82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment at Chickamauga

JAMES DEMETRIS ROWLISON

OUR CIVIL WAR SOLDIER at The Battle of Chickamauga

I’ve told pieces of the story of my great, grandfather’s Civil War service and have distributed bits and pieces. His story deserves to be collected and preserved a single account and his descendants deserve a concise account of this story that can be preserved and passed on. – Jerrell R. (Jerry) Johnson, April 2020.

OUTLINE

Introduction

James’s own account of his service

An early Wikipedia entry on the 82^nd Indiana Infantry

Context of The Battle of Chickamauga in the Civil War

Comments on the Union Army organization and where James fit in.

INTRODUCTION

James Demetris Rowlison (1839-1890) was in Company A of the 82^nd Indiana Infantry from the beginning of the Civil War until the unit mustered out at the end of the war in 1865. He was one of two men who of Company A to serve in the unit for the entire war.

This account focuses on his participation in The Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1863 at Chickamauga Creek in Northwest Georgia, south of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

James D. Rowlison was the father of Maggie (Rowlison) Cassell > grandfather of Mildred (Cassell) Johnson > and great, grandfather of Jerry Johnson

NOTES ON SERVICE BY JAMES D. ROWLISON – His own account as preserved by Mildred (Cassell) Johnson.

            James D. Rowlison was born in Jefferson County, Indiana.  Enlisted, Fifteenth of August, 1862 at the age of Twenty-three years, in Co. A, 82nd Indiana Infantry, at Madison, Indiana.  Regiment mustered into U. S. Service the 22nd day of August with Morton C. Hunter as its Colonel, on the same day, it embarked for Louisville, Kentucky to meet Braggs invasion of Kentucky with 980 men, rank file.  (No uniforms had yet been given us) arriving about dark of the same day.

            Our first duty as warriors was under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Burbridge.  Our Brigade, known as the Burbridge Brig. was composed of the 80, 82, 87 Ind. and 104, Illinois.  We did duty together for about one month, when the Brig. was broken and we were assigned to the 1st Brig., 1st Div., 14th Army Corps.  Col. Walker 31 Ohio Brig. Com., Gen. Schoepff Div. Co., Gen. Geo. H. Thomas Corps Com.  The Brig. was composed of the 17th, 31st, 38th, Ohio, 82nd Ind. 12th Ky, and "C" 4th, Mich. Bat.  We remained in the same brigade and division until the Chickamauga battle when we formed a a part of the 1st Brig., 3rd Div., 14 A.C.  John Turchin Brig. Com., Absalom Barid Div. Com., John M. Palmer, Corps Com.  The Brigade composed of the following Reg'ts.  11th, 17, 31 89, 92, Ohio, 82 Indiana, 19, 24, Illinois, on the Atlanta Campaign (the 23 Mo. was added) when the 11th Ohio, 19 and 24, expired, after the fall of Atlanta, Gen. Turchin resigned.  Col. Hunter of 82 Ind. assumed command and continue to be the Brig. Com to the end of the war.  The 82 constructed more than two miles of earth works during her time of service, and never fired a shot at the enemy from behind one of the lines.  The regt. fought at Perryville, Ky, Stone's River, Tenn., Hoover Gap, Tenn., Tullahoma, Tenn., Chickamauga, Ga., Brown’s Ferry, Tenn., Mission Ridge, Tenn., Rocky Face, Ga., Resaca, Ga., Buzzard Roost, Ga., Snake Creek Gap, Ga., Big Shanty, Ga., Kennesaw Mt., Ga., Marietta, Ga., Etawa River (Etoway in diary) Ga., Peach Tree Creek, Ga., Atlanta, Ga., Jonesboro, Ga., besides a thousand skirmishes.  The Regt. never missed duty a day, never was driven from a single position asked it during the two years and ten months of Service.

            Now comes the master stroke of the war.  The march through Georgia to the sea.  The 82nd took an active part up to and including the capture of Savannah.  We cross the Savannah River into South Carolina, following the enemy until he surrendered.  The Regt. passed in Grand Review at Washington.  Arriving at the capitol of the state - Indianapolis we were mustered out the last of June, 1865.

            At Chickamauga September 18-21, 1863, the Regt. entered the fight with 240 men, rank and file, 40 of which was on the skirmish line, during the two day fight we lost 132 men (in killed, wounded and taken prisoner, 59 of which was killed outright.)  Co. A had 26 men for duty the morning of the Second day.  Lost 13 of them.  At the charge on Mission Ridge, November 25, 1863, the Regt. lost 30 men in killed and wounded.  Co. A. 2 killed at Rocky Face Ridge February 25, 1864.  The Lt. Col. and 35 men killed.  Co. A., 2 men slightly wounded.

AN EARLY WIKIPEDIA ENTRY ON THE 82^nd Indiana Infantry

82nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry

OVERVIEW:

Organized at Indianapolis and Camp Emerson and mustered in August 30, 1862. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., September 1. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, September, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Center 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 14th Army Corps, to June, 1865.

SERVICE:

Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-15, 1862. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Expedition toward Columbia March 4-14. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Hoover's Gap June 24-26. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-21. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Reopening Tennessee River November 26-29. Brown's Ferry October 27. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. Pursuit to Graysville November 26-27. Demonstrations on Dalton, Ga., February 22-27, 1864. Tunnel Hill, Buzzard's Roost Gap and Rocky Faced Ridge February 23-25. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1-September 8. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Advance on Dallas May 18-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June l0-July 2. Pine Hill June 10-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Utoy Creek August 5-7. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle ofJonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Operations in North Georgia and North Alabama against Hood September 29-November 3. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Fayetteville, N. C., March 11. Averysboro March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett's House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D. C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 19. Grand Review May 24. Mustered out June 9, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 65 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 170 Enlisted men by disease. Total 244.

 CONTEXT OF THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA

The 82^nd Indiana Infantry Regiment was mustered into the army in August 1862 from men in Jefferson County, Indiana. They first saw combat at the Battle of Stone’s River at Murfreesboro, Tennessee at New Years.

The family story is that James was struck by lightning at Murfreesboro. What injuries he must have incurred did not prevent him from serving in the army for the next two and a half years. The family story continues that he was never a healthy man, unable to work at 100% and that he applied, unsuccessfully, for a disability pension.

James died in 1890 at the age of 51 leaving his wife Rhoda (Walton) with 11 children, seven of them between 2 and 16 years of age. Rhoda did receive a widow’s pension of $12 a month for much of her later life. She died in 1932.

SPOILER ALERT! The Confederacy won the Battle of Chickamauga. MG Rosecrans, and James, had been tangling with General Bragg’s army from the middle of Tennessee to the southeast. Rosecrans was trying to engage and defeat the Army of Tennessee and give the Union its third major victory of the year after Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

The Battle of Chickamauga was a near standoff, and also a near rout of the Union forces. Watch for how James and the 82^nd Indiana had a role in averting that rout.

The Army of the Cumberland made it to safety in Chattanooga after the battle but were under siege there for several weeks, cut off and down to one-quarter rations for a time. General Grant arrived, opened the supply lines, reinforced the army, and engaged Bragg in the Battle of Chattanooga forcing the Confederates to begin their retreat to Atlanta.

The 82^nd Indiana and James played a role we can reconstruct at the battle on Missionary Ridge when they participated in the charge up that steep ridge in one of the more remarkable frontal assaults in military history. And that’s no hyperbole but it is another story.

COMMENTS ON THE ORGANIZATION OF UNION MILITARY UNITS and JAMES’S PLACE IN THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.

The videos and articles that are linked to this account describe the action in the battle generally by referring to the generals in charge of the units. Thus, it is necessary to identify James’s position in the army’s organization to be able to track where he was and what he was doing in the battle.

The document that identifies the relationships of military units here is the Order of Battle for the Union at The Battle of Chickamauga available at Wikipedia:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickamauga_Union_order_of_battle

The Army of the Cumberland under MG William Rosecrans (Union Armies were named after rivers.) facing the Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg (Confederates named armies after states – a later Union army was The Army of the Tennessee, named after the river).

The Union had four Corps in the battle:

XIV Corps under MG GEORGE HENRY THOMAS – James’s unit was in this Corps for much of this part of the war.

XX Corps under MG Alexander McCook

XXI Corps under MG Thomas Leonidas Crittenden

A Reserve Corps under MG Gordon Granger – they would be important to James’s situation late in the battle.

MG GEORGE THOMAS’s XIV Corps had four Divisions

First Division under BG Absolom Baird

Second Division under MG James S. Negley

Third Division under BG JOHN MILTON BRANNAN – James’s unit was in BRANNAN’s division.

Fourth Division under MG Joseph J. Reynolds

BG JOHN BRANNAN’s division had three Brigades:

1^st Brigade under COL JOHN M. CONNELL – James’s unit was in CONNELL’s brigade

2^nd Brigade under John T. Croxton (who was wounded – then Col William H. Hays)

3^rd Brigade under Col. Ferdinand Van Derveer

Plus there were three artillery batteries in the Third Division

COL JOHN CONNELL’s Brigade had four regiments:

82^nd Indiana Regiment under COL MORTON C. HUNTER – James’s regiment.

17^th Ohio Regiment under Ltc. Durbin Ward

31^st Ohio Regiment under Ltc. Frederick W. Lister

38^th Ohio Regiment under Col Edward H. Phelps – this regiment was detached and assigned to train guard – likely guarding the supply wagon trains. They did not fight with the rest of the brigade.

The list of enlisted men of the 82^nd Indiana is at 

https://civilwarindex.com/armyin/soldiers/82nd_in_infantry_soldiers.pdf

The accounts of the battle will usually track the action referring to the commanding generals of the Corps and the Divisions, rarely tracking the brigades and almost never referring to individual regiments. A major exception is the 82^nd Indiana Infantry Regiment – James’s regiment that distinguished itself at Chickamauga late in the battle at Snodgrass Hill.

There was a structure to regiments as well. Regiments were composed of Companies. James served throughout the war in Company A of the 82^nd Indiana. A newly formed regiment nominally consisted of ten companies of about 100 men each for a fighting force of 1,000 men. In James’s account above, he says that the regiment arrived at Chickamauga with 240 men. As men were killed, wounded, captured, or deserted during the war, the regiments were generally not replenished with new men. Brigade fighting strength was maintained by assigning additional regiments to a brigade.

As commander of the Army of the Cumberland, MG Rosecrans had a General Staff. His Chief of Staff was BG James A. Garfield who became the 20^th President of the United States in 1881. Other staff positions included an inspector general, quartermaster, provost marshal (milltary police) Staff Judge Advocate, Engineers, Surgeons, Chaplain, etc. There was a unit of cavalry and infantry and sharpshooters who were assigned to the commander’s headquarters.

Corps commanders had a provost guard (military police) and an escort unit that protected the headquarters.

Artillery batteries could be assigned to brigade commanders or to the division commander.

To recap, to follow James and the 82^nd Ind watch for:

THOMAS and the XIV Corps

BRANNON’s Division ---  Third Division

CONNELL’s Brigade  ---- 1^st Brigade

82^nd IND  --- 82^nd Indiana Infantry Regiment.

Also, watch for James Rowlison’s younger brother Manelburt Rowlison (age 21) and their cousin Alexander C. Rowlison who were in the 22^nd Indiana Infantry Regiment. Their units:

MCCOOK’s Corps  ---   XX Corps

DAVIS’s Division   ---  BG Jefferson C. Davis’s First Division – Union general, not president of the Confederacy

POST’s Brigade   ---   Col P. Sydney Post’s 1st Brigade

22^nd IND    ---  22^nd Indiana Infantry Regiment – Col Michael GOODING

Now to see what James was up to those days in September 1863:

This 53-minute youtube video describes the battle with lots of video of reenactment guys doing their thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG8mRV9shtE&t=331s

This hour-plus video is a Battle of Chickamauga Documentary with a shout-out to the 82^nd Indiana Infantry at about the 54-minute mark and a shot of the regiment monument at the Chattanooga – Chickamauga Battlefield Park.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZj9O-Ikm3M&t=3275s

This 22-minute video titled Chickamauga: Animated Battle Map illustrates unit movements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlJUuNny9mc

A history.com overview including the story of George Thomas becoming the “Rock of Chickamauga”

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-chickamauga

“Thomas organized the remaining Federals in a desperate Union stand, earning a lasting reputation as the “Rock of Chickamauga” for his efforts.”

Questions: How did the 82^nd Indiana play a part in BG Thomas earning that reputation and why is this imposing monument to the 82^nd IND on the Chickamauga Battlefield?

The description of the 82^nd Indiana Infantry monument reads: “This monument to a 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment is in recognition of their service during the during the Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863. The regiment was commanded by Colonel Morton C. Hunter. This is one of three monuments to the 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment on the battlefield.”

What happened? The text on the rear of the 82^nd IND’s monument reads:

When the front line was driven from the works by Longstreet’s fierce attack, just before noon, Colonel Hunter ordered the 82nd, to charge, which it did in gallant style, recapturing and holding the works, but being Immediately outflanked and almost surrounded, it fell back fighting until it reached the site of this monument at a little after 12 M.

The 82nd was the first Regiment of Brannan’s division that formed a line of battle on Snodgrass Hill, which line was firmly held against all assaults until night put an end to the battle.

Killed 20; wounded 68; missing 23.

A second marker on the battlefield honors the Connell Brigade under the command of Col. John
M. Connell

This third marker on the Chickamauga battlefield designates the 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment.

As described in the Animated Video (15-minute point), further south, one-third of the union army is forced off the field in a rout including Rosecrans, McCook and Crittenden leaving Thomas on the field. Note that Manelburt Rowlison and the DAVIS Division is clobbered when Longstreet breaks through the Union lines.

Union forces under General THOMAS, Wood and BRANNON needed to hold their position or, as the narrator states, the Union disaster will be complete.  

The 82^nd IND is credited with being the first regiment-sized unit to take a stand on Snodgrass hill where small groups of soldiers joined them to resist the charging rebels.

General Granger’s reserves joined, and the Army of the Cumberland made its last Chickamauga stand on Snodgrass Hill and Horseshoe Ridge until late afternoon when Major General THOMAS order the retreat toward Missionary Ridge and Chattanooga to begin.

Almost all of XIV Corps was able to retreat safely except for the 22^nd Michigan and the 21^st and 89^th Ohio regiments which were all lost, killed or captured.

Accounts refer to the 82^nd as the first regiment-sized unit to take that stand on Snodgrass Hill. How large was this regiment at this time?

James Rowlison tells us that the 82^nd had 240 men at the beginning of the battle. The 82^nd IND monument’s inscription lists 20 killed, 68 wounded, and 23 missing – that’s 111 lost leaving 129 at the end of the battle. James’s account was 132 lost during the two days.

In any event, we can guess that the 82^nd probably had no more than 150 or so men when it made that stand on the afternoon of September 20.

That small group of men, including our X times great, grandfather is credited with being the foundation of the stand on Snodgrass Hill which, with the stand on Horseshoe Ridge allowed the bulk of the Army of the Cumberland to retreat from the battlefield to safety eventually in Chattanooga. There the army regrouped and began their breakout at Brown’s Ferry on October 27 and at the Battle of Chattanooga and Ringgold on November 23-27 leading to the defeat of the Confederacy in Georgia and the southeast.

We can point to Civil War history that clearly shows that Corporal James D. Rowlison deserves to be remembered as having played a real and significant role in the success of the Union Army.

The Rowlison story had yet another distinguished chapter two months later.

After breaking the siege of Chattanooga, the Army of the Cumberland attacked Bragg’s army at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. There were shakeups in command before that happened.

President Lincoln assigned MG Ulysses S. Grant as Commander of the Military Division of the Mississippi, a new command. General Grant dismissed MG Rosecrans and replaced him with James Rowlison’s Corps commander, MG George H. Thomas. The new order of battle for following James in the videos about Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge is:

MG George H. THOMAS – Army of the Cumberland

XIV Corps – MG John M. PALMER

Third Division – BG Absalom BAIRD

1^st Brigade – BG John  B Turchin

82^nd IND  -  Col Morton C. HUNTER

The story of the frontal attack by troops from the Army of the Cumberland at Missionary Ridge is a classic in military history.

Troops from the Army of the Mississippi, fresh from their resounding victory at Vicksburg arrived in Chattanooga to reinforce Rosecrans's troops and troops from Army of the Potomac arrived from their even more honored victory at Gettysburg. Soldiers from each of those armies were not bashful in their treatment of the Rosecrans army after their defeat at Chickamauga.

General Grant began breaking the siege with a battle at Brown's Ferry which the 82nd IND had a part in.

After the Union prevailed at Lookout Mountain, General Grant planned the attack at Missionary Ridge. General Sherman and his army was to attack the left end of the ridge. General Hooker was to attack the south end of the ridge. General Thomas was now in command of the Army of the Cumberland and they were given a "token" assignment to make a "demonstration" against fire pits at the base of the ridge. This assignment did not sit well with the troops who had taken that beating at Chickamauga. They expected an opportunity to redeem themselves.

The Sherman attack bogged down on the left; the Hooker attack on the right was not making progress.

General Thomas's troops took the Confederate positions at the base as the rebels began to retreat up the hill. Thomas's troops, including the 82nd Indiana Regiment in General Turchin's brigade were taking fire from rebels at the top of the ridge.

General Turchin is credited with being the first of the subordinate commander to give the order to attack up this steep 400 foot slope to the top of Missionary Ridge sending his 1st Brigade up the hill. The 82nd Indiana was in his brigade along with the 11th, 17th, 31st, 36th, 89th, and 92nd Ohio Regiments.

The rest of General Thomas's XIV followed. The Union soldiers, including Corporal James D. Rowlison pushed the rebels up the hill and turned right chasing them south along the top of the ridge and pursued the rebels to the east. The sound of the Rebel Yell had filled the air at Chickamauga two months earlier as the Confederates celebrated their victory. The Union soldiers chasing the rebels at the top of Missionary Ridge took up a celebratory scream, "CHICKAMAUGA!" "CHICKAMAUGA!" "CHICKAMAUGA!"

Generals Grant, Thomas, and Granger were positioned a distance back watching the action and were surprised, more likely stunned to see the 25,000 Union troops begin to charge up that hill.

General Grant asked Thomas if he'd given an order to advance past the fire pit. Thomas said he hadn't Grant asked Granger who also denied it but added, "Once those boys get started, even Hell can't stop them" or words to that effect.

Order of Battle at Missionary Ridge

The 22nd Indians Infantry was in Turchin's Brigade, Baird's Division on the left flank, Turchin n Baird's right nest to Wood's Division's left. Accounts credit General Turchin with being the first of the subordinate commanders to order his troops up the ridge.

Observers saw inverted "V" formations with the standard bearers at the apex carrying the flag as soldier's fanned out on either side. As the standard bearers fell, other soldiers picked up the flag and took the lead at the front of their "V". 

Brother Manelburt Rowlison and cousin Alexander with the 22nd Indiana Infantry were in Sherman's Brigade on the right flank of General Philip Sheridan's Division toward the south end of the echelon. 

Fun piece of information:  Brig. General John Basil Turchin’s real name was Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov, also known as “The Mad Russian.” He was a major in the Imperial Russian Army and fought in Hungary and in the Crimean War. He met U.S. officers in Crimea and after emigrating with his wife Nadezhda Antonina L’vova they settled in Chicago where he joined that army when the Civil War began. He began as commander of the 19^th Illinois infantry, his contacts from his Crimea days probably helping.

Turchin’s wife, now known as Nadine Lvova Turchin traveled with him during the war (completely against all rules) at times serving as his surrogate in command of his troops when he was ill. The troops referred to her as Madame Turchin. Nadine Turchin kept a diary, the only Union female diarist of the Battles of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge.

Shall we speculate about how much James Rowlison knew about Madame Turchin after General Turchin became his brigade commander and what he thought of her?

Confederate Cavalry General Nathan Bedford Forrest may have been one of the most successful generals in Bragg's army. After the war, he was an early member of the Ku Klux Klan and became one of the klan leaders by the 1868 presidential campaign. He is believed to have been the first "Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan" the title stemming from his wartime nickname as the "Wizard of the Saddle."