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Hugh Gaston
During Civil War 1862
Hugh Gaston was born 10 February 1830 to James and Margaret Gaston, three miles south of Newark, Indiana. He was one of eleven children in the family. He married Catharine Steel and they had nine children. He was a farmer and a resident of Solsberry, in Greene County, Indiana.
In August 1862 Hugh enlisted in the 97th Indiana Infantry Volunteers as a Corporal. He was mustered into Company A on 20 August in Terre Haute. They left the state in late September for Memphis, where they were assigned to the 17th Army Corps. They moved towards Vicksburg but returned to Moscow, Tennessee after the Holly Springs disaster in December 1862. In April 1863 they joined Gen. Sherman’s army in the rear of Vicksburg, watching the movements of Gen. Johnston’s army.
After Vicksburg fell the 97th Indiana took part in the siege of Jackson, then moved to Memphis in September. On 13 September they were ordered to join Sherman’s army near Chattanooga to support Rosecrans’ army in stopping an invasion of Tennessee. They were engaged in the battle of Chattanooga, and then accompanied the army to the relief of Gen. Burnside who was besieged by Gen. Longstreet in eastern Tennessee, and returned to Scottsboro, Ala. where they passed the winter.
In May 1864, as a part of the 15th Army Corps, they moved into the Atlanta campaign. From 14 May through 2 July the 97th Indiana was involved in five skirmishes: Resaca, Dallas, New Hope Church, Big Shanty, and Kennesaw Mountain. On 22 July they participated in the battle of Atlanta. The 15th corps formed the extreme right on 28 July against which a fierce assault was made and repulsed, the 97th being noticeably engaged. On 29 August the 97th Indiana moved with its corps on the flanking march around Atlanta, and was engaged in the battle of Jonesboro. On 1 September it reached Lovejoy Station, and after the evacuation of Atlanta returned to East Point and encamped there.
On 12 November the regiment started with the right wing of Sherman’s Army on its march to the sea. On the 22nd it participated in a fight at Griswoldville, Georgia, was engaged again on 8 December at Little Ogeechee River, and entered Savannah on the 21st. The regiment rested a short time in Savannah, and then moved with Sherman’s army throughout the Carolinas. They moved on to Richmond, and finally to Washington, D.C., where they were mustered out 9 June 1865.
Gaston went back to farming after the war, and died 8 November 1913 in Newark at his daughter Lillie’s home.
Sources:
American Civil War Research Database. Duxbury, MA: Historical Data Systems, Inc., 2005 [cited 23 February 2005].