of the battles.
Sam Wood: “Frank was wounded on the 2nd in the right arm. The ball passed through his arm very near his shoulder and shivered the bone very bad. There was several pieces of bone taken out. One piece that is about three inches long. I was with him when this was done. They first thought his arm would have to come off, but after they had him to sleep and examined his arm. They thought that they could save it.”
Frank Wyman, meanwhile, was able to finally meet up with his brother, Charles Elliott, when the two regiments were camped within miles of each. The brothers had a heart-to-heart talk over a cup of coffee amid the sound of gunfire.
Frank Wyman: The bullets were flying around now and then, nothing very serious, just some sharp shooting going on. I remember how well and how handsome he looked. He had just gotten back from recruiting, and had a new tailor-made uniform on. He was an orderly sergeant and in line for promotion to first lieutenant. We talked together as we sat drinking our coffee by the spring … He said ‘I do not like this war fraud. I am not a soldier from choice, but because I must fight for my country. But if every man would follow me, we could take Atlanta in twenty minutes. He talked on and then we parted, both heavy hearted.”
That was the last time Frank Wyman would see his brother.
Charles Elliot Wyman was killed at Utoy Creek on Aug. 6 in a barrage of bullets that cut down many others soldiers from the 100th OVI and left to die on the hillsides. The battle of Utoy Creek was costly with more than 100 men killed.
For Frank Wyman, it was a huge personal loss.
“I saw the Colonel (Frank Rundell) coming towards me, tears streaming down his face. He was my brother’s dearest friend. He put his arms around me and said: ‘Elliott is missing in between the lines, and we know he must be dead, for he would never be taken prisoner.’ The next day they found him with seven bullets in his body. I did not see him, I could not. I wanted to keep forever the blessed memory of the morning we drank our coffee under the willows and visited together.”
Sherman’s campaign on Atlanta pushed on, for the fate of the war hung in the balance. One month later, it was the Ohio 14th being called upon to storm Rebel fortifications at the Battle of Jonesborough.
Coalwell was there and lost a leg in the fierce battle. He later wrote the following.
“My leg was amputated below the knee. It is my right one, too. Well the devils thought that was not enough so they put a ball through the calf of my left leg and thanks to God I was not shot all to pieces while laying there, for the bullets flew so that I could lie and see them meet in the air.”
Coalwell was later rescued by a comrade who carried him to safety. He was discharged and sent home to Genoa. Sam Wood was also severely wounded during the charge, and returned home.
Soon, the final months of the war would bring about the fall of Atlanta, Sherman's March to the Sea and by April of 1865, the end of the war.
Many of the Northwest Ohio soldiers were able to bask for a brief moment in glorious sunshine of triumph.
After the war, many of these same soldiers would return to their families, home, and farms and spend the balance of their lives building a community.
In Genoa and Clay Township, they played active roles in the creation of public schools, a city government, churches, businesses, industries and social lives.
Their leadership also built the historic Town Hall, still impressive and functional today more than 140 years later.
The lives after the war will be the focus of our fourth part of the series next week.
