Eighty-nine years ago today nearly 500 Kosciusko county boys were fighting with the Union forces in the three-day Battle of Chickamauga in the Civil War.

Anyone from Kosciusko county visiting the Chickamauga battlefield should be sure to visit the monument erected in memory of the 74th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, whose roster included many of our county's soldiers. This monument can be located just west of Jay's Mill and marks the spot where 10 Kosciusko county boys lost their lives on the very first morning of battle.

About daybreak on the morning of Sept. 19 word was received by the Union forces west of Chickamauga creek that a small unit of Confederate soldiers were on the Union side of the creek and that the bridge over which they had crossed had been destroyed.

Croxton's brigade, of which the 74th Regiment was a part, was given the task of finding and capturing these "lost" Confederates. As the Union brigade approached Jay's Mill, however, they met the advance units of the entire Confederate army. What was supposed to have been a small "mopping up" operation turned out to be the opening of the three-day battle.

Our county soldiers Daniel Pittenger, Samuel Winters, David Elder, John Grove, Henry Hibschman, William Porter, Richard Hall, Elihu Spray, Curtis Booth and Levi Bybee were killed in this first action of the Battle of Chickamauga. Col.. Charles W. Chapman of Warsaw, the commander of the 74th, was seriously injured when thrown from his horse in the midst of the battle.

Kosciusko county's casualties in the three day struggle were 12 killed, 1 missing in action, and 1 death of wounds. another Warsaw colonel, Joseph B. Dodge, was in command of a brigade which fought in another part of the battle line.

Warsaw Times-Union Sat. Sept. 20, 1952