Captain Collin P. Leiter
CAPTAIN COLLIN P. LEITER was born in Leitersburgh, Washington county, Maryland, February 14th, 1833. He was the first child of Samuel F. and Caroline Leiter. In 1837-8 his parents removed to Ohio, and settled in Mansfield, where his father carried on the tailoring business on the spot where the Opera House building now stands. Subsequently they moved to Springfield township, in this county, where they are now living. The subject of this sketch was apprenticed to James Norford, carpenter, at Massilon, Ohio, when fifteen years of age, served his time, and afterwards worked at the trade in Richland county without interruption, until 1861, excepting two years that he was building school houses in Van Wert county. He was married July 7th, 1857, to Miss Eliza Jane Shepard, of Richland county, a native of Virginia, and they are the parents of four daughters and one son, now living.
In September, 1861, he enlisted in Company "I," 15th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served as a private soldier until he was commissioned Second Lieutenant April 21st, 1864. During this time he was with the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Cumberland in their battles and campaigns. In the campaign against Atlanta he was in the 4th Army Corps, under General Howard, in the Second Division, and General Willich's Brigade — afterwards General Gibson's. On the 27th of May, 1864, near Dallas, Georgia, at a place designated in General Orders as Pickett's Mills, otherwise called Burnt Hickory, and New Hope Church, he received a severe wound, from canister shot, in the right hand, which rendered amputation necessary the next day. He was with his regiment at the time, charging in the line of the whole division upon the enemy's extreme right. The severity of this engagement is shown by the fact of twenty-six being killed, wounded, and captured from his company alone.
From the field hospital he was sent to Lookout Mountain, and there obtained a twenty days' leave of absence, and reached his home August 1st. This leave was extended twenty days further, but feeling sufficiently recovered, he returned before its expiration, and found his regiment had gone south to Jonesborough, flanking the enemy's left, and were inaccessible to him. He then reported to the 20th Corps, who were this side of Atlanta, and when that city was evacuated, went in with them, where, shortly after, he met his regiment falling back, on the 8th of September. In the meantime he had been commissioned 1st Lieutenant, and then promoted to a Captaincy, but sudden marching orders prevented him from being mustered under these commissions. The army then fell back before Hood to Franklin, and after that battle, to Nashville. Here all wounded and disabled officers were put on detached service, by order of General Thomas, and Captain Leiter was on a military commission until mustered out of service, January 30th, 1866. During this time the notorious guerilla, Champ Ferguson, was tried and convicted, the investigation occupying fifty-five days. He returned to Richland county, when mustered out of service, in the winter of 1866, and in the spring of that year he was elected Mayor of Shelby, also Justice of the Peace and Clerk of Sharon township. In the summer of 1867 he was appointed Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue, which office he held until May 20th, 1873. He has been elected Mayor every year in succession since 1866, and is the present incumbent. He is also Justice of the Peace, and gives his entire time to the duties of these offices.
From The Atlas Map of Richland County Ohio, by A. T. Andreas, Chicago, 1873, p. 23