COUTS
A Quarterly Newsletter for the Descendants of the Couts Family #29
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IN MEMORIUM
The California Couts Family has lost one of its dear brothers,
Donald Lee Couts, 71, to Leukemia. He passed June 18, 2003.
Don was a retired mechanic, who carried on the
family vocation with skills, knowledge, and expertise.
He was husband to Carol, Father of Linda and Curtis Couts,
Stepfather to Robert,
Grandfather to Jessica Lyons, Alexis Lyons, Olivia Lyons
Courtney Couts, and Kolbi Couts.
He was son of Roy and Ruby (Childers) Couts and beloved
Brother of Clarence "Bo", Steve, Tom, and Barbara (Evans) Couts
He was loved and he will be missed
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EMAILS
Subject: Koutz From: ll13@nvbell.net Hi, I am trying to find info
on a Barbara Koutz/Coutz that married Daniel Smith in PA probably
Greene/Washington Co.'s Last name can be spelled several ways.
Linked families are Morgan, Durney, Burson and Manchey/Menche/Manche
etc. Can you help? I've hit a brick wall. Thanks, Linda
Subject: Googling on Koutzes....From: Norma J. Koutz Wallace
e-mail: nkwallac@kent.edu Barbara - I was doing a Google search
on my maiden name. My oldest brother has started getting interested
in genealogy, and with a name like KOUTZ, it's pretty easy to
narrow the search. I came across your website, along with other
connections of Koutzes and related names. We had no idea there
were that many Koutzes out there! Would love to hear from you,
and find out more about your group. Norma Koutz Wallace
Subject: Guajome From: Marcy Barr Dear Barb,
Did you know there will be a fandango at Guajome
to celebrate the 150th anniversary? It will be held
August 2, at least that is the present plan. Jennifer
is the new ranger there and has the details. I have
not talked to her but understand this is the plan.
Of course, we will be there whatever the date. Also
will have Tony Forster, distant grandson of Juan
Forster attending. Marcy Barr - Ysidora Bandini Couts
Marcy, Barb's Reply I'm going to try and make it.
You'll be great!!
Subject: RE: Tetrick Kutch From:
DancingDoll228@aol.com Hello, I just found
your web site and for the last 2 hours, I have
thoroughly enjoyed it... My name is Donna Jane Koontz-Young.
I have only in the last year begun to gather my family ancestry.
I have traced back to Detrick/Tetrick Kutch, who married
Susanna Prussia (found this info in family records and on
Ancestry.com). In your pages, I found reference to Susanna
of Prussia, married to Tetrick Kautz. I tried tracing the last
name "Prussia" and have made up my mind that there is no
such last name who emigrated from Prussia. My family is
Tilford Kutch, son of John Kutch, son of Tetrick/Detrick
Kutch who was married to Susanna Prussia. Can you verify
that Susanna of Prussia is the same as my Susanna Prussia?
I show her being born "about" 1745 in Prussia, and dying
"about" 1834 in Mercer Co., Ky. ANY assistance will help
me tremendously. Please email me at: DancingDoll228@aol.com
Thank you....Donna Koontz-Young
Barb's Reply: Hi, I am trying desperately to connect my
Detrick to the KUTCH line. I will pass you info on to the
Kutch experts, so they can contact you...I think Detrick of
Mercer was son or our Detrick who came to America-PA-in
1750-then, on to VA. ...timing, place, and names are good,
but there is no further contact between Detrick and his sons
John and Chrisley, as far as I can tell. There was a KUTCH
family that came from PA to KY 1760's..But there is nnnooooo proof…
Subject: Re: Tetrick Kutch From: DancingDoll228@aol.com
Hi! Thank you so very, very much. this is just
driving me "Nuts"...I appreciate your quick response...Donna
Subject: Re: Tetrick Kutch From: DancingDoll228@aol.com
Hi, again, Barb.. Just a quick thought...I have a very old
description of the Kutch family and how they came to
be in Indiana, their perils on the trail, etc. In this "document",
it starts out that Tilford/Tetrick Kutch was born "about 1750"
..it states that he was in the Revolutionary War. It states that
"Anna" came to America on board a "bride ship".. And they
met and married...I've generally discounted all of this because
I could not make the dates and times agree with the records
I've found. It also states that Tilford/Detrick/Tetrick had a
friend named Adolph Cane, also a soldier, who married a
Phoebe King. .Also a "bride" of this same ship... all this
sorta fits because John Kutch, son of Detrick/Tilford had
a son named John Cane Kutch, born 15 MAY 1831..I can't
find any reference to why he would have such a middle name,
were it not true that somewhere along the way some one named
" Cane" came into the picture. But the dates are all wrong... If
you haven't seen this or would like to, let me know...maybe
some of the pieces will fit in your line. Just a wild goose chase
probably, but who knows...??? Donna
Subject: RE: Kutch history From: DancingDoll228@aol.com
Hi, Barb... As per your request here is the history that I found
at my dad's. He died in 1997 and I'm just starting to put all this
together. I added the list of children of Paris Jones and Luella
(Kutch) Jones at the bottom. I typed this history, as the
original is hand written and in very bad condition. A lot
of this is controversial. Let me know if you find major
corrections.. Hope it's entertaining, if nothing else... Thanks..Donna
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE KUTCH FAMILY
(Copied from typed document discovered
at the Koontz residence, in Heidelberg, Miss.,
October, 2002. Copied verbatim, by Donna
Koontz-Young, daughter of deceased, Olin
Maxwell Koontz, and Mary Ovada Leggett Koontz)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TILFORD KUTCH was born about 1750,
exact date not known. He was a soldier in
the Revolutionary War.
A Prussian trans-ocean shipping company
provided passage for a number of women
from Prussia in the early 1780's, and hoped
to collect the price for passage from the
prospective bridegrooms waiting in Virginia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TILFORD KUTCH, and his soldier friend,
ADOLPH CANE, each met and married
one of these imported girls.
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PHOEBE KING married AOLPH CANE,
in 1784. TILFORD KUTCH married
ANNA PRUSSIA the same year. The
two couples lived near each other and began
to labor for individual existence, their main
living was from wild game, nuts and fruit in
the forests, and fish from the many streams.
On November 3, 1786, a son was born to
TILFORD and ANNA KUTCH in Virginia.
JOHN KUTCH, son of TILFORD and ANNA,
was quite small when his parents both died,
probably of Typhoid Fever, which was common
in the country at that time. ADOLPH CANE
assumed the responsibility of caring for the
orphan child, JOHN. In the late 1700's,
ADOLPH CANE and his wife PHOBE, together
with their three children and young JOHN KUTCH,
moved to NW North Carolina. It was here that
JOHN KUTCH and ELIZABETH CANE were
married in 1804. ELIZABETH CANE was the
oldest child of ADOLPH and PHOEBE CANE.
Here JOHN and ELIZABETH had three children.
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TILFORD KUTCH (b) 1806
EWING KUTCH (b) 10 JUNE 1808
CAROLINE M. KUTCH (b) 1809 (d) 12 JAN 1881
Stories then went by mouth, as there were
no mail, newspapers, telephones, telegraph
or radios. They were told that Indiana
Territory of the Northwest was opened
for settlement. They decided at once to
go to Indiana and began preparing for the
journey. Their method of travel consisted
of a homemade, two-wheeled cart drawn
by a young milk cow and a three-year-old bull.
They packed their clothing, a few household
necessities, tools, such as ax, plow, augur, hoe,
drawing knife and a variety of seeds. They also
took a supply of food, dried pumpkin, jug of
sorghum, salt, bacon, cornmeal and a gun to
kill game. In the summer of 1811, they traveled
thru unbroken forest, over Indian Trails, some
500 miles. They were three months on the road.
They came over the Appalachian Mountains,
thru the pass by the "Lone Pine". The Ohio River
was crossed at Louisville. They decided to tarry
awhile in Washington Co., near Salem, Indiana,
which was a small settlement. They remained
there nearly four years. Here two more children were born.
NELSON KUTCH (b) 1812
ALFORD KUCTCH (b) 2 DEC 1814 (d) 2 JULY 1896
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1815 the KUTCH family traveled to Monroe County,
Indiana, and in 1816, TILFORD entered land in Clear
Creek Township. Here they lived and raised their
family of nine children and the last four were born here.
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ORPHA JANE KUTCH (b) 1817 (d) 1890
JANE KUTCH (b) 1819
FINDLEY KUTCH (b) 27 DEC 1823 (d) 27 NOV 1857
JOHN CANE KUTCH (b) 15 MAY 1831 (d) 17 JULY 1861
TILFORD KUTCH was married 28 OCT 1847, to AMANDA MILLER,
a step-daughter of JAMES WRIGHT by his second marriage.
He went west to seek cold in 1849.
He was never heard from again.
LUELLA KUTCH, daughter of TILFORD
and AMANDA, was born 16 JULY 1857, died 15 MAR 1892.
LUELLA married PARIS CLAY JONES, 26 SEPT 1876.
PARIS and LUELLA lived 8 miles south of Bloomington,
Indiana, in the South Union neighborhood.
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** END OF DOCUMENT**
ORIGINAL DOCUMENT FILED
IN RECORDS OF TRANSCRIBER
DOCUMENT RE-TYPED BY
DONNA J. KOONTZ-YOUNG,
TRANSCRIBER FEBRUARY 21, 2003, BILOXI, MS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LISTED BELOW ARE THE
CHILDREN OF PARIS AND LUELLA (KUTCH) JONES:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RAYMOND O. JONES (b) 24 DEC 1877 (d) JULY 1877
RAYMOND died at 7 mos. of age.
Hand written family notes state name spelled RAIMANN
LUNA JONES (b) 5 MAY 1879 (d) MAR 1943
LUNA married CROHN THRASHER
Children of LUNA and CROHN TRASHER::
WILMA THRASHER died at birth
RUSSELL THRASHER died at when 6 years old
RALPH THRASHER died when 3 years old
DORWELL THRASHER (b) 1903
** DORWELL married GLEN R. HENDERSON,
Mayor of Connersville, IN.
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CARRIE MARGARET JONES (b) 24 APRIL 1881
CARRIE married (1st) WALTER CLAYTON
Children of CARRIE and WALTER CLAYTON:
MARGARET CLAYTON
CARRIE married (2nd) BERT OBERLE
Children of CARRIE and BERT OBERLE:
None
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MARY ALICE JONES (b) 5 MAY 1882 (d) OCT 1916
MARY ALICE (Mayree) married JAMES HARDY
Children of MARY ALICE and JAMES HARDY:
LLOYD HARDY (b)
OLIN HARDY (b) 2 OCT 1916
OLIN'S mother, MARY ALICE (JONES) HARDY
died when he was only 2 weeks old. OLIN was
adopted by his Aunt ZULA (JONES) BRYANT
and Uncle DAYTON BRYANT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OLIVE BELVA JONES (b) 17 OCT 1883
OLIVE married: ( ) Unmarried
Children of OLIVE BELVA JONES and UNKNOWN:
LEONARD PARIS JONES (b) 19 NOV 1899
OLIVE married (1st) FRED LESLIE KOONTZ
Children of OLIVE and FRED LESLIE KOONTZ:
OLIN MAXWELL KOONTZ (b) 30 MAY 1913
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OLIVE married (2nd) GEORGE EDGAR FIELDER
Children of OLIVE and GEORGE EDGAR FIELDER
CHANCEY WEIR FIELDER (b) 19 SEPT 1925
(d) 1 NOV 1944 ~ Italy ~ WWII
ELIZABETH PEARLE JONES (b) 27 AUG 1886
PEARLE married OLIN A. ROGERS
Children of PEARLE and OLIN A. ROGERS:
None
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JOHN RUSSELL JONES (b) 31 DEC 1888
ZULA L. JONES (b) 26 MAY 1891
ZULA married DAYTON C. "Rich" BRYANT ~
Children of ZULA and DAYTON C. BRYANT
None
ZULA (JONES) BRYANT and D.C. BRYANT
adopted OLIN HARDY, son of MARY ALICE
and JAMES HARDY.
SOURCES:
Koontz Family Bible owned by Donna Koontz-Young
South Union Cemetery Records - Monroe Co., IN
Koontz Cemetery Records - Monroe Co., In.
Family photo albums owned by Donna Koontz-Young
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: Re: Detrick Kutch From: genealau I have
Atkinsons and probably Walkers ( if I only knew
Walker's first name)in Christian/Mercer/Todd Cos., KY
in the same time frame. I haven't had a chance to check
those Cos. for early Birds. Atkinson md Walker in Christian Co.,
Walker md Bird in Colorado. Bird b MO then migrated to CO. Found Walker in Dade/Lawrence Co., MO 1880 census as a widow. There is a Couts in Boone Co., MO 1820 with a John and Jesse Bird/Byrd. I think it was Aaron Couts. Know anything about any connection with Birds and Couts there? Deitrich/Detrich is too unusual not to be related somehow.........................Launa
Subject: Detrick Kuitch From: genealau Been in UT and
will be leaving again to visit a friend. Back June 10th.
Chat with you then. Launa
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/8086/documents/land/casey.txt
CASEY COUNTY KY - TAX LIST
1807 Daniel Cooch -1 male over 21, 1 horse
Detrick Cooch -200 acres on North Rolling Fork (in the
name of George Harlin)
1808 Detrick Koutch -230 A. N. Rolling Fk. (in the name of George Harlin)
John Koutch -1 male over 21, 2 horses
1809 Detrick Kutch - 230 A. N. Rolling Fk. (in the name of George Harlin)
John Kutch - 1 male over 21, 2 horses
1810 John Kutch - 1 male over 21, 3 horses Dedrick Kutch - 200 acres
1811 Dedrick Kutch- 230 acres Rolling Fork (in the name of George Harlin)
John Kutch - 1 male over 21, 4 horses
1812 Detrick Couch - 230 acres Rolling Fork (in the name of George Harlin)
John Couch - 1 male over 21, 3 horses
1813 Detrick Kutch - 230 acres Rolling Fork (in the name of George Harlin)
John Kutch - 1 male over 21, 3 horses (both men in Capt. Lobb's Militia Co.)
1814 Detrick Kutch - 230 acres Rolling Fork (in the name of George Harlin)
1815 Detrick Kooch - 230 acres Rolling Fork
1816 Detrick Kooch - 230 acres Rolling Fork (in the name of George Harlin)
1817 Dedrick Cooch - 230 acres Rolling Fork (in the name of George Harlin)
Can't Pass up a Jacob......
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=connect&id=I14833
1 Jacob KOONTZ b: 12 FEB 1817 d: 21 SEP 1885
+ Rebecca RAY b: 13 MAY 1817 d: 8 JUN 1860
2 Malinda KOONTZ b: 31 MAR 1865 d: 25 SEP 1925
+ David DICKSON b: 10 JAN 1847 d: 25 SEP 1919
3 Roy Emily DICKSON
3 Charles Monroe DICKSON
3 Wiley Edward DICKSON
+ Minnie YOUNG
3 William Oscar DICKSON b: ABT 1896
+ Bessie Lee BLEVINS b: 19 MAY 1896 d: 18 DEC 1935
3 Claude Franklin DICKSON
3 Nora Cornette DICKSON
+ Enoch YOUNG
3 Walter Winfield DICKSON
+ Maude JOHES
+ Lorene PERKINS
3 Robert Lee DICKSON
+ Betty BROWN
+ Paulette BARTHOLEMEW
3 Lena Cynthia DICKSON
+ James Floyd JONES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COUTS/KOUTS/KAUTZ IN THE CIVIL WAR
Submitted By Jack Childers, AKA INJack InJack1@aol.com
Jack Childers is a dear friend, who researches in our other
family line, the Childers Family. His specialty is Civil War
re-enactment, research, history, and his missing Childers.
Very innocently, I asked if there were any Couts/Kouts/Kautz
who fought in the Civil War. Well, Jack gave us enough
information for several newsletters! This article is the third installment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Couts, Franklin W. Co. H Privat yo.-18 enlisted-Aug. 8, 18623 yrs.
Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps* Sept. 1, 1863.
* Veteran Reserve Corps --- Was a Corps that they
transferred men to that where not fit for front line duty
due to illness. wounds, etc. but yet still fit to be guards
and such at "behind the lies" depots, supply dumps,
RR bridges etc.\ regimental flag
History of the 93rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry -1862-
The 93rd Ohio was organized during the months of
July and August, 1862, at Camp Dayton, near
Dayton, Ohio. It left the rendezvous for
Lexington, Kentucky, on the evening of August 23, 1862,
numbering 39 officers and also 929 men. Under command
of General Gilbert, the regiment retreated from Lexington
to Louisville, where it was assigned to Ward's brigade,
of Jackson's division, and remained in camp until
September, 1862. Upon leaving it was assigned to
the Fifth Brigade of McCook's division, and upon
arriving in Frankfort, Kentucky, it was re-assigned
to the Third Brigade, Second Division of McCook's
command. The 93rd moved with the army to Nashville,
and in December, while on duty guarding a forage-train,
was attacked by the Rebels, and in this, its first
engagement, it lost one man killed and three wounded
[Note: reference to Lebanon, TN - Antioch Church].
At the battle of Stone River it was in Baldwin's brigade,
of Johnson's division, and suffered severely, on December 31.
-1863- After this battle it encamped on the banks of
Stone River, south of Murfreesboro, until March, 1863,
when it moved to Camp Drake west of Murfreesboro.
On June 23, 1863, McCook's corps broke camp and
marched for Liberty Gap. After a slight engagement at
that place, it moved to Hoover's Gap, and there joining
the remainder of the army under Rosencrans, it moved
on to Tuliahoma, arriving July 2, 1863. The regiment
remained in camp until August 17, when, with
Johnson's division, it moved to Bellefonte, Alabama,
and about the last of August moved from Bellefonte
to Stevenson. It crossed Lookout Mountain and
bivouacked in a valley about forty miles below
Chattanooga. It re-crossed the mountain, and again
on September 14 it marched to the top and along the
ridge, leaving it on September 17 at McLemore's Cove.
On September 18, the 93rd was placed on picket on
the extreme right of the battle line at Chickamauga,
["visit_to_chickamauga.htm"] and was engaged in
severe skirmishing. On the morning of September 19
orders were received to join General Thomas, and
after marching 9 miles, from the extreme right to the
extreme left, the last 2 miles at a double-quick, the
regiment went into action at 12:30 p.m. About 2 p.m.,
in the afternoon the 93rd, led by Colonel Baldwin,
the brigade commander, charged a Rebel battery, killed
all the horses, and captured the guns and the men.
The brigade was engaged until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.,
when, by superior numbers, it was compelled to
retire 200 or 300 yards, where it bivouacked for
the night. During the engagement on Saturday the
regiment lost 124 officers and men killed, wounded,
and prisoners. Early on Sunday morning the regiment
commenced building breastworks (having only two axes,
without picks or shovels), and by the time the Rebels
advanced to attack it was protected by a very good barricade
of logs, rails, and brush. The first Rebel attack lasted one
and a half hours, during which time the amount of ammunition
expended by the 93rd averaged 100 rounds to the man.
From that time until midnight, there was continual
skirmishing, during which private Kinsey, of Co. H,
killed Colonel Richmond, Inspector General of
General Polk's staff, and obtained his sword and
a valuable map of Ringold, and the adjoining country.
Again, about midnight, the Rebels charged and were
repulsed handsomely after an engagement of an hour.
The skirmishers were at once thrown out, and
reported 300 killed and wounded lying in front
of the works of the 93rd. At each charge the Rebels
came within 125 yards of the breastworks. About
4 p.m. the Rebels charged again, and while still fighting,
the regiment was ordered to fall back. Not expecting to
abandon the field, it fell back about 75 yards and
formed in the second line of works, when orders
were received to retreat on the double-quick. It
fell back to Ringold Sunday night, and at midnight
of Monday the 21st, continued the retreat to Chattanooga.
The regiment with its brigade was
deployed as skirmishers along the north
bank of the Chattanooga Creek, extending
from the Nashville Railroad around for
about 2 miles. It remained there for 4 days,
and in continual skirmishing with the Rebels
lost 6 or 8 men. Strong and substantial
breastworks were built, which were afterward
used as the advanced picket line. During the
first part of October, the 93rd was assigned
to the Second Brigade (Hazen's), Third Division
(Wood's), Fourth Army Corps. on October 25,
Hazen's brigade floated down the Tennessee on
pontoons, and effected a landing at Brown's Ferry.
This movement relieved the want of supplies at
Chattanooga, and prevented the evacuation of
the place. After remaining a few days at Brown's
Ferry, the regiment returned to its camp at Chattanooga.
About noon on November 23, orders were
received for the regiment to move out of camp
as if going on brigade drill, taking nothing but
arms, accouterments, and canteens. Instead,
of going on drill, it moved into line of battle,
and was consolidated with the 41st Ohio.
This battalion was then advanced beyond
the rest of the line, and in the charge upon
Orchard Hill suffered severely. The time
occupied in making the charge was not more
than 5 or 6 minutes, during which time the 93rd
lost 11 killed and 49 wounded. Six men were
shot down while carrying the regimental colors;
among them was Major William Birch who was
commanding the regiment. On November 25, the
regiment was in the assault on Missionary Ridge,
and sustained the loss of 8 killed and 20 wounded.
On November 28, 1863, the 93rd started for
East Tennessee. The campaign of the winter of
1863-64 was very severe, and one time the
regiment was reduced to 4 officers and 90 men.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-1864-
On January 16, 1864, 7 officers and
about 80 men, who had been left in
Chattanooga unable to march, joined
the regiment at Strawberry Plains,
making the effective force about 170
men. On the night on the 16th, the 93rd
and the 1st Ohio were detailed for picket,
and were posted about 2.5 miles north
of Dandridge. On the 17th about noon,
the Rebels attacked the line, but they
were held in check until dark, when the
line was withdrawn. In this skirmish,
the 93rd lost 1 killed, 4 wounded, and
3 captured. The regiment with the
army moved to Strawberry Plains and
from there to Knoxville, and after
remaining a short time the regiment,
with a portion of the brigade, was
stationed at Lenoir's, and was ordered
to build winter-quarters. After remaining
about 3 weeks the regiment again moved
to Knoxville, and so it continued during
the whole campaign, marching and
counter-marching. For about a month
it bivouacked at Blair's Cross Roads,
making occasional trips to Rutledge.
On April 3, it arrived in Cleveland and
went into camp at McDonald's Station,
6 miles south of Cleveland, and for a
month was busily in preparation for a
new campaign.
On May 3, the regiment broke camp
and started on the Atlanta campaign,
with an aggregate of 300 men. It marched
to Rossville and thence to Buzzard's Roost,
where, on the morning of the 8th, a feint
was made upon the Rebel works, in which
the regiment lost 4 men wounded. On the
evening of the 9th, it withdrew to the rear,
having lost that day 5 men wounded. The
Rebels evacuated their works on the night
of the 12th, and on the 13th the regiment
was again on the march. About 10 a.m. on
the 15th, heavy skirmishing was heard on
the front. The 93rd and 124th Ohio were
in one battalion, under command of
Colonel Payne, and were formed in double
columns closed in mass. After marching in
this manner for about 2 miles, the battalion
was deployed as skirmishers, and relieved
the skirmishers of the 23rd Corps. The
position which was occupied was found
to be untenable, as the Rebels were in force
on a hill about 300 yards in front. The order
to charge was given, and the Rebels were driven
from the hill. A fine position was gained, but
as the remainder of the line was exposed to
heavy fire of shell and grape from a battery
on its right. After fighting for nearly 2 hours,
and when almost all the ammunition was
expended, it was relieved by a battalion
commanded by Colonel Berry. The loss of
the 93rd in this battle of Resaca was 4 killed
and 21 wounded.
On the morning of May 17 the regiment
entered Resaca, and advanced to Adairsville.
During the day of the march to Adairsville,
the brigade of which the 93rd was a part, was
in advance of the column upon the railroad,
and about every 3 miles the Rebels would
make some resistance, thus compelling the
brigade to form in line of battle. At 5 p.m.,
the Rebels made a stand at a small creek,
about half a mile north of Adairsville. Skirmishers
were thrown out and breastworks were erected.
The skirmishing was severe until about 9 p.m.,
when both parties ceased. At midnight, the
right wing of the 93rd was detailed to cross the
creek, and to build advanced works. After a
night of severe labor on the fortifications it
was discovered when daylight came, the
Rebels had again commenced their trap. The
regiment marched through Kingston to Cassville,
and after resting a few days, advanced toward
Dallas, through a section of the country known
as "Burnt Hickory." On the morning of May 27
the regiment, with the remainder of Wood's division,
withdrew from their position in the lines in front
of Dallas, and with Johnson's division of the
14th Army Corps, marched against the right
of the Rebel line. The troops started at 9 a.m.,
in line of battle, with bayonets fixed, and
marched in line and in column, without firing
a shot, until 5 p.m., when a detachment of
skirmishers, under Captain Patton of the 93rd,
discovered some cavalry and exchanged a few
shots. Within 15 minutes the troops were engaged
heavily, the 93rd being the front line. The fight
lasted until nearly dark, when the National lines
withdrew about a quarter of a mile. In this action
the regiment lost 48 killed and wounded. The
night was spent in building breastworks and in
obtaining ammunition, and remained in position
here until June 5. On the night of June 5 it moved
near Acworth, where it remained a few days, and
then marched toward Kennesaw. The 93rd was
on the skirmish-line at Pine Knob, June 17, during
the entire day, and lost 7 men wounded. On the
19th it was again on the front, and on the 23rd,
the 93rd Ohio and the 5th Kentucky were sent
to advance the picket line, then not move more
than 500 yards from the brigade. The line was
advanced a short distance after an hour's fight,
with a loss to the regiment of 3 killed and
37 wounded.
The 93rd followed the Rebels retreating
from Kennesaw, and on July 4, 1864, it
was the extreme left regiment of Sherman's
army, and connected on the flank with the
cavalry. It skirmished with the enemy from
10 a.m. until 11 p.m., through swamps and
woods, losing 3 men wounded. On the 5th,
it reached the Chattahoochee River and
overtook the Rebel rear-guard, which, after
a short engagement, retreated across its
pontoons and cut them loose on the
National side of the river. The regiment
remained here 10 or 12 days, then moved
up the river, crossed, and came down to a
point opposite to that it had occupied
July 5th. On the 18th it crossed
Peachtree Creek and worked all night
on the breastworks. The regiment pushed
on toward Atlanta. On the morning of the
22nd, it came suddenly upon the Rebels
and was compelled to halt and throw up
fortifications. In this position it remained
until August 26, performing its full share
of all duty and losing but one man wounded.
On the night of the 26th, the regiment
marched around Atlanta, and at West Point,
on the 28th, assisted in destroying the Atlanta
and Montgomery Railroad. The 93rd was in
reserve at Jonesboro, but it was in the front
line at Lovejoy's Station on the 30th. It
remained at Lovejoy's Station several days,
and then returned to Atlanta and went into camp.
In September the regiment moved to Gailsville,
and from there, October 25, to Chattanooga and
thence to Pulaski, Tennessee, where it camped
until November 23rd, when it commenced falling
back toward Nashville. On the afternoon of the
24th it arrived at Columbia, and at once resumed
the old work of building breastworks. The retrograde
movement continued, and on the 30th the 93rd
reached Franklin, and lay in reserve during the fight.
On the evening of the 30th, it was detailed as
train-guard for the corps-train from Franklin to
Nashville, and reached Nashville about noon
December 1st. It lay at Nashville in the front line
until December 15th, when the brigade was moved
to the right to engage in the attack upon Hood, and
the 93rd was left to hold the works in case of a reverse.
On the 16th it joined the brigade on the Granny
White Pike, about 4 miles from the city, and moved
across to the Franklin Pike. The 93rd was formed to
the left of the pike, with its right resting on the pike.
It went into the fight with 90 men and lost
4 killed and 21 wounded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-1865-
The regiment pursued Hood to the Tennessee,
and finding that he had escaped, returned to Huntsville
and went into camp. At Huntsville the 93rd was
detailed to go to Paint Rock Bridge, about 20 miles
northeast of Huntsville, for the purpose of ferrying
rations across, the railroad bridge at that point having
been burned. It built rafts and in 24 hours ferried
across 75,000 rations of bread, meat, coffee, sugar,
candles, and soap, then returned to Huntsville. It
embarked in cars for Nashville, February 1, 1865,
and remained there until February 6th, when it again
returned to Huntsville. On March 15, the regiment
left for East Tennessee. It went to Bull's Gap, thence
to Greenville, thence across the mountains near to
Ashville, North Carolina, from there back to Greenville,
and from there to Nashville, where it arrived about
May 1st. The regiment mustered out of service at
Camp Harker, near Nashville, on June 8, 1865, and
proceeded at once to Camp Dennison, Ohio, where
it was paid and discharged on June 14th.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Summary-
Prior to the muster out of the regiment, 8 officers
and 241 men were discharged for disability; 4 officers
and 204 men are accounted for as "died of disease,
wounds and killed in action." 252 men were wounded
once; 30 men were wounded twice; and 8 men were
wounded three times. The surviving members of the
93rd have an association for preserving the memories
of olden times, which meet the second Friday of June,
in every year. But no such association is needed to
preserve the memory of their sufferings and their
glory at Stone River, Chickamauga, Brown's Ferry,
Orchard Knob, Missionary Ridge, Kennesaw,
Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy's Station, Franklin and Nashville.
-end-
[Note: This is a revised text based on the source
noted below. The copy I've used has no publisher
nor date noted. It is likely a later edition. Textual
numbers have been changed to digits, dates now
follow month/day format, punctuation has been
reworked, and the text broken apart by year. The
flow of the text remains unchanged. Transcription
and revisions © 2002 William G. Schmidt]
Source: "The History of Ohio Regiments and
Other Military Organizations: Ohio In The War"
Whitelaw Reid. Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin. Cincinnati 1868.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Further reference
USAMHI RefBranch laf & ds Sep 96 93d Ohio Infantry
Demoret, Alfred. A Brief History of the
Ninety-third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry:
Recollections of a Private. Ross, OH:
Graphic Print, l898. 54 p. (26 photocopied pages).
E525.5.93d.D45.
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the
War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Dayton, OH: Morningside, 1979.
Ref.See pp. 1537-38 (2 photocopied pages)
for a concise summary of the regiment's service. Ohio.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga Natl Park Comm.
Chickamauga: Record of the.... Cincinnati, OH: Earhart
& Richardson, 1896. E475.81O37.See pp. 87-89
(2 photocopied pages) on the regiment's service during
the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns.
. Roster Comm. Official Roster of the
Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the
Rebellion. Vol. 7. Cincinnati, OH:
Ohio Valley Pr, 1888. pp. 184-212 & 707-12.
E525.3038v7. (Unit roster and list of wartime deaths).
Patton, Joseph T. "Personal Recollections of
Four Years in Dixie." In War Papers (MOLLUS, MI,
Vol. 1, Paper 20). Detroit, MI: Winn & Hammond, 1893. (15 photocopied pages). E464M5.1991v50.
Reid, Whitelaw. Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals and Soldiers.... Vol. 2.
Cincinnati, OH: Wilstach, Baldwin, 1872. E525R342v2.
See pp. 517-21 (3 photocopied pages) for a brief regimental history and roster of officers.
Richards, Henry. Letters of Captain Henry Richards of the Ninety-third Ohio Infantry. Cincinnati,
OH: Wrightson, l883. 48 p. (25 photocopied pages). E525.5.93d.R53.
Shewmon, Joe. "The Amazing Ordeal of Pvt. Joe Shewmon." CW Times Illus. Per.
I (Apr l962): pp. 45-50 (6 photocopied pages)
I (May l962): pp. 48-50 (3 photocopied pages)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
L.A. Then and Now Violent Fact and Fiction Merge at Rancho Guajome
By: Cecilia Rasmussen Submitted by Janet Hunter
From: PBurne1063@aol.com Subject: Cave Johnson Couts
Hi, I saw an article in the Los Angeles Times newspaper about
your Couts family. Janet Hunter sent me your way. I typed it
up and sent it out to several people on my mailing list for
TNROOTS and thought you might like to have the text of it
also? I'm not related to these folks as far as I know, I just saw
Tennessee mentioned in the article and thought I'd mention it
to my list. Pamela Burnette Los Angeles Times article,
Sunday, September 22, 2002
If ever a house was populated by fictitious characters
as well as the real personalities that may have inspired them,
it's San Diego County's Rancho Guajome. The rancho, stepped
in historic lawlessness, owes its name to the Luiseno Indian
word whakavumi, meaning "the frog pond," and much of its
reputation to the ruthless soldier who built it. The rest of its
reputation comes from the writer who made it famous.
Cave Johnson Couts was a pioneer who fought off
cattle rustlers, squatters and all other comers
with gun, guile and muscle. He also had a taste for drink
that proved fatal to foes -- and, eventually, himself. Born in
Tennessee and educated at West Point, he came to California
as an Army lieutenant in 1848, a year before the fold strike
to help wrest the state away from Mexico. He made a
fortune feeding gold miners with his cattle. He also kept
diaries that became one of the most important published
historical sources of information about California during
the Gold Rush. These days, the volumes are in the
custody of the Huntington Library.
Three decades after Couts' adventures made him
and his home famous, Helen Hunt Jackson came calling.
After a dustup over Indian servants, Couts' widow sent
her packing. Once she'd read Jackson's 1884 best-selling
novel "Ramona" -- the "Gone With the Wind" of its day
--she threatened to sue.
Couts stood 6 feet 3 and weighted more than 200
pounds. He survived gunfights, Indian battles and a
lackluster stint in the military before settling in Southern
California. In 1849, he was part of an escort for Army
wagons from Monterey Mexico, to California. As the
Army rode through San Diego, two daughters of prominent
ranchero Juan Bandini leaned on a porch railing -- as
the story goes -- to watch the troops. The railing gave
way and the girls fell. Couts had the presence of mind
to spur his horse over to one of them, Ysidora Bandini,
and help her to her feet. Two years later they were
married. Later in 1849, as California was preparing
to become a state, Couts was appointed to the statehood
convention. He also surveyed and mapped the town
of San Diego, where he paid tribute to his future
father=in=law with some place names, such as Juan Street.
In 1851, Ysidora's sister, Arcadia Bandini Stearns,
and Arcadia's husband, prosperous rancher Abel Stearns,
gave the couple the deed to the 2,219-acre Rancho Guajome
as a wedding gift. Today, its remaining 165 acres are part
of Guajome Regional Park, about three miles east of
Mission San Luis Rey in the wilds of Oceanside.
Rangers can discuss the history of the state, the family
and the rancho's supposed links to the fictional half-Indian
maiden Ramona (to which many Southern California sites lay claim).
Couts used the gift as a beginning to become a
land baron. He resigned from the Army and soon
acquired other San Diego properties, including the
area surrounding Mission San Luis Rey (but not the
Mission itself) and, later, nearby Buena Vista Rancho.
But an Indian war loomed. Less than a year after his
resignation, the Army recalled him and promoted him
to lieutenant colonel. Leading a group of soldiers and
volunteers, Couts quashed the rebellion and captured
Antonio Garra, a bitter Luiseno who had sworn vengeance
against all white settlers. Couts served as prosecutor and
judge at the trial of Garra, who was convicted and executed
by firing squad. Some Indians resented Couts, but more than
300 Luisenos who lived in the shadow of Mission San Luis Rey
helped him build the 22-room Rancho Guajome in exchange for
permission to live and hunt on his land. The rancho was
almost a town; it even had its own general store and jail.
In 1853, Couts moved into Rancho Guajome with
his wife and two children. (The couple eventually had 10,
eight of whom survived.) He was appointed U.S. Indian sub-agent,
with duties that included responsibility for the welfare of local
tribes. That's about when his relationship with the Indians
went from tentative to terrible. Twice, a county grand jury
considered charging him for beating two Indians with a strip
of rawhide. One man eventually died from the beating, but
no charges were filed.
By the early 1860s, floods and a long
drought had led to a breakdown of the
cattle industry, which almost ruined Couts.
Far grimmer and more ruthless was the
smallpox epidemic of 1862-63. Couts
kept tabs on it in his diary:
"Smallpox is quite prevalent--six
to eight per day are being buried in S.
Juan Capistrano--Indians generally . . . .
I vaccinated the whole rancheria at
San Luis some six weeks since, and
hope they may escape, thus saving
our community of the terrible disease."
Fearful that the malady would
spread, Couts determined to prevent
burials of its victims in the mission
cemetery, which he owned. His edict
would lead to bloodshed.
On Jan. 13, 1863, family and
friends of a well-known vaquero and
cattleman, Don Ysidro Maria Alvarado,
arrived at the cemetery for his burial.
Couts' younger brother, San Diego
Deputy Sheriff William Blount Couts,
rode up with two of his brother's
vaqueros to prevent it.
As the Alvarado family lowered
the coffin into the grave, Blount Couts
told them that they could not proceed.
From: PBurne1063@aol.com
Subject: Cave Johnson Couts Hi, I
saw an article in the Los Angeles Times
newspaper about your Couts family.
Janet Hunter sent me your way. I typed it up
and sent it out to several people on my mailing
list for TNROOTS and thought you might like
to have the text of it also? I'm not related to these
folks as far as I know, I just saw Tennessee
mentioned in the article and thought I'd mention
it to my list. Pamela Burnette Los Angeles Times
article, Sunday, September 22, 2002
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHOOTING AT BURIAL One member
of the burial party, Leon Vasquez was outraged.
Shovel in hand, he rushed at Blount Couts,
who was armed with a double-barreled shotgun.
Blount Couts shot him to death. As the unarmed
burial party fled in fear, one of Couts' vaqueros
fired again, wounding two men. "The whole
affair was the act of a moment, the shots and
deaths--all was muy pronto," one of the
Alvarado's sons, Tomas, later wrote.
Cave Johnson Couts felt responsible for
what had happened and tried to deflect s
ome of the blame. He wrote his brother's
defense attorney: "The fellow killed is
really not worth noticing.
He (Vasquez) is known as a bad character."
Three months later, San Diego County
indicted Blount Couts for murder. His
attorney cited a variety of problems with
the paperwork and succeeded in having
the charge dropped, despite depositions
from eight witnesses. Smallpox and
subsided by the spring of 1863, but
Couts' bad luck continued. In 1865,
while visiting the San Diego City Plaza,
he happened upon Juan Mendoza, his
former ranch foreman, who he had fired.
Mendoza had threatened to kill Couts
on several occasions. But when Mendoza
spotted his former employer, he turned
around and walked in the opposite direction.
Couts showed no such compunction. He
flew into a rage and shot Mendoza in the
back with a double barreled shotgun, killing him.
Los Angeles County Judge
Benjamin Hayes, a friend of Couts,
defended him, contending that the victim
was a known robber and troublemaker
and that his client had merely acted in
self-defense. Couts was cleared on
grounds that one of the jurors was n
ot an American citizen.
Fatherhood wasn't as
forgiving as the law. In 1868,
Couts' 15 year-old daughter,
Tonia, ran off with two of his
vaqueros. He tracked down
the threesome and enrolled
her in an Oakland convent.
By 1870, he believed
she and reformed and allowe
d her to return home. Couts
was to be rudely disappointed.
He caught Waldemar Muller, a
schoolteacher he had hired to
tutor his children, climbing out
of his daughter's window in the
middle of the night. Muller tried
to run, but Couts, drunken and
enraged, peppered him with a
load of buckshot. Muller was
critically wounded; Couts was
arrested and severely beaten by
the sheriff. Even Couts' attorney
scolded him in a note: "I fear your
excitability from drink as a friend,
let me ask you to keep sober. It is
the only way to get even with the
miserable judge and Irish sheriff."
The case was dismissed. But the
lawyer's warning about alcohol was
on target. Couts died four years later
at age 53, his health compromised by
years of heavy drinking. Ysidora, known
throughout the county for her hospitality,
continued to run the rancho with the
help of her eldest son, Cave Jr.
In 1882, while Helen Hunt Jackson
was touring Southern California missions
and Indian reservations, she visited
Rancho Guajome. She returned several
months later, staying for several days
and locking horns with Ysidora. As the
two women prepared to hear Mass in
the chapel, Indian servants brought them
chairs from the house. Jackson objected
to the servants' sitting on the floor.
Ysidora worried that should would incite
a riot among the servants and asked her to leave.
" Ysidora was very demand on her
servants, and the two women had unmendable
differences about race and class," says Rancho
Guajome senior park ranger Jake Enriquez.
In 1884, when "Ramona" was published,
Ysidora was outraged at what she perceived
to be an unflattering portrayal of her and
her son. She began talking to lawyers,
but Jackson died before a lawsuit was filed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For other stories find the San Diego Historical
Society Web page in our Links.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join us at the Fandango at Rancho Guajome in
August 2003.
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