Joshua S. Swihart, 20th Indiana Infantry

Grave of Joshua Swihart

Joshua S. Swihart was born February 1, 1845 in Stark County , Ohio near the town of Canton. He was the son of farmer, John J. and Mary (Miksel) Swihart. John and family migrated to Indiana  along with his parents (Peter & Elizabeth (Plamer) Swihart), and several brothers and sisters. John would settle on a farm in Marshall County, Indiana, son Joshua is shown  in the 1860 Federal Census a being a farmer on his father’s farm. When the Civil War broke out Joshua was only 16 years old. It is not known if Joshua tried to enlist in ‘61, his age and probably his father would make him wait.

After a year of war Joshua enlisted in the Union Army and was mustered into service on September 20, 1862. He enlisted as a recruit in Company C of the 20th Indiana Regiment. They had been in the field since the outbreak of the war and were veterans of the Seven Days Battles on the  Virginia Peninsula as well as 2nd Bull Run.  Joshua would be a “fresh fish” among many veteran soldiers in his regiment, he would have to prove himself. He did not have to wait long, on December 13, 1862 the Army of the Potomac was in front of Fredricksburg, Virginia, the 20th Indiana would make an assualt on the Confederate positions there. The Army of the Potomac was severely repulsed, but Joshua had stood true. He and the men of the 20th would spend the winter and early spring around the banks of the Rappahannock River. At the beginning of May the Union Army would try another route to Richmond, at Chancellorsville the army would fight again. As was the case at Fredricksburg, the Army of the Potomac would be defeated again. The 20th Indiana did have great success in the battle, taking many prisoners of the 23rd Georgia Regiment.

June of 1863 the army was on the move again, this time in pursuit of General R.E. Lee’s invading Army of Northern Virginia. On July 1, 1863 the battle of Gettysburg had opened, the battle raged until nightfall as more troops from both sides poured into the area. On July 2nd the 20th Indiana along with the rest of the 3rd Corps was moved into the area of  a small stream; Plum Run. They were moved  from the first position onto the Rose Farm near a field that was soon to become famous; the “Wheatfield.” Here is where Joshua and the 20th Indiana would see some of the toughest fighting of the war. Attacking them was General J.B. Hood’s Texas Brigade; they were know to be Lee’s best shock troops. The fight raged in this area for sometime, Union lines were pushed back and a running fight through the Plum Run Valley and “Devil’s Den ensued. The “western men” of the 20th Indiana had shown their fighting grit, but at a high cost. Two-Hundred officers and enlisted men were killed, wounded and missing. Among them was their Colonel; John Wheeler. On July 3rd Joshua and  the rest of the 20th were whiteness to Pickett’s Charge, they would help take prisoners and attend to wounded. The events of Gettysburg must have been with Joshua for the rest of his days.

The rest of July was spent chasing the Confederate Army into Virginia. Joshua and the other men had to be tired from such a large campaign. On July 30th, 1863 the regiment recieved orders to report to New York City. Their mission was to be part of a force to quell the New York draft riots. They performed their duty and were posted in the city for some time. New York City must have been unbelievable to Joshua and the rest of the men. The men were then sent to Indianapolis to rest and be resupplied.

On April 19, 1864 the regiment was sent back to Virginia; General Grant had taken command. In May, Grant would resume the fight. Joshua would fight in the hellish battle of  the Wilderness, the regiment lost 19 killed and 105 wounded. They would do it again a few days later at Spotsylvania where they would loose 85 men killed, wounded and missing. In early June the regiment would fight in Grant’s attack at Cold Harbor. On June 12 Joshua and the 20th crossed the James River, they would lay siege to the city. There would be battles and skirmishes around Petersburg for months. According to an 1883 “Marshall County Disabled Veteran’s” report, Joshua received a gunshot wound to his left eye in front of Petersburg on October 4, 1864.  It seems that he lost use of this eye, he would recover in an  army hospital and continue his service until the war’s end.  Joshua would muster out of the army on May 31, 1865.

Joshua would return to Marshall County, Indiana and resume his life. He would marry Catharine Rivar on Febuary 28, 1879. According to the Disabled Marshall County Veterans Report, Joshua recieved $8.00 a month for his eye wound. He was active in veterans functions and reunions. He had grown up during the war, it shaped the man he became. Joshua would pass away at Burbon, Marshall County, Indiana on March 14, 1896.

Written By Scott Busenbark

George W. Swihart, 89th Indiana Inf.

Battle of Munfordville, KY.

George W. Swihart was born in Starke County, Ohio on Feb. 15, 1835 near the town of Canton. He was the son of Peter and Elizabeth (Palmer) Swihart. During the 1850’s the family moved to Wyandot County, Ohio for a short time and then moved to Kosciusko County in Northern Indiana. Before the war George was a shoemaker in Jay County , Indiana. He married Francis Rhodes before the outbreak of the war, she would pass away while George was serving his country, December 19, 1862 at Mt. Pleasant, Indiana.

At the outbreak of war George did not enlist right away. He was 26 years old, married and had a good occupation, the war was to end quickly anyway. During the summer of 1862, after a year of war, Lincoln put out a call for 300,000 volunteers to serve for three years. On August 10, 1862 George W. Swihart, at the age of 27 enlisted as a private in the 89th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was a member in company E, men from this company were from Jay County, Indiana. His enlistment information states that George was 5ft 8 inches in height, complexion and eyes; dark, Hair color; Black.

The 89th Regiment was organized at Camp Morton, Indianapolis and was equipped while there. General Bragg’s Confederate Army was on the move to invade Kentucky. With no time to loose, the 89th Regiment was sent to reinforce the Federal garrison at Munfordsville, Kentucky. On September 14, 1862 George with the rest of the new ”Hoosier’s” would see their first Battle with the lead elements of Bragg’s army under General Chalmers.

 The following account of the battle appeared in ”History of the War Company E, 89th Indiana Infantry; Jay County, Indiana.”

“On the 26th they went to Indianapolis, where they received arms, uniforms, one month’s wages, and twenty-five dollars of their bounty. They arrived in Louisville August 31st. Thus, in about twenty days, this full company had been recruited, armed, equipped and had arrived in Dixie, ready for active service which they were soon called upon to perform.

They reached Munfordsville, Kentucky, September 3rd, where they were stationed to guard the railroad bridge across Green River.

There were two small forts here, one above, the other below the bridge, between which a line of breastworks had been commenced, and negroes were now at work upon them. The number of troops at this point now was twenty-five hundred. On the night of the 13th of September the troops were called out and stationed around the works. About daylight they were attacked by eight thousand Rebels, under Chalmers, when they were driven within their fortifications. The Rebels then charged that part of the fort where the 89th Regiment was stationed, but were driven back with heavy loss. After making another similarly unsuccessful attempt upon another part of the fortifications, the enemy withdrew, and, having obtained permission, spent the remainder of the day burying their dead and caring for the wounded. Our loss in killed and wounded was about forty, while that of the enemy was seven hundred.

Chalmers’ force proved to be only the advance of Bragg’s great army, a part of which completely surrounded our small force, planting artillery on every hill lying around the fortifications. It was a useless waste of life to contend longer, and, on the morning of the 17th of September, the entire Federal force surrendered. It is notorious that General Buell, being near by with his immense army, might easily have turned this disaster into a victory, but he failed to do it. These prisoners were immediately paroled and sent toward Buell’s army. They went first to Bowling Green and thence to the Ohio River, at Brandenburg, from which place they came to Jeffersonville. During their march to the river they suffered much; hard marching and exposure had made many sick, and they had to live upon the country through which they were passing. At Indianapolis they were furloughed for twenty days, and all returned home, having been in the service less than six weeks.

On the 27th of October they returned to parole camp, at Indianapolis, where, on the 17th of November, just two months after their surrender, Governor Morton, in a speech, informed them that they had been exchanged.”

On December 4, 1862 the regiment was sent south and placed in the 16th Army Corps. They arrived in Memphis, Tennessee where they performed picket duty until the end of the month. George was reported as sick at home with chronic diarrhea from October 27 to December 31, 1863. This is a condition George would have for the rest of his life. During January, 1863 George caught up to his regiment stationed at Fort Pickering just south of Memphis. The regiment would remain there until October of 1863. During the months of October and November George was reported as sick again. In December the regiment was in pursuit of General Forrest’s cavalry in Mississippi.

In January the regiment was sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi and stationed along the Big Black River. In March the regiment was sent to General Nathan Banks and participated in the Red River Campaign. George was reported sick at Vicksburg during this time. On June 22, 1864 George was placed in the Pioneer Corps, a branch of the army that built fortifications, roads, bridges, etc. On July 14 and 15, 1864 the 16th Army Corps was at Tupelo, Mississippi and participated in the battle there. In late November George and his comrades were at Nashville, Tennessee. On December 1, 1864 the battle of Nashville was fought, and General Hood’s Confederate Army was pushed out of Tennessee.

During the early portion of 1865 the 16th Corps was sent south to take part in the campaign against Mobile, Alabama. George was present for the siege of Spanish Fort and the siege and capture of Fort Blakeley. As a member of the Pioneer Corps there was a lot of work to do during the investment of the forts. In some cases roads were made, and emplacements for heavy siege guns were built along with being under skirmish fire from the enemy. George and the 89th Regiment remained at Mobile until they were mustered out of service on July 19, 1865.

George would return to Jay County, Indiana and on August 19, 1866 he would marry Sarah A. Bane. George was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and was active in veteran reunions He would live the rest of his life with medical problems he contracted during his service. George would pass away at Ridgeville, Indiana on May 15, 1922.

Written By Scott Busenbark