Regimental Nicknames

[Cap'n Dan]

My Grandfather, John Nelson Hubbard, pvt. Company A, 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment, wrote about several regimental nicknames used during the War.

6th Ohio: "The Guthrie Grays"
7th Ohio: "Roosters"
7th Indiana: "Bulldogs"
9th Indiana: "Swamp Devils" and later called the "Grey Eagle" Regiment
13th Indiana: "Old Guard" Regiment
95th New York: "Cortland" Regiment

Here's what he wrote about how the 7th Indiana received its nickname:

7th Indiana Infantry Regiment
Port Republic 9 June 1862
"At the battle of Port Republic we met the Louisiana "Tigers" in a hand to hand fight. We used the bayonet and club musket. Al James of Company A killed one of the 7th Louisiana with the butt of his musket. The "Tiger" was attempting to plunge his bayonet through the Orderly Sergeant. Al took him over the head splitting it open. I understand that "Stone Wall" said that, "That Indiana Regiment took all the fight out of the 7th Louisiana that day; they were no good after that battle. Captain Daum [Wheeling, Virginia Battery] had lost all his horses that day and the men of the writer's company [Company A] hauled his guns off by hand saving his battery. The 7th Indiana was given the duty of bringing up the rear. The rebel cavalry charged us but we formed square to resist a cavalry charge, but they halted before coming too close on to us and set their horses looking at us. As we did not fire on them I presume they feared a volley. They turned and galloped back and we stretched out on the march again. The 7th Indiana was without a round of ammunition having fired all that day. Colonel Gavin was riding a little ahead of the regiment and met Shields who asked him where his regiment was? Gavin replied that the "Bull Dogs" are coming back there. We came to the old 14th Indiana laying by the side of the road, they had not been in battle. They jumped to their feet and gave three cheers for Indiana and Buena Vista* saying that the old state had honored herself that day by the superb fight the 7th had put up. They said, "Pass on 7th and let us have them." We had gone but a short distance when we heard a volley. We knew by that the rebs had come on to the 14th and she had given them one. "

* A rumor, supposedly started by Jefferson Finis Davis, that one of the Indiana regiments ran at Buena Vista (Southwest of Monterrey) during the Mexican War on 22/23 February 1847.


Here's what he wrote about how the 7th Ohio received its nickname:

7th Ohio Infantry Regiment Cedar (Slaughter’s) Mountain 9 August 1862

"We moved on up in the vicinity of Culpeper Court House. The 9th of August, Banks' corps was in the advance and became engaged with "Stone Wall's" corps at Cedar Mountain. Jackson had about thirty eight thousand men to Banks' 7,000. It was a desperate engagement. The 7th Ohio was cut to pieces that day. Why; we laying only about six miles from the field, did not go up to support of Banks has always been a mystery to the writer. We did not get on to the field until night and as we were going in we met an ambulance with Colonel Creighton in it; wounded. He called "Is that you Colonel Cheek?" He said the "Roosters," meaning the 7th Ohio, had been cut to pieces that day and he wanted their old chums to go in and revenge their loss. We lost 48 that night by a confederate battery slipping up on us and firing a blast of cannister into us, but we made them pay dearly for it when we wheeled into line and killed the captain of the battery and "Stone Wall" Jackson's Adjutant General and four of their horses before they could get the guns off. Colonel Creighton was a fine officer and proud of his regiment and it was not misplaced as in my opinion since the 7th Ohio was one of the best fighting regiments that Ohio sent out and I expect that the regiment sustained as great a loss as any regiment from that State. The 7th Ohio and the 7th Indiana had been brigaded together and was called by the other regiments in the brigade as a good hand to draw in poker language. Col. Creighton was killed in one of Sherman's battles in his march to the sea. "


Regards, Cap'n Dan

"Civil War, if it can be called a civil war."
grandfather, John Nelson Hubbard, Private, Company A, 7th Indiana Infantry

[larry_cockerham]

Cap'n Dan, it's most interesting that a US Army regiment would have been called the 'grays', an appellation using reserved, as you know, for our Confederate gentlemen. I'm wondering if that name ever had an corellation to the age of the men in the regiment rather than their choice of attire. Some regiments such as the Thompson Creek Grays from Bedford County, TN had several men of relatively advanced age. The 48th Virginia also had an average age of men when formed of about 29 years, very old by war standards. The story is that they resisted attempts to instill discipline such as marching at every opportunity, but put up a hell of a fight when the time came.

[rbenne]

The 7th OVI (of which reenacting unit I one belonged) actually wore a rooster on their uniforms. However we were always told it was "fighting *****" not roosters. which would make sense as **** fighting was a sport at the time

[rbenne]

goodness, the censor is anal......

[johan_steele]

37th Iowa "Greybeards" self explanatory nickname
1st Iowa "Greyhouonds" because they could outmarch anything

[Cap'n Dan]

Grandfather wrote several stories about the "Roosters" of the 7th Ohio...such as this sad tale, which took place in western Virginia during September 1861.

"We took the Little Miami Rail Road that evening for Parkersburg where we arrived next morning, crossing the Ohio by ferry boat and embarked on the Baltimore Rail Road pulled by a Camelback engine, we passed through tunnel after tunnel.
We stopped up in the mountains, a man standing on a rock with a Newfoundland dog by his looking at us. The boys called the dog down to the train and coaxed him on to the train and took him along. That dog became our mascot and became a favorite with not only our regiment but with the others in the command. We were out on brigade drill and the dog was playfully jumping up at the Major's horse's nose. The Major pulled his pistol and shot the dog. The 7th Ohio yelled, "Shoot the son of a gun!" The colonel told the Major to go to his quarters, he left us and we elected another major."

Cap'n Dan
gSUVCW

"Civil War, if it can be called a civil war."
grandfather, John Nelson Hubbard, Private, Company A, 7th Indiana Infantry

[gary]

40 New York: The Mozart Regiment (actually Mozart Music Hall)
5th NY: Duryee's Zouaves
10th NY: National Zouaves
20th Mass: Harvard Regiment (many of its officers came from Harvard)
118th Penn: Corn Exchange
79th NY: Highlanders
66th IL: Birge's Western Sharpshooters

There's a NY regiment known as the Tamany Hall Regiment, but I can't recall its number.

[JohnW in E.TN]

My gr-gr-gr-Uncle's regiment: the 50th Virginia Infantry. They called themselves: "The Bloody Half-Hundred".

Considering the engagements they were in, it's an appropriate moniker.


John W.

[johan_steele]

8th MN Infantry the "Indian regiment" because instead of the more well know huzzah as given by Union troops they had a tendency to let loose w/ indian war hoops... which had a tendency to scare the ever living bejezees out of both rebs and neighboring Union regiments...

[Alabaman]

[quote=Cap'n Dan]My Grandfather, John Nelson Hubbard, pvt. Company A, 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment, wrote about several regimental nicknames used during the War.

6th Ohio: "The Guthrie Grays"
7th Ohio: "Roosters"
7th Indiana: "Bulldogs"
9th Indiana: "Swamp Devils" and later called the "Grey Eagle" Regiment
13th Indiana: "Old Guard" Regiment
95th New York: "Cortland" Regiment

Here's what he wrote about how the 7th Indiana received its nickname:

7th Indiana Infantry Regiment
Port Republic 9 June 1862
"At the battle of Port Republic we met the Louisiana "Tigers" in a hand to hand fight. We used the bayonet and club musket. Al James of Company A killed one of the 7th Louisiana with the butt of his musket. The "Tiger" was attempting to plunge his bayonet through the Orderly Sergeant. Al took him over the head splitting it open. I understand that "Stone Wall" said that, "That Indiana Regiment took all the fight out of the 7th Louisiana that day; they were no good after that battle. Captain Daum [Wheeling, Virginia Battery] had lost all his horses that day and the men of the writer's company [Company A] hauled his guns off by hand saving his battery. The 7th Indiana was given the duty of bringing up the rear. The rebel cavalry charged us but we formed square to resist a cavalry charge, but they halted before coming too close on to us and set their horses looking at us. As we did not fire on them I presume they feared a volley. They turned and galloped back and we stretched out on the march again. The 7th Indiana was without a round of ammunition having fired all that day. Colonel Gavin was riding a little ahead of the regiment and met Shields who asked him where his regiment was? Gavin replied that the "Bull Dogs" are coming back there. We came to the old 14th Indiana laying by the side of the road, they had not been in battle. They jumped to their feet and gave three cheers for Indiana and Buena Vista* saying that the old state had honored herself that day by the superb fight the 7th had put up. They said, "Pass on 7th and let us have them." We had gone but a short distance when we heard a volley. We knew by that the rebs had come on to the 14th and she had given them one. "

* A rumor, supposedly started by Jefferson Finis Davis, that one of the Indiana regiments ran at Buena Vista (Southwest of Monterrey) during the Mexican War on 22/23 February 1847.


Here's what he wrote about how the 7th Ohio received its nickname:

7th Ohio Infantry Regiment Cedar (Slaughter’s) Mountain 9 August 1862

"We moved on up in the vicinity of Culpeper Court House. The 9th of August, Banks' corps was in the advance and became engaged with "Stone Wall's" corps at Cedar Mountain. Jackson had about thirty eight thousand men to Banks' 7,000. It was a desperate engagement. The 7th Ohio was cut to pieces that day. Why; we laying only about six miles from the field, did not go up to support of Banks has always been a mystery to the writer. We did not get on to the field until night and as we were going in we met an ambulance with Colonel Creighton in it; wounded. He called "Is that you Colonel Cheek?" He said the "Roosters," meaning the 7th Ohio, had been cut to pieces that day and he wanted their old chums to go in and revenge their loss. We lost 48 that night by a confederate battery slipping up on us and firing a blast of cannister into us, but we made them pay dearly for it when we wheeled into line and killed the captain of the battery and "Stone Wall" Jackson's Adjutant General and four of their horses before they could get the guns off. Colonel Creighton was a fine officer and proud of his regiment and it was not misplaced as in my opinion since the 7th Ohio was one of the best fighting regiments that Ohio sent out and I expect that the regiment sustained as great a loss as any regiment from that State. The 7th Ohio and the 7th Indiana had been brigaded together and was called by the other regiments in the brigade as a good hand to draw in poker language. Col. Creighton was killed in one of Sherman's battles in his march to the sea. "


Regards, Cap'n Dan
*************

Compliments, Cap'n,

Col Creighton and his Ohio 'Rooster Regiment' were handled rough at the battle of Ringgold Gap, just after the Confederate defeat at Mission Ridge.

Flushed with victory, Union forces pursued Bragg's AOT in an attempt to capture the CS AOT's wagons and artillery and finish the job. As you stated in your post, the 7th Ohio 'Rooster Regiment' was considered an 'Eastern' regiment by their comrades and were used to fighting Bragg's 'run of the mill' soldiers in their few experiences. But waiting at Ringgold Gap for Hooker's men, were not the average, 'run of the mill' soldier's of Gen. Bragg's Army. Gen. P.R. Cleburne and his elite division, after soundly deafeating US forces under Gen. W.T. Sherman on Billy Goat Hill and Tunnel Hill, took the rear guard position, crossed the icy Chicamauga River and set an ambush for their Union pursuers.

The 'Western' troops of the Union Army, after attacking Cleberne's division lines at Ringgold and being handsomely repulsed were chastized by the 7th Ohio 'Roosters.'These 'easterners' wanted a go at the 'demoralized' and retreating Rebs, proving that 'eastern troops' would show them how to fight Bragg's men. When warned that these 'Rebs' weren't the regular old troops of Bragg, Col. Creighton scoffed at the idea and became very confident. The Union Col. perched atop a stump, some union men said he'd been drinking, and flapped his arms back and forth like a bully rooster, idealizing his regiment's namesake. Col. creighton and the th Ohio 'Roosters' would whip these Rebs, or so he perceived. His men followed suit by flapping their arms and ended the little show with every man crowing loudly like a true roosters. Bravado was in show, big time!

When ordered to the attack, these 'Roosters' were warned of the great peril which lay ahead but they would not hear of such nonsense. Through the 'westerners' parting line marched the brave Col. Creighton and his men. As the 7th Ohio neared Cleburne's defensive line, portions of Lowrey's brigade stood up and poured a volley diectly into the faces of the Rooster regiment, stopping them in their tracks. A second volley from Cleburne's men, my ancestor among them, sent the Ohio Roosters in precipitous retreat. The 7th Ohio, stopping to regroup needed more persuasion, and Cleburne's men had just the answer. Portions of Lowrey's brigade charged the 'Rooster Regiment' 7th Ohio and ran them off with the use of the bayonet and even threw rocks at the beaten union men. Once again, the 'westerners' parted their lines and allowed the whipped Ohio regiment to pass, stating, 'we tried to tell you fellows this wasn't just regular old Bragg's troops ahead, but was Cleburne's men.' Col. Creighton was killed, as well as several ranking regimental officers. Many 'rooster' prisoners were taken by Cleburne's men. After stopping the Union advance and saving the AOT's trains and artillery, Cleburne's elite Division, outnumered 2-1 followed the rest of the AOT in it's retreat. This finishes your last sentence, Cap'n Dan regarding the death of Col. Creighton while in the service of "Sherman's March." My ancestor, in his war letters described the use of his bayonet and minie balls during this fight.

Respectfully,
Alabaman