Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath (May 13, 1840 – August 22, 1898) was a major in the United States Army who began his 37-year career as a first lieutenant in the 20th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Gilbreath was involved in numerous battles during the American Civil War, such as Gettysburg and bearing witness to the battle between the CSS Virginia and the , the American Indian Wars, in which he helped establish Fort Custer, and the Spanish–American War. Gilbreath is buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Etta.
Early life Gilbreath was born on May 13, 1840, in Guernsey County, Ohio, to Fortunatus Sydnor Gilbreath and Rachel Moore Lansing, the oldest of three children. In the 1850s, the family moved to Chicago by way of Michigan City, Indiana. Relatives in Michigan City convinced the Gilbreath family to settle in Valparaiso, rather than Chicago. In 1853, shortly after Erasmus finished school, his father died.Gilbreath 2015, pp.xi-xv Erasmus was left to take care of the family, studying law under Mark L. De Motte, a future member of Congress. According to Gilbreath, his studies had progressed to such an extent that shortly before the war broke out, with only a few months' work, he would be "admitted to practice at the Bar".Gilbreath 2015, p.8
20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment
Regiment Creation In April 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to serve in the militia for a period of three months. Gilbreath admits that initially he had no intention of joining the army; however, a visit from a former employer, J. W. Lytle, quickly changed his mind. Lytle had met a Mexican War veteran named W.L. Brown, who had asked Lytle to help raise a rifle company in answer to President Lincoln's call. Brown had been given authority from the Secretary of War in Washington to raise such a company, and promised Lytle a position of command if he should assist in raising it. Lytle met with Gilbreath on June 5, 1861. The next day they informed Porter County's local populace of their intentions and that in Valparaiso on June 15 there would be a grand meeting at the courthouse in order to set up the regiment. Gilbreath states astonishedly in his journal that "nearly everybody in the county came to Valparaiso, and so great was the enthusiasm that, in an hour after the meeting was called, we had enrolled 150 men or 50 more than we needed".Gilbreath 2015, p.8 At this point, with the company recruited, officers were to be picked. Unlike modern armies, American militia units of the Civil War era often picked their own leaders. This was held by a vote among all the men of the unit, with each officer being nominated and then voted on. When voting occurred in Gilbreath's company, Lytle insisted that Gilbreath be elected captain, while Gilbreath insisted the opposite. Lytle was elected Captain of the company, with Gilbreath being elected 1st Lieutenant.Gilbreath 2015, p.9
W.L. Brown, as the organizer of the regiment, was made colonel and fixed the date of July 4, 1861, as the date for all the companies to leave home and rendezvous at Lafayette. Gilbreath describes that "almost every man, woman, and child was at Valparaiso" and that the only music to be hear was fife and drum, which were being played by the Sheriff and Blacksmith, both of whom were "only to anxious to march us to the railroad station and to go with us to Lafayette".Gilbreath 2015, p.9 Their train did not make any stops, but rather rode straight through to Lafayette, where the Regiment was fully assembled. The 20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment was mustered into service with the United States on the 22nd of July, 1861, with Gilbreath's company being assigned as "I" company.Gilbreath 2015, p.11
The regiment left Lafayette on the 24th of July for Indianapolis, where they would be properly outfitted with standard US Army uniforms and equipment. While the officers of each company were told to procure their uniforms and weapons on their own, the enlisted men of the regiment received their equipment from the government supply. According to Gilbreath, the troops expected to be equipped with the new Springfield Model 1855. At that point in the war, the government did not have enough rifles to equip both the regular army as well as the newly recruited regiments, leading the government to substitute the more modern rifles with the much older Model 1795 Musket, which had been modified to use percussion caps. The regiment was reportedly so disgusted with their equipment that they threw their weapons down in the street in indignation. The Governor attempted to cool the situation by promising the first few companies would have the new model rifles at an expedited time and the rest of the regiment would have them as soon as possible.Gilbreath 2015, p.16
The Regiment was then transferred to Baltimore. Due to the relatively recent anti-war Baltimore riot of 1861, the large numbers of anti-war and southern sympathizers, and the potentially tenuous hold on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line leading into Baltimore, one of Gilbreath's first tasks was to guard a series of bridges. Upon arriving in Baltimore, Col. Brown ordered the regiment to march with their muskets loaded, due to fear of another riot breaking out. From Baltimore, the regiment was sent by steamship to Fort Monroe, where they were camped until September 26. During their time at Fort Monroe, Gilbreath records little else other than marching and drilling for practice.
Action at Hatteras Inlet
On September 26, the regiment moved from Fort Monroe to Fort Hatteras, recently taken from the Confederates during the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, on Hatteras Island in preparation for an assault against Confederate troops defending further up the inlet. Gilbreath was deployed with 500 men in 7 companies to Chicamacomico Beach on September 29, 1861. Their main objective was to dislodge an enemy force from Roanoke Island. The commanding officer of Fort Hatteras was in such a haste to have this objective accomplished that the men landed at Chicamacomico Beach without supplies or tents. Regimental Quartermaster Isaac W. Hart and a small detail arrived with proper supplies on October 1. However, the gunboat carrying Hart and the supplies was attacked by three Confederate gunboats shortly after Hart began unloading the supplies that afternoon. Hart and 47 men were taken prisoner, and the supplies to be delivered to Gilbreath were taken as the spoils of war by the Confederates. The commanding officer of Fort Hatteras sent supplies on October 3, which were very welcomed by the men.Gilbreath 2015, p.19
On the morning of October 4, Gilbreath sighted a Confederate fleet of nine ships steaming towards the current position of the detachment. It was believed that the fleet was carrying a detachment of Confederate soldiers that was destined to sail below Gilbreath's current position to cut them off from Fort Hatteras. A decision was made by Col. Brown based on these assumptions to retreat back to Fort Hatteras.
In the evening, it was decided that a skirmish line should be formed to defend against attack should the Confederates succeed in landing. Gilbreath was put in charge of forming this line, and stated that he 'never did harder work'. Gilbreath set about improvising means of attaining water and cups, as their supplies were short. He managed this by finding large shells on the beach and utilizing them as drinking cups as well as shovels to dig for water. The entire detachment reached Hatteras Lighthouse around 10 or 11 o'clock that night.Gilbreath 2015, p.20
The next morning, October 5, it was discovered that a Georgia regiment had pursued the Union detachment through the night, and that they were camped barely four or five miles from the Hatteras Lighthouse. Under the cover of the Frigate Minnesota, the detachment completed their march back towards Fort Hatteras that day without further incident. It was later learned that the Confederate landing force that had attempted to cut off the Union detachment at Chicamacomico Beach had run aground, and that in comparison to the 500 Union soldiers of the 20th Indiana Vol. Regiment, the Confederates had over 2000 Georgian troops with which to face them.Gilbreath 2015, p.22
Little occurred following October 5. On November 3, a steamship arrived with the much-anticipated shipment of rifles. On November 10, the regiment was ordered back to Fort Monroe.
Battle of the Ironclads
While stationed at Fort Monroe in the early part of 1862, Gilbreath bore witness to the Battle of Hampton Roads, in which the CSS Virginia (also written as CSS Merrimack) and battled for control of Hampton Roads, a roadstead in Virginia where the Elizabeth and Nansemond Rivers meet the James River just before it enters Chesapeake Bay adjacent to the city of Norfolk. Gilbreath and the rest of the 20th Indiana assisted in the battle by helping wounded sailors from the and to shore as well as providing supporting fire with small arms and artillery. Gilbreath describes the battle in great detail, noting that the moon (on the night of March 8) "seemed paler in the light of the burning Congress. She burned slowly, and for hours the flames seemed to be playing with the huge vessel whose hull stood forth so massive and black".Gilbreath 2015, p.30-31 Gilbreath remained with the 20th Indiana until the 10 May 1862, when the regiment was ordered to take Norfolk. This was accomplished without much resistance from Confederate forces.
Seven Days Battles
Following the Battle of Seven Pines, the 20th Indiana was transferred to service with the Army of the Potomac under the command of General George B. McClellan. The regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade ("Robinson's Brigade"), of the 3rd Division (Kearney's Division), of the 3rd Corps, commanded by General Samuel P. Heintzelman. Gilbreath and the 20th Indiana would see action at various points during the Seven Days Battles.
Oak Grove
Gilbreath's first land battle occurred on June 19, when a small Confederate force attacked the picket line of the 20th Indiana at 4:30 a.m. It is unclear what actions Gilbreath took or performed during this skirmish; however, Gilbreath reports that against an estimated 300 enemy troops, the regiment took only 3 casualties.Gilbreath 2015, p.38
Gilbreath saw heavier fighting on June 25 with the commencement of the Battle of Oak Grove. The only tactical advance during McClellan's Peninsula campaign, a Union attack on Confederate positions began at approximately 8 a.m. on the 25th, with the 20th Indiana situated on the extreme left of the advancing Union picket line. Gilbreath reports that General Joseph Hooker's Division, which formed the right side of the assault, met with heavy resistance, but still managed to accomplish its objectives by pushing the Confederates back through three picket lines. General Heintzelman ordered artillery support for Hooker's division, which put an end to immediate Confederate resistance in that area. The pressure at that point shifted towards the left flank of the Union advance, which contained the 20th Indiana. Gilbreath reported that a sudden Confederate attack came at 5:30 p.m., as the 20th Indiana was preparing to charge across an open field. The attack was focused on the 87th New York Volunteer Regiment, which was on the 20th Indiana's right flank. The 87th New York broke, leaving the right flank of the 20th Indiana exposed to the Confederate assault. Gilbreath reports that after heavy fighting, he was driven back with his regiment a short distance. The regiment was then rallied, and retook their previously held positions and held off three more Confederate assaults. Gilbreath reports that the regiment lost 125 men, comprising almost a fifth of the casualties incurred by the entire 3rd Corps during the day's fighting. During the battle, Captain Lytle, commander of I Company, was mortally wounded.Gilbreath 2015, p.40