Adam came down to Cincinnati from Lindsey Ohio in Sandusky County to enlist when he was 15 years old. Adam served in Company E from June 18, 1861 though the mustering out of the Regiment on June 23, 1864. I have Adam's Civil War records and he was present during all paydays. Three of his older brothers later served in the war with the 108th & 33rd Ohio Infantry and the 7th Ohio Calvary.
The Hess men were of sturdy stock. The descriptions of Adam's closest brother (Jacob) by age, from the military records say he was 5'9", gray eyes, brown hair. Family photos that were taken in the 1870 to 1880 timeframe show them as sturdy men. Below is a photo of Adam taken about the time of his enlistment. On the back of the photo is a revenue stamp of 3 cents denomination and according to research, it printed in 1861. Regarding the stamp my research has found that ..."Upon the outbreak of the war between the states in 1861, the postal authorities found it necessary to demonetize all of the United States stamps in order to prevent usage by the Confederate States. The issue of 1861 was created as a replacement. During the war, due to the scarcity of metal coins, these stamps were used as small change.…”
The photo of Adam was taken in Fremont Ohio according to the markings. Also very interesting is that it contains a fingerprint on the back. I must assume the photo was taken before joining the Regiment. The ability to have photographs of the family members and the farm itself also indicates family wealth as discussed above.
A guest entry was received on the web site. It was from Peter Hess of Corte Madera California. One of his ancestors, a Great Uncle named Adam Hess, was in the original Sixth OVI. I’ve been corresponding with Peter over the past few days and here is the information and photos he’s provided regarding Adam and his family at that time. I’ve edited our email correspondence so it becomes a single narrative document. I hope you enjoy it.
Steve Spohn, webmaster
Hess family background
Adam's father, Leonard, came over from Darmstadt Hesse Germany with family in 1840; he was associated with the Landgraff. As you may know, the German's were strident anti-slavery and staunch supporters of Lincoln rather than Copperheads. Adam had three older brothers, two younger brothers and three sisters, two were married and living with families, plus hired hands- all living on the 80 acre Lindsey farm north of Hessville. The farm house, which is still standing, is shown in the photo to the right. A third floor large sleeping room was added in the 1870-1880 timeframe to the house, which is still in the Hess family.
The family had financial resources including a thriving sawmill & the farm at Lindsey. Leonard Hess, was a town council person in Nordheim Germany and I assume he carried on with similar activities in Ohio. He became a naturalized citizen exactly five years after settling in Ohio. Adam's mother's family came over to America in 1837 and they were doctors and preachers as well as farmers. His mother's side (Gahn) had farms south of Columbus as well as in Rice Township, which I think is the connection to the Cincinnati based 6th Ohio.
Adam’s history
Given the large size of the family it leads me to believe that Adam wanted away from farm life and sought excitement away from home. His schooling stopped at eighth grade; therefore the decision for him was probably farming or the military. Family traits, wills and court records lead me to believe that Adam's father was very directed, and as we know sons rebel against parental authority.
A strange matter is that Adam died on June 26, 1864, just three days after being mustered out. I am researching through the Hayes Presidential Library to see if records exist stating the cause of death. There is no mention of Adam being wounded in the book ‘Story of a Regiment 6th Ohio’ by Hannaford. Adam was never married.
Two of Adam's older brothers were pretty tough. One was murdered in 1896 by a suitor of his daughter because the father (Jacob) would not allow the daughter to marry the fellow. The other brother (Conrad) was involved in settling his own quarrels without benefit of the Civil Authorities. My Great grandfather, Peter (my namesake) was the quiet person. I contracted for the refurbishment of the headstone for Adam last summer- see photo to the right.
