Diary of Sergeant George G. Smith: May 25, 1863

[In the morning] we marched three miles further round towards the enemy's right, in the rear of some woods where the 91st New York deployed as skirmishers, and the First Louisiana fell into line as a reserve. The skirmishers had penetrated the woods but a short distance when they encountered the enemy's pickets and a sharp engagement was commenced, but the enemy soon gave way before advancing skirmishers. After pursuing them about half a mile, they obtained our range with three heavy guns from their works and we were obliged to fall back to their old encampment. We were not yet out of range, but the ground falling off in the opposite direction, his shot and shells flew harmlessly, hissing over our heads. After dark a serious catasttrophe happened on our left. The 31st Massachusetts stationed there mistook the 91st N. Y. on picket guard for the enemy, and fired into them. It cost the life of a captain of the 31st Massachusetts, but none of the 91st New York was injured.

The union line of investment was said to be seven miles long, from the river above Port Hudson to the river below. General Banks had most all the forces in the Department of the Gulf there; and were all stationed ready to invest the works preparatory to an assault. One in my position could not of course be expected to know much more than what was transacted directly under his own observation, so that those who desire a more extended view of the operations of the army during this siege must consult those who had better opportunities for observation than the writer of these pages.

SOURCE: Abstracted from George G. Smith, Leaves from a Soldier's Diary, p. 56-8

Diary of Sergeant George G. Smith: May 24, 1863

3 a. m. we were in Bayou Sara, and at 7 o'clock the First Louisiana and the 91st New York forded the Bayou and marched to the rear of Port Hudson. A part of the 19th corps had anticipated us and at 8 p. m. were engaging the enemies' outposts.

SOURCE: Abstracted from George G. Smith, Leaves from a Soldier's Diary, p. 56

Brig. Gen. Jonathan Tarbell, A. B.

Jonathan Tarbell was born in Moriah, N. Y., in 1820, and died in Washington, D. C., March 14,1888.

He prepared for college in the schools of his town, and entered the University in 1836, graduating A. B. in 1839. He studied law in Port Henry, N. Y., during 1839-42, and was admitted to the bar at Rochester, N. Y., in the latter year; but instead of practicing his profession, he entered upon an editorial career. He published the Northern Standard, in Keeseville, N. Y., 1842-57, and the Oswego Times, at Oswego, Orange County N. Y., 1857-1861.

He was much interested in military affairs; was adjutant of the 9th Regiment New York Militia, Ticonderoga, 1839-40; colonel, 1840-42; was assistant adjutant general of the states of New York under Governor Myron H. Clark. On the breaking out of the Civil War, he offered his services to the State and performed valuable work in drilling and instructing the volunteers. He was commissioned major of the 24th New York Volunteers, May 17, 1861; was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 91st New York Volunteers, December 26, 1861; colonel, February 11, 1865, and brigadier-general, March 13, the same year; was mustered out of service, July 3, 1865. He was a brave and efficient officer, and was only absent from his command once, when he was detached as a witness before a court-martial in New Orleans. He took an active part in the following battles: Port Hudson, La., Bailey's Cross Roads, Va., Ball's Cross Roads, Va., Falls Church, Va., Key West, Fla., Pensacola, Fla., Cox Plantation, La., Brashear City, La., Fort Jackson, La., Fort McHenry, Md., Fort Federal Hill, Md., Petersburg, Va., Gravelly Run, Va., Five Forks, Va., Jetersville Station, Va., Appomattox Court House, Va., Lee's Surrender (April 9, 1865.)

In 1865, he purchased a plantation in Mississippi which he conducted until 1880, when he removed to Washington, D. C., where he made his home until his death. He was a Republican in politics; served on the commission to ascertain the boundary line between New York and Canada, 1856-57; served on reconstruction duty in Mississippi; was chief justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi, 1865-80; deputy first comptroller of the United States Treasury, 1880-85. He practiced law before the Departments, 1885-88 making a specialty of patent and pension claims. He was survived by a widow.

SOURCE: William Arba Ellis, Editor, Norwich University, 1819-1911; Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll Of Honor, p. 303-4

Edgar Tarbell Ensign

The law, banking, insurance and public service claimed the attention and energies of Edgar Tarbell Ensign through a long and useful career covering almost seventy-nine years, and his public service covered both military activity and the establishment and development of national forestry interests in the west. Mr. Ensign was born at Moriah, Essex county, New York, September 9, 1839, a son of Charles W. and Harriet (Tarbell) Ensign, the latter a sister of Jonathan Tarbell, who was a lieutenant-colonel of the Ninety-first New York Volunteer Infantry, and became a brigadier general of United States Volunteers in the Civil war.

Edgar T. Ensign, after attending the district school and the village academy of Moriah, New York, became a student in a private school for boys conducted by a Mr. Durkee and his son at Saratoga Springs, New York. In the year 1856 he went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he obtained employment in the banking house of A. J. Stearns & Company, and three years after his removal to the middle west he was there joined by his parents. He had resided in Iowa for only two years when in 1858 he was appointed deputy state treasurer. In May, 1861, however, all business and personal considerations were put aside that he might respond to the country's call for troops to aid in the preservation of the Union. He joined the Second Iowa Volunteer Infantry and was promoted through various grades to the rank of captain. The date of his enlistment was May 4, 1861. He was commissioned second lieutenant on the 1st of June following and first lieutenant on the 1st of December of the same year, while on the 22d of June, 1862, he received the captain's commission. On the 20th of October, 1863, he was commissioned major of the Ninth Regiment of Iowa Cavalry, Volunteers, and was brevetted lieutenant-colonel and colonel of United States Volunteers, March 13, 1865. He resigned from the army on the 27th of October of the same year. His long term of active service was distinguished by the most splendid military qualities. Although wounded at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, he returned to his command and both before and afterward led his men in many a gallant charge.

In 1866 Colonel Ensign took up the study of law and won his LL. B. and A. B. degrees from the Iowa Law School, while subsequently he received the LL. B. degree from the law department of Columbian College, which was later merged into the George Washington University. With his admission to the bar in 1868, he entered upon active practice in Des Moines and the same year was made district attorney. He resided in Des Moines until 1874, when attracted by the opportunities of the west, he came to Colorado Springs and opened a law office. Soon afterward he was appointed commissioner of the United States circuit court and from 1883 until 1893 he was in public office, serving for six years as state forest commissioner and for two years as special agent of the United States general land office in the laying out of forest reserves, afterward known as national forests. His work in forestry was especially noteworthy and his public service in this connection gained for him warm commendation. In 1895 he was active in organizing the Assurance Savings & Loan Association, of which he was president and manager until September, 1917. In the meantime he had entered the field of banking, having become in 1902 one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Colorado City and also of the National Bank Building Company. Elected to the presidency of the First National, he continued to serve in that position for three years, largely shaping its policy and directing its activities during that early period.

It was while still a resident of Des Moines that Colonel Ensign was married on the 17th of October, 1872, to Miss Lilla Butin, a daughter of Dwight L. and Charlotte C. Butin, of Baldwinsville, New York. She survives her husband and remains a resident of Colorado Springs, the Ensign home having been at No. 1415 North Nevada avenue for more than thirty-five years. There were no spectacular phases in the life of Colonel Ensign. It was ever a hard fought battle for progress, for advancement and for right and he came off victor in the strife. Whatever he undertook, the integrity of his purpose was never questioned and the Memoriam of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, to which he belonged, said: "The life career of Colonel Ensign as a gentleman, a soldier and a friend is worthy of emulation by all." His demise occurred on the 15th of February, 1918.

SOURCE:  Wilbur Fiske Stone, Editor, History of Colorado, Volume 4, p. 523-4