Two weeks ago I wrote about the Enon Community Historical Society’s efforts to learn more about the Civil War Memorial in the Enon Cemetery.

While walking around that memorial the other day, the names stood out the most to me.

Each one of those young men was a member of our community who died in a terrible war not that far from here. Each left family and friends to mourn the tragic loss of young life.

I wondered what story was behind each man.

It turns out that others have been thinking the same thing.

Scott Suther, a board member of the Medway Area Historical Society, has been trying to learn more about a list of names of Civil War soldiers from that township. Luckily, he doesn’t limit his research to Bethel Township only. He passes on clippings and information to the Enon historical group when he finds it.

Suther, if you remember, has made a tremendous effort getting the Medway Cemetery names online. He told me that in the Medway Cemetery he has found the names of 60 Civil War veterans. These veterans were the ones lucky enough to come home to live out their lives.

Of those 60 he learned that 16 were from the 153rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry – OVI.

As he explains, these men were “100-day soldiers” who signed up for a quick tour of duty. Many were farmers, and they didn’t get much training. They were to guard railroad bridges and significant places like that.

This was, as Suther said, “not a dangerous duty… not like they encountered.”

While guarding a railroad bridge where Patterson Creek flows into the Potomac, in the new state of West Virginia on July 4, 1864, these guys ran into trouble or rather trouble came galloping in their direction. Company E of the 153rd OVI found itself between 1,000 Confederates with 3 field artillery pieces and the bridge they wanted.

Suther’s narrative of the event tells how the 75 men, most of them from Bethel Township, manned the blockhouse that overlooked the bridge and held off the attack. These tough individuals were even able to use sniper fire to silence the cannons.

It is exciting reading and is made even more interesting by the fact that these soldiers were the ancestors of many current residents. We should be so proud of them.

Only two of the 75 men were lost: they were captured and taken to Andersonville, and died of illness later that year after being released, according to Suther’s research.

After serving, the 153rd came back to Ohio. Of the 75 men in company E, 16 are buried in Medway. Their leader Capt. James McKinney is buried in Enon.

Suther has posted the entire account of the battle on the Medway Area Historical Society’s Facebook page. And he is continuing to search for more.

As the Civil War Sesquicentennial continues, I’m looking forward to learning more about how the people of this area faced one of America’s greatest challenges.