Robert
Simpson and Nancy Ellen Leach
Early Life
Robert
Simpson was born in Jefferson Co., KY, on June 21, 1841.[1]
Robert's father, Hedgman Simpson, was born in VA in about 1788. He served in
the War of 1812, enlisting in Wood Co. in what is now WV and seeing duty at
Fort Meigs near present-day Toledo, OH.[2]
Hedgman
was married and had at least one child, Hedgman S., before leaving VA. A second
known child, presumably by the same wife, Sanford, was born in Jefferson Co.,
KY between 1834 and 1836.[3]
That wife died, perhaps as a result of Sanford’s birth. With a small child to
raise, Hedgman quickly remarried. His new bride was PA-born Mildred Holmes.[4]
The wedding took place on July 20, 1838.[5]
Mildred soon gave birth to a daughter, Martha (1840), and son, Robert (1841).
The marriage likely took place in KY. The union was short-lived, with Mildred's
death probably occurring in about 1845. Oral tradition says that Mildred died
when the team of horses pulling her wagon bolted, and she was thrown to the
ground. Then on October 8, 1845, in Jefferson Co., KY, Hedgman remarried.[6]
The new bride was PA-born Rachel White, who was to be the only mother that
Robert knew.
[1]
I have seen many trees where Robert has the middle name “Rupert” or “Rupbert”.
I have asked many researchers where such information came from (i.e., where is
the documentation?). So far, every last person to have responded simply says
that they copied it from another website (that had the name but did not
identify a source). I have all of the usual sources: census, death certificate,
military file, pension file, widow’s pension file, marriage licenses, deeds,
newspaper stories, tombstone inscription, etc. I have also seen a transcript
from his family Bible. None listed “Rupert” or “Rupbert”. If you know of a
source, please advise.
[2]
The 1810 VA census for Wood Co. does not record any Simpson families, but it
does mention the presence of the Robert "Simson" family on page
eight. The reader should be aware that the spelling of any particular name was
pretty much the domain of the census taker. Robert “Simson” is listed as being
over 46 years of age, and there are, amongst his household, three males between
the ages of 16 and 26. In 1810, Hedgman would have been 22 years old. The fact
that one of Hedgman's sons is later named Robert is only interesting
speculation at this point; the name "Robert" is far too common to
draw firm conclusions. In the 1820 Wood Co. census, there is a Robert Simpson on
page 26. This seems to confirm the above assumption about census takers. Robert
is simply listed as being over 46 years of age with one male at home between 26
and 45. Hedgman would have been 32 years old at that time.
[3]
As elsewhere, I have used the spelling ‘Sanford’. ‘Santford’ and ‘Sandford’
appear as alternate spellings in many documents.
[4]
Robert gives his mother’s birthplace as KY in some census records and PA in others.
[5]
A family Bible belonging to Robert Simpson gave the date of the marriage
between Hedgman Simpson and Mildred Holmes. As Sanford had been born in
Jefferson Co., KY in 1834-1836 and Robert was born there in 1841, it is likely
that the wedding occurred there as well. The last I knew of that Bible, it was
in the possession of Robert's daughter Margaret Irene Cummings, who died on
December 13, 1983, in Sanford, FL.
[6]
Jefferson Co., KY, Marriage Records, Book IV, May 1842 to July 1949, page 93,
Hedgeman Simpson marries Rachel White on October 8, 1845; Pleasant Paris
performed the ceremony. Daniel Knapp was the bondsman. It is odd to note that
the license was issued in Bullitt Co. (just south of Jefferson Co.) on October
6th. That record was ultimately filed in the Jefferson Co. records where the
marriage took place.
Page -2-
Ohio Co., KY in about 1848.[7] It was probably there that Robert first went to school and, like his father before him, learned to read and write.[8]Few
facts are known of the next eleven years of Robert's life. From his pension
files we can infer that the family lived in one community somewhere in the
Cromwell post office district from the time of their arrival until the War. In
addition to school, we know that young Robert healthy and active young man. One
neighbor would later recall his participation in log rolling contests.
Civil War
1861
With
the outbreak of the Civil War in the Green River counties in the fall of 1861,
Robert and half-brother Sanford went to war.[9]
They signed up in Hartford on October 3, 1861, for a three-year stint with a KY
state militia regiment formed by West Point graduate John H. McHenry for
support of the Union. Privates Robert and Sanford Simpson were assigned to
Captain Hudson's Company of the 17th Regiment of the KY Voluntary
Infantry.[10]
This subsequently became known as Company D.
Only the barest of military training had been conducted when the word came that Confederates were heading north to defeat the fledgling force before their preparation was complete. No doubt the alarm was great given the fiasco at Bull Run the preceding spring when raw Yankees were thrashed. However, Confederate soldiers were little better prepared, and when they met on October 29th near Morgantown in Butler Co., a standoff ensued. The bulk of the Union forces were led along the north bank of the Green River towards the town of Woodbury in Butler Co. Colonel McHenry and the 17th had crossed the river, intent upon making their way along the south bank. As they came to the spot that would become known as Big Hill, they encountered a small Confederate patrol. In the ensuing skirmish, three men from both sides were wounded. A friend of Robert's, Private Granville Allen, fell fatally wounded. Granville and three others had been deployed about 40 yards out in front of McHenry's mainline. As Rebel horsemen approached, the four took cover behind trees. At some point during the subsequent exchange, Allen stepped out from his cover and was instantly killed.[11] The body was quickly taken back to the Regiment's camp near Cromwell.[12] This being the first death due to conflict in the regiment and in the region, a man was sought to bear the body and the bad news back home to Beaver Dam.[13] Robert, being a close friend, volunteered.
[7]
Robert recounts in his pension file that he moved to Ohio Co. when he was
about 6 years old, i.e,. 1848. The reason for this move is not clear. It may be
that Hedgman had remained in Jefferson Co. to be near his son, Hedgman S., and
then chose to relocate near other relatives after the death of Hedgman S.
[8]
The absence of Robert from the 1850 census is an enigma. Also missing are
Sanford, Martha and Elizabeth. They may have been omitted by mistake, or perhaps
they were away with relatives.
[9]
Military record, Robert Simpson, 17th Regiment of the KY Voluntary Infantry,
Company H, 8 sheets. There is an index card (by which the clerks kept track of
the muster roll cards, personal papers and any medical papers on file) and
several pages of muster roll data.
[10]
Compendium of the War of Rebellion, pages 1204 and 1205. These pages give
almost a day-by-day account of the activities and whereabouts of the Ky 17th
during the War. Available online at the Library of Congress.
[11]
Hartford Republican, April 22, 1904, page 8. Another more detailed version of
the story appeared in the Hartford Republican on May 27, 1904, page 8.
[12]
War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies,
Series I, Volume 4, pages 219-225. Robert served under Col. John McHenry. His
report is on page 221. This section also includes accounts from two CSA
regiments.
[13]
A Hundred Miles, A Hundred Heartbreaks, by John A. Blackburn, Reid Printing
Co., Fordsville, KY, 1972, pages 22-23. The story of "Robert (Bob)"
and Granville Allen is given on pages 22-23. Some sources have claimed that
Granville was the first KY soldier killed in the war, though other sources
refute this point. Granville was the 35-year-old son of Henry and Jane Allen.
He left a widow, Jane English Allen, and at least one child. The book also
contains a muster roll of the KY 17th (pages 200-279). Each name is
listed with some commentary on the soldier, when known. Robert was incorrectly listed
as being in Company B. His half-brother, Sanford, is listed as
"Sansfor".
Page -3-
Dressed in his still new uniform, Private Simpson took an
ox cart and made the short journey, arriving during church services.
Understandably, Robert's appearance with the body of one of the young men of
the town caused a considerable stir. Granville was buried in the Leach cemetery
near Rosine and Robert returned to his company.[14]
The
day after the skirmish at Big Hill, the remainder of the Union forces went on
to Woodbury and engaged the Rebels, but the 17th took no part in
this action. These engagements must have made it clear that these regiments of
novices were in some danger if engaged by an experienced Rebel force.
Consequently, they retired thirty miles to the northwest to Camp Calhoun along
the Green River in McLean Co., KY to finish their training. At Calhoun, measles
and pneumonia swept through the troops, leaving many disabled and requiring
many to be discharged. It was a scene that would become common in the early
part of the war.
1862
It
was at Camp Calhoun that McHenry's 800 men were mustered into Federal service
on January 4, 1862. Later that month, now smartly drilled, the 17th was
sent by steamboat to join the command of General Grant in the assault on Fort
Henry. Fort Henry, along with Fort Donelson, had been established by the
Confederacy early in the war to ward off a two-pronged attack by the Union into
the heart of the South up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.[15]
Not only were the rivers the gateway to the heartland of the South, but in 1860 they were the focal point of that region's burgeoning industry. In 1860, the
Cumberland River valley alone could boast of 39 furnaces, 13 forges, and 3
rolling mills.[16]
The
Cumberland and the Tennessee rivers run parallel to one another from south to
north as they cross the state of KY. Inside of the KY line, the rivers at one
point are only three miles apart. At this location, mutual defense of the
facilities would have been possible. But the South had to decide where to
locate the forts while KY was still proclaiming its neutrality. Thus, instead
of the KY location, the forts were some fifty miles upstream in TN. Here they
were separated by 12 miles and could not share in one another's defense. Worse
still (for the sake of the Confederate commander of Fort Henry) was the fact
that the fort was located on low ground, was dominated by the heights across
the river, and was subject to flooding when the rain came. In the dour opinion
of the Confederate commander concerning the siting of Fort Henry, there was in
"the history of military engineering no parallel to this case".
[14]
War Comes to Butler County, Richard J. Reid, Sandefur Offset Printing,
Fordsville, KY. This booklet also contains a somewhat detailed account of the
events leading up to the skirmish at Big Hill (Woodbury, KY) in which Granville
Allen was killed. It also includes the account of Robert's role in the return
of the body to Ohio Co. and its burial in Leach Cemetery.
[15]
Forts Henry and Donelson, The Key to the Confederate Heartland, Benjamin
Franklin Cooling, University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 1987. Fort Henry
now lies below Kentucky Lake, though some of its outposts have been preserved.
Fort Donelson is a part of the National Park system. It was at Donelson that
Grant would settle for nothing less than 'unconditional surrender', a phrase
with which he would forever be associated.
[16]
Details of the Fort Henry assault are also drawn from the report of Col.
McHenry, Seventeenth KY Infantry, Fort Henry, Tennessee, February 18, 1862, War
of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series
I, Volume 7, pages 249-250.
Page -4-
On
the morning of February 3rd, the Union regiments (including the 17th)
left Paducah, KY with four ironclad gunboats in the lead. They steamed
southward up the Tennessee (which had risen 14 feet during January rains). What
ensued at Fort Henry was largely a naval operation, with the guns of the fort
able to inflict little damage on the ironclads. By two o'clock on the 6th the
Confederates had surrendered to the gunboats. The latter, due to the high
water, could fire on the fort at almost point-blank range. The Union infantry,
which never got off a shot, was still toiling through the mud. One division
moved toward the empty heights which overlooked the fort, the other was bogged
down in the backwater of Panther Creek. The Third Division (Robert's) seems not
to have arrived on the scene until after the surrender.
Following
this victory, Grant's First and Second Divisions hurriedly began the short
overland journey to Donelson, while the Third Division (under General Lew
Wallace) was reloaded on the boats and steamed back down the Tennessee and up
the Cumberland to get to Fort Donelson.[17]
In an effort to get to Donelson before the facility could be effectively
re-enforced, the Divisions moved without benefit of their camp baggage. Given
the spring-like weather, many of the northern men shed their coats since they
were 'in the south'. When the first two Divisions arrived, Grant positioned
them in a crescent shaped line which followed the gradual bend of the
Cumberland. On the 13th, the weather abruptly changed, and the temperature
dropped to a bone chilling 12 degrees. Without coats and tents, the men
suffered greatly.[18]
The
Second Division held the left end of the line, while the First Division
occupied the right extreme close to the town of Dover. Robert's Division had
not yet arrived. Grant hoped to contain the Rebels with his infantry and then
repeat the naval victory enjoyed at Fort Henry with the gunboats once again
leading the attack. His orders were to contain but not engage. However, on the
13th, both First and Second Division commanders essentially ignored
that restraint and thrust forward. A general conflict erupted all along the
lines. At the end of the first day, it was clear that Donelson would not be
like Henry.
Here
the lay of the land and the river were more favorable to the defenders. The
narrow channel at Donelson meant that the gunboats were forced in close to the
fort before they were able to render it harmless. On the second day of the
battle, February 14th, the Federal Navy, fighting without the
coordinated assistance of the Army, was repulsed and effectively taken out of
the remainder of the siege. It was early on this second day of the battle that
the steamers arrived with the KY 17th. The Third Division moved to
fill the gap in the center of the Union line and set up camp for the cold night
ahead.
On the 15th, the KY 17th left their camp intact. Around 8:45 a.m., hearing brisk fire to their right, they moved to support the assault. In a short time, they were surprised by enemy fire on their right flank and driven back. The ensuing hot skirmish took place at their campsite and "resulted most disastrously to our knapsacks and blankets, which had been left hanging upon the trees". The 17th, along with the 25th KY, had become separated from the bulk of Wallace's Division and would spend the remainder of the battle supporting the First Division.
[17]
During the Fort Henry and Fort Donelson campaigns, Robert was serving under
future US President U. S. Grant. Robert was in the Third Division, which was
commanded by Lew Wallace. After the war, Wallace would become famous as the
author of Ben Hur.
[18]
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, daily observation sheets for
Clarksville, TN completed for the Smithsonian Institution, 1862, two pages.
Clarksville is about 25 miles east of Fort Donelson and 35 from Fort Henry. The
low temperature recorded in Clarksville was 10.3 degrees F at 7 am on the
morning of the 15th. The morning of the 14th it was only 11 degrees F at the
same time. By contrast, it had been 54 degrees F at 7 am on the 13th.
Page -5-
The lines of the two forces were in full view and range of one another for hours. As a result, the fighting was described as very severe. For a time, it looked as if the Rebels would rout Grant's forces, finding success on the left and right. By noon they ran out of steam and the assault failed when more members of Wallace's Third Division were deployed to assist the First Division. Coupled with his support was a communications breakdown in the Confederate command. Later that day, the Second Division would storm Rebel positions in front of the fort to their left and take them by the bayonet. After that drive stalled, the Third Division (Robert's) launched an assault and drove on the right end of the Rebel line. The 17th KY’s support of the right extreme of the line in the early part of the day undoubtedly played an important role as two other regiments of the First Division were driven from the field. By nightfall, the Rebel command had lost heart and held a war council to discuss surrender. The surrender came during the night, catching many of the Union forces by surprise on the morning of the fourth day. The decision was far from unanimous, with many soldiers angered at the failure of will of their leaders. Confederate Cavalry Colonel, Nathan Forrest, refused to be a party to the surrender and took his men and numerous foot soldiers and easily broke out and headed for Nashville.
During
the course of the three-day battle, the temperature had plummeted to five above
zero. Dead and wounded froze in the mud where they fell. Much of the fourth day
would be spent by both sides in the gruesome task of tending to the fallen. In
the end, four of Robert's comrades died and thirty-four were wounded, but many
more suffered from exposure. With the surrender of the fort, the 17th
KY marched into the nearby town of Dover to the tune of Yankee Doodle, meeting
with a cold reception from the local populace.
After
Donelson, the South seemed wide open to the Yanks. Many expected a swift end to
the war. Grant, who had held this opinion for a short while, would soon attempt
to make the best of the opening by giving quick pursuit. The forces were
transported up the Tennessee River to a place called Pittsburg Landing, not far
above the TN/MS state line. From there they planned to march on the city of
Corinth, MS, a major rail junction. With the Union troops perched precariously
along the banks of the river, camp diseases again inflicted a toll that the
Rebels had heretofore been unable to match. Measles and mumps spread like
wildfire among men who had lived in relative isolation and who knew nothing of
vaccinations. From this, Robert was not spared and quickly came down with the
mumps. On the very eve of the terrible battle of Shiloh, Robert and almost
two-thirds of McClean's men were unfit for duty. On Sunday morning the Regiment
had to endure a 'terrible artillery' barrage. This they survived only to have
to fight off a flanking action by a Rebel infantry column. They fought until
their cartridge boxes were exhausted and then moved to a new position. Late in
the day, the 17th KY was combined with the 25th KY, the
latter having been decimated and having lost much of its command structure.[19]
On Monday the 7th the regiment spent yet another night in the field in a cold pouring rain, without protection. Their strength was reduced to less than half of what it had been on the 6th because of disease, exposure, exhaustion, wounds and death. The few remaining effectives were literally fighting for their lives as the Rebels launched a desperate charge around 10 am.
[19]
Information regarding the actions at Shiloh are partly drawn from the report of
Col. McHenry, Seventeenth KY Infantry, Camp Pittsburg, TN, April 1862, War of
the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I,
Volume 10, Part I, pages 240-242.
Page -6-
They sought to drive
the Union into the Tennessee River. The
Rebels, so close to victory on the 6th, were driven back and the tide was
turned.
Eighteen
men of the 17th lay dead, and sixty-nine were wounded. Robert's role
in the battle was uncertain. At some time during their stay at Shiloh, the
mumps 'dropped' on Robert and his right testicle became swollen and inflamed.
Without a doubt, he was or was soon to be in serious condition, yet he refused
to go to the hospital. Instead, he sought refuge with his half-brother, Sanford,
who had been detached from his normal duties on April 13th to become
a Regimental waggoneer.[20]
Robert also suffered from chronic diarrhea, a condition that would continue
throughout the war.
Sanford’s
new assignment was part of the reorganization of the 17th KY announced
that day. The Regiment was formally combined with the 25th KY.
Certain companies, including Robert's Company D, were consolidated into the new
Company H to compensate for the losses in combat and the more substantial
losses to disease. Robert served in Company H for the remainder of the war.
Shortly
thereafter, Robert began to suffer from rheumatic pains in the right hip.
Within days he could not walk or even sit up. Sometime in early April his
condition worsened. With the Doctors swamped with
many serious ill and horribly wounded, his half-brother and comrades in Company
H took care of him as best they could.
With the way now clear of Rebels, the 17th moved south towards the rail center at Corinth, MS. They established camp about three miles outside of town. They served as an advance guard for the brigade as preparations for the final assault were being made. The 17th fought an evening battle which lasted well into the night, at which time the Rebels fell back. In the morning, the men of the 17th were among the first to enter the fallen town. They remained in and around Corinth through the end of May of 1862.[21]
Beginning
in May 1862, during the Corinth campaign, Robert was sometimes detailed to serve
as a teamster. Between then and August, he was also sometimes assigned to the
Brigade wagons. According to the later testimony of another member of Company
H, Robert's weakness following his bout with the mumps was the cause of this
shift in duties. Subsequent reassignments may represent other periods of
illness. The heat of battle seen at Shiloh was replaced by a chess game with
General Bragg (CSA), with soldiers striving to see which side would reach a
strategic position first.
From
Corinth, the 17th moved east with Buell's army towards Huntsville,
AL via Tuscumbia. Having had Chattanooga as an initial objective, plans changed
when Bragg charged northwards. In June, they moved 20 miles to the west to
Athens to guard a critical rail junction. In July they marched northward to
Pulaski, TN, and on to Reynolds Station.
[20]
Military record, Sanford Simpson, 17th Regiment of the KY Voluntary Infantry,
Company H, seven sheets.
[21]
Report of Col. McHenry, Seventeenth KY Infantry, Headquarters, 17th Regiment KY
Volunteers, June 10, 1862 (Corinth, MS), War of the Rebellion, Official Records
of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 10, Part I, pages
685-686.
Page -7-
On
August 21st the 17th began a march north toward Nashville
and then onto Louisville, still in pursuit of General Bragg. Louisville was a
vital transportation and supply junction. Whoever controlled Louisville would
control rail traffic into the heart of the south and the equally vital Ohio
River. After the first day’s march out of Nashville, Robert had injured some
muscles in his back to the point that he was forced to ride in a wagon.[22]
The Regimental Surgeon, Dr. Hubberd, twice applied a 'blister' to his back (a
plaster intended to 'draw out' the pain).[23]
Despite the back problems, Robert refused to go to the Regimental hospital,
saying that was the "last place with me" and rode in Sanford's wagon
the rest of the way to Louisville, arriving about the 26th of
September. Along the way, the 17th was often near Bragg's columns
but never seems to have engaged them. The 17th was not active in the
battle of Perryville, the largest engagement in the state of KY, having been
assigned as guards for a supply train that day. Getting word of the battle,
they arrived after the fighting was at an end.
From
there, the unit pursued Bragg as far east as Livingston, KY (just north of
London, KY, in Rockcastle Co.) before turning westward to Russellville, KY via
Bowling Green, KY. During this time, Robert again returned to the Regimental
wagons as a teamster, perhaps indicating a recurrence of his back problems. The
17th remained in this vicinity until December 1862, providing
protection against another such Rebel invasion. It was at Russellville that
Colonel McHenry's association with the 17th ended. He had ordered
his troops to deliver all slaves found within Union lines to their owners. This
contradicted the President's policies (which were made public with the
Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863) and McHenry was relieved of his
duties. A near mutiny ensued within the ranks and only McHenry's personal
appeal restored order to the camp. Their anger was said to stem from their love
and respect for the Colonel rather than some desire to preserve the institution
of slavery. Upon McHenry's departure, Lieutenant Colonel Stout was promoted to
full Colonel, a position he held in the 17th until the end of the
war.
1863
At
the end of 1862, the 17th had been ordered to Clarksville, TN. They
remained there through March 1863. Robert, again working with the wagons,
caught a cold during this move when he got soaked crossing a river and became
chilled. For five months, the young Private could not talk above a whisper.
It
may have been in Clarksville that Robert received news that his 85-year-old
father's health was failing. The January session of the Ohio Co. Court had
exempted Hedgman from the further payment of taxes due to his infirmities.
From
Clarksville, the 17th proceeded by steamboat up the Cumberland River
to Nashville. By April they had reached Brentwood, and in May they reached the
town of Murfreesboro. The 17th spent June and July in McMinnville.
From McMinnville the 17th moved east across the Cumberland Plateau
to the town of Pikeville, TN.
[22]
By this time, Sanford had been designated to drive the ammunition wagon. He
would generally perform this task until 1864.
[23]
The treatment was not successful, and the injury would periodically plague him
for many years to come. Forty years later, one doctor would comment on the
presence of the scars caused by this treatment.
Page -8-
After
the fall back from Chickamauga, the Union Army sought to reform and re-supply
itself while encamped in Chattanooga. The geography of the Chattanooga area was
such that the Federal troops occupied the low-lying town, while the
Confederates occupied the surrounding heights to the east and south, with
wilderness to the north and west.[24]
A
similar situation existed along the sole Federal supply line which ran to the
southwest along the Tennessee River to Stevenson, AL. This route was shrouded
by Lookout Mountain to the south and Raccoon Mountain to the north, both
occupied by Confederates. As a result of the lack of supplies, the Rebels were
able to inflict suffering on the Federals without mounting an active siege.
Robert's First Lieutenant, Jefferson H. Jennings, observed that, "...during
the siege many a meal was made by tightening the waist belt. Guards were placed
over the mules while they were fed and invariably the guard would invite
himself to dine with his long-eared friend. A beef's head would sell for $1.50,
hardtack 25 cents apiece, and I have seen men fight like dogs over a dirty
cracker that had dropped out of a wagon."[25]
Added
to the lack of food was the taunting they received from the Union
reinforcements who had just arrived from the Army of the Potomac. These were
battle hardened men who had been fighting against Robert E. Lee, and they
scoffed at the western troops who could not overcome Rebels without 'Marse
Robert' and had been forced to make a hasty retreat from Chickamauga. When the
breakout from the Chattanooga siege came, it was supposed to have come through
the use of the eastern troops. The western troops, having no equals with an ax
and shovel, were relegated to clearing brush and standing guard.
Thus,
it was that the 17th spent a couple of days in late September on
picket duty during a series of torrential downpours. To combat the effects
of the exposure, Lieutenant Jennings asked the Third Brigade's General, Samuel
Beatty, for twenty canteens of whiskey. The General promptly complied,
restoring both the health and spirits of the men and establishing himself as a
leader who cared.
This respect of leadership may have played a role on the 23rd and 24th when operations began against Rebels. Perhaps just as significant was the desire to restore their pride. Confederate artillery had continuously shelled the Union position in front of Fort Wood from their higher position three-quarters of a mile away on Orchard Knob. By 2:30 p.m. on the 23rd, the Knob had been taken, with the capture of several new Enfield rifles (artillery pieces). Relieved of the harassment of one line of guns, they now found themselves subject to the
[24]
Information in this and several subsequent paragraphs draw from the report of
Col. Alexander M. Stout, Seventeenth KY Infantry, Chattanooga, TN, November 27,
1863, War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Armies, Series I, Volume 31, Part II, pages 309-310. There is a marker
commemorating the actions of the 17th in Chattanooga, on Missionary
Ridge, several hundred yards north of the point where Shallowford Road crosses
the ridge.
[25]
Many of the details of the Rebel siege of Chattanooga and how it was broken
(including General Grant’s direct praise of the 17th) are drawn from
Personal Recollections of Chattanooga and Vicinity, by Jefferson H. Jennings,
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the US - District of Columbia, War Papers
#54, as read at the meeting of May 4, 1904. Jennings was a Lt. in the 17th KY.
Page -9-
superior positions held by the enemy on
Missionary Ridge. On the 24th the 17th seems to have been
involved in sweeping back the Rebel pickets and then was ordered to take up the
position of Brigade reserve. The Brigade was then ordered to make a feinting
action (only) against Missionary Ridge. This would ensure that the Rebel
gunners could not be moved elsewhere to impede the real assault by eastern men.
Topography (and common sense) precluded any real assault, since the Ridge rose
500 feet out of the valley at a 45-degree angle. As Brigade reserve, Robert's regiment was to make the feint and move one hundred feet to the rear,
ready to be directed as the need arose. According to Colonel Alexander M. Stout
of the 17th, the men of the Third could not be restrained and took
the heights, with his regiment joining in the action. The most their officers
could do was to keep the lines in order as they went. Once the ridge was taken,
captured Rebel artillery was turned on the fleeing Rebels, the remaining active
Rebel guns, and the approaching Rebel reinforcements.
Just
as the last shots were fired from the captured guns, General Grant appeared on
the scene and asked the name of the regiment. Being told it was the 17th
KY, he replied by removing his hat and saying, "Soldiers, I return you
my sincere thanks; you have not only done what I asked you to do, but a great
deal more". Replacing his hat, he galloped away.
While
the battle for Chattanooga had raged in southeast TN, a struggle for upper east
TN was shaping up, centered on the town of Knoxville. Like Chattanooga, it was
a vital rail junction for the Rebels. It had allowed the swift movement of
Longstreet’s men from, the east and was critical for their equally swift return
to the struggles in VA. As the Confederate fortunes waned in Chattanooga,
Longstreet looked to separate from Bragg and move on Knoxville to attempt to
dislodge Union General Burnside. As Longstreet bore down on Burnside, the
latter called for support from Grant. In response, General Sherman was
dispatched on November 28th with a contingent of 25,000 men that
included the 17th KY. Sherman’s thrust was successful with
Longstreet moving off to Rogersville (65 miles northeast of Knoxville) on
December 4th. Sherman then split his force, with roughly half
reenforcing Burnside and the other half searching for Longstreet. After a brief
but hot engagement at Bean Station, TN, Rebel forces withdrew even further
north and east. Union forces likewise left the area as both sides felt the need
to go into defensible winter quarters. Sherman left some troops with Burnside
to repel any attempted return of the Rebels. With the rest of his men, he then headed
back into southeast TN.
1864
As 1864 began with Sherman on the move and no intense skirmishing, Robert was returned to regular duty from his teamster assignment. In this critical year of the war, the regiment first cleared the area around Cleveland, TN, then moved due south as part of the Atlanta campaign. Rebel forces were far out-manned, out-gunned and out-supplied. Still, they made Sherman fight for every mile with a series of battles that made for almost continuous warfare. These included actions at GA tows of Tunnel Hill, Rocky Face, Cassville, Altoona, and Pickett's Mills. Sometime in June, Robert's health again deteriorated, and he was assigned to the 3rd Division, 4th Company supply train. He remained in this capacity throughout June and July. The Atlanta campaign continued with action at Ackworth, GA, Marietta/Kennesaw, GA (June 10-June 26) and finally the Atlanta siege (July 23 - August 25).[26]
[26]
Information from the Regiment's actions during the Atlanta campaign is partly
drawn from the report of Col. Alexander M. Stout, Seventeenth KY Infantry, near
Atlanta, GA, September 14, 1864, War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 38, Part I, pages 465-471.
Page -10-
In
August, with no improvement in his health and with the siege of Atlanta at its
peak, Robert was assigned to the 3rd Division, 4th Ambulance
Corps, where he would have again served with Sanford.[27]
Having taken Atlanta, Sherman decided to divide his Army. He took a portion of
the troops and limited supplies and pledged to ‘make Georgia howl’ with his
march to Savannah, living off the land as they went. The other portion of Sherman’s
army under General Thomas, the Rock of Chickamauga, headed towards central TN in
September. General Thomas would pursue John Bell Hood, General, CSA. For a
time, Robert returned to the 3rd Division, 4th Supply
Trains Corps but was again assigned to the 3rd Division, 4th
Ambulance Corps, when the forces clashed. Here he remained through November
1864. This portion of the army saw action at Pulaski, Columbia, and Spring Hill
(all in TN), and in the significant Union victory at Franklin, TN, on November 30th.
After
the battle of Franklin, the 17th was ordered to Louisville. With
little active fighting in the western theater, units were being discharged.
With the 17th back in Louisville, Robert applied for and was granted
leave to return home to Ohio Co. No reason for the leave was given in the file,
one can only speculate that news may have arrived that his father, Hedgman, was
seriously ill or had died (Hedgman last appeared in the Ohio Co. tax rolls in
1864). Alternately, Robert's health may have declined to the point that, given
the termination of hostilities in the western theater, there was no purpose to
detain him further.
During
the war, Ohio Co. was the scene of intense guerrilla activity and subject to
periodic thrusts of CSA forces into the region. This would have been stressful
for families at home and for the troops in the field once word of an invasion
worked its way back to them. Perhaps the most disruptive of these was conducted
under the leadership of General Hylan B. Lyon (CSA). With 800 men, he invaded KY
in December 1864 to enforce the latest CSA draft law and to draw Union forces
away from Nashville.[28]
In 23 days, he burned seven courthouses that had been used to house Union
forces. At Hartford, the Ohio Co. seat, Lyon captured the garrison on December 20th
(these men were later paroled) and burned the courthouse. Samuel O. Peyton, a
local doctor, pleaded and saved some public records that were stored in another
building.[29]
[27]
A formal ambulance corps did not exist at the beginning of the War. Armies
would either create ad hoc units of men with civilian experience as teamsters or
hire local contractors with the necessary wagons. The official Ambulance Corps
was established in 1864 and greatly facilitated the orderly evacuation of the
wounded. Those in the Ambulance Corps of every rank wore distinct markings on
their uniforms. Privates like Robert and Sanford wore the standard Union
uniform with one pair of plain green half-chevrons sewn to each sleeve and a
green band around the bottom of the forage cap. All ranks in the Ambulance
Corps were authorized by regulation to carry revolvers on the field. United
States Army Medical Department: A Summary, by Andrew H. Rowden, Section II:
Uniforms for the Medical Department and Section III: Field Organizations and
Hospitals.
[28]
The CSA passed three conscription Acts (April 1862, September 1862, and
February 1864). Each Act broadened the age range for draftees and reduced permissible
exemptions. The 1864 Act called men from 17 to 64 into active service. KY, as a border state and a slave state, had long been considered an ally of the
Rebellion by the Richmond government, and recruitment in parts of the state that
were economically and culturally southern had been valuable. The government in
Washington DC viewed the state’s central location as strategically valuable.
Its population along the Ohio River and in the mountainous east maintained
strong Union sentiment. The Union recruited heavily in such areas. Ohio Co. was
on the dividing line between predominantly Union and predominantly Confederate
[29]
Excerpts from Kentucky Historical Society Highway Marker #581, KHS Frankfort, as
cited in The Paper Trail of the Civil War in Kentucky 1861-1865, Compiled by
Colonel (Ret.) Armando “Al” Alfaro, page 58. A short and interesting
biographical sketch of CSA General Lyon can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hylan_B._Lyon
Page -11-
1865
Marriage and
Family
Having
returned to Ohio Co. from the war, Robert seems to have spent some time struggling
to regain his health. He was plagued by diarrhea and lung problems. Both
symptoms are commonly associated with consumption, a disease which permanently
weakened many men and killed many more. His condition progressed to the point
that he was forced to live with a local physician, Dr. Whitinghill, while he
received treatment. Fortunately for Robert, treatment in a warm, clean home was
far more successful than field hospital incarcerations, with their commensurate
filth, disease, and cold.
Thus,
he recovered and soon took for his bride, the 16-year-old Nancy Ellen Leach.
They were married on June 8, 1865, at her parents’ home. Nancy Ellen had been
born October 1, 1849, in Ohio Co.[30]
Nancy was the third child and first daughter of Leonard Washington Leach and
Rosanna Morris. She seems to have been named after her paternal grandmother,
Nancy Leach (about 1795-1848).
The young couple quickly began the task of building a family with the birth of
Leonard Sanford on March 2, 1866.[31]
He was soon followed by William Sherman on August 27, 1867.[32]
Their next child, James Ewen, was born August 27, 1870.[33]
By
this time, the family was living in the Caney precinct.[34] With
three young children to raise, Nancy appeared in the 1870 census as ‘keeping
house’. Robert supported his bride and his growing family as a farmer.[35]
Robert’s farm was small, consisting of just 5 cleared and cultivated acres with
15 other acres wooded and unimproved. The farm was valued at $200, and farm
implements and machinery were valued at $10. His one milk cow, one other cow, and five
hogs were valued at $40. Over the prior year, the farm produced 100 bushels of
Indian corn, 600 pounds of tobacco, one bushel of peas and beans, and eight
bushels of Irish potatoes. Apart from agricultural goods, they produced $10
worth of home-manufactured goods and slaughtered $40 worth of livestock.The
total estimated value of all of Robert’s farm production was $225. The farm was
small and not particularly productive when compared with surrounding
properties. This was reasonable given that Robert had just begun the life of a
farmer and was dealing with chronic health issues.
[30] Some researchers have her year of birth as 1850. Marriage record, Robert Simpson to Nancy Ellen Leach, Ohio Co., KY, marriage
records, Volume I, page 195, two sheets. The ceremony took place June 8, 1865, at
the home of the bride's parents, Leonard and Rosanna Leach.
[31]
Leonard Sanford was born on March 2, 1866, in Ohio Co. He died July 29, 1933,
in Hopkins Co., KY. His first name honored Nancy’s father, while his middle name
was a tribute to Robert’s brother. Robert’s brother’s first name (and Leonard’s
middle name) is variously spelled Santford and Sanford to the point that it is
impossible to say which is correct. Leonard Sanford married Plina Isabel Keown
in 1888.
[32]
William Sherman was born on August 27, 1867, in Ohio Co., KY. He first married
a Mary Crow and subsequently seems to have remarried a woman named Alice. He
died February 16, 1922, in Craighead Co., AR. William’s first and middle names
almost certainly are a tribute to William Tecumseh Sherman, one of Robert’s wartime commanders.
[33]
James Ewen was born August 27, 1870, in Ohio Co. He died August 29, 1872,
in Ohio Co.
[34]
The Caney precinct described a portion of Ohio Co., east of Beaver Dam along US
62, encompassing Horse Branch, White Run, Arnold, Baizetown, and other small communities
near Caney Creek. As far as can be determined, Robert always lived in this
immediate area until shortly before his death. The name given to the area
varies from census to census as new towns sprang up. A person might not move,
yet the identification of his home in County records and newspaper accounts
might have changed multiple times.
[35]
U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, Caney
Precinct, Ohio Co., KY, data for 1870.
Page -12-
Throughout
the 1870s, the children continued to arrive on a regular basis. First, John
Thomas was born on September 25, 1872.[36]
No doubt the joy of his birth was somewhat tempered by the death of James Ewen just weeks earlier. John Thomas was followed by another son, Simon Jackson, on
March 21, 1874.[37]
The first daughter, Elizabeth Ann, was born on August 23, 1875.[38]
She was followed by Joseph Franklin on October 8, 1877.[39]
By
1880 the family was living in the Rosine post office district.[40]
Robert was still attempting to farm while dealing with his chronic illnesses.
It was likely that Leonard (14), William (12) and John (9) helped with many of
the farm chores.[41]
From the agricultural census of that year, we learn that Robert and Nancy did
not yet own but rented their farm.[42]
Their rent was paid in shares of the farm produce. Robert had 80 acres under
cultivation. Of this, 10 acres were in Indian corn, four acres were in oats and
three acres were in wheat. In the prior year he had grown 150 bushels of corn,
25 bushels of oats and 29 bushels of wheat. He had another 65 acres of
woodland. The land, with its buildings, was valued at $400. He had $25 worth of
farm implements and $200 worth of livestock. Robert reported spending another
$50 in the prior year on buildings and the repairing of structures. The
estimated value of his farm production over the prior year was $150. He owned
three horses, one milk cow, and one other cow and produced 100 pounds of
butter. He had 16 sheep and in the prior year, four lambs were born. The sheep
had yielded 16 fleeces, weighing 40 pounds. They also have 18 hogs and six
chickens. He no longer grew potatoes or tobacco. Robert’s farm appears to be
about average for the Rosine area, an improvement since 1870.
His
brother Sanford, also a Rosine resident, rented a nearby farm of similar size. He
and his wife, Mary E., had four children. Numerous Leach families lived in
their immediate vicinity. This kept Nancy in close contact with her own family.
[36]
John Thomas was born on September 25, 1872, in Ohio Co. He died of coronary
heart disease on November 5, 1953, in Horse Branch, Ohio Co. He married Minnie
Renfrow.
[37]
Simon Jackson was born on March 21, 1874, in Ohio Co. He married Martha Ann
Embry. He died February 22, 1911.
[38]
Elizabeth Ann was born on August 23, 1875, in Ohio Co. She died just a little
over 5 months later on February 1, 1876. She is buried in the Leach Cemetery in
Ohio Co.
[39]
Joseph Franklin was born on October 8, 1877, in Ohio Co. and died on March 13,
1924. He worked for the railroads as a young man and for the timber industry in
later life. He died of angina pectoris.
[40]
Earlier census records had stated that he lived in the Caney district. As
stated in a previous footnote, it is believed that he lived in the very same
area up until 1920, though the census designations changed.
[41]
Their assistance will become even more important as the decade proceeds, as
described in the following paragraphs. Towards the end of the 1880s, Simon and
Joseph will have become old enough to help.
[42]
Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, 1880 data, Rosine, Ohio
Co., KY.
Page -13-
The
1880s saw no letup in the growth of the family.[43]
Hardin was born on August 25, 1880.[44]
He was followed by Warren Cisero on January 4, 1883.[45]
The blessing and joy of a growing family was tempered later that year, when
Robert's deteriorating health compelled him to begin the tedious process of trying
to obtain a government pension. The regular government-directed medical exams
necessary to retain his pension would be a part of his life for the next 45
years. He had been experiencing back pain which he attributed to a spinal
affliction which he had contracted while on a march from Nashville, TN to
Bowling Green, KY in August or September of 1862. When the 41-year-old Robert
met with the Ohio Co. Court Clerk that day to make his deposition, he was
described as 5'10", with a fair complexion, light hair, and blue eyes.
During examination by an Owensboro surgeon, Dr. Todd, it was noted that
Robert's right testicle was atrophied to one-quarter of its normal size.[46]
This was the result of complications related to the mumps which Robert had
contracted at Shiloh. The doctor would describe him as three-fourths disabled
due to these conditions. This latter ailment would cause Robert frequent pain
over the next several decades. Sometime shortly thereafter, the army awarded
him a disability pension at the rate of $2 per month.
After
eight boys and one girl, the string of three girls in a row must have come as some
surprise. Ilona was born on June 6, 1884[47].
She was followed by Sarah Francis on April 16, 1886.[48]
This tidal wave of children may explain how Robert got on the delinquent tax
list for 1884.[49]
On
Friday, June 11, 1886, Robert, his brother Sanford, and many other Union veterans
gathered at the Courthouse in Hartford. This gathering seems to have been more
for the purpose of organizing than for celebration. Attendees selected officers
and expressed their support of a pension bill that had passed the Senate and
was being considered in the House.[50]
[43]
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometime after the 1880 census, a second Robert Simpson moved to
Ohio County. This Robert had been born in Scotland in about 1851. He moved to
PA by 1870 (Allegheny Co.). By 1880, he was in Daviess Co., KY (Owensboro).
By the 1900 census, he had relocated to the Cromwell district of Ohio Co.,
where he had married and started a family. The coal miner died January 31,
1910, while at his craft. There is evidence (in the local papers) that he lived
for a time in McHenry as our Robert would towards the end of his life. He was
buried in the Render Cemetery in McHenry. Thus, CAUTION must be exercised when
deciding which record belongs to which Robert. For instance, the story of a
Robert Simpson of McHenry being shot in the leg (Ohio Co. News, January 25,
1887, p. 2) seems to belong to the Scottish Robert only because our Robert had
not yet relocated. I have done my best to make the proper associations; if
mistakes are detected, please advise me.
[44]
Hardin was born on August 25, 1880, in Ohio Co. He would marry Lottie Bell
Simpson on October 27, 1904, in Ohio Co. Hardin died on May 6, 1966, in
Jefferson Co., KY.
[45]
Warren Cisero was born on January 4, 1883, in Ohio Co. He died on September 7,
1961, in Ohio Co. Warren’s middle name is another one of those points of
frustration. Variously, it is given as Ciscro, Cisro, Cisero, Ciscero and
perhaps more. It is assumed that the intent was to name him after the famous
statesman and philosopher (106-43 BC), except that his name is spelled Cicero, a
variant that I have yet to see. It has been said that Warren married young but
then quickly divorced. This needs to be confirmed. The supposed bride was named
something like Ellie Wallace.
[46]
Judging by the number of children that he fathered, it is safe to say that the
other testicle was just fine.
[47]
Ilona was born on June 6, 1884, in Ohio Co.
[48]
Sarah Francis was born on April 16, 1886, in Ohio Co
[49]
Hartford Herald, February 18, 1885, page 4. As noted elsewhere, a second Robert
Simpson had recently moved to Ohio Co., making it difficult to assign reports
to a particular individual. Articles sometimes include the individual’s
hometown, which is helpful. Sometimes no identifying information is provided.
[50]
The meeting was covered in a column-long article in the Hartford Herald on June
16, 1886.
[This section to be continued with the next posting.]
