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A REMARKABLY EXTENSIVE ARCHIVE OF A UNION SOLIDER, INCLUDING DIARIES FROM 1861-1865 SPANNING HIS ENTIRE CIVIL WAR CAREER. THE SOLDIER, CHARLES E. SMITH, PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF THE MOST CRITICAL CAMPAIGNS OF THE WAR, INCLUDING THE SEIGE OF VICKSBURG, THE FALL OF ATLANTA, AND SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA. Background: Charles E. Smith (1836-1905) was born in Berlin Township, Ohio. He worked as a farmer and country schoolteacher in Alum Creek, Delaware County, Ohio. He enlisted in the 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the age of 25 on September 3, 1861 and mustered in September 7, 1861. He was promoted to the rank of corporal in Company I of the regiment on January 30, 1864. He was slightly wounded on July 29, 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign. He mustered out of the service on July 20, 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. The 32nd Ohio Infantry was organized at Mansfield, Ohio, on August 20-September 7, 1861, and mustered in for three years' service under the command of Colonel Thomas H. Ford. The regiment was involved in several important engagements and operations during the Civil War, including the Battle of Greenbrier River, the Battle of McDowell, the Battle of Harpers Ferry, the Battle of Champion Hill, the Siege of Vicksburg, the Atlanta Campaign, the Battle of Jonesborough, Sherman's March to the Sea, the Carolinas Campaign, and the Battle of Bentonville. The 32nd Ohio Infantry mustered out of service at Louisville, Kentucky, on July 20, 1865. The Collection: The collection consists of 26 dairies, dating from 1859 to 1866. Except for four volumes, covering a period from 1856 to April 1861 and one covering the period September 18, 1865 to December 5, 1866, the remaining dairies (21 volumes) span his entire Civil War career in the 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, covering the period September 3, 1861, the date of his enlistment, to the date of his mustering out of the service, on July 20, 1865. The diaries, of various sizes, average approximately 100+ pages, with few blank pages. His daily entries in his Civil War diaries, many of which are detailed, consist of descriptions of the weather, diet, geographical locations, his devotion to the Union, camp activities, military news, and description of engagements. He also included several drawings in the diaries, some in color. He described his day of enlistment of September 3: "Enlisted at Lewis Center between 8 and 9 oclock in Captain Dyre's company of 3 years volunteers. I bid good bye to all my folks and started having resolved to assist in sustaining the Government. But the feelings which came over me, when I left home, friends and all that seemed dear to me I cannot describe." The new enlistees moved to Camp Dennison and Smith records the daily activities in camp as his company prepared for their first movement. From Camp Dennison, the 32nd Ohio was ordered to western Virginia (present-day West Virginia) to assist in driving Confederate forces out of the region. On October 3, 1861, the 32nd Ohio participated in the inconclusive Battle of Greenbrier River. Smith records in his diary, beginning on September 29 through October 3: â â "In the evening we received orders, to march to make an attack on Greenbrier about 12 miles distant. Our company numbered 86 men. Our regiment probably numbered 900 men present and able to perform duty. The 32nd. Went in advance and cleared out the road and took one prisoner. Our regiment stopped at the cross roads within four miles of Greenbrier, and stopped. We expected there that the battle commenced. but they [Confederate troops] did not come, and we. crept into the thick laurel bushes to lay till morning. When I awoke it was daylight, and other regiments were passing. The artillery was hurrying along as fast as possible, each gun was drawn by six horses, and about nine oclock the canons began to roar. It was kept up till two oclock, on both sides, when our communication failed, and our men withdrew from the field without losing any guns. The canons roare.
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