Page News & Courier

Heritage and Heraldry

Who was the man behind the Summers-Koontz execution?

Article of March 8, 2001

Some may recall the story of the Summers-Koontz execution; whether having read it in an article, a book, or on the highway marker in front of Page County High School. Basically, you likely know the Page County men involved, but do you know the man responsible for the execution?

According to a modern biographer, Lt. Col. Cyrus Hussey was "a stern and righteous man . . . Hussey was a Quaker before the war." However, "he had lost his pacifism but not his self-righteousness [and] that was probably a dangerous combination when he was occupying territory rather than invading it. He apparently never did have a sense of humor."

Born in Highland County, Ohio on 4 November 1838, Hussey was the second youngest of ten children. Interestingly, Cyrus' father, Stephen, was born in Orange County, N.C. in 1793 – the Hussey family later migrated to Ohio. A schoolteacher prior to the war, Hussey was married to Rebecca Hodson in 1858. Quaker records show that Rebecca was disowned by the Clear Creek Monthly Meeting for joining the Methodist Episcopal Church in 7/10/1858. In 8/11/1860 Cyrus was disowned as well for his 12/24/1859 marriage to Rebecca, who was no longer a Quaker and for joining the Methodist Episcopal Church himself.

On September 9, 1861, Hussey enlisted in the 48th Ohio Infantry. Clearly, the death of his 5 month-old daughter, just three days later, must have made an impact on his outlook on life.

During his four years with the 48th OVI he rose from private to captain (2/6/1863) of Company A. According to his biographer, Cyrus Hussey held a great deal of suspicion "of anyone who spoke of the Union in a disloyal way. He refused to sign a recommendation for promotion of Corp. Mitkalf A. Bell (Co. F) to 2nd lieutenant because Bell had made disloyal statements."

Hussey experienced action first at the battle of Shiloh (where Page County native Gen. Thomas Jordan served as Gen. Beauregard's right-hand staff officer) and was a veteran of the siege of Corinth, the capture of Arkansas Post, and the Vicksburg Campaign (the regiment was at Port Gibson and Champion's Hill). Hussey was detached in Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio Draft Rendezvous when his entire regiment was captured during the Red River Expedition in April 1864.

With the handful of men remaining from the old 48th, the regiment was merged with the 83rd OVI and Hussey was mustered out as a supernumerary officer in December 1864. However, four months later, on April 30, 1865, Hussey was appointed as Lt. Col. of the newly formed 192nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He remained with this regiment until mustered out in September 1865. A web-biography mentions little about the controversial execution.

Interestingly, Hussey had two brothers – an older brother, Joshua, also served as a member of the 48th Ohio; the other, William, was killed by Apache Indians in January 1863.

Hussey's life shortly after the war brought the veteran little relief from gloom, losing his first wife to consumption in 1870. Six years later, Hussey remarried and had two sons. Nearly 70 years old, Hussey was serving as an agent for the Aerie Insurance Company in Toledo, Ohio when he applied for his veteran's pension in 1904. Despite surviving war and disease and the trials of time, the former officer responsible for the execution of two Page County men suffered a concussion from a car accident and died on October 23, 1926.

More on Hussey (including a photo and a good portion of his diaries up through 1863) can be read from the web site of the 48th Ohio at:

http://www.48ovvi.org/oh48hussey.html

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