Cyrenius Longley was born February 5, 1830 in Oxford, Ohio. As a toddler, he would go with the family to their new home in Lebanon, Indiana. Finally returning to Ohio as a young teenager, he experienced the life at Utopia and would learn the trade of a printer in Cincinnati.
Also following in his older brothers Elias and Servetus's footsteps, he attended Woodward College in Cincinnati. But his stay was only for six months and then he joined his brother Elias in his phonetic magazine business. After marrying in 1854 he joined his brothers in the family printing business at 168 1/2 Vine Street until the Civil War broke out. Leaving his wife with a young child and new baby Cyrenius went off to war in August 1862. The only Longley to do so.
Also following in his older brothers Elias and Servetus's footsteps, he attended Woodward College in Cincinnati. But his stay was only for six months and then he joined his brother Elias in his phonetic magazine business. After marrying in 1854 he joined his brothers in the family printing business at 168 1/2 Vine Street until the Civil War broke out. Leaving his wife with a young child and new baby Cyrenius went off to war in August 1862. The only Longley to do so.
Possibly because Cyrenius had some college education, he was made a Lieutenant in the 11th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Within a month his regiment was in the heat of battle.
Southeast of Sharpsburg, Maryland, his regiment was under the command of General Ambrose Burnside trying to cross Antietam Creek over a bridge (now known as Burnside Bridge) at 9:30 a.m.. The Confederates repulsed numerous Federal attempts until 1:00 p.m. When Burnside's troops finally crossed the bridge, they drove the Rebels back nearly to Sharpsburg. At about 4:00 p.m. though, Confederate General A.P. Hill's division joined the fray and drove the Federals back to near the bridge. By then, both armies were spent, and the fighting subsided. Each side suffered about 11,000 casualties. Cyrenius's commander was killed leading them to take the bridge. A monument to the 11th Ohio's bravery is located near this battlefield.
Southeast of Sharpsburg, Maryland, his regiment was under the command of General Ambrose Burnside trying to cross Antietam Creek over a bridge (now known as Burnside Bridge) at 9:30 a.m.. The Confederates repulsed numerous Federal attempts until 1:00 p.m. When Burnside's troops finally crossed the bridge, they drove the Rebels back nearly to Sharpsburg. At about 4:00 p.m. though, Confederate General A.P. Hill's division joined the fray and drove the Federals back to near the bridge. By then, both armies were spent, and the fighting subsided. Each side suffered about 11,000 casualties. Cyrenius's commander was killed leading them to take the bridge. A monument to the 11th Ohio's bravery is located near this battlefield.
A year later the 11th Ohio engaged in their next major battle at Chickamauga in northwestern Georgia. This time the 11th Ohio saved the Union left flank from being turned. There were at least 18,000 casualties per side.
The arrow shows where the 11th Ohio relocated to save the Union left flank from being turned.
Two months later, just across the Georgia state line in Tennessee near Chattanooga 100,000 combined troops of the Union and Confederacy met in combat again at Missionary Ridge.
The 11th Ohio (Marked by the arrow on the left) was part of the Union Army of the Tennessee commanded by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attempting to capture Missionary Ridge but were stopped by fierce resistance from the Confederate divisions of Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, William H.T. Walker, and Carter L. Stevenson. In the afternoon, Grant was concerned that Bragg was reinforcing his right flank at Sherman's expense. He ordered the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. George Henry Thomas, to move forward and seize the Confederate line of rifle pits on the valley floor, and stop there to await further orders.
The Union soldiers moved forward and quickly pushed the Confederates from the first line of rifle pits, but were then subjected to a punishing fire from approximately 20,000 Confederate riflemen higher up the ridge.
At this point, the Union soldiers continued the attack against the remaining lines, seeking refuge near the crest of the ridge. This second advance was taken up by the commanders on the spot, but also by some of the soldiers who, on their own, sought shelter from the fire further up the slope.
The Union advance was disorganized, but effective, finally overwhelming and scattering what ought to have been, as General Grant himself believed, an impregnable Confederate line. Some regimental officers claimed to have gotten conflicting orders. When asked where they were to stop, one officer was told "I don't know. At Hell, I expect."
The 11th Ohio breached the crest due to action by three of their men. Later awarded the Medal of Honor were Sgt. James B. Bell, Cpl. George Green and Private Hiram R Howard for being the first of their regiment on the summit of Missionary Ridge. They planted their colors inside the enemy's works and captured the flag of the 18th Alabama Infantry in vicious hand-to-hand combat. Sgt. Bell did not leave the field until after he had been wounded five times.
One of the 6,000 Union casualties of the battle was Cyrenius. He received a serious head wound that warranted three weeks of leave to recover from.
By year's end he rejoined his unit in time for a couple small battles before getting a two month furlough to go back home. Returning to his unit in Georgia by May he quickly went back into what would be his last battle.
The 11th Ohio (Marked by the arrow on the left) was part of the Union Army of the Tennessee commanded by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attempting to capture Missionary Ridge but were stopped by fierce resistance from the Confederate divisions of Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, William H.T. Walker, and Carter L. Stevenson. In the afternoon, Grant was concerned that Bragg was reinforcing his right flank at Sherman's expense. He ordered the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. George Henry Thomas, to move forward and seize the Confederate line of rifle pits on the valley floor, and stop there to await further orders.
The Union soldiers moved forward and quickly pushed the Confederates from the first line of rifle pits, but were then subjected to a punishing fire from approximately 20,000 Confederate riflemen higher up the ridge.
At this point, the Union soldiers continued the attack against the remaining lines, seeking refuge near the crest of the ridge. This second advance was taken up by the commanders on the spot, but also by some of the soldiers who, on their own, sought shelter from the fire further up the slope.
The Union advance was disorganized, but effective, finally overwhelming and scattering what ought to have been, as General Grant himself believed, an impregnable Confederate line. Some regimental officers claimed to have gotten conflicting orders. When asked where they were to stop, one officer was told "I don't know. At Hell, I expect."
The 11th Ohio breached the crest due to action by three of their men. Later awarded the Medal of Honor were Sgt. James B. Bell, Cpl. George Green and Private Hiram R Howard for being the first of their regiment on the summit of Missionary Ridge. They planted their colors inside the enemy's works and captured the flag of the 18th Alabama Infantry in vicious hand-to-hand combat. Sgt. Bell did not leave the field until after he had been wounded five times.
One of the 6,000 Union casualties of the battle was Cyrenius. He received a serious head wound that warranted three weeks of leave to recover from.
By year's end he rejoined his unit in time for a couple small battles before getting a two month furlough to go back home. Returning to his unit in Georgia by May he quickly went back into what would be his last battle.
The 11th Ohio and the Confederate Artillery Lt. Longley Attacked
The Battle of Resaca, Georgia, was fought from May 13 to 15, 1864. It was part of the Atlanta Campaign when Union forces under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The battle was fought in Gordon and Whitfield Counties, Georgia, and is generally viewed as inconclusive. There were at least 3,000 casualties on each side. And once again Cyrenius was wounded while leading his men. This time it was in the left arm by pieces of an artillery shell while attacking a rebel battery protecting General Joseph Horace Lewis's Kentucky Brigade. This injury caused him permanent damage. After his recovery, he was mustered out on June 21st and ordered to Cincinnati.
After the war he got a job as a proofreader at the Cincinnati Gazette where his brother Elias was the editor. Over the next 30 years he worked as a printer mainly for Cincinnati newspapers. His son, Harold followed in his footsteps as a printer.
Cyrenius lived most of his life in Symmes Township east of Cincinnati near Camp Dennison where he had joined the 11th Ohio. He even was a member of School Board there. He passed away in January 1918 from dropsy (edema) and bronchitis. He is buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati near his father.
Side Note; My 3rd Great Uncle Marion D. Griffy of the 2nd Indiana Cavalry served in most of these battles with Cyrenius.