Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Isaac Gause died April 23, 1920 of ‘cardio myocarditis’ in the Veteran’s Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery Plot Section 17, Grave 19595. Thus ended the career of a Civil War Soldier begun at 17 when he signed up for the 2^nd Ohio Cavalry, Co. E, (Wade-Hutchinson) in Canfield, Ohio.  Isaac was born in Trumbull County, December 9, 1843.  He attended school at age 5, moving with his parents to Mahoning County when he was 7 then at the age of 14 lived with his uncle Elijah Shinn in Goshen Twp.  His uncle was a Quaker and reluctant to give permission to Isaac to join but did consent.  Isaac picked the fastest horse in the government stables at the Bostwick House in Canfield.  Very upset when he had to leave her while pursued by guerillas in Kansas because a 1^st Kansas Cavalry trooper had taken her and did not give her food, water or rest.  She refused to move, dropping her ears and Isaac had to remove the saddle or the amount would be taken out of his pay.

First taken to Camp Wade in Cleveland the 2^nd then went to Camp Dennison before going to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Missouri skirmishing with Quantrill, another Ohio boy.  In Kansas while the 2^nd Ohio was transported by train a guerilla, possibly one of Quantrill’s men, in Union uniform, boarded the officers coach, the last car and pulled the coupling-pin.  At daybreak and 20 miles later it was noticed that the officers’ car was not on the train.  The engine went back to find the car surrounded by armed men.  Quantrill himself convinced Col. Doubleday that he was a Union sympathizer and joined the 2^nd Ohio, after receiving a uniform and information, he escaped, a good example of his boldness.  Also at this time the men saw an old soldier drummed out of the Army for desertion.  The old man had a D branded on his shaved head.  Many troopers questioned serving a government that condones such punishment.  Next were pursuits in Arkansas, Missouri and eventually going to Fort Scott, Kansas where the troopers camped in sun, 2 miles from the Marmiton River.  Col. Ware refused to wait for the supply wagons thus horses and men did without. Isaac commented that the 9^th Wisconsin had brought their own food, butter, kraut and pickles, so they had something to eat.  Col. Ware was arrested and Col. Kautz took over moving camp close to the river, in shade and instituted other changes which pleased the men.  Isaac came down with typhus spending some time in the hospital but moved with the men when they returned to Camp Chase, Ohio. Sixty-two recruits all just 18 years old and the 8^th Ohio was added to the 2^nd to make up a full regiment.  In Columbus, during a snow the troopers told the guards they were going to church but really this was a raid on Clement Vallandigham’s paper; The Crisis, however the men found no presses or type in the building.  Vallandigham enraged many of the 2^nd Ohio because he said any soldier who crossed the Mason-Dixon Line would not return.  June 25^th the 2^nd Ohio moved to chase John Hunt Morgan who had invaded Ohio.  After exchanging two horses with farmers, who also gave Isaac and his horse food, Isaac saw Morgan surrender, many men could not keep up because their horses gave out, being almost continually in the saddle for 27 days and nights.  Orders were for no furloughs but Col. Woolford gave the men 10 days to round up stragglers.  Issac went home, others went home to the Cleveland area and Charles R. Truesdale, who in 1908 was a prominent attorney in Youngstown traveled with Isaac.  Truesdale was rescued by a woman in East Tennessee who saved him from enemy capture.  In East Tennessee Isaac captured 2 of General Longstreet’s men.  At this time Isaac re-enlisted although some men went home.

Next they were sent to the Army of the Potomac where they received the new Spencer Carbine.  The eastern veterans said ‘we need Little Mac, you western men don’t know how to retreat.’ The 2^nd troopers said ‘right, you stay with Grant and you’ll be in Richmond next week.’  Thus far the 2^nd Ohio was proud of their record as they never withdrew or surrendered although it cost lives.  Isaac captured Lt. William McGalley of the 9^th Virginia Cavalry, was made a corporal on June 1, 1864 for bravery and saw the Crater explosion at Petersburg.  Isaac was instrumental in the capture of the 8^th South Carolina Infantry near Berryville, Virginia on Sept.13, 1864.  While on picket duty he noticed the 8^th S.C. and guided the 3^rd New Jersey Infantry to their position, capturing their regimental flag.  There was a strained relationship between Col. Wilson and the 2^nd Ohio for some of the troopers had seen Col. Wilson taking a ham and other provisions from civilians so Isaac mentions that in the Official Record, Wilson’s Division is credited with the 8^th S. C. capture.  However, Gen. Sheridan knew the truth and sent Capt. Beaumont to take the flag and Isaac, with a new pair of boots, to Washington where Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton presented Isaac with the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Stanton also offered Isaac an officer’s position in a new Kentucky Cavalry, but Isaac refused.  At this time only the governor of Ohio could promote a soldier.  When Isaac returned to the 3^rd Div. Camp Major-General George Armstrong Custer was in command.

           The 2^nd Ohio was in the front at the Battle of Cedar Creek where the men did not recognize Gen. Sheridan because his black horse was white with foamy sweat.  Promised a furlough for receiving the Medal of Honor Isaac again went home, when he returned snow covered Virginia, thirty men were disabled from the cold.  Christmas found the men scouring the countryside for pans, coffee pots and axes to cut wood.  Sgt. Sawyer was sent a package from home with jellies and cakes which he shared.  Gen. Sheridan made sure the horses had forage and were shod, during that 80 days of winter camp Isaac had picket duty only twice.  Again pursuing Gen. Jubal Early’s Army Isaac took prisoners, an Irishman and men with wooden soled shoes.  Some ran away, however Isaac refused to shoot them, as he said it would be the wonton taking of life.  For the last battles, Gen. Sheridan re-organized the Cavalry with fresh horses and new clothing.  On March 28, 1865 the 2^nd Ohio had to help the supply wagons as they mired down in mud and water.  When General Custer was called to the front the 2^nd Ohio passed friends in the 6^th Ohio Cavalry.  At the front while dismounted Isaac received a wound in his left leg.  At first he kept going but the blood from the wound made him retreat with others.  The hospital at Dinwiddie Court House was very busy so Isaac just asked for a bandage but swelling sent him to Glenwood Hospital in Washington where the doctor wanted to amputate his foot.  He was then shipped to Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill Hospital where he read in newspapers of the final 9 days, Appomattox and received letters from friends.  The wounded were guarded and taken to Springfield, Missouri with the rest of the 2^nd Ohio to settle cotton problems.  The men were enraged and complained of this service.  While there Isaac received his 17^th horse and guarded Wild Bill Hitchcock from jail to the court room where Wild Bill was acquitted by a jury.  September 11, 1865 the men were finally mustered out in Missouri.  Only 757 men remained, 200 of the recruits had only 6 months of service.  They were in 97 battles and served in 5 Armies; The Army of the Frontier, The Army of the Missouri, The Army of the Ohio, The Army of the Shenandoah and The Army of the Potomac.

In 1900 Isaac applied for another invalid pension which increased his pension from $15.00 to $30.00 a month. In order to confirm Isaac’s injuries, Thomas E. Grist of Lowellville stated that Isaac was wounded near Dinwiddie Court House and Charles R. Truesdale filled out a General Affidavit for the Veteran’s Dept.  The affidavit dated 28, August, 1900, stated, Charles was 59 years old a resident of Mahoning Co., Ohio, residing at, 742 Bryson St., Youngstown, Ohio.  He writes: “I was a member of Co. E, 2^nd Ohio Vol. Cavalry from the time of the enlisting of the regiment in 1861, until the close of the war, with service as a private and corporal.   Isaac Gause enlisted at the same time and who served to the end.  I was a prisoner during the winter of 65 and therefore am not able to speak of his injury at Charlottesville, but I remember his sickness at Fort Scott Kansas.  I do not recall what his disease was but I remember he was seriously sick in hospital for a considerable time and became very much emaciated and while he recovered his health sufficient to do duty to the end of the war he always was very poor in flesh after his sickness and did not appear like a healthy person.  He was an exceptionally good soldier and made a model record.”  May 16, 1916 Isaac received a special pension for being a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and September 30, 1918 his pension was raised to $50.00 a month.  He managed to write his book, published in 1908, during the time he spent applying for these invalid pensions.

Isaac never married and never mentioned what happened to his parents although he said he dearly loved his aunt and uncle.  The book Four Years in Five Armies is a descriptive, eloquent testimonial, revealing a caring, devoted, brave, intelligent man.  The last chapter is devoted to the horse; what happens when the horse is hit in various parts of its body and its intelligence, the cavalry horses never stepped on a wounded or dead man. In Veteran’s Hospitals from 1885, his medical records state he had melancholia, today’s depression and what in later wars is spoken of as shell-shock and post traumatic stress disorder.  Constant pain in his leg and stomach would produce mental anxiety.  Memories of war are carried in different ways with different men but the memories are always present.  In today’s conflicts psychologists put a time factor for the stress soldiers can bear in battle, Isaac went beyond the time factor but luckily has given us a vivid, descriptive picture of life in the 2^nd Ohio Cavalry.  

Sources:

1. Four Years in Five Armies, Isaac Gause, The Neale Publishing Co., New York and Washington, 1908 . Missouri Historical Society web site.

2. Pension Papers from the National Archives and Records Adm., courtesy of Helen Stanford who has Isaac in her family tree.  Helen’s contact precipitated this inquiry into Isaac’s life, hopefully furthering a greater appreciation of what these Civil War soldiers suffered. Helen donated Isaac’s Pension Papers to the Warren Trumbull County Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Room.  Without Helen, Isaac would be unrecognized.  A special thanks also goes to Joanne Cole who graciously contributed a copy of Isaac’s picture from his book.