"About the hour of sunrise the battle it began;
Before the day was ended, we fought 'em hand to hand.
The horrors of that field did my heart with anguish fill
For the wounded and the dying that lay on Shiloh Hill."
From "Shiloh Hill" by M.G. Smith
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| Clark Koon, 12th Mich Vol. Infantry, 15 Feb 1862 |
Clark Koon is the great great great grandfather of my youngest children, Erin and Robert. He left an interesting diary of his years in the war, which has been transcribed; I will eventually get it posted on this blog. Signing up at the country general store near his home, he enlisted in January of 1862, and was mustered into the Grand Army of the Republic, Twelfth Michigan Volunteers Infantry on March 5, 1862, assigned to Company G. Clark returned home safely to Windsor Township after the war, married his sweetheart Mary Courter, and had one son, DeForest. Clark Koon passed away on
May 9, 1873 and is buried, along side his wife, at the Courter-Pray Cemetery on Vermontville Highway in Eaton County, Windsor Township, Michigan.
A permanent veteran's grave marker was placed, next to the worn, original stone, in 2005, and honored with a GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) ceremony.
The regiment was in a number of significant fights - just a month after being mustered in, the 12th found themselves at the Battle of Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing), where the raw, untried troops were abruptly awoken from sleep to find themselves in the middle of their first significant engagement. In late 1862, at Middleburg, they were commended as a detachment held off 3000 confederate soldiers for 2-1/2 hours, until reinforcements arrived. The Twelfth was also at Iuka, Metamora, Mechanicsville, Vicksburg, and Little Rock. Check out my post on the
Flag of the Twelfth Michigan to see how these battles are displayed with honor on their regimental flag.
The following is taken verbatim from a general entry on the officers, troop movements, engagements, and losses of the Twelfth Michigan Volunteer Infantry:
The Twelfth Infantry was organized at Niles by Colonel Francis Quinn of that city, and was mustered into service March 5, 1862, with an enrollment of 1.000 officers and men.
The field, line and staff officers at organization were as follows:
Colonel, Francis Quinn, Niles. Lieutenant Colonel, William H. Graves, Adrian. Major,George Kimmel, Niles. Surgeon, Robert C. Kedzie, Lansing. Adjuntant, Charles L. Bissell, Chicago, Illinois. Quartermaster, Fitz H. Stevens, Niles. Chaplain, Andrew J Eldred, Niles.
A. Captain, Joseph Harper, Cassopolis. First Lieutenant, Charles A. VanRiper, Cassopolis. Second Lieutenant, David M. McLelland, Dowagiac.
B. Captain, Thomas Wallace, St. Joseph. First Lieutenant, Lewis W. Pearl, Benton. Second Lieutenant, Robert B. King, St. Joseph.
C. Captain, John M. Albert, Buchanan. First Lieutenant, William F. Molsberry, Buchanan. Second Lieutenant, Benjamin E. Binns, Buchanan.
D. Captain, Phineas Graves, Albion. First Lieutenant, Joseph McCloy, Jackson. Second Lieutenant, George H. Graves, Albion.
E. Captain, Henry Gephart, Niles. First Lieutenant, Thomas C. Bradkey, Three Oaks. Second Lieutenant, Byron B. Rockwell, Niles.
F. Captain, Russell M. Weston, Niles. First Lieutenant, David Reeve, Jackson. Second Lieutenant, Samuel E. Graves, Adrian.
G. Captain, Isaac M Cravath, Lansing. First Lieutenant, George H. Gassimere, Lansing. Second Lieutenant, Alexander G. Davis, Dearborn.
H. Captain, Gilbert D. Johnson, Lawton. First Lieutenant, Charles E. Harvey, Marshall. Second Lieutenant, Jonathan L. Chase, Lawton.
J. Captain, Darius Brown, Berrien. First Lieutenant, John Graham, Berrien. Second Lieutenant, Charles E. Howe, Berrien.
K. Captain, William H. S. Banks, Porter. First Lieutenant, Andrew P. Collins, Niles. Second Lieutenant, Daniel D. Flanigan, Niles.
The regiment left the state March 18, and proceeded to St. Louis, Mo., where it embarked on steamers for Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. When it arrived it was assigned to Colonel Peabody's brigade, General Prentiss' division, Army of the Tennessee. At the date the Twelfth joined the army commanded by General Grand, the brigades, divisions and corps were not numbered and organized as they were later in the war.
The regiment, with others newly organized and with no actual field experience, was pushed to the front, and from reports of the commanding officer no adequate precautions or means of defense were taken to guard against a surprise by the enemy. Evidences seemed to multiply that the confederates were in force somewhere in the vicinity, and Lieutenant Colonel Graves obtained permission of the Brigade Commander to send two companies of the Twelfth under Major Powell as an advanced picket. These companies were attacked at daylight and driven back to camp but their stubborn resistance gave some timely notice of the approach of the enemy. Sunday morning, April 6th the confederate army under General Albert Sidney Johnson delivered a crushing blow upon the Union lines at Pittsburg Landing. The want of organization caused the Union troops to fight by detachments, and the solidity of the Union army was not brought to resist the compact lines of the confederates as a unit force, and the result was disastrous. Prentiss' division fought as heroically as men could fight under such discouraging circumstances, and though swept from their first line by the rush of the enemy, losing large numbers in killed or captured, the division fought desperately until the afternoon when overpowered and exhausted most of it surrendered. During the battle of Sunday General Johnson was killed and General Beauregard assumed command. The troops lay upon their arms during the night, and before morning General Buell's army arrived, when the battle was resumed Monday, culminating in driving General Beauregard and his troops from the field. The losses of the Twelfth in this engagement was serious.
The regiment during the rest of the year occupied stations at Bolivar, Tenn, Iuka, Miss., and Metamora, and from November, 1862, to May 1863 was guarding the Mississippe Central R.R. with headquarters at Middleburg, Tenn. At this place in December a detachment of the regiment was besieged in a block house which was gallantly defended against an attack by General VanDorn's forces, estimated 3,000 strong.
Colonel Graves refused to surrender and succeeded after and engagement of two hours and a half in driving off the confederate forces. The command was complimented by General Grant in General Orders for this brilliant work. The regiment was ordered to Vicksburg, Miss., in June 1863, where it took post at Haynes' Bluff and remained until the fall of Vicksburg.
In July, 1864, the Twelfth comprised a part of the force under General Steele, when he invested Little Rock, Ark. At this point the regiment veteranized, 334 re-enlisting, and in January, 1864, started for Michigan on veteran furlough. After the expiration of the 30 days furlough, the Twelfth reassembled at Niles and returned to Little Rock, Ark. where it arrived April 1. The regiment was engaged in long marches and frequent skirmishes with the enemy, and in doing picket and guard duty until October when it arrived at DeValls's Bluff, Ark.
The regiment was then separated into detachments, the different companies occupying posts wherever their services were needed until January, 1866, when the detachments were ordered to assemble at Camden, where the regiment was mustered out of service February 15, 1866. The Twelfth started at once for Michigan, and arrived at Jackson the 27th, and was paid off and disbanded the 6th of March.
The 12th was engaged with the enemy at Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., April 6, 7, 1862; Iuka, Miss., September 19, 1862; Metamora, Tenn., October 5, 1862; Middleburg, Tenn., December 24, 1862; Mechanicsville, Miss., June 4, 1863; siege of Vicksburg, Miss., June and July 1863; siege of Little Rock, Ark., August and September 1863; Clarendon, Ark., June 26, 1864; Gregory's Landing, September 4, 1864.
Total enrollment.................................................2357
Killed in action................................................... 29
Died of wounds.................................................. 26
Died in confederate prisons................................. 17
Died of disease.................................................. 316
Discharged for disability (wounds and disease)...... 221
If you have any corrections or questions, please email me at kennedypatti@gmail.com. I am not a military historian by any means, this is just a hobby, and I apologize if I have unintentionally misrepresented any fact or persons.
