Baughman, Capt. J. A.

BAUGHMAN, SMITH, MC COY

Posted By: mjv (email)
Date: 7/31/2020 at 13:39:56

Capt. J. A. Baughman, Washington, is a native of Muskingum County, Ohio, born June 5, 1845, and is the son of Andrew and Maria C. (Smith) Baughman, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of New Jersey. They settled in Muskingum County, Ohio, about 1816, and were numbered among its pioneers. They had a family of sixteen children, thirteen whom lived to maturity. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native State and received a liberal education. In 1863, he enlisted in Co. I, 1st Ohio Heavy Artillery, and served till the close of the war, being mustered out of service at Knoxville, Tenn., July 25, 1865. The regiment rendezvoused at Covington, Ky., from which place it was sent to Lexington in the same State. Its record is an honorable one, participating in the following engagements and raids: Richmond and Crab Orchard, Ky., Cumberland Gap to Bull’s Gap, Knoxville, Beam’s Station, Strawberry Plains, Atlanta campaign, Gilman’s Raid, Stoneman’s raid through Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. At Salisbury, N.C., they released the Union prisoners that had been confined there by the rebels. For some time before the arrival of the Union troops the rebels had been feeding them on beeves’ heads. A more sorry looking lot of men than were the prisoners could not be imagined, says Capt. Baughman, but they were made truly happy by their release. From Salisbury the regiment was sent back to Tennessee to forage for Sherman’s army, but did not go with it on the march to the sea. In April, 1865, it received orders to join Sherman, but the war being ended, only got as far as Greenville, Tenn., when the order was countermanded, and the regiment went to Knoxville, Tenn., where it was mustered out.

On receiving his discharge, Capt. Baughman returned to his home in Ohio, where he married Sue M. McCoy, also a native of Muskingum County. In March, 1868, they came to Iowa and located at Oskaloosa, where they remained till April, 1875, when they removed to Otoe County, Neb., lived there one year, and then went to Wilton Junction, Iowa, where they resided three years. In 1879 they came to Washington, where the Captain has since been in the employ of the C., R. I. & P.R. R. Co. as an engineer.

While in the service Capt. Baughman was three times wounded. In an engagement near Warrensburg, E. Tenn., he received a gunshot wound in the left leg, and soon after received a bayonet stab in the leg and a gunshot wound in the shoulder. In addition to these wounds he received a heavy blow on the back of the head, making a wound which is yet plainly visible. In this engagement there were sixteen men of his company killed and wounded lying around the guns. Capt. Baughman is a member of the G. A. R., L. of H. and V. A. S. fraternity. He is the Captain of the Washington Independent Battery.

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington County, Iowa (1887). Excerpt from Biographical Sketch of Capt. J. A. Baughman, page 236.