Finding aid for the Wells A. Bushnell, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Memoir

Biography of Wells A. Bushnell

Wells A. Bushnell (1839-1907) was born at North Bloomfield, Trumbull County, Ohio, on May 19, 1839. After spending his early childhood on his family's farm, he attended the Orwell Academy. Bushnell enlisted October 5, 1861, as a private for three years in the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry at Orwell, Ohio, and was appointed a corporal soon thereafter. He was captured by Confederate forces September 26, 1862, at Catlett Station, Virginia, and was taken to Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia, where he remained for ten days before being exchanged. Bushnell was appointed a sergeant in Company A, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, on January 1, 1863, and subsequently served as a quartermaster sergeant and orderly sergeant in Company A throughout 1863 and 1864. He was promoted to second lieutenant November 12, 1864, and then to first lieutenant January 31, 1865, in Company E of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Calvalry. Bushnell resigned May 28, 1865, several days before his promotion to captain on May 31, 1865.

Bushnell was married on March 22, 1866, to Emma Jane Bliss in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. He served as county recorder for Trumbull County, Ohio, from 1873 to 1879. The 1880 Ohio Census lists him as a resident of Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio. He and Emma had three children: Grant C., Phillip S., and Elmer A. He is listed in the census as the assistant county recorder in 1880.

By 1889, Bushnell was living in Cleveland. City directories and the 1900 census list his various occupations from 1889 to 1907 as bookkeeper, foreman of a machine shop, inspector, and finally as an elevator operator. He was married to his second wife, Maria, ca. 1889. Bushnell died at Lakeside Hospital in Cleveland on October 15, 1907, and was buried at Woodland Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.

The Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry saw heavy action throughout the Civil War. The Sixth originated at Orwell, Ohio, and surrounding areas, being one of two cavalry regiments raised by Senator Benjamin F. Wade and Congressman John Hutchins of Ohio. The various companies were assembled in the fall of 1861 at Camp Hutchins, Warren, Ohio. In January 1862 the Sixth moved to Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, Ohio. The regiment eventually spent March through May 1862 at Camp Chase, near Columbus, Ohio, participating in prison guard duty. The Sixth entered the war in June 1862 during the pursuit of Stonewall Jackson in his Shenandoah valley campaign. Battles and engagements in Virginia in which they participated during the remainder of 1862 included Cross Keys, Luray Court House, Warrenton, 2nd Bull Run, Chantilly, and Fredericksburg. In 1863, they saw action at the battles of Kelly's Ford, Aldie, Middleburg, Upperville, Rapidan Station, and Bristoe Station, all in Virginia, and at the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Sixth continued in 1864 to be heavily involved in military actions in Virginia, and took part in the battles at Yellow Tavern, Cold Harbor, Trevilians' Station, and Malvern Hill. It saw action in Virginia throughout 1865 until the end of the war, participating in the battles of Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, and Appomattox. The Sixth was present at the surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox. The Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry was mustered out August 7, 1865, at Petersburg, Virginia.

Scope and Content

The Wells A. Bushnell, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Memoir, 1896-ca. 1905 and undated, consists of a bound volume compiled and written in longhand by Wells A. Bushnell concerning his service in and the history of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. It also contains notes, a newspaper clipping, and a ribbon removed from the bound volume. This bound volume was removed from MS 2152 Regimental Papers of the Civil War, Container 17, Bound Volume 1, for microfilm reproduction.

This collection is of value to researchers studying the military history of the Civil War, in particular the participation of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. It documents the movements, actions, and battles in which the Sixth Ohio participated throughout 1862 to 1865, primarily in Virginia. These include such major confrontations as the Shenandoah Valley campaign of General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson and the battles of Cross Keys, 2nd Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Five Forks, and Appomattox. It describes other aspects of the war, including camp life of the soldiers, troop movements and transportation, and Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. The memoir also includes a roster of officers and enlisted men of Company A of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, which details their military service and in many cases notes their death dates.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

While there are no access restrictions on this collection, researchers will be asked to use the microfilm of this collection.

The researcher should also consult MS 3194 William P. Palmer Civil War Miscellany, which contains a register of the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and a speech delivered at reunion of the Sixth Ohio; MS 2152 Regimental Papers of the Civil War; and MS 3967 Thomas A. Covert Papers.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 2152A Wells A. Bushnell, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Memoir, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Removed from MS 2152 Regimental Papers of the Civil War.

Processing Information

Processed by Deborah R. Shell in 1998.

Detailed Description of The Collection