Henry Woodfin Civil War Veteran

Ironton Register 5 Jan. 1888 – “Were you in the war?” asked the reporter, as he leaned back in one of the cozy chairs of Henry Woodfin’s parlor and addressed the proprietor himself.

“Were you ever in the way of a ball, Henry?” I asked.

“Yes, sir, that was at the battle near Jackson, Mississippi. A bullet caught me on the calf of the leg, but it didn’t do much more than make its mark. I got out of the scrape pretty well, only a flesh wound, and I am kind of glad I got that much. It is sort of a token that I was there or thereabouts. But I came near getting in a much worse snap once. “

“Ah, and when was that?” asked the reporter.

“Well, you recollect when Sherman’s army made a big commotion down in Mississippi in 1863? My regiment was with him, and did some pretty hard service all the time, being kept to the front to poke out the rebs.

Now that kind of experience is always dangerous, for you never know what kind of a trap you are likely to fall into. In their own country, the rebs know all about you and you know very little about them until you find out for yourself, and that kind of work the cavalry is expected to do.

So, a fellow on a horse out in front has to keep his hindsight and foresight busy all the time, in order to preserve his own personal liberty, you know, or to keep his body safe from stray Minnie balls.

“But as I was going to tell you. Our column was directed toward Meriden, Mississippi and our regiment was in the front preparing the way. At one place we came to where the road forked in three directions, and I was one of the squads of seven men who were sent out on the left prong to see if there was anything out there we were looking for.

I expect we had gone about three miles when we began to observe indications that our visit was not in vain. A straggling reb or two appeared in our front, and they fell back as we exchanged a pop or two until pretty soon they seemed to grow thicker, and it was not long before we concluded not to venture any further.

In fact, we made up our minds that we had found the enemy, and had better go back and tell the colonel, so we turned our horse’s heads to the rear and started back, but we had not gone more than 600 yards before we ran into a rebel force behind us. I then began to think the jig was up, but there was one thing in our favor – it began growing dusk, and it was possible to sneak out of the trap.

“But the rebs pressed us closely, front and rear, so we struck out sideways, and tried to get past them, but they opposed our designs as quick as we started to execute them. In thus dodging about to try to get past them, we got into a deep hollow or gully, which quite hid us from view, where we waited with long-drawn breaths, expecting the rebs would, any minute, come swooping over the hill, and take us in, but we also hoped that darkness would come before the rebs and let us out.

While thus in doubt and jeopardy, we saw the rebs ride past us and go into camp not far from us. In fact, their picket line was within a gunshot of us. Then we made a rush for the road, and oh, how we did gallop, and how the reb bullets did skip about us, but not one of our boys was struck.

Once on the road, we galloped back at a furious rate. It was now dark and we ran into our own pickets sooner than we expected, and there was another close call, for our forces thought there was a reb dash on hand, and they rallied under great excitement so that we had to get out of there and come up with more deliberation.

The whole affair was the most exciting event I was in during the war and I was mighty thankful to get out of it.”

---

Killed by a Horse
Ironton Weekly Register, August 8, 1896
An Aged Colored Woman Kicked to Death at the Burlington Landing.

Mrs. Walker Kilgore, an aged colored woman, whose home was back in Burlington, Ohio, this county, was kicked by a horse and killed at Burlington Thursday. She had been down to Catlettsburg and returned to Burlington on [stemboat] Georgia.  As she was walking up from the landing she encountered a loose horse, grazing near the pathway.  She threw up her hands and waved a basket at it to scare it out of her way.

At this, the animal turned and kicked at her striking her in the head with its hoof and fracturing her skull, from which injury the woman died within an hour. The deceased was an aunt of Mrs. Henry Woodfin of this city.

Henry Woodfin Obituary 
Ironton Register 25 Jan. 1900

A black citizen who died of acute dysentery and complication of other ailments. He was from Ironton, Ohio. His funeral was held at the Methodist Episcopal Church and was buried in Woodland Cemetery. Born in Georgia on 16 Dec 1842. Served in the Union Army.

---

23 Jan. 1900 Ironton, Ohio

The Lawrence County, Ohio, Commissioners were appointed to the charge of burial from 2nd Ward in Ironton, the body of Henry Woodfin who died on 16 Jan. 1900. Henry Woodfin was honorably discharged and served as a Corporal in Company B 4th Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops. His body was buried in Woodland Cemetery and was a Barber.