JAMES PIKE who was in the 4th OVC shows a service record as follows: James Pike Enlisted as a Private on 17 September 1861 at the age of 27 Enlisted in Company A, 4th Cavalry Regiment Ohio on 20 November 1861 was Paroled on 23 April 1862 was Detailed as scou(t) on 23 August 1863 Promoted to Full Corporal on 02 April 1865 Mustered out on 29 April 1865 [Source: Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio. Published in 1886] A pension application (#246358) was filed on June 3, 1881? (date is hard to read) listing a stepmother Sarah R. PIKE. [Source: National Archives and Records Administration. Civil War Pension Index. General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. T288, 544 rolls. Washington, D.C.] I have confirmed that the Lt. Pike mentioned in the following is the same James PIKE in the 4th OVC: [Excerpt Taken From: Ralph Fisk Relates Some Pioneer History Came to Canyon With Father in 1864 (Blue Mt. Eagle, March 17, 1922)] After Camp Watson was established on the mountain the other side of Rock Creek with a company of U.S. soldiers in 1865, they kept the Indians pretty well on the alert that year. Then the Govt. ordered Camp Watson abandoned, and established Camp Logan on Strawberry in 1866, with a company of Cavalry and a company of Infantry with Col. Otis as commander. Shortly after, a small band of Indians came down Pap Creek in the head of the valley, and stole several head of horses. As soon as the news reached Camp Logan, Lt. Pike, with a detachment of 20 cavalry soldiers, were on their trail. The Indians had gone up Pap Creek and at the headwaters of the North fork of the Malheur River, camped for the night. Lt. Pike, arriving on one of the high peaks, with his field glasses saw their camp fire and, it being late in the evening, decided to wait until daylight, and not being discovered yet by the Indians, secreted his men out of sight until close to morning. Then they sneaked down close to the Indian camp and waited for daylight. And just as it was getting daylight, made a charge, rode right into their camp and routed them while sleeping in their blankets. They were so surprised that some of them didn't have time to get their guns or anything else. After killing several of the Indians before they could get away, the soldiers captured everything, their camp outfit, horses and all. Lt. Pike, seeing a gun left in camp by the Indians, picked it up by the muzzle and, hitting it around a tree to confiscate it, it went off hitting him in the groin, wounding him badly. Some of the soldiers made a stretcher and packed him back to Camp Logan, a distance of about 20 miles. There was about 12 to 15 Indians in the band, but few got away. The soldiers, under the leadership of Lt. Pike, did good work. In a few days blood poison set in and Lt. Pike died at Camp Logan and was buried there with all military honors, a large crowd of private citizens along with myself attended the funeral. My mother furnished the necktie and put it on him the day of the funeral in remembrance of the bravery and good of Lt. Pike. Wm. Armstrong, who now lives close to Susanville on the middle fork of the John Day, was with Lt. Pike. He was the bugler on this trip and at Camp Logan. Wm. Armstrong is the one who got the privilege from the government to dig up and reship the Lieutenant's body to the Govt. Cemetery at Walla Walla, Washington about 34 years after. He is buried in Fort Walla Walla Cemetery,Walla Walla County, Washington. It does not show any dates but cites "1st U.S. Cavalry" which is also cited on his pension papers along with the 4th OVC. http://www.iwaynet.net/~lsci/cwpaper.htm Pike, James, 1834-1867. Scout and Ranger; Being the Personal Adventures of James Pike of the Texas Rangers in 1859-1860. Cincinnati & New York : J. R. Hawley & Co., 1865., first edition, first issue. cloth, 8 vo., xi, 19-394 "...this account of a Federal Soldier's varied and unusual experiences contains many authenticated facts and much color" (Nevins 1967). Note: James Pike was a scout and spy for the 4th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and served under Generals Mitchell, Rosecrans, Stanley, Lytle, Thomas, Crook, and Sherman.
You will find more on James Pike if you do a search beginning at: Cornell Univeristy "Making of America" Type in James Pike in the box; make sure "Both books and journals" is checked. You should come up with 26 matches. Matches 8, 9, 11, and 12 are letters by James Pike.
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