Historical and Genealogical Research

Hugh H. Lamb (1840-1922) was a lifelong resident of Mount Sterling, Switzerland County, Indiana. At the onset of the Civil War, he enlisted in the U.S. Army on 10 January 1862, joining Company E, 11th Infantry Regiment, and was discharged 10 January 1865.

Hugh made the following statements in his affidavit for a federal pension.

1862, June 27: Battle of Gaines’s Mills, Chickahominy Swamp, Virginia. “I was excused from duty again – it was on Sunday morning – and the following Tuesday the fight commenced at Gaines’s Mill and I went into the fight with the Regt. I got the [?] toe of my right foot shot off at Gaines Mill – I was engaged in the fight at the time and it was shot off by the rebels I guess, I couldn’t get to the rear as the rebels were between us. The 2^d day after the fight at Gaines Mills they put me in a wagon and hauled me along. I stayed in the wagon a day & a night and next day a comrade named Patrick Carroll got an old buggy & a mule somewhere and put me in the buggy – I rode most of the time in the buggy until we got to Malvern Hill. [Who saw you when you had your toe shot off?] I think Patrick Carroll was on one side of me and a fellow named David Fuller on my left – The first I knew of it, it seemed like something had struck my feet and I pitched forward and fell down – I jumped up and went ahead about a hundred yards and Sgt Rotchford told me to go to the rear. I went back couple of hundred yards and it made me sick and I laid down by a log. I stayed there about half and hour and the Regiment fell back and I hobbled along with them until they formed a hollow square to fight the rebel cavalry off – we retreated that night & crossed the Chickahominy River.”

1862, July 1: Battle of Malvern Hill, Henrico County, Virginia, and Libbey Prison. “I was excused from duty on account of it [the wounded foot] until we got to Malvern Hill – At Malvern Hill the wounded were put in an old barn & house and when the fellows retreated to Harrisons Landing they left us in the barn & house and we were captured by the enemy – there were 2700 of us taken right there and taken to Richmond and put on Belle Island for a few days and then took us to Libbey Prison. [Who was taken prison with you?] John Anderson (dead) Jacob Smith (dead) Samuel Sissner, Burlington, Iowa & David Fuller – he went into the Rebel service – I don’t remember the names of any one else – I believe they got us to Richmond July 4, 1862 and I belive I was paroled on the 14^th of November 1862.”

1862, October-November: Libbey Prison and Castle Thunder Prison. “[Did you contract any disease while in prison?] Nothing unless it was the rheumatism. I was put in irons the last 30 days and taken from Libbey to Castle Thunder. I was put in irons for striking a Rebel Lieut in prison. I struck him because he kicked a wounded comrade over, he was an old man from the 93^rd Pa and had both his legs shot off. [Did the Rebel officer strike you or injure you any way?] No, but he drew his revolver and was going to shoot at me and the guard that was with him threw his arm up and the ball struck the ceiling. I didn’t have the rheumatism before I was put in irons – my hips and shoulders & knees got sour while laying in the cell – I laid on the floor and had no [?].”

1862, December to 1863, May: Broad and Cherry Hospital, Philadelphia, and Arlington Heights Parole Camp. “After I was paroled I was taken to Philada and went into hospital – they called it “Broad & Cherry” – I was treated for brain fever & rheumatism – the brain fever came on me coming around on the boat from Richmond, a few days before Christmas 1862, they took us to the West Philade Hospital – I can’t tell you the doctors name of “Broad & Cherry” Hosp. I think the head surgeon at West Phila Hosp. was named Hayes – he was the only one I knew there – I stayed in that hospital until last of Jany or first of February 1863 when they sent us to Arlington Heights near Washington to the Parole Camp – I was treated there by a doctor whose name I do not know until last of Apl or first of May, 1863, when they sent us to our Regiments. A man named Armstrong of my Co. was in hosp. with me at Phila. He was killed at Chancellorsville.”

1863, May-September: Lincoln Hospital, Washington, D.C. “I rejoined my Regiment at some landing near Mt Vernon, Va. I did duty there for a while and I was sent back to Lincoln Hosp. Wash. D.C. about August, 1863, I had rheumatism in my legs and the snag of the right big toe that was left I had to have trimmed off. I believe the Dr that trimmed it was Peck – He treated me for rheumatism too – I was in hospital about six weeks at that time and rejoined my Regiment at [Aequines?] Creek near Falmouth Va.

1863, September to 1864, August: Battle of Fredericksburg and Belle Plains Hospital. “I did duty there up until after the Fredericksburg fights Dec 13, 1863 – I stayed with the Regiment until Jany 1864, when I took a hemorrhage of the lungs and they sent me to hospital to Belle Plains – I think I stayed there a month or two and was treated for lung trouble & rheumatism. I can’t remember the name of the doctor – I can’t remember who was in hosp. with me. I was sent from there back to the Regiment and did duty pretty much all the time until I was discharged except a few days now & then when I was excused on account my rheumatism and every once on a while I would get a coughing spell.”

1864, August: Battle of Weldon Railroad. “The next was my left arm & hand I got shot with buckshot in August, 1864 – at Weldon R.R. we were on a skirmish line and advancing toward the R.R. I came up on the R.R. and the Rebels came up on the other side and one of them fired this charge of buckshot and shot me in the left arm & hand – I believe the man next to me was – Langstaff – he was afterwards promoted and left the Regt. I was excused from duty a few days & treated in the Field Hosp. by Dr. Ramsay probably two days. The buckshot is in my arm yet.”

1864, September: Battle of Peebles’ Farm. “The next was at Poplar Spring Church, Va. I believe it was in Sept. 1864. There was a detail sent out under Lieut Hagan of our Co – we were sent out to reconnoiter and there was a Rebel batty in a piece of woods between the south side R.R. and the church and we made a rush on to it and there was where I got hit on the head – I don’t know how it was done only what the boys told me after I came to – they said when we run up on the Batty we were all mixed up fighting and a rebel struck me on top of the head with the butt end of his gun – I didn’t see him strike me. I was knocked senseless and I think McCullough & Billy Johnson of my Co took me to the Field Hosp. I was struck on the back of the neck before that while charging up on the Batty – It didn’t hurt me much at the time, it staggered me a little but I kept right on. [Who saw you when you were struck on the head?] Billy Johnson & Hen. McCullough Johnson belonged to my Co. McCullough belonged to Co. C 7^th Ind. Inf. I don’t know where Johnson lives – McCullough lived in Louisville some time ago.”

1864, September to 1865, January: “Our Regimental Dr. dressed the wound on my head & neck – Our Regiment was taken back to Ft Hamilton Ky after that and that was the last Field service I did. I was mustered out at Annapolis, Md. and came back here to Mt. Sterling Ind. and have lived here ever since.”