OHS - Fight for the Colors - Behind the Lines - The Price of Freedom: The Story of the 78th O.V.I.
The Price of Freedom:
The 78th O.V.I and the Battle of Atlanta
The Story of the 78th O.V.I.
In the fall of 1861, Governor David Tod commissioned Mortimer D. Leggett,
superintendent of schools in Zanesville, Ohio, as a lieutenant colonel and authorized
him to raise a regiment that would be designated the 78th Ohio Volunteer
Infantry (O.V.I.). Soldiers were recruited primarily in Muskingum
County. Other eastern Ohio counties represented in the ranks included
Belmont, Columbiana, Guernsey, Monroe, Morgan and Noble. The 78th O.V.I.
mustered in at Camp Gilbert in Zanesville in January 1862 and soon
left the state for active service in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.
In January 1864, the regiment re-enlisted and earned the distinction of
veteran status.
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Portrait of General Mortimer D. Leggett. From Archives/Library collection SC 3464. |
Throughout
their service, the 78th O.V.I. exemplified the belief that soldiers fight for
their flag as well their country. The 78th occupied the town of Jackson, Tennessee
in 1862. Their first act upon entering the town was to raise a United States
flag above the courthouse where the first Confederate flag had been raised
in that state. Raising the stars and stripes symbolized their loyalty to the
Union.
In the field, flags were used to boost the soldiers morale. As
their flags became worn and tattered, regiments were issued new flags.
On January 23, 1864, near Vicksburg, Mississippi, the 78th O.V.I. and the
124th Illinois infantry regiment staged a drilling contest for possession
of a new flag. The 78th had built a reputation for being a well-trained
regiment and drew the most applause from the crowd. However, the
124th Illinois was declared the winner, possibly because two of the three
judges were generals from Illinois.
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