John W Washburn was born in 1838 at Bracken County, Kentucky. He was the son of Squire Washburn and Mary Casey. John enlisted as a lieutenant 2nd Class on 21 October 1861 Commission in Company F, 18th Infantry Regiment Kentucky on 08 February 1862. john was killed in Company F, 18th Infantry Regiment Kentucky on 30 August 1862 in Richmond, KY
Date Mustered: 18 July 1865
Regiment Type: Infantry
Enlisted Died of Disease or Accident: 5
Officers Died of Disease or Accident: 85
Enlisted Killed or Mortally Wounded: 1
Regimental Soldiers and History: List of Soldiers
Regimental History
Eighteenth Infantry
KENTUCKY
(3-YEARS)
Eighteenth Infantry. -- Col., William A. Warner, Lieut.-Cols., John J. Landrum, Hubbard K. Milward; Majs., Frederick G. Bracht, Abram G. Wileman, John W. Robbins, John J. Hall.
The Eighteenth Regiment of Kentucky Volunteer Infantry was recruited during the winter of 1861-62, and was mustered into the United States Services on the 8th day of February, 1862. During its organization, and until August 20th, 1863, the command ws on duty, guarding the Covington and Lexington Railroad, with its headquarters at Falmouth, Kentucky, until April 16th, 1862, then at Lexington, Kentucky. On the 16th day of June, 1862, a detachment of the regiment, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Landram, participated in the defense of Cynthiana, Kentucky, against John H. Morgan, where it sustained a loss of two killed.
On the 20th day of August, 1862, the regiment, about 600 strong, marched from Lexington, Kentucky, for Richmond-26 miles-a portion of the regiment remaining on duty on the Kentucky Central Railroad. The 18th was attached to the brigade of Major General C.M.Clay, who was afterwards relived by Brigadier General Croft. On August 30th, 1862, it participated in the Battle of Richmond, KY, losing 52 killed, and almost the entire remainder of the command captured and paroled. Among the killed were Captians Lewis, Company H, and Culbertson, Company K, and Lieutenants Washburn, Company F, and Dunlap, Company I. Among the wounded and captured were Colonel W.A. Warner, Lieut. Colonel J.J.Landram, Captians M.Mullins, and W.R. Fisk, and Lieutenants Patterson and Moss.
After the Battle of Richmond, the remnant of the regiment, under command of Major F.G.Bracht, retreated to Louisville, KY, 126 miles. On September 28th it left Louisville, by boat, for Covington, KY, where it was assgned to the Brigade of Brigadier General Green Clay Smith, and marched from Covington, KY to Paris, KY, 80 miles. On December 5th it marched from Paris to Lexington, 20 miles. On January 27th, 1863, it left Lexington, by rail, for Louisville, Major H.K.Milward commanding. On February 2d, 1863, it left Louisville, by boat, for Nashville, Tennessee, where, upon its arrival, it was assigned to the Brigade of Brigadier General Cook. On February 23rd, 1863, it started by boat for Carthage, whence it marched on June 2d for Murfreesboro (via Liberty), 75 miles, where Cook's Brigade was made the 3d Brigade, 4th Division, 14th Army Corps.
On June 23 it moved with the Army of the Cumberland and took part in the engagement at Hoover's gap, losing 2 killed and 3 wounded. It was actively engaged in the campaign against Chattanooga. On September 19th and 20th it participated in the battle of Chickamauga, where it lost 8 killed, 40 wounded and 38 prisoners.
From Oct. 5 to Nov. 23 it was on special duty, holding the line of the river near Chattanooga at a point known as "The Narrows," and at Brown's ferry, on which duty it lost 1 killed and 5 captured. After the battle of Mission Ridge it was ordered to Chattanooga on post duty.
On Jan. 5, 1864, of 300 men present, 272 reenlisted as veterans and the command was ordered to Louisville, Ky., by rail to receive veteran furlough. On Feb. 1 it received a 30 days' furlough at Louisville, at the expiration of which it rendezvoused at Paris, Ky. and on March 12 started by rail for Nashville, Tenn. whence it marched on the 22nd for Ringgold, GA, a distance of 200 miles, to join the main army. There it had several skirmishes, in one of which Capt. J. B. Heltemus was captured.
On Sept. 25 it left Ringgold, by rail, for Atlanta, and on Oct. 3 it marched from Atlanta (northward in pursuit of Gen. Hood), to Gaylesville, Ala., a distance of 150 miles. On Oct. 29 it broke camp at Gaylesville, and after halting at Rome to be paid off marched to Atlanta, which place was reached on Nov. 15, a distance of 101 miles.
Little can be said of the march to Savannah; one day was very much like another; occasionally a swamp was to be crossed, a bad road repaired, or a stream bridged; and there was quite an extent of railroad destroyed. Only once (on December 24, 1864, at Rocky Creek Church) was the 3rd Division, 14th Army Corps, under fire and then sustained no loss. On December 14th the regiment arrived in front of Savannah, having marched from Atlanta, a distance of 257 miles. On the 22d camp was moved to the immediate vicinity of Savannah, the enemy having evacuated the city. Here Capt. Sam Williams, Co. B, died on the 14th of January, 1865.
On January 20th, 1865, it left Savannah and moved northward, arriving at "Sister's Ferry," on the Savannah River, on January 28th, a distance of 40 miles. On Feb. 5, 1865, it crossed the river into South Carolina.
The march from that point to Goldsboro N. C., was terrible, through mud and mire, over wide swamps and deep rivers, and the comforts of life accessible only under difficulties. The first intelligence of the "outer world" was obtained at Fayetteville, North Carolina, March 11th, 1865, at which time the distance marched from Sisters Ferry was 400 miles.
On March 18th it marched from fayetteville for Goldsboro, North Carolina (a distance of 60 miles), where, on the 4th day of April, 1865, the non-veterens, 72 in number, were mustered out. On April 12 the regiment was engaged, sustaining a loss of 2 killed and 2 wounded, and on the 13th entered Raleigh. On the 29th it started homeward and reached Washington, D. C. (a distance of 360 miles), on May 19.
It remained at Washington nearly a month and was in the grand review. The regiment was mustered out at Louisville July 18, 1865.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 330
Battles Fought
Fought on 30 August 1862 at Richmond, KY.
Fought on 20 September 1863 at Chickamauga, GA.
Fought on 05 October 1863 at Pendleton, KY.
Fought on 09 October 1863.
Fought on 20 March 1865
Fought on 02 April 1865 at Goldsboro, NC.
Fought on 12 April 1865 at Raleigh, NC.
Richmond, Ky., Aug. 29 30, 1862. 1st and 2nd Brigades, Army of Kentucky. The battle of Richmond was one of the incidents of Bragg's invasion of Kentucky. When it was known that Bragg was moving northward a force of men had been hurriedly collected at Louisville and organized into the Army of Kentucky, under the command of Maj.-Gen. William Nelson. The Union forces at Richmond consisted of the 1st and 2nd brigades of this army, respectively commanded by Brig.-Gen. M. D. Manson and Brig.-Gen. Charles Cruft. Manson's brigade was composed of the 16th, 55th, 68th and 71st Ind. infantry, and Lanphere's battery. Cruft's was made up of the 12th and 66th Ind., 18th Ky. and 95th Ohio infantry and Andrews' battery. Many of the men were new recruits, unused to army discipline and unskilled in the arts of war. In the absence of Gen. Nelson the command of the two brigades devolved on Manson, who had established his headquarters about 2 miles from the town of Richmond. Here he received word at 11 a.m. on the 28th, that Munday's cavalry had encountered the enemy, some 5,000 strong in the vicinity of Kingston. Manson sent word to Munday to hold the Confederates in check as long as possible, and ordered his whole brigade under arms. Reinforcements were sent out to the pickets, but about 2 p.m. the entire picket line was compelled to fall back toward the main body. South of Manson's camp were some high hills that completely commanded his position and he determined to move out and occupy these, to prevent their falling into possession of the enemy. When he had advanced about three-fourths of a mile a heavy column of Confederate cavalry was discovered some distance east of the road. Lieut. Lanphere was directed to open fire with the artillery, and a few well directed shots scattered the enemy in all directions. The brigade then moved forward and took up a position where the artillery commanded the road as far south as Rogersville, and awaited the appearance of the enemy. Again the battery opened fire and after a skirmish of about an hour the Confederates were forced to retire from the field, with a loss of a number of captured, together with several horses and a piece of artillery. Manson then moved his command to Rogersville, where the men bivouacked for the night, with orders to sleep on their arms. Col. Metcalfe with his cavalry, was sent out to pursue the retreating enemy. After following them for some 6 miles he encountered a cavalry picket who after a slight skirmish retired. Metcalfe lost 2 men killed and wounded.
That evening Gen. Kirby Smith, commanding the Confederates, was reinforced by the arrival of Churchill's division, and decided to move to Richmond the next day, "even at the cost of a battle with the whole force of the enemy." Manson had sent word to maintain a strong picket on the Lancaster road, and to hold his command in readiness to move at a moment's notice. At 6 o'clock a.m. on the 30th, he found that the Confederates were advancing. He at once sent an order to Cruft to bring up his command as soon as possible, and placing himself at the head of the 55th Ind., moved out with his brigade to meet the Confederate column. About half a mile beyond Rogersville, near Mt. Zion church the enemy's advance was encountered and after a sharp skirmish was driven back. Manson then took possession of some woods and high ground on the left of the road and formed a line of battle. Skirmishers were thrown to the front and the enemy was held in check over an hour when it was discovered that a movement was under way to turn the left of the skirmish line. This was McCray's brigade of Churchill's division, which had almost gained a position on the flank before its presence there was discovered. At this juncture Cruft's brigade came on the field and Manson ordered him to send the 95th Ohio to the support of the skirmishers, while the 69th Ohio was sent against a battery that the enemy was trying to plant on a hill a short distance to the front and right. In attempting to take the hill the regiment was subjected to an enfilading fire that threw it into some confusion, and the enemy, prompt to take advantage of this circumstance, pressed forward with a heavy force, driving the right of the line from the field. At the same time the left was turned and for a short time it looked as if the Union troops were hopelessly defeated. But Manson, who was a veteran of the Mexican war, inspired confidence in his men by his heroic example, and after falling back for about a mile a new line of battle was formed on: White's farm, with Cruft's brigade on a ridge to the right of the road, the 1st brigade being formed some distance to the rear on the left of the road, with its battery in front. The first attack on thus position was made against Cruft's left, but it was repulsed by the 95th Ohio and 66th Ind., which formed that part of the line. The enemy now moved up through the woods and attacked the right of the brigade. Here the 18th Ky. and 12th Ind., who had not been engaged in the first fight, stood their ground for some time, but finally yielded to overpowering numbers and fell back in disorder. The 1st brigade had already been driven from the field, and in a short time the whole army was flying toward Richmond. Manson and Cruft both rode to the front and tried to rally the men, but in vain. At Richmond Gen. Nelson was met and he assumed command. Most of the men had fled through the town, but about 2,500 were rallied and a third line formed, the left resting on the state road near the tollgate, occupying the cemetery and thence running back into the woods on the right. The line was scarcely formed when the Confederates, elated by their first victory, again advanced to the attack. For a time the enemy was held in check by the skirmishers, but in a little while the attack became general and the Union lines broke and fled in confusion. It was now a case of "every fellow for himself." Before the attack was made at the cemetery the Confederate cavalry had gained a position in the Federal rear and as the fugitives rushed back into this enemy they were either killed or captured in large numbers. Gen. Cruft in his report says: "The account of the whole battle may be summed up in a few words. It was an attack by at least 15,000 well disciplined troops, under experienced officers, upon 6,250 citizens, ignorant of war, without officers of experience. The wonder is that the latter fought so well for a whole day, could be twice rallied after being panic-stricken, and that any escaped slaughter or capture."
The Union loss at Richmond was 206 killed, 844 wounded and 4,303 captured or missing. Gen. Manson himself was among the captured and all the artillery fell into the hands of the enemy. Kirby Smith reported his losses as being 98 killed, 492 wounded and 12 missing.