Carter Gazley, when young, was drilled in surveying by his uncle, Asaph Buck, and studied law for three years with his uncle, Judge Theo. Gazley, at Lawrenceburgh, Ind. He practiced law in Indiana and Ohio until after the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he raised the 37th Indiana Vols., of which he was appointed Colonel, and did active service about sixteen months. The regiment was sent to South Carolina, and thence into the Army of the Ohio (8th Brigade, 3d Division), Maj. Gen. Mitchell commanding. The regiment participated in the capture of Huntsville and the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, holding that road and the country north to Fayetteville, Tenn. The Division was considered part of Buel’s army. Upon the close of his service, Mr. Gazley returned to the practice of law, at Cincinnati, Ohio. Carter was at one time a leader at the Cincinnati bar, his practice amounting to $8000 per annum. He was attorney for numerous railroad corporations. Ill health has compelled him to retire from active life.11
An interesting anecdote about Carter during his service in the Civil War appears in Anecdotes, Poetry, and Incidents of the War: North and South. 1860-1865, collected and arranged by Frank Moore:12
A Colonel on Guard — A Lieutenant in one of the Ohio regiments was making a detail of men to guard a lot of army stores captured from the enemy. He approached a crowd of men all wearing overcoats such as Uncle Sam gives his boys, and selected four or five for special duty. It happened that Lieutenant-Colonel Gazley, of the Thirty-seventh Indiana, was in the crowd, and was selected by the Lieutenant. This was fun for the Colonel, and without a word he shouldered his gun and went to his post of duty. Not long afterwards, the Lieutenant, going his rounds, discovered by the firelight the bugle upon Gazlay’s cap. He rather authoritatively inquired where he got that bugle. The Colonel said he “must have picked up an officer’s cap somewhere,” and the Lieutenant passed on.
The Colonel stood his turn all night long, and was found in the morning walking his post. Having laid off his overcoat, his shoulder-straps appeared very conspicuously in connection with the musket on his shoulder. As soon as the Lieutenant discovered a Colonel on guard, he approached him, and courteously inquired how he came to be there upon guard? “Well, sir, you placed me here.” With no little agitation the Lieutenant inquired who he was. “My name is Carter Gazley, and I am Lieutenant-Colonel of the Thirty-seventh Indiana regiment.” The Colonel was speedily “released,” but the Lieutenant was not yet relieved from his embarrassment.