Eli HELMICK

1. Civil War Service Record Name: Eli Helmick Residence: Oronoko, Michigan Enlistment Date: 15 August 1862 Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE Side Served: Union State Served: Michigan Unit Numbers: 1102 1102 Service Record: Enlisted as a Corporal on 15 August 1862 at the ageof 22 Enlisted in Company C, 25th Infantry Regiment Michigan on 10 September1862 Mustered out Company C, 25th Infantry Regiment Michigan on 24 June1865 in Salisbury, North Carolina Regimental History MICHIGAN Twenty-Fifth Infantry. (Three Years) The Twenty-fifth was organized at Kalamazoo and mustered into serviceSept. 22, 1862, with an enrollment of 896 officers and men. Captain Orlando H. Moore of the Regular Army, who had served asLieutenant Colonel with the Thirteenth Michigan Infantry, wascommissioned Colonel and drilled and disciplined the Twenty-fifth forservice in the field. The field, staff and line officers at organization were as follows: Colonel, Orlando H. Moore, Schoolcraft. Lieutenant Colonel, BenjaminF. Orcutt, Kalamazoo. Major, Dewitt C. Fitch, Mattawan. Surgeon,Bolivar Barnum, Schoolcraft. First Assistant Surgeon, Francis M.Oakley, York. Second Assistant Surgeon, John N. Greggs, Schoolcraft.Adjutant, Charles H. Brown, Kalamazoo. Quartermaster, John M. Ridlon,Paw Paw. Chaplain, Albert L. Payson, Schoolcraft. A. Captain, Charles B. Pratt, Marshall. First Lieutenant, Orange Bugbee, Homer. Second Lieutenant, Norris J. Frink,Marshall. B. Captain, Samuel L. Demarest, Otisco. First Lieutenant, Frank R. Chase, Otisco. Second Lieutenant, Asa W. Slayton,Grattan. C. Captain, Charles E. McCollister, St. Joseph. First Lieutenant, Jacob Ewalt, Berrien Springs. Second Lieutenant, Edwin F.Kimmel, Berrien Springs. D. Captain, Julius C. Cross, Three Rivers. First Lieutenant, Henry McCreary, Colon. Second Lieutenant, John Gilchrist,Prairie Ronde. E. Captain, Frank T. Sutton, Galesburg. First Lieutenant, Edwin Childs, Comstock. Second Lieutenant, Samuel Fisher,Galesburg. F. Captain, Spencer L. Lansing, Niles. First Lieutenant, Gidean Frisbie, Niles. Second Lieutenant, Arthur M. Twombly, Niles. G. Captain, William Fulkerson, Florence. First Lieutenant, John B. Handy, Lockport. Second Lieutenant, Darius D.Thorp, Three Rivers. H. Captain, Hiram Cook, Oshtemo. First Lieutenant, John H. Wells, Comstock. Second Lieutenant, Alvin V. Cook, Oshtemo. I. Captain, William E. Dowd, Holland. First Lieutenant, Martin De Boe, Holland. Second Lieutenant, Jacob O. Doesberg, Holland. K. Captain, M. V. McKinney, Buchanan. First Lieutenant, John Tennant, Buchanan. Second Lieutenant, Franklin D. Weaver,Buchanan. The regiment left Kalamazoo Sept. 29, 1862, for Louisville, Ky., andafter its arrival became actively engaged in several expeditions indriving the enemy from the state. In January, 1863, the Twenty-fifth was employed on provost duty atBowling Green, Ky., and in April following was performing same duty atLouisville, Ky., as the experience and military education of ColonelMoore made him especially competent to discharge such delicate duties,where firmness had to be tempered with kindness in controling thecitizens, who were largely confederate sympathizers, and holding incheck with a strong hand the lawless and turbulent element. The Twenty-fifth was assigned to the First Brigade, Second Division,Twenty-third Corps, and continued in the same organization during itsterm of service. Colonel Moore, with five companies of his regiment, numbering about200 men, was ordered June 10th to Green River Bridge, near Columbia,as news had been received that the confederate General John Morgan wasabout to cross the Cumberland River and march on Louisville. ColonelMoore selected his own ground to meet the enemy, supposed to be 3,000strong, and disposed his small force to combat ten times his number atTebbs Bend, and fearlessly awaited the approach of the confederates,knowing that no other Union troops were within 30 miles of his camp.The Colonel selected a strong position with the practical eye of asoldier, the flanks of his camp being protected by the river so theenemy was compelled to meet him in front, and strengthened it bythrowing up a line of earth works and felling trees to protect his menagainst the charge of the enemy's cavalry. On the morning of July 4, 1863, the forces of General Morgan openedwith musketry and artillery upon the little band of Union troops andafter Colonel Moore's skirmishers had been driven in a flag of truceapproached with a demand from General Morgan for an immediate andunconditional surrender. Colonel Moore met the flag of truce and sentback the following message: "Present my compliments to General Morganand say to him that, this being the Fourth of July, I cannot entertainthe proposition of surrender." The confederates immediately charged the camp and a desperate conflictraged for four hours, the overwhelming numbers of the enemy surging upso close to the Union lines that they were driven back repeatedly in ahand to hand encounter. General Morgan, seeing the hopelessness ofcontinuing the conflict longer, withdrew his forces after he had metwith a loss of as many killed and wounded as Colonel Moore had in his command. Twenty-two of the confederate commissionedofficers were killed or wounded, among the killed being ColonelChenault and Major Brent, while Colonel Moore lost 6 killed and 23wounded. Major General Hartsuff, in a general order, complimented Colonel Mooreand the officers and men of his command, saying "the entirearrangement of his defense entitles him to the highest credit formilitary skill." The obstinate defense made by Colonel Moore and his men delayedGeneral Morgan twelve hours, which completely frustrated his plan ofmarch and undoubtedly saved the city of Louisville from being lootedby Morgan's men and the destruction of vast stores for the Union army. All the companies of the Twenty-fifth were assembled at Lebanon, Ky.,and started August 19th for a long and toilsome march for EastTennessee. Colonel Moore being in command of the Second Brigade, theTwenty-fifth, in command of Captain Demarest, proceeded from Loudon toKingston and occupied many towns in East Tennessee during thefollowing months, coming in contact with the enemy frequently andenduring all the hardships of a winter campaign without rations,tents, blankets, clothing and shoes, though the weather was bittercold. There was no campaign of the war when so many hardships wereendured for want of supplies of every nature to make a soldiercomfortable in the field as the campaign of East Tennessee. On the 25th of April, 1864, the regiment, in command of Colonel B. O.Orcutt, started upon the Atlanta campaign and participated in themarches, battles and skirmishes of General Sherman's army. It came incontact with the enemy at Tunnell Hill, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca,Cassville, Kingston, Allatoona, Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain andKenesaw, and crossed the Chattahoochee July 9th and took an activepart in the siege of Atlanta. The Twenty-fifth was in the flankingmovement which resulted in the battle of Jonesboro and the fall ofAtlanta. When General Hood commenced his march north, after he had evacuatedAtlanta, the Twenty-fifth, with its corps, started in pursuit and metHood's forces at Rome, Ga., and Cedar Bluff, Ala., and at Franklin,Tenn. It joined the army at Nashville under General Thomas, and on the15th and 16th, 1864, participated in that battle and helped to drivethe confederates from their strong positions and followed them in their retreat as far as Columbia. After the signal defeat of General Hood, the Twenty-third Corpsmarched 250 miles to Clifton, on the Tenenssee River, where it wastransported to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then by rail to Washington, D. C.The corps had been transported east to join with General Sherman'sarmy, then on its march north through the Carolinas. The Twenty-fifthwas embarked upon transports for North Carolina and, marching inlandfrom the coast, joined General Sherman at Goldsboro, N. C. When General Johnson surrendered the confederate army to GeneralSherman the Twenty-fifth was sent to Salisbury, N. C., where it wasmustered out June 24, 1865, and in command of Colonel Moore startedfor Michigan and arrived at Jackson July 2d, where it was paid off anddisbanded. The Twenty-fifth was engaged at Munfordsville, Ky., Dec. 27, 1862;Tebb's Bend, Ky., July 4, 1863; Kingston, Tenn., Nov. 26, 1863; MossyCreek, Tenn., Dec. 29, 1863; Tunnel Hill, Ga., May 7 and 8, 1864;Rocky Face, Ga., May 9 and 10, 1864; Resaca, Ga., May 13 and 14, 1864;Cassville, Ga., May 19, 1864; Etowah River, Ga., May 20, 1864;Kingston, Ga., May 27, 1864; Allatoona, Ga., May 26, 27, 28 and 29,1864; Pine Mountain, Ga., June 3 to 7, 1864; Lost Mountain, Ga., June10 to 18, 1864; Culp's Farm, Ga., June 22, 1864; Kenesaw, Ga., June 23to 29, 1864; Nickajack Creek, Ga., July 1, 1864; Chattahoochee River,Ga., July 9, 1864; Decatur, Ga., July 18 and 19, 1864; Atlanta, Ga.,July 20, 22 and 28, 1864; East Point, Ga., Aug. 3, 1864; Utoy Creek,Ga., Aug. 6, 1864; siege of Atlanta, Ga., July 22 to Aug. 25, 1864;Jonesboro, Ga., Sept. 3 and 4, 1864; Rome, Ga., Oct. 12, 1864; CedarBluffs, Ala., Oct. 23, 1864; Pine Creek, Tenn., Nov. 26, 1864;Franklin, Tenn., Nov. 30, 1864; Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 15 and 16,1864. Total enrollment...........................................1008 Killed in action.............................................23 Died of wounds...............................................17 Died in confederate prisons...................................2 Died of disease.............................................126 Discharged for disability (wounds and disease)..............157

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