History of  Carroll Counnty, Indiana, 1882; Kingman Brothers Chicago; page 253

Deer Creek Township

LEWIS GROS

Lewis Gros is the descendent of a long line of German ancestry. His parents, yet living were born in Prussia – the father, January 1, 1804; the mother, December 26, 1805. As a item of general interest, rather than of family record, we state as an historical fact, abundantly established by the records of Christian missions, that the uncle of Mr. Gros, maternal great-grandfather, Christian F. Swartz, was one of the earliest missionaries to India, and was the first to establish schools for the education of the natives. He spent his life in India, and died at Tanjore, February 13, 1798, aged seventy-one years. Over his tomb at Tanjore, a large memorial chapel was erected in 1829. The parents of Mr. Gros came to this country and settled in Delphi, July 12, 1838, where he was born September 28, 1840. He attended the city schools until he was about sixteen years of age, when he began his business career as clerk in the Delphi Post Office. In 1857, he went to Greencastle to accept a situation as clerk in a dry goods store. At the expiration of a year, he returned to Delphi and became employed in the store of Cameron Moore, where he remained until the war broke out. On the 14^th of April, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Ninth Indiana Infantry, as a private soldier. He served with his regiment through the West Virginia campaign of the three months troops, and participated in the battles at Philippi, Laurel Hill and Carrick’s Ford. He was present at the death of Private Dyson Boothroyd, who was the first Carroll County soldier killed in the war. After the terms of service expired he returned to Delphi and again entered the store of C. & G. Moore. He found it impossible to pursue peaceful avocations while the nation was struggling in the throes of a great civil war, and thus he was impelled to again enter the military service. He re-enlisted, July 16, 1862, in Company A. Seventy-second Indiana Infantry. He remained in service with the regiment until April 13, 1863, when he was commissioned First Lieutenant and made Quartermaster of the regiment. In the terrible battle at Chickamauga, in addition to his duties as Quartermaster, he was by special order assigned to duty as ordinance officer. Up to this time though he was on special duty and detached from his company, he was on the field at all the skirmishes and battles in which his regiment was engaged. December 1, 1864, after faithful and arduous service as Regimental Quartermaster, he was duly commissioned and promoted to the command of his company. He led his company in the severe marches and skirmishes, which proceeded the battle at Ebenezer Church. In this battle and also at Selma, his command took a very active part. At the latter place his company was assigned to the honorable, but very hazardous duty of guarding the Chicago Board of Trade Battery, one of the best and bravest in the service. After the capture of Macon, in which campaign he participated he was, by order of his commanding General assigned to the command of a picked detachment detailed for special duty assist in the pursuit of Jefferson Davis. That the work was satisfactorily done our national history abundantly showeth. Thus closed his military history and on July 7, 1865, after being honorably mustered out of the service he returned to Delphi and re-entered the dry goods business with H. Gros & Co., a position he held for fifteen years. Capt. Gros relates an army incident that is worthy of mention. In June 1864, the Federal army captured a large cotton factory at Roswell and he was detailed with a company of men to give the factory girls , about two hundred, safe guidance and protection in Marietta. One of those girls afterward married and lived awhile in this city. March 4, 1880, he engaged in the dry goods business for himself and has thus far been highly successful.