3,850 Zanesville soldiers served with honor in the Civil War; 83 died

In "Y Bridge City," according to local historian Norris F. Schneider, 3,850 men from Muskingum County served in the Army or Navy during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Of those, 596 died from either wounds or disease with 83 being residents of Zanesville.

The Times Recorder's book, "Zanesville: 200 Years," stated: “George Morrison, Henry Pigman, and blacksmith David Mercer were the first Zanesville men to die in the Civil War. As part of the company recruited by John Hazlett, they were in the First Ohio Regiment, part of which was ambushed near Vienna, Virginia, on June 17 (1861).

“Morrison was killed in the second discharge of a cannon against the train they were on and Pigman was shot through the left arm near the shoulder and died the next day. Mercer had his arm shot off between the elbow and shoulder, and asked for a revolver to continue fighting. An account of him singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' as he died was widely circulated.”

In "Y Bridge City ," Schneider said Muskingum County troops took part in several important battles: “Muskingum County men fought in all the major campaigns of the war. They choked with dust and thirst in General George B. McClellan's unsuccessful Peninsular Campaign against Richmond. Under General Ulysses S. Grant they wavered on the bluffs of the Mississippi River all of one night before charging through a rain of enemy cannon balls to win the battle of Shiloh. They furiously rammed home the charges in their muzzle-loading muskets to strew the slope of Cemetery Ridge with dead men in crumpled gray uniforms and turn the army of General Robert E. Lee southward in retreat from Gettysburg.”

Six Muskingum County Civil War soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor. They were Alfred Ransbottom, Robert B. Brown, George A. Lloyd, William E. Richey, William H. Longshore and Samuel Robertson. Many years later, the actions of Robertson and his colleagues inspired a Disney movie, "The Great Locomotive Chase , " which starred Fess Parker.

An article in the Times Recorder dated Nov. 7, 2021, stated: “Led by a Northern spy – James J. Andrews' volunteers, mostly from the ranks of the 2nd, 21st and 33rd Ohio Volunteer Regiments, agreed to take part in a dangerous mission, which if successful, would facilitate the capture of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“Dressed in civilian clothing, the volunteers boarded a train at Marietta, Georgia. In the days before dining cars were generally available, it was not unusual for a train to stop along the way so passengers and crew could enjoy a leisurely breakfast.”

The volunteers stayed aboard while the other passengers and crew went to a hotel at Big Shanty for their morning meal. Then Robertson and his buddies swiped the train, leading to a great chase in which all of the Yankees were eventually caught. A few of them, including Robertson, were hanged. He became the first soldier to receive the Medal of Honor posthumously.

The last Civil War veteran from Muskingum County, John Henry Parker, died at the ripe old age of 96 on Dec. 28, 1943. From a newspaper article written four years previously, we learn he lived with his family at 664 Mt. Auburn St. At that time he was in good health and “...when weather conditions warrant, enjoys nothing more than to potter around the garden near his home. He smokes a pipe in moderation and scoffs at the idea that tobacco is harmful.”

Thomas W. Lewis, in his three-volume set, "Zanesville and Muskingum County," told his readers about a monument honoring our Civil War veterans: “In the year 1924, funds raised by popular subscription were used to grace Greenwood Avenue with a memorial honoring Civil War soldiers. The choice of July 4 as unveiling day was fitting and the ceremonies were worthy. They began at 2 o'clock and consisted of thoughtful addresses by George K. Browning and E. R. Meyer and a patriotic program and stirring music. Mrs. Margaret Howser, president of the Woman's Relief Corps, unveiled the monument and revealed an object of fine proportions and rich details.”

The article then listed the following information: “It is of Barre granite with a bronze tablet. The soldier's figure is six feet and six inches tall and the whole monument has a height of twenty feet. On either side stands a Gatling gun.”

On July 4, 1924, the Times Recorder reported: “The only official celebration of the 'Glorious Fourth' in Zanesville will be the dedication of the Soldiers' Monument … Union Veterans' organizations from Columbus and Pittsburgh are expected to attend the celebration and the Union Veterans' Drum Corps of Columbus, which made such a decided hit in Zanesville a few weeks ago, will be on hand. Four brass bands will provide the music and noise in addition to the drum corps.”

A large crowd was expected: “Seats have been arranged for elderly people and parking space for 200 automobiles has been arranged for in the Sheridan schoolyard. Ample provisions have been made to take care of a record-breaking crowd. Interest and civic pride in the new monument, combined with the fact that this will be Zanesville's only celebration, promises to attract a large number of people.”

A hundred years later, this symbolic Civil War soldier still stands watch as modern vehicles go whizzing by on Greenwood Avenue. Although the Civil War was fought more than a century and a half ago, we must never forget the nearly 4,000 Muskingum County residents who served and, most especially, the almost 600 of them who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Lewis LeMaster is a retired school teacher of the Zanesville area.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: 3,850 Zanesville soldiers served with honor in the Civil War; 83 died