Document Signed

(1824-1911) A native of Ohio, he was a lawyer and a judge before the Civil War. He enlisted on April 20, 1861, as a 1st lieutenant, and was commissioned into the 12th Ohio Infantry. He was promoted to captain on June 18, 1861, and was discharged for disability on October 18, 1861. He re-enlisted on August 23, 1862, and was commissioned lieutenant colonel, of the 79th Ohio Infantry. He was promoted to brevet brigadier general on March 13, 1865, and mustered out of the service on June 9, 1865.

Legal Document Signed: 8 x 12 1/2, in ink.

The State of Ohio, Clinton County Court of Common Pleas, of the term of March, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty seven.

Clinton County, S.S.

The Grand Jurors of the State of Ohio, for the county of Clinton, being first duly empaneled, sworn, and affirmed and charged as a grand inquest to enquire of and true presentments make of all crimes and misdemeanors committed within the body of said County of Clinton, upon their oaths and affirmations present that Joseph Rapp, late of the township of Richland, in the said county of Clinton, and state of Ohio, on the first day of January 1857, and from that day until the seventeenth day of March, A.D. 1857, at the said County of Clinton, and State of aforesaid was and has been then and there unlawfully the keeper of a tavern of public resort where intoxicating liquors were and have been then and there unlawfully sold by the said Joseph Rapp contrary to the form of the statue in such case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.

A.W. Doan
Pros.[ecuting] Attorney for
Clinton County, Oh[io]

Light age toning and wear. Very fine. Interesting content.

The 79th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison from Aug. 20 to Oct. 21, 1862, to serve for three years.

It crossed the Ohio River at Cincinnati, that city being menaced by the Confederate army concentrated at Lexington. It performed guard duty and other detailed work in Kentucky and Tennessee until the spring of 1864, when it joined in the campaign against Atlanta. The regiment was not engaged in the demonstrations at Buzzard Roost and Dug Gap, being in the reserve line, but after passing through Snake Creek Gap, near Resaca, it skirmished with the enemy, with considerable loss in killed and wounded. In the assault on Kennesaw Mountain the regiment was in the charging party and it lost several men. At Peachtree Creek it was in the front line, being the second regiment engaged, and in the battle lost one half its men. After this battle and until the evacuation of Atlanta, when the regiment received recruits, it was only a regiment in name, not in numbers. It commenced the campaign with 600 men and at its close had 182. Fifteen recruits were received during the campaign, of whom 7 were lost, thus making the loss 425 men in about 100 days. It was in the March to the Sea and the campaign of the Carolina's, taking part in the affairs at Columbia, Averasboro and Bentonville. At Columbia the loss was small, not exceeding 30 men killed, wounded and prisoners. At Averasboro it took an active part, assaulting and carrying that part of the enemy's lines where his artillery was posted. It captured 3 pieces of artillery, 100 stands of small arms and 31 prisoners. For this charge the regiment received many encomiums, but its loss in killed and wounded was severe, being one fourth of the number engaged.

About May 1, it turned homeward by way of Richmond and was mustered out at Washington on June 9, 1865. Its loss, from all causes, was about 1,000 men more than its original number.

Source: The Union Army, Vol. 2