Many thanks for the following (edited) account of the history of the 142nd which was submitted by David McKay (mckay@gatecoms.gatecom.com)

In the summer of 1864, Ohio's Governor Blough called for 35,000 volunteers. These men were to serve for 90 days and then be discharged. Under a volunteer status they were only to be used in case the need arose to protect the home front. However, it soon became apparent that troops were needed to perform routine guard and picket duty for the various campaigns. So, the regiment was nationalized. On May 12, 1864 a group of 845 men from Knox County were mustered into the 142nd Regimentof the National Guard.

The One Hundred and Forty Second Regiment'sactivities according to Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 2, Dayton, Ohio, By Frederick H. Dyer is very sketchy. Ohio in the War: Her statesmen, Her Generals and Soldiers,Vol 2. Cincinnati, Ohio, by Whitelaw Reid is more detailed. These two sources plus the Analysis of U.S.War Department, War of the Rebellion, A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Washington,1880-1901 all give a better picture of what happened for 100 days of active duty of the 142nd. The Regiment was organizedat Camp Chase, Ohio, and mustered in May 12 or 13, 1864, depending on the source. [ editor's note: The regiment was composed of the 22 Battalion, OH National Guard, from Knox County; 68 Battalion, OH National Guard, from Williams County; and a part of the 69 Battalion OH National Guard, from Coshocton County.]

Most of the following was taken from
Ohio in the War.

" On the 14th ( the 142nd) was marched through the streets of Columbus to the State Arsenal, where it was supplied with Springfield muskets. Thence it took cars (railroad) to Martinsburg, Virginia, (now West Virginia) where it remained drilling until the 19th of May and then left for Washington City; but meeting with detention at Harper's Ferry, on account of the bridge being destroyed at that point, it did not reach the capital until the 21st."

According to the Official Record on May 22 , correspondence from Brigadier General G.A. DeRussy to Lt. Col. J.H. Taylor, Chief of Staff and Assistant Adjutant-General " Colonel: Since the departure of Tannatt's and Abbot's brigades and the Ninth New York Artillery, I have assigned the troops reporting to me, and exchanged some of the Second Pennsylvania and Tenth New York Artillery, as follows: From Fort Smith to Fort Albanly and interior works all included, Col. John C. Lee 164th Ohio, commanding 9 officers and 486 (men); 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery, 145th and 146th Ohio about 1700 (men). From Richmond to Rogers and all included, Colonel Piper, 10th New York Artillery, distributed 16th Indiana [Battery] and 3rd Massachusetts; in Scott and Berry, 166th, 136th, and 142nd Ohio, Colonel Gibson's command consists of two battalions of his regiment, one company 13th New York Cavalry.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G.A. De Russy, "
Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

In a footnote to this May 22, 1864, order from Headquarters, Arlington, VA. the 2nd Brigade was assigned to the following forts "...at Battery Rodgers, and Forts Barnard, Berry, Ellsworth, Farnsworth, Garesche, Lyon, O'Rorke, Reynolds, Richardson, Scott, Ward, Weed, Willarld, Williams, and Worth. "

Thus, col. William C. cooper and his 142nd Regimentfind themselves at fort Lyon as per the OFFICIAL RECORD and attached to the 2nd Brigade under Col. W. Smith Irwin. In a later listing the second Brigade was changed to the 3rd .
General De Russy was commanding all volunteers and he had a tremendous task of assigning the various volunteer groups to units where needed. De Russy's division was made up of serveral units. The 142ndwas marched to Fort Lyon nine miles from Washington. They did not get to the Fort until late at night. There were no quarters so the men made their bed rolls and tried sleeping on the ground.
According to Reid's OHIO IN THE WAR" the regiment remained at Fort Lyon, busily engaged in strengthening the fortifications and perfecting it's drill, until the 5th of June when orders were received to report to General Abercrombie at White House Landing on the Pamunkey River.
These orders must have percipitated a letter written by Henry L. Curtis, of Mt. Vernon, to his parents and which ultimately ended up in the COLUMBUS JOURNAL a Republican Paper, and then copied in the DEMOCRATIC BANNER. The letter is as follows:

On Board U.S. Transport WINONA
Wednesday, June 8, 1864

Dear Parents:---I wrote you just as we were starting on this new expeditions, from Fort Lyon.

No doubt your minds are full of anxiety about me, but I hope I will be able to write you often and soon that we are again quartered.

It is too late or not the proper time to question whether we have been wronged or not. It is for Gov. Blough to watch that the faith he reposed in President Lincoln is not abused. Of course it would be outrageous to send such troopas ours--unacquainted with battalion drill--directly into the front with old veterans. disaster and disgrace would be likely to follow, however brave the men, to say nothing of the injustice and breach of faith.

The probibility is they will not do it, but that our duty will be to guard the base of supplies or keep up the lines of cummunication.

Our regiment is perfectly willing to do this or anything in the line of duty they out to perform.

H.L. C.


..............to be continued.............