Morgan County
History of Morgan County, Ohio, with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Charles Robertson, LH Watkins & Company, 1886, pgs 177-79, 219-20
COMPANY E, 2d (WEST) VIRGINIA CAVALRY.
This company was recruited at McConnelsville, September 1, 1861, and went into camp at Parkersburg September 15. After being equipped it marched to Guyandotte, Va., where it was encamped until April 18, 1862, performing duty, scouting, drilling, etc. It was with the expedition to Prestonburg, Ky., January., 5, 1862, where the rebel general Humphrey Marshall was routed with his whole force. April 10, 1862, the company marched to the Kanawha Valley, and thence to Giles C. H., where it was engaged under General Williams. Being compelled to fall back, by reason of the superior numbers of the enemy, it retired to Princeton, and there joined the force under General Cox. After remaining two months at that place the force was ordered to Summerville, where it remained until September 2, 1862. When the federal forces retreated from the valley to Point Pleasant, October 20, 1862, they advanced up the Valley to Camp Piatt, and there remained until September 29, 1863. During this time the company was doing a great deal of picket and scouting duty. The expeditions of note were those of Sinking Creek, where the rebels were completely surprised, and nearly all of their equipage, stores, cattle and horses, captured; and of Lewisburg, May 2, 1863. September 29, 1863, the boys marched to Charleston, and were there brigaded under the command of Brigadier-General A. N. Duffie, doing duty of all kinds. November 3, 1863, they marched to Lewisburg, where the rebels were routed by General Averhill [sic] and their equipage and stores captured, also over one hundred head of cattle which the enemy were driving out of the county. The company marched over 5,500 miles and were engaged in the battles of Opequan, Fisher's Hill, Lynchburg, Cedar Creek, Waynesboro, Wytheville and Petersburg. The following humorous incident is furnished by R. L. Coburn, of Windsor: While in camp at Summerville, in the summer of 1862, they were commanded to fall back. At Gauley Bridge there were some quartermaster's stores which they were ordered to destroy, among which was a quantity of whisky. R L. Coburn was put in command of a squad of men for this purpose. One of his command was an Irishman by the name of Pat Bradley, who in spite of Coburn's commands drank a large quantity of the whisky. Hardly had they finished the work of destruction before the confederates began to shell them, and they were obliged to make a precipitate retreat, and old Pat, unable to ride or walk, was thrown into an ambulance drunk as a lord. After rejoining the company they were ordered to make a reconnoisance up the river. Mistaking some Union troops for rebels, a retreat was ordered, in which Coburn's horse fell and broke his neck, and pinning Coburn to the ground. Through the assistance of an orderly he got on his feet and joined the company, where he appropriated old Pat's horse. At daylight the next morning the rebels made a charge, and again the company retreated, and old Pat being without a horse seized the tail of the horse of William Lighthizer, in spite of his remonstrances, and thus made his escape. The next day Coburn reminded Pat of the good advice he had given him, but Pat, with his Irish shrewdness, insisted that it was not the whisky but the steam that had got up his nose that had inebriated him. Morgan County men who served with this organization were as follows:
OFFICERS.
Captain, Andrew Scott, res. 1862. Captain, Jeremiah Davidson.
First Lieutenant, Augustus A. Fouts, res. . March, 1862,
First Lieutenant, John D. Barber, (Monroe County.)
Second Lieutenant, Henry F. Swentzell.
Sergeant, Oliver Ong, pro to second lieut. and
assd, to Co, F: captured while guarding a train, April, 1863; released 1865.
Sergeant. Asa C. Rusk, wod.
Sergeant, Thomas E. Fisher, q.-m-s.; pro. to second lieut. and assd, to Co. F Nov. 8, 1864.
Sergeant, George P. Martin.
Sergeant, Warren Hedges, wod.
Sergeant, Thomas Crissman.
Sergeant, James Boyd.
Corporal, William Smith.
Corporal. John Allberry,
Corporal, Richmond L. Coburn.
Corporal, William H. McCarty.
Musician, John L. Dickerson.
Musician, Edward Hempfield.
Wagoner, William H. Hooker.
Blacksmith, Benjamin F. Fouts.
PRIVATES:
Allbery, Anthony.
Allbery, Joseph.
Colwell. James.
Davis, George.
Durbin, Samuel A., died at Gauley Bridge, Va.
Filkill, William II, died at Gallipolis, 0.
Grey, John W., dis.
Gilbert, Robert H.
Herron, James W.
Hartford, William N., killed July 6, 1862.
Irwin, Justus, cap. July, 1863; missing.
Jackson, Samuel C. captured at Cloyd Mountain in 1864; missing.
Lighthizer, William T.
Mossgrove, Thomas
McGrath, George
Oliver, Alexander
Patton, Ward
Ross, Thomas
Sheaffer, Joseph R.
Smith, Jacob
Timberlake, Lewis, killed at Big Sewell Mountain
Wickersham, Philip
OTHER:
Fleming, Mack 4th Cav.
Moore, Ed., ?Cav., Co. D
Robinson, L.L., ?Cav., Co. D