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352 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
regiment the opportunity, as a body, to earn laurels in battle, but it
performed its duty always with faithfulness and efficiency.
"Soon after the surrender of the rebel armies in the spring of 1865,
the prisoners on the island were reduced by discharges on parole to about
one hundred and fifty. The One Hundred and Twenty-eighth left the
island on the 10th of July, 1865, and was mustered out on the 17th at
Camp Chase."
THE SEVENTH INFANTRY
The Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry Avas raised within a very few
days after President Lincoln issued his first call for troops for the three
months service. It required but a very short time to recruit a regiment
in this section of the state, and while the sturdy young men of Northern
Ohio were not anxious for Avar, they were, nevertheless, anxious to do
their duty. The ranks Avere quickly filled Avith men averaging from
tAventy to twenty-five years of age, strong, willing, determined and loyal
young men.
To the formation of this regiment Erie County contributed one company,
E. Three companies.were raised at Cleveland, and one each at
Oberlin, Warren, Painesville, VoungstoAvn, NorAvalk, Franklin, Avhich
with the Erie County company made a full regiment.
As a, three-months regiment the Seventh performed no active service'
on the field of battle. They Avere mustered in on the 30fb of April,
1861. and rendezvoused at Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, until early in
May, Avhen they AA'ent by rail to Camp pennison near Cincinnati. Upon
the organization of the Seventh the officers Avere chosen as folloAvs:
Colonel, Erastus B. Tyler, of Ravenna; lieutenant-colonel, William R.
Crcighton. of Cleveland; major, John S. Casement, of Painesville.
The first duty of the command after the election of officers AVIIS to
prepare for active field service, and at this time the boys kneAV but little
military tactics, drill and discipline, but before they left Camp Dennison
they AA'ere as Avell prepared for the field as any regiment of infantry at
the front.
But the Seventh Infantry never faded the enemy as a three-months
regiment. When they Avere well versed in drill, their came Mr. Lincoln's
call for three hundred thousand men for three years, and the Seventh
Regiment, almost to a man, enlisted under that call, and were thus transformed
from the three-months to the three-years service, and as such
first donned the blue. They Avere mustered into the United States service
on the 19th of June, 1861, retaining, substantially, their former commanding
officers.
After a brief leave^of absence at their homes, the men reassembled, at
Camp Dennison, and on the 26th of June, 1861, started for the field,
having been assigned to the campaign in West Virginia. None of the
command ever forgot the march Qf June 29th, and it Avas this event as
much asrany, that gave them an idea of the hardships that were in store
for them. Their destination AA'as Weston, and the object of the march
Avas the hope of possessing a goodly sum of gold on deposit io a bank at