Today, Samuel N. Yeoman–merchant, railroad builder, and Baptist layman–begins recruiting soldiers in his home state of Ohio. As excerpted from a short biographical sketch of this enterprising Northern Baptist layman:
In thirty days he recruited two full companies (C and K), and assisted to recruit two more companies, which were assigned to the 114th Regiment.
August 1, 1862, he resigned his chairmanship, and reported, with his companies, at Camp Circleville, and in less than three days thereafter was ordered to Kentucky without arms or equipments, and reached Lexington by rail in great haste. Received arms next morning, and was ordered at once to assist in covering the retreat at Richmond, Kentucky. He participated in the battles of Perryville, Stone River, Seige of Chattanooga. Was commissioned lieutenant-colonel after the battle of Stone River, and colonel of the 90th after the seige of Chattanooga, Colonel Rippey having resigned. The colonel remained with the regiment, participating in the battles of Jouesborough, Atlanta, Champaign, etc., and was mustered out of service, after having served three years, June 21, 1865. He had in all some thirteen hundred men under his command, but only had about three hundred and twenty-seven when mustered out. Mr. Yeoman was a brave, patriotic man, working faithfully and honestly to put down the rebellion and save the Union. He left his mercantile interests to the care of his partners, devoting his entire time and energies to his country’s welfare. But few officers have been more devoted to the country’s welfare than has Colonel Yeoman.
In the years following the war, the successful Baptist businessman organizes and presides over a series of regional railroads in America’s Northeast and on the (then) expanding Western frontier.
Source: “Samuel N. Yeoman,” from R. S. Dills’ History of Fayette County (link)
