Kentucky: A History of the State, Perrin, Battle, Kniffin, 8th ed., 1888,
Jefferson Co.

LIEUTENANT HENRY S. COHN has the honor of having been the first drummer-boy
that went to the front in April, 1861, from the State of Ohio,
being then a member of Capt. Peter Diester's Company B (Dayton Lafayette 
Guard), First Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  Lieut. Cohn was born in Hamburg, 
Germany, on the 4th of May, 1844, and was therefore not seventeen years old 
when he followed the flag of the Union.  He emigrated to America in the
spring 
of 1859, and after having tried to make an honest living by various ways,
finally became a compositor on the Waechterh am Ohio, a German weekly
published at Portsmouth, whence he went to Dayton a few days before the
fall of Sumter.  During the first term of enlistment he participated in the
engagements at Vienna, Va., Fairfax Court-house and Bull Run.  On his
return to Portsmouth he at once received the appointment of drum-major of
Fifth Virginia Infantry, United States Volunteer, and served with this
regiment until August 22, 1862, participating the the following battles and
engagements in Virginia:  Moorefield, Bull Pasture Mountain, Franklin,
Fisher's Hill, Mt. Jacksohn, Cross Keys, Port Republic, Culpeper, and on
the Rappahannock.  His next enlistment was in the One Hundred and Sixth
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, where he entered as orderly sergeant and was as
such wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Hartsville, Tenn., on
December 7, 1862, while in command of his company.  Referring to his
services, the Hon. Pres. W. Taulbee, M. C. (to whom was referred a special
bill in Congress allowing Lieut. Cohn his pension as lieutenant), says:
"Henry S. Cohn enlisted as a member of the Ohio Lafayette Guards in 1860,
he at the time being only seventeen years of age, and continued therein for
about four months, participating in the first Bull Run fight, when he was
mustered out of the service on account of expiration of term of service.
He then enlisted in the Fifth Virginia Regiment, and was appointed drum
major.  Was honorably discharged therefrom in August, 1862, and at once
joined the One Hundred and Sixth Ohio Infantry, and at the organization
thereof was appointed first sergeant of Company G, then at the age of
eighteen years, and served in that capacity until December, 1862.  When at
the battle of Hartsville, Tenn., his captain was killed, and the first and
second lieutenants both mortally wounded; he took command of his company
during the battle, and although his comrades were being killed at a fearful
rate, this gallant young soldier led his company on to the hottest of the
battle until a bullet prostrated him, inflicting a severe wound, from which
he has never recovered and for which he is now drawing a pension.  During
this battle his entire brigade was captured and carried away as prisoners,
leaving him with his killed and wounded comrades on the bloody field, when
the surgeons of the Confederate army came on the field and carried him
with other wounded soldiers to Church Hospital, where he lingered for
many months, until he sufficiently recovered to be moved to Camp Denison,
Ohio, where he joined his command, and although his wounds had not healed,
but were constantly troubling him, he was transferred to Company C, One
Hundred and Sixth Ohio Regiment, and was by regimental orders appointed
lieutenant of that company, and served in that capacity from February
until 22d of May, 1863, when he was discharged on account of disability,
resulting from his wounds.  The committee believe that with such a record
as the foregoing, Sergt. Cohn is entitled to the rank of lieutenant, and
to be so rated on the pension roll, and therefore recommend the passage of
the substitute."  Having been used to military life he could not stay at
home as long as the cannons roared in front, but not being about to stand
the fatigues and hardships as before, being disable, he became a clerk in
the inspector general's department of the Second Division, Twentieth Army
Corps, and served as such during the entire campaign of Gen. Sherman,
starting from Bridgeport, Ala., in May, 1864, thence to Atlanta, Savannah,
Columbia, Goldsborough, Raleigh, Richmond and Washington; thereby actually
serving during the entire war from beginning to end.  After the war Lieut.
Cohn removed to Louisville, where he was first employed as a compositor on
the Anzeiger, the leading German daily in Kentucky.  He was afterward
promoted to book-keeper in the same office, and when the business became a
corporation, he became one of the stock-holders thereof, and now holds and
has held for many years the honorable and lucrative position of Secretary
of the Louisville Anzeiger Company.  He is a member of Post Thomas
G.A.R., K. of P., K. of H., and a number of German societies.

Cohn
=
OH Germany

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/jefferson/cohn.hs.txt