Adams County, Ohio Military History
Civil War: Thirty-Ninth O.V.I.
Company I
This company was organized in Aug 1861. Reverend David C. Benjamin, a Methodist minister on the West Union circuit, was the original captain, and Fletcher Hypes, another Methodist minister on the same circuit, was first lieutenant. Nathan R. Thompson, of Winchester, was the second lieutenant. Most of the company enlisted on 04 Jul 1861. This was the celebrated Groesbeck Regiment of Cincinnati. John Groesbeck was the original colonel. Edward F. Noyes, afterwards general, was the second colonel, and Henry T. McDowell, of Portsmouth, was the first lieutenant colonel. Benjamin W. Chidlaw was chaplain till 01 Apr 1862. Company A of this regiment was from Portsmouth Ohio. The following is the list of battles in which the regiment participated:
| New Madrid MO | 03-05 Mar 1862 |
| New Madrid MO | 13 Mar 1862 |
| Island No. 10 TN | 08 Apr 1862 |
| Iuka MS | 19-20 Sep 1862 |
| Corinth MS | 03-04 Oct 1862 |
| Parker's Cross Roads TN | 30 Dec 1862 |
| Atlanta Campaign | 05 May-08 Sep 1864 |
| Resaca GA | 13-16 May 1864 |
| Dallas GA | 25 May-04 Jun 1864 |
| Kenesaw Mountain GA | 09-30 Jun 1864 |
| Nickajack Creek GA | 02-05 Jul 1864 |
| Chattahoochee River GA | 06-10 Jul 1864 |
| Peach Tree Creek GA | 20 Jul 1864 |
| Atlanta GA | 22 Jul 1864 |
| Jonesboro GA | 31 Aug-01 Sep 1864 |
| Lovejoy Station GA | 02-06 Sep 1864 |
| River's Bridge SC | 03-09 Feb 1865 |
| Cheraw SC | 02-03 Mar 1865 |
| Bentonville NC | 19-21 Mar 1865 |
The following were the causalities:
| George W. Hetherington | 26 Jan 1862 | died at Palmyra MO |
| David Irwin | 18 Jul 1862 | died at Corinth MS |
| Samuel A. Kelley, corporal | 18 Aug 1864 | died at the battle of Atlanta GA |
| Benjamin F. Kilgore | 22 Jul 1864 | died at the battle of Atlanta GA |
| John M. McNeil, private | 16 Oct 1862 | |
| John Massie, private | 18 Sep 1862 | died at Jackson TN |
| Joseph P. Nesbit | 11 Dec 1864 | killed in action near Savannah GA |
| John H. Parks, private | 07 Jul 1864 | died of wounds received at Nickajack GA |
| James H. Stewart, private | 23 May 1862 | died at his home in Manchester OH |
| William K. Walker, private | 16 Mar 1863 | died of disease |
George Gerhorn, corporal, was wounded in service; William E. McNeil, corporal, was wounded 04 Jul 1861 in the battle of Atlanta GA; John B. Douglas, private, was captured near Savannah GA; and Henry C. Foster, private, was wounded 22 Jul 1864, in the battle of Atlanta GA.