CDV: David Lusher, 189th OVI

Mark F. Jenkins

Colonel
Member of the Year
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
Location
Central Ohio
One of my relatives recently posted this on a genealogy site... I'd not seen this image before.

DLusher.jpg


This was my great-great-grandfather David Lusher, Co. G, 189th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (till 28 Sep 1865). I've mentioned elsewhere that the table in my breakfast nook was one he bought after the war; one of the legs broke and he turned a new one on a lathe that almost matches (but if you look closely, you can spot the difference). My grandfather rescued the table from where it was being used as a sort of utility table and carefully refinished it, and it was the main dining room table for my grandparents while I was growing up.

David Lusher did not enlist until close to the end of the war. You'll note that in the photo, he's leaning on a chair; he had injured his leg in some fashion with a scythe while harvesting some years prior and had some trouble walking; he probably wouldn't have been accepted for service earlier in the war, I'd imagine. The principal duty of the 189th seems to have been guarding railroads in Tennessee.
 
Yup, that'd be him. Lavina (Crago) Lusher was his wife/my great-great-grandmother.

The Lusher family was either German or Swiss; I have seen conflicting information on whether David's father, Rudolph Lusher (originally Lüscher) was from Switzerland or not. (I once sat next to a Swiss woman whose maiden name was Lüscher on a transatlantic flight; we speculated that we might be distant relatives.)
 
One of my relatives recently posted this on a genealogy site... I'd not seen this image before.

View attachment 73548

This was my great-great-grandfather David Lusher, Co. G, 189th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (till 28 Sep 1865). I've mentioned elsewhere that the table in my breakfast nook was one he bought after the war; one of the legs broke and he turned a new one on a lathe that almost matches (but if you look closely, you can spot the difference). My grandfather rescued the table from where it was being used as a sort of utility table and carefully refinished it, and it was the main dining room table for my grandparents while I was growing up.

David Lusher did not enlist until close to the end of the war. You'll note that in the photo, he's leaning on a chair; he had injured his leg in some fashion with a scythe while harvesting some years prior and had some trouble walking; he probably wouldn't have been accepted for service earlier in the war, I'd imagine. The principal duty of the 189th seems to have been guarding railroads in Tennessee.
Great photo and even better story, Mark.
 
One of my relatives recently posted this on a genealogy site... I'd not seen this image before.

View attachment 73548

This was my great-great-grandfather David Lusher, Co. G, 189th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (till 28 Sep 1865). I've mentioned elsewhere that the table in my breakfast nook was one he bought after the war; one of the legs broke and he turned a new one on a lathe that almost matches (but if you look closely, you can spot the difference). My grandfather rescued the table from where it was being used as a sort of utility table and carefully refinished it, and it was the main dining room table for my grandparents while I was growing up.

David Lusher did not enlist until close to the end of the war. You'll note that in the photo, he's leaning on a chair; he had injured his leg in some fashion with a scythe while harvesting some years prior and had some trouble walking; he probably wouldn't have been accepted for service earlier in the war, I'd imagine. The principal duty of the 189th seems to have been guarding railroads in Tennessee.

OHIO
ONE HUNDRED and EIGHTY-NINTH INFANTRY
(One Year)
One Hundred and Eighty-ninth Infantry. - Col., Henry D.
Kingsbury; Lieut.-Col., James McD. Roe; Maj., Norman Waite.
This regiment was organized at Toledo, Camp Chase, Cincinnati,
Marietta, Hillsboro and Dayton, from Jan. 12 to March 6, 1865,
to serve for one year. On March 4 it was ordered to report to
Gen. Thomas at Nashville. From there it was ordered to Mur-
freesboro, where it remained for two months and was then or-
dered to Tullahoma. There it remained for two months and was
then ordered back to Nashville, where it was mustered out on
Sept. 28, 1865.


Source: The Union Army, vol. 2

P331730.gif


Henry Dennison Kingsbury
On 3/6/1865 he was commissioned into Field & Staff (Colonel 189th Ohio Infantry) Previously served as 2nd Lt, Captain of Co.A, Major, and Lt. Colonel of the 14th Ohio Infantry.
 
One of my relatives recently posted this on a genealogy site... I'd not seen this image before.

View attachment 73548

This was my great-great-grandfather David Lusher, Co. G, 189th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (till 28 Sep 1865). I've mentioned elsewhere that the table in my breakfast nook was one he bought after the war; one of the legs broke and he turned a new one on a lathe that almost matches (but if you look closely, you can spot the difference). My grandfather rescued the table from where it was being used as a sort of utility table and carefully refinished it, and it was the main dining room table for my grandparents while I was growing up.

David Lusher did not enlist until close to the end of the war. You'll note that in the photo, he's leaning on a chair; he had injured his leg in some fashion with a scythe while harvesting some years prior and had some trouble walking; he probably wouldn't have been accepted for service earlier in the war, I'd imagine. The principal duty of the 189th seems to have been guarding railroads in Tennessee.
Very nice... thanks for sharing.
 
Henry Dennison Kingsbury
On 3/6/1865 he was commissioned into Field & Staff (Colonel 189th Ohio Infantry) Previously served as 2nd Lt, Captain of Co.A, Major, and Lt. Colonel of the 14th Ohio Infantry.

Coincidentally, my other great-great-grandfather who was in the war (Benjamin Franklin Waggoner) was in the 14th, so Kingsbury is an interesting link between the two regiments.

B. F. Waggoner's son Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Waggoner, Jr. married Estella Augusta Lusher, David's daughter, and those were my mom's beloved maternal grandparents. :smile:
 
Yup, that'd be him. Lavina (Crago) Lusher was his wife/my great-great-grandmother.

The Lusher family was either German or Swiss; I have seen conflicting information on whether David's father, Rudolph Lusher (originally Lüscher) was from Switzerland or not. (I once sat next to a Swiss woman whose maiden name was Lüscher on a transatlantic flight; we speculated that we might be distant relatives.)

My ancestors were Swiss Germans. There was a blurring of the lines and even in modern Switzerland there are several languages spoken. So it would be difficult to differentiate between the two without records. My ancestors settled in Lancaster County, Pa., in 1729 and then began the Pa. Dutch. If your ancestors were from Pa., that's a good possibility for you to check on. Great picture and again, it's amazing how many soldiers came from Ohio.
 
My ancestors were Swiss Germans. There was a blurring of the lines and even in modern Switzerland there are several languages spoken. So it would be difficult to differentiate between the two without records. My ancestors settled in Lancaster County, Pa., in 1729 and then began the Pa. Dutch. If your ancestors were from Pa., that's a good possibility for you to check on. Great picture and again, it's amazing how many soldiers came from Ohio.

I understand that Rudolph did indeed settle in PA first, and apparently met his wife, Lovinah Zimmerman, while part of a wagon train to Ohio in the early-mid 1800s. So that's probably a good lead to follow. Thanks!
 
I understand that Rudolph did indeed settle in PA first, and apparently met his wife, Lovinah Zimmerman, while part of a wagon train to Ohio in the early-mid 1800s. So that's probably a good lead to follow. Thanks!

That sounds very familiar. That's the path my family took, settling in the Western Reserve in the early 1800s following the Rev War. I found a Revolutionary War ancestor from the Lancaster County Militia. I belong the Sons of the American Revolution and the SUVCW. You may have the same.
 
That sounds very familiar. That's the path my family took, settling in the Western Reserve in the early 1800s following the Rev War. I found a Revolutionary War ancestor from the Lancaster County Militia. I belong the Sons of the American Revolution and the SUVCW. You may have the same.
He may have been in a wagon train of Conestoga Wagons, which were made in the Conestoga Valley in Lancaster County. Swiss Germans settled in Lancaster County in great numbers in the early 18th century so he may have descended from them.
 
Coincidentally, my other great-great-grandfather who was in the war (Benjamin Franklin Waggoner) was in the 14th, so Kingsbury is an interesting link between the two regiments.

B. F. Waggoner's son Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Waggoner, Jr. married Estella Augusta Lusher, David's daughter, and those were my mom's beloved maternal grandparents. :smile:

Chickamagua after battle report:

Report of Lieut. Col. Henry D. Kingsbury, Fourteenth Ohio Infantry.

HDQRS. FOURTEENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Chattanooga, Tenn., September 26, 1863.
CAPT.: I have the honor to submit the following as a report of the part
taken during the two days' engagement with the enemy by my command:

The morning of the 19th, before any firing was commenced, after moving
in line, my command occupied the right of the second line, in rear of the
Tenth Indiana, consisting of 18 commissioned officers and 442 enlisted men.

In this position we advanced 500 yards when we were ordered to the extreme
right of the front line, where skirmishers were thrown out covering our
front.

A heavy force of infantry were seen approaching our extreme right, and the
Seventy-fourth Indiana were formed upon our right to meet them. The
enemy advanced with three colums of infantry, without skirmishers, and
forced us to retire.

In the afternoon, when the advance was again made more to the right, our
position was still on the extreme right.

In this position we were ordered to [move] forward until we came to an open
field or the left of the line should halt. In this position we advanced about
200 yards, when the enemy's skirmishers were met and driven back. We
then charged upon their line and drove them for over 200 yards, when our
line met a superior force and, being outflanked, retired fighting. We were
then moved to the right, but without any more fighting. We lay in an open
field near where the brigade was halted for breakfast till 6.30 p. m., when
we were ordered to the rear for the night. Our loss during the day was 29
killed, 7 commissioned officers and 130 enlisted men wounded, and 31
reported missing.

At 3 o'clock the morning of the 20th we moved by the right flank to the
right of the road, and took position in the second line, in rear of the
Thirty-first Ohio and a battery, and on the right of the Tenth Kentucky.

We were in this position when the line on our right was turned, and held the
position until the right was so far driven back that the enemy held position
in our rear, and were forced to retire. We fell back across the field, and
there rallied what men I could and formed them upon the hill. During the
confusion my command became separated and were kept so during the day;
but from what fell under my own observation I can report that I never saw
men, disorganized as they were, fight better.

The major and several other of the officers, with what men they could rally,
remained upon the hill to the right of the hospital (on the right), and fought
until the enemy fell back and gave up the contest. It was 6.30 p. m. when
they were withdrawn and moved to the rear.

The confusion which we were at times thrown into renders a more explicit
report impracticable. Our colors were shot down three times on the 19th and
twice on the 20th, but were bravely defended and brought from the field at
night.

The loss on the 20th was 7 men killed, 1 commissioned officer and 29 men
wounded, and 12 missing.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. D. KINGSBURY,
Lieut.-Col., Comdg.

Capt. LOUIS J. LAMBERT,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Third Div., 14th Army Corps.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. XIII.] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 424-50
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 50.]
 
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