(NOTE: Benjamin K. Ore probably never had his portrait taken prior to the Civil War. However, during the 10 month period that he was with the 86th Illinois in and around Nashville, Tennessee in 1862-63, Benjamin, like most of the Union soldiers in the Nashville area, almost certainly took the time to sit for a portrait to send home to the loved ones that he missed and left behind. These portraits were printed in one of two forms. They were printed on tin, called a "Dageurrotype" or a "Tin Type", or more often in 1862, in a new fangled process called a "Carte De Vista" of "CDV" for short. A CDV was a paper picture glued to a heavier card stock about the size of a modern day baseball card, and the soldiers didn't just have one or two copies made. Most of the time, they had a dozen or more made, so they could swap pictures with their tentmates, messmates and for their friends, in the 86th and back home.

Benjmain then survived the war and lived into the 20th century. During his life, Benjamin probably had his picture taken dozens of times. I would dearly love to see a copy of his Civil War era photograph added to his Find A Grave site for all with an interest to see, however, at this point, I would be thrilled just to see any pictures of him added to his Find A Grave Memorial, even ones of him as an OLD man. Can anyone help me? Thanks, Baxter)

Private BENJAMIN K. ORE, Co. A, 86th Illinois

Benjamin K. Ore was born on December 29, 1826 in Swedesboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey, the son of Isaac Ore and Mila (Wodes) Ore. Isaac was born on __________ __, 17__ at __________, England and his parents brought the family to America when Isaac was three years of age and settled in Gloucester County, New Jersey. Isaac was a brick and stone mason by trade and was a Contractor and Builder. Issac died in Gloucester County, New Jersey in October of 1828, when Benjamin was just two years of age.

Mila was born and reared in Swedesboro, New Jersey, and was a descendant of some of the very earliest settlers of that

state. She lived to the ripe old age of eighty-eight years and departed this life in 1888. Isaac and Mila were the parents of eight children. They are;

1. Elizabeth Ore, born __________ __, 18__; wife of George Black, of Swedesboro. Both died before 1900.

2. John Ore, born __________ __, 18__.

3. Charles Ore, born __________ __, 18__; died before 1900.

4. Mila Ore, born __________ __, 18__; wife of William Zanes, living near Swedesboro in 1900.

5. Ransom Ore, born __________ __, 18__; a resident of Sea View, New Jersey in 1900.

6. Lydia Ore, born __________ __, 18__; died before 1900.

7. Benjamin K. Ore, born December 29, 1826.

8. Isaac J. Ore, born April 7, 1829; residing in Swedesboro, New Jersey in 1900; died January 22, 1902; buried in the Bridgeport Cemetery in Gloucester County, New Jersey.

Benjamin K. Ore was educated in the public schools of Swedesboro and in early life followed farming. In 1849 he found employment in a hotel in Swedesboro, where he remained for six years.

Benjamin was married on September 4, 1851 to Miss Esther Ann

Cline, who was born on September 5, 1830 at Morristown, Burlington County, New Jersey. Seven children were born to Benjamin and Esther. They are;

1. Henry P. Ore, born August 17, 1852. Henry was killed by Cheyenne Indians at Camp Robinson, Nebraska on January 12, 1879, while serving in Company A, Third Regiment United States Army. The details of his death are recorded in the book JANUARY MOON: THE NORTHERN CHEYENNE BREAKOUT FROM FORT ROBINSON;

"At Hat Creek Road three soldiers of Company C, 3d Cavalry, volunteered their services to ascertain if such was the case. Creeping down [from atop] the bluff to within twenty yards of the stronghold, and failing to discover the[m] . . . , the trail was again followed, which led through a succession of bluffs, ravines, and heavy timber. The advance guard, consisting of Corporal Henry Ore and six men of company A, 3d cavalry, were in the act of ascending a steep bluff, when Ore, who was a little in advance, was instantly killed by a volley from . . . a rifle-­pit near the summit, the ball entering his heart. His men, seeing their comrade fall, charged on the savages, numbering only three, who were doubtless covering the retreat of the main band. The soldiers succeeded in killing one . . . , the others escaping unhurt.22 Two miles farther, as the command mounted a hill rising over a valley, Northern Cheyennes concealed in distant timber again unleashed gunfire, wounding farrier Peter W. Painter of Company C. The troops continued targeting the Indian position until darkness fell.23 In describing this perilous skirmishing along Hat Creek Road, First Lieutenant George F. Chase, a participant throughout, provided supplementary details on the killing of Corporal Ore and its immediate aftermath: Before arriving . . . [near the Cheyennes' position], our advance guard under Sergt. [James] Taggart, Company A, discovered a large trail leading in the direction of the Hat Creek road. . . . Sergt. Taggart's party reconnoitered the position occupied by this small party of Indians and definitely located it. I [then] sent for Corporal Ore and four men of my own Company, giving him orders to go around the head of the ravine and advance cautiously down to the hole where the Indians were. I was going to advance with Sergt. Taggart and four other men from the other side of the ravine.24 According to Chase, Corporal Ore had not left me more than two minutes when he was killed instantly by a shot from the Indians. Lieutenant Simpson then ordered a portion of the command to surround the position 123

January Moon and decided not to charge it, but left a sergeant and twelve men to . . . get Corporal Ore's body and his arms. . . . I gave him orders not to leave the place until relieved by other troops, and under no circumstances to allow the Indians to get Corporal Ore's body or his arms. Sergeant [Gottlieb] Bigalsky that night obtained Corporal Ore's body and brought it in to Camp [sic] Robinson. His carbine was subsequently obtained from the place where he was killed.25"

Henry P. Ore's body was apparently returned to Illinois, where it was laid to rest in the Kappa Cemetery in Woodford County.

2. John, born June 9, 1855, died in infancy;

3. Mila E. Ore, born August 28, 1856, died September 14, 1878; buried in the Kappa Cemetery.

4. Joseph, born October 15, 1861, resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as of 1900.

5. Thomas, born May 1, 1866, is living in Tacoma, Washington as of 1900.

6. Eva, born May 11, 1869, is the wife of Jacob J. Dole, of Olathe, Kansas.

7. Blanch, born March 31, 1871, is the wife of Frederick Wohnke, of El Paso.

In 1855 Benjamin and Esther brought their growing family west to Illinois, were they settled in Farmington, Illinois in Fulton county. They made their home there until 1858 when they moved to Woodford county, Illinois, where Benjamin was engaged in farming in Palestine township until

after the Civil war broke out.

On August 7, 1862, Benjamin K. Ore volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised for service in the Union Army in Eureka and El Paso, Illinois in Woodford County by William S. Magarity. Magarity was the first man elected to serve as the Woodford County Sheriff in the 1840's.

ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT

Name ORE, BENJAMIN

Rank PVT Company A Unit 86 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics

Residence PALESTINE, WOODFORD CO, IL Age 35 Height 5' 7 1/2 Hair AUBURN

Eyes BLUE Complexion FAIR Marital Status MARRIED Occupation FARMER

Nativity SWEEDSBORO, GLOCESTER CO, NJ

Service Record

Joined When AUG 7, 1862 Joined Where PALESTINE, IL

Joined By Whom CPT MAGARITY Period 3 YRS

Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL

Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out N/A

Muster Out Where N/A Muster Out By Whom N/A

Remarks TRANS TO VRC SEP 1, 1863

When Magarity had about 100 volunteers, he took his company across the Illinois River to Peoria, Illinois where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, 96 men of the Woodford County company were mustered into service as Co. A of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Magarity was elected Captain of Co. A.

On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th marched out of Camp Lyon through the streets of Peoria to the railroad station where they boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, in Jeffersonville, Indiana, which was located on the Ohio River across from Louisville. After several weeks of drilling, the men of the 86th were assigned to a Brigade being commanded by General Daniel McCook and they were sent into Kentucky to chase down the last Confederate troops in Kentucky.

On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCooks Brigade participated in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, a Union victory, which helped to drive the last Confederate troops out of Kentucky. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky while the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they began a long period of garrison duty.

In December of 1862, Private Benjamin K. Ore is believed to have been a member of the 86th who was selected to help guard a 303 wagon supply train that was sent from Nashville to resupply the army of General William S. Rosecrans, who was fighting the Battle of Stone River, located south of Nashville near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. David Thomas, who is writing a book on the history of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division of the 14th Army Corps, wrote that, "The 86th was not "in" the battle of Stone River, but some of their companies were near it. They were part of the wagon train teamsters and guards for the ammunition train that left Nashville to bring supplies to the army of the field. That is how Stone River comes into play in their history of anyone who may have been detailed to that train. As I stated, the train was captured for some minutes and a fight was held until federal re-enforcements arrived and scattered the rebel cavalry." 5th Sergeant James P. Worrell apparently helped immensely in that "fight" and was later recognized, as can be seen below, for his conduct during the fighting. The only other men from the 86th who I have been able to learn was on that supply train were Private Andrew Jackson Scott, of Co. K, who was severely wounded during that fight, Private William Hecker Jones, of Co. F, who broke his shoulder during the attack on the train and Private Benjamin K. Ore, who suffered an injury to his abdomen, but whether this was an wounding or just a physical injury is not known. There were undoubtedly many more members of the 86th involved as guards for this ammunition/supply train.

The 1900 Biographical History of Livingston and Woodford County states that Benjamin "participated in the Battle of Perryville and in a skirmish near Stones River, where he received injuries which incapacitated him for service at the front. He was then assigned to detached duty in the Invalid Corps and thus served out his term of enlistment, being stationed at various times in Syracuse, Rochester and Elmira, New York, and Chicago, Illinois. In the last named city he was honorably discharged July 2, 1865, and then returned to his home in Woodford county."

As the biography states, Private Benjamin K. Ore was afterward transferred to what was then called the Invalid Corps (later changed to the Veteran Reserve Corps) on September 1, 1863. Private Benjamin K. Ore is now known to have served in Co. K of the 8th Regiment of the Veteran Reserve Corps which was organized in Chicago, Illinois on October 10, 1863. Private Benjamin K. Ore served in the V.R.C for the remainder of the war and was mustered out of the service on July 2, 1865. He then returned to his home and farm in Woodford County.

Benjamin and Esther farmed near Kappa, Illinois in El Paso Township of Woodford County until 1889, when they moved to Springfield, Illinois, and spent two years in that city, after which they moved to Amboy, Illinois in Lee County, remaining there until 1899. In 1899 Benjamin and Esther returned to El Paso, where they were living a retired life at the time the 1900 Biographical History of Livingston and Woodford County was written.

The history states that "the family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are people of prominence in the communities where they reside. Mr. Ore has always sup-

ported the Republican party and is a charter member of the G.A.R. Post at El Paso. By all who know him he is held in high regard and he has many friends throughout Woodford County."

Private Benjamin K. Ore died on February 15, 1908. Esther Ann (Cline) Ore died on August 31, 1912. Their earthly remains were laid to rest in the Kappa Cemetery near Kappa, Illinois in Woodford County.

by Amy Crombie and Baxter B. Fite III

(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Ore family, who might be able to add to the biographical material that we have on Private Benjamin K. Ore and the Ore family. Baxter would also love to see copies of any pictures of Private Benjamin K. Ore that may have survived the years, especially any showing him in uniform from his days in the service, added to his Find A Grave site for all to see.)