A “Jonah”, in the parlance of a Civil War soldier, was a man with bad luck, a jinx who seemed to attract unexplained bad events. The superstitious avoided or even shunned the unfortunate Jonah lest the hex pass to him.
If a regiment could be called a “Jonah,” then the 89th Volunteer Infantry would be Ohio’s. Throughout its entire history, the 89th suffered repeated bouts of bad luck.
The regiment was organized in August of 1862 at Camp Dennison. It was composed of men from Clermont, Ross, Highland and Brown counties. After just three weeks of “basic training”, the 89th was deployed to northern Kentucky to defend against a Confederate invasion. Following the end of the so- called “Siege of Cincinnati”, the regiment was sent to western Virginia.
It was here in the mountains of Virginia that the bad luck began to surface-especially involving the regiment’s leadership. Its first commander John G. Marshall, a thirty- six year-old attorney from Georgetown, Ohio, was removed from command because of excessive drunkenness. William Glenn, its second commander, resigned.
Colonel Joseph Hatfield, a pro-slavery Baptist minister and merchant from Olive Branch, was tossed from the army after being convicted of conduct unbecoming an officer, incompetency and opposition to the Emancipation Proclamation.
With the appointment of Caleb Carleton, a widely respected West Point graduate with extensive experience in the eastern theater, it seemed that the luck had changed. But, after a short time, Carleton was captured and spent several months as a POW.
The regiment was without their tents for the first three weeks of their stay in Virginia, forcing them to make do with what they had. Often they slept in the open upon the soggy ground with just a woolen blanket to cover them, and at other times they built makeshift quarters from saplings and branches. As their bad luck would have it, the weather was miserable- cool and damp. At times they had to endure heavy rain showers.
The food supply was inconsistent. There were days when the men had to get by on one-half rations-maybe several pieces of hardtack.
The inclement weather, inadequate shelter, and short rations began to take a toll on the men. Pneumonia, camp fever (typhoid fever), measles, and mumps decimated the ranks. Some, like Harvey Shumard of Clermont County were sent home to recover- but died. Others died in camp. By the first of the year, the regiment lost about two hundred men.
The men were understandably angry. They blamed ineffective regimental leadership, army red tape, and corruption. Perhaps it was just another example of the 89th’s bad luck.
The regiment experienced its first major combat at the Battle of Chickamauga. They were idle the first day. On the afternoon of September 20, 1863, they were ordered to advance post haste to Snodgrass Hill.
Their mission was to hold the line at all costs to give the main army an opportunity to retreat to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The 89th withstood several ferocious attacks by the surging Confederates, losing nine men in the process.
By early evening, they had run out of ammunition. They were surrounded. Without any viable options, the regiment surrendered. Most of the men were captured. Dozens of enlisted men were sent to Andersonville, where fourteen died. With the officer corps decimated, it was left to Surgeon Samuel Crew of Clermont County to lead the remnants back to Chattanooga.
Years later William Barnes of Williamsburg discovered that orders were issued to withdraw from Snodgrass Hill before dark. Unfortunately, the couriers were captured before the orders reached the 89th- yet another piece of hard luck.
The regiment was rebuilt. It participated in the Atlanta Campaign and marched with Sherman to the sea. It suffered one last piece of bad luck-losing its regimental flag to Confederate cavalry.
Losing your regimental colors was a stinging, humiliating rebuke. Sgt. Barnes spent years searching for the flag. He found it in Talladega, Alabama. Barnes liberated the flag and brought it home to Clermont.
The 89th took part in the Grand Review of the Troops in Washington, D.C. after the war. It was sent to Camp Dennison for discharge.
During its thirty- four months of honorable service, Ohio’s Jonah Regiment lost fifty men in battle and another two hundred fifty from disease.
Gary Knepp is Clermont County’s honorary historian and is the author of eight books about Clermont’s history. Knepp’s website is www.garyknepp.com.