Source: The Union Regiments of Kentucky. Published Under the Auspices of the Union Soldiers and Sailors Monument Association. The Regimental Histories and Sketch of Military Campaigns. By Capt. Thos. Speed.

This regiment was recruited and organized in the fall of 1861 by Col. Charles A. Marshall belonged to the noted family of that name, being the son of Capt. Thomas Marshall, who was a brother of Chief Justice John Marshall. He was a prominent man in his section of the state having represented his county in the state legislature a number of times and his influence, which was very great, was cast on the side of the Union.

Being requested by Gen. Nelson he called for volunteers for a regiment, and in a a very short time had the requisite number in camp from the counties of Mason, Fleming, Bracken, Lewis and Whitley. Before the regiment was mustered into the service it accompanied the expedition under Gen. Nelson into Eastern Kentucky, which resulted in the battle of Ivy Mountain, November 8th, where the Confederates under Gen. John S. Williams were defeated and compelled to retire into Virginia.

Gen. Nelson, in his report of this battle, mentions the service of three Kentucky regiments, the 24th, under Col. Hurt, the 7th Ky. Cavalry, Col. Metcalfe, the 16th Ky. Col. Marshall. He mentions Col. Marshall’s advance against the enemy, and in leading a charge that he lost four men killed and thirteen wounded. Gen. Williams, in his report, made November 9th, attributes his defeat to his inferior force, and states that his route would be to Abingdon, Va.

After this campaign the 16th returned to Camp Kenton, and a few days later occupied the fair grounds on the Mt. Sterling pike near Maysville. Here the organization was perfected, and the regiment was mustered into service January 27, 1862. Remaining at that place until March 2nd, it then received orders and proceeded by steamboat up the Ohio, and up the Big Sandy to join Gen. Garfield at Piketon. Upon arriving at that point, Gen. Garfield had been ordered south, and Col. Cranor of the 40th Ohio, was in command. Col. Cranor moved his command, including the 16th, to Prestonburg. The 16th remained in that command during the spring and summer of 1862. In May, Col. Marshall was compelled to resign on account of his health, and Col. J.W. Craddock took command.

August, 1862, the 16th was ordered to Covington; thence to Cynthiana, thence to Louisville, and from thence to Bowling Green. In the months of September and October it was at Shepherdsville, West Point and Munfordville. In December and January it was in the pursuit of Morgan through Springfield, Lebanon, Campbellsville and Columbia. Returning from that pursuit it encamped at Lebanon, where it was held on duty to protect the country from Confederate raids, during the winter and spring of 1863.

On the 2nd of June Col. Craddock died at Louisville and he was succeeded by Col. J. W. Gault, of Mason county. At that time the 16th was in Gen. Hobson’s brigade in Judah’s division. In July it was at Munfordville. In August it was in Col. O. H. Moore’s brigade, Mauson’s division, 23rd Army Corps. It was then ordered to Glasgow, and from thence marched with Gen. Burnside’s expedition to East Tennessee. After a continuous march of twenty days through the mountains it arrived at Loudon, Tenn., where it remained in camp until late in October. It then marched to Sweetwater. There meeting the advance of Gen. Longstreet’s force it was ordered back to Loudon. From thence it marched to Kingston, where it aided in repelling an attack made by Confederate cavalry. It participated in the movements connected with the siege of Knoxville, and afterward marched to Strawberry Plains, and from thence to Mossy creek where, on the 29th of December, it was engaged in a severe battle in which the Federals under command Generals Elliott and Sturgis successfully fought a large Confederate force under Generals Martin, Armstrong and Morgan, and pursued them from the field. Gen. Elliott says in his report: "The pursuit was rapid and continued until dark." In this engagement the service of the 16th is mentioned in complimentary terms by the commanding generals. At Mossy creek, December 27, 1863, the 16th re-enlisted in the veteran organization, and from thence marched to Kentucky, crossing the mountains by way of Big Creek Gap. The month of January was spent on "veteran furlough," and when that was over the men reassembled and went into camp at Louisville where they remained performing guard duty during the months of February and March, 1864.

April, 1864, the 16th was ordered to Camp Nelson, from whence it march through the mountains of Kentucky and by way of Jacksboro, Tenn., to Knoxville. From thence it proceeded by rail to Red Clay in Northern Georgia, where it joined Sherman’s army organized for the Atlanta campaign. It was assigned to Riley’s brigade (1st) Cox’s division, 23rd Army Corps. The regiment was at the time commanded by Col. J.W. Gault. May 14th, the 16th participated in the battle of Resaca, in which it lost severely. Capt. Pumpelly wounded, and Lieut. Laurie killed. Two men were killed and twenty-seven wounded. Col. Reilly says in his report, speaking of the charge: "The 16th Ky. Veteran Infantry, 112th Ill. And 100th Ohio, being in the front line of the brigade, passed up the slope, over the crest, and over the rifle pits without a perceivable halt."

Col. Gault commanded the 16th until it reached Burnt Hickory; severe sickness, consequent on exposure, caused him to relinquish command, and from that time ubtil the end of the war the regiment was led by Lieut. Col. J. S. White, a most excellent and gallant officer. The 16th continued with Sherman’s army through the campaign. The regiment and its officers are mentioned in the reports of Col. Reilly and Gen. Cox many times, and always in the highest praise. The reports show the regiment was engaged in many battles and skirmishes in this campaign. At Cartersville, Etowah river, Dallas, Kennesaw, crossing of Chattahoochee, around Atlanta, Jonesboro, and many other places.

After the capture of Atlanta, and when Gen. Hood moved into Northern Georgia, the 16th went with Sherman’s army in pursuit, spending the entire month of October in marching. When the pursuit was abandoned and Sherman started with part of his army to the sea, the 16th was sent with the troops under Gen. Thomas to Nashville, and from thence to Pulaski, Tenn., under Gen. Schofield.

Upon the approach of Hood’s army, the 16th, with the other troops under Schofield, made a forced march to Columbia. There, in the midst of a fight between the Confederate cavalry and the Union cavalry, the infantry skirmishers soon put the enemy to flight.

The night of the 25th the regiment was hurriedly ordered out, and crossed Duck river and encamped on high ground, opposite Colombia, overlooking low timbered land around the river flowed making an almost horseshoe bend.

On the 26th its men were at work on fortifications, one at the point of the bend near the river bank, and another on the upland in front of the camp.

On the 27th several companies occupied the works near the river under Capt. Hammer, of Company "B". Heavy skirmishing and artillery firing going on most of the day, and part of the night, and all of the 28th.

On the 29th the enemy were observed descending the opposite bank of the river in force, and, backed by a heavy artillery fire, soon charged the advanced Federal positions, occupied by the 16th and 12th Ky. Infantry regiments. A portion of both regiments gave way and fell back on the main line where they were rallied and reformed - nearly a regiment of them - by Col. Rousseau. Of the 12th, and Capt. M.C. Hutchins, of Gen. Riley’s staff, and charging down and around the hill re-enforced those who had remained, slowly retiring and keeping the enemy at bay until reaching some fallen timber, where they were joined by the by the rallied troops. Here the enemy was checked and a furious battle raged until the rebels, although in overwhelming numbers, were driven back under the cover of the river bank, leaving the ground strewed with their dead and wounded.

This severe battle, which had the important result of delaying the crossing of Hood’s artillery and trains, has had less mention in history than is due, on account of being overshadowed by the great battle at Franklin the next day. Gen. Thomas says in his official report: "November 29th, the 16th and 12th Ky. Veteran Infantry regiments, supported on flanks by skirmish lines from other brigades, protecting ford, was attacked by the enemy in force, and forced back from the ford, but almost immediately, and with the assistance of artillery, recovered the lost ground, driving the enemy, with comparatively heavy loss, under the bank and across the river." The holding of this crossing of Duck river prevented Hood’s artillery and trains from passing that entire day, and up to three o’clock the next morning, and caused Hood to fight the battle of Franklin with but two batteries which he had taken with him on his flanking movement to Spring Hill.

Late in the afternoon, Gen. Cox directed Gen. Riley to withdraw his command at dark and move toward Franklin, leaving these two regiments to keep the enemy in check until midnight. Maj. Dow, of Gen. Cox’s staff, was left with them, with orders to bring them off at midnight, which was done. After an all night march, passing en route the enemy in plain view, camped in the fields on the right of the road just before reaching Spring Hill. The regiment arrived at Franklin about half-past eleven o’clock the next morning, worn and weary with two days’ and three nights’ fighting and marching. Here the regiment was placed on the reserve line about one hundred yards behind the main line, with its right resting on the Columbia pike, its left reaching a point immediately back of the cotton gin.

The Confederate army appeared on Winstead’s hill about half-past three o’clock, and debouching into the plain, formed their lines with the coolness of veterans and commenced their advance. The soldiers of the Federal army could see every movement. The day was perfect, the sky unclouded. They moved forward like soldiers on dress parade, and our men realized that a terrible battle was about to take place.

About half a mile in front of the main line, two brigades of Wagner’s division had been stationed, and as the Confederates approached, these brigades commenced firing, instead of withdrawing as they should have done. Their firing checked the advance immediately in front, but the enemy was passing each flank, and there was nothing to do but rush back to the main line. They were rapidly followed by the Confederates. As they crowded over the breastworks with the enemy close behind, the men in the works became to some extent demoralized, and a portion of the line for a moment was undefended. Capt. M.C. Hutchins, of the 16th KY., was on Gen. Riley’s staff, and, though thrown down in his effort to rally the breaking men, recovered his feet, and continued his work. The reserves, consisting of the 12th and 16th Ky. And 8th Tenn., seeing the danger promptly charged forward, and engaged in a hand to hand fight at the works. The rally of the men who had given way strengthened the line, and though the pressure was tremendous the position was held, and within an hour the repulse was complete. The 16th suffered severely in this battle, its actual loss in killed, wounded and missing being eighty-three. Col. White was severely wounded in the face, but with a bloody bandage about his head, continued with his command.

Among the killed were Capt. Henry Palmer, Company H, and Lieut. Joseph Heiser, Company C. The command devolved on Capt. Jacob Miller, who led the regiment from Franklin that night, and arrived at Nashville next morning. Gen. Reilly, in his report speaking of the break in the line, says: "The line was rapidly rallied by their officers and with the assistance of the 16th Ky. At this moment led by Lieut. Col. White, who, seeing and appreciating the disaster that would be caused if our line should be broken, gallantly ordered and led his regiment forward before orders to that effect could reach him."**

On the 15th and 16th days of December, the 16th was engaged in the great battle of Nashville, being with the 23d Corps, which moved upon and attacked the left flank of Hood’s army. After the battle it joined in the pursuit through Franklin and Columbia and then marched to Clifton on the Tennessee river.

In a day or two after arriving at Clifton the regiment was sent with the 23d Corps down the river on transports and up the Ohio to Cincinnati, where it took passage with the rest of the corps over the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. to Washington City, where it went into camp at Stoneman Barracks. In a few days it marched to Alexandria, Va., and embarked on an ocean steamer for Fort Fisher on the coast of North Carolina. After several unsuccessful efforts to advance directly toward Wilmington, a force under Gen. Cox was sent by way of Smithville up the south side of Fear river. The 16th was with this command and engaged in sever fighting on the way. On one day the 16th had an all-day skirmish with the 2d South Carolina Cavalry, driving them on the road leading to Wilmington. The next day it took part in the victorious battle of Town Creek. On the 22d of February the gallant old regiment was the first of the federal troops to enter the city of Wilmington, simultaneously with the evacuation of the place by the enemy. Remaining there several weeks as provost guards, it was ordered on the march and reached Kingston the second day; thence to Goldsborough, and arrived at Raleigh in time to take part in the review of Sherman’s army by that general and Gen. Grant. A few days later it arrived at Greensburg and from thence marched to Company Shops, North Carolina, where it was mustered out of the military service June 1, 1865, and sent to Louisville, Ky., where it was paid off, and disbanded, having served nearly four years, and the entire time being on active, arduous duty.

** The statement sometimes made of Opdycke’s brigade alone saving the break in the center at Franklin is a gross error. That brigade did splendid work, but the day was saved by the united efforts of the men of Rugar’s division, and the rallied men of Lane’s and Conrad’s brigades: Opdycke’s men and Reilly’s reserve line, as well as Reilly’s rallied men. All under the pers onal direction of Gen. Cox.