(Talk of the Town photo copyright Jennifer Zartman Romano) The Civil War Monument on the Whitley County Courthouse lawn, below, was dedicated by the GAR in 1896 to honor the many residents of this community who fought in the Civil War. On Saturday, the Whitley County Courthouse Lawn will be the site of a re-enactment and observation of the 150th anniversary of enlistment day in Whitley County.
By TR Smith of the Tribune-News
The Whitley County Historical Society plans an observation of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War this Saturday, April 16, 2011, from 2 to 5 p.m. on the courthouse lawn.
Reenactors will be roaming the grounds, presenting “call out” speeches and demonstrations. They love to talk about battles, conditions, uniforms and weapons. Period patriotic music will be performed. Stroll amid the Whitley County Museum displays.
More than 1,800 men from Whitley County signed up for the war. Many did not make it back home -- many were killed in action, especially at bloody Shiloh, died from wounds received in battle, disease or they simply deserted the Union Army.
The Adjutant General of the State of Indiana published two reports about the men and companies serving in the civil war. The first booklet was printed in 1856 listing officers. The second was printed in 1866 and listed the regular volunteers.
The men in Company B were mainly from the Pierceton area. Men in Company E volunteered from South Whitley, Columbia City and surrounding towns.
Go to www.civilwarindex.com/armyin/44th_in_infantry.html on the Internet to look at the records.
What follows is taken from that record providing a brief history of the 44th followed by officers and volunteers from the Whitko area. There are many recognizeable surnames.
The Companies composing the Fourth-Fourth Regiment were raised in the Tenth Congressional District and rendezvoused at Fort Wayne, where the organization of the regiment was completed on the 24th of October, 1961, with Hugh B. Reed as Colonel. In December it was transported to Indianapolis and from thence to Henderson, Kentucky. Reporting to Gen’l Thomas I. Crittenden, it was assigned to Gen’l Cruft’s brigade, and went into Camp at Calhoun, on Green River.
Here it remained until February, 1862, when it was transferred to Fort Henry and from thence to Fort Donelson, where it participated in the siege and battle at that place, suffering considerable loss in killed and wounded.
After the capitulation the regiment marched to Fort Henry, and from thence it was transported on steamers to Pittsburg Landing.
It was engaged on both days at the battle of Shiloh losing 33 killed and 177 wounded, making a total of 210. After this it marched on Corinth, taking part in several skirmishes before Cornith, and upon the evacuation of that place, joined in the pursuit of the enemy, going as far as Boonville.
Returning from this expedition it moved with Buell’s army into Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee, and when Bragg marched is army northward, it moved across the Cumberland Mountains to Nashville and thense to Louisville, Kentucky, reaching there on the 26th of September. In the campaign through Kentucky it was actively engaged, participating in the battle of Perryville and going as far as Wildcat in pursuit of Bragg.
Returning to the vicinity of Nashville, it participated in a skirmish on Russell Hill, at Silver Springs. About the 1st of December it went into camp near Nashville. From the 20th of August to the 1st of December the regiment marched over 725 miles, being an average march of 10 miles a day, and the whole performed without tents or shelter of any kind.
The Forty-Fourth moved with the army of the Cumberland toward Murfreesboro, where it participated in the battle of Stone River on the 31st of December, 1862, and the 1st and 2nd of January, 1863, sustaining losses as follows: 8 killed, 52 wounded and 25 missing, making a total loss of 85.
After remaining in camp near Murfreesboro for some months, it moved with Van Cleve’s division of Rosencrans’ army across the Cumberland Mountains to Chattanooga, going by the way of McMinnville, Dunlap, Jasper, Bridgeport, Shell Mound and Whiteside.
It particpated in the engagement at Chicamauga on the 19th and 20th of September, and on the 22nd, in connection with the Thirty-Ninth Indiana, fought the enemy again at Mission Ridge. In these engagements the regiment lost 3 killed, 59 wounded and 20 missing, making a total of 82.
About the middle of October it was assigned to provost duty at Chattanooga, and while there the regiment re-enlisted in January, 1864, and returned to Indiana, on veteran furlough, reaching Indianapolis on the 26th of January.
Returning to the field the regiment was again placed on provost duty at Chattanooga, on which duty it continued until the 14th of September, 1865, when it was mustered out of service.
It then returned home reaching Indianapolis on the 17th of September in command of Colonel Curtiss, whith 30 officers and 670 men.
Of these, 193 were original enlisted men, of whom 33 returned as commissioned officers, 89 as non-commissioned officers and 71 as privates.
The regiment, during its term of service, lost 350 in killed and wounded and 58 by death from disease.
In July, 1865, 360 remaining recurits of the Sixty-Eighth and Seventy-Second Indiana were transferred to the Forty-Fourth and these continued in service with the latter regiment until its muster out.
Just before its final discharge the Fourth-Fourth was present at a public reception given to returned troops in the Capitol grounds at Indianapolis, on which occasion it was addressed by Governor Morton, Generals Grose and Washburn and others.
To read the names of some of Whitley County's first enlistees, click the link below.
Forty-Fourth Regiment
Indiana Volunteers
Company E
Captain
William H. Cuppy, South Whitley, Sept. 20, 1861, Nov. 22, 1861, Deid of wounds, July 15, 1862
William Hilderbrand, Columbia city, Dec. 15, 1862, Jan. 20, 1863, Mustered out Dec. 5 1864
Oliver P. Koontz, Columbia City, Jan. 11, 1865, Jan. 16, 1865, Mustered out with Regiment
First Lieutenant
Issac N. Compton, Summit, Sept. 20, 1861, Nov. 22, 1861, Promoted
Francis McDonald, South Whitley, April 10, 1862, April 10, 1862, Resigned Nov. 14, 1862
William Hilderbrand, Columbia City, Nov. 15, 1862 Promoted to Captain
Andrew J. Reed, Liberty Mills, Dec. 15, 1862, Jan. 20, 1863, Mustered out Dec. 21, 1864John D. Spurgeon, Collamer, March 20, 1865, March 24, 1865, Mustered out with regiment
Second Lieutenant
Francis McDonald, South Whitley, Sept. 20, 1861, Nov. 22, 1861, Promoted to 1st. Lt
William Hilderbrand, Columbia City, April 10, 1862, May 15, 1862, Promoted to 1st Lt.
Stephen J. Compton, Summit, Dec. 15, 19862, Jan. 20, 1863, Resigned Jan. 10, 1864
William S. Bitner, South Whitley, March 20, 1865, March 24, 1865, Mustered out with regiment
ENLISTED MEN OF COMPANY “E”
Date of Muster, November 22, 1861
First Sergeant
Sickafoose, George South Cleveland Discharged April 28, 1962, disability
Sergeants
Jerome F Combs,South Whitley, Discharged August 8, 1962, disability
William HilderbrandColumbia City, Promoted, 2nd Lieutenant
James Compton, Summit, Promoted, 2nd Lieutenant
Henry Gray, Summit, Died at Calhoun, KY, February 19, 1862
Corporals
Samuel Havens, Liberty Mills, mustered out November 22, 1862
John Y Robbins,Liberty Mills, mustered out November 22, 1862
Warren Banta, Collamer, killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862
Hiram Smith, Collamer, died at Evansville, March 1, 1864
Henry Rupley, Summit, discharged August 8, 1862, wounded at Shiloh
John M Allbright, South Whitley, mustered out November 22, 1864
Stephen Circle, Collamer, discharged April 28, 1862, disability
James Collett, Collamer, Veteran, Mustered out Sept 18, 1865 as Sgt
Musicians
William Clapp, South Whitley, Discharged July 11, 1862, disability
Lafayette Parks, Lagrange, Died at Louisville, KY, June 30, 1862
Wagoner
Joshua Shaffer, Deserted June 25, 1862
Privates
Joseph Anderson, Summit, Discharged November 3, 1862, wounds
Andrew Arnold, Collamer, Discharged April 28, 1862, disability
Jay W Baker, South Whitley, Veteran, mustered out Sept 14, 1865 as Sgt
Adam Barsh, South Whitley, Mustered out November 22, 1864
Hiram F Biddle, South Whitley, Veteran, mustered out Sept 14, 1965 as Sgt
Isaac Byers, South Whitley, Discharged April 28, 1862, disability
Harvey W Boage, South Whitley, Veteran, mustered out Spet 14, 1965 as Sgt
Amos Bachtell, Summit, Deserted October 5, 1962
Ezra Buschnell, South Whitley, Discharged June 23, 1962, disability
Christian Burnsworth, South Whitley, Discharged April 28, 1862, disability
Frederick Banta, Veteran, mustered out Sept 14, 1865 as Cpl
Henry Brunerman, South Whitley, Died May 12, 1862
William S Bitner, South Whitley, Veteran, promoted 2nd Lieutenant
Samuel A Baker, Columbia City, Veteran, killed by cars January 30, 1865
Noah Brubaker, Discharged August 11, 1864, disability
Peter Boblett, Collamer, Discharged October 9, 1863, disability
Joseph W Compton, Summit, Veteran, mustered out Sept 14, 1865 as Sgt
Thomas Combs, South Whitley, Mustered out November 30, 1864
Joseph Carns, South Whitley, Died February 4, 1862
George Carns, South Whitley, Discharged April 7, 1862, disability
Appleton Cowen, South Whitley, Deserted Novmber 3, 1861
John M Collins, South Whitley, Missing in action at Chicamauga, Sep 15, 1863
John C Clapp, South Whitley, Mustered out November 22, 1864
Solomon Carpenter, South Whitley, Died March 15, 1862
James Carpenter, South Whitley, Missing in action, Chicamauga, Sep 19, 1863
Henry Dilater, South Whitley, Died February 8, 1862
Randolph Demmick, Summit, Deserted October 24, 1862
John Denney, Summit, Died in Andersonville Prison, June 19, 1864
John Goucher, South Whitley, Veteran, mustered out September 14, 1865
Asbury Grable, Died January 12, 1863, wounds at Stone River
Alexander Goff, Collamer, Discharged May 26, 1864, wounds
David Hale, South Whitley, Veteran, mustered out Sept 14, 1864
Nicholas Hapner, South Whitley, Discharged April 28, 1862, disability
George Holloway, South Whitley, Died in rebel prison, Danville, Va. Mar 7, 1864
William H Holderbaum, South Whitley, Deserted October 24, 1862
George G Hennemeyer, South Whitley, Died at Bowling Reen, KY, January 1, 1863
Martin Hathaway, Summit, Mustered out February 7, 1865
Job Haynes, Collamer, Deserted Novmber 24, 1861
Samuel Hazey, South Whitley, Mustered out November 22, 1862
Alonzo King, Summit, Discharged October 20, 1862, disability
Oliver P Kounts, Columbia City, Veteran, promoted to Captain
William A Kelsey, Arcola, Discharged July 23, 1962, disability
William Lesley, South Cleveland, Deserted August 20, 1862
Jackson Lippencott, Collamer, Veteran, mustered out Sept 14, 1865 as Cpl
Allen Myers, Collamer, Died at Calhoun, February 8, 1862
Theodore F Nave, South Whitley, Mustered out November 18, 1864
Simeon Oberhaltzer, South Whitley, Discharged January 9, 1864, disability
Henry Parrett, Liberty Mills, Died at Chattanooga, May 13, 1864
Cary Pimlat, South Whitley, Mustered out Novmber 22, 1864
Nelson Parrott, Summit, Killed at Fort Donelson, February 15, 1862
Joseph Parrott, Liberty Mills, Died March 9, 1862
William Prugh, Summit, Discharged January 12, 1864, disability
Andrew Reed, Liberty Mills, Promoted 1st Lieutenant
Henry Rhoades, Coesse, Disch’d May 26, 1864, wounded at Chicamauga
Joseph Rupley, Lagro, Mustered out November 22, 1864
Barrett Reckard, South Whitley, Veteran, trans to US Engineers, Aug 26, 1864
Elam Robbins, Collamer, Mustered out November 22, 1864
Amos Rodearmel, Summit, Mustered out November 22, 1864
Michael Sickafoose, South Cleveland, Discharged June 2, 1862, wounded at Shiloh
David Shaffer, Georgetown, Deserted February 9, 1862
Christopher Sanders, Mustered out Novmber 22, 1864
John Shaffner, South Cleveland, Mustered December 8, 1864
John D Spurgeon, Collamer, Veteran, promoted to 1st Lieutenant
William Stiver, South Whitley, Died December 6, 1861
Jacob Shoffer, South Whitley, Deserted December 4, 1861
Harrison Sayre, Columbia City, Transferred to Company “G”
Alfred Snyder, South Whitley, Discharged April 28, 1861, disability
James W Samuels, Summit, Died April 11, 1862
David Warts, South Whitley, Died December 8, 1861
George Webster, Summit, Mustered out December 12, 1865
William Youst, Huntsville, Deserted April 12, 1862
Recruits
Mustered in on various dates
John H Biddle, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865 as Cpl
Thomas Biddle, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865
Samuel Creager, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865 as Cpl
William Fox, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865
Eeauah Fletcher, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865 as Cpl
Noah Fletcher, South Whitley, Musered out September 14, 1865
William R Holloway, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865
William McKinney, Columbia City, Mustered out September 14, 1865
Samuel Pritchard, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865 as Cpl
John W Parrott, Liberty Mills, Died at Nashville, August 8, 1864
Israel Rhodes, Columbia City, Mustered out September 14, 1865 as Cpl
Theodore A Steward, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865
Henry Ulrich, South Whitley, Mustered out September 14, 1865
20 new members attended, with most leaving and having learned something new and exciting about their membership. The Ambassadors plan to offer the breakfast meeting periodically so that potential, new and existing Chamber members can discover ways to better leverage their membership in the growing organization. 
(Talk of the Town file photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano) 
located in Brown County. The second session will be held July 6-8 at Pine Creek Camp in Pine Village located in Warren County, serving the northern part of the state.
reed and Olivia Western with the Polish breed.