Great Great Uncles of JOHN R. MANN
Samuel Presler was born 29 March 1836 and was the eldest of nine children born to George Presler and Elizabeth Miller. Simon, the fifth born and second son was born 24 February 1843. Both were born and raised on the family farm in Big Lick Township, Hancock County, Ohio. Samuel married Francis Jane Bayless 7 November 1861, establishing a small farm near his father's farm in Big Lick Twp.
During the summer of 1861, the call went out for more troops to put down the rebellion of the Southern States. The 21st Ohio Infantry had been recruited in April of 1861 for three months service to protect the Nation's Capitol. By August 10th the regiment had returned to Ohio and was mustered out of service. Almost immediately the regiment began reforming and recruiting for three year's service. Simon Presler enlisted at the age of 19 on September 5th as a Private in nearby Findlay, Ohio. Company descriptive books list him as being 5' 10", with fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His listed occupation, not surprisingly, was that of farmer.
The 21st was issued orders to proceed to Kentucky on October 1st, 1861. On October 15th they received marching orders to intercept a rebel invasion of Kentucky by units under the command of Confederate General Simon Buckner. While the regiment was in pursuit of the rebels, Simon wrote the following letter to his mother and father.
The letter is transcribed here as originally spelled and punctuated.
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| Simon P. Presler |
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Simon Presler
when you rite
to the 21 first ridg ment
in the care of H. H. Alban
I George Presler
The "banks" Simon refers to in the letter is his brother-in-law, John Banks Moore, husband of Phoebe Presler. They were married 23 October 1860. Private Moore enlisted 6 September 1861 in Findlay, Ohio and died 19 April 1862 in Huntsville, Alabama. Cause of death unknown. Phoebe remarried 6 March 1874 to Samuel Ludwig.
Apparently, this and other letters Simon wrote aroused an interest and excitement for adventure in Simon's older brother Samuel, for on August 25, 1862, he also enlisted in Company F. He was mustered at Camp Dennison, Ohio and soon after joined the regiment. The Company Descriptive Books show him being 5' 11", with blue eyes, light complexion and light hair. Enlisting was a fatal mistake for Samuel, for on December 6, 1863, he was admitted to an Army Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee with the measles. He died from the disease on December 22nd and is buried in the National Cemetery at Nashville. Samuel's widow, Francis, married Nathaniel Fife 26 September 1867.
On the 26th of May, 1863 the 21st Ohio, with the exception of Companies A and B, was rearmed with Colt's Revolving Rifle. The 21st was the only infantry regiment primarily armed with the five-shot .58 caliber weapon. The Colt's rifle gave the infantryman a quick five shots but was slow to reload. The Ohioan's soon learned to make use of the rapidity of fire and to compensate for its slowness of reloading. In battle, all would fire a quick two or three shots, then some would cease fire while others emptied their rifles, then they would continue the firing while their comrades reloaded.
The 21st participated in many skirmishes and battles. Some of the more famous were Stone's River (Murfreesboro), the Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga, the Siege of Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman's March, Bentonville and Averyville.
During the Battle of Chickamauga, the 21st was for the most part overrun by Confederates, losing their Flag in an attack on their position on Snodgrass Hill after exhausting their ammunition supply. The regiment numbered 22 officers and 517 men at the onset of the battle. Casualties for the battle were 48 officers and men killed, 101 wounded and 116 missing, a casualty rate of 49%. Most of the missing were captured. Companies A and F were not overrun as they were occupying a ridge a few paces to the rear of the main body of the regiment, guarding against a flanking attack. Though severely depleted, the regiment reformed and fought on through the end of the war, the survivors marching in the Grand Review in Washington, D.C on the 24th of May, 1865. The regiment was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio 25 July 1865.
Simon Presler survived the battle of Chickamauga unwounded and the 21st retreated to Chattanooga along with the rest of the Army of the Cumberland. During the Battle of Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, the 21st was held in reserve due to its decimated condition and was used mainly to guard Confederate prisoners.
On December 31, 1863, records show that Simon was discharged from service at Chattanooga. His stint as a civilian was very brief, as he reenlisted January 1st, 1864 to serve until the end of the war as a Veteran Volunteer. Sometime during February of 1864 (the records do not show the date) Simon went on a 30 day furlough. Whether he was able to return home or not is unknown. Simon returned to his regiment in March. The next entry on his record shows him being admitted to the 21st Ohio Regimental Hospital on 21 March 1864, a victim of an "accidental gunshot wound to the chest" inflicted by a comrade while on picket duty near Ringgold, Georgia. He died the next day. His body was returned home and is buried in the Big Lick Township Cemetery.