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  [Illustration: WM. HEWITT 1860]

  [Illustration: WM. HEWITT, FIRST LIEUT. 1868]

  [Illustration: WM. B. CURTIS, COLONEL]




HISTORY OF THE

Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry


The Part It Took in the War of the Rebellion

1861-1865


_By_

_WILLIAM HEWITT_


_Published by the Twelfth West Virginia Infantry Association_


To the Surviving Comrades and the Families of
the Fallen of the Old Twelfth this work is
Respectfully Dedicated




PREFACE


COMRADES:

You conferred upon me at our reunion, held at New Cumberland, in 1889,
the honor of selecting me to compile a history of the Twelfth. The
matter was taken into consideration afterward by me, and owing in part
to the magnitude, burden and difficulty of the proposed task, my
inexperience in this kind of undertaking, and because I believed that
there were other survivors of the regiment much better qualified to
write the history, it was concluded to forego the undertaking. But at
our next reunion, because Col. Curtis was disappointed that nothing
had been done in the matter of the history, and was anxious that it be
written, and for the reason that the comrades present again expressed
a desire that I should undertake the work, I promised to attempt it
and do the best I could. Laboring under the unavoidable difficulties
that it has been thirty years since the old Twelfth was making its
history in the field, the almost total lack of official records
pertaining exclusively to the regiment, and the uncertainty of memory
at this late day, I have tried with reasonable fidelity to fulfill my
promise. In reason more should not be expected.

If you, the survivors of the Twelfth, be pleased with the history,
this fact will be a sufficient reward for my labors; but, on the other
hand, if it shall not come up to your expectations, you should be
charitable to its faults and short comings, remembering that however
great its imperfections you, yourselves, are largely responsible, for
the task was not one of my own seeking, but was rather thrust upon me.

The plan aimed at in writing the history is to not go outside of our
own organization in what is related, except to give a brief account of
the operations of the various armies to which we belonged, and to
intersperse the work with incidents, anecdotes, and matters mainly
personal to the members of the regiment.

Whatever possible merit may be found in the history is largely due to
the assistance of comrades in furnishing valuable data. Some of them
were quite liberal in their contributions. And where there is failure
to make mention of incidents worthy of record, or of daring deeds of
individuals or detachments, it is because they were not known, or are
not remembered by the compiler. Reasonable effort was made to get all
such details. A card was inserted in various newspapers, and letters
were written to different comrades asking that they be furnished. If
comrades shall fail to find, as no doubt they shall, a record herein
of certain incidents worthy of mention, they will be forbearing toward
the historian when they consider that there is a number of such
matters herein given that they did not know of or have forgotten.

The comrades will all feel like thanking Mrs. McCaffrey, formerly Mrs.
Bengough, wife of the late Lieut. Bengough of the Twelfth, for the
vivid and stirring story of the capture, detention and final release
of herself and sister-in-law as prisoners by the Rebels, kindly
furnished for this history.

Surviving Comrades, this attempted record of the history of the old
Twelfth is now submitted to your charitable consideration, and may
your days be long, peaceful, pleasant and prosperous.

WILLIAM HEWITT.

June 20th, 1892.




INDEX


CHAPTER I.

The Circumstances Under Which the Twelfth Was Organized--The Character
of the Men Composing it--The Organization.

CHAPTER II.

March to Clarksburg--Marches and Operations in West Virginia in the
Fall of '62--Incidents.

CHAPTER III.

