John Roush Fesler (November 16, 1835 - February 19, 1920) was a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer from

Xenia, Ohio Xenia ( ) is a city in southwestern Ohio and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. It is east of Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the Miami Valley region. The name comes from the Greek l ...

, that fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Early life

John Roush Fesler was born on November 16, 1835, in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio to William Fesler and Charity Elizabeth Roush or Rausch. John moved to Indiana and in 1859 married Harriett Louisa Fish at Mooresville, in Morgan County, Indiana.

American Civil War

When the

began in 1861, Fesler sided with the Union. On August 30, 1861, he enlisted into the Union Army at Morgantown, Indiana. Fesler was made the Captain of Company G in the

27th Indiana Infantry Regiment The 27th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service *The 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, on September 12, 1861. *First Battle of ...

. Fesler commanded his company at the Battle of First Winchester and at the

Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate f ...

. In 1862, Fesler's Regiment was assigned to the 12th Army Corps, in which it would remain throughout 1863. Fesler then commanded his company during the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862. His regiment spent the winter of 1862 to 1863 camped at Stafford Courthouse, Virginia, and on February 13, 1863, Fesler was promoted Lieutenant Colonel of the 27th Indiana. In March 1863, the 12th Corps, of which the 27th Indiana was a part, was issued a star as its corps badge. On May 5, 1863, Fesler was wounded in action during the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. He then temporarily commanded the 27th Indiana from July 2-3, 1863 during the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

when the colonel of the regiment was placed in command of its brigade. Fesler and his regiment then took part in quelling the New York City Draft Riots later that month. In early 1864, Fesler's regiment was transferred to the new 20th Army Corps, which retained the old corps badge of the 12th. Now as part of the 20th Corps, Fesler and the 27th took part in the Atlanta campaign, fighting at the

Battle of Resaca The Battle of Resaca, from May 13 to 15, 1864, formed part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War, when a Union force under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The battle ...

and at the

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tennes ...

. He again commanded the regiment at the Battle of Peachtree Creek on July 20, 1864, when the colonel was wounded. Fesler and the 27th Indiana mustered out in November 1864.

Later life

After the Civil War, Fesler returned to Indiana, where he was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (the G.A.R.), an organization of Union veterans of the Civil War. John Fesler and Harriet Fish had six children. They were: May Fesler (1860-1862), William Fesler (1865-1920), Bert Fesler (1867-1947), Emile Fesler (1870-1904), Charles Fesler (1872-1924) and Clara Fesler (1879-1927). John Roush Fesler died on February 19, 1920, in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

. He was 84 years of age.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fesler, John R. 1835 births 1920 deaths People from Xenia, Ohio People of Indiana in the American Civil War People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Army officers