Truesdell, James Jonathan

Farmer, Civil War Veteran

Birth: October 16, 1836, Vienna, Trumbull County, Ohio
Death: December 10, 1903, Vienna, Trumbull County, Ohio
Burial: Vienna Township Cemetery, Vienna, Trumbull County, Ohio
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Military Service: Private, 19th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company C

James Jonathan Truesdell was a married farmer in Vienna when he registered for the draft in June 1863. He was already serving, having enlisted as a Private on August 24, 1862. He participated in the Battle of Chickamauga (September 19-20, 1863) and General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Atlanta campaign (1864). He was discharged at Nashville, Tennessee, on June 9, 1865. James’ brother Selden Sloen Truesdell, who served in the same company, and died in battle at Peachtree Creek, Georgia (July 20, 1864).

James was one of eight members of the Vienna Truesdell family to serve in the Civil War. Besides Selden Truesdell, his brothers Henry Shannon Truesdell, John Hilliard Truesdell, and Edwin Earl Truesdell served. His cousins, brothers Albert and Allison Dural Truesdell, and James Warren Leet enlisted as well. The Vienna chapter of the veterans’ association, the Grand Army of the Republic was named the “Truesdell Chapter.”

James married Lorinda Parker (born 1845).  They had two children: Celia Irene Truesdell and William Penrose Truesdell.

Regimental History, 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Overview: Organized at Alliance, Ohio, September 25, 1861. Moved to Camp Dennison, Ohio, November 6, thence to Louisville, Ky., November 16. Attached to 11th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to December, 1861. 11th Brigade, 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, to March, 1862. 11th Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Ohio, to September, 1862. 11th Brigade, 5th Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 21st Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, to June, 1865. 2nd Brigane, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, to August, 1865. Dept. of Texas, to October, 1865.

Service: Duty at Camp Jenkins, Louisville, Lebanon, Renick's Creek, Jamestown and Greasy Creek till February, 1862. March to Nashville, Tenn., February 15-March 8, and to Savannah, Tenn., March 18-April 6. Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 6. Buell's Campaign in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee June to August. March to Battle Creek, Ala., and duty there till August 21. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 21-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-15. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8 (Reserve). March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 20-31, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 22-July 7. Liberty Gap June 22-24. At McMinnville till August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. Pursuit to Graysville November 26-27. March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 8. Operations in East Tennessee December, 1863, to April, 1864. Regiment re-enlisted January 1, 1864. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1-September 8. Duty at Parker's Gap May 6-18. Advance to the Etowah May 18-23. Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22-25. Operations on Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Pickett's Mills May 27. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Marietta June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Operations against Hood, in North Georgia and North Alabama September 29-November 3. Nashville Campaign November-December. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Huntsville, Ala., and duty there till March, 1865. Expedition from Whitesburg February 17. Operations in East Tennessee March 15-April 22. Duty at Nashville till June. Moved to New Orleans, La., June 16, thence to Texas. Duty at Green Lake till September 11, and at San Antonio till October 21. Mustered out October 24, 1865. 

Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 104 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 162 Enlisted men by disease. Total 279.